Yao Youqing cried in her arms for a while, her sobs gradually subsided, and she murmured softly with red eyes.
"Everyone says that the emperor is ordained by Heaven, but I don't believe it."
Mrs. Zhou was taken aback and looked down at her.
"Your Highness, what...what do you want to do?"
Yao Youqing, however, seemed not to hear her and continued, "I don't believe that Heaven made him treat my father this way, I don't believe that Heaven made him collude with the enemy country to start a war, I don't believe that Heaven is so unjust, causing a loyal minister to be wronged and causing the people to suffer."
She released Zhou's mother, sat back down, and looked at the letter again.
"If the ruler commands the subject to die, must the subject necessarily die? If the emperor orders me to do something, must I necessarily do it?"
"What if the emperor... is wrong?"
Her voice was as soft and gentle as ever, with the delicate softness unique to girls, but her expression was extremely solemn, which made Zhou's mother shudder.
"Your Highness... what exactly do you want to do?"
Yao Youqing looked up, her still red eyes brighter than ever before.
"Didn't he want me to go to the capital? I'll go then."
…………
Liancheng wanted to investigate what was going on with the child who spoke to Yao Youqing, but Yao Youqing fell "sick" after returning home that day and never went out again. As a result, he had no chance to go out, see his servants, let alone ask them to investigate the matter.
Three days later, Yao Youqing "recovered from his illness," but instead of going to the soup kitchen or the place where wounded soldiers were housed, he asked to go to the border.
The suggestion came as a surprise, and the stewards tried to dissuade her, saying that there were frequent battles on the border and the prince was not there at the moment, so what use would it be for her to go?
Yao Youqing said, "It's precisely because the Prince isn't here that I wanted to go and see him."
"Speaking of which, it has been some time since the prince left, and the number of wounded soldiers sent from the border is increasing, which shows how difficult the war is."
"Although I can't be of much help, it would be good if I could go and take a look and calm the morale of the troops."
The stewards all knew that she had always done her best to share Wei Hong's burdens. She had stayed in Cangcheng all this time to reassure the people and let them know that as long as she was still there, Cangcheng would be safe and Shangchuan would be safe.
"But... although the journey from here to the border is not too far, it will still take some time. If... if something happens to you like last time, we can't bear the responsibility!"
Some people expressed their concerns.
“Last time was an accident,” Yao Youqing said. “At that time, we never expected that someone would dare to kidnap me in Shangchuan territory. I had few people with me, and the other party was Young Master Lian’s man, so we were careless for a moment.”
"I'm bringing more people this time. We'll go quickly and come back quickly. We'll just take a look and be back. Nothing will happen."
The stewards were still reluctant, but she insisted. Since Wei Hong, Cui Hao, and the others were not here, no one could stop her. So the trip was finally settled, and they packed their belongings, mounted the carriage, and prepared to set off that very day.
Before leaving, Yao Youqing said to Qiongyu, "There are many things to do in Cangcheng now. The soup kitchen and the wounded soldiers need to be taken care of. You stay here and keep an eye on things here for me. Let Zhou Mama accompany me."
Qiongyu was startled and her eyes widened immediately.
"How can that be? Since we're going on a long trip, how can I not accompany the Princess?"
"Besides, everything here has been arranged. As long as we follow the rules, there won't be any mistakes. Why should I stay here?"
Yao Youqing and Zhou's mother didn't tell her about the letter. Firstly, they were afraid she would blurt it out because of her impulsive nature. Secondly, she was still young and engaged to Li Dou, so they wanted her to stay here and live out the rest of her life peacefully and quietly, without getting involved.
“Silly girl,” Zhou’s mother smiled and tapped her forehead. “The princess asked you to stay here to keep things under control for her. Make sure you show your face at the porridge stall every day so people know that the princess is really just going to the border and will be back soon. Otherwise, people will misunderstand and think that something went wrong in the border war and that the princess has run away.”
