Ye Qingcheng paid no mind to what others said; she only cared about how to escape the prince's manor. She didn't want to be by Xiao Wangye's side for another moment.
Coincidentally, Xiao Wangye returned to the manor after finishing his official duties. Upon hearing from a servant that Ye Qingcheng was leisurely having breakfast in the courtyard, he went to see her. He really didn't know what possessed him that day; he had actually fallen asleep directly in her courtyard.
He barely slept through the night, becoming irritable with every closed eye. Yet, here with Ye Qingcheng, he slept peacefully. Recalling last night, the woman seemed to carry a fragrance. She was somewhat like Murong Yun; both possessed an indescribable aura.
Ye Qingcheng had been unfavored since childhood. Her father had sent her to a small village when the Ye family was still in its nascent stages. Located in a remote area, she and her mother had grown up there. Only after she came of age did her father remember he had such a daughter.
From the moment she returned, everyone had been comparing Ye Zhijun with Ye Qingcheng and Ye Lanxin.
Rumor had it that Ye Zhijun was generous with her spending, while Ye Qingcheng was anything but.
Rumor had it that Ye Lanxin was proficient in all the arts—chess, music, calligraphy, and painting. Ye Qingcheng knew nothing. Furthermore, having grown up in a small village, she was often looked down upon. This matter even reached the imperial court, so it was no wonder she was not favored in the Ye family.
Since marrying Xiao Wangye, the Ye family had not shown her much kindness. The last time she returned to the manor, Xiao Wangye, to maintain his dignity, displayed the demeanor of a prince, allowing her to secure her position as the princess consort. At that time, the Ye family's perception of her changed.
Seeing Ye Qingcheng lost in thought, Xiao Wangye cleared his throat and said, "It seems my actions towards you yesterday were too lenient; you can still get up."
Feeling flustered by Xiao Wangye's teasing, Ye Qingcheng reported her day's schedule to him. "Your Highness, I am unable to treat your illness today. This Princess Consort must go to Yishan Village. If Your Highness has nothing else, I shall take my leave."
Xiao Wangye suspected Ye Qingcheng was planning to escape. He declared angrily, "Ye Qingcheng, don't you dare play any tricks on me. I tell you, you are not going anywhere today."
Ye Qingcheng's hand hurt from Xiao Wangye's grip. She shook it off forcefully. "Xiao Wangye, are you sick? Why do you grab people's hands at the slightest provocation?"
Xiao Wangye retorted, "Are you trying to escape this manor? I tell you, Ye Qingcheng, as long as my leg is not healed, you can't go anywhere."
Ye Qingcheng replied, "I'm just going to visit those people. Is there a need for such a big outburst?"
"Truly not running away? What will happen if you do?" Xiao Wangye asked with suspicion.
Ye Qingcheng was speechless. For a prince to be so meddlesome! "If I wanted to run, I would have slipped away long ago. Why would I tell you my itinerary?"
Xiao Wangye had acted impulsively just now. He didn't know from when he had been completely captivated by Ye Qingcheng. "If you run, I promise your entire family will not fare well."
The original host's family had treated her so poorly, which had no bearing on her now. She was grateful and would help anyone who had shown her kindness. Of course, Bi Xi was also under her protection.
Ye Qingcheng could only try to placate Xiao Wangye for now. "I am merely going to see them. They raised me since I was young. They are not my birth parents, but they are better than any biological parents."
Ye Qingcheng recalled that she was still young back then, and Sister Lin had helped take care of her. The village chief had accepted money from Ye Zhijun.
Ye Zhijun had arranged for her to be well cared for, yet it had turned out like this. It was utterly laughable.
Xiao Wangye, worried about her going alone, dispatched Lin Xiao, whom he trusted, to accompany her and offer protection.
Ye Qingcheng prepared her clothes early and set off with Bi Xi. However, this time she needed to bring Yu Jian. That young lady was proud and arrogant; she needed to find a way to dispel Yu Jian's suspicions about her.
The villagers of Yishan Village heard that Ye Qingcheng was returning and came out to welcome her. They heard she had married the current prince. Although she was not favored, she was at least wealthy now.
The first to emerge was an elderly man dressed in plain cloth, likely the village chief. "This humble one pays respects to the Princess Consort. The rest are all villagers. Hearing that the Princess Consort would visit today, they specifically brought the young and the old to greet her."
Seeing the village chief's fawning demeanor, Ye Qingcheng didn't say much and asked perfunctorily, "How has the old village chief been recently?"
The village chief appeared somewhat nervous. "I have been well, but I am ashamed of those past years, which caused the Princess Consort to suffer."
Ye Qingcheng knew what he was referring to. "It's alright. It was just some tiring matters. If the village chief truly wanted to harm me, he would have let me die in these desolate mountains long ago."
Ye Qingcheng distributed the silver, rice, and flour she had brought to the village chief, ensuring that every household in Yishan Village would not suffer from famine.
The village chief now felt Ye Qingcheng was truly kind. Ye Zhijun, after giving them money, never inquired about them again. Upon hearing that Ye Qingcheng had returned safely to the Ye manor, she had been so enraged that she destroyed the village, causing them to suffer from hunger and hardship in recent years. Ye Qingcheng, having been taken out to work by him since childhood, had never complained and even repaid his kindness.
The village chief wore an apologetic expression, prompting a cold smile from Ye Qingcheng. She told them to leave. Amidst the crowd, Ye Qingcheng could not find Sister Lin. Relying on the original host's memories, she found where she was.
In the original host's memories, Sister Lin was beautiful and gentle. Decades had passed, yet Sister Lin had not changed. Unfortunately, her health had declined significantly, as if she had been poisoned. The book did not specify the poison, so she would have to observe carefully. For now, she prepared some medicine for Sister Lin to drink and instructed the village chief to decoct her medicine regularly. However, she did not intend to return to the prince's manor at this time, as Xiao Wangcheng would undoubtedly fly into a rage if he knew her intentions.
All along the way, Yu Jian kept asking Lin Xiao, "What's this Princess Consort's deal? Not staying properly in the manor, but insisting on going to some run-down village, and even using the Prince's money to appease those who treated her badly."
Lin Xiao felt somewhat speechless and chose not to engage her.
Walking on the street, many poor and destitute commoners from outside the capital were lamenting. Ye Qingcheng gave them the little money she had. They, however, pleaded with Ye Qingcheng to save them.
A young man, just expelled from a medical clinic, was carrying an ill elder. The man desperately implored Ye Qingcheng, "Miss, please show some mercy and save my father. He has been ill for days and nights without any cure."
Ye Qingcheng took a look. The elder seemed to have been starving for a long time. In modern terms, it was merely a simple case of hypoglycemia. She felt it was a piece of cake. She asked Bi Xi to get her needle bag and began treating the elder. The old man woke up and vomited a few times.
Seeing that the elder had woken up, Ye Qingcheng gave the young man a few more taels of silver and instructed him to buy some medicine for his father. After thanking Ye Qingcheng, the young man left with his father. Ye Qingcheng turned around and found many people surrounding her, with people clapping and cheering.
Xiao Wangye heard about the things Ye Qingcheng had been doing these past few days. He was eager to see her and sent a servant to inform her. His leg had started to ache again, so he urgently asked Ye Qingcheng to return.
Ye Qingcheng heard that Xiao Wangye's leg was hurting again and hurried back to the prince's manor with her needle bag. She saw Xiao Wangye lying on the bed in pain, and she felt a desire to laugh. However, if she couldn't cure him, her own life would be in danger, so she focused on treating him.