35: Chapter 35 Beautiful women have always had tragic fates (6)

06

East Lake Palace

A stack of letters lay on Wei Qingli's desk.

He hesitated for a moment before opening one of them.

— August 2nd: Miss Bai's carriage appeared within the borders of Wuzhong.

— August 4th: Miss Bai passed through Heshun, a border town in the far south of Wuzhong, and discovered that the area suffered from perennial summer flooding. She first ordered people to collect the highest water levels from previous years, including the highest water levels for each ten-day period and month, to use as a benchmark, dividing the water levels into seven marks to measure their height; next, she proposed the idea of treating the river at its source upstream and taught the local village officials a "Water Measurement Method" based on flow velocity and volume. Miss Bai funded the construction of embankments for flood diversion and drainage, channeling the water into reservoirs for irrigation in autumn and winter.

— August 29th: Miss Bai brought some seeds from somewhere known as potatoes and taught the villagers how to plant and eat them. It is said that the yield is extremely high and can ensure the people are well-fed and warm.

— September 20th: The village where Miss Bai was staying was attacked by a small band of barbarian stragglers. Miss Bai and her attendants routed the barbarians, instructed the villagers on how to defend themselves, and trained them in self-rescue and resisting the barbarians.

— October 15th: Miss Bai and her party left Wuzhong, and the people knelt in succession to see them off.

— October 19th: Miss Bai's carriage entered our East Lake territory.

— November 5th: Miss Bai was distributing porridge and performing charity near the refugee gathering place outside the northern suburbs of our East Lake.

"What day is it today?" Wei Qingli asked softly.

"Replying to the Heir, today is November 7th."

In other words, she was very likely still in the northern suburbs distributing rice and porridge.

Wei Qingli's mind stirred, and he ordered, "Call Xu Yan and accompany me to observe the local customs."

Northern Suburbs of East Lake

A large tent had been set up on the open ground outside the city gate. Inside, there were four large pots, each five feet long and three feet deep. On both sides of the pots were baskets of simple bowls and spoons, and a vat of clean water. Simple stoves were built under the pots, with fires smoldering beneath them. Wisps of white smoke rose, and the steam dispersed the chill of autumn and winter.

The thick white porridge was kept warm over a low fire, tinged with a faint yellow hue that looked appetizing. The porridge in the pots bubbled, and the aroma had long since wafted out; before Wei Qingli even reached the front, a rich fragrance assailed his nostrils.

He had originally worried that the refugees would be completely disorderly and that she wouldn't be able to handle it, but seeing it with his own eyes, it was a completely different scene—

Four long lines were queued up in an orderly fashion.

For those with utensils, the person ladling the porridge scooped a full, heaping ladle of thick rice porridge into them; for those without, the person ladling would hand them a shared bowl or cup from the basket beside them. Wei Qingli also noticed that those who finished eating did not leave immediately but consciously rinsed their bowls and spoons in the nearby vat of clean water before handing them to the next person without utensils, continuing the cycle.

Some refugees even did what they could, such as maintaining the order of the queue.

The people distributing the porridge were not arrogant, showed no signs of contempt, and treated all refugees equally.

This scene was unexpected.

"When did these refugees become so well-behaved?" Xu Yan asked in surprise.

The guard accompanying them, a minor official guarding the northern city gate, stepped forward and replied: "Replying to the Military Advisor, on the first day, these unruly people's eyes turned green when they saw the food. That Miss Bai looked like a fairy from the heavens, so delicate, and some people harbored evil intentions, wanting to snatch the food."

"However, Miss Bai directly ordered someone to bring over several torches, blocked the food on the cart behind her, and said that she would be distributing porridge here for a month to help everyone get through the famine. But if they dared to snatch it, she would set the entire cart of food on fire, turning it to ash, so no one would get to eat, and she would never come to distribute charity again."

"Most of the refugees didn't dare to come forward, but a few villains were unwilling to give up. They were swept aside by the female guard in red, beaten until they were howling. Miss Bai announced that if anyone tried to snatch food again, collective punishment would be enforced; not only would the culprit be punished, but their family wouldn't get a single grain of rice. However, if the family tied up the troublemaker to perform a meritorious service and kept them strictly under control, their family's porridge would be restored at her discretion."

"Afterward, none of the refugees caused any trouble, and everyone lined up honestly to wait for their porridge."

"Since they couldn't win in a fight and couldn't snatch anything, what else could they do?"

Xu Yan looked at Wei Qingli with a smile and said: "Using their own strength against them—Miss Bai is indeed a brilliant person."

