Chu Ye had to set off before dawn the next day. With only one night to spare, time was limited, and he couldn't do everything himself, nor could he trust anyone else to do it.
What worries her is not only her husband's food, clothing, shelter and transportation after arriving in the disaster area, but also the consequences of this disaster relief effort.
When a man goes out to do something important, his wife should support him wholeheartedly. However, everyone knows the Crown Prince's current situation. What Wuxia fears most is that Chu Ye might inadvertently offend the Emperor's wrath, and she doesn't know what his fate will be then.
She seemed preoccupied, much quieter than usual, and her complexion was not good. The maids who could serve in the main courtyard of Prince Yi's residence could all tell that the princess was unhappy today, and they were all extra careful in their words and actions.
After returning to his residence from the palace, Chu Ye discussed disaster relief matters with his advisors in his study until nearly 9 PM before leaving.
As soon as he stepped into the main courtyard, he sensed that something was off. Calculating the time, although it was a bit late, it wasn't yet time for the children to go to bed. His two boys had boundless energy and were so wild when they played that no one could control them. How could it be so quiet that there wasn't a sound?
Could it be that the moon rose in the west tonight, causing the two children to change their gender?
Chu Ye looked up and saw that it was a cloudy and foggy day with no stars or moon in the sky. He smiled slightly and quickened his pace to enter the room.
Behind the antique display shelf in the main room, Chu Heng and Chu Yi each held a wooden knife and slashed at each other. However, there was none of the shouting and yelling that usually accompanied their exchanges. Both of them kept their mouths tightly shut and did not make a sound. Even when the wooden knives clashed, they tried to use as little force as possible to avoid making a sound.
It looks just like a mime artist performing under a pedestrian bridge.
Chu Ye shook his head, ignored them, and continued walking inside.
In the side room, Wuxia sat on a pear wood carved daybed, with a large camphor wood chest at her feet.
Upon seeing him enter, Wuxia immediately greeted him, "Your Highness, come quickly and see if there's anything missing?" As she spoke, she handed Chu Ye a list, "The items that were packed are all listed here, making it easier to find them. I'll write a copy for the servants who went with you later."
"It looks quite complete."
Chu Ye's mind was not on these trivial matters. He glanced at them briefly, then put them aside and sat down next to Wu Xia.
"You don't look too well?" He reached out and touched Wuxia's forehead to check her temperature, then touched his own forehead to hers. "It's good that you don't have a fever."
Chu Ye and Wu Xia had a good relationship and often couldn't help but show their affection in public. The servants in the Prince Yi's mansion were already used to it and were no longer surprised. Those with work continued to work silently, while those without work stood there without changing their expressions, as if they hadn't seen anything at all.
On the contrary, Wuxia felt a little embarrassed and ordered all the maids to leave, not even those who usually served her closely.
"I'm not sick." After everyone had left, Wuxia finally spoke. "I'm just a little worried about you."
Chu Ye said, "It's alright. I'm not going alone anyway. My food, clothing, lodging and transportation will be taken care of. My father has also assigned two imperial physicians to come with me."
"Has an epidemic broken out in the disaster area?"
Chu Ye was young and strong, and he rarely even caught a cold all year round, so he didn't need to take the imperial physician with him wherever he went. Therefore, when he said that, Wuxia immediately thought of this.
"No, no," Chu Ye waved his hands repeatedly, "Don't be so nervous. What they need most right now is to irrigate the fields so that the land can be cultivated as soon as possible. And droughts are not like those sudden natural disasters*. As long as they are dealt with in time, few people will die from them, and there will be no epidemics."
"Then why did Father send the imperial physician?" Because it concerned Chu Ye, Wuxia always wanted to hear more about the disaster relief efforts.
"It's just a normal preparation, don't overthink it," Chu Ye reassured him.
However, Wuxia was not relieved by this, and gently reminded him, "When you get there, you must be careful in what you do. Even for my sake and the children's sake, please don't..."
