Chapter 099
Chapter 99: Arrival at Heng Prefecture
Ye He Qi opened his eyes and saw Shi Zi Chu gazing at him. Her peach blossom eyes, sparkling with starlight, reflected his image—deeply affectionate and intense. It was oddly nauseating.
With that, Ye He Qi broke the silence, speaking of serious matters: “At this hour, the Xiang Prefecture prefect should already be beating the drums, calling for justice.”
Once he finished speaking, he sat up straight and added, “I’m going to rest on the soft couch.”
Trusting in his own abilities, Shi Zi Chu responded, “Aren’t you worried about revealing yourself by sleeping on the bed?”
Now that they were publicly a couple, it would be quite scandalous to sleep separately on their wedding night, wouldn’t it? After all, such a large bed could easily accommodate four or five people.
“Do you sleep properly?” Ye He Qi asked.
Shi Zi Chu: …
She honestly wasn’t sure.
Perhaps the doubt and mistrust clearly written on Ye He Qi’s face were too obvious. Shi Zi Chu’s expression was deeply hurt as she replied, “What happened to the trust between us?”
“Did we ever have that?” Ye He Qi laughed as he spoke.
With that, he stood up. “I’m going to wash up.”
Shi Zi Chu curled up in the blanket, closing her eyes to rest. Indeed, Ye He Qi’s suspicions had been unnecessary, as neither of them had slept soundly through the night. Both were on guard, and neither of them had truly fallen asleep.
The next morning, they rose, washed up, ate breakfast, and then entered the palace to express their gratitude.
When they entered, the imperial study was bustling with activity. The night before, the Xiang Prefecture prefect had left behind a letter full of grievances before tragically crashing into the Palace Gate, dying in a gruesome manner. After today’s morning court session, half of the high-ranking officials had been summoned for a meeting.
The disaster relief efforts in Xiang Prefecture had gone terribly wrong, causing the emperor to become both furious and overwhelmed. He didn’t have time to meet Ye He Qi and Shi Zi Chu, so he immediately sent someone to dismiss them.
Once they left the palace, Ye He Qi and Shi Zi Chu took a carriage back to the manor.
Upon returning, Ye He Qi asked, “The things have mostly been packed, should we go directly to Heng Prefecture?”
Shi Zi Chu nodded.
And so, their group set out.
Heng Prefecture was remote, requiring a full month of travel from the capital. The journey was dull and tiresome, but Ye He Qi and Shi Zi Chu were never bored. Their clever minds, as sharp as a sieve, constantly challenged each other in witty exchanges, a delightful feeling of being evenly matched.
Of course, to the guards and maids watching, it seemed like the Seventh Prince and his wife were deeply in love.
When Ye He Qi and Shi Zi Chu learned of this, they only smiled and said nothing further.
By the time they arrived in Heng Prefecture, new news came from Xiang Prefecture.
Xu Zhou Ye had succumbed to an epidemic and died in Xiang Prefecture. The Sixth Prince had been forced to take over the mess and was currently managing the epidemic there.
As for Chu Zhi Rou, she was under close watch. The medical supplies she had hoarded were discovered by the Ministry of Justice, resulting in a severe reprimand from the emperor. Completely fallen out of favor, Chu Zhi Rou was now confined in the palace, awaiting her marriage to the Chu Kingdom next spring. The hoarded supplies were sent to Xiang Prefecture.
After updating Shi Zi Chu on the situation in Xiang Prefecture, Ye He Qi’s carriage stopped in front of the Prince’s manor in Heng Prefecture.
Shi Zi Chu, wrapped in a large cloak made of white fox fur, stuck her head out and was instantly jolted by the biting cold wind. Everywhere around her was a world of silver and white.
Ye He Qi reached out, “There is underfloor heating inside.”
Shi Zi Chu pulled her head back and, shivering, took small steps toward him, leaning on his arm as she made her way down.
Seeing her huddling against the cold, Ye He Qi couldn’t help but laugh, “You’re that afraid of the cold?”
Shi Zi Chu nodded without hesitation, a puff of white breath leaving her lips as she spoke, “I feel like I’m going to freeze solid.”
Ye He Qi first helped her into the main bedroom before attending to other matters.
By the time he returned, Shi Zi Chu was already wrapped in the warm quilt, sleeping soundly, looking utterly at ease.