"That's not all."

Xu Yan saw that the minor city gate official looked quite proud as he spoke, as if Miss Bai were his own master. Finding this novel, he signaled him to continue.

"The refugees' order improved, but by the second day, another problem arose."

"What went wrong this time?" Xu Yan glanced at the Heir listening intently to the side and asked, following the official's lead.

"Perhaps Miss Bai's kindness displeased the merchants in the city. Some grain store merchants ordered their men to disguise themselves as refugees and come to the northern suburbs to queue for porridge. The number of people suddenly increased by nearly double compared to the first day."

Xu Yan listened with great interest.

"Miss Bai wasn't in a hurry. She casually grabbed a handful of sand from the ground, put it directly into the porridge pot, stirred it a few times, and continued ladling out porridge to everyone as if nothing had happened." The minor official got carried away, momentarily forgetting that the person beside him was the Heir of East Lake—a figure not to be trifled with.

"The real refugees naturally wolfed it down; compared to being so hungry they could only chew grass roots and drink muddy water, what was a little sand in the porridge? But for those merchants disguised as refugees and the people they hired, they couldn't stomach it. Their faces turned livid, and in the end, they threw down their bowls and chopsticks and slunk away."

"That's how we ended up with the orderly and peaceful scene we have today."

Not to mention the minor official, even Xu Yan couldn't help but marvel; Miss Bai was truly exceptionally intelligent.

He had been wondering why the Heir suddenly said he wanted to observe local customs, and in the most chaotic northern suburbs at that. So, his intentions lay elsewhere.

But he felt a bit of regret. Why hadn't the Heir come two days earlier? That way, he could have seen Miss Bai's demeanor in punishing these people with his own eyes.

"But where did she get that grain?" Distributing porridge for a month—she was truly wealthy.

"It seems it was transferred from rice, flour, and oil shops in Wuzhong and Jiangnan. I heard the manager mention it when giving orders to the servants."

Xu Yan's eyes rolled, and he sighed with a smile on his face, not knowing who he was saying it to: "Miss Bai is not only intelligent but also has a very deep family fortune."

He looked at the Heir's calm and indifferent expression. As for what he was thinking in his heart, only he himself knew.

Could one ask if Wei Qingli was shaken inside?

The answer was definitely yes.

He had never seen any woman like her. There were gentle ones, but few were intelligent. Take his Empress Mother, for example—she was deep in schemes, but only within the inner chambers, competing for favor with a crowd of concubines, using countless methods like framing, poisoning, and crying for the sake of a man. Never had he seen someone like her, who walked out of the inner chambers upright and open, looking out for the common people.

He didn't show it on his face, but his gaze was somewhat anxious. He searched for that figure in the crowd, but couldn't lock onto it.

"Where is Miss Bai now?" Xu Yan was very perceptive.

"She is likely in the thatched huts over there. There are some sick elderly, women, and children. Miss Bai brought a physician over this morning. If nothing unexpected happened, she should be over there looking after the patients." The guard pointed to the row of thatched huts not far away.

Hearing this, Wei Qingli's heart warmed. Her thoughts were delicate and gentle.

East Lake had initially done some things for these refugees, such as building thatched huts to settle them. But later, because the refugees were completely disorderly and only knew how to be unreasonable, and supporting them was expensive while the war was tight and military pay couldn't even be gathered, there was no money to supply these people, and eventually, it was left unsettled.

Wei Qingli's footsteps were somewhat hurried as he headed in that direction.

Before he even entered, he heard a pleasant, lively, and spirited laugh.

Seeing that familiar beautiful figure, his heart, which had felt empty these past few days, seemed to be filled.

"One qian of licorice, three qian of poria, one qian of cinnamon twig, and three qian of astragalus. Boil these in water until half a cup remains, take it warm, it can— Oh my, my little ancestor, who told you to do this?"

Zhao Yan had just sat down at the dilapidated square table and finished writing the prescription, blowing on the rice paper, when she heard Xiao Qi's impatient voice.

"You do your diagnosis, and I'll write for you. Doesn't this speed things up?"

"Put it down, put it down immediately! Get out, get out!" Xiao Qi snatched the paper and brush from her hand in exasperation, ushering her outside.

"There are all kinds of patients here, maybe even some with typhoid fever. Why did you come in? Do you want to get sick?"

Zhao Yan was being shooed away but didn't get angry. She said with a smile, "Don't I have the veil you soaked in medicinal juice and dried? Could it be that your skills are subpar and you're trying to fool me?"

