Lili waved her hand and stepped onto the carriage: "Something happened, but it's all over now. Let's hurry to Li Village."
The temperature inside and outside the carriage was like two different worlds. Lili took a comfortable breath of the warm air and felt alive again.
Huang Ying noticed the bloodstains on Li Li's skirt and asked her, "Miss, would you like to change your clothes first?"
Lili wanted to refuse, but then she thought that if her fourth brother saw her, he would worry again.
"good."
Huang Ying helped Li Li change her clothes. The blood-stained dress was taken off, and Li Li frowned.
The bright red color was dazzling. Red is the most passionate and flamboyant color, but Lili couldn't see it at the moment. Every time she saw the bloodstains, she would think of the scene where she took someone's life with her own hands.
"Miss, what's wrong?"
Yunshu brewed some tea and handed it to Lili.
"It's nothing."
Lili drank the cup of tea in one gulp and calmed down.
Enough. Now that I'm in the game, how can I stay at peace forever?
Whether it was because this place was close to Li Village or because Tiger Old Cannon had gone far away, it wasn't until the convoy reached the town at the foot of the mountain near Li Village that An Qi returned covered in snow.
The group was large, and while Lili herself was not afraid of the plague, it was impossible for her to disregard the safety of others and let them go up the mountain with her.
Lili then booked an inn in town and arranged for everyone to stay.
The town was remote and few people came here. Lili was dressed in gorgeous clothes and looked exceptionally elegant. The shopkeeper knew at a glance that a big customer had arrived, and very attentively served her a table of delicious dishes.
Seeing this, Lili pulled the others to sit down and eat some, and then ordered the waiter to prepare a few more tables for the others.
Anqi said, "Tiger Laopao rode all the way to a tea shop five miles away, bought a horse, and then went to a courtyard on the outskirts of the city."
Lili ate casually, and once they arrived at the foot of Li Village, she didn't care so much about Tiger Old Cannon anymore.
"Hmm, it seems that courtyard must be their rendezvous point. Xiao Qi, keep an eye on things. There are also two guards waiting at the end of the secret passage. Make sure they are not discovered. Don't worry about the rest. I have already sent someone to inform Brother Ziyi. He will know how to handle the rest."
"yes."
This was the first time Yun Shu had heard Li Li address His Highness the Crown Prince in this way. After being stunned, she felt a sense of it being perfectly natural.
Although she knew that Lili was only acting this way because there were outsiders present and it was inconvenient for her to address him as "Your Highness," Yun Shu still felt incredibly touched.
Lili thought for a moment, then called to Chen Ye: "If His Highness sends someone over, just tell him the truth. Hmm... but it won't be that quick. Never mind, we'll talk about it later."
Shen Ye nodded.
Lili ate a few more bites and then prepared to head to Licun. "Yunshu, I'll go up the mountain first and keep an eye on the things we brought. We'll make further plans when I get back tonight."
Lili brought a lot of medicinal herbs and grains, and in addition to these, she also brought a batch of padded jackets.
Actually, Lili had thought of things like quilts, but quilts are too heavy, and bringing them would definitely slow her down.
Shen Jialu's caravan was bringing a large quantity of medicinal herbs from outside the county, and Lili entrusted the matter to Shen Jialu. She would bring some padded jackets as an emergency measure, and the cotton quilts would come with his caravan.
Yun Shu responded, and Huang Ying immediately draped a cloak over Li Li's shoulders. The waiter, who was serving the dishes, was quite surprised to hear this: "Are you going up the mountain, sir? Which mountain? You're not going to Nali Village, are you?"
Lili smiled but didn't say anything. The waiter quickly advised him, "Oh, sir, I can tell from your extraordinary demeanor that you are a person of great wealth and status. Don't be so foolish as to go to Nali Village to seek your own death! There's a cholera outbreak in Nali Village now. If you go there, you'll only be courting death."
Lili was about to laugh it off when she suddenly remembered the former prefect Shen Jialu had mentioned.
"Do you know where Prefect Zeng is? I heard he came to Rucheng?"
Lili's sudden change of topic surprised Xiao Er, but he still answered, "Oh, you mean Prefect Zeng? A few days ago, Prefect Zeng heard that cholera had broken out in Licun, so he immediately rushed over and took people up the mountain to find that so-called miracle doctor to understand the situation. However, Prefect Zeng is, after all, a prefect of a county. Although he is still in Rucheng, his subordinates will not allow him to go to Licun again, otherwise people might die."
Lili nodded. Because of Gu Ziyi and Grandpa Yang, Lili had a very good impression of Grand Tutor Zeng.
