Jiang Si hadn’t remembered the name of the town where the earthquake occurred.
In her previous life, she had returned to the capital two years later. This disaster, which left few survivors traumatized, had already become a thing of the past. She had only heard it mentioned in passing, so why would she have deliberately remembered the name of a small town in a neighboring province?
“What’s wrong?” Yu Jin gently patted her.
Jiang Si came back to her senses and said with frustration, “I forgot.”
Yu Jin couldn’t help but smile, gently pinching her cheek, “Dreams are like that. Everything seems so clear in the dream, but once you wake up, you instantly forget most of it.”
Jiang Si bit her lip, “Not remembering the town’s name is troublesome.”
She thought for a moment, then instructed, “A Jin, when you get there, wait until you see which town the Crown Prince and others decide to stay in before intervening. After all, in the dream, they decided where to stay.”
“Alright, don’t worry.”
“You remembered?” Jiang Si asked again, not minding the repetition.
Yu Jin took her hand and placed it on his chest, his eyes full of laughter, “I remembered. A Si, when have I ever not taken your words to heart?”
Hearing this, Jiang Si’s heart settled a little. Of course, it was impossible to be completely at ease. She didn’t know the name of the town where the earthquake would happen, and earthquakes were unpredictable natural disasters with many unknowns.
Frowning in thought, Jiang Si carefully said, “A Jin, in my dream, was quite a prosperous large town with many residents. If possible, try to help those people…”
Sometimes, not knowing can bring peace of mind, but once you know, even if it doesn’t concern you directly, the thought of so many tragic deaths feels like a mountain pressing down, making it hard to breathe.
Among those who perished in the earthquake, there would be loving couples like her and A Jin, and many young children.
Yu Jin nodded, “Of course.”
Jiang Si felt a warmth flow through her heart.
She had used the nightmare as a warning, and Yu Jin had agreed out of marital affection. But choosing to believe her dream and help those people wasn’t easy. Getting so many people to believe in something that hadn’t happened yet wasn’t simple.
“A Si, in your dream, on which day did the earthquake occur in that town?”
If it was just about keeping the Crown Prince’s group safe, not staying in that town would suffice. But if they wanted to help the townspeople, knowing the specific time would undoubtedly make it much easier.
Jiang Si shook her head regretfully, “I don’t remember that either. But one thing is certain, it was within a few days of the Crown Prince staying in the town…”
She frowned, trying to recall the details, and murmured, “It should be within three days, I think.”
Yu Jin raised his hand to smooth out the wrinkle between her brows, smiling, “Alright, I’ve got it. Don’t worry about these things. It’s still early, go back to sleep for a while.”
He said this while pulling Jiang Si back down, holding her as they both fell asleep.
After some time, hearing that she was sound asleep, he carefully moved his arm and got up quietly.
“Your Highness—” A Qiao saw Yu Jin come out and hurried forward to bow.
Yu Jin waved his hand, speaking softly, “The Princess is sleeping soundly, don’t wake her up.”
A Qiao hesitantly glanced at the closed door.
Does His Highness not want the mistress to see him off? Won’t she be disappointed when she wakes up—
“The Princess didn’t sleep well last night, she just fell asleep not long ago.”
Hearing Yu Jin say this, A Qiao immediately abandoned the idea of waking Jiang Si.
The mistress is pregnant, she needs to rest well.
On a May morning, the sunlight was always so bright that it made one reluctant to oversleep. Outside the window, birds chirped crisp and incessant songs.
Jiang Si opened her eyes and reached out beside her, finding the space empty.
Had A Jin already left?
She sat up, absentmindedly rubbing her brow.
Hearing movement, A Qiao and A Man entered together, followed by a little maid carrying a towel, basin, and other items.
“Where’s the Prince?”
A Qiao and A Man exchanged glances.
A Qiao replied, “The Prince has already left. Seeing you sleeping soundly, he didn’t wake you.”
Jiang Si was silent for a moment, then said, “Help me get ready.”
After getting dressed, breakfast was already laid out.
Jiang Si, supported by A Qiao, sat down at the table full of dishes. Looking at all the food, she felt an emptiness in her heart.
Having grown accustomed to eating together, she felt a bit out of sorts eating alone.
Despite feeling this way, Jiang Si still ate a basket of buns and a bowl of millet porridge before stopping. She touched her belly, not feeling full at all.
Looking at her prominently swollen abdomen, Jiang Si thought to herself: Is this how much all pregnant women eat?
She remembered the good doctor’s words about controlling food intake as the due date approached to prevent the baby from growing too large, which could complicate delivery.
After eating, it was time for a walk.
“Mistress, Miss Dou is here.”
A moment later, the pearl curtain lifted, and Dou Shuwang entered.
Jiang Si smiled, “Cousin, you’ve come at the right time. Let’s go for a walk in the garden together.”
Dou Shuwang reached out to support Jiang Si, and the two walked out.
“Did the Princess eat well?” Dou Shuwang asked as they walked through the colorful garden.
Although Jiang Si was worried about Yu Jin in her heart, she didn’t show it on her face. She smiled and said, “Very well. I ate a basket of buns and a bowl of millet porridge. I wanted to eat more, but A Man wouldn’t let me.”
Dou Shuwang chuckled, “The imperial physician is different. Back in my hometown, I never heard of pregnant women not being allowed to eat more.”
Jiang Si smiled and winked, “Now that Cousin has this experience, you’ll know what to do in the future—”
Dou Shuwang blushed and glared at Jiang Si, “Princess, don’t tease me.”
Knowing Dou Shuwang was shy and a generation older, Jiang Si stopped her playful remarks.
Dou Shuwang had gotten engaged to Long Dan in early spring. Like her, she now had someone to care for.
“Princess, don’t worry. The Prince will surely return before you give birth,” Dou Shuwang comforted. Though still unmarried, she wasn’t a naive 13 or 14-year-old girl. She knew pregnant women tended to worry more.
Jiang Si’s gaze passed over a cluster of peonies, looking into the distance, “Mm, he’ll be back soon.”
There was still about a month before her due date, and the devastating second earthquake would happen soon after. Once the earthquake occurred, the Crown Prince would certainly return.
She wasn’t worried about this. Ultimately, what concerned her most was Yu Jin’s safety.
When they were together all day, she hardly noticed, but now that he was gone, the entire beautiful garden seemed to have lost its color.
As the two were walking back after strolling for a while, Jiang Si suddenly realized something, “Where’s Er Niu?”
Jiang Si had missed seeing Yu Jin off due to her nap, but Dou Shuwang had been there. Hearing this, she replied, “The Prince took Er Niu with him.”
Thinking of the usually lazy dog always gnawing on a bone, Jiang Si smiled, “It’s good for Er Niu to get some fresh air.”
Er Niu was indeed extremely excited, wagging his tail non-stop as he followed Yu Jin.
The Crown Prince was so surprised his eyes went wide, “Seventh Brother, why did you bring a dog with you when going out?”
The accompanying officials also secretly shook their heads.
Bringing a dog for disaster relief? Why did it seem that Prince Yan was even less reliable than the Crown Prince?
Yu Jin patted Er Niu’s head and said seriously, “Second Brother, you’re mistaken. This is no ordinary dog.”