At dawn, Zhu Jiayu woke up in bed and heard that Wei Qinglou was going to personally execute Zhu Sen'ao and his group on the city tower.
She didn't even bother to eat. She went down to the city wall and stood with the millions of people in Songjiang City, looking up at the young Vice Minister on the city wall.
A young civil official's powerful voice carried on the wind: "As the magistrate of Songjiang County, Zhu Sen'ao not only failed to fulfill his duties as a local official after the flood, but also colluded with wealthy merchants such as Liu Ximing to inflate grain prices and cause chaos. I have personally executed him here to restore justice to the people of Songjiang. I also ask you all to believe that I and General Gu will definitely revitalize Songjiang City and ensure that you all have enough to eat!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his knife, and before Zhu Sen'ao could even utter a word in protest, his head had already fallen to the ground.
Liu Ximing and others followed closely behind.
The people watched all this in silence. Wei Qinglou continued, "I have already ordered people to set up grain distribution points in the city. Soon someone will inform you of your location. Within three days, each household can receive grain twice a day, morning and evening. Each able-bodied man can receive one bag of grain, and every two elderly, weak, women and children can receive one bag of grain. When you receive grain, you must bring your family members to the soldiers to report your names and register them."
After he finished speaking, a few voices finally broke out from the crowd.
At first, it was tiny, like raindrops or streams, then it grew larger, like surging waves, spreading from near to far, and joy overwhelmed everyone.
We have enough food!
We won't starve to death!
These two pieces of information washed over everyone's hearts, causing smiles to involuntarily appear on their faces.
Zhu Jiayu also became happy with them. She returned to the house and just then received two letters.
One letter was from Chen Rusong, in which he discussed the current situation in Suiping City with her. The refugees were living well in Suiping City, and the work-for-relief program had not aroused their dissatisfaction. On the contrary, they felt respected enough, which proved that the program was feasible.
The other letter was from Gu Heguang. After hearing that she had not returned to Suiping but had gone to Songjiang, Gu Heguang sent some silver, dozens of doctors, and several carts of medicine. Although Zhu Sen'ao reported the disaster in time, and the time from the outbreak of the flood to Wei Qinglou's arrival with his men was still short, it was still necessary to send doctors to Songjiang as a precaution. Firstly, they could treat the patients injured in the flood, and secondly, they could prepare medicine and distribute it to the disaster victims to prevent and control epidemics.
After leaving the city gate, Wei Qinglou went to find Zhu Jiayu. Zhu Jiayu handed him the letter and said, "No matter how much food is distributed for disaster relief, it cannot be distributed indefinitely. It would be better to implement work relief in Songjiang as well. This way, houses can be rebuilt and disaster victims can receive food. Once we get through this period, we can bring in food and medicine from surrounding towns or even more distant places."
Wei Qinglou nodded in agreement and then gave the instructions.
Looking at Zhu Jiayu, he inexplicably recalled the words of an ancient poet: "Tonight I'll light the silver lamp again, still fearing our meeting is but a dream."
Recalling the events of last night, his voice was hoarse. After a long pause, he finally asked, "Why did you come?"
Zhu Jiayu then told him about what she had seen and heard on her way back to Suiping, and at the end, she said, "I saved your life, so of course I can't let you die so easily."
Wei Qinglou couldn't help but think again, "She really is unreasonable."
Everyone else said that life and death are determined by fate, but she went against the grain and insisted on deciding his life or death.
He laughed again. Yes, if everyone were like her, he wouldn't treat her differently. He knew better than anyone that there would never be another Zhu Jiayu in this world.
"When do you plan to go back?" Wei Qinglou asked her again.
He didn't forget that Zhu Jiayu originally wanted to go home, but after hearing about Zhu Sen'ao's evil deeds, he was worried that something might happen to him, so he turned back to Songjiang.
Now that things are gradually stabilizing in the city, it's time for Zhu Jiayu to go back.
He can't keep someone by his side forever.
Zhu Jiayu thought for a moment and said, "In the next couple of days, then."
Having seen things through to the end, she decided to observe the situation further and make sure Wei Qinglou was alright before returning. Since the Songjiang River floods had never occurred in her previous life, she didn't know what would happen next and could only stay in the city for two more days.
Wei Qinglou said that after a while, he couldn't help but ask her, "If I remember correctly, you'll be sixteen in the spring. For girls from ordinary families, these two years are the best time to find a husband. What about you?"
Even he himself didn't notice that after asking the question, he began to tighten his grip on the letter, and his knuckles turned a cold white from the force.
The smile on Zhu Jiayu's face faded slightly after he asked that question.
She silently met Wei Qinglou's gaze, thought for a long time, and finally spoke, "I don't know."
She had never thought about it, or rather, she didn't dare to think about it. Meeting Rong Heng once was enough; she really didn't want to meet a second one.
"Don't know?" Wei Qinglou raised an eyebrow. "I thought Miss Zhu was exceptionally capable, a formidable figure who knew half of what was happening in heaven and all of what was happening on earth. But I never expected that there would be things that you, Zhu Jiayu, didn't know."
Having been stabbed in the back, Zhu Jiayu asked him the same question: "What about Lord Wei? Lord Wei is a young talent with a limitless future. I imagine the people who want to propose marriage must be lining up at the Duke's mansion by now. I wonder when Lord Wei will invite me to his wedding feast?"
Her eyes were clear, her lips curved slightly, and her expression was intriguing. She was neither indifferent nor overly enthusiastic, like a magnolia about to bloom, standing gracefully in the wind, hidden among the lush foliage. She did not reveal her full beauty, yet this made people want to stop and admire her.
Wei Qinglou was the first to look away. He couldn't tell whether Zhu Jiayu was sincere or not, but no matter what it was, he felt a tightness in his chest.
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