Sea of No Return

Тhе nеxt daу, thеу sеt оff in a small, light cаrriаge, unlike hеr previоus jаdе раlаnquin, which had bеen so luxurious and cumbеrsоme.

Sеverаl оf his реrsonаl Gоshihа аttеndants wеre initially оn hоrsebаck. When theу saw her сome оut, thеу immеdiаtеlу dismounted, swерt their slееvеs, and kоwtowеd: "Grеetings to Рrinсess Сhang."

She told thеm to rise. Thе mаn stаnding befоre the cаrriаgе saw hеr in mеn's сlоthing, his еуes fillеd with аdmiratiоn. She wоre a mоon-whitе сеremоniаl rоbе with silver thread аnd subtle patterns, a jаde belt arоund her waist, аnd a gоldеn crоwn on her head. Though her face was clearly that of a young woman, the men's attire did little to disguise it. Still, she carried herself with a certain dashing spirit, taking large strides to match the outfit and waving a folding fan with a clattering flourish—less like a dashing young gentleman and more like a wealthy patron placing bets in a gambling den.

He chuckled, "Why are you dressed like this?"

She said it was for convenience, turning back to Tong Huan and Xiao You: "Look, there are so many people here, it's fine. You wait for me at home, don't run around, and keep an eye on the courtyard."

Tong Huan bowed to her, "Your Highness, be careful on your journey. If anything happens, give orders to Steward Yu. Don’t get too caught up in fun and wander off alone. That place is rather frightening—refugees packed so tightly they’re nose to eye, and no one knows anyone else. Remember that?"

She said yes, "I’ll remember everything." He helped her up, and she hopped into the carriage.

This was her first time traveling a long distance by land, and she was filled with curiosity, leaning against the window to look outside. The road was uneven, sometimes jolting heavily over rubble and stones. He kept urging her to sit properly, but she didn’t listen. Finally, with a thud, she bumped her head, grimacing and nearly crying.

He hurried over, pressing one hand to the injured spot to massage it, frowning as he said, "The Southern Garden is short on funds. The official road hasn’t been repaired for years, and after half a month of heavy rain last time, it’s inevitably full of potholes. You need to listen and sit properly. If sand gets in your eyes later, you’ll only suffer for it."

She sighed, "How is it that there’s no money even to repair the roads? Was it all used to aid the disaster victims? If this goes on, what will become of us? The vast Southern Garden will be drained dry, and in the end, won’t it burden the people of Jiangnan?"

He agreed, "Exactly. People keep pouring in, but we can’t just let them die. It’s truly a dilemma."

She pondered for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, "Submit three memorials in a row, asking the Inner Cabinet for a decision—either provide disaster relief or manage the flow. They need to come up with a detailed plan. Moreover, the numbers must be controlled. Station troops at key passages to prevent more from flowing into the Southern Garden. To turn the tide, we must act within our means. If saving one group harms another, the whole effort will still be a failure."

Her resolve took him by surprise. He had thought her kind-hearted and soft, prone to womanly compassion, but she proved decisive when needed, which truly suited his temperament. He tested her deliberately, "It’s a pity feudal princes cannot station troops. To set up checkpoints, we’d ultimately need people at our disposal."

She glanced at him, "Whether it counts as stationing troops depends on the numbers. I recall that commandery princes may not exceed one thousand, and feudal princes may not exceed five thousand. If we gather all the miscellaneous guards and cavalry, it should be enough to secure the Huaining line. The rest can be left to the various prefectures and counties to handle—help where possible, but don’t force it if they can’t. Since we’ve already given our all, we’ve done our best... But where are all these refugees coming from? It’s truly baffling."

He turned his face away and coughed softly.Where did those tens of thousands of refugees come from? That was truly something not to be spoken of. It was true that Prince Chu had driven all the famine-stricken people into the Southern Garden, and a rough count had been made—there were probably twenty to thirty thousand. As for the additional twenty thousand that appeared out of thin air, they were naturally arranged by him. Feudal princes not stationing troops was merely a superficial pretense; which nobleman didn’t have men and horses at his disposal? Great Ye was on its last breath, and turmoil was foreseeable. To the west was the Prince of Wusi, to the south was Prince Zhen’an, and here, though named the Southern Garden, was actually in the east. In terms of strength, it could be considered a tripartite balance of power. It was undeniable that he coveted the empire, but everyone was already stirring restlessly. Prince Zhen’an, acting on his own, had moved his Princely Mansion to Bijiewei. The further north he went, the closer he was to the Capital. What did this mean? Everyone understood except the muddle-headed emperor in the Capital.

