Chapter 98 Snowflakes at Night...

The snowflakes fell silently at night, first a few scattered flakes tentatively tapping on the branches and leaves that had not yet fallen, then the downy snowflakes fell densely and quietly.

Fengmian, who was in a deep sleep, seemed to hear a deafening roar and was suddenly awakened.

Her clothes, soaked with sweat and sticking to her skin, clung to her skin. She lay on the bed, staring at the dark ceiling, unable to come to her senses for a long time. The images from her dream were now blurry, but the fleeting moment of panic still made her heart pound.

There was a rustling sound coming from outside. Feng Mian simply sat up and lifted the bed curtains. He saw Wu Liu and Liu Ying carrying brocade quilts and tiptoeing into the room.

"Why did the princess wake up?" The two women were stunned for a moment as if they had been caught red-handed, then rushed to the bedside with blankets. "Did you wake up from the cold? Oh dear, the weather in the northern frontier is really something. It suddenly snowed just now, and it got so cold all of a sudden, without any warning. Luckily, we are the ones who are on watch tonight. Princess, quickly change the blankets."

"Why are the princess's clothes all wet?" Wu Liu noticed the cold sweat still clinging to Feng Mian's forehead as she got closer. "Did you have a nightmare?"

Feng Mian rubbed her aching temples, got up and went behind the screen to change her nightgown. "I can't remember, I just felt a tightness in my chest, so it probably wasn't a good dream."

She hadn't dreamt of the afterlife for a long time, and had no way of knowing whether Baili Xunzhou and Feng Ciyan's journey would be successful. She had been feeling uneasy, and today she had a frightening dream for no reason, making it even harder for her to fall asleep.

"Is it snowing outside?" Feng Mian asked.

“Yes, it’s snowing heavily. I’ve never seen snow this heavy when I was in Shengjing.” Seeing that she had walked to the window to look at the snow, Wu Liu took a thick cloak and draped it over her.

Feng Mian reached out and pushed open the window, letting in a rush of cool air, carrying the crisp scent of snow. The courtyard was already covered in a blanket of white, the snow completely covering the flagstones. The snow was still falling, swirling and seemingly endless.

Seeing Feng Mian reach out to catch the falling snowflakes, Wu Liu quickly pressed her hand back gently, her tone disapproving: "Be careful not to catch a cold."

Feng Mian could only watch helplessly as the snowflakes gently fell onto the windowpane in front of him. Suddenly, he remembered something: "Will those female teachers from Jiangnan arrive tomorrow?"

"Yes, Princess, don't worry. Military Advisor Yao has sent the elite of the Swift Feather Battalion to accompany the deputy commander to pick them up. There will definitely be no problems." Liu Ying thought that the female instructors were worried about encountering bandits on the way, just like when they came, so she quickly comforted them.

Feng Mian gazed at the endless snow outside the window, wondering if the sudden drop in temperature would scare people away. If they caught a cold and fell ill as soon as they arrived in the Northern Frontier, their first impression of the region would likely be negatively affected.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, a carriage was being escorted by dozens of guards on the official road a hundred miles outside Yunzhong County, preparing to depart.

The five female teachers inside the carriage were all dressed as women, in their twenties or thirties, and were huddled together, covered with two thick woolen cloaks for warmth. Even so, their noses were still red from the cold.

"It's not even November yet, and it's already this cold in the Northern Frontier. How are we going to get through the rest of the year..." The youngest, Tang Yushi, was starting to regret her decision. She had originally become a female teacher because she loved traveling and sightseeing, using the guise of teaching to explore the landscapes. Having never been to the Northern Frontier before, she had eagerly signed up when she heard that the princess was recruiting female teachers, thinking that the trip would be safe and sound. Little did she expect to be so thoroughly disappointed by the weather in the Northern Frontier.