This son of Zeng Taifu seems to be a decent person.
"Why are you asking about Prefect Zeng?" the waiter asked casually. However, this group of people were generous and of high status, and might be important figures who knew Prefect Zeng.
He'd better not pry into the affairs of important people; he feared that knowing too much would shorten his lifespan.
The waiter added, "If you've come specifically to find Prefect Zeng, you don't need to go to Li Village. Prefect Zeng is currently living in Rucheng. Previously, the magistrate of Rucheng blocked the mountain road, and the pharmacies in the town were unwilling to sell medicine to Li Village. Prefect Zeng is currently in Rucheng trying to find ways to purchase medicinal herbs from all over the place."
Lili didn't explain, but thanked him sincerely and then remained silent.
The waiter finished serving the dishes and then left.
Yun Shu said, "Miss, do you want to contact Prefect Zeng? Should I go find him now?"
"No need. I'm only here to see Grandpa Sikong and Fourth Brother. What Prefect Zeng does is none of our business."
Lili let Huang Ying adjust her cloak and light a hand warmer for her, saying, "I'll ride up the mountain myself; none of you need to come with me."
She wasn't afraid of the danger of cholera herself, but she couldn't let it endanger others.
The group was taken aback. They knew that Lili wouldn't bring anyone else, but they were Lili's personal guards and maids, so how could they not come along?
Now that Anqi has gone out to work again, Lili is all alone and no one can be trusted.
"Alright, I know you're worried about me, but the most dangerous thing here is probably cholera." Lili took a sip of water. "I'm not afraid of cholera, but you will be. No matter how strong your martial arts are, you can't withstand it. Don't worry about me."
"No, it's precisely because it's dangerous that I want to follow you!"
"Yes, Miss. Although I don't know martial arts, I won't hold you back. I won't feel at ease if I don't keep an eye on you!"
Helpless, Lili looked to Chen Ye for help.
Shen Ye understood: "Miss knows what she's doing. We're just causing her trouble by following us."
Lili pleaded, "Alright, alright, my two dear sisters, I'm fine. Why don't you stay here at the inn and wait for His Highness's news for me?"
After much persuasion, Lili finally convinced them, but the two insisted on escorting her up the mountain. Lili had no choice but to refuse, citing the inconvenience of the mountain road due to the heavy snow.
After a struggle, Lili finally rode up the mountain alone.
Lili's riding skills aren't great; she can only be described as someone who knows how to ride.
I have a minor understanding of the subject, but not much.
Fortunately, even the horses liked Lili, and were very docile under her comfort, so the journey wasn't too difficult.
With the orders of Prefect Zeng, although there were soldiers guarding the way, no one stopped her. Except for the difficult road up the mountain, the journey was generally smooth.
The hand warmer was temporarily tied to the horse. As night fell, the wind and snow would only get heavier. Lili didn't plan to do anything this time; she would first make sure Shen Jiaqing and Doctor Sikong were safe.
She also noted down what they needed and what they wanted, and would bring it up tomorrow. If they didn't have it, she would write to Liucheng tonight and ask someone to prepare it for them.
When we reached the mountainside, we could see a vertical stone in the distance with the words "Lili Village" written on it.
Next to the upright stone was a very simple thatched hut, which looked like it had been built temporarily. The door was half open, revealing the glow of burning charcoal, and several soldiers were sitting inside.
Lili rode her horse over, and one of the soldiers came out. Seeing that she was a young girl, he was quite friendly: "Did you come to the wrong place?"
Another person came out, observed Lili's clothes, and said, "Miss, why are you riding here alone in this freezing weather? Do you know that there is a cholera outbreak here, and people can die!"
The soldiers were all wearing veils and tightly covering their mouths and noses. The room was filled with the aroma of medicine, which must have been given by Physician Sikong to prevent infection.
Without dismounting, Lili said from horseback, "I'm here to find Physician Sikong. May I ask where they are now?"
The group exchanged strange glances.
They probably couldn't understand why anyone would know there was a plague here and still come to die.
"Young lady, I advise you to hurry down the mountain. You look so young, maybe your family didn't keep an eye on you?" The man thought for a moment, "It's getting dark soon, and the wind and snow will be very heavy tonight. How about I take you down the mountain?"
Lili could tell that these people probably wouldn't tell her where Doctor Sikong was, and she understood. If she met a young girl in this situation, she would also advise her to go back.
"No need, thank you for your kindness."
After saying that, Lili spurred her horse and rode directly into the village.
