It somehow resembled the look during the joining of cups ceremony.
Chu Yu quickly turned his head away, afraid that his feelings might be discerned.
He was also secretly relieved that it was dark and hard to clearly see his blushing face and rapidly beating heart.
Yun Jinnian didn't notice, and after they ate dinner, he went to relief himself in a secluded place before returning to wash his face and feet and go to sleep.
Of course, Yun Jinnian slept in the carriage, while Han Tianci had to sleep outdoors on the ground along with Chu Yu. Since Hemei and Henuan were girls, they slept in the carriage with Yun Jinnian.
On the grass
Han Tianci nestled next to Chu Yu, "Brother Chu!"
"Hmm?"
Han Tianci leaned closer to Chu Yu, "Teach me Martial Arts!"
"Sure!"
Chu Yu didn't ask why Han Tianci wanted to learn Martial Arts; if Han Tianci was willing to learn, he would teach.
"Big Brother Chu of Xiaoxiang!"
Chu Yu couldn't help laughing, stretching out his hand to ruffle Han Tianci's hair, "Go to sleep, we have to travel again tomorrow!"
"Okay!"
Early the next morning, they ate a simple breakfast of chicken porridge and steamed buns. It was then that Yun Jinnian realized one of the guards, who was only eighteen, cooked the meals beautifully, and that surprised her.
Since they set off early in the cool of the morning, Chu Yu wanted Han Tianci to run with him. Han Tianci agreed without hesitation, and they ran ahead of the group for two hours. By the time it was to get on the carriage, he was gasping for air,
so Yun Jinnian got off the carriage with Hemei and Henuan to change his clothes.
Chu Yu walked over to Yun Jinnian, "Won't he overwork himself?"
Looking at him, he seems to handle it well. If he still wants to run tomorrow morning, let's shorten the duration a bit and gradually increase it. Tianci is still young, after all!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Yu said, "That's my fault. I can run for six hours without any issues. I'll pay attention tomorrow!"
"It's alright!"
Before long, it was June and they were getting closer and closer to Tortoiseshell City. The weather was also becoming hotter, and sitting inside the carriage felt like being roasted over a fire.
The crops along the way looked wilted as though they were about to dry out.
"Your Highness, do you think there will be a drought this year?" Yun Jinnian asked.
Suddenly, Chu Yu thought of the flood that had followed the heavy snowfall the previous year, and immediately ordered Luoyi to go back the same way to arrange for the bulk purchase of food and medicine.
Yun Jinnian glanced at him and remained silent.
Imperial Palace
Besides the entourage led by Mother Qian, the Emperor had also dispatched two Hidden Guards to secretly monitor every move of Yun Jinnian's party. When the letter arrived at the Imperial Palace and in the hands of the Emperor through pigeon post, he was immediately infuriated, "Idiots, a bunch of idiots!"
Hearing this, Eunuch Hai knelt on the ground with a thud, not daring to breathe too loudly.
"What were my orders before they left? Just follow the Yun Family girl's instructions in all matters. But this cunning old servant, thinking too highly of himself, rushed them along the journey, allowing the Yun Family girl to reverse the situation, sedating them for a day and a night. After waking up, these idiots didn't report back, but chose to hide it and foolishly went after her. Meanwhile, the Yun Family girl and her companions never left Hongchou City, and even stumbled upon Prince Yanjun and Prince Rui!"
The Emperor grew even angrier as he spoke, "Worthless fools!"
The Hidden Guards reported that Yun Jinnian's party traveled extremely slowly, which looked more like a leisurely tour rather than a journey to Nanjiang to find an antidote for the Emperor. He even suspected that Yun Jinnian had known Chu Yu from before and that this trip to Nanjiang was primarily for Chu Yu and Prince Yanjun.
But he was powerless to do anything.
Han Xuzi couldn't cure the poison in his body, only suppress it, and sometimes he couldn't even control his overwhelming desires...