Lin Yuxin listened to Li Xiaoshen’s introduction, then turned to look at each person in turn. Finally, her gaze landed on Wang Feng, who had just been eyeing her with ill intentions.

[So he’s Wang Feng? The infamous Lord Wang, who is so audacious that he doesn’t even spare his own sister-in-law? No wonder he looked familiar—I saw him once at the national banquet. What a surprise! Since he’s practically delivered himself to my doorstep, wouldn’t it be a waste not to take a bite?]

[But I wonder if he can control himself while traveling outside. If he dares to mess with me, he better not blame me for being ruthless!]

Recalling the way Wang Feng had looked at her earlier, Lin Yuxin could easily guess his thoughts.

However, if he really had the guts to make a move, she would make sure he paid the price.

Li Xiaoshen’s gaze also darkened—how dare someone lust after his woman?

Unforgivable.

Lin Yuxin withdrew her gaze and took the pastry that Li Xiaoshen handed her, then passed it to Xiao Hao.

“Eat something to fill your stomach first.”

Xiao Hao took the pastry and smiled obediently at Lin Yuxin.

“Thank you, sister!”

“Hmm, are you tired from the journey?”

Lin Yuxin reached out to pat his head and asked gently.

“Not tired!”

Xiao Hao spoke while eating.

Compared to the hardship he endured when living under others’ roofs, this was nothing.

“The further north we go, the hotter it gets. This morning, Leng Han sent word that the price of grain in Jibei City has started to rise. It used to be 12 wen per pound, but now it has increased to 50 wen per pound. Many places have also started experiencing water shortages.”

Li Xiaoshen’s expression was grim as he seriously relayed the latest news to Lin Yuxin.

“What about the magistrates of Jizhou Prefecture and Jibei City? How have they responded?”

Hearing this, Lin Yuxin frowned and asked.

“Jizhou Prefecture has yet to make a move, but the magistrate of Jibei City issued several decrees yesterday. First, anyone entering the city must pay one tael of silver. Second, grain is being requisitioned. Third, all village wells have been confiscated by the government, and commoners are forbidden from drawing water privately—violators will be punished with beatings.”

Li Xiaoshen looked at Lin Yuxin and finished his report.

“This magistrate of Jibei City is utterly heartless! He’s exploiting the people’s suffering to line his own pockets. And the higher-ups haven’t intervened? If this continues, the public will be in uproar within days. A rebellion is inevitable! It seems someone up top is pulling the strings behind the scenes.”

“It looks like someone wants to muddy the waters so they can reap the benefits.”

Lin Yuxin sneered.

“Most likely. Last time in the imperial court, someone tried to block this assignment, but you intercepted it midway. This might be their way of giving you a warning—hoping to throw you into chaos once you arrive.”

Li Xiaoshen nodded in agreement.

“Hah! Well then, let’s see who comes out on top!”

A cold glint flashed in Lin Yuxin’s eyes, and her expression turned icy.

Seeing this, Li Xiaoshen reached out and pinched her cheek, breaking her cold demeanor instantly.

“What are you doing?”

Lin Yuxin frowned, swatting his hand away in displeasure.

“Heh, that expression doesn’t suit you. You should smile more, right, Xiao Hao?”

Li Xiaoshen smirked, then turned to Xiao Hao for support, fearing Lin Yuxin wouldn’t believe him.

Lin Yuxin turned to look at Xiao Hao and saw him nodding vigorously while chewing, mumbling,

“Mm-hmm, sister looks prettier when she smiles.”

Lin Yuxin reached out and pinched Xiao Hao’s cheeks, stretching them into a funny shape before withdrawing her hand with satisfaction, teasing,

“It’s only been a few days, and you’re already siding with Li Xiaoshen? You don’t even call me your number one anymore?”

“That’s not true! Sister is the most important to me.”

Hearing Lin Yuxin’s words, Xiao Hao hurriedly swallowed his food and explained.

If his sister didn’t like this cold block of ice, he wouldn’t even bother being nice to him.

But in the future, when he had power, he would find many warm-hearted men to take care of his sister.

Though he didn’t fully understand what a “warm-hearted man” meant, he knew that whatever his sister said was always right.

Lin Yuxin had no idea what was going through her little brother’s mind. Hearing his response, she was pleased.

“That’s more like it. At least my love for you hasn’t been in vain. Did you hear what we were discussing just now?”

Lin Yuxin asked seriously.

“I heard it!”

Xiao Hao nodded.

“But did you understand?”

Lin Yuxin asked again.

“I kind of did and kind of didn’t.”

This time, Xiao Hao didn’t try to act smart and answered honestly.

“Xiao Hao, politics is like a battlefield, but the people are the foundation of a nation. No matter how dirty the schemes are, they should never be used against the common people.

This time, I brought you along so you could see for yourself—see how the people of our Xia Kingdom live and how incompetent the officials are.

You’re still young. It’s okay if you don’t fully understand. Just observe and learn. It will benefit you in the future.”

Lin Yuxin spoke earnestly.

This was exactly why she brought Xiao Hao along—his identity didn’t allow him to be sheltered forever.

He needed to see firsthand what kind of country he would one day govern and how his people lived.

“Mm! Sister, I will work hard to learn!”

Xiao Hao put away his playful attitude and nodded seriously. Since discovering his true origins through his sister’s heartfelt words, he had somewhat guessed her intentions.

That’s why he would take her teachings seriously.

[Xiao Hao, don’t blame me for being harsh by bringing you out here at such a young age. I don’t know how long you can stay by my side, but as long as you are with me, I want to teach you the right values so that you won’t become a tyrant in the future but instead a wise and just ruler.]

Lin Yuxin gently patted Xiao Hao’s head.

Seeing how much thinner he had become in just a few days, she suppressed the ache in her heart.

She knew she was being idealistic, but if she didn’t try, how would she know if this young sapling would grow crooked or straight?

Li