"Just to be safe! And another thing, I haven't even scolded you yet, Young Master, why didn't you wear a veil when going out!" Xiao Qi said solemnly, his little face pulled tight.

"You have no idea how eye-catching that face of yours is, do you? And you dare to run around so brazenly!" After saying that, he added as if to scare her, "Don't let someone snatch you away to be their mountain bandit bride one of these days."

Look at that audacity; it's truly incredible. He even dares to lecture his master now.

Hong Yun expressed her disbelief, "With me here, who could possibly snatch the Young Master away?"

"You, you, you! Big Sister Hong Yun!" Xiao Qi glared at that unreliable person, "Didn't I tell you just now to stop the Young Master and not let her come in? You were supposed to come over and help me write the prescriptions!"

"How could I possibly know how to read?" Hong Yun glanced at him with disdain, "My hands are for holding blades, not pens."

"I know how to hold a pen." Zhao Yan raised her hand, looking well-behaved.

"Young Master! Big Sister Hong Yun! You two, you only know how to bully me!" Xiao Qi looked at one and then the other, stomping his feet in anger, "Hmph, I'll write it myself!"

Their bickering didn't look like that of a master and servants, but rather like family. It made the old, young, women, and children waiting for treatment unable to hold back their laughter.

"Miss Bai, Miss Hong Yun, you two should head out first. It's filthy here. Miss Bai, your status is noble, and with you here, Dr. Xiao Qi worries for your safety, which makes us feel uneasy," one of the old women said gently.

Zhao Yan curved her eyes and said softly, "Alright, then you all take good care of yourselves. Everything will be fine."

"Mm-hmm." Everyone nodded one after another, feeling grateful in their hearts; they finally saw a glimmer of hope for life.

Zhao Yan lifted the curtain and, upon looking up, saw the man in a long purple robe with his hair tied up in a golden crown standing against the wind. Her expression turned to one of surprise, and she greeted him gently, "What a coincidence, Heir Wei is here too?"

"Not a coincidence."

Zhao Yan looked at him with a puzzled expression. What did he mean?

Wei Qingli's eyes were deep and unfathomable, his meaning unclear.

Xu Yan: This is a bit quiet.

Hong Yun: Look, he killed the conversation.

A moment later, Xu Yan laughed it off, "The Heir means that we just happened to come here to observe the local customs, so it is a coincidence that we ran into you, Miss Bai."

Hong Yun glanced sideways at Xu Yan: What are you explaining? He said it wasn't a coincidence.

Zhao Yan raised an eyebrow. Actually, that was her interpretation too. Are you bullying me because I haven't read any books, expecting me to listen to your gibberish, you old codger?

She turned to look at Wei Qingli in front of her. He was still looking at her. When she looked over, their gazes met unexpectedly.

She hadn't expected him to still be watching her.

Had he been watching her the whole time?

He had originally wanted to ask her why she had left without saying goodbye that day, but he was worried about hearing an answer he didn't want to hear.

Wei Qingli pursed his lips and said, "Since you have come to East Lake, I should fulfill the duties of a host."

The feather fan in Xu Yan's hand fanned vigorously as he said with a chuckle, "Exactly, exactly. Miss Bai, you arrived in East Lake, why didn't you tell us? Look at you, doing charity work here and contributing to our East Lake; we must thank you properly." He never expected his master to one day be able to say such proactive words.

Looking at that feather fan, Zhao Yan suddenly felt a bit cold. It was already November.

Compared to the fan in Xu Yan's hand that kept fanning and fanning, when Zhao Yan looked at Wei Qingli's eyes again, she actually managed to detect a hint of warmth.

"It would be better not to trouble Heir Wei. Heir Wei is busy with daily affairs, so I won't disturb you. How about letting this gentleman do the honors?"

Xu Yan: ... Why are you all looking at me? Heir, I didn't mean to steal your job, I was just making polite conversation! Who knew Miss Bai's taste was so unconventional, choosing me instead of you.

Wei Qingli said indifferently, "It's no trouble, and I'm not busy."

His gaze was heavy. If it had only been a guess before, now he was certain: she was intentionally avoiding him and did not want to have too much contact with him.

But why?

Zhao Yan was stunned for a moment, then smiled, "Alright then, I will trouble Heir Wei to come to the Fengling Inn in the city to pick me up tomorrow."

"Very well."

Zhao Yan had just returned to the Fengling Inn when Old Zheng was already waiting there.

