Chapter 68 The reason is hidden in my heart, and I can't say it out loud.
The wick of the oil lamp was adjusted with a long needle, and the room was brightly lit. Shen Yujiao took the calming medicine handed to her by Mu Nan, tilted her head back and drank it down. Mu Jin helped A Jun settle Liangdi's bedding, and then the two of them went out and closed the door.
With only the two of them remaining in the room, Chu Rou asked solemnly, "What did Your Highness mean by what you just said?"
Shen Yujiao rubbed her temples and touched her forehead with both hands: "I dreamt that they were assassinated. At the alley entrance... in the wasteland... under the dead tree... many men in black were chasing them."
As Chu Rou listened to her description, her hands unconsciously tightened a little. "Your Highness, there's no need to worry. Dreams... are always the opposite of reality."
Her voice was soft and somewhat ethereal, as if she were comforting the Crown Princess or herself: "His Highness is of noble status, so even if someone wants to harm him, they will have to think twice. General He is a veteran of battles and his martial arts are superb, so he should be fine."
As she finished speaking, her voice grew softer and softer. Although it was a bit unreliable to conclude that the two must be in danger based on a dream, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were deeply in love, and it was not entirely impossible for a husband and wife to have a telepathic connection.
"Chu Rou," Chen Yujiao murmured, "If I leave too, and I leave things here to you, do you think you can handle it?"
"Your Highness!" Chu Rou's eyes widened as she gripped the Crown Princess's wrist, pleading, "You mustn't! If they are truly in danger, Your Highness, you are a woman; even if you went, it would be of no use..."
“But,” Shen Yujiao lowered her eyes, which gradually reddened with tears, “if something really happened to him, and I wasn’t able to get to his side immediately…”
She dared not even imagine the consequences.
She couldn't tell anyone about the special nature of her relationship with Jiang Chen. They had grown up together since childhood and had been a part of each other's entire lives up to this point. She had even come to this strange world with him. Even a reversal of time and space couldn't separate them.
It was precisely because of this deep bond that she was so certain that Jiang Chen must have encountered trouble, yet she was completely unaware of the situation there.
The fear and unease of facing the unknown and unfamiliar situation gradually overwhelmed Shen Yujiao. Even though Chu Rou was right, she still couldn't face the matter rationally.
“My mind is made up, you don’t need to persuade me anymore. Even if I can’t help much, I at least want to see with my own eyes whether he is safe. After the survey is completed tomorrow, I will tell everyone that I am going back to Bincheng to take care of the Crown Prince. Everything here is in your hands.”
"Your Highness..."
Knowing that the Crown Princess's mind was made up, she could not persuade her any further, but she still did not approve of the Crown Princess going to find the Crown Prince. If they really encountered danger, the two men could always find a way to escape, but the Crown Princess was not like that.
Shen Yujiao couldn't explain much to her. The effects of the tranquilizer were gradually taking hold. She was thinking about which hidden weapons to bring on her trip and which bodyguards to take with her. As time passed, her consciousness gradually blurred, and she fell into a deep sleep without realizing it.
The next morning, the air was cool and the sky was cloudless, clearly a fine day. While having breakfast, Chu Rou was still worried and tried to persuade the Crown Princess a little more before setting off. But before she could speak, she heard a chaotic noise coming from outside.
Chu Rou turned to look at the Crown Princess, knowing that she was already troubled, so before the Crown Princess could notice, she sent someone out to find out some information.
"Liangdi, something bad has happened! There's a fight between refugees and local people. Because there are so many people on both sides, they've surrounded the long street in front of our inn."
Did you ask why?
"It seems that because of the drought in the north, while our area has had some harvest, those refugees who lost their food due to the natural disaster fled south to this place and are now competing with the local people for food."
Shen Yujiao was originally thinking about leaving that evening, but when she heard Chu Rou and her servant talking about things outside, she changed her mind and asked, "Is it serious?"
When the Crown Princess asked, A-Jun quickly curtsied and replied, "Your Highness, it is quite serious. I heard that the two sides have fought so fiercely that some people are barely breathing."
Upon hearing this answer, Shen Yujiao stood up from the dining table, looked at the simple tea and rice on the table, and pondered deeply. This was a civil unrest that they had not expected.
We haven't even left Liaodong Prefecture yet, and the situation is already this serious. If we go further north to Anqing Prefecture, Beiding Prefecture, and even the northern frontier, how bad will the situation be there?
The drought had become so severe that some people were fleeing, but they hadn't heard a word about it as they left Xiajing City. Shen Yujiao's knuckles were turning white as she gripped the corner of the table.
"I'm going out to take a look."
Chu Rou turned and gave Mu Jin a look, signaling her to call the guards over. Then she followed the Crown Princess out of the courtyard.
When they arrived at the inn, they discovered that the situation was far more serious than the news Ah-Jun had sent back. To avoid danger, the inn had closed all the doors and windows. Some officials from the Ministry of Works were peeking out from the windows. When they saw the Crown Prince and Consort Liang arrive, they all hurriedly stepped forward to greet them.
