Chapter 116 |
The Seventh Prince has disappeared from the Prince's Quarters.
He knocked out his guards and even ran off with the imperial physician.
He left only a brief, succinct letter: Father, I'm going to the Xiang River.
Emperor Chongzhao didn't find out until the dead of night. He was still holding a candle-lit meeting with his ministers, and upon reading the note, he trembled with rage.
"Scoundrel! That wretched boy! How on earth did he get out?!"
Eunuch Yu didn't dare breathe too loudly. "He likely slipped out during the shift change at the North City Gate. Only one vegetable cart passed through then. A young eunuch dozed off and failed to inspect it. So..."
Emperor Chongzhao: "Chase him! Bring him back for me!"
Grand Tutor Fang: "Your Majesty, by now, it is probably too late to give chase."
Although the young prince is often ill, his martial arts foundation is among the best of all the princes. He is skilled in horsemanship and archery; ordinary people truly cannot catch up to him.
"To leave the city so smoothly, someone must have indulged him and helped him. The Fourth Prince? Or his maternal grandmother? They have spoiled him until he doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth. How can he meddle in a natural disaster? If he goes there, who knows who will end up saving whom!"
Eunuch Yu whispered in consolation, "Please don't be so furious, Your Majesty. At the very least, the Seventh Prince knows himself well enough to bring an imperial physician. That shows some sense..."
Emperor Chongzhao felt a lump in his chest.
This is what you call sense?!
He braced himself against the table, taking a deep breath. "Minister of Works, you and Vice Minister Xie will depart tomorrow for the Xiang River to take overall command of affairs in the three prefectures. Report back by messenger at the first sign of any situation. Take a batch of emergency supplies first. Upon arrival, oversee the release of grain from the charity granaries and ensure the people are properly settled."
"Investigate the cause of the breach. Determine if it was entirely due to the failure of the Nanning embankment."
The Minister of Works bowed. "As you command."
Vice Minister Xie was Xie Jingshan, the elder brother of Consort Xuan. Taking him to the Xiang River on this matter was most appropriate.
Not long after, a secret sentinel delivered a memorial.
It was left by Yu Ruo.
Emperor Chongzhao opened it, gave a bitter laugh, and said, "Excellent, he's run off too."
He passed the memorial to Grand Tutor Fang.
Grand Tutor Fang: "Although he has gone to the Xiang River, he cannot simply run away. His going there is somewhat advantageous for us, is it not?"
Currently, Nanning shows no intention of starting a war. Prince Yu Ruo is clearly the unfavored one, with foreign blood, possessing no possibility of inheriting the throne. Without the agreement of both Great Zhou and Nanning, even if he returned, he would be sent back under some pretext.
Now that Yu Ruo has gone to the Xiang River, he is, after all, a prince. If even he goes to the disaster area, how would the common people of Nanning view their emperor if he shows no response?
This greatly increases the likelihood of compelling Nanning to provide funds for disaster relief.
Unless the Emperor of Nanning truly has no regard for face or the hearts of his people.
-
As dawn approached, Qu Dubian and Yi Shier finally stopped to rest briefly at the mouth of a cave.
The horses, exhausted, grazed nearby.
They gathered some firewood, but it was damp and took a while to light.
The sky was an ink-blue, still dotted with a few sparse stars.
Yi Shier handed over the water flask and dry rations. "Your Highness."
Qu Dubian grunted in acknowledgment. "You eat some too. Let's eat together."
He warmed the pastries near the fire and hastily ate a few to fill his stomach. They couldn't stop for too long. Once the horses had grazed enough, they would have to leave.
Yi Shier sat opposite him, silently eating a few bites, when suddenly his ears twitched, and he alerted, "Someone's coming."
Qu Dubian immediately focused.
Yi Shier: "Horse hooves. Two people."
Qu Dubian: "It probably isn't someone sent by Father Emperor."
He walked out of the cave entrance. Soon, Yu Ruo and Gu Xin appeared in his view.
The two reined in their horses. Yu Ruo raised an eyebrow. "What a coincidence, meeting again."
Qu Dubian: "..."
He looked Yu Ruo up and down. "Dressed in servant's clothes. You sneaked out too."
Yu Ruo dismounted. "Aren't you the same."
He made himself at home, entering the cave and sitting by the fire to warm his hands.
Although it was summer, the hours before dawn were always chilly. The fast ride had left him chilled to the bone by the wind.
Qu Dubian: "Even if you go to the Xiang River, you cannot return to Nanning."
Yu Ruo: "I'm not trying to return."