Qiongyu suddenly realized, but her brows remained furrowed.
"Then wouldn't it be the same if you stayed, Zhou's mother?"
Anyway, they are both familiar faces around the princess, so whoever stays can represent the princess.
Madam Zhou raised an eyebrow: "Alright, if that's the case, then you can go with the Princess. But let me make this clear first: with war raging everywhere, even if you bring a large group this time, it doesn't guarantee that nothing will happen."
"If anything happens along the way, you must not panic. You must take good care of the princess. Don't not only fail to help but also cause trouble for her!"
Qiongyu exclaimed "Ah!" and hesitated for a moment before stammering, "Then...then I'll stay here, and you can go with the Princess, Mother Zhou."
After saying that, he added, "I'm not afraid of danger, I'm afraid... afraid that I won't be calm enough in the face of trouble and won't be able to take good care of the princess."
Mother Zhou was much older than her and had always been calm and composed. Back in the Yao family, she was the backbone of all the maids and servants, and it goes without saying that she was even more so here.
If someone had to be chosen to accompany the princess, then Zhou's mother would be the more appropriate choice.
Yao Youqing smiled and took Qiongyu's hand, saying, "Staying here is no easier than staying by my side. If you work hard and take good care of her, you'll be helping me in the same way."
Qiongyu nodded: "Your Highness, rest assured, I will take good care of this place. I will visit the soup kitchen every day, and I will also often help the wounded soldiers. A few days ago, Madam Li praised me for becoming more and more skilled at bandaging."
Mrs. Zhou chuckled and teased, "She's looking at her future daughter-in-law, and she's satisfied with her no matter how she looks at her!"
Although Song was not Li Dou's biological mother, there was no difference between them; she could be considered a daughter-in-law.
Qiongyu blushed deeply, lowered her head, and remained silent, looking shy and timid.
Yao Youqing pulled her to the dressing table and pointed to a small box on it, saying, "I put some things in there. If you encounter any big trouble, open it and give it to Steward Zhou and the others. They will do as written on it."
"However, if there's nothing serious, don't open it. Save it for next time."
Qiongyu had no doubts and nodded vigorously.
"Your Highness, won't you be back soon? I don't think we'll need this. I'm quite familiar with the affairs of Cangcheng now, so I won't make any mistakes!"
Yao Youqing smiled and gently stroked her head, her eyes filled with a hint of reluctance: "That's good."
…………
Dozens of miles away from Hutou Village, in a mountain forest, Wei Hong and dozens of Jingyuan soldiers were hiding in a secluded depression.
They were covered in mud and their hair was filthy, as if they had rolled in the mud and climbed out. If Yao Youqing were here, she would probably think of the funny story Wei Hong had told her before.
However, the current situation is hardly something to be happy about.
"That bastard Meng Fu agreed to send troops to fight the enemy, but the next day he leaked our whereabouts to the court. We were almost killed by him!"
Guo Sheng gritted his teeth and said.
Wei Hong chuckled: "I expected this to happen, so it's nothing."
Because we anticipated this, we made preparations in advance, and although we were in a sorry state, we were not in dire straits.
As long as he hides himself properly and doesn't get caught by those lackeys of the imperial court, that's fine.
As for seeing him... what evidence do you have?
If anyone were to say they would punish him simply because they saw him outside his fiefdom, he would be dead long ago.
Without irrefutable evidence, no one can convict him.
“Exactly,” Li Dou said from the side, “We’ll find a chance to kill that Meng guy later, hang his head on the city wall and show it to everyone, then we’ll see who dares to do such a thing behind our backs!”
Guo Sheng laughed twice: "Look, even Douzi, who has such a good temper, has been pushed to the limit this time. It's clear that Meng Fu is a real scoundrel!"
Someone immediately joked from the side: "General Guo, Douzi isn't angry that Meng Fu is two-faced, he's angry that he put us in danger and almost prevented him from going back to get married!"
