Forcing me to become a concubine? Remarrying the Ninth Prince, she'll be pregnant all over the

The horses neighed and rattled.

Seemingly stuck in a muddy pit, the Imperial Guard disguised as a coachman gripped the reins tightly, finally managing to steady the horse. He then turned to the carriage and said, "The carriage is stuck, don't panic!"

Wei Wujiu sat up: "It's alright, you keep the horse in check, let's get off first."

Lin Wantang shared the same idea. Hearing him say that, she quickly grabbed the bundle containing her gold, silver and valuables, and then helped Wei Wujiu, and together they jumped off the carriage.

Li Jinzhi and the others rode alone, with five people scouting ahead and the rest bringing up the rear. To avoid being seen and to guard against ambushes, the group did not dare to take the main roads and post roads, but instead took the desolate paths in the mountains and forests.

As you travel further south, the weather warms up, and the sparse snowfall turns into intermittent rain. At this moment, the sky is overcast, and the mountain climate changes drastically. In a flash, a torrential downpour begins in broad daylight.

Before Wei Wujiu could find a rain hat, he took off his outer robe and spread it out to shield Lin Wantang from the rain.

Lin Wantang, concerned about his still weak body and afraid that he would catch a cold, hurriedly ran back to the carriage, found a raincoat and hat, and put them on him as soon as she ran over, not caring at all that she herself was soaked by the rain.

"I'm fine, are you cold?" She smiled and held his hand, trying to warm him up.

Wei Wujiu frowned repeatedly without saying a word. He reached out to Li Jinzhi, who was riding towards him from a distance. Li Jinzhi immediately threw the oil-paper umbrella to him, which Wei Wujiu caught, opened, and held above her head.

"You only care about me, but what about you?" He finally spoke, his voice low and devoid of anger, but full of heartache. "You caught a cold and it's not a big deal? There's no such logic."

"Yes, that's right." Lin Wantang still smiled, rubbing his hands to warm them. "But you're injured right now. As your doctor, isn't it only right that I take extra care of you?"

"Oh, by the way, we can't reveal our identities on this trip. If anyone asks, just say that you and Brother Li are brothers, I'm your wife, and the other five, Brother Zhang Jin and Sun Fu... they're a family of five brothers. Also..."

Lin Wantang hurriedly explained her current disguise to Wei Wujiu, so that if they crossed the mountain and happened to meet someone else, she wouldn't be seen through and say the wrong thing.

After Wei Wujiu made a note of it, the torrential rain came and went quickly, gradually stopping.

Li Jinzhi had already led his men to the side of the carriage. The group worked together to lift the stuck carriage out, but one of the wheels was badly damaged. They managed to repair it, but could only continue for a short distance.

Lin Wantang couldn't bear to add any more burden to the already "battered" carriage, so she let Wei Wujiu ride alone. She rode Li Jinzhi's horse and traveled for another two hours, crossing the mountain just as the sun began to set.

After finding their way to the town, they found an inn to rest. The innkeeper helped them water and feed the horses. Zhang Jin and Sun Fu then went to find a craftsman to repair the cart wheels and also inquired about the town. Only after confirming that everything was alright did they feel at ease and rest for the night.

The next day, they were supposed to continue their journey, but Lin Wantang noticed that Wei Wujiu was unwell. It was obvious that the days of travel had aggravated the stagnant toxins in his body and his old ailments.

"Don't leave today, let's rest for another day. I..." She discussed with Li Jinzhi, feeling a little embarrassed and not calling him "husband" directly, and said, "I think his condition is not very good."

Li Jinzhi had no objection, and he knew that Wei Wujiu was concerned about the war situation in the western border. The situation in the capital was stagnant and turbulent, and news and letters were slow to travel. This town was only a few hundred miles away from the western border and Miao territory. If they rested for another day, he could send someone to communicate with the western border.

After the two reached an agreement, they went back to their respective rooms. Lin Wantang helped Wei Wujiu lie down, gave him acupuncture and medicine, and asked the waiter to prepare more hot water. After filling the bathtub, she added the ground and mixed medicinal powder and helped Wei Wujiu soak in the medicinal bath.

These won't cure the problem, but they can alleviate his old ailments and pain, at least making him more comfortable.

After a long day of this, Wei Wujiu's scattered consciousness finally cleared up a bit. Looking at Lin Wantang, who was lying by his bedside watching over him, his heart ached with tenderness. He gently brushed the stray hairs from her cheek with one hand, which also woke her up.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked hurriedly.

Wei Wujiu nodded slightly and helped himself to sit up: "Much better, thank you for your hard work..."

"It's alright," Lin Wantang interrupted with a smile. "Once you're healed and the poison is gone, and you're in good health, it will be your turn to take care of me. You have to be meticulous and attentive in everything you do, even better than I am now."

So that's what they were doing – keeping accounts and waiting for his report.

Wei Wujiu's eyes were full of smiles as he stroked her cheek and nodded repeatedly, "Okay, whatever you say."

Lin Wantang nestled into his arms for a moment, then went to call the waiter for some food, but Wei Wujiu waved his hand and refused. He put on his robe and got off the bed: "I've been unconscious for many days, and my body is stiff. Come with me for a walk."

"Alright."

Lin Wantang stepped forward to help him dress and tie his hair, but Wei Wujiu avoided her, saying, "You don't need to do these things anymore."

The couple should be equals, treating each other with respect. Apart from the necessary formalities, he doesn't need her to serve him like other wives.

Lin Wantang understood his meaning, raised an eyebrow slightly, smiled but said nothing.

The two of them walked alone, without anyone else, and not too far from the inn. They strolled along the bustling streets and alleys, thinking that when they got tired, they would find a restaurant to eat. However, the more they walked, the more desolate and eerie it became.

The people were dressed in rags, almost torn to shreds. It was hard to find anyone with unpatched burlap. There were no women or children in sight; all the people were old men, pale and emaciated, selling rotten fruit and vegetables at the market.

Lin Wantang looked on with suspicion. She and Wei Wujiu exchanged a glance, and then carefully scanned everyone passing by. They were all thin and frail, walking with difficulty, and seemed to be terminally ill.

"What's going on?"

Lin Wantang was puzzled and was about to move to find someone to ask for details when Wei Wujiu grabbed her hand and led her to a nearby stall. He picked up a rotten fruit and said, "Old man, why are you only selling rotten things?"

The old man was short of breath, and after a long while, he struggled to raise his head. He was about to speak when he suddenly froze, then moved to his knees and kowtowed repeatedly: "Honorable sir, I have offended you greatly, please spare my life..."

Admittedly, the old man, seeing Wei Wujiu and Lin Wantang dressed in simple coarse brocade despite their disguises, mistook them for noble gentlemen and was so frightened that he was afraid of offending them.

Upon hearing the commotion, many people from nearby stalls immediately knelt down and begged for mercy without saying a word.

"This... get up quickly, we didn't blame you, you didn't do anything wrong." Lin Wantang was even more confused and hurriedly tried to help the old man up, but the old man trembled as if he was terrified and refused to get up.