"Your mother didn’t abandon you, so you’re still fortunate."
A shadow flickered in Song Shihuan’s eyes, one that Mo Yu couldn’t decipher, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a bright smile.
"Mo Yu, what’s fun about your hometown?"
At the mention of home, Mo Yu visibly relaxed.
"Laijin Prefecture is full of mountains and rivers, and Xiangyao County lies along the Mi River—the scenery is breathtaking." Mo Yu moistened her dry lips. "The fruits there are especially sweet. When I was little, my mother used to take me to pick them."
Hearing this, Song Shihuan turned to Yingchun beside her. "Listening to her, I feel like visiting Laijin Prefecture myself."
She didn’t know why, but the moment she heard "Laijin Prefecture"... she felt an overwhelming urge to go there.
Her father, the prince, was currently immersed in preparing for the imperial exams.
She could take a trip to Laijin Prefecture to see how the people were faring—and while she was at it, deal with Mo Yu’s heartless father.
In Song Shihuan’s eyes, there was nothing worse than parents who abandoned their children.
Baoxia’s face froze in shock. What? The princess was leaving the capital?
...
The next day, in the Zichen Hall.
"No!" Song Yu said sternly. "You are of noble birth—not a single mishap can befall you."
"A-Huan, your father is right."
Emperor Yuanyou agreed, an unusual moment of unity between the imperial father and son. "We cannot let you leave the capital alone."
"Grandfather, Father, I don’t intend to go alone."
Song Shihuan’s almond-shaped eyes curved with amusement. "I can bring plenty of guards for protection. This trip to Laijin Prefecture will be your eyes—I’ll see for myself how the people there are truly living."
Throughout history, emperors would periodically leave the capital to travel incognito. But when Emperor Yuanyou inherited the throne, he was handed a crumbling empire. His days were spent buried in paperwork, with no time for private visits.
By the time the Great Qi Dynasty stabilized, he was already old.
"If everything in Laijin Prefecture is peaceful, I won’t stay long. The round trip should take no more than ten days."
Seeing the determination in Song Shihuan’s expression, Emperor Yuanyou and Song Yu fell silent.
"When do you plan to depart?"
"Tomorrow."
"So soon!" Song Yu’s anxiety was palpable. "There’s no time to prepare anything if you leave tomorrow. A-Huan, postpone it by a few days."
Song Shihuan hesitated, then knelt before them.
"Grandfather, Father, this may sound absurd, but ever since I heard about Laijin Prefecture yesterday, I’ve had an unsettling feeling. Yet, we’ve received no reports from there recently."
At her words, Emperor Yuanyou and Song Yu’s expressions darkened.
"But this is just a feeling—it’s not worth mobilizing forces over." Song Shihuan continued, "So I ask that you immediately send an advance team to Laijin Prefecture to investigate discreetly. I’ll depart tomorrow. If something major happens, I’ll send word back at once."
"If nothing is amiss, I’ll simply treat it as a trip to enjoy the scenery and observe the people’s lives."
Though her reasoning sounded far-fetched, Emperor Yuanyou’s heart grew heavy.
There was an old saying—children possessed an innate sensitivity, able to sense things others couldn’t.
"A-Huan, I’ll have Shen Xiao accompany you, along with Yu Fan." Emperor Yuanyou quickly made arrangements. "Wu Qi, send word to the northern frontier—tell Gu Mingning to detour through Laijin Prefecture on his way back to the capital and escort A-Huan home."
Song Yu studied Song Shihuan for a long moment before kneeling as well.
"I request to accompany A-Huan to Laijin Prefecture."
"Father." Before Emperor Yuanyou could respond, Song Shihuan turned to Song Yu. "You’re at a critical stage in your studies. Time is precious. Let me go first. If there’s a crisis, you can rush there immediately."
Song Yu fell silent briefly, then spoke again.
"Father, in that case, I ask that you permit A-Huan to carry the Crown Prince’s seal to Laijin Prefecture."
In an emergency, the seal would carry the authority of the Great Qi Crown Prince.
"Granted."
...
Before departure, Song Yu stared unblinkingly at Song Shihuan, who leaned out of the carriage window.
"Father, this is likely just my imagination running wild. Laijin Prefecture must be peaceful, its people thriving."
The sound of urgent hoofbeats interrupted them as Shen Qingping dismounted in haste.
"Master."
"This is the Shen family’s seal. Shen Qinghui is currently the prefect of Laijin Prefecture. If anything goes wrong, this seal may intimidate him."
Worry was plain in Shen Qingping’s eyes. "If I weren’t bound to the capital, I would have gone with the princess myself."
"You also suspect something is wrong in Laijin Prefecture?"
Song Yu’s voice cut in, and Shen Qingping nodded without hesitation.
"It’s just... an indescribable intuition."
In the next instant, a ruthless glint flashed in Song Yu’s eyes as he strode forward and climbed into Song Shihuan’s carriage.
"Inform His Majesty on my behalf—apologize for my absence, but I must accompany A-Huan on this journey."
As the carriage wheels began to turn, Song Shihuan seemed momentarily stunned.
Hadn’t they agreed her father would stay in the capital to prepare for the exams?
"If anything happens to A-Huan, the imperial exams mean nothing to me."
Song Yu’s voice was soft, laced with quiet laughter. "So I won’t let her shoulder even the slightest risk alone."
...
The closer they got to Laijin Prefecture, the more uneasy Song Yu and Song Shihuan grew.
"By my calculations, the advance team should have arrived in Laijin Prefecture two days ago. Why haven’t we received any word?" Song Yu couldn’t help voicing his concern.
Song Shihuan’s expression was equally troubled. If Laijin Prefecture were truly safe, the advance team would have sent a report by now.
Which meant the situation was likely...
"Laijin Prefecture probably has problems, but they’re being concealed well. The advance team must still be investigating."
Her words left Song Yu silent.
It wasn’t until they were nearly at Laijin Prefecture that a member of the advance team—a royal guard—galloped toward them.
"Your Highness, Princess, we’ve found a small number of refugees disguised as beggars in Laijin Prefecture. After repeated questioning, we learned that Xiangyao County and its neighboring counties may be... suffering from a flood!"
A flood!
Song Yu and Song Shihuan’s eyes widened in shock.
"Have you confirmed the situation in Xiangyao County?"
"Those counties have been sealed off—no one can enter or leave normally. The rest of the advance team is digging deeper, but Commander Shen ordered me to report immediately. If the flood is real, Laijin Prefecture is deliberately suppressing the news."
"Outrageous!"
Song Yu’s breathing turned ragged.
"We leave for Laijin Prefecture at once."
