Love Lock

Chapter 192 was specially made for you.

Panting heavily, Ma Zi rushed to the corrugated steel roof shed. He had run all the way from under the scorching sun and was covered in sweat.

Ma Zi knelt on one knee, his shirt soaked with sweat.

Zhao Zun raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly: "What's the matter that you're in such a panic?"

Ma Zi, panting heavily, said, "Your Highness, there has been continuous heavy rain in Jingzhou, causing a sudden flood!"

"Floods?"

Zhao Zun suddenly stood up, his clothes swaying and knocking over the teacup that was temporarily placed on the stool, the emerald green tea flowing down the stool and onto the ground.

He turned and exchanged a glance with Xiao Zhengfei; both their eyes were filled with shock and worry. "What's the situation now? Have the people been evacuated in time?"

Xiao Zhengfei frowned and stepped forward: "Your Highness, Jingzhou is in a low-lying area. If the dikes breach..."

Zhao Zun raised his hand to stop him, turned to Ma Zi, and asked in a low, urgent voice, "Any specific details about the casualties? How many people have been displaced?"

Ma Zi shook his head: "The exact number is still unclear, but the communications station said that there are already a large number of disaster victims along the way."

Zhao Zun paced back and forth, his knuckles white from clenching his fists, as if he could see the scene of a raging flood.

Thatched huts were washed away, farmland was flooded, and people, young and old, trudged through the mud...

As a regional king, he knew all too well what natural disasters meant to the common people.

"Zhengfei, immediately relay my orders."

Zhao Zun stopped in his tracks, his voice steady and powerful, "Temporarily mobilize the grain reserves of Cangzhou and set up soup kitchens between Qingshui County and Jingzhou. Also, send men on horseback to Jingzhou at top speed to ascertain the true extent of the disaster."

"I'll take care of it right away." Xiao Zhengfei bowed and accepted the order, then turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Zhao Zun called out to him. "Have Hua Tianyou prepare to receive the disaster victims. If the newly built houses are not enough, vacate the military camps and government offices to accommodate them. Also, order the medical officers to prepare medicines to prevent and treat the epidemic."

Ma Zi hurriedly added, panting, "Your Highness, I haven't finished... Your Highness the Princess..."

Zhao Zun froze, then turned around abruptly: "What happened to that girl?"

"The princess, with a large number of beggars and disaster victims, has already passed Mianning County," Ma Zi said.

Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in Zhao Zun's eyes, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

Mianning County was only three days' journey away, and the person he had been longing for day and night was about to return. But then he realized something was wrong, "Why is she traveling with the disaster victims?"

Ma Zi swallowed hard. "According to reports, when the princess passed through Jingzhou, she encountered a flood and organized people to help the victims, leading them all the way to Cangzhou."

Xiao Zhengfei couldn't help but interject, "The Princess Consort truly cares deeply for the people..."

“But an epidemic broke out on the way!” Ma Zi interrupted, his voice low. “Many people could no longer walk, and the procession was moving slowly.”

"What? An epidemic?" Zhao Zun's expression changed drastically, and his hands clenched into fists. "How is she now? Has she contracted the disease?" His usually calm and composed demeanor was now filled with panic.

Ma Zi's lips twitched, and he finally finished speaking.

"Your Highness, please don't worry. The Princess Consort is busy treating the disaster victims on the official road. She only has Da San and Da Si with her, and they are too busy to handle everything. So she sent Da Si on horseback to Qingshui County for help. Magistrate Luo Hai of Qingshui County has already sent people and carriages to meet her."

Zhao Zun breathed a sigh of relief and paced back and forth in the courtyard, each step he took was extremely heavy.

He knew all too well how terrible an epidemic was. Fever, coughing up blood—an epidemic could claim tens of thousands of lives.

Although Zhao Zun knew that Han Lei was a skilled doctor, it was hard to guarantee that Han Lei wouldn't be able to handle a large number of patients alone...

Just when Han Lei was about to return to Cangzhou, this incident happened. He was both happy and worried.

"Your Highness need not worry too much." Xiao Zhengfei saw his master's anxiety and comforted him, "The princess's medical skills are superb; she will surely be able to protect herself."

Zhao Zun closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down. When he opened his eyes again, he had regained his usual decisiveness.

“Ma Zi, go to Fufeng County immediately and tell Hua Tianyou to make preparations for settling the refugees, set aside several courtyards to accommodate the sick, and prepare enough medicine.”

"I obey my orders!"

"In addition, order Big Fatty and Zhang Shiyang to speed up the production of honeycomb briquettes. With a large number of disaster victims arriving, supplies for heating and cooking are essential."

Ma Zi clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes! I will go and supervise it immediately."

Zhao Zun straightened his robes, a resolute glint in his eyes: "I will personally go to Qingshui County to meet that girl. Prepare the horses! We will depart in half an hour."

"Yes!"

Xiao Zhengfei and Ma Zi turned around to get busy, while Zhao Zun also hurried back to the Yong'an City military camp to wash up.