Qu Dubian sat down opposite him, picking up the remaining pastries to eat slowly. Sensing Yu Ruo's gaze, he gave the rest to Yi Shier. "Don't let anyone steal them, Liuliu. Hide them well."
Yi Shier glanced at Yu Ruo, nodded, took them outside, and placed them in the saddlebag.
Yu Ruo: "...Who wants to eat them!"
Qu Dubian: "What use is you going? You've brought nothing, not even food."
Yu Ruo: "Then what use is you going? Why not wait for your father emperor to dispatch officials while you remain in the capital awaiting news?"
Qu Dubian didn't speak, merely raising his eyes slightly.
Yu Ruo met his gaze. "My reason is the same as yours."
Qu Dubian: "You are going for the people of Nanning. I am going for personal reasons."
Yu Ruo: "If you say so."
While the two exchanged words inside the cave, Yi Shier was outside checking the horses' hooves.
After finishing, Yi Shier leaned against a large rock by the cave entrance and reached up to touch the small porcelain vial inside his robe.
Having left the capital, the antidote for the Three-Day Drunk poison would certainly no longer be sent to him from the secret guards' office. He had brought the Thousand Coin Pills given to him years ago by the old marquis, which should be able to alleviate the effects when the poison flared up.
He hoped he could hold on for a few more days, long enough until His Highness no longer needed him.
Inside the cave.
Qu Dubian stamped out the fire and clapped his hands. "Rested enough. Let's go. We won't stop in between. We'll switch horses and ride in relays. We can reach Xianghe Prefecture in just a day and a half."
Yu Ruo quickly stood up. "But I don't have horses to switch between!"
Qu Dubian: "What does that have to do with me?"
He mounted his horse. "Liuliu, let's go!"
"Wait for me!"
Yu Ruo hurriedly followed close behind them.
The four set off once more.
-
Noon.
The Minister of Works, together with Xie Jingshan, set out with their convoy.
Their preparations had been remarkably swift, though carrying supplies for the journey slowed their pace somewhat.
Before departure, Xie Jingshan was earnestly instructed by his family's patriarch to absolutely, without fail, bring his sister Consort Xuan and the Seventh Prince back safely.
As the convoy was about to depart, after completing his inventory check, Xie Jingshan went to find his superior, the Minister of Works. He saw a young man blocking the Minister's path, pleading earnestly.
Xie Jingshan made a sound of surprise. "Isn't this the son of Lord Xi's household?"
Xi Zixing hurriedly bowed. "Lord Xie."
"At ease," Xie Jingshan looked him over. Seeing him carrying a pack, clearly dressed for a long journey, he asked curiously, "What are you doing here?"
This young master of the Xi family seemed to be on good terms with the Seventh Prince.
The Minister of Works: "He's pestering me, wanting to go to the Xiang River too. Utterly foolish. We are on official business, not a pleasure trip. He is merely a Provincial Graduate, the top scholar yes, but without an official post. He insists on going to that place. If something happens, who will bear the responsibility?"
If not for the fact that this young man's father was the Minister of Justice, his old colleague, he would have definitely had him driven away.
Xi Zixing said, "I am preparing for the next imperial examination. Only by immersing myself in the local areas can I understand the hardships of the people. The essays I write will then better reflect the actual state of the Great Zhou."
He presented a handwritten letter and leaned in to whisper.
"This is also my father's wish. I hope, considering you both serve in the court alongside my father, you will allow me to go."
Xie Jingshan carefully examined the letter, his gaze settling on the personal seal of Xi Shiqiu at its end.
"The seal appears genuine. However, incurring a favor from the Ministry of Justice is no small matter. Though, taking one more person with us is inconsequential. The letter also states that if any mishap occurs, it is not our responsibility."
Once he spoke, the Minister of Works took the offered opportunity and waved his hand.
"Then you keep an eye on him."
Xie Jingshan: "Understood."
Xi Zixing bowed with clasped hands: "Thank you both for your consent!"
He was squeezed into the last carriage.
The carriage was cramped and narrow, also loaded with goods, making it unbearably stuffy.
Xi Zixing wiped the sweat from his brow.
His brows were tightly knit. The Seventh Prince's action was nothing short of risking his life.
Was he not aware of how poor his own health was? He insisted on rushing into a disaster zone! Knocking out his guards, escaping deep into the night—utterly audacious.
When he heard the news, he truly doubted his own ears.
He immediately packed his things, forged a handwritten letter, stole his father's personal seal to stamp it, and infiltrated the convoy.