She paused here, and after a long while, continued, "Perhaps what I'm saying is wrong. My parents taught me from a young age that although it's human nature to seek advantage and avoid harm, one should at least have a clear conscience. But because you are my husband, I would rather you be a step behind in everything over there than have you end up like my second brother..."
The words were somewhat veiled, but Chu Ye understood them.
He sighed, his voice even lower than Wuxia's: "Don't worry too much, he is the crown prince after all, unlike me."
Wuxia shook her head: "I know that women should not meddle in politics, but I am your princess consort. For your sake and the children's sake, there are some things I have to think about. My second brother has been like this for years... Father Emperor refuses to use him anymore, but he doesn't punish him properly either. His future is directly related to the situation of you princes, so I can't rest easy."
"So what?" Chu Ye asked. "We can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. If everyone refuses to go to the disaster relief because of Second Brother's past, what will happen to the disaster victims? Don't worry, for your sake and the children's sake, I will be careful in everything I do and won't let myself fall into a trap. You stay home and wait for me. If you get bored, go back to the Marquis of Runan's residence for a few days, or invite your mother-in-law and Wushuang to stay with you for a while."
Everyone understands the principle, but when it involves close friends and family, it's easy to lose one's composure.
Wuxia wanted to say something more, but Chu Ye had already beckoned the two children playing in the main room to come over, so she had to give up and instead took out a handkerchief to wipe the thin layer of sweat from their foreheads.
"I will be setting off for Henan early tomorrow morning. This trip will take at least one or two months, and possibly three to five months. So during this time, in addition to your usual studies and martial arts practice, you two will have to do one more thing," Chu Ye instructed with a stern face.
What is it?
"What's up?"
The two children asked in unison.
“Take good care of your mother and sister like a real man,” Chu Ye said.
Chu Heng was the eldest son. As soon as he was born, Chu Ye requested that he be named the heir apparent, and over the years he had paid special attention to his upbringing. Therefore, although Chu Heng was only six years old, he spoke with the mannerisms of a little adult. He bowed solemnly and replied, "I remember, Father. Don't worry, Mother and Sister are in my care. I will definitely not let anyone bully them."
Four-year-old Chu Ke was much more innocent and lively. He threw away the wooden knife, hugged Chu Ye's leg, and kept asking him, "Where is Henan? What's fun about it? Won't Father take us there?"
Chu Ye picked up a piece of paper from the couch and sketched a map with a few strokes. Then he had his two sons climb onto the couch and sit down. He pointed out the location of Henan to them and said, "I am going there on official business at the behest of your imperial grandfather, so I cannot take you with me."
Seeing Chu Ke's obviously disappointed face after speaking, she made a wish: "If there is a chance in the future, I will take you and your siblings with me."
“And Mother! Mother is going too!” Chu Ke added.
Chu Ye smiled. He had never considered going out for fun without Wuxia, so he naturally didn't think it was necessary to emphasize it.
“Father is going so far away by himself,” Chu Ke gestured with his little hand on the paper, “Big brother, stay and take care of Mother and sister, I’ll go with you to take care of Father, okay?”
A camphor wood chest sat beside the couch, its lid wide open. He rolled over the edge of the couch and landed squarely inside the chest.
"Hidden in the box, no one can see it, so no one will know that my father is with me."
"You've got a lot of tricks up your sleeve!" Chu Ye laughed loudly. "You've been playing all sweaty and rolling around in my trunk, getting all my clean clothes dirty. I'm already being lenient by not punishing you, and you still expect me to take you out?"
He half-jokingly scolded Chu Ke, saying that although he was young, he was so naughty that he had even climbed onto the roof, and he wouldn't listen to anyone unless he was strict.
Chu Ke got more and more excited as he was talked to, his little body sinking into the soft pile of clothes, crawling around and dodging Chu Ye's "claws" that reached out to grab him.