Chapter 45 He felt that someone else was truly captivating…
The mountain breeze was still. After the chaos of war, the rescued people and the captured prisoners were put away and waited for a short rest before setting off back to Yunzhong County.
Holding the completed register, Yao Zhiyuan stopped a soldier and asked, "Where is the heir apparent?"
The soldier pointed and said, "They've been standing over there for quite a while."
Yao Zhiyuan looked in the direction the soldier was pointing and saw Baili Xunzhou standing outside the princess's carriage like a door god.
He nodded and was about to leave when the soldier suddenly spoke hesitantly: "Lord Yao, do you think His Highness has upset the Princess again and was punished by being made to face the wall?"
Yao Zhiyuan: "...Do you think the Crown Prince would obediently accept punishment like that?"
The soldier scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly. "It's good that we weren't punished. We were just saying, if the princess and the prince were to start arguing, we really wouldn't know whose side to take..."
Yao Zhiyuan was shocked. Was there any need to hesitate? How were the soldiers of the Swift Feather Camp trained?
“Of course I’ll side with the princess.” He said solemnly, “The princess is all alone in Yunzhong County, she’s frail and kind-hearted. If she quarrels with the prince, it’s all the prince’s fault.”
"Besides, the princess has treated us well. If we stand on the prince's side, we'll be ungrateful."
The soldiers' doubts were dispelled, and they respectfully clasped their hands in a fist salute to Yao Zhiyuan, saying, "Your subordinate understands!"
Good that you understand.
Yao Zhiyuan nodded and left, waving his sleeves and concealing his achievements and fame.
"Your Highness." Yao Zhiyuan walked up behind Baili Xunzhou and called out softly, and Baili Xunzhou came back to his senses.
He handed over the roster, saying, "The names of the prisoners and victims are all here. These people are tough; they won't say a word."
"No rush, take them back first and interrogate them slowly." Baili Xunzhou glanced at the roster, handed it back to Yao Zhiyuan, and instructed, "Those children have been frightened. Go back and find a doctor to take good care of them. Find out where their homes are, make a record, and then send them back safely."
"Yes." Yao Zhiyuan nodded in response, then reminded her, "Miss Yuan is also among the victims. She has checked on them, and the children are all fine. However, she herself is quite ill."
Baili Xunzhou then realized that Yuan Jixue was also here. He was only slightly taken aback before nodding to indicate that he understood. "Just arrange whatever you need. Whether she wants to return to the Yuan residence or leave is up to her."
As he spoke, Baili Xunzhou's gaze drifted back to the carriage. His first thought was whether to ask Yuan Jixue to examine the princess. But then he thought that Yuan Jixue was also ill, and it would be inappropriate to trouble her. He was even more afraid that he would pass on his illness to the princess and make things worse.
"What are you doing standing here, Your Highness? If you're worried, go inside and check on the Princess." Yao Zhiyuan asked, not understanding, and heard Baili Xunzhou's voice drop two octaves.
"She kicked me out and wouldn't let me help." Her tone was inexplicably blank and aggrieved.
As Baili Xunzhou spoke, he looked at Yao Zhiyuan, the arrogant young general's eyes filled with confusion, "She chased after me from afar, got injured, and I treated her wounds. She shouldn't have..."
He opened his mouth, struggling to find the right words, "shy, half-heartedly acquiescing, secretly delighted..."
Yao Zhiyuan made a "stop" gesture, stopping Baili Xunzhou from speaking. He finally understood why Baili Xunzhou was in this state and was somewhat speechless.
"Does Your Highness still believe that the Princess has fallen for you?"
Baili Xunzhou pursed his lips and didn't say anything, but judging from his expression, that was exactly what he thought.
Yao Zhiyuan felt it was necessary for him, as the strategist, to shatter his master's unrealistic fantasies, and said frankly, "I don't think so."
He felt that someone else was more attractive to him.
Baili Xunzhou glanced at him sideways, "You're not me, so of course you can't tell anything."
He was the one who received the sachets, he was the one who was chased around, and he was the one who was told he was trusted—that's how he felt.
“…Never mind.” Yao Zhiyuan had witnessed the Crown Prince’s stubbornness firsthand and was too lazy to argue with him. He asked directly, “What is Your Highness thinking? Are you not planning to divorce the Princess?”
