Accidentally Married the Princess [Time Travel] - Chapter 12

“Where did you learn all these strange and bizarre words?” Dai Ru Yan said helplessly.

Gong Yu averted her gaze, shifting slightly away from Dai Ru Yan’s embrace to sit beside her. “These are just common lines from operas,” she replied.

Dai Ru Yan reached over to straighten Gong Yu’s disheveled clothes and said softly, “Once we leave the capital, I won’t be able to protect you anymore.”

For some reason, ever since learning that Dai Ru Yan had mentioned her younger sister, Gong Yu had felt that Dai Ru Yan harbored many secrets.

Yet no one could uncover them not even outsiders knew Dai Ru Yan had a sister. Why would the Dai family conceal this from the public?

Gong Yu couldn’t understand, but she also knew that asking Dai Ru Yan directly would likely yield no answers. Staring blankly at her, she replied, “Don’t worry. I have plenty of guards accompanying me this time.”

The sound of birds suddenly echoed through the pavilion. Dai Ru Yan didn’t respond, quietly tidying the chessboard instead.

This was likely her silent acquiescence.

Three days later, the group departed the capital. Gong Yu, who had never left the city before, rode out on her little red horse with a mix of nervousness and excitement.

As the days of travel wore on, her anxiety gradually faded. After nearly half a month on the official road from the capital, Gong Yu felt as though her bones were about to fall apart.

Yet the Grand Tutor remained composed, not even furrowing his brow. As a junior, Gong Yu could hardly complain.

Fortunately, after changing horses at Linshui, they boarded a boat heading south, and Gong Yu finally found some comfort.

But what greeted them was a vast expanse of floodwaters, submerging villages and towns.

It was already the beginning of winter. Standing on the deck, Gong Yu felt the cold biting her face, while the displaced refugees wore tattered, threadbare clothing.

The Grand Tutor berated the local officials for failing to report the disaster. The officials claimed they had already submitted reports to the court, and the matter was under investigation by Chancellor Dai.

The air was thick with the stench of decay.

“Preposterous!” The Grand Tutor frowned deeply, glaring at the bowing officials. “Is this country ruled by the Dai family or the Gong family?”

“A matter concerning the lives of the people should be reported directly to His Majesty to determine the cause of the floods!”

“Grand Tutor,” a young official replied, “months of torrential rain destroyed the newly built dam, drowning tens of thousands of acres of farmland and homes. The rains still haven’t stopped.”

Gong Yu studied the official as the Grand Tutor asked sternly, “That dam was funded by the national treasury. How could it collapse so easily?”

Silence fell. Outside, thunder roared, and the sound of rain shattered the stillness.

“Report!”

A guard rushed in, panic in his voice. “Sir the floodwaters are breaking through!”

Listening carefully, Gong Yu realized the thunder was mixed with chaotic noises.

The officials erupted into chaos, but the Grand Tutor remained calm. “What are you standing around for? Evacuate immediately! Find a safe place, aid the refugees, and investigate the cause of this disaster!”

But the floodwaters surged too quickly. The high ground was nearly gone, and cries of despair filled the air. Gong Yu, escorted by guards, barely managed to board a boat in time.

“Help us!”

“My child!”

“Someone, save us!”

Screams echoed endlessly as most of the refugees were swept away by the flood. Gong Yu shouted urgently, “Save them! Hurry!”

“Ninth Highness, our boat can’t hold out much longer either!”

The timid official only ordered the boat to quickly leave the area of raging floodwaters. The crimson flood surged with waves of foul stench, and the discomfort in their stomachs caused many officials on board to cover their mouths.

Amid thunder and rain, the boat drifted for most of the night before finally encountering the welcoming escort. By then, Gong Yu was already drenched from head to toe.

The next day, the skies cleared. Gong Yu held a cup of ginger tea and stood atop the city wall, gazing at the flood that stretched like an ocean before him.

As if the cries and pleas of the disaster victims still echoed in his ears, Gong Yu took a small sip and asked, “Grand Tutor, has the court not yet sent anyone to provide disaster relief and distribute food?”

“Even carrier pigeons take three days to arrive. The fastest round trip would still take six days,” replied the Grand Tutor, his face weary but his eyes sharp and alert.

Yes, six days at the earliest and that was assuming the acting Prime Minister wasn’t still concealing the truth or deliberately obstructing efforts.

The nearby small towns were already running low on food supplies, while the number of displaced victims continued to grow. What worried Gong Yu most was the likelihood of a large-scale epidemic following the flood.

Frowning deeply, Gong Yu said, “Grand Tutor, can we immediately arrange proper shelter for the victims? Especially those showing symptoms like vomiting, discomfort, or unconsciousness they must be examined by physicians.”

“Why does the Ninth Prince suggest this?”

“Grand Tutor, as the old saying goes, disasters often bring plagues. It’s best we prepare early.”

Otherwise, once an epidemic spread, it would become an even greater calamity than the flood itself.

After a moment of thought, the Grand Tutor said, “It’s remarkable that the Ninth Prince, despite his youth, considers matters so thoroughly.”

“Attendants! Immediately follow the Ninth Prince’s instructions and properly shelter the victims. Isolate and summon physicians for anyone showing symptoms.”

“Yes!”

As dawn broke, Gong Yu drank a small bowl of thin porridge before heading out to assess the situation. The displaced victims lay in streets, alleyways, and beneath the city walls, everywhere one looked.

The stench of decay lingering in the air had yet to dissipate. With so many victims, immediate evacuation was impossible, and with the floodwaters still unrelenting, soldiers were busy hauling sandbags.

