Less than half a day after setting off from the post station, the sweltering heat of the past few days intensified, and thick clouds filled the sky.
Ling Qingxue looked up at Su Jingxuan and said, "Mr. Su, it looks like it's going to rain. We need to hurry to Zhenjiang to rest. Once the clouds start to get heavy and it starts raining, it won't stop for just a day or two."
"Okay, then hurry up!" Su Jingxuan immediately gave the order.
Despite their hurried pace, the group encountered a torrential downpour less than five miles from Zhenjiang.
Fortunately, they had found a teahouse by the roadside to stop beforehand.
But once the long-awaited downpour started, it showed no signs of stopping.
Before 3 PM, the sky had become completely dark.
The teahouse was filled with pedestrians who had come to take shelter from the rain, all hoping that the long-awaited downpour would end soon.
Ling Qingxue stood in front of the teahouse, looking up at the white curtain of rain in the sky, and couldn't help but sigh deeply.
Su Jingxuan walked over at this moment: "Mr. Ling, why are you watching the rain here? Come in and have some hot tea."
Ling Qingxue said, "I'm worried that this rain will turn the drought that has lasted for months into a disaster."
"Once the land, which has been dry for nearly half a year, is washed away by rain, many dikes will face the risk of breaching..." He sighed deeply.
Su Xuerong, who was sitting not far away, suddenly paused.
In her previous life, she was unaware of what was happening in the Jiangnan region after arriving in the capital. However, on the day the new emperor ascended the throne, she overheard several palace servants discussing among themselves that the new emperor was morally flawed, which was why the country was plagued by floods during the month following his ascension.
So, did the Jiangnan region also suffer from flooding at that time?
If the torrential rain continues for half a month, it will definitely cause disasters in many places.
The people, who have just emerged from internal strife, will soon face another period of hardship.
"Sir, you are overthinking it. While other prefectures and counties in the Central Plains may suffer from floods, our Fenyang Prefecture will definitely not!"
A scholar-like man stood up and said to Ling Qingxue.
Ling Qingxue was immediately puzzled: "Brother, why are you so confident?"
Su Xuerong also pricked up her ears and listened carefully through the veil.
The scholar smiled and said, "Our Fenyang Prefecture is under the jurisdiction of the Prince of Fenyang. Five years ago, after he was ordered to come here, he personally led people to investigate the lives of the people and the disaster-prone areas in the prefecture. He has already ordered the construction of sturdy dikes, the dredging of waterways, and the reduction and exemption of taxes, so that the people of our prefecture can truly live and work in peace and contentment."
Upon hearing this, Ling Qingxue's eyes lit up immediately: "Is the Prince of Fenyang really like that?"
"Of course!" the scholar said with great pride. "The Prince of Fenyang loves his people like his own children. In order to spare the people of the prefecture from the suffering of war, he would rather use military resources to resist internal and external enemies than actively participate in internal strife. Otherwise, how could our prefecture have such a good life?"
Ling Qingxue nodded with admiration: "That's true. Along the way, the official roads are much better built than those in the northern prefectures, and the people seem to be very wealthy."
Su Xuerong, standing to the side, felt worried for the people who supported Xiao Yuan.
Three years from now, Xiao Yuan will be involved in a civil war between the North and the South. Will these people still support him then?
Personally, she hoped Xiao Yuan would succeed.
But once war begins, regardless of the outcome, it is always the ordinary people who suffer.
Su Xuerong was overwhelmed with emotion.
She was not a saint with the world in her heart, and she believed that she could not save the world. The only thing she could do was to ensure the safety and well-being of her family.
The heavy rain kept falling, showing no sign of stopping.
Su Jingxuan made a quick decision to continue on his way. He needed to reach Zhenjiang before it got completely dark, as the distance was less than five miles.
The family continued their journey in the pouring rain.
Just as Ling Qingxue sensed, the official roads within Xiao Yuan's jurisdiction were all very smooth, and the heavy rain would not wash them away in a short time. They managed to enter the city before the Zhenjiang city gates closed.
After finding an inn to stay in, Ling Qingxue immediately asked Li Shi and Xiuchun to make ginger soup for the bodyguards and guards who had accompanied her on the journey. After consulting with Su Jingxuan, she also gave them extra dinner.
Everyone is extremely grateful.
Su Jingxuan wholeheartedly agreed with Ling Qingxue's arrangements and privately praised Zhou Shi.
After settling into the inn, Su Xuerong carried Yuan'er out of the room to rest in the corridor.
The heavy rain continued to fall, and the view from afar was a gray, misty curtain of rain, but the lights in Zhenjiang City did not diminish in the slightest.
Several streets in the distance were brightly lit, and many taverns, restaurants, and entertainment venues were decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, bustling with activity, completely ignoring the heavy rain from the heavens.
The inn where the Su family stayed, not far from the city gate, was surrounded by countless taverns and restaurants.
The various glass lanterns shimmered brightly in the rain, and many diners, holding oil-paper umbrellas, rushed to their favorite restaurants and taverns. Looking around, almost every household was packed with people.
"Madam, the eldest mistress is here to ask if you would like to take Yuan'er to the perfume shop for a bath?" Xiuchun hurriedly ran upstairs to the second floor.
Su Xuerong's heart stirred slightly.
In my previous life, I had heard that the perfume shops in Jiangnan were very interesting. They not only had large pools for ordinary people to bathe in, but also perfume baths for distinguished guests. The various fragrant flowers and perfumes there were no less exquisite than those in the palace.
Since leaving Suzhou, it has been inconvenient to wash up on the boat. After arriving in Yangzhou, I stayed at my brother's house, and last night I stayed at the post station. I haven't had a proper bath yet.
"My wife said there are quite a few restaurants next to the perfume shop, so let's all go there and enjoy ourselves, have dinner, and then come back," Xiuchun said, her eyes sparkling.
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