Chapter 186 - 185: Thawing Snow
Du Yunluo felt a sense of closeness upon seeing Yun Qi.
She walked over to the horse and gently patted its neck.
The horse was exceptionally docile, letting out a soft neigh filled with affection for humans.
Du Yunluo was very fond of it, particularly knowing that this horse was specially chosen for her by Mu Lianxiao, which made her smile.
Turning her head, Du Yunluo asked, "What is its name?"
Yun Qi lowered his eyes and said, "This horse doesn’t have a name yet. The Princely Heir said it will be the young lady’s horse in the future, so the young lady should name it."
Du Yunluo slightly nodded with pursed lips, rubbed her thumb back and forth on the horse’s white mane, and said with a smile, "Let’s call it Snow Clothes."
It’s white, as if draped in a coat made of snow.
"Thank the Princely Heir for me," Du Yunluo said, noticing Yun Qi nod in agreement, and then asked, "Where is the Princely Heir? Is he entering the palace today?"
Yun Qi replied, "The Princely Heir has gone to De’an, probably for eight or nine days."
Du Yunluo was slightly taken aback by this news.
Mu Lianxiao hadn’t mentioned this yesterday; how could he have suddenly gone to De’an?
Thinking about it, even during the Qingming Festival, Mu Lianxiao would be traveling and unable to pay respects to his ancestors.
The Dingyuan Marquis Mansion values days like Qingming and Zhongyuan very much. If Mu Lianxiao isn’t under military orders, he usually stays in the mansion. After seven or eight days, there will be the hunting grounds, and after the hunt, he has to go to Lingxi for two months. It seems he has no free time at all.
It’s really quite exhausting.
Du Yunluo thought for a while and still asked, "When did he leave?"
"In the morning, the Princely Heir was summoned to the Imperial Study Room. After he came back, he packed up and set off. Before leaving, he asked a servant to deliver the horse to the young lady, saying he couldn’t teach her how to ride these days," Yun Qi explained frankly.
Du Yunluo raised her eyebrows, surprised at the urgency of the trip to De’an.
Yun Qi delivered the horse and received the reward money before leaving.
Du Yunluo took some hay from the stable and personally fed it to Snow Clothes.
Snow Clothes was very pleased, snorting and blowing softly with its breath spraying onto Du Yunluo’s hands.
Du Yunluo found it amusing and couldn’t help but laugh, then looked up to see Du Yunlang with a slightly serious expression and curiously asked, "Second brother, what’s the matter?"
Du Yunlang hesitated for a moment and then said, "Previously, we were expecting goods from De’an to the Capital, but they haven’t arrived despite waiting for a long time. Father sent someone to urge it, but they returned after a few days, saying there were problems on the official road from De’an to the Capital. Single riders could pass, but caravans could not, which likely delayed the goods. Father said to wait a little longer, but as of yesterday, there still wasn’t any news."
Du Yunluo frowned, pondering what kind of problems had arisen with the official road. Was it a natural disaster or a man-made calamity?
She had secluded herself in Anhua Courtyard this past spring, unaware of many outside events, and couldn’t recollect anything based on this scant information.
Since Du Yunlang had broached the topic, he continued narrating, "This winter, several heavy snowfalls occurred in De’an, and the snow had not melted completely even in early spring. Recently, the snow on the mountains melted, causing a lot of mud and rocks to block the official road, which has been undergoing cleanup efforts."
Melting snow, mud, rocks, official road?
Du Yunluo had some vague ideas but couldn’t quite grasp them, so she let it go.
The Du Mansion isn’t too small, but it’s not large enough to have a stable for practice. Naturally, Du Yunluo wouldn’t practice in the palace either, so she entrusted Snow Clothes to the stable hands and returned to the inner courtyard.
In the afternoon, it rained, a drizzling spring rain. Du Yunluo lay on the recliner, drowsy, almost drifting off when she suddenly recalled something.
Although she never left the Du Mansion in her previous life, she had heard about the situation in De’an.
In mid-March, as the snow melted, the mud and rocks blocked the official road, making it impassable, despite the efforts of the government office to clear it with little success.
By the end of the month, several consecutive days of heavy rain further worsened the already swollen river channels due to snowmelt. The small city of De’an, built along the river, was almost submerged. The fragile mountains slid again, not only blocking the official road but also burying several villages at the foot of the mountains outside De’an City.
The Du family’s shops received some goods from De’an, and such natural disasters in the Capital disrupted the supply of goods.
Though the Du Family held official positions, relying solely on the meager salary would not be enough to keep the large family living comfortably. The silver coins were accumulated through profits from various shops and estates.
While the delays in De’an wouldn’t fundamentally damage the Du Family, considering their financial standing, they could close the shops and live off stored grain for a year without any estates. Moreover, they had ample savings.
However, as a businessman, Du Huaiping found it uneasy when there were problems in profitable endeavors, and he anxiously paced around the mansion, prompting Mrs. Xia to scold him twice.
At the time, Du Yunluo was present and had a recollection of the events.
In this context, despite the initial indifference of the Holy Emperor to the mudslide blocking the official road, dealt with by local officials, the sudden torrential rains led him to urgently dispatch Mu Lianxiao upon receiving news at night.
Du Yunluo turned over on the recliner.
In her opinion, the situation in De’an should necessitate the involvement of the Ministry of Industry officials. Although Mu Lianxiao was skilled in military affairs, he wasn’t experienced in water management.
Yet, the Holy Emperor favored employing him frequently, sending him here and there between Lindong and Lingxi.
Du Yunluo pursed her lips. Despite her grievances with the Holy Emperor, she wouldn’t voice them.
She was more concerned about Mu Lianxiao.
With the official road blocked by mudslides and the current worsening conditions, the road would be even more dangerous.
If the water in De’an hadn’t receded, travel for Mu Lianxiao would also be fraught with difficulties.
Nevertheless, someone needed to go.
Without clearing the official road, how would the senior officials of the Ministry of Industry make it to De’an? Rescuers couldn’t enter De’an City, let alone tend to the villages outside the city.
Considering this, Du Yunluo felt the seven or eight days mentioned by Yun Qi was overly optimistic. If Mu Lianxiao were fully involved, it could take half a month or even a month, potentially missing even the hunt.
Yet, with the situation in De’an, it was uncertain whether the Holy Emperor’s hunting schedule would change.
Du Yunluo’s memories were verified in Lianfu Garden.
In the afternoon, Crown Prince Li Ke summoned Du Gongfu to the palace. Du Gongfu assumed it was to lecture the Imperial Grandson, only to be taken directly to the Imperial Study Room.
Du Huaiping continued to worry about the goods, while Mrs. Xia couldn’t stand his sighing and scolded him again.
Du Huaixi didn’t return for dinner at the Mansion.
Though he was an Extraordinary Minister of the Ministry of Rites, he had decent insights into hydraulic engineering and was summoned to the Ministry of Industry for advice.
A day passed like this, and even Du Huai’en was busy from dawn to dusk.
Old Mrs. Xia seized an opportunity to ask him why, understanding he wasn’t conversant with hydraulics and only familiar with equestrian work at the Ministry of Imperial Stables, yet even he couldn’t idle.
Du Huai’en’s answer was expected yet somewhat surprising.
The Holy Emperor’s plans to go to the hunting ground remained unchanged, keeping the Ministry of Imperial Stables occupied with preparations.
Du Yunluo was stunned, wondering how the Holy Emperor could maintain his schedule with the situation in De’an still unresolved?