bayedsolid Chapter 345: A Scene of Devastation
Chapter 345: A Scene of Devastation
"Then how should I explain this to Your Highness when I return?"
Ye Qing asked tentatively, a hint of embarrassment on her face.
Upon hearing this, Lin Rusi immediately shook her head: "Of course I can't say I'm here. If you tell him, he will definitely drag me back to the capital. I don't want that. For something this big, I will definitely stay by his side."
Lin Rusi spoke urgently, and after she finished speaking, she waved her hand again: "You should go back quickly, lest His Highness find out!"
She gave repeated instructions, almost to the point of kicking Ye Qing out.
Left with no other choice, Ye Qing could only nod and turn to leave.
Back in the group, Ye Qing finally came to his senses, but he had never lied to Li Jingyang before, and for a moment, he hesitated.
Noticing his unusual behavior, Li Jingyang paused, looked up, and said, "Speak."
But Ye Qing just kept her head down, looking somewhat nervous.
Li Jingyang frowned and asked in a low voice, "What exactly happened?"
Hearing his cold tone, Ye Qing sighed and spoke again: "Your Highness, it's not that I don't want to say, it's just that the Princess Consort told me not to say it."
As he spoke, he nodded vigorously, his words carrying a strong implication.
"Princess?" Li Jingyang asked back, a hint of doubt in his eyes.
Hearing this, Ye Qing coughed lightly: "Yes, the princess... I don't know where she is either."
He didn't say anything, so if the prince figured it out himself, he can't be blamed.
Upon hearing this, Li Jingyang paused slightly and subconsciously looked in the direction Ye Qing had come from: "Let them stop and rest for a while."
"Shall we rest now?"
Ye Qing stared in shock, unsure of what to say for a moment.
But Li Jingyang didn't notice his surprise. Instead, he ordered, "Ye Qing, go and tell the people over there to prepare a place for them to stay, preferably a place for girls."
"Yes, I'll go prepare right away!" Ye Qing immediately understood.
Li Jingyang put down the book in his hand, and taking advantage of the army's pause, he led two guards to the very back of the column.
Lin Rusi, completely unaware that Ye Qing had betrayed her, was hiding at the very back of the group.
At this moment, she was thinking about how to help Li Jingyang quietly.
The next moment, she met a pair of deep eyes.
Startled, Lin Rusi instinctively tried to dodge.
That damned Ye Qing! Didn't we agree not to say it?!
Just wait and see how I teach him a lesson next time!
Just as Lin Rusi was thinking and preparing to retreat, Li Jingyang had already approached.
She instinctively covered her hat, not wanting Li Jingyang to see her face.
But it was too late.
"Isn't this our strategist? Why is he here all alone?"
Li Jingyang spoke in a gentle voice, his tone sounding extremely kind.
But the next moment, he reached out and tightly grabbed Lin Rusi.
Left with no other choice, Lin Rusi could only look up at him.
Their eyes met, and she gave a fawning smile.
Strangely, Li Jingyang wasn't angry; instead, he pulled her closer.
He even brazenly introduced him to the soldiers as the new strategist.
Faced with this sudden development, Lin Rusi was stunned for a moment, then simply nodded in agreement.
After the introduction, Li Jingyang did not hesitate to take her back to his tent.
On the road, we set off again.
However, Li Jingyang did not speak a word the entire way.
Lin Rusi felt very guilty and dared not take the initiative to speak.
"Asi, we made a promise, how come you've learned to lie now?"
"No, I just..."
Lin Rusi pursed her lips and frantically tried to find an excuse.
"Just what?" Li Jingyang approached, his eyes dangerous.
Upon seeing this, Lin Rusi gasped and quickly lowered her head.
Seeing her timid appearance, Li Jingyang tapped her on the head: "Alright, stay if you want, but you have to listen to me from now on."
"understood."
Lin Rusi pouted, probably feeling extremely wronged.
Soon, the group arrived at their destination.
Li Jingyang, in his capacity as strategist, brought Lin Rusi inside and had her stay in the same tent as him.
Normally, unless there's something urgent, no one is allowed to enter their camp.
Until one day, a soldier rushed into their tent.
Guess what I saw as soon as I walked in?
At that moment, several soldiers were chatting together and their interest was immediately piqued.
"Tell me, tell me! When did you learn to keep people in suspense like this?"
"Oh dear, it's that strategist who's leaning against the soft couch, and our prince is actually pinning him against the wall, tsk tsk."
The soldiers spoke so earnestly, as if it were the truth.
"Are you kidding me?! Could it be that our Prince prefers men?"
"How could that be? I don't think Your Highness and the Princess Consort have a very good relationship."
"That princess is truly pitiful."
……
Rumors were rampant in the military camp.
For some reason, the fact that King Jinglie was a homosexual suddenly spread.
Meanwhile, some people are discussing Li Jingyang's sexual orientation.
Some people couldn't help but sympathize with Lin Rusi, and rumors began to circulate in the military camp.
Somehow, it suddenly reached Lin Rusi's ears.
Upon hearing this absurd news, she could no longer control her emotions and burst into laughter.
She never expected such rumors to circulate in the military camp; it was truly laughable.
Li Jingyang rubbed his forehead, his temples twitching, his face full of helplessness.
He desperately wanted to say no, but he couldn't refuse.
"Asi, stop laughing."
He couldn't help but sigh, his tone full of indulgence.
Seeing this, Lin Rusi paused for a moment, her expression slightly serious, before bursting into laughter.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness, I just couldn't help it."
"Asi!"
Upon hearing this, Li Jingyang moved closer, pulled her into his arms, and stared intently at her.
Lin Rusi stopped talking, her cheeks instantly turning red.
Before Li Jingyang could kiss her, she turned her head away and asked, "Your Highness, do you really like me like this? Or are you just a homosexual?"
"Don't you know, Asi?"
Li Jingyang's eyes were dangerous. He moved slightly closer and pulled her into his arms, refusing to let go no matter what.
……
Three days later, the army arrived in the northwest, but had not yet stepped into the city gates.
The scene before them surprised them.
"How could this be?"
Lin Rusi looked up in disbelief.
This city, even more devastated than Suzhou was back then, was filled with displaced people lying everywhere.
This is how the starving and emaciated people look.
It's much worse than Suzhou!
Knowing they were coming, the prefect immediately came to greet them and led the group into the city.
Lin Rusi felt heavy-hearted, but immediately asked the prefect to take them to see the main fields in the northwest.
The group went straight to the field, where the crops had been almost completely devoured.
Scattered around, a few locusts were flying in the field.
Seeing the situation, Lin Rusi came to her senses.
"How could it be so serious?"
Prefect Su sighed: "When the locusts passed through, almost nothing was left. Now there are only a few left in the warehouse, and we are trying to find a way to keep them."
"Your Highness, first have people distribute the grain you brought to the people, then have the doctors treat the sick. Other matters can wait."
Hearing this, Li Jingyang nodded and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Prefect."
"Of course, of course, I'll go right away."
On that day, grain distribution points were set up in various parts of the Northwest.