Once he returns to Yunzhong County, he'll have to go to the Washa and re-enter the gambling game.
What was Baili Xunzhou thinking? He stood outside the carriage for a long time, but still couldn't figure it out.
He simply thought that since she was so devoted to him, even if he couldn't reciprocate her feelings, he should at least treat her well. Otherwise, wouldn't that be hurtful?
"People's hearts are fickle. Her feelings might come and go quickly, and she'll definitely want a divorce in the end."
Yao Zhiyuan looked at his muddle-headed prince and sighed inwardly. How could someone be so clueless about matters of the heart? No, not clueless, but rather, clueless in the wrong way. As the strategist, he had an undeniable responsibility to enlighten the prince, but considering he had already offered his advice many times, only to be rejected each time, he figured it was better to let him hit a wall. Perhaps after enough setbacks, he would finally understand.
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." This is what a good strategist should do. He then said, "But Your Highness, your current behavior is hard not to cause misunderstandings..."
"If one end of the barber's carrying pole gets hot, it will cool down very quickly. But if the other end gets hot too, the pole might catch fire."
Baili Xunzhou was taken aback by Yao Zhiyuan's words, and then realized that his behavior recently might have been inappropriate. He looked at Yao Zhiyuan with eyes as clear as a college student, "It's rare to hear you say something that makes sense."
Yao Zhiyuan: "..."
Okay, okay, it's unreasonable for him to offer serious advice on ordinary days, but it's reasonable for him to make trouble randomly?
This strategist is really unfit for the job.
Baili Xunzhou felt he should leave now, but when he turned around, his feet seemed glued to the ground and he couldn't take a step. Finally, he knocked on the carriage with his hands behind his back and asked in a cold voice, "Is the princess alright?"
A slightly weak voice came from inside: "I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Your Highness."
Bai Lixunzhou's hand hovered over the carriage curtain for a moment, but he didn't lift it to take a look. He put his hand down and said, "Since there's nothing else, let's prepare to set off."
"Your Highness!"
Just as he was about to walk away, he saw the village chief running towards him from not far away. He immediately stopped and waited in place.
The village chief ran up to them, bowed to them, and then, with his hands clasped in his hands, stammered, "Could we...could we go back with His Highnesses..."
His gray eyebrows drooped, clearly under immense pressure. For the sake of the lives of the entire village, the elderly, women, and children, he was willing to abandon all pride and beg the two princes for help.
Otherwise, once they passed this village, he truly didn't know where else he could find a powerful, influential, and kind-hearted person in charge. They might be trapped in these mountains for the rest of their lives.
"We don't need to go to the city! As long as we can survive, we'll do anything, even be your slaves!"
"You don't need to do this, sir." The carriage window was pushed open, and Feng Mian's pale face peeked out. Her feet had just been bound, making it inconvenient for her to get off the carriage, so she could only talk to people like this.
"His Highness loves his people like his own children; how could he ignore your suffering? But I wonder, how many other villages have suffered like yours? And where have they all gone?"
The village chief's face had just shown a hint of joy when he heard Feng Mian ask about the other victims, and his mood inevitably sank again. He sighed and said, "The entire area from Heishui Gully eastward, half of Baishui County, has been affected by the disaster!"
"The county magistrate said there wasn't enough food and he couldn't help us..." The village chief's voice was hoarse and weary. "Some villagers couldn't bear it anymore and said the south was rich and had plenty of food, so they went south. We... we couldn't bear to leave the roots left by our ancestors, and we still hoped to go home in the future, so we headed west..."
"But none of the towns and cities along the way would let us in..."
The wrinkles on the village chief's face, like cracks in parched earth, deepened with his words.
"But we can't blame them. There's not much fertile land here, and every family is tightening their belts to make ends meet. Who wouldn't want to take care of their own family first?"
A layer of tears welled up in the village chief's cloudy eyes, but he quickly wiped them away with the back of his calloused hands.
"We are already very fortunate to have met Your Highnesses!"
Feng Mian looked at the village chief's hunched back, then glanced up at the villagers leaning against a tree in the distance. Their thin, tired figures were embedded in the twilight, appearing so small yet so resilient.
