In front of Madam Zhao, Su Xiaoqi had too many thoughts in her heart, but she couldn't say them out loud, so she just smiled gently.
Shen Yun seized the opportunity and reached out to hold her hand.
Su Xiaoqi did not struggle.
Shen Yun then assumed that what he saw earlier of Su Xiaoqi was just his illusion, or that she was merely unhappy for a moment and was now fine.
No matter how smart he was, he ultimately did not understand the true meaning of a woman's heart being as inscrutable as a needle at the bottom of the sea.
Madam Zhao then chatted with the couple for a good while.
She spoke of their parents back home, of her several elder brothers and younger sisters.
She also mentioned her eldest brother's nieces.
Zhao Liushun was mentioned, and even the missing Zhao Wutang and Zhao Xiaolan were brought up.
"I don't know where they are now. It would be great if we could find them when we come out this time."
Seeing that Madam Zhao was about to shed tears as she spoke, Shen Yun quickly comforted her, "Mother, don't worry. If it's fated, we will meet again."
"If it's fated, we will meet again. It's good, it's good." Madam Zhao murmured a couple of times. Shen Mingzhu arrived with Shen Erdan, and the family chatted and laughed harmoniously, dispelling the faint sorrow of a moment ago.
Shen Yun paid particular attention to whether Madam Zhao and the others were accustomed to living in the capital.
"Whether we're used to it or not, we're not going back to Zhao family village anymore, are we?" Madam Zhao finally asked the question she had been wanting to ask.
Shen Yun remained silent for a moment, then gave a very definitive answer.
Yes, no matter what, they could not go back to Zhao family village.
Shen Yun hesitated for a moment, swallowing the words that were about to come out.
Su Xiaoqi, however, saw something in his unclear eyes.
After having dinner at Madam Zhao's, Su Xiaoqi and Shen Yun returned to their room.
At this time, the Jade Rabbit rose in the east. It was the beginning of the month, and the moon was curved like eyebrows, its light bright and pure.
The elm money tree in the courtyard swayed gently in the wind.
Neither of them spoke first.
Finally, Shen Yun couldn't help but say, "Doesn't my wife want to ask me something?"
He had been waiting for his wife to ask him.
But at some point, her mouth had become so tight.
No matter what, she refused to speak first, which made him feel very insecure.
"Ask you what?" Su Xiaoqi blinked her eyes.
She wanted to say that she already had answers to many things and didn't need to ask.
As for those she didn't have answers to, she believed they were not things she would want to hear.
Therefore, she felt it was better not to ask.
"Things in Jiangning Prefecture did not go smoothly. In order to investigate the truth, I disguised myself as a beggar..." Shen Yun began to talk about his experiences in Jiangning Prefecture.
Su Xiaoqi listened, raising her eyebrows.
Disguising herself as a beggar to investigate a case seemed like something Shen Yun would do.
He was indeed a person who would resort to any means to achieve his goals.
"Being a beggar was quite good. Carefree, without any worries. Every day, one only needed to think about filling one's stomach.
The only bad thing was that even if you had money in your pocket, you didn't dare to take it out.
There was a time when I watched others eat roast duck and drooled with envy..."
Su Xiaoqi couldn't help but imagine Shen Yun in tattered clothes, drooling.
Thinking about it, she felt it didn't fit, shook her head, and looked at Shen Yun.
He wore a dark blue round-collar straight robe, his features were as beautiful as a painting, and he was exceptionally handsome. She couldn't imagine him as a beggar at all.
"The roast duck in Jiangning Prefecture is very delicious," Shen Yun said.
Su Xiaoqi smiled and added, "I don't know if the duck in Jiangning Prefecture is delicious, but there's a type called Shaoxing duck there that is very good at catching locusts."
She deliberately changed the topic, not wanting to continue discussing ducks.
After all, in modern times, these two words had been given other meanings, and she felt awkward whenever she heard them.
Moreover, he was clearly trying to make her laugh.
"Did you want to ask Mother about Prince Ning just now?" Su Xiaoqi opened the conversation, wanting to remind Shen Yun of a few points.
Shen Yun nodded, "I wanted to," but he didn't dare to ask.
Only he knew how much grief his father's departure had brought to his mother.
Her eyes had also been damaged from crying over her father at that time.
More and more people were bringing up the matter of Prince Ning and his resemblance.
That was why he couldn't resist asking just now.
