บท 38: I Worry You Won’t Understand
บรรณาธิการ: Dragon Boat Translation
Xiao Jin heard the commotion and was about to get off the carriage when he suddenly met Su Ying's cold eyes.
Then he saw Lin Zhuyu kneeling on the ground, and he furrowed his eyebrows very slightly.
Su Ying stood up and said to Xiao Jin: "She's your concubine. You deal with it yourself. Don't drag me into everything."
But Lin Zhuyu seemed to have set her eyes on Su Ying. She almost pounced on her and hugged her thigh. "Princess, I beg you. I really can't survive anymore..."
"Then go and beg Xiao Jin. Why are you begging me?"
Lin Zhuyu knew that Xiao Jin was no match for Su Ying now that his legs were disabled. Besides, even if she begged Xiao Jin, he would never care about her.
"Princess… If Princess is willing to take this maidservant in, this maidservant will give you an important thing in exchange."
Su Ying shot her a glance. "What is it?"
Lin Zhuyu lowered her voice with a mysterious look and said: "Evidence of my father's collusion with the First Prince -- their letter."
Lin Zhuyu was a concubine's daughter of the Minister of Works. The Empress had picked her and sent her to be Xiao Jin's concubine. Although Xiao Jin had never been to her room, she was still his woman in name.
"Can the letter prove Xiao Jin's innocence and get us back to the capital? "Su Ying continued, expressionless.
Lin Zhuyu choked. "Maybe… Probably not."
"Then what do I need it for?"
"What if... What if it is useful? "Lin Zhuyu said anxiously. "I don't eat much. I won't cause any trouble to the Princess and His Highness."
"Where is the letter? Let me have a look." Xiao Jin said suddenly.
Hearing that, Lin Zhuyu quickly took out the letter she had hidden.
Xiao Jin unfolded the letter and read it. The content was very obscure. An outsider couldn't see anything strange at first glance, but Xiao Jin could see connections between things.
He kept the letter without any change in expression and looked at Su Ying. "We can keep her for now."
Su Ying scoffed. "Up to you. But I'll be blunt. If she causes trouble or hurts my people, I'll crush her head straight away."
Lin Zhuyu covered her head with her hands in shock. "Don't worry, Princess. I won't do anything stupid!"
Su Ying didn't pay her any more attention and sat at an empty spot.
Mrs. Jiang helped Cheng Ming, who had already woken up, to kneel in front of Su Yu. "Thank you, Madam, for saving our lives."
Su Ying looked at them. "You're awake. Has your fever gone down?"
Cheng Yang raised his pale face and said: "My fever was gone when I woke up this morning. I'm fine now. It's all thanks to Madam's medicine."
Su Ying nodded. "Your fever was caused by a cold. It's good that you took medicine in time, or it would've turned into a lung disease. Since you're awake, you should carry on with your journey."
"Many thanks, Madam. If not for you, one does not know how to live another day." Mrs. Jiang wiped her tears, still in a state of panic from almost losing her son.
"All is good now. He's still weak. I bought this pan bread from the city. You take them." Su Ying passed them two pieces of pan bread.
How could the mother and son be willing to take the food? They rejected it repeatedly. Su Ying simply put the bread in their hands. "Take this and eat. If you follow me, I won't let you be short of food."
The two thanked Su Ying profusely and swore in their hearts that they would definitely assist her if they had the chance.
After Li Da and the others had replenished their rations, they gave the remaining prisoners today's food and continued their journey after eating their fill.
Su Ying jumped onto the carriage and pulled the reins. She whipped the horse, and the carriage started moving.
"Every year, the Imperial Court allocates funds to the Ministry of Works to strengthen the dams of River Wu. Ten years ago, the Great Flood of River Wu reached as far as Linshui City, yet the dams withstood it."
Xiao Jin's voice sounded from behind.
Su Ying didn't know much about the situation in the Court. "What has that to do with us?"
"The money for dam reinforcement is allocated at the beginning of each year." Xiao Jin said. "Xiao Jue was in charge this year."
Su Ying raised her eyebrows. "You're saying that the two colluded to embezzle the Imperial Court's money, and led to the problem with the dams."
Xiao Jin nodded. "Although Lin Zhuyu's letter was vague, that's what it meant. Lin Zhuyu wouldn't have given me all her chips at the start. That was why I wanted her under my nose."
Su Ying turned around and glanced at him. "Are you trying to explain to me?"
Xiao Jin leaned against the carriage's wall, his dark eyes landing on her. "I worry you won't understand."
Su Ying sneered. "I just don't like wasting my food."
Xiao Jin smiled. "Yes."
Su Ying glanced at him and felt that this bastard was somewhat eccentric.
Zhuzhou was different from the area around Yunshui. The temperature here was much higher. It was so hot during the day that one could melt under the sun.
Li Da only sent people to find a flat open space to settle down after it was completely dark.
Su Ying jumped down from the carriage and immediately went to look for a water source. However, she couldn't find a single stream along the way.
"I'll go ahead and see if there's water."
Li Da had already turned a blind eye to Su Ying's actions. Even if she wanted to run away, he would pretend not to see. After all, so many people had already escaped. It won't be much to add one more.
Su Ying untied the horse from the carriage and mounted it. She then galloped towards the foot of the mountain.
Su Ying rode to the foot of the mountain. She circled the area and found a stream behind a crack in the rocks. The stream was quite small.
Su Ying got off the horse and entered her interspace after ensuring no one was around. She took out a water container and filled it in case of emergency.
After filling up with water, Su Ying mounted her horse and returned to the clearing.
"There's a water source at the foot of the mountain ahead. Who wants to come with me for a wash?" Although Su Ying wasn't a clean freak, the smell on her body in the hot weather was so pungent that her eyes hurt.
"I want to. I want to. Mother, mother, Ling wants to go with mother and wash." Ling was the first to raise her hand.
Su Ying looked at Ling's cat-like face. This child did need a good bath.
"Then Ji will go too. I'll take you to wash first, and we'll let someone else go later."
She carried the two kids onto the horseback as she spoke. She squeezed the horse's belly and ran toward the mountain.
Su Ying carried the two kids down when they arrived and tied the horse to the side.
"One at a time. Mother will take off your clothes first." Su Ying carried Ji and took off his clothes. Just as she was about to take off his pants, Ji blushed and nervously grabbed Su Ying's hands.
"I, I, I can do it by myself!"
Su Ying looked at his red face and thought he was adorable.
"Alright. Then you be careful. The water here is shallow. You can sit on this big stone and don't move. I will wash your little sister." Su Ying carried Ling and took out a cloth to wipe her face.
Just as she got on with the washing, she suddenly heard Ji's exclamation.
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