Her appearance was heartbreaking, and I quickly blinked away the tears welling up in my eyes.
“Providing relief to disaster victims is what the imperial court should do. Please rest assured, sir. Once this matter reaches the ears of the emperor, His Majesty will surely allocate funds for disaster relief to help everyone overcome this difficulty.” Feng Mian reassured the village chief, who immediately expressed his gratitude profusely.
"Your Highness is so kind, I, on behalf of the entire village, kowtow in gratitude..." he said, about to kneel down.
"Oh, there's no need for that." Feng Mian raised his hand in a gesture of support.
Baili Xunzhou reacted quickly and caught the village chief's hand, helping him up. "The princess relieves the people's worries and doesn't need your kneeling. Please excuse her."
The village chief, his eyes red, stood at attention, about to tell the villagers the good news, when Feng Mian asked, "Do you know the identity of the wealthy merchant you kidnapped earlier?"
Baili Xunzhou raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. He thought Feng Mian was soft-hearted and had already let the matter go, but he didn't expect her to bring it up again.
The village chief stood frozen in place, as if struck by lightning, and after a long while stammered, "This...this...this was all my idea! I beg the Princess and His Highness to punish only me!"
As he spoke, he tried to kneel down again, prompting Feng Mian to urgently order Baili Xunzhou: "Your Highness, quickly help him up!"
Baili Xunzhou instinctively obeyed the order and helped the village chief up again. The village chief's back was ramrod straight, and he almost twisted his muscle.
“Don’t be afraid, there is still humanity beyond the law. I am not trying to punish anyone.” Feng Mian’s tone was gentle, which reassured people. “It’s just that it was not easy for that wealthy merchant to make this trip. People who are willing to risk coming to the Northern Frontier to do business are also seeking wealth and fortune in danger, which is not easy at all.”
"But if we make him think that the northern border is full of scoundrels who commit robbery, he will probably not dare to come back in the future. Once the trade routes are cut off, money will not flow, goods will not sell, and in the end, it will be the people of the northern border who suffer."
The village chief nodded repeatedly, slapping his thigh with a look of shame, "That's exactly right! I was really, oh dear, so foolish!"
Although they didn't hurt anyone and only stole some food and utensils, stealing is stealing, and no amount of excuses can change that!
Feng Mian's tone softened further, "Your robbery was a last resort, but that wealthy merchant was also an innocent victim, suffering this misfortune for no reason. He deserves an explanation."
“I will send someone to find him and make amends, hoping he can understand, and then this matter will be considered closed.”
Upon hearing this, the village chief trembled violently and bowed deeply, "Your Highness is so kind! We will definitely save up money to repay you when we are able to survive!"
This time, Feng Mian didn't even need to say anything. She only glanced at him before Baili Xunzhou stepped forward and helped the village chief up. "Go and tell everyone to get ready to set off. Let's get back early tonight."
"Hey!" The village chief hurriedly turned around and ran away.
Baili Xunzhou wanted to turn around and say a few words to Feng Mian, but then he heard Yao Zhiyuan cough twice. He froze, turning back halfway around, and made as if to leave.
"Your Highness, please wait."
A soft voice came from behind.
Baili Xunzhou paused deliberately for a moment before slowly turning around, raising his chin slightly, and asked in a deliberately indifferent manner, "Does the Princess have something to say?"
She called him, not the other way around.
Feng Mian looked at him and couldn't help but wonder why he had suddenly become so aloof when he had been perfectly fine just now.
"Could you please invite Miss Yuan over for me?"
"Oh." Hearing that she had come to him about something important, he became somewhat displeased again. His thin lips pressed into a cold, hard line, and he gave a curt reply before turning and leaving.
His back view exuded a strong sense of melancholy, his clothes fluttering, making him look like a cat with its fur standing on end.
"Who offended him?" Feng Mian blinked in confusion as she watched his departing figure.
Yao Zhiyuan shook his head inwardly, really wanting to see how the young master would come to his senses. He cleared his throat as if to say, "Princess, please don't take it to heart. Our young master has always been like this. His temper is as unpredictable as the weather in June."
He wasn't spreading rumors; isn't that exactly the prince's temper right now?
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Author's Note: Yao Zhiyuan: I'm such a good strategist [sunglasses]
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