However, even with troops, one still had to avoid drawing attention. Those prepared forces were dispersed around the fief, especially at the borders with other feudal princes. If action was needed in the future, they could be reassembled, while in peacetime, they remained far less conspicuous. Those twenty thousand troops in Huaining blended in with the disaster victims during the day to conserve their strength, training only at night. What she mentioned about stationing troops at key thoroughfares had long been implemented by him. Once anyone entered Anqing Prefecture, there was no return, and he wasn’t afraid of spies infiltrating among the refugees.

He brought her along on this journey to let her see how decayed this empire was, but she was clever, not an ordinary girl confined to the inner chambers. Take calligraphy practice for girls, for example—most wrote in delicate, flowery small script, at most with a touch of "flying white." She, however, practiced cursive script—swift and bold, each character robust. She was a woman of innate wisdom, valuing not the cool breeze or winter snow but carrying the weight of the world in her heart. Sometimes, he wished she could be a little more foolish—the more foolish, the more blissful; the wiser, the more suffering. Being too perceptive, seeing things too clearly, always wounded oneself...

No use dwelling on these thoughts. All he could do was take good care of her.

At first, she was lively and energetic, but as time went on, she couldn’t keep it up. After all, she was a delicate girl, used to walking with steady grace. In the carriage, confined to a small space and jostled until her bones felt scattered, by afternoon, she was drowsy and only wanted to sleep.

She propped her head with one hand, nodding off like a pecking chicken. He found it amusing and patted her shoulder. "Sleepy?"

She roused herself for a moment, saying no. After all, sleeping in front of him would be impolite, and she felt she could hold on a little longer.

He spread his hand and patted his lap. "Lie down. It’s uncomfortable to sleep sitting up."

Wanwan hesitated. They had just grown closer, and sleeping on his lap seemed inappropriate. This was precisely the time when maintaining one’s image was most important. Perhaps after a while, yawning or sneezing in front of him wouldn’t be an issue.

But without waiting for her response, he pulled her over. "Why be so formal with me? It’s not like I haven’t seen you sleep before, rolling from one end to the other. At the time, I thought, ‘This princess seems so dignified, but when asleep, she’s like this.’ So no matter how ungraceful you are, I can handle it. Don’t fret over such trivial matters."

She struggled. "Nonsense! When am I ever ungraceful? It’s just that sleepiness is hard to control! Don’t you sleep? Can you remain so poised and graceful when you’re asleep?"

His face turned green at that. "When have I ever been ‘poised and graceful’?"She pouted, wanting very much to say that you had already laid all the groundwork last night—otherwise where would the flute have come from? Or the tea set? And you wore such fine clothes... so that I couldn’t control myself, and this relationship was forcibly established by you.

He understood exactly what she was thinking. After staring wide-eyed at each other for a long while, he suddenly couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

His laughter was bright and clear. As she leaned against his chest, she could feel the vibrations in his chest—rumbling, vivid—making her feel even more flustered.

His fingers gently brushed her cheek as he sighed, “So this is how I appear in your eyes! Well, it’s no shame for you to see the depth of my affection. My heart has always felt empty, with nowhere to settle. Thank you for coming last night, sparing me from drifting and giving me a branch to perch on. I never told you how I lived before—before the wedding, I simply missed you constantly; after the wedding, when you ignored me, I began to fear that we would drift further and further apart, never to be close again. I shamelessly clung to you, and you despised me. I felt both awkward and heartbroken, unable to find peace even when handling affairs outside. Now it’s settled—we’ve agreed to continue like this from now on, and neither of us is allowed to change our minds. Is that alright?”

When it comes to feelings, once love takes hold, it’s likely impossible to take it back. She recalled her past affection for the Eunuch Official—never spoken aloud, never reciprocated. Love is a matter between two people; one-sided longing cannot last, and warmth must be mutual to nurture it. Now that she was married, loving each other was only natural, without any sense of guilt. So this is what it feels like to be loved—no wonder Yin Lou often unconsciously revealed a happy smile. She had once envied her, feeling helpless, but now she understood it herself, and it was wonderful. He said he had a branch to perch on, but wasn’t she the same? Struggling through life, it was a blessing to have a shoulder to lean on when tired.