Shen Yujiao walked to the center of the hall, looked at the shopkeeper standing to the side bowing, and asked, "Does this kind of thing happen often here?"
"this......"
The innkeeper was a simple, middle-aged man who had never hosted such an important person before. Although he did not know the identity of the person in front of him, the man's aura was extraordinary, and he was afraid of saying the wrong thing.
Seeing his hesitation, Chu Rou stepped forward and gently advised, "It's alright, sir. Our lady is very concerned about the people's livelihood. Just say whatever you know."
"Eh," the innkeeper nodded, rubbing his calloused hands together, and then replied, "It's not particularly frequent, just a few times every ten days. In the beginning, it was when our Qingyuan Town took in a group of refugees from the north. We thought everyone was a pitiful person suffering from the drought, and it was just a matter of having a few more chopsticks on the table..."
"But later, more and more people came from the north, and the town simply couldn't afford to entertain them! We're really struggling ourselves. To be honest, if it weren't for this business with you, we probably would have had to close down this year. It's not just farmers who depend on the heavens for their livelihood..."
The innkeeper sighed slightly, raised his hand to rub the corner of his eye, and then continued, "Those people outside heard that we have food here, so they fled all the way here. At first, they only wanted a bowl of rice, but later they started to steal food from our residents. Some went directly to the fields to steal, and others sneaked into our homes at night to steal. In short, how could the conflict between the two sides not deepen after all this?"
"Now, this is the scene you all see. It's because the people from the north stole Old Liu's grain last night."
Through the boss's narration, everyone gradually learned what had happened.
Old Liu's family is a farming household living in the town. At the beginning of the year, Old Liu's wife became pregnant, so Old Liu spent all his money to buy several acres of good land, hoping to sell a lot of grain during the autumn harvest so that he could raise money to support his child in the future.
Unexpectedly, this year is a year of severe drought, and the crops in the fields are only half of what they used to be. In order to support his wife and his two newborn children, Lao Liu had no choice but to go south to work. At home, there is only his wife who is still in postpartum confinement, his son who is only nine years old this year, and a pair of twins who have just turned one month old.
The refugees from the north stole their family's last remaining food rations.
It is said that it was the eldest son of the Liu family who, in order to get up early in the morning to make breakfast for his mother, went to a well several miles away to fetch water before dawn. On his way back, he bumped into the refugees who were throwing grain into the well.
This child was also impulsive. Upon seeing this, he immediately started fighting with several grown men. No village or town would allow their orphans and widows to be bullied to this extent, so this situation has arisen.
After the boss finished explaining the whole story, everyone in the lobby looked distressed. This was the real suffering that natural disasters bring to the people. Farmers who depend on the heavens for their livelihood suffer in silence when a drought strikes.
"This is outrageous!"
A young official from the Ministry of Works said indignantly. Although those around him were giving him meaningful glances, they were all secretly agreeing with him. Shen Yujiao sighed inwardly. After thinking for a moment, she said to the shopkeeper, "Open the door."
The shop owner was clearly taken aback and was extremely surprised upon hearing this: "My esteemed guest, if they were to break in, my little shop wouldn't be able to withstand it!"
"It's alright, you don't need to worry. If any losses are incurred, we will bear all the compensation."
Hearing her say that, the boss hesitated as he walked towards the door. It wasn't just about the cost of tables and chairs; if someone got hurt, wouldn't that be an even greater sin?
But because of Shen Yujiao's insistence, the boss opened the door anyway.
The moment the inn opened its doors, everyone on the street turned their attention to this place. Whether they were locals or had fled from the north, after fighting all morning, who wouldn't want to find a place to rest and have a drink? Unfortunately, the entire street was closed, so when they saw a shop open, everyone naturally rushed forward.
"Don't come any closer!"
Before the common people could even rush into the shop, dozens of armed guards surged out from all directions. Seeing the long, gleaming swords, not a single person pushed forward. These were all commoners, and even when they fought, it was just a matter of fists and feet. They were terrified at the sight of swords and spears.
Seeing that there were guards inside the shop, the crowd did not dare to approach. However, because the doors were wide open, they subconsciously peered inside. They saw a handsome young man dressed in a dark purple robe slowly walking out, surrounded by the crowd. Behind him was a handsome young man in a moon-white round-necked robe. Even without seeing their heroic appearances clearly, the calm demeanor of these two people made these people, who were far from the capital, feel like strangers.
"Gentlemen, we are on a business trip and happened to pass through Qingyuan. We encountered your situation. My master has always been concerned about the people. The drought is a natural disaster. The court is also trying to find a solution to the difficulties you are facing today. However, the county government may not be able to handle the matter in time. If you have any grievances, you may speak to me first."
The boy's words caused an uproar among the crowd:
"Where did this official come from? Qingyuan has been robbed countless times, and the government has never stood up for us!"
"So he's an official. He really has no idea how the common people suffer. If the court wanted to solve our problems, how could things have gotten to this point!"
"Ladies and gentlemen—" Shen Yujiao raised her voice again, "Today I promise that if any of you have any grievances, you may appeal."
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