Gong Yu dispatched people to summon physicians and prepare medicinal decoctions for the victims, distributing them to prevent outbreaks. But resources were scarce even one small town was struggling, let alone the several others in the vicinity.

With the floodwaters refusing to recede, the officials and soldiers couldn’t advance. By the next day, Gong Yu realized he was effectively trapped in this small town.

Outside, the flood had deposited silt as high as a person. Panic spread among the townspeople, and even the local officials, staring at the raging waters, trembled and muttered, “This is disastrous. We’re doomed to die here.”

The Grand Tutor, standing nearby, raised his cane and struck the agitated official hard, declaring, “Spreading fear among the ranks is punishable by death!”

“You, how dare you strike me?” The local official, writhing in pain, cursed, “You old fool! I’m from the Dai family! Lay a hand on me, and the acting Prime Minister will make you pay!”

“Delusional. You’re nothing but the Dai family’s dog. Dead or alive, you’re still just a dog.” The Grand Tutor stood tall and shouted, “Guards! Bind him and hang him from the wall!”

Gong Yu didn’t fully grasp the Grand Tutor’s intent until he saw the flood victims below the wall gathering and staring upward. The Grand Tutor, usually composed and scholarly, now exuded the ruthless authority of a ruler.

“Today, all of you suffer because of this man’s cowardice! He hid the truth from the court and served as the Dai family’s lackey!”

“Kill him!”

The cries rose like a tide, as if the emaciated victims, gaunt as withered branches, were ready to tear him apart.

The change came too swiftly for Gong Yu to react. Before she knew it, the local official had been strangled to death on the city wall, his hands flailing in struggle before finally going limp.

Thunderous cheers erupted around her, and Gong Yu distinctly heard the sighs of relief from the other officials nearby.

This was both appeasement and suppression. The Grand Tutor was doing everything possible to pacify the countless disaster victims within the city. If they were to riot, the soldiers would be powerless to stop them.

Though Gong Yu tried to console herself with this thought, she couldn’t help but vomit that night. The relentless downpour drummed loudly against the roof tiles.

Two more days passed, marking the fifth day. Before Gong Yu could even take a sip of tea, a guard urgently reported, “There’s an outbreak of plague.”

“But wasn’t preventive action taken?” Gong Yu asked in astonishment, staring at the guard.

The Grand Tutor beside her said grimly, “Someone has been hiding plague victims. Investigate this at once!”

Panic spread even further through the city. Holding an umbrella, Gong Yu felt slightly dizzy, likely from days without proper rest. As she inspected the streets and shelters of the disaster victims, the physicians accompanying her mostly shook their heads in despair.

Gong Yu approached a little girl huddled in a corner, her limbs covered in pustules and burning with fever, clearly unconscious.

Suddenly, she noticed an old man with disheveled hair muttering to himself in the corner. He didn’t look like a refugee, yet he didn’t seem ordinary either.

“What are you staring at me for, little girl?” the old man turned and asked.

A guard nearby barked, “How dare you! This is the Ninth Prince.”

“Oh? I thought you looked rather tender and delicate,” the old man remarked as he checked the little girl’s pulse in front of Gong Yu.

Gong Yu’s heart skipped a beat. This old man might truly be a physician. He had recognized her as female at a glance. She quickly motioned for the guard to be silent and waited until the old man withdrew his hand before asking, “Are you a physician, sir?”

The other physicians standing nearby interjected, “Your Highness, don’t be fooled by this old man. He’s just a charlatan, always spouting nonsense.”

The old man laughed heartily, unfazed, and turned to leave. Gong Yu hurried after him and asked softly, “Have you identified the cause of the illness, sir?”

“Illness?” The old man burst into laughter again, tilting his head. “This is poison.”

A chill ran down Gong Yu’s spine. She grabbed the old man’s arm and asked, “Is there a cure?”

“Do you actually believe this old man’s words, little prince?”

“I do,” Gong Yu nodded.

The old man’s laughter faded, and his expression turned serious. “I’ve already deciphered the condition. But the antidote uses poison to counteract poison. It’s difficult to gauge the right dosage.”

“Why?”

“That little girl just tried my antidote, but she was too weak. Or perhaps the dosage was too strong,” the old man mused, as if oblivious to how callous his words sounded.

Gong Yu recoiled slightly, letting go of his arm. But faced with the suffering around her, she had no choice but to say, “Tell me what you need, and I’ll arrange it.”

“Good. Then I need you to test the antidote for me. How about it?”

“Me…?” Gong Yu met the old man’s gaze and nodded. “Fine.”

“Little one, this isn’t child’s play. If the dosage is too strong, you’ll die.”

“That’s alright. At worst, I’ll have someone hold you accountable. A life for a life,” Gong Yu replied half-jokingly.

The old man laughed again. “Interesting. I’ll stake this old life of mine to play along with you.”

Testing the antidote was no simple matter. Gong Yu first had to contract the illness before taking the old man’s medicine. Within half a day, she felt herself on the brink of collapse.

Dazed and confused, she was force-fed the medicinal brew, only hearing the old man muttering that it still wasn’t right still missing one crucial ingredient.

Gong Yu suddenly felt a pang of regret. What if this old man was just a charlatan?

In her half-conscious state, Gong Yu felt as though she were being roasted over flames, only to be plunged into icy water the next moment before sinking back into unconsciousness.

When she awoke again, there seemed to be someone by her side. The brightness from outside made it hard for Gong Yu to see the person clearly, but she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. Then, Dai Ru Yan’s voice rang clearly in her ears:

“Be good, Xiao Jiu. Don’t fall asleep again.”

Gong Yu thought she must be dreaming. Dai Ru Yan was still in the capital, how could she have come to this remote little town?