"You don't have to worry too much. The Crown Prince has given me enough time. We can take our time."
Xiao Zhi held Chu Xin's hand with a smile in his eyes.
In fact, this feeling of not being disturbed by others is really good. In fact, if I had named Chu Xin and said that I wanted to marry Chu Xin, wouldn't anyone else get involved?
But this is not possible.
"Um."
Sensing someone else's gaze, Chu Xin felt slightly shy.
"In the past, I didn't have many opportunities to leave the palace. Later, when I was in the palace, I always stayed in my own courtyard. I didn't expect that the scenery outside was like this. People were coming and going, and everyone seemed to be in a hurry. Look."
Chu Xin watched all this with anticipation and joy, watching how ordinary people lived their lives.
"You are dressed too elegantly today. I noticed that the hairpin on the stall over there looks good. Let's go take a look!"
Xiao Zhi looked at the stall next to him. These hairpins were naturally not comparable to the gold and jade hairpins in the palace and the mansion, but they seemed pretty good.
"Then go and have a look!"
Chu Xin felt that whatever she did now was a joy, as long as it was just her and Xiao Zhi and no one would disturb them!
"I wonder what kind of hairpins the young master and his wife like?"
When the stall owner saw someone coming, he immediately greeted them warmly. At a glance, he could tell that the young man and his wife looked handsome and graceful. They looked very flattering even if they picked up a few hairpins.
"How about just this one?"
Xiao Zhi looked around each hairpin carefully and picked up a peach blossom hairpin carved from wood. Although it was not that exquisite, it looked quite interesting.
After paying the money, he personally took the peach blossom hairpin and put it in Chu Xin's hair.
"It's winter now, and the peach blossom hairpin on my head doesn't seem to match at all."
Chu Xin touched it lightly and found that all she wore were gold hairpins, silver hairpins, and jade hairpins, but she never wore wooden hairpins.
"When the peach blossoms bloom over there, you and I can't afford to wait, and we can't just spend this winter."
Xiao Zhi smiled and said, let's wait until the peach blossoms bloom. They still have a long, long time.
Chu Xin felt sweet in her heart, and she returned to the old time in a daze, where there would only be the two of them.
After walking along the road, they didn't find anything wrong. Naturally, they wouldn't be stupid enough to ask someone directly. That would definitely reveal their purpose.
What's more, no one knows who this county magistrate is, and it may be difficult to deal with it if he is exposed.
"I remember that Brother Xuan Wang was praised by his father for his meritorious service in handling Wan County. He handled the situation in Wan County very well and there were no casualties. It seemed that every common person was well fed and clothed. Brother Xuan Wang was right. It’s true.”
Xiao Zhi took Chu Xin to a relatively remote place. He always felt that many things were wrong, but he couldn't explain it.
Chu Xin sat on the steps on the ground, supporting her chin with her hands. She felt very tired after walking for a long time, so she found a remote place to sit and rest.
"I don't think the county magistrate is willing to tell us the real situation. He sent people this morning to follow us. Did His Highness the Crown Prince say anything else?"
Chu Xin's face was solemn, and she always felt that everything was not that simple. Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince wanted to find out what was wrong with King Xuan, but was unwilling to come forward in person, so he threw this issue to Xiao Zhi?
"No," Xiao Zhi leaned against a big tree and shook his head, "Or maybe the prince and brother think that I am too idle and want to find something for me to do?"
There was a bit more self-deprecation in his words.
"I think the Crown Princess is a very gentle and kind woman, and I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince is kind, so he should also be a very good person."
Chu Xin had just arrived in Northern Qi and was not very familiar with everything here. The only thing she had an impression of was Crown Princess Xu Miaorong. She only knew that she was really a gentle woman who had no airs and would not embarrass others.
I also heard that His Highness the Crown Prince liked Xu Miaorong the most, so they must have similar temperaments.
"I only remember when I was young, I saw the queen and Concubine Chun fighting to the death. They have been incompatible with each other for a long time. Brother Crown Prince and Brother Xuan are also at odds with each other. I am afraid they want to find each other's faults.
And after I returned to Northern Qi, I relied on the Crown Prince to take care of me. The Crown Prince was indeed a kind and kind brother. He just really wanted to know what the situation was like here. "
Xiao Zhi lowered his eyes, what he said was half true and half false.
He was also talking about what he should do. Only the prince and brother were kind to him, so he must be on his side at this moment.
"Then he is indeed a very good person and should be as good as the Crown Princess!"
Chu Xin took a wooden stick and scratched the soil on the ground. After walking for such a long time, she didn't feel cold, she just felt hot.
I have been living in the palace for these years, and I don’t know how the people live. I have just walked through so many streets and alleys, and I have seen almost everything.
There are not so many rules in life among ordinary people, and there is no need to worry about saying the wrong thing. It feels quite relaxed to get along with them.
He also thought about getting along with Chu Yi after going back. He would have to be tense all the time and endure the other party's weird ridicule. Many times he wanted to go back, but because of his identity, he could only bite his lip.
Forget it, I haven't gone back yet, so don't think about such unhappy things.
In a daze, she seemed to hear some small noises. Chu Xin listened carefully and looked left and right, and found that it was coming from the abandoned house behind her.
Immediately he was startled, and he quickly stepped forward to take Xiao Zhi's hand and pointed to the room inside.
"There are many wandering beggars in abandoned houses, and the same is true here."