Ye He Qi sat down beside her bed, the coldness lingering on him making the air near the bed chillier.
Shi Zi Chu pulled the quilt tighter around her, her voice full of distaste, “Go warm yourself by the fire before you come back.”
Ye He Qi chuckled and reached out. His cold hand brushed against her warm cheek, causing her to shiver awake. Her eyes snapped open, and she saw the same affectionate gaze in his peach blossom eyes, a sly grin playing on his lips, more mischievous than a clever fox.
Before Shi Zi Chu could react, Ye He Qi withdrew his hand, still smiling, “Don’t be mad.”
She wasn’t angry—she was making a note of it!
Ye He Qi rose and removed his large cloak, hanging it nearby, then moved to the fire to warm himself. “The prefect of Heng Prefecture is Pei Qing You.”
Shi Zi Chu sat up in surprise, her eyes wide, “Pei Qing You, the sect master’s disciple?”
Was that lucky or unlucky for him? In comparison to her situation, he seemed quite fortunate.
Ye He Qi nodded, “We’ll hold a banquet in a few days. You’ll meet the officials here in Heng Prefecture.”
Heng Prefecture was his domain, and he naturally needed to take control of the military forces. Furthermore, this was a land of poor, rugged terrain. Developing it would take time.
In short, there was no rush.
Shi Zi Chu understood, “I’ll go out to see things when I have time.”
Ye He Qi, looking at her from the side, curious and surprised, asked, “Do you have a plan?”
Shi Zi Chu tied her belt and came to sit by the fire, “The people here are poor for two main reasons—lack of food and warmth.”
Ye He Qi thought for a moment, “Heng Prefecture’s long winters are harsh. People here either freeze or starve to death.”
Such a situation didn’t exist in the cultivation world.
So, Ye He Qi had no clear plan for dealing with the people of Heng Prefecture.
Shi Zi Chu, adjusting her clothes, spoke as she settled down by the fire, “First, we need to solve the problem of food shortages. Heng Prefecture is mountainous, with poor soil, and the crop yields are low.”
Ye He Qi looked at her, eager to hear more of her thoughts.
“Keep this quiet for now, and give me a few guards,” Shi Zi Chu said, keeping some details back.
Ye He Qi nodded, not asking any further questions, “Heng Prefecture has many bandits. I’ll deal with them, and you handle the food issue.”
Shi Zi Chu gave a small nod.
Shi Zi Chu continued to study Heng Prefecture’s geography and people while preparing for the banquet. Amid the busy tasks, she didn’t forget to “bother” the artifact spirit, “Do you have any simple tasks for me? The reward should be something like high-yield crops such as sweet potatoes or wheat.”
?……?
The artifact spirit was silent.
Shi Zi Chu could practically feel the artifact spirit’s glaring silence. She smiled and returned to her work.
?Side Mission! Find high-yield edible crops.?
The artifact spirit’s voice was serious in her spiritual sense. Shi Zi Chu’s eyes brightened.
So the white lotus artifact spirit wasn’t as hard to communicate with as she thought!
After the banquet, Shi Zi Chu set off with a few guards for the mountains.
Ye He Qi had spent quite a bit of effort taking control of the military power, and once he did, the cleanup process kept him extremely busy.
The two of them didn’t quite have early mornings and late nights, but Shi Zi Chu would often stay in the mountains for days, while Ye He Qi would frequently spend nights in the military camp.
Though they lived under the same roof, they rarely saw each other for long stretches of time.
When they finally crossed paths, it was near the end of the year.
Ye He Qi, having rare time to rest at the manor, realized he hadn’t seen Shi Zi Chu in a long while. He was about to ask the maids when there was a sound at the door.
Shi Zi Chu entered, carrying a bamboo basket, and the maids quickly went to prepare hot water, accustomed to her routine.
Ye He Qi looked at her, weary but with shining eyes.
“I didn’t fail my mission.” Shi Zi Chu put the basket down with a cheerful expression, “I found sweet potatoes.”
She sat in a chair nearby and continued, “I’ve sent a few guards to dig up the rest. By the way, give me a few acres of land.”
Ye He Qi nodded, then asked, “What’s sweet potato?”
Clearly, the noble Ye He Qi was unfamiliar with such things.