Qin Yining felt a wave of lingering fear.

If she had just found clues earlier and immediately acted recklessly without consideration, it would very likely have attracted Li Qitian’s attention. Even their previous actions searching for clues might have already fallen under the watchful eyes of Li Qitian’s informants.

Seeing her furrowed brow and troubled expression, Pang Xiao easily guessed what she was worrying about. He couldn’t help but soothingly stroke her forehead: “Silly girl, what are you thinking about so wildly? Your subordinates are experienced in their work and certainly didn’t expose their tracks. Besides, Yang County’s terrain is inherently winding with many mountain paths. Even when everything was intact, finding a route wasn’t easy, let alone after the earthquake when the entire county has become complete chaos. Moreover, even if they left spies behind, they would first monitor me, the big target, before possibly getting to you, the smaller target—and they might not immediately find you anyway.”

Hearing this, Qin Yining couldn’t help but laugh: “You know me best. I don’t say anything, yet you know exactly what I’m thinking.”

“Of course.” Pang Xiao proudly pinched her cheek. “I know what you’re going to do with just one look from you. For instance, right now you’re thinking that your husband is handsome and dashing, suave and elegant, and you particularly want to kiss me, don’t you?”

“Shameless.” Qin Yining playfully punched him with her small fist.

But Pang Xiao caught her soft fist in his palm and brought it to his lips, gently placing a kiss on it: “Don’t worry, I’m here.”

Those simple words “don’t worry” made Qin Yining’s heart settle. She couldn’t help but bury her head against his chest, breathing in the soap bean fragrance and his unique masculine scent, saying in a muffled voice: “I understand. I’m not afraid, and I’m not worried.”

Pang Xiao’s arms tightly embraced her, his large hand gently patting her back repeatedly.

Among the people around her, except for Qin Huaiyuan, everyone else depended on her. She was indeed very intelligent and could handle situations independently when they arose, even more decisively than many men.

But everyone forgot that no matter how strong she was, she was still just a young girl.

And he was eight years her senior—could he really let her worry and fear while she was by his side?

Pang Xiao seemed to make a vow as he whispered softly in her ear: “Rest assured, leave everything to me.”

Like an obedient little animal, she nodded in his embrace, the top of her head brushing against his chin, tickling him.

The two quietly stayed together for a moment before going out to busy themselves with arranging disaster relief matters. Everything followed the pattern from the old capital: clearing ruins, setting up porridge tents and medical tents, everything proceeding orderly according to plan.

Governor Gong even allocated part of the silver that Pang Xiao had donated to Magistrate Li.

But Magistrate Li faced the same difficulties as Governor Gong.

“Your Highness, we have nowhere to buy grain now. The grain from some stores has long fallen into the hands of wealthy households, and these wealthy families seem to have made an agreement, keeping grain prices stubbornly high. A bushel of coarse rice has already risen to ten taels of silver!”

“Ten taels of silver?” Governor Gong gasped in shock and anger: “These bastards profiting from national disaster! In just two days, they’ve raised the price by another two taels.”

Magistrate Li looked at Pang Xiao: “Your Highness, what should we do next?”

Pang Xiao stroked his chin and turned to look at Qin Yining: “Now we can only negotiate with them. If only I still had troops under my command.”

Qin Yining chided: “What good would having troops do?”

“With troops, I’d still be a vicious wolf with teeth, ready to devour people at the slightest disagreement! I’d just need to parade my pack of wolf cubs in front of those wealthy households. Without negotiation, I’d simply ask them whether they want their lives or their money—that would be enough to intimidate them into selling grain at normal prices.”

“Ah! If Your Highness could bring troops, what would we need to say! We’d just charge in and drag out those heartless beasts who prey on the poor. Without doing anything else, just having Your Highness stand there would be enough to scare them into wetting their pants!” A nearby officer couldn’t help but chime in.

But Pang Xiao, stripped of military authority, was now like a wolf with its fangs pulled. No matter how much personal prestige he had, what could he do? Wasn’t he still constrained by others?

Hearing this, Governor Gong and Magistrate Li couldn’t help but sigh.

These minor officials from the outside didn’t know much about affairs in the capital. But no matter how you looked at it, Pang Xiao was a person of loyalty, kindness, and righteousness. How could he possibly commit acts of rebellion and treason?

The Emperor’s wariness was understandable.

But under such vigilance, not only were proper affairs delayed, but a meritorious minister who had shed blood and sweat for the founding of the nation was treated with such suspicion—it was truly disheartening.

Yet this person who had been so wronged could donate such a large sum of his family fortune to buy grain and medicine for the disaster victims, and this was when neither the state relief grain nor disaster relief funds had arrived, quietly donating his own resources.

How could such a person not inspire deep respect and admiration?

“Forget it. For now, the only plan is for me to personally go negotiate with them, appealing to their emotions and reasoning with them, to see if we can bring the prices down.” Pang Xiao got up to call Huzi and the elite Tiger Guards to accompany him.

Qin Yining said: “I won’t go with you. Today I plan to visit the estate to see if I can procure some grain from there. I don’t know how severely my estate was affected by the disaster.”

Pang Xiao nodded: “Be careful. I’ll have my people accompany you.”

“No need. Your situation is more urgent. Take more guards with you. Four guards will be enough for me.”

Pang Xiao looked at the four Jingzhe behind Qin Yining and nodded with relief.

Governor Gong and Magistrate Li escorted them to the main gate, watching their retreating figures with hopeful eyes. They exchanged glances and sighed with emotion: “His Highness and the Princess are truly excellent people, especially the Princess. Here she eats thin porridge with us and busies herself running around for grain supplies, yet we haven’t heard a single complaint from her. Only such a woman could be worthy of someone as righteous as Prince Zhongshun.”

“Indeed.”

Although they couldn’t fill their stomachs, having such distinguished persons as the Prince and Princess here suffering alongside them and thinking of solutions together filled them all with energy.

Magistrate Li and Governor Gong busied themselves settling the disaster victims and handling all manner of large and small appropriate matters.

On her side, Qin Yining, along with Bingtang, Ji Yun, and the four silver-masked agents including Jingzhe, went together to a farm estate not far from Yang County.

The person who came to answer the door was a little girl who looked six or seven years old, with double buns, wearing a coarse cloth jacket.

Upon seeing Qin Yining, the little girl cried out in delighted surprise: “It’s Fourth Miss! Fourth Miss has come!”

Qin Yining thought carefully before recognizing who the little girl in front of her was.

“You’re Ping Ya’er? You’ve grown quite a bit taller—I almost didn’t recognize you.” Previously at Changchun Mountain, Qin Yining had taken in many disaster victims at Ning Garden that Pang Xiao had given her. Ping Ya’er was one of them. She hadn’t expected Steward Zhong to arrange for her at the Yang County estate.

“Oh my! It really is Fourth Miss!”

Hearing Ping Ya’er’s call, several people ran out from the estate. Upon seeing Qin Yining, they all performed great salutes and asked after her welfare in a chorus of voices.

“Fourth Miss!”

“Benefactor, how did you come here!”

“Quickly, quickly, please come inside and sit, benefactor.”

Qin Yining was thus invited into the house like stars surrounding the moon.