Outside the carriage, the sound of clashing weapons could be heard.
"Swish, swish, swish~"
Hidden weapons cut through the air, striking towards the carriage.
Xuan Yi pulled back to defend, his long sword swinging. With a few "clang, clang, clang" sounds, he blocked several hidden weapons aimed at the carriage curtains. Then, he leaped forward, rushing towards the attacking assassins. Another few "clang, clang, clang" sounds, and the remaining hidden weapons were all embedded in the wooden boards of the carriage.
Hong Yi, pale-faced, clenched his fists, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would leap out of his throat. In contrast, Nan Shiying and the Poison Elder sat calmly, their eyes closed in repose.
Hong Yi glanced at the two, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
"Ah~"
Just then, a tragic scream suddenly erupted from outside the carriage. Hong Yi trembled all over, his face growing even paler.
"Ah, ah, ah~"
Following that, several more desperate cries came from outside, but soon, everything fell silent.
Hearing no more sounds from outside, Nan Shiying finally opened her eyes, got up, and lifted the carriage curtain to step out.
Hong Yi opened his mouth, gritted his teeth, and also got up to follow.
The attendant driving the carriage sat stunned, speechless with terror. As Hong Yi followed Nan Shiying out, he saw a ground covered in corpses. The bright red blood spread out, and the scent of blood filling the air made Hong Yi involuntarily gag.
Nan Shiying, however, jumped off the carriage with a blank expression. Xuan Yi was squatting on the ground, wiping his long sword. Hearing the movement behind him, he turned to look.
"Young Master, I have searched them. These people carry no identifying items. Lying in ambush here, I don't know if it was directed at you or Lord Hong."
Xuan Yi finished cleaning his sword and sheathed it, reporting his findings to Nan Shiying.
Nan Shiying turned back and asked Hong Yi, "Does Lord have any enemies?"
Nan Shiying didn't believe she had done anything to warrant an ambush.
Hong Yi naturally heard the conversation between the master and servant. Hearing Nan Shiying's question, he thought of someone.
"Regent..."
He suddenly stopped speaking.
But with just those two words, Nan Shiying and Xuan Yi knew who he was referring to.
However, both Nan Shiying and Xuan Yi knew that Ji Jinmo could absolutely not be the one planning this assassination, but they couldn't defend him, so they could only let Hong Yi continue to speculate.
The assassins' bodies were casually discarded in the wilderness, and the carriage continued eastward. This incident did not hinder Hong Yi and Nan Shiying's inspection.
After inspecting several locations, the two finally selected the optimal site.
Upon returning to Yuzhou, Hong Yi immediately chose personnel. Lord Wang eagerly volunteered to lead the team, and they quickly departed for the location the two had chosen.
...
Matters in Yuzhou were sent back to the capital via urgent express horse.
The reputation of Feng Luan in Quanzhou was unparalleled, directly overshadowing Princess Jiaching and Hong Yi, becoming the most talked-about celebrity among the capital's populace.
Regarding this Feng Luan, Ji Hong had the intention of recruiting talent, but thinking that the person was from Yaowang Valley, he couldn't help but hesitate.
After all, Yaowang Valley not interfering with court affairs was its rule.
He thought for a moment and suppressed his eager desire for talent.
...
Ji Jinmo's mood had been excellent these past few days, especially every time he finished reading the letters sent from Yuzhou, his mood would be exceptionally good.
But today, for some reason, his expression was terrifyingly gloomy.
Shisan kept his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, lowering his head, wishing he could disappear immediately.
Ji Jinmo looked at the contents of the letter, and the smile on his lips grew even brighter. His fingers rubbed the letter, and Shisan could only hear the 'wail' of the paper.
The letter crackled as it was crumpled. No one knew what was written in it to make the master so angry.
Good, excellent!
Disguising herself as a man had actually led to romantic entanglements.
Ji Jinmo truly wished he could grab Nan Shiying by the neck and see what was going on in her head!
...
A few days later, the downstream was completely cleared, and another river channel was being excavated. The seawater receded at a visible speed, and most of the refugees had recovered.
Nan Shiying's task was considered complete, and she intended to return to the capital.
"Mr. Feng, have a safe journey. When the dam is built, you must return!" the officials said reluctantly.
Nan Shiying smiled and nodded, "Your Excellencies, there's no need to see me off. We will meet again."
She turned away gallantly and waved goodbye.
The common people in the refugee camp heard of her departure and spontaneously came to see her off. The roadsides were filled with Yuzhou residents. Someone, who knows who started it, all knelt on the ground.
"The great kindness of Physician Feng is something we will never forget."
"Physician Feng, have a safe journey."
"Physician Feng..."
The mixed sounds in her ears made it impossible to distinguish what they were saying, only the earnest words "Physician Feng" echoed clearly in Nan Shiying's ears.
She looked at the kneeling populace and hurriedly asked them to rise, but the people ignored her, persistently kneeling to see her off.
Nan Shiying couldn't articulate her feelings at that moment, but the loneliness of wandering in another world like a ghost was gradually being tinged with another emotion.
She waved her arms vigorously, bidding them farewell.
Mu Xiaoxiao, who had disappeared for a few days, stood in the crowd and watched Nan Shiying's retreating back. In the end, she did not leave with her but chose to stay, to contribute her meager strength to the people of Yuzhou.
...
A few days later, Nan Shiying finally arrived back in the capital. The Poison Elder returned to Sishui Street, while Nan Shiying, under the cover of night, slipped back to the Prince's mansion.
In the Prince's mansion, the study.
Ji Jinmo and Nan Shiying sat opposite each other, the atmosphere somewhat strained.
Nan Shiying touched her teacup and glanced at Ji Jinmo, who seemed to be in a rather bad mood. She wondered which scoundrel had angered this Lord, only for her to be presented with this sulky face.
She patted her stomach and stared at the water surface, thinking of the pork knuckle from Dongbo Tower.
A knock came from outside the door. Shisan, carrying a food basket, pushed the door open and walked in.
"Princess Consort, His Highness asked the small kitchen to make some food for you," Shisan said, placing the dishes on the table one by one. Looking at the beautifully presented and fragrant food, Nan Shiying's stomach let out an unashamed growl.
Ji Jinmo raised his phoenix eyes and glanced at her.
Nan Shiying chuckled a couple of times, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat heartily.
At this moment, Shisan leaned close to Ji Jinmo and whispered in his ear. Ji Jinmo raised his eyebrows slightly, glanced at Nan Shiying, put down his teacup, and said, "Eat quickly. After you're done, I'll take you to see a good show."