Half an hour later, Xiao Zhengfei finished processing Zhao Zun's orders and brought over the brocade-eared horse.

"Your Highness, the horses are ready."

Zhao Zun nodded and strode out of the central command tent. Just as he was about to mount his horse, he suddenly stopped, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"Zhengfei, bring all our bows and arrows."

Xiao Zhengfei was taken aback: "Bow and arrow? Your Highness, aren't we going to meet the Princess? Why..."

"Just take it with you. Once we get to the vicinity of Qingshui County, we'll hunt a few good game." A glint of shrewdness flashed in Zhao Zun's eyes.

"Didn't I tell Sun Wenyuan that we were hunting in Fufeng County? He's been working hard overseeing the construction of the Prince's Palace, so let's send him some game!"

Xiao Zhengfei suddenly realized and laughed, "Your Highness is indeed very thoughtful. I will go and fetch the bow right away."

Zhao Zun mounted his horse, pulled on the reins, and the horse reared up with a long neigh.

He glanced back at the Yong'an City military camp, which had been completely transformed, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. He thought to himself, "Girl, I've arrived."

Amidst the rising dust, a group of people galloped out of the city and headed towards Qingshui County.

Zhao Zun's figure appeared exceptionally upright under the blazing sun, his robes fluttering in the wind, like a tiger poised to pounce.

During his trip to Qingshui County, he was concerned about the safety of the disaster victims, worried about his loved one's situation, and also harbored a hidden political calculation...

Three days later, at the construction site of the Prince's Mansion in Qingshui County, the sun was blazing and cicadas were chirping incessantly.

Sun Wenyuan, the prefect of Cangzhou, took off his indigo outer robe embroidered with cloud and wild goose patches, and lay sprawled on a rattan recliner under the old locust tree, wearing only a moon-white ramie inner garment.

Amidst the dappled shadows of the trees, his plump, white belly rose and fell with his breath, like a stranded pufferfish.

"Push harder! Haven't you eaten?"

Sun Wenyuan suddenly widened his eyes and scolded the maid who was fanning him.

The maidservant trembled in fright, almost dropping the bamboo handle of the fan in her hand, and quickly added more force.

Sweat still streamed down the prefect's thick chin, leaving a large, dark stain on his ramie undergarment. In this sweltering heat, the craftsmen were busy with their work inside; the sounds of their hammering and hammering could be heard from afar.

Sun Wenyuan squinted his triangular eyes as he looked at the already impressive Prince's mansion. The vermilion pillars were only half painted, and a dozen craftsmen were carving patterns under the eaves, setting up wooden frames.

Looking at the progress of the construction at the Prince's Mansion, he couldn't help but wonder.

In February, Zhao Zun, the King of Cangzhou, arrived in Cangzhou to assume his post. He received an imperial edict ordering him to be in charge of selecting a site and building a royal palace for the King of Cangzhou.

In order to curry favor with the newly arrived prince and make his rule in Cangzhou smoother, he even left the comfortable prefectural government in Huachang County and personally went to Qingshui County to ingratiate himself with the prince of Cangzhou. There, he took root and supervised the construction of the prince's palace, working day and night to speed up the construction.

He hadn't been home for several months, not even for his most favored concubine's birthday. He stayed here obediently every day, not daring to leave for a moment.

He was afraid that as soon as he left, the King of Cangzhou would arrive, and he would lose the opportunity to impress the King.

But the King of Cangzhou was an oddball. He wasn't interested in building a royal palace, but instead went to the remote Fufeng County to acquire land and build a hunting ground, where he spent his days hunting and playing.

Several months have passed, and the palace is almost finished. That eccentric Prince of Cangzhou hasn't come to visit even once.

He wanted to claim credit, but he couldn't even get a chance to see the person in charge.

Sun Wenyuan became more and more depressed. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling as if the heat was turning him into a dried fish.

He scooped a pickled plum from the plate next to him and popped it into his mouth. As a result, it was so sour that his face scrunched up like a steamed bun.

Just then, the clerk came running over, his robe hemmed up, his handkerchief soaked with sweat. "My lord! Something's happened at the east gate!"

He walked over, wiping his sweat as he said, "Many refugees have come from Jingzhou, probably tens of thousands. Magistrate Luo not only did not stop them from entering the city, but also set up soup kitchens in the city to provide relief."

"what?!"

Sun Wenyuan scrambled to his feet, the jade pendant at his waist clattering against the rattan chair.

His cloud-patterned slippers almost tripped him, but the clerk caught him in time.

"Prepare the sedan chair! Quickly prepare the sedan chair!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Is Luo Hai trying to kill me? Cangzhou is already poor; where would we get the extra grain to help the refugees? Besides, so many disaster victims have entered the city. What if it causes an epidemic or a riot?"

In short, as the prefect of Cangzhou, Sun Wenyuan just wanted to be an official in peace and live a comfortable life.

He simply didn't want the disaster victims to flood into Cangzhou and add to his burden of governance.

