Be Good at Face!
The fine, dense snow was falling heavier and heavier. After six consecutive days of storms, a thick layer had accumulated on the road.
The refugees, already weak with hunger, now suffered even more from the cold. Many of the elderly, the frail, and the sick collapsed along the way, unable to rise again, their pitiful cries filling the air.
Yu Linlang lifted a corner of the curtain, reaching out to catch a crystal-clear snowflake. She rubbed it between her fingers, feeling its fleeting coolness before it melted away.
Since they had vacated two carriages overnight five days ago at General Xiao Zhao's request, their own carriage was now crowded with more than a dozen boxes filled with flowers and plants.
Yu Linlang and her maid often had to squeeze to one side, barely leaving room for even a charcoal brazier.
To make her mistress more comfortable, Jiujin chose to rest outside with the coachman at night.
The cold wind and snow came relentlessly, but they endured it with bowls of steaming ginger soup.
"General Xiao Zhao managed to gather some rice and grain," Jiujin said as she stomped the snow off her legs, shivering as she climbed into the carriage. She handed Yu Linlang a bowl of ginger soup. "He said they'll be making some bean and corn porridge tonight."
"As soon as the girl mentioned it, we donated the last four bags of corn," she added with a small smile. "It's just a small gesture, but it's something."
Yu Linlang nodded, taking a sip of the soup.
"Even though we make three large buckets of ginger soup every night, there are too many refugees. It's never enough for everyone."
"Just do what you can," Yu Linlang replied lightly, her expression calm.
There were too many suffering people in the world. The idea that she could save them all was pure nonsense.
"I heard that a lady from the Li family up ahead gave up her entire carriage for the refugees. Many people knelt before her, calling her a living Bodhisattva."
Yu Linlang merely nodded again, uninterested in discussing it further.
Jiujin peeked through the curtain, lowering her voice as she whispered, "There, that Miss Li—she's been standing in the cold for a long time. Isn't she tired?"
Yu Linlang glanced outside. Her gaze lingered briefly on Miss Li, who stood elegantly with her swan-like neck raised, before shifting to the carriage behind her.
"They say the court appointed two envoys to oversee disaster relief," Jiujin continued. "The person in that carriage is the prince of Xuanping Hou's mansion. He came all the way from the capital."
Yu Linlang shook her head. "That Xuanping Hou Mansion is probably not in favor."
Jiujin was puzzled. "What do you mean, miss?"
"If the emperor truly valued him, would he have sent a sickly man—one whose life hangs by a thread—out into the freezing winter like this?"
"Should we send someone to investigate?" Jiujin asked hesitantly.
"What for?" Yu Linlang replied, unimpressed. "He's a dying man. What does it have to do with me?"
She reached out and lightly tapped Jiujin's forehead. "Stop overthinking things. Get some rest. At this pace, we have at least two more nights before we reach the city."
---
However, in the middle of the night, Yu Linlang was awakened by loud quarrels.
Rubbing her temples to soothe the dull ache in her head, she groggily asked, "Who's making all this noise outside?"
"Miss, I am the daughter of the Mu family from Lizhou!" A sharp voice called out. "My lady has fallen ill from the cold. Please, I beg you to take a look!"
A woman named Madam Hu raised her voice urgently. "Come quickly! Jiujin is being unreasonable!"
"What?" Jiujin's voice snapped back, sharp with irritation. "My lady is not a physician. If someone is sick, go find a doctor! Why disturb my lady's rest in the middle of the night? That's the real rudeness!"
"You dare to lift the curtain without permission? I'll cut off your hands, you old fool!" Jiujin shouted suddenly.
The two maids who had been trying to force open the carriage curtain flinched, retreating in awkward silence.
Yu Linlang calmly lifted the curtain herself, her cold gaze sweeping over the people below.
Madam Hu had pushed past the coachman, flanked by two strong elderly servants—clearly from the Mu family's household in Lizhou.
"Miss Yu," Madam Hu stepped forward, her tone commanding. "Saving a life is like extinguishing a fire. Please, just take a look. Miss Li's father was a colleague and friend of our master. You must treat this seriously."
Yu Linlang's expression remained indifferent.
"A young lady of noble birth is a delicate thing," she said coolly. "I know only a little about medicine—barely enough to be useful. I fear I am not qualified to diagnose illnesses."
The old servant from the Mu family stomped her foot in frustration. "The road is blocked with refugees, and we're moving too slowly! We can't reach the city in time. That's why we need you, Miss Yu!"
"What kind of attitude is that for someone begging for help?" Jiujin scoffed. "Who do you think you're intimidating?"
A younger maid quickly knelt down in the snow, her voice pleading, "Miss Yu, please have mercy. I beg you—help my lady."
Yu Linlang sighed, her face calm as ever. "Fine, I'll take a look. But I warn you, my knowledge is shallow, and I have no medicine on hand."
"Can you guarantee a cure?" The old woman demanded.
Yu Linlang shook her head. "How can I guarantee anything without even seeing the patient?"
"Go bring the third miss over," the Mu family's old servant ordered coldly. "Prepare the carriage so she can rest more comfortably."
Jiujin's mouth fell open in disbelief. "You want to take over our carriage just to see a doctor?! What kind of nonsense is this?"
Madam Hu smiled as if this were all perfectly reasonable. "Of course."
"Of course?! Just for a checkup, and suddenly you're treating my lady's carriage like an inn?! Do you want to occupy our place too?" Jiujin fumed.
Madam Hu sneered. "That is the third miss of the provincial governor's mansion! How dare you act as if we are taking advantage of you?"
She reached for Jiujin's arm, but Jiujin reacted first, swinging her fist—landing a solid punch on the woman's face, leaving half of it frozen with shock.
"Touch me again, and I'll hit you even harder!" Jiujin roared. "Are you even human? Wagging your tail at every master you serve, like some stray dog?!"
The two old servants from the Mu family turned pale with rage. One of them glared at Yu Linlang. "Miss Yu, your maid's fists and tongue are far too sharp!"
Yu Linlang only smiled, her delicate features serene. "You flatter her."
It was clearly a cold, expressionless face, but the slight smile on her lips seemed to soften the frozen night, sending ripples of beauty through the air.
Inside another carriage, a young man named Mu Feng had been watching the scene unfold. Stunned, he quickly turned to his older brother, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Brother! The girl in that carriage—and even her maid—is fascinating!" He practically bounced with enthusiasm. "I've never seen a maid this fierce—she just punches people without hesitation! What do you think? If I send someone to buy her, do you think the lady would sell?"
His elder brother, Mu Zhaorong, leaned back lazily, his face pale from illness. He sighed.
"Snatching a woman in the middle of the night over a petty argument is hardly the behavior of a gentleman," he said tiredly. "And now you want to buy a maid raised in a noble house? You're being ridiculous. If you're that restless, return to the city and report to Lord Lu."
Mu Feng shrank back. "I won't."
"Before we left, I promised Mother I'd stay by your side and monitor your health," he mumbled.