"Yes, Miss Qiongyu is still waiting for him in Cangcheng. He is very worried about her and hopes that the war will end soon so that he can marry her."
Guo Sheng frowned: "Romantic entanglements! A true man should have the world in his heart and fight for victory on all sides! What's the point of thinking about these things every day?"
After saying that, seeing that Li Dou ignored him, he chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.
"I'm talking to you!"
Li Dou glanced at him, his face full of disdain.
"There's nothing to say to a bachelor like you. You wouldn't understand anyway."
Guo Sheng: "..."
Author's Note: We'll be reunited soon! There won't be too much of this plot. After the reunion, it'll mostly be slice-of-life scenes. The rivalry (banter) between Yao's father and the male lead is about to begin! Hahaha…
Chapter 100 Inquiry
Before Yao Youqing arrived, someone had already informed Cui Hao that she was going to the border. By the time Cui Hao found out, she was already halfway there, and it was too late to stop her. He could only helplessly have Wei Hong's tent renovated so that she could rest there temporarily after she arrived.
When Yao Youqing was almost there, he personally went dozens of miles to meet her and bring her over.
Although it is now spring, the border region still looks desolate.
The desolation is not due to a lack of people; on the contrary, there are many people here, a great many, but almost all of them are soldiers and generals, and most of the ordinary people have already moved away.
After Cui Hao greeted Yao Youqing, he led her back along the official road. On the way, they passed an abandoned city, and Yao Youqing suddenly had the idea to go up to the city wall.
The city was surrounded by Jingyuan troops, so there was no chance of encountering Jin soldiers. Cui Hao thought that since she had come, he would let her go, so he nodded and led her up the city wall.
Standing on the city wall, Yao Youqing looked around. The fields were vast and empty, with lush but messy vegetation that swayed in the wind, displaying its vitality, yet making the place seem even more desolate.
She touched the broken ramparts, her fingertips lightly brushing away the dust. The sound of the wind seemed to transform into the city wall's powerless and sorrowful sighs, echoing in her ears.
"I had heard the prince mention before that the border was in chaos and the cities were in ruins during wartime, so I thought I already knew something about it."
"Now that I've come here in person, I realize that what I knew and what I guessed before were not as accurate as the truth."
Cui Hao lowered his eyes and said, "Your Highness, there is no need to be sentimental. This is just a small town with few people. Since there are no barriers around it, it is not convenient to build any large-scale defensive fortifications. Therefore, His Highness had someone inform the people here to evacuate in advance."
"They are all safe now, they are just temporarily away, and they will come back after the war is over."
Although Wei Hong is not short of money now, it is impossible for him to reinforce every place and every city again.
Some places are not military strongholds; the local people live there because they have lived there for generations and are used to it, so they are unwilling to move away.
There are many such places in Daliang and Shangchuan. Each place may only have dozens or hundreds of people. We can't just disperse our troops to guard every place just because they live there.
No matter how many troops Wei Hong has, he cannot withstand such a dismantling.
The city wall was built with his money and labor, and with the help of the local people. If they encounter a small group of enemy soldiers, it can hold them off for a while until reinforcements arrive.
However, in a war like this, where thousands of soldiers are involved, the city walls are of little use. It is better to arrange for the civilians to evacuate in advance.
Yao Youqing seemed not to have heard what he said, still staring blankly into the distance, before finally letting out a soft sigh.
"I don't like this kind of Liang..."
Cui Hao was slightly taken aback, his eyes flickered, but he did not say anything more.
A moment later, Zhou's mother reminded Yao Youqing that it was windy on the city wall and that she should not stay there for long. Only then did she go down and get back into the car to head to the camp.
The soldiers in the camp had also heard that the princess was coming, and those who had met her boasted everywhere about how they had dealt with her and how wonderful she was.
Those who had never seen it before were filled with curiosity, craning their necks to wait for Cui Hao and his group to return.