But after thinking about it, it was better not to ask.
For him, this matter was merely gossip.
But for his mother, the outcome could be fatal.
"Mother definitely does not want to be associated with Prince Ning's mansion in any way."
Su Xiaoqi left this sentence and was the first to enter the room.
Shen Yun followed, and Su Xiaoqi's reminder was indeed true.
Regardless of any past connection between the two, it was not a good thing for his mother.
The next day, the family indeed moved to the Zhuangyuan Residence.
Fortunately, they were only two streets apart, and all the furniture and belongings inside had been purchased in advance.
Now it was basically a move-in ready situation.
Because this matter was handled very discreetly, it did not cause much of a stir. Only a few families whom Shen Yun was close to in the Hanlin Academy were invited to a banquet.
The Grand Princess was in the process of cleaning up her household and did not have time, but she sent her son and daughter with generous gifts.
The Duke of Yu's mansion was busy with many matters since Madam Wen had just returned, and she also had to assist the Dali Temple in the trial of the Jiangning Prefecture case. The Old Madam came over to sit with Madam Zhao.
Additionally, the He family brothers, along with their families, came for a simple meal.
Chang Wanqing, Xi Jianzhi, and others also came to join the fun.
The group managed to make the housewarming banquet quite lively.
After the meal, Su Xiaoqi heard the Old Madam mention that Shen Yun and Wang Enze had handled their assignments exceptionally well.
Once this matter was finally concluded, there would definitely be great rewards.
Afterward, the weather in the capital grew increasingly hot, and it had not rained for an entire month.
In the villages near the capital, rivers dried up, and the crops in the fields, lacking irrigation water, withered and died.
Just as harvest was approaching, enough to feed a family and exchange for some money, the entire land's harvest was lost before the crops could mature.
With nothing left, families with stored grain could barely survive, while those without could only go to the mountains and rivers to find wild game, fish, and shrimp.
Later, more and more people went to the mountains and rivers. In the mountains, forget wild game, even edible wild vegetables and tree roots were dug up.
The rivers were even worse. Due to the severe drought, the rivers had already dried up, exposing the riverbeds, and there were very few fish, shrimp, and crabs left. With such desperate measures, they were essentially wiped out.
Everyone managed to hold on for half a month. After that, most were out of food and water, simply waiting to die. Misery spread everywhere, and corpses littered the ground.
These scenes were not only happening in the outskirts of the capital but throughout the entire Northern Metropolitan Area.
South of Youzhuo, north of Changhuai, west of Qingyan, and east of Liangsong, the situation was most severe.
Everywhere one looked, there were cracked lands. Rivers that had flowed vigorously had become shallow stretches, and the stifling nights were filled with lingering heat.
A scene of dry yellow, with wind and sand engulfing the land.
Pedestrians on the road were emaciated, their hunched backs carrying bamboo baskets, returning from the mountains with wild vegetables and tree roots to fill their stomachs.
The drought was severe; within just one month, the grass roots and tree roots in the mountains had been dug up.
In a mere half a month, reports of people starving to death had come from many places.
The entire court of the Great Liang Dynasty was filled with sorrow and grief.
Emperor Xingzhao was furious, fainted on the spot, and upon waking, strictly ordered court officials to address the matter.
The Minister of Revenue requested the opening of granaries and the dispatch of officials to provide disaster relief.
A large number of disaster victims and refugees poured into the capital, and social order deteriorated to an extreme.
Except for the Imperial City, refugees in ragged clothes and displaced people could be seen everywhere.
Su Xiaoqi watched them pass by her door, her eyes involuntarily welling up.
She looked at He Qiulei, who had come to discuss strategies with her, and said with a heavy heart, "Why don't we distribute the grain from the shops?"
"No." He Qiulei opposed it, which was rare.
Since the two had established a cooperative relationship, He Qiulei had been obedient to Su Xiaoqi in almost every aspect.
Even when he occasionally disagreed, it was merely a suggestion, never such a direct and firm refusal.
Moreover, his tone was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.
Su Xiaoqi looked at him, wanting to hear his explanation.
"Now there are piles of refugees causing trouble everywhere in the capital. The Five City Patrols are clearing them out, and they have all been driven to the outer city."
He Qiulei told Su Xiaoqi that she hadn't gone out to see.
The widest street in the outer city, Limin Street, was now so crowded that even horses' hooves couldn't tread.
It was filled with people, a dense mass.