Xiao Zhi comforted them softly while looking into the room. These people would not tell the truth. If they asked too many questions, they would be exposed. It would be better to ask these wandering beggars.
If you can't ask anything, just forget it. If you really ask something, that's a good thing. What's more important is that it's easy to solve.
"It's okay if you're not afraid. I can protect you as long as I'm here. If you're afraid, just wait outside."
"With you here, I'm sure I won't be afraid. Let's go in and take a look. I don't think the movement is big. Or maybe it's some small animal?"
The two walked in quietly together. This was an abandoned house. Fortunately, it was daytime, and the light coming in from the window could barely see clearly inside. If it was night, it would definitely be difficult to see clearly.
There was nothing in the house, and there was no place to hide people. Could it be that I really heard it wrong? Maybe it was just a cat or dog?
Just when the two were disappointed, Chu Xin saw a small haystack in the most inconspicuous place, and carefully recalled the extremely small sound. Could it be that there was something in the haystack?
"Who is in there? Don't pretend to be a ghost. Come out quickly!"
Xiao Zhi shouted coldly, there was probably something hidden inside.
"We are not hostile and will not hurt you. We are just curious about who is inside. Can you come out and let us take a look? If you need help, we can also help you!"
Chu Xin squatted in front of the haystack and spoke in a gentle voice.
There was still no reaction for a long time. The two looked at each other. If there was no reaction again, they would personally open the haystack to see if it was a god or a ghost inside!
"Really?"
Just when Xiao Zhi couldn't help but take action, a small voice sounded suddenly, like the voice of a little girl.
"Of course it's true. If you need help, you can come out and tell me. I can help you with anything. You can tell me if you want food, drink, or anything else!"
When she heard the voice of a little girl, Chu Xin became even more worried. If she was just a child, what would she do if she hid here? Can she survive?
Xiao Zhi's face was solemn, and there was also a trace of worry in his eyes.
"Are you alone here? Where are your parents and relatives? Can you tell me?"
Chu Xin asked patiently and gently. If the other person was just a child, I'm afraid he couldn't be tough and had to talk it over.
"Both my parents are dead, I'm the only one, and all the others are dead, even the bodies are gone."
Hearing clearly what was coming from inside, Chu Xin really felt a little frightened.
What happened? What do you mean a group of people are dead, even the bodies are gone? What happened here?
"Don't be afraid, little sister, come out and talk to me."
Chu Xin knew that there must be a lot of articles in it. Ordinary people couldn't ask the truth, so if they asked a little girl here, she should be able to tell the truth.
"You go buy some food and come over. I'll talk to her here."
Chu Xin thought about it carefully and decided to let herself stay here. Maybe the little girl wouldn't be afraid.
"good."
Xiao Zhi nodded, this place is remote and no one can find it. Maybe the little girl lacks food and clothing here, so she wants to buy some things and smell the fragrance, so she is willing to come out?
"Little sister, do you have anything else you want to say to me? I'll just sit here and talk to you."
Chu Xin gently pulled at the straw. It was the coldest time now, so she probably hid inside to keep out the cold. She looked quite pitiful.
Unexpectedly, the person inside slowly crawled out. It was a pair of skinny hands. It was indeed a dirty little girl who looked like she was only in her teens.
She lay on the ground and looked at Chu Xin with aggrievedness and fear. In fact, she felt that the voice of the woman outside was very gentle, so she was willing to come out.
"Looking at how thin you are wearing, it must be very cold. Do you think it will be warm if you hide in it?"
Xiao Zhi said pitifully, and immediately took off his furry cloak and wrapped it directly around the little girl, and tied the belt of the cloak tightly.
The little girl was very thin, so her eyes looked unusually big. She nodded, it was indeed much warmer hiding inside.
In fact, I thought it was nothing before, but now the weather is slowly getting colder, and I feel very cold, so I picked up a lot of straw and gathered it around here. It is indeed not cold anymore to hide in the straw pile.
"May I have your name?"
Chu Xin took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, wiped the little girl's face carefully, and arranged her hair neatly. It was obvious that she was a pretty girl.
"flourishing."
Qianqian still looked timid, and she didn't dare to look into Chu Xin's eyes. She just felt that the furry cloak tattooed on her body felt really warm, even warmer than hiding in a pile of straw.
"Qianqian, what did you mean just now? Can you tell me about it?"
Chu Xin simply sat on the ground and faced Qianqian face to face. What he just said must be of great significance. We must find out what happened in it. It may be of great help to them.
Seeing Qianqian still huddled together with her head down, not daring to speak, Chu Xin knew that she might have asked too hastily.
He glanced at the gate again and saw that Xiao Zhi hadn't come back yet. He would wait until he bought food so that Qianqian would be full.
"There was an epidemic in the village a few months ago, and many people died. There was no medicine to save it. The noble man said that just gathering the sick people together and letting them all die would be fine. He also said that the bodies should be Burn them all and don’t spread them around.”
Qianqian wrapped her cloak tightly around her body and bit her lip. Thinking of her emotions that day, her whole body shivered with fear.
Why are those noble people so condescending? Why can so many people's lives be taken away by just a few words? Why don't the noble people have any compassion?
"Which nobleman is it?"
Chu Xin stared at Qianqian with a solemn expression, and gradually had an answer in her heart.
Qianqian kept her head down and huddled together without speaking, either because she didn't know or because she didn't dare to speak.
