Even if the other party is just a fourteen-year-old boy, as long as he has true talent and practical learning, he deserves respect.
"This king will grant you three thousand elite soldiers and three thousand civilians. Whatever you need, you may ask for. In one month, I want to see actual results. If you succeed, the southwest flood will be credited to you. If you fail..."
"If I fail, this humble subject will present his head."
Qiao Shanwei was indeed a resolute person. Prince Ding had initially thought that if it didn't work out, Qiao Shanwei shouldn't even dream of marrying into the Bai family.
Otherwise, it would be a pity for Prime Minister Bai's lifelong reputation to be ruined by him!
He directly signed the military order, his expression and eyes conveying a sense of facing death without fear.
"Good, this king likes spirited men. Then it shall be as you wish!"
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
"Xu Lin."
"Here!"
"Go and gather your men. You will lead the team personally, and everything will be at the command of Young Master Qiao."
"Yes!"
Xu Lin had followed Prince Ding for many years. He was steady and possessed great courage. With him around, many outsiders' suspicions of Qiao Shanwei could be avoided.
Otherwise, if a greenhorn boy wanted to command so many people, especially soldiers, it would be difficult to gain their respect.
Qiao Shanwei understood that this was Prince Ding paving the way for him.
He felt both gratitude and a pang of sadness.
Prince Ding's recognition of his talent was a rare opportunity, but all of this happened because of one person. Otherwise, he would likely still be trapped in the bitterness of hatred towards his birth father, how could he be here managing floods and benefiting the people.
Thinking of Feng Jinyao, he felt happy, but also sad, even with a hint of unfulfilled longing.
This emotion flashed by, but Prince Ding did not miss it.
His previously smiling face suddenly turned grim. Xu Lin found it strange, how had the prince's mood swings become more severe?
Had Miss Feng San not accepted him yet?
Thinking of this, he felt it was better to leave with Qiao Shanwei, at least he wouldn't have to endure unprovoked outbursts.
After the two left, Prince Ding's anger gradually subsided.
Another young man. Ah Yao, Ah Yao, why are you always so captivating?
When Yun Xu woke up, the first person she saw was Feng Jinyao.
She had been pushed away by Chi Zimuo when the carriage fell and had hit her head, causing her to be unconscious.
Fortunately, the divine physician Zhang's medicine chest was not lost, and it contained all sorts of medicines, especially pills made from the powder of the Azure Flame Flower, which had miraculous effects on head ailments.
The person behind harming her mother must not have expected that they would indirectly save a life.
"Miss, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine. You should lie down quickly. The doctor said you need to rest well after injuring your head."
"No, if I rest, who will serve you?"
Saying this, she tried to get up, but her body was so weak that she immediately fell back onto the bed.
Feng Jinyao felt sorry for Yun Xu and scolded her.
"What are you doing? I have people to serve me, don't worry. Your priority is to recover from your injury!"
Hearing that someone was serving her, Yun Xu's first thought was of Hehuan.
"Where is Hehuan? Why don't I see her? Is she serving Miss?"
Mentioning Hehuan, Feng Jinyao's face was filled with regret and sadness.
She had not served her for long, but after spending time together, Feng Jinyao genuinely liked this maid.
She was intelligent and lively, alert and capable in every aspect.
Alas, such a good person had passed away in the prime of her life, and Feng Jinyao felt guilty about this.
She had just woken up then, and Prince Ding, fearing her emotional distress, had not told her directly. Later, when she learned of Hehuan's death, she was truly heartbroken for a long time.
Her body had been well preserved.
The army had corpse-preserving powder, which was used for fallen generals to prevent insects.
Xu Lin had also used it on her, so there were no signs of decay for the time being.
She looked as if she were merely sleeping, except for her extremely pale face.
She had sat by Hehuan's coffin all night, and only came over when she heard that Yun Xu was improving.
Hearing that her fellow maid had died in the southwest was naturally sad for Yun Xu, but the dead could not be brought back to life. Although Hehuan had only briefly known them, both Feng Jinyao and Yun Xu remembered her every smile, every word, and every action.
The mistress and maid embraced each other, mourning the beautiful Hehuan who had passed away so soon.
In the following days, Yun Xu and Feng Jinyao's roles were reversed.
Previously, Yun Xu had always taken care of Feng Jinyao with all her might, but during the days when her head injury had not healed, it was Feng Jinyao who took care of her.
At first, Yun Xu was very reserved, saying that it was improper for a mistress to serve a servant. However, with the shortage of help, they only had a woman in her thirties to assist with chores, so they couldn't afford to be particular.
Yun Xu felt deeply grateful for Feng Jinyao's affection and ate and slept well, wanting to recover quickly to care for Feng Jinyao.
The mistress and maid would chat, occasionally do some needlework, and days passed by.
When the Wen family's repairs were almost complete, Xiao Tingyi finally had time to pick them up.
Living in tents was most uncomfortable due to the heat.
Especially as July approached, the end of June in Shuzhou became even more unbearable. Even sitting down made one break out in a sweat.
Feng Jinyao suffered from summer heat. In the past, at home, she would have used ice to cool down by this time, but the current conditions did not allow for it. She was not delicate, but she changed clothes more frequently and had a poor appetite, appearing much thinner.
However, compared to Xiao Tingyi, she was "living in luxury."
He still wore a human skin mask, but fine beads of sweat were constantly trickling down his hair, so the mask needed to be readjusted from time to time. This task fell to Feng Jinyao.
Her finger injury had almost healed, leaving only faint marks.
One had to admit that divine physician Zhang's medicine was excellent.
However, there was one thing Xiao Tingyi had not told Feng Jinyao.
His fingers seemed to have lost all sensation.
A few days ago, he had accidentally cut himself with a knife. He bled profusely but felt no pain.
After a doctor examined it, they said that prolonged wear and tear and a failure to apply medication in time had led to this condition.
Although it would not affect his future life, the lack of sensation in his fingertips was, in a way, another form of "disability."
The city of Shuzhou now was very different from when they first met. Although the collapsed houses had been tidied up and the roads cleared, the hustle and bustle and laughter of the past were gone.
Perhaps it would take one or two years, or even longer, for people to emerge from their grief before this place could regain its former glory.
As the carriage approached the location where they had been buried, both mistress and maid felt a lingering fear.
Then, they remembered the deceased Hehuan, and both fell silent.