The snow seemed unusually heavy this year, and after the eastern suburbs, several more villages suffered.
Though casualties were not high, the resettlement of refugees and post-disaster reconstruction could not be ignored.
Lu Nianfu, while recuperating, did not remain ignorant of external affairs. After someone in the capital took the lead in setting up porridge kitchens, she also had several established. She sent a sum of money and a batch of cotton and cloth to the Third Prince, who was organizing the construction of temporary housing. Hearing that some citizens had developed fevers due to the cold, she had Yan Qing send over a batch of strong liquor.
The liquor could both ward off the cold and, when applied to the body, help reduce high fevers.
The next day, she received a visiting card from the Third Prince's consort, stating she wished to express her gratitude for Lu Nianfu's support of the Third Prince's efforts.
Lu Nianfu pondered for a moment before having her invited inside.
Fu Yingyu was gentle and beautiful, the kind of appearance that grew more pleasing the longer one looked. She spoke with considerable openness and candor, "Seventh Sister-in-law appears a little more plump than before, it seems you are recuperating well."
"Staying home every day, eating whatever I want, if I still couldn't have a healthy pregnancy, what about those commoners who have to work in the fields while pregnant? In this weather, I don't know if there are any pregnant women among the refugees. If they were to give birth at this time, it would be truly suffering."
"Seventh Sister-in-law, rest assured, Third Brother will prioritize the arrangement for the pregnant women and the weak and elderly."
"That's good then."
The two chatted for a while, their conversation revolving around the snow disaster. By the time Fu Yingyu left, Lu Nianfu hadn't heard a single mention of the Crown Prince.
"Could it be that I guessed wrong?" Lu Nianfu tapped her head, realizing that her mind did seem duller than before since becoming pregnant.
Afterward, Fu Yingyu visited several more times. They discussed the snow disaster, then the people's conditions, and then business. They found themselves quite compatible. Once they became more familiar, Fu Yingyu brought up the topic of the Crown Princess's desire for reconciliation. Seeing Lu Nianfu's lack of reaction, she naturally steered away from it, showing considerable discretion. Lu Nianfu slowly spoke, "To be frank, the first time Third Sister-in-law visited, I was already wondering if you were here about this matter."
"Seventh Sister-in-law is indeed sharp. The Empress did indeed give me the task of seeking reconciliation, but I am rather unwilling to get involved, so I've been delaying it as much as possible."
Lu Nianfu asked curiously, "Why? Wasn't it said that the Third Prince and the Crown Prince have deep brotherly affection, and their households are bound together?"
"Rumors also say my Third Brother has a bad temper. Some things are best just heard and left at that." Fu Yingyu stopped short, and Lu Nianfu did not probe further. The Third Prince's consort was distancing herself from the Crown Prince's faction. In her past life memories, the Third Prince seemed to have always been rather obscure. Likewise, the Third Prince's consort lived a secluded life, and both husband and wife lived very low-key.
It was the Sixth Prince who leaped the highest, accumulating a lot of animosity for Situ Jue.
"Yu Bai." After the Third Prince's consort left, Lu Nianfu summoned her shadow guard. "Go investigate the relationship between the Third Prince and the Crown Prince." If what the Third Prince's consort said was true, she wouldn't mind helping her complete her task, such as meeting with the Crown Princess.
Yu Bai received the order and left.
Two days later, Lu Nianfu held a stack of Xuan paper, lost in thought.
The Third Prince's birth mother, Noble Consort Ying, had always been a transparent figure. Because she resided in the side hall of Changning Palace, where the Empress lived, she was considered part of the Empress's faction. The grown Third Prince was naturally also considered a member of the Crown Prince's party. Initially, he did indeed work with the Crown Prince, but he soon began to act independently. His position was in the Ministry of Revenue, and he mostly handled matters related to the people's livelihood.
In recent years, he and the Crown Prince had practically no overlap in their official duties.
After all, someone solely focused on seizing the throne would not have much energy left to devote to the common people.
The fact that he could silently detach himself from the Crown Prince's party made Lu Nianfu believe the Third Prince was not simple. She pondered for a moment, then wrote a letter to Situ Yan, enclosing those few pages of paper along with it.
More than half a month had passed; their party should have already reached Shanxi.
The much-thought-of Situ Yan had already settled in Taiyuan, but he was greatly disappointed with the five thousand soldiers allocated by the court. Indeed, life in the capital was too comfortable. In terms of military quality, these men were no match for his own. Upon returning to the capital, his first order of business would be to request permission to train them. They were too unaccustomed to hardship. If it were his former subordinates, they would have traveled day and night and not taken twelve days to reach their destination.
Meng Changdong had already scouted several locations and was pointing at the sand table, as if commanding armies. "Your Highness, here, here, and here, there are each nests of bandits."
Situ Yan confirmed the actual distance, "So close? Wouldn't they fight if they bumped into each other during a robbery?"
"They choose cooperation for mutual benefit. When scouting, they will inform each other. Although there are occasional disputes, they generally maintain a superficial peace."
"Two tigers cannot share one mountain. I knew it, how could there be so many local strongmen in Shanxi? Turns out they are all from the same den."