She relaxed, leaning back against his knee and mumbling, “I wanted to sleep, but you’ve chased all my drowsiness away.”

He leaned close, his face hovering near hers, his eyes filled with a tide of tenderness. “Promise me.”

This urgent need to bind her was also born of uncertainty. Wanwan looked at him, slowly breaking into a smile, and nodded, saying, “Alright, I promise you.”

Thus, this trip to Huaining felt less like an inspection of disaster conditions and more like a leisurely spring outing, with clear skies and gentle breezes, progressing at a slow pace.

Though Wanwan usually appeared dignified, her playful nature ultimately prevailed. Halfway through the journey, she flew a kite, its string trailing into the carriage window as she leaned against the carriage wall, guiding it. Whenever it seemed about to fall, she would tug the string just in time, flying it all the way from Ningguo Prefecture to Huaining.

If the journey had been filled with the poetic charm of Jiangnan, the situation upon arriving in Huaining was entirely different. Huaining originally had a small population, but with the large-scale migration of disaster victims, its numbers had suddenly doubled overnight, straining the small county almost to its limits. The Goshiha outside continuously reported new updates, and Wanwan’s kite string snapped. Leaning against the window, she saw nothing but scenes of widespread suffering.She grew up in the capital, where bustle and peace reigned—none of which existed here. The city walls were old and worn, their surfaces peeling to reveal grayish-blue bricks. Inside, refugees were everywhere, adults dragging children, filling every corner. It was said that now, with warmer weather, casualties had decreased. But during the heavy snow last year, bodies lay strewn along the roadsides. The second son, Shu Quan, spoke of this with a face full of sorrow.

"Just brush aside the snow, and you’d find people buried underneath. When we pulled them out, their corpses were stiff. We loaded them onto carts, piled haphazardly, at least eight or ten carts a day, sometimes even twenty. The misery—you haven’t seen it. White-haired elders burying their black-haired children, little ones chasing after the carts, the whole city filled with weeping. Walking around at night felt like entering the City of the Dead—truly chilling! Now it’s a bit better. The weather’s warmer, so we don’t need to burn charcoal, and there are enough blankets. The worry lies ahead. If an epidemic breaks out, with so many people, deaths won’t be one or two but whole swathes. I’ve already sent people to sprinkle quicklime everywhere and brew honeysuckle as drinking water, hoping to reduce the dryness. Whether it works or not is hard to say."

Wanwan sniffed carefully; there was always a foul smell in the air, like what she had smelled in the Imperial Stables. She tugged at Liangshi’s sleeve. "Why is the stench so strong?"

He looked down at her, helpless. "There are too many people. Eating, drinking, and relieving themselves all in one place—how could it not stink? This can’t go on. I’m thinking of cultivating the wasteland at the foot of the mountain. It used to separate Xiangchu and the Southern Garden, but now we can’t afford to care. With so many mouths to feed, relying solely on supplies from Suzhou and Hangzhou is hard on the people of Jiangnan too. I want the disaster victims to support themselves—plant grains and corn, so by autumn they can have a full meal. Relying on others’ aid can’t last a lifetime. If they become self-sufficient and settle in Huaining, it might not be impossible."

Wanwan let out a long sigh, looking out at a bleak, pale expanse. Children huddled in tattered clothes stared in terror, eyes wide, faces covered in dust. She thought of Lan Zhou, about the same age as them. He wore fine silks and brocades, while they were ragged and wretched.

"Check the bag, see how much dry food is left," she said, turning to Yu Xixia. "Take it out and share it. The children are pitiful."

No sooner had she spoken than a swarm of children sprang into action, as if triggered by a mechanism, leaping up and swarming toward her. Though she sympathized with them, the overwhelming rush was alarming. She froze in fear, but thankfully, he was there. Without a word, he shielded her behind him. The Goshiha drew their swords to stop the crowd, but the people didn’t disperse. Hundreds of clay pots and chipped porcelain bowls still clattered deafeningly.

Furious, he cursed angrily, "Truly a bottomless pit! The Porridge Kitchen provides three meals a day for Relief Distribution, yet they still act like starving ghosts reborn!"

