Ning Changan looked at his grandfather, then at the eager gaze of the woman in front of him. He wanted to speak but hesitated, "Madam, don't worry... the Eldest Prince is fine."
Upon hearing this, Gu Ying's eyes were almost filled with hot tears. Her anxious heart finally settled down firmly.
As long as he was fine, everything she had gone through to get here was worth it.
"Young Master Ning, where is the Eldest Prince now?"
The Eldest Prince's wife had travelled thousands of miles to find her husband. Ning Changan did not dare to conceal anything, "The Eldest Prince is in Xianlin Town, where the disaster hit the hardest."
Gu Ying's eyes shone brightly, "I want to go find him. I wonder if Young Master Ning can take me there?"
Ning Changan pursed his lips. He felt a little bad inside, "Well..."
Afraid that he would not agree, Gu Ying quickly said, "If Young Master Ning agrees to this, I will agree to anything Young Master Ning asks of me."
Ning Changan frowned slightly. He sighed softly in the end, "I still have one more day to buy supplies. I hope Madam can wait for me for a day. Tomorrow evening, Madam can set off with my carriage. It won't even take a full day to reach Xianlin Town."
Since it concerned the disaster and the common people, Gu Ying naturally agreed readily, "Alright, alright."
...
That night, Gu Ying stayed at Ning Si's courtyard.
Ning Si was the legitimate daughter of the Ning family's Madam. The Ning family had always doted on her greatly. Her courtyard was built like a fairyland, with fresh and elegant furniture and decorations, yet not without a young girl's lovely vibrance.
Gu Ying really liked this kind of courtyard. It had exotic flowers and plants, pavilions and towers, a spacious study, and a cozy bedroom. Every blade of grass, every piece of furniture showed Master Ning's love for his daughter.
Unlike her, who had never received much doting from her father and grandmother since she was little.
So Ning Si loved those she cared about ardently and bravely, unlike her who had suffered the pain of love and didn't dare open her heart to others anymore after being reborn.
Coming all the way unconditionally this time to find the Eldest Prince was the bravest thing she had done since her rebirth.
Gu Ying suppressed the loss in her heart.
She asked Ning Changan about the Yueyang snow disaster and the Eldest Prince's disappearance.
Only then did she know that when the Eldest Prince and Cousin arrived in Yueyang, they split their forces. They ordered people everywhere to evacuate the commoners in order and built emergency shacks in the suburbs for the commoners to live in. They also distributed free food, cotton clothes, medicine and other supplies. If they encountered disobedient people, they would be forcibly taken to the safe shacks and camps.
Therefore, Yueyang City and the surrounding towns were not severely affected by this snow disaster.
Only a few remote towns like Xianlin Town, which was located deep in the rugged mountains with winding roads and long distances, made it difficult to provide timely assistance. Thus the disaster was more severe there.
Afterwards, Master Ye stayed near the Li River South of Yueyang to handle the aftermath, while the Eldest Prince took Yuezhou City's men all the way to Xianlin Town, where the earthquake caused by the snow disaster was even more devastating.
It was true that the Eldest Prince had encountered an assassination attempt and was shot by a poisoned arrow fired by the assassin, causing him to fall off a cliff. However, the Eldest Prince was fortunate and managed to escape from the bottom of the cliff.
Since then, he had continued to claim to the outside world and the imperial court that he was missing.
This was to confuse the enemy so that he could focus on rescuing disaster victims.
Gu Ying listened with pounding heart and trepidation. Her heart was crushed into a ball, "What happened then?"
Seeing the worry on the lady's face, Ning Changan comforted her, "Later the Eldest Prince was...was saved by a doctor. That doctor was highly skilled. He removed the arrow and detoxified the Eldest Prince. The Eldest Prince is strong and healthy. After a few days he could get out of bed and move around. Madam need not worry too much."
Gu Ying smiled. How could she not worry? He was someone who had fought his way out of thousands of soldiers and horses. His body already had many terrible scars. And now there was a new injury... She didn't know if his body could withstand it.
Since it was a young lady's boudoir, Ning Changan did not dare to stay for long. He got up to take his leave, "Madam, I've said what I needed to. Changan shall take my leave first."
"Thank you, Young Master Ning." Gu Ying saw Ning Changan off.
Ning Si, who was lounging on the carved nanmu couch inlaid with gold threads, rubbed her cheeks and looked at the person walking back. "I said that with the Eldest Prince's good fortune, there was no need to worry, right? Now you don't have to worry anymore, do you?"
Gu Ying curved her lips. She lay down side by side with her on the couch. The tension built up over the days eased slightly. Her voice was bright and cheerful, "I'm relieved. Cousin and the Eldest Prince are fine. I can finally sleep well tonight."
Ning Si turned her face towards her and looked into her bright eyes. Gu Ying pinched her cheek playfully, the corners of her mouth blossoming into a faint smile, "What are you looking at me for?"
Ning Si simply rolled over to face her and looked at her carefully, "I always feel that we've both lost weight on this trip, but you look a little fatter."
Gu Ying was taken aback, "No way."
Ning Si pointed at her chest, curling her lips upward wickedly, "Especially here, it's bulging, a whole size bigger than when you left Bianjing..."
"You little rascal, what are you doing!" Gu Ying glared at her shyly and slapped her hand away from her chest, then took a closer look herself.
It did look...much fuller...
But she had gotten thinner everywhere else.
Maybe it's because...after being with the Eldest Prince...there was some further development...and the food at the Prince's manor was pretty good too...
Ahem, she blushed and didn't think about those passionate affairs anymore.
She poked Ning Si's forehead seriously, "It's late, we should rest."
"I was just joking around. Why are you angry, Gu Ying?" Ning Si laughed for a while by herself, then said, "Xianlin Town is very remote, and the journey will be difficult. Do you want me to go with you?"
Gu Ying smiled at her, "No need. From what your brother was implying, he wants to advise me not to go either. This shows that it is not easy to take a trip to Xianlin Town. You are physically weak. Just stay in Yueyang City and wait for me to come back."
Ning Si was reluctant, "Gu Ying."
Gu Ying pulled her up, "No discussion. Go to sleep."
Ning Si, "Hmph!"
...
The disaster in Xianlin Town was extremely severe. Ning Changan did not dare to slack off for a moment. He bought supplies without stopping and more than ten carts set off from Yueyang City like a long dragon.
Gu Ying and Yin Lan sat in the carriage in the middle.
Huai An rode on horseback alongside to protect them.
As her mental strain eased, Gu Ying's habit of dozing off returned.
As soon as she got on the carriage, she started rocking back and forth to sleep.
Yin Lan had originally wanted to find some free time to brew the medicine for her to drink, but there was never a chance. The convoy rarely stopped after setting off. During the brief breaks to rest, they had to get going again after just enough time to drink a cup of tea.
For the sake of Xianlin Town's disaster victims, Yin Lan also knew not to ask Ning Changan. She sighed despondently several times along the way.
Gu Ying woke up half asleep a few times. She comforted Yin Lan with a smile, "It's fine. We can brew the medicine at the Eldest Prince's camp when we arrive. My condition has improved. I won't die in a short period of time."
After speaking, she fell asleep again.