Seeing the Young Master return, he hurried up to greet her, "Young Master, you're finally back. Something happened over in Jiangnan. The rice originally intended for porridge distribution has been held up and likely cannot be shipped over. There is only enough for ten days left in the warehouse."

East Lake suffered from severe flooding, and many crops were submerged. Merchants hoarded grain and raised prices. Zhao Yan relied on the fact that she had shops all over the Central Plains, allowing for smooth information flow and easy communication. Jiangnan was a prosperous land, a land of fish and rice. She had transported the unsold stock from last year in the grain and oil shops in Jiangnan to East Lake to solve the hunger of the refugees. When the empty carts returned, she purchased East Lake's specialty tea, writing brushes, and inkstones to resell in Jiangnan.

In one round trip, she not only cleared out the old rice stock from the shops in Jiangnan, freeing up space for new rice, but also solved the famine problem for the refugees in East Lake. Incidentally, she also made money to cover the costs of the porridge distribution.

"What happened?"

"It's the manager of the grain and oil shop in Yezhou, Jiangnan. Somehow, he offended the local magistrate. Not only was the rice shop sealed, but everyone in the shop was thrown into prison."

"If the shop is gone, it's gone; that's not a big deal. But since quite a few people from the shop have been locked up, we must get to the bottom of it." Zhao Yan thought for a moment, "How about this: Hong Yun and I will go to Jiangnan. Winter has arrived, and the winter in the east is too cold, so going to Jiangnan to spend the winter sounds nice."

These two Saintess Bai, they are bound to meet, aren't they?

That would be truly interesting.

"Alright, alright, fine. Then I will give the orders, we leave tonight?"

"Let's leave tonight."

Rubbing her hands together, ready to stir up some trouble.

It wouldn't be a waste of her wearing this white outfit and wandering aimlessly all over the Central Plains.

"Very well."

Hong Yun twitched the corner of her mouth, "Young Master, have you forgotten something? Heir Wei, what did you promise Heir Wei? Do you still remember?"

"Is the grain shortage more important? Or is me accompanying Wei Qingli to sightsee more important?"

As long as one isn't lovesick, the answer is obvious.

"Let him wait." She didn't care; she truly didn't care.

In her previous life, the original owner cared about him so much, but he was never moved. His heart was made of stone and couldn't be warmed.

With the high temperature required to warm him, wouldn't it be better if she used it to warm all the common people of the Central Plains?

Don't disturb her as she cares for her Great Liang subjects, builds authority, and wins the hearts of the people.

The next day, Wei Qingli arrived, dressed neatly and riding a tall horse. Having previously thought she probably liked spacious and comfortable carriages, he had specially sent people to build an unprecedentedly luxurious carriage. When he came to the Fengling Inn to pick her up, he was told that she had already left.

The darkness in the Heir's eyes churned, and his expression was gloomy and terrifying. Xu Yan trembled slightly; Miss Bai was dancing on the tip of a knife, constantly pushing the Heir's bottom line.

"Heir, this is a letter Miss Bai left for you." The innkeeper stepped forward trembling to hand over the letter.

Just when the innkeeper thought the Heir would ignore him, the letter was finally taken.

Wei Qingli opened the letter. The handwriting that met his eyes was free-spirited, magnificent, and stunning in every stroke.

When he looked up, he had restrained his emotions. Although his tone wasn't exactly good, at least his expression wasn't as frightening as before.

"Heir, Miss Bai has gone a bit too far. She clearly accepted the invitation yesterday, and today she—," Xu Yan said, trailing off, testing the waters.

"There was a problem with the grain being shipped here to supply the disaster victims, so she went to the branch store in Jiangnan to handle it," Wei Qingli said with a calm expression. "She promised the victims she would help them get through their current difficulties, and there is currently only ten days' worth of grain in the warehouse available for porridge distribution."

Is the Heir reconciling with himself?

Xu Yan understood, stroked his beard, and praised, "It was this subordinate who misunderstood Miss Bai. Good girls like Miss Bai who keep their promises and are as good as their word are rare."

"She asked me to look after the porridge shop while she is not in East Lake, so that nothing goes wrong."

"It is only right, only right. These are our East Lake citizens after all." As soon as he said this, Xu Yan realized something was strange. It turned out they, the actual masters, weren't as attentive as the young lady; his face instantly turned pale.

Sure enough, he saw the Heir furrow his brows and order, "Where is the disaster relief grain allocated by the imperial court? Go investigate! Whose pockets did it end up in!"