The sedan chair, carried by eight men, sped along the bluestone road, the curtains flapping loudly as Sun Wenyuan lifted them.

Refugees were already entering the city one after another. When the sedan chair passed through the East Market, several refugees squatting under the eaves of a teahouse shrank back in fright.

An old woman, thin as a skeleton, held a broken bowl and stared at the sedan chair for a long time with her cloudy eyes.

"Luo Hai! You come here right now!"

Before the sedan chair had even come to a complete stop, Sun Wenyuan leaned half his body out.

At this moment, the East Gate was packed with people, and dust was flying everywhere. More than twenty large iron pots were set up under a makeshift reed mat shed, and the aroma of bubbling rice porridge mixed with the smell of sweat hit people's heads.

Luo Hai personally stepped in, rolling up his sleeves to serve porridge to a lame old man, his official robes stained with rice water droplets.

Upon seeing his superior arrive, Luo Hai hurriedly put down his wooden spoon and bowed: "This humble official greets Lord Sun. Look at these disaster victims from Jingzhou..."

"Look at you, you blockhead!"

Sun Wenyuan snatched the porridge ladle and smashed it into the pot, splashing boiling porridge that scalded several refugees, causing them to jump up and down.

"Cangzhou itself is so poor it can't even afford to eat, yet you're acting like a saint?" His short, fat finger almost poked Luo Hai's nose. "Close the city gates immediately! If these peasants cause a plague, I'll hold you accountable."

"My lord!" Luo Hai suddenly straightened his back. "The Ministry of Revenue section of the Great Jing Law clearly states that refugees must not be prevented from leaving the city during years of famine. I have already ordered..."

"Tell me about the Great Jing Law. Does Cangzhou belong to me or you, Luo Hai?" Sun Wenyuan was furious.

As the two were arguing, a violent tremor suddenly shook the ground. Dust billowed in the city streets as dozens of fast horses galloped towards them from afar.

The leading man reined in his horse, its forelegs shattering the sunlight, and its mane still covered in bits of grass.

Behind him, his bodyguards each carried blood-soaked prey on their shoulders. The strongest of them, Xiao Zhengfei, was carrying half a spotted tiger, its tail dragging on the ground and leaving a bloody trail.

Everyone present was awestruck by the newcomer's imposing presence, yet none of them noticed that the prey carried on the guards' shoulders all shared a common characteristic.

The smaller prey were all riddled with arrows, having been killed by them. But the larger prey only had a single bloody hole in their bodies, from which blood gushed.

"W-Prince?"

Upon seeing Zhao Zun's sudden arrival, Sun Wenyuan's expression changed instantly, and he put on a forced smile. He hurriedly fastened his belt, only to realize that he had left his outer robe in the sedan chair.

He quickly bent down to lift the heels of his slippers before bowing and approaching, his obsequious manner making Luo Hai shake his head.

Sun Wenyuan stepped forward and respectfully bowed, saying, "Your Highness, I, Sun Wenyuan, pay my respects."

The young prince nimbly dismounted, his dark outfit stained with grass juice, and the gold thread embroidery on his sleeves was torn by tree branches.

"Oh! Lord Sun is here too?"

Zhao Zun took the bow off his shoulder and casually tossed it to his personal guard, a smirk playing on his lips as he revealed his pearly white teeth.

“Perfect! This will save me the trouble of going out of my way to find you.” Zhao Zun turned around and pointed to the prey on the guard’s shoulder.

"This bear's paws are very thick, and that muntjac was just hunted by me, it's still warm! Lord Sun, you've worked hard overseeing the construction of the palace for me, these game pieces were specially brought as a gift for you."

With that, Zhao Zun waved his hand. His guards spurred their horses to Sun Wenyuan and threw the game they were carrying onto the ground. In no time, it had piled up into a small mountain.

Hearing that these were all specially given to him, Sun Wenyuan stared at the pile of prey in front of him, flattered and surprised, his mouth twitching as if he were having a seizure.

"This humble official...this humble official...Your Highness's favor is too great for this humble official to bear..."

"Don't be so polite!" Zhao Zun laughed and patted his shoulder so hard that he almost knelt down.

Suddenly, Zhao Zun's hearty laughter stopped. He frowned as if he had just caught a glimpse of the refugees peeking out from the soup kitchen.

Zhao Zun's tone was slightly angry: "What's going on here? What are all these people doing gathered here?"

Sun Wenyuan assumed Zhao Zun was also dissatisfied with the refugees, and was about to explain when Luo Hai stepped forward and bowed: "Your Highness, Jingzhou has been experiencing heavy rains for days, resulting in flooding, so..."

"Your Highness, please calm down!" Sun Wenyuan hurriedly interjected, fawningly stepping forward and saying, "Your Highness, please calm down. It was my incompetence that allowed these lowly people to offend your eyes. Rest assured, I will immediately order them all to be driven out of the city!"

After saying that, Sun Wenyuan turned around and was about to scold his men: "What are you all standing there for? Get these refugees out of here!"

Zhao Zun suddenly raised his hand to stop him: "Wait!"

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