Throughout the prior actions—stealing the seal, finding an excuse to join the team—he had remained calm.
Only now, seated inside the carriage, did his composed demeanor gradually fade, revealing worry and exasperation. He gritted his teeth.
"Deduct points! Deduct points!"
Deduct all his points!
-
A day and a half later.
Qu Dubian and Yu Ruo reached their destination just before their horses collapsed from exhaustion.
Xianghe Prefecture.
A vast expanse of floodwaters.
A fine, dense rain still fell from the sky.
Crops and fields were completely destroyed, houses collapsed, and makeshift shelters floated adrift.
Along the roaring riverbanks, commoners knelt by the water, weeping. Some mourned their grain, some their homes, some their possessions, and some their loved ones.
They were in Le'an County of Xianghe Prefecture, the hometown of Consort Zhou.
Qu Dubian stopped a local: "May I ask, sir, where is the local government office?"
The local pointed to the right: "Over there, by the yamen gate. Those who weren't flooded out or who climbed from the river are all gathered there."
"Thank you."
Qu Dubian and Yu Ruo led their horses to the county yamen gate.
Walking through the town, they saw people drenched and shivering. Rain shelters made of straw mats had been erected on both sides, with people huddled inside.
Packed tightly together.
The air was mixed with the stench of decay and filth.
There were many injured, the scent of blood lingering in the air.
Qu Dubian held his breath, frowning as he scanned the area. He saw few physicians and scarcely any smell of medicine.
There was a porridge distribution at the yamen gate, with a circle of guards around the shed to prevent scrambling.
Many people held bowls, waiting in line for porridge.
"Sir! Please, just one more bowl! I beg you, even half a bowl!" A woman's voice pleaded.
Qu Dubian followed the sound and saw a woman kneeling on the ground, an infant bound to her chest with cloth strips. She kept kowtowing to the official outside the porridge shed. "Half a bowl, just half a bowl of porridge, I beg you..."
The official said helplessly, "One bowl per person per day. How can we make an exception for you? If we make exceptions for everyone, what will others eat?"
The woman continued to kowtow. Someone nearby couldn't bear it and said, "Sister, step aside. The official is right. If you get two bowls, someone else gets one less."
Blood was already showing on her forehead from the kowtowing.
Qu Dubian frowned slightly and walked forward. Yi Shier moved ahead to clear a path through the crowd.
He stood outside the porridge shed and looked into the large pot—
It contained mostly watery broth.
This was hardly porridge; it was merely hot water with a hint of rice flavor.
He remembered that Xianghe Prefecture had established charity granaries. Now, with this natural disaster, why was the porridge distributed to the people so thin?
Qu Dubian helped the woman with the infant to her feet. Under her anxious gaze, he handed her half of his dry rations. "I have some food here, and also water."
The woman quickly took it, standing up and bowing repeatedly. "Thank you! Thank you!"
The official muttered, "Meddlesome fool. When your own food runs out, you'll learn not to be so generous."
Qu Dubian ignored him. He followed the woman to the side and poured some clean water from his waterskin for her. "Eat slowly."
The woman said gratefully, "Thank you, young benefactor."
"I have a few questions I'd like to ask you."
"Please, ask."
Qu Dubian: "How many days has porridge been distributed here at the yamen gate?"
The woman whispered, "Four days ago, the flood breached the dikes. Those who could escape all gathered here. The distribution started the afternoon of the next day. But the officials said grain is limited, only one bowl per person per day."
Qu Dubian: "Clearly not enough to eat."
The woman: "In times like these, getting even a single bite is a blessing."
Qu Dubian fell silent, watching the woman finish the half-piece of flatbread.
He didn't give her any extra. Her husband and relatives didn't seem to be with her, and she was carrying an infant. Too much food would only put her at risk.
"Thank you, young benefactor. You are as handsome as the young master who came to the yamen this morning." The woman stole a glance at him, not daring to be too forward, offering only this compliment.
"What young master?"
"I'm not sure... likely an important person. Oh, right, a woman who was unconscious came with him. They are both inside the yamen now."
Qu Dubian's heart sank. He abruptly stood up, strode to the yamen gate in a few steps, but was stopped by the guards.
A guard shouted, "By official order, commoners are not permitted to enter!"
Qu Dubian pulled off the jade thumb ring hanging around his neck. This was the old man's personal thumb ring, given to him when he moved into Shunning Palace. Inside the band was engraved the imperial insignia, along with artwork of royal craftsmanship. Anyone with eyes could see it was an object for imperial use.
"Go inform your superior. Someone has arrived from the capital."