12dz Chapter 2165 An old friend comes
Chapter 2165 An old friend comes
Su Zhenhai belatedly recalled those past details—the way Huo Changhe looked at the "little doctor" always carried a gentleness that was hard for others to match.
Huo Changhe never refuted what the "little doctor" said.
I thought it was the young doctor who saved the prince's life, but now I know it was the princess!
There's a reason for all of this.
He hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me!"
Huo Changhe's expression had calmed down somewhat, and he said in a light tone, "Get up. Ignorance is no excuse."
Su Zhenhai then dared to slowly straighten up. He lowered his head and secretly glanced at Huo Changhe's expression. Seeing that he showed no signs of anger, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down a little, and his admiration for Yan Ruyu increased even more.
No wonder she is so extraordinary.
She possesses superb medical skills that can save lives, is knowledgeable in agriculture that can alleviate famine, and even has such comprehensive ideas for governing the region. It turns out she is the prince's wife.
No wonder the prince listened to her every word; it's hard to find another woman with such talent and beauty.
Su Zhenhai composed himself, took the seeds left by Yan Ruyu, and hurriedly bowed, saying, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will do my best to handle the matter of the seeds and returning the land to the fields entrusted to me by the Princess, and I will not dare to be negligent in the slightest!"
Huo Changhe nodded, his gaze returning to the booklet on the desk: "Go, matters concerning people's livelihood cannot be delayed."
Upon receiving the instructions, Su Zhenhai hurriedly agreed and quickly left the study.
He first found the clerk in the government office and asked him to draft two notices urgently: one to return the land to the people and the other to distribute emergency seeds. He then took several yamen runners to the notice board in the city.
At this time, shops along the streets of Rongzhou City had gradually opened, but the city lacked a lively atmosphere, and the pedestrians on the street did not look too happy.
Everyone has been poor for too long, unable to even get a full meal, so how can they have the leisure to do anything else?
When Su Zhenhai and his constables stopped in front of the notice board at the city gate and began posting notices, the expressions on the faces of the people who were gradually gathering around slowly changed.
First, a few literate scholars stepped forward and read the notice word by word. Then they exclaimed in disbelief, "This...this means that the land that was forcibly seized by the Liu family and the fake governor will be returned to us?"
"There are also emergency seeds! They'll sprout in about twenty days and be ready to harvest in a little over a month. They can even fill your stomach!" Another scholar pointed to the seed description below the notice, his voice rising several decibels.
The news spread like wildfire through the crowd.
The sparse crowd quickly swelled to overflowing. An elderly woman with gray hair, leaning on her cane, squeezed to the front, trembling as she tugged at the sleeve of the bailiff, repeatedly asking, "Sir, is this notice real? Can my three acres of land really be returned?"
The constable nodded with a smile: "It was personally ordered by the magistrate of Sucheng, how could it be false? In a few days, we will verify each household according to the old register and guarantee that the items will be returned to their rightful owners!"
Tears welled up in the old woman's cloudy eyes instantly. She raised her hand to wipe her face and choked out, "Good, good... I thought I would never see my own land again in this lifetime!"
The atmosphere among the crowd became completely lively, and the previous desolation was swept away.
The children squeezed in and out between the adults' legs, shouting, "We have land to cultivate!" and "We have food to eat!"
The vendors also stopped carrying their wares and crowded around to inquire about the details, their voices even louder than usual;
Several men rolled up their sleeves and volunteered to help the yamen runners post notices on other bulletin boards, muttering that they would also have to notify the villagers in the neighboring villages.
Within half an hour, the streets and alleys of Rongzhou City were in complete uproar.
Some people brought out firecrackers they had been saving for a long time. Amidst the crackling sounds, smoke billowed from the chimneys of every household, adding a touch of vibrant warmth to the air.
The passersby all wore smiles, exchanging greetings with clasped hands. The festive atmosphere was even stronger than in previous years.
Looking at this scene, Su Zhenhai felt a warmth in his heart, and although the burden on his shoulders was heavy, he also felt more confident.
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the governor's office, the afternoon sun was warm, shining on the mottled stone lions and scattering golden fragments all over the ground.
As Yan Ruyu walked to the door, she saw two figures standing under the old locust tree not far away.
One of them was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, with a dark cloak tied over her shoulders and a long sword hanging at her waist. Her black hair was neatly tied up, revealing her smooth forehead. It was Qi Dongqiang.
She stood tall and straight, her back ramrod straight. Even though she had traveled a long way, her eyes still held a dashing and heroic air, though the stray hairs at her temples were a little messy, revealing a hint of travel weariness.
An Cizhou, who was beside her, did not look so presentable.
His brocade robe was wrinkled like a crumpled piece of waste paper, the collar was crooked, and there were mud spots on his trouser legs. He held his waist with one hand and rubbed his thigh with the other. The expression on his face looked like someone had taken his bones apart, and he was grimacing with his teeth bared, and even his facial features were squeezed together.
Without asking, it's clear that they must have been traveling day and night, rushing to reach their destination.
Judging from An Cizhou's appearance, he probably almost fell apart from riding the horse.
Seeing his disheveled appearance, Yan Ruyu couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile, forcing a smile as she stepped forward: "You must be tired from your journey."
An Cizhou spoke first: "It's no trouble at all, it's nothing."
Qi Dongqiang glanced at him, her tone teasing: "Your hip bones are almost worn out. If you ride for another half day, you'll probably have to lie down to get into Rongzhou."
Yan Ruyu smiled and shook her head, then stepped aside to lead the two to the small courtyard outside the mansion: "Let's rest in the courtyard first. Bee Whistle has already taken care of everything."
The three walked along the bluestone path towards the courtyard, and soon arrived at their destination.
The courtyard gate was ajar. As soon as I approached, Bee Whistle came out quickly to greet me.
With a smile on his face, he bowed and said, "Miss Qi, Young Master An, the houses in the courtyard have all been cleaned up, the hot water has been boiled, and all the daily necessities have been prepared. We are just waiting for you to arrive."
Upon entering the courtyard, one sees the ground paved with blue bricks swept clean, the doors and windows of the east wing open, revealing newly changed bedding, and two potted plants placed under the eaves of the west wing, adding a touch of life to the autumn courtyard.
Seeing this, An Cizhou breathed a sigh of relief and, without bothering with formalities, headed straight for the side room, muttering, "Finally, I can rest."
As the sun sets, the afterglow paints the eaves of the courtyard with a warm orange hue, and the aroma of food wafts through Yan Ruyu's courtyard.
She cooked herself, and Yin Ding, Wu Liang, and the others also came back to help out.
An Cizhou wanted to eat barbecue and had tried it a few times, but the taste was never quite right. This time, he could finally eat his fill.
Huo Changhe returned from the Su residence after finishing his work, accompanied by Su Zhenhai.
Seeing Yan Ruyu bring out the dishes, he stood up and took the tray from her, his eyes softening: "Thank you for your hard work."
"No trouble at all," Yan Ruyu smiled.
Qi Dongqiang changed into a plain-colored outfit, shedding her worldly dust and looking even more capable; An Cizhou also changed into a clean brocade robe, returning to his usual appearance.
The group sat around the table, and Huo Changhe personally poured wine for the two of them as a welcome feast.