Chapter 241: Once Upon a Time

Chapter 241

“That means we must be getting close.” Gu Ying felt slightly more at ease, breaking the flatcake in two and giving half each to Ning Si and Yin Lan. “All along the way, it seemed like the snow disasters and earthquakes were very serious, but I could see that the losses were not nearly as bad as the memos claimed. Just judging from the few villages we passed through—although some houses had collapsed, there were no corpses around. That shows that someone had evacuated the commoners in advance.”

She had reminded the Prince and older cousin long ago that there would be an earthquake, urging them that the first thing to do upon reaching Yueyang would be to evacuate the commoners.

Although Jiang Yin said she had remembered the timing wrong, a brilliant strategist like the Prince would definitely have made preparations in advance.

Therefore, the natural disasters in Yueyang were not as serious as she had envisioned before coming.

All along their journey, they had encountered many refugees.

Many said that a god-like general had saved them and that the general was currently in Yueyang City, telling them to go directly to the government offices there to find him.

Hearing news of the Prince elated Gu Ying.

She and You Rongyan shared a smile. Yes, he was a godly man.

No matter how much of a head start Jiang Yin had with his rebirth, how could he compare to the Prince’s sagely wisdom, divine martial arts, noble ideals, loyalty and peerless valor?

She gazed longingly in the direction of Yueyang City, increasingly eager to hurry up and find him.

After barely a month apart, she was already lovesick...If only she could sprout wings and fly to his side!

Ning Si said in a low voice, “I figured the Prince must still be alive, but since we haven’t received any news, I don’t know what happened to the royal troops.”

Gu Ying mused, “Prince Shu must have taken the official roads with his relief troops to search for survivors, so they would have to clear debris and assist refugees all along the way. They couldn’t have reached Yueyang this quickly. We should get there before them.”

Ning Si made a sound of agreement, nibbling on the rations. A thought struck her and she asked curiously, “Ying’er, when did you learn to treat illnesses?”

Gu Ying's fine brows knitted together. No wonder when Old Marquis had come to dissolve his son’s engagement, Grandmother had mocked him over failing to cherish Young Miss Lin.

Ning Si said, “My mother said Old Marquis harbored feelings for Miss Lin, but was fickle in the end, marrying another and abandoning her. She doesn’t know the exact reason. All she knows is that later, the Zhenguo Duke Manor came calling for Miss Lin’s hand in marriage.”

“After marrying into a prominent household, Mrs. Lin did not have good days. With a broken engagement sullying her reputation, she was often ostracized and mocked by noblewomen in the capital. In the Zhenguo Duke Manor, she was also disfavored by the Duke. There were also rumors that the Duke had married her solely to obtain a medical prescription from her, specifically to treat his concubine, Cheng...the same concubine who is now your stepmother.”

Gu Ying gave a cold laugh. “So that’s why Cheng already had a son before the Prince was even born.”

Ning Si lamented, “Despite Mrs. Lin’s miraculous medical skills, she had the misfortune of a bad marriage...and could only meet the fate of a faded beauty. Ying'er, your experiences are so similar—if not for the Prince’s deep love and care for you, I’m afraid...”

She trailed off, but Gu Ying already understood with a start.

Indeed, her circumstances were far too similar to Mrs. Lin’s.

No wonder the Prince cherished her so much, indulging and shielding her without regard for reputation or propriety, promising to support her even if the sky fell. Even if she made huge blunders, he would help cover for her.

It turned out this was also his way of making amends for what his mother had endured...

A turmoil of emotions rose in Gu Ying. Her heart felt clenched by an invisible hand, distressed over both Mrs. Lin and the Prince.

On the verge of tears, she was about to reply when Huai An strode over, face grim.

“My lady, we must leave this area quickly.”

Gu Ying suppressed her anguish. “What is it, Huai An?”

Huai An said worriedly, “I just met a refugee from Yueyang and asked about the situation. He said all government forces are garrisoning Yueyang with the epicenter of the quake in Xianyang County. The Prince had led a large contingent of soldiers there, so this area has become lawless with many refugees turning to banditry and abducting wealthy merchants and beautiful women fleeing the disaster.”

Ning Si and Yin Lan’s expressions shifted.