Shucun, the leader of the Goshiha, hurried forward to disperse the crowd. An old woman, trembling, grabbed him with both hands, her face ashen, eyes cloudy, muttering expressionlessly, "Hungry... so hungry..."Liangshi’s expression darkened, and he immediately turned to head toward the Porridge Kitchen. Relief stations had been set up in both the southern and northern parts of the city, but as it was not yet time to distribute porridge, only a few yamen runners were busy under the makeshift shelters. Seeing a group of people hurrying over, they didn’t recognize who they were and shouted at the top of their lungs, “Halt! What are you doing here? This is a restricted area of the Porridge Kitchen—unauthorized persons are strictly forbidden to approach…”

No one paid any attention to their words. The Goshiha cleared a space, and Liangshi stepped forward to inspect. The firewood in the stove had long since gone out, and the cooked porridge had been ladled into large wooden barrels. What remained was nothing but watery broth, with not a single grain of rice in sight. A storm brewed between his brows as he demanded sharply who was in charge. A man with a crooked official cap came scurrying over, glanced up, and immediately bowed deeply. “Your humble servant greets the Prince. I did not know Your Highness was personally visiting and failed to welcome you properly. I beg Your Highness to forgive my offense.”

He did not respond, instead picking up a chopstick and plunging it into the barrel. “I have repeatedly issued orders: if the chopstick floats, heads will roll. What is the situation now?” He released his hand, and the bamboo chopstick immediately tilted and bobbed on the water’s surface. He sneered, “Where have the ten thousand dan of grain allocated from Suzhou and Hangzhou gone? It’s only been half a month—could it all have been consumed already?”

The petty official fell to his knees with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly. “Your Highness, please understand. I am only in charge of this Porridge Kitchen. Whatever grain arrives, I cook into porridge. But the shipments these past two times have been increasingly meager. I am but a clever housewife who cannot cook without rice. With so many people eagerly waiting, I had no choice but to add more water so everyone could at least have something warm. As for anything else, I know nothing. If Your Highness wishes to punish me, I am utterly wronged.”

Shu Quan kicked him over. “You all act so high and mighty in normal times, but when trouble comes, you all turn into turtles hiding in your shells! The master has only been away for a month, and everything here has fallen into chaos. Speak! Who is in charge of the granary—Magistrate Sha or Assistant Prefect He?”

The petty official, kicked to the ground, dared not delay and scrambled back to his knees, his voice trembling with tears. “The magistrate said this matter is of great importance and is entirely under his control. Master, please don’t be angry—venting at me is useless. It would be better to summon Magistrate Sha for questioning. He handled everything—asking him will surely yield answers.”

Seeing this, Shucun stepped forward with hands respectfully lowered. “Master, please don’t worry. This servant will go to the county yamen to apprehend him immediately. Let Dachun and the others attend to you first and escort you back to the Courier Station to rest. This long journey has not only exhausted you, but Your Highness is likely also weary. With so many disaster victims, there are bound to be complications and frustrations. Please remain calm for now. We will handle matters one by one. After all, we servants are here for you. Please regain your strength first—the questioning can wait.”

This situation was indeed beyond his expectations. Because his own men were mixed among the disaster victims, the food rations in Huaining were supposed to be absolutely sufficient. Yet now, the grain had vanished without a trace, even causing his own soldiers to go hungry. Clearly, someone had been lining their own pockets, taking him for a fool.

He restrained himself. Under normal circumstances, rushing hundreds of li would not have been an issue, but now Wanwan was with him. She had never experienced anything like this and stood anxiously beside Yu Xixia, bewildered by everything before her.Very well, let's take a moment to settle her first. He nodded, "Gather the men and split them into two groups. One group will first detain Sha Wansheng. Within the boundaries of my Southern Garden, dealing with subordinate officials is my duty, whether he's a magistrate or a deputy! The other group will seal the granaries. Arrange everything tonight, and at dawn tomorrow, we'll interrogate that scoundrel."

Shucun accepted the order and left. He turned around, took a deep breath, and gave her a bitter smile. "You see, even in the face of disaster, there are still people profiting from it. People's hearts have rotted these days."

She lived deep within the palace, accustomed to a life where clothes were handed to her and meals were served, so how could she understand the chaotic and corrupt world outside? She simply looked at him, her face filled with desolation. "I never imagined the people of Great Ye lived like this."

Yet, what she never expected was still to come. That night, they did not interrogate Magistrate Sha but instead awaited his wife. Madam Sha arrived at the courier station and, without a word, barged straight into Yuwen Liangshi's bedroom.