The silt on the streets of the city was slowly being cleared away, and the bluestone slabs on the streets were showing their original traces, and it was almost impossible to see the stains from some time ago.
Several shops on the street were open, and although there seemed to be few customers, there were two smiling waiters waving their sweat towels to greet people on the street. Occasionally, there were two vendors setting up stalls and hawking their wares, and they were shouting very enthusiastically.
It was as if this place had never experienced that terrible flood.
The emergency repair of the dam was coming to an end, and the officers and soldiers who were temporarily transferred from the city were also slowly withdrawn.
Shen Qingwan and Fu Yuheng walked onto the street and saw that the streets were no longer as panic-stricken as they had been a while ago, with everyone wearing veils when going out for fear of an epidemic. They felt inexplicably relieved.
Li Chaoyang stood far behind them, and could not help but feel a lot of emotion. He witnessed Jiangnan go from a land of fish and rice to a flood-stricken area, and then back to the current peaceful and prosperous place.
If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, many people would never have imagined in their lifetime that fighting for life from the King of Hell in the face of a natural disaster and then stopping the loss in time, all of this was accomplished with the efforts of a woman.
The warm sunlight shone on their bodies. Shen Qingwan and Fu Yuheng chose a teahouse and went in to bask in the sun.
But Li Jieyu didn't think so. The sunlight sprinkled on her through the window grilles. The delicate cutting of the window grilles made the light spots on her body not very enjoyable, and she even felt a little annoyed.
He caught a glimpse of a pair of scissors beside him, so he took them and cut the handkerchief into pieces. While cutting, he cursed, "This vixen stays with the emperor every day! Is she a reincarnated demon? Why is she so seductive? She always stays with the emperor and won't leave him even a step!"
Even after all the scolding, Li Jieyu still felt unsatisfied, so she simply threw away her bed and pillows, and angrily twisted a new handkerchief.
The disaster situation in Jiangnan is about to improve, but here, she has no idea what Xiao Shushen asked her to do.
He tried every possible means, but either he couldn't get close to Shen Qingwan, or she managed to escape and survive.
Li Jieyu even suspected that Shen Qingwan was the reincarnation of a demon with nine lives. In that case, how did she manage to escape
But the most important thing at the moment is not these, but that if she doesn't get rid of Shen Qingwan, Xiao Shushen has given her a final deadline, saying that before returning to Beijing, if she sees Shen Qingwan coming back with the emperor again, she will report her secret meeting with that man to the emperor!
Thinking of this, Li Jieyu angrily threw two more pillows, but when she thought of her fate after being reported, she couldn't help but tremble all over. Although the sun was shining brightly at the moment, she felt as if she had fallen into an icy cave.
At the same time, in a corner of the imperial palace thousands of miles away, Xiao Shushen stood in front of the window, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, as if basking in the sun.
When she closed her eyes, she looked as if all was well, but when she opened her eyes, any timid maid would have been frightened to tears.
She is obviously the emperor's concubine, how can she smile so hideously!
Even the palace maid who served Xiao Shushen closely now never knew what the queen was thinking. There were many palace maids in the garden, but few noticed the sachet in the queen's hand.
Xiao Shushen lowered her head slightly and looked at the sachet, not knowing what she was thinking about.
At this moment, a sharp voice came from outside, "Empress Qi is here!"
The palace maids who were laughing and playing just now stopped immediately and knelt in unison in the yard, "Greetings to Concubine Qi."
Li Ruotong was obviously a little anxious when she came in. She looked around and saw Xiao Shushen coming out of the room slowly. She couldn't help but frown. This person still made her hate him as always. But she still bowed and greeted, "Queen, Queen, has Sister Xianfei sent a letter saying when she will be back?"
She had heard from the eunuchs and maids in the palace these days that the flood in Jiangnan was about to be controlled and the emperor's return to the palace was just around the corner.
Even the Imperial Household Department, which has been lazy for many days, has started to tidy up, which shows that it is very likely to be true!
Xiao Shushen smiled lazily, turned around, plucked a flower and looked at it carefully, as if she didn't care, "Where did you hear that, sister? This is not what I heard."
"Isn't it?" Li Ruotong frowned slightly, feeling that there was no need to lie to her since they would meet sooner or later.
"Sister, you know that Jiangnan has always been prosperous, but that is only the past. This flood may have damaged the foundation. I heard that it will take at least three or two months for the emperor to come back. But the emperor should come back..."
Xiao Shushen gently brushed away the dew on the petals, and looked at Li Ruotong's expression with the corner of her eyes. Seeing that she looked lost, she raised her hand to touch her forehead, "Tsk, I just talked for a while and my head hurts badly. I haven't been feeling well recently, so I won't entertain my sister for the time being. Jiaoyue, see the guest off."
Nanny Gui responded and bowed to Li Ruotong. Although Li Ruotong wanted to ask more questions, she could only look at her back suspiciously and finally left.
She left, but she still had too many questions in her mind.
At this time, Fu Mochen walked out from the inner room and saw Li Ruotong's unhappy face from a distance. He walked forward a few steps and sat next to Xiao Shushen.
"Did mother have an argument with her?" He lowered his eyes, not knowing what he was thinking.
Hearing this, Xiao Shushen lowered her head, straightened his clothes, and then smiled, "No, my son, don't worry, just study hard."
But as soon as she walked out the door, Li Ruotong came to her senses.
That doesn't make sense... Logically, news has come from Jiangnan that the project is almost completed, so why does she say it will take a long time
When Li Ruotong lowered her head to think, a figure hurriedly ran behind the bushes. When she looked up, it was an unfamiliar maid. Judging from the direction, she should have come out of Xiao Shushen's palace.
Subconsciously, she was displeased, but unfortunately the man didn't seem to notice her presence. He just looked around and hurried out.
I haven't heard of any urgent matter in the palace recently
Li Ruotong inexplicably became alert and followed her from the rockery to the depths of the imperial garden. When it seemed that there was no way forward, she was suddenly patted from behind. It was Qiu Shui who came over to ask about her.
"Madam?" Qiu Shui was a little confused and looked in the direction of her sight in confusion, "What are you looking at, Madam?"
"That palace maid..." Li Ruotong pointed with her finger when she heard it, then turned around and looked around, only to find that the palace maid had disappeared. She cursed in her heart twice before giving up.
But I kept it in mind just in case.