Chapter 465 – The First Winter (Part 12)
Wei Ci couldn’t remember the last time he had slept so soundly, and even the nightmares that had plagued him had vanished without a trace.
A night of good sleep.
When he awoke, the sun was already high in the sky, and the side of the bed still held warmth… as if the person next to him had just gotten up.
He furrowed his brow slightly. Had she really just risen?
Others often called her lazy, but in reality, she was more disciplined than anyone.
No matter how late she went to bed the night before, she would always rise on time the next day for her morning practice, never sleeping in for even a moment.
Wei Ci reached out, only to find the source of the warmth was two hot water bottles wrapped in heavy cloth.
So, where had the real Jiang Pengji gone?
In the administrative hall, Feng Jin and the others had already started dealing with affairs of state. Xu Ke’s expression was rather sour, his brows tightly knit.
Seeing Jiang Pengji, he curiously asked, “Who upset Xiaoyu? He’s wearing such a terrifying face so early in the morning…”
Xu Ke glanced up at his lord, his eyes bloodshot and looking quite sleepy.
Feng Jin chuckled, “Yesterday, Han Mei reported there were over five hundred common people trapped deep in the mountains and wanted to send soldiers to rescue them. If we manage to save these folks, Xiaoyu will have to arrange housing, warm clothing, and food for them overnight… There are so many trivial matters, Xiaoyu hasn’t slept a wink all night and hasn’t eaten this morning, so naturally, he looks bad.”
It’s a miracle Xu Ke’s face is anything but gloomy after burning the midnight oil in the winter.
“Hmm, it’s tough on Xiaoyu,” Jiang Pengji teased, “How about we pick a time and treat you to some barbecue?”
Qi Guanrang propped his chin up, coldly returning the favor, “With the heavy snow blocking the mountains, I’d advise the lord to refrain from running around and focus on getting through the winter peacefully.”
Jiang Pengji had gone out hunting yesterday to prepare for a barbecue party but ended up bringing back more than five hundred “burdens.” Poor Xu Ke didn’t get to feast on barbecue hotpot but instead spent an entire night working late, puffing out breaths like he was freezing.
Thinking of that scene, Qi Guanrang couldn’t help but feel pity for Xu Ke. Being the household manager in this county is no easy task.
Jiang Pengji took her seat at the head of the table. “What do you mean, ‘getting through the winter peacefully’? I’m not a bear hibernating!”
Qi Guanrang’s eyes sparkled. “I heard the lord was riding with someone yesterday, galloping from the outskirts of the city straight to the county office?”
Office gossip!
Xu Ke and Feng Jin seemed to be seriously working, but secretly they had perked their ears up, eager to find out who that person was.
Given how much importance Jiang Pengji placed on this individual, they surely weren’t an ordinary person.
Jiang Pengji boldly admitted, “Yeah, I thought that person had mysteriously died from some illness? There was no one on the street, so it wouldn’t disturb the common people.”
Xu Ke wore a look of astonishment; the mood was shifting here.
He knew his lord’s character all too well. One could hardly say she was warm-hearted; if the person weren’t of great importance or a close friend, she wouldn’t bother paying attention… so who exactly was the person she had rescued?
Not just him, but the other two were equally curious.
Jiang Pengji raised an eyebrow and said plainly, “What’s with those expressions on your faces?”
“We’re just a bit curious about that person. Is he a close friend of the lord’s or…?”
“Apart from Wen Zheng, Huai Yu and Xiaoyu should also know him. This person is Wei Ci, Mr. Yuanjing’s esteemed disciple, Wei Zixiao.” Jiang Pengji openly stated without holding back, “But he’s quite ill right now, can’t even get out of bed, and he’ll need to recuperate for a while before he gets better. You shouldn’t disturb his rest; once he’s well, he should come to the administrative hall as well.”
When that happens, there would be another highly capable employee to share the workload.
Upon hearing Wei Ci’s name, Xu Ke suddenly recalled something, and his ears turned slightly red.
He had a bit of a voice control fetish; he remembered beautiful sounds well, and Wei Ci was one of them.
Feng Jin first encountered Wei Ci years ago at Jishan Hot Springs; they were somewhat acquainted.
Qi Guanrang had some concerns; what if that Wei Ci was hard to get along with and disrupted their internal harmony?
Being Mr. Yuanjing’s disciple would give Wei Ci enough pride on his own.
With these thoughts, Qi Guanrang furrowed his brow in secret, intending to discreetly ask Feng Jin and Xu Ke to be prepared psychologically.
To Qi Guanrang’s worries, Feng Jin and Xu Ke could understand.
“That Wei Zixiao, seems to have a bit of a cold personality, but he’s a noble gentleman, so he shouldn’t be too hard to get along with.”
Feng Jin and Wei Ci only had a few brief encounters; they hadn’t talked deeply, so their understanding was limited.
In contrast, Xu Ke had slightly more insight, but it was still superficial; it couldn’t be considered a real understanding.
Qi Guanrang sighed, “Looks like we’ll have to wait until he recovers to observe him better.”
Thanks to Li Yun’s efforts, the more than five hundred common folks trapped deep in the mountains were safely rescued.
“Is this Xiangyang City? It truly feels like we’ve come to the capital!”
As soon as they entered the city, Zhang Ping felt his eyes might not be enough to take it all in.
The ground was laid with blue stones, the road was smooth, and the streets were clean.
Not only that, but every so often, there were things labeled “trash bins,” and occasionally common folks ventured out to the streets.
Though they seemed underdressed, in the biting cold wind, they weren’t shivering at all. Didn’t they feel cold?
Zhang Ping looked around and noticed that the houses here were quite different from typical dwellings; they were uniform and orderly, looking beautiful.
Through a low wall made of blue bricks, he could see neatly arranged roof tiles, with hardly any frost or snow piling up. Occasionally, he saw common folk climbing ladders to sweep the snow off the roofs…
From the way the common folk were dressed and their expressions, there was no trace of the aftermath of a disaster. When they cleared the snow, they still laughed and chatted.
Compared to those common folk, his group truly looked like refugees fleeing from a disaster.
The county office sent people over to register the common folk with temporary household registrations, and Zhang Ping blended into the crowd, hearing a familiar shout.
Is that Dian Yin?
Where is Zixiao now?
Following the sound, Zhang Ping searched for people, and Li Yun also noticed the commotion, coming over to ask.
Li Yun glanced at Zhang Ping and asked, “Brother Dian, is this the other gentleman you’re looking for?”
Zhang Ping looked a bit tattered now, but his facial features were correct, and his bright eyes gave away that he was a straightforward gentleman.
Dian Yin nodded and then spoke to Zhang Ping, “Mr. Zixiao has been taken to see the young doctor. He’ll be back once he’s well.”
Zhang Ping’s eyebrows twitched; Dian Yin’s words sounded strange.
Dian Yin continued, “Mr. Xiheng, it’s cold and windy here; let’s head back for now.”
“Where to?”
Zhang Ping turned around to look. Wasn’t it supposed to be that you get arranged for a place to stay after registering for temporary residency?
Li Yun smiled and clarified, “The lord arranged everything early this morning; you two don’t need to mix in with the common folk.”
They weren’t familiar with the roads of the county, so naturally, Zhang Ping was more than happy to follow along.
However, the further they went, the more Zhang Ping felt something was off.
“This, this doesn’t seem like a place for ordinary common folk to stay, right?” he asked.
“Of course not.” Li Yun replied and left it at that.
Zhang Ping fell silent, thinking that this young man was truly aloof and hard to approach.
