Situ Yao, as always, betrayed no emotion. I was full of questions but had no way to ask, so I could only apply medicine for him. The wound had begun to scab over but was not yet healed. Such a wound would be unbearable when bouncing on horseback, so I applied ointment for him, "Your Highness, please rest well. This humble woman will ask the coachman to go slower."
"Alright."
Concerned about Situ Yao's injury, the carriage slowed down. We stopped at a roadside inn for a hot meal midway. By the time we reached Mei City, it was completely dark.
Even after entering the city gates, Peng Cheng was nowhere to be seen. I had no choice but to ask, "May I ask where Your Highness will be staying?"
"And you?"
"My father has bought a house in Mei City."
"Then I shall accompany you. My whereabouts in Mei City should be as discreet as possible."
Me: ......
So, not only is he piggybacking on my carriage, but he also wants to piggyback into my house?
I think my face must have been very stiff, because even my voice was stiff: "Your Highness, this doesn't seem appropriate, does it?"
"Since you've come to Mei City with me, what harm is there in staying for a while?" It was too dark for me to see his face, but from his voice, I could tell that he must have been extremely pleased with himself when he said this.
I was speechless. In a flash, I finally understood the meaning behind the Empress's smile when she heard I was coming to Mei City.
No wonder she immediately brought up how she had traveled to many places with the Emperor in the past.
She thought I was chasing after my husband from a thousand miles away.
With a headache, I looked at the figure before me: "Your Highness, this humble woman feels there might be some misunderstanding. My reason for coming to Mei City has nothing to do with Your Highness."
"Mm, whatever you say." Situ Yao's voice was laced with teasing, clearly not believing me.
For a moment, I struggled to get a grip on the reins, racking my brain on how to explain, when I heard him pose another question: "Then may I stay at your residence for a few days? Once Peng Cheng finds a place, I will move out."
"What exactly are you here in Mei City for?"
"Matters of state. Don't worry, the most dangerous time has passed."
With that said, I could only instruct the coachman to drive directly to the new residence. Fortunately, my father was always generous. Although the house he bought was a small courtyard, it had an exquisite two-story structure. I had someone arrange Situ Yao's guest room on the first floor and temporarily hired a helper to look after him.
Situ Yao frowned: "I'm not used to being served by others."
"The conditions are limited, so please bear with me, Your Highness. Alternatively, you can contact Peng Cheng and have him send over your usual attendants."
"Never mind, let's leave it at that for now."
I snorted inwardly. Bastard, he even wanted me to personally attend to him. What a pipe dream.
Steward Ye had already prepared a list of tasks for me to do each day. The next morning, I accompanied him to the streets to inspect the shops. After a day, my feet were a lot slimmer, but the results were good. Several properties were very suitable for opening a wine shop.
I compiled a list of them, intending to seek out the owners tomorrow to negotiate, preferably to buy the properties outright.
As dusk fell, it suddenly started to snow heavily.
The snowflakes, like goose feathers, fluttered down, quickly covering the road with a layer of white frost. Steward Ye looked worried: "Miss, may this subordinate go find a carriage for you?"
"No need. It's not far from home anyway. It's the first snow, it looks quite novel."
"This subordinate feels the same way."
So, we both walked home, stepping on the accumulated snow. Mei City, compared to the capital, was still somewhat less prosperous. As soon as it got dark, there were fewer pedestrians on the road. Beyond the shops, it was rare to even see a soul.
Hmm, there's someone up ahead.
That person was holding an umbrella in their left hand and a lantern in their right, walking towards us.
Their posture was upright, their steps unhurried, and they looked somewhat familiar.
Just as I was wondering which young nobleman it was, the person suddenly spoke, "Why are you returning so late?"
Isn't that Situ Yao's voice?
I looked up in surprise. He had already approached. The ribs of the umbrella shifted slightly, revealing his clear, refined eyebrows and eyes.
"Y-Your Highness, why have you come out?"
"I was afraid you, being new to Mei City, wouldn't know the way home." He moved the umbrella a bit further over my head. "With such heavy snow, why aren't you even using an umbrella?"
"So you do know it's snowing heavily? Then, Your Highness, do you remember that you are injured?"
"This little injury is nothing. Why are you so busy so soon after arriving in Mei City?"
"I'm not busy, just looking around with Steward Ye."
"What did you see?"
The Empress's properties, it was not unreasonable for the Crown Prince to inquire about them, so I honestly replied, "Several locations have been chosen, awaiting further inspection. Your Highness is still injured, so you should return quickly. This is not like the capital, where imperial physicians can be summoned at any time. If you catch a cold, it would be troublesome."
Thinking of this, I lost all desire for a stroll in the snow and was about to signal Steward Ye to walk faster.
However, when I turned around, Steward Ye was nowhere to be seen: "Where is Steward Ye?"
"He quickened his pace a moment ago. He's probably home by now."
The word "home" sounded strange. I had no time to dwell on it, only urging Situ Yao to return quickly. Upon reaching the residence, I instructed the servants to add an extra brazier to his room.