"Why!"
They couldn't keep up with Lili on horseback at all, and in no time Lili turned into the village and disappeared.
Upon entering the village, everything was covered in snow, so it was difficult to discern anything.
The village was filled with a depressing atmosphere and was eerily quiet.
The houses were all tightly shut, with only a few open courtyard gates, which were completely silent inside, not even a chicken or duck in sight.
The roadside grass was withered and yellow, peeking out from under the thick snow, as if its vitality had been drained by the epidemic. Some old clothes were scattered at the doorway.
The once clear well water became murky and turbid, with debris floating on the surface and emitting a foul stench.
It was as if an invisible hand was gripping every corner of the air, filling the place with despair and oppression.
Lili frowned. There wasn't a single person in the village; perhaps they were all at home, too afraid to come out.
How is she supposed to find Doctor Sikong and Fourth Brother?
Lili slowed down and carefully looked into each courtyard.
Seeing a wisp of white mist rising in the air, which was particularly noticeable in the snow, Lili immediately headed in that direction.
Through the fence, Lili saw a young man dressed in ordinary clothes, brewing medicine under the eaves. He was adding firewood with his left hand and fanning the fire with his right.
The air was thick with the aroma of herbs, and the door behind me was ajar.
This is the first person Lili has met. All the doors along the way have been closed, but this is the only one with an open door.
Lili immediately dismounted. Because she was not tall enough, she almost fell flat on her face. Fortunately, she was quick-witted and grabbed the reins to steady herself.
But the horse, caught in the reins, became agitated, shifting its hooves and neighing.
The man who was decocting medicine in the courtyard heard the noise, paused for a moment, and looked over with a somewhat blank expression.
Lili patted the horse, tied it to the gate, and went inside.
The young man stood up, his initial confusion followed by tension and anxiety: "Young lady, what are you doing here? Didn't the soldiers guarding the village entrance stop you? It's not safe here. You should go down the mountain quickly, and I'll have someone take you back!"
Lili walked over slowly, glanced at the medicine, then at the elegant young man, and curtsied slightly: "I'm here to see Doctor Sikong and Shen Jiaqing. Are they here?"
Zeng Yingfeng nodded hesitantly, then looked at the laughing girl and advised, "This place is too dangerous, you should..."
"Fourth brother!"
The little girl, who had been listening attentively to him, suddenly smiled and ran past him to his side.
Zeng Yinfeng turned around and saw Shen Jiaqing, who had just come out of the house, hug the little girl with a look of surprise and delight.
"Lili? What are you doing here?"
"I was worried about you and Grandpa Sikong, so I came!" Lili was relieved to see that he was alright except for some dark circles under his eyes. "By the way, have you finished the medicinal herbs that Second Brother sent last time? I brought a lot more this time, as well as cotton-padded coats. I don't know how many people are in Li Village, so I only brought one cartload. Any more and it will be difficult to travel. But Second Brother has already sent someone to deliver the rest, as well as cotton quilts, so they should arrive soon."
Shen Jiaqing felt a surge of comfort. His sister was always a thoughtful and considerate person, no matter what. Heaven knows how much he missed home while he was here!
Shen Jiaqing's eyes welled up with tears: "Lili, you've really been a huge help!"
Lili smiled, touched the clothes he was wearing, and felt a little sorry for him; they looked like they hadn't been washed for several days.
Zeng Yingfeng walked over, somewhat puzzled: "Jiaqing, what's this?"
"Brother Zeng, this is my sister, Lili."
Zeng Yinfeng suddenly realized: "So it's your younger sister. I am Zeng Yinfeng."
Once, the wind blew?
Lili bowed, and then a guess suddenly popped into her mind.
After hesitating for a moment, Lili still didn't say anything.
Shen Jiaqing talked with her younger sister for a while. Zeng Yinfeng hesitated several times before finally saying, "Jiaqing, it's dangerous here. Let Lili go down the mountain."
Shen Jiaqing exclaimed "Ah!" before remembering to ask her, "Where are Huang Ying and the others? Did you go up the mountain alone?"
“Yes, they are different from me, I don’t want them to take risks.”
Shen Jiaqing frowned, thinking that Lili's words made sense: "Well, although you're not afraid, we should still take precautions just to be safe. I'll brew some medicine for you in a bit, then you can drink it."
I once sang in the wind, lost and bewildered.
"Okay." Lili nodded obediently. "Where's Grandpa Sikong?"
“Master goes door-to-door every day to check on the severity of the illness in infected people. Judging by the time it takes, he should be back soon.”
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