“We can just buy a few more winter clothes when we get to the northern border.” The oldest of the group, Wang Yuanqing, was quite calm. She sat by the window and even had the leisure to open a crack in the window to look at the snow falling outside. She sighed, “How can we see such a magnificent snow scene in Jiangnan?”

Then, amidst the cries of "It's so cold!" from the others, he reluctantly closed the window.

Suddenly the carriage stopped, and the group of people looked at each other in bewilderment.

"What happened?"

"Is the snow too heavy, making it difficult to travel?"

"No, I'm just waiting to get to Yunzhong County so I can have a cup of hot tea."

Someone gently knocked on the carriage door, and a warm and kind voice came through the door: "Greetings, teachers. The princess has sent us to bring you ginger soup to ward off the cold."

Everyone was taken aback. Wang Yuanqing was the first to react and quickly got up to open the door.

The wind and snow, carrying a chill, swept in. An old woman wrapped in a dark blue cloak nimbly slipped inside, took two sandalwood boxes handed to her by someone behind her, pushed them inside, and then quickly closed the carriage door.

"This old servant's surname is Tang. You teachers can call me Granny Tang." She greeted him with a smile, her eyes radiating warmth. "This is a hand warmer prepared by the princess for you teachers to use to keep warm."

As she spoke, she pushed over the sandalwood box on her left, and when she opened it, she saw five identical silver-plated hand warmers with floral patterns inside. The charcoal inside was already filled, and all that was needed was to light it with a tinderbox.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness." Everyone hurriedly took out tinderboxes to light the hand warmers, holding them in their cold palms, where the warmth gradually spread from their hands.

Granny Tang opened the sandalwood box on her right. "This is ginger soup. The princess was worried that the heavy snow overnight would make the teachers sick, so she ordered the kitchen to prepare a big pot of it early this morning. It has been kept warm over charcoal fire all the way here, so it's still hot. Have a cup."

Granny Tang personally distributed the ginger soup, which was served in delicate little soup bowls. Seeing that everyone had a hand warmer to keep warm and drank the warm ginger soup, her face became even more amiable.

Wang Yuanqing drank a bowl of ginger soup and felt her whole body warm up. A genuine smile appeared in her eyes as she gently placed the soup bowl back into the food box: "The princess is so thoughtful. Please thank her on our behalf, Granny Tang."

"The princess said that since the tutors have come from afar, they must be treated well." Granny Tang's face showed a hint of pride, clearly feeling that her princess's arrangements were extremely thoughtful and kind. She continued, "The tutors will stay in the residence behind the academy, where everything is provided. If they need anything, they can simply tell the servants to buy it. The princess is worried that the tutors may be unwell from their long journey, so she has asked Doctor Liu to wait in the residence to take their pulses."

The group, who were initially quite uneasy, were warmed both physically and mentally by the repeated reassurances, and became even more eager to arrive in Yunzhong County.

By the time the carriage reached the city gate, everyone had warmed themselves with hand warmers. They shrugged open the windows and peered out curiously. They saw that the snow on the official road leading to the city gate had been cleared and piled up on both sides of the road to facilitate the carriage's passage. Some officials were even scattering white snow pellets along the roadside with earthenware bowls.

"They're... sprinkling salt?" Tang Yushi looked closely and realized that the white stuff was clearly salt grains, and she was surprised.

"It was Her Highness the Princess who ordered it, saying that this would prevent slipping and make it easier for everyone to travel," Granny Tang explained with a smile.

"Your Highness is truly generous; the roads throughout Yunzhong County must have used a lot of salt, right?"

"Her Highness said that no matter how precious salt is, it is not more important than the well-being of the people. If someone were to slip and fall in the snow, it would be a terrible thing."

Once the carriage entered Yunzhong County, Granny Tang began to talk incessantly. Pointing to a shop with a sign bearing the character "封" (seal/approval), she started telling them how the princess cared for the soldiers' families. Then, gazing towards the wasteland, she recounted how the princess had purchased white cotton to make winter clothes and quilts to help the people get through the winter…

From the city gate to the residence, Granny Tang's mouth never stopped, praising Feng Mian from head to toe. The female teachers listened with shining eyes and admiration.

Indeed, a princess who is willing to invite five female teachers to open a school for women must not be an ordinary person.

At this moment, Feng Mian was waiting for the female teachers with Liu Jixue in the courtyard. She had been restless and unable to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night. Being alone, she couldn't help but overthink, so she tried to distract herself by doing other things.

Liu Jixue saw through her worry at a glance, ordered someone to bring hot tea and snacks, and watched her eat a few more bites, saying, "Eating some sweets will make you feel better."

She gently comforted him, "His Highness has fought alongside the Prince since childhood, braving countless battles and dangers. He will certainly not face any peril on this journey. The Princess should believe that His Highness will return safely."

Feng Mian forced a smile. She thought that Baili Xunzhou was never one to break his word. He said he would go ice skating with her, and now that it was snowing, he should be back soon...

The sound of carriages and horses came from outside the gate. She quickly suppressed her worry and put on a warm smile to greet them at the gate. She saw several female teachers, who looked travel-worn, getting off the carriages one after another.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Wang Yuanqing and several female teachers were about to bow when Feng Mian personally helped her up.

"Gentlemen, you have come from afar and must be tired from your journey. There is no need for such formalities." She glanced at the flushed cheeks of the group and gestured to them, "Hot tea and snacks have been prepared inside. Please come in."

Liu Jixue stood under the corridor and noticed that one of the female teachers looked slightly pale, so she followed her and said, "Is this teacher feeling unwell? Let me take your pulse first."

Granny Tang hurriedly introduced, "This is Physician Liu."

As they spoke, everyone had taken their seats inside the room. Upon hearing what Granny Tang said, all their surprised gazes fell on Liu Jixue, clearly not expecting that the person who would come forward to examine their pulses would be a female doctor.

“Dr. Liu will also be offering a few medical theory classes at the academy in the future, so she can be considered your colleague,” Feng Mian continued, picking up where Tang Mama left off. “However, she will be working at the academy during the day and will stay there at night, so she won’t be living with you all.”

Tang Yushi hurriedly asked, "Can Doctor Liu hold a clinic and see patients?"

She realized her words were ambiguous as soon as she finished speaking, and quickly explained, "What I mean is, does the clinic actually allow Dr. Liu to practice medicine? When I was young, I also longed to study medicine, but I heard that the clinic did not accept women, so I gave up later."

As Liu Jixue took the pulse, she calmly said, "It was not allowed at first, but this clinic belongs to the princess."

As she spoke, a smile appeared on her lips: "Her Highness the Princess personally appointed me to run the women's medical clinic, so naturally no one dares to object."

Holding the warm teacup, Wang Yuanqing looked up at the young yet composed princess in the main seat and suddenly felt that this trip to the northern frontier might be more worth looking forward to than she had imagined.

Feng Mian was smiling and about to reply when she caught a glimpse of Liu Ying hurrying across the courtyard, looking anxious. Her heart skipped a beat, but she remained calm as she stood up. "I suddenly remembered that there are important matters in the manor. Please rest well today. Granny Tang will take you to see your lodgings and the library. Excuse me."

After she finished speaking, she left in a hurry. Only after she had gone far away did the female teachers exclaim in admiration, "Your Highness is so kind!"

Liu Jixue's eyes curved slightly: "She is naturally excellent."

Feng Mian led Liu Ying into the carriage before asking, "Is there any news about the young master?"

Liu Ying's face turned deathly pale: "Qingyi brought the news that the mine has collapsed, Your Highness..."

Fengmian's fingers, hidden in her sleeve, trembled.

"His Highness the Crown Prince was buried underground in the mine..."

Suddenly everything went black, and a wave of dizziness washed over him. Feng Mian closed his eyes, his fingertips digging deep into his palms, using the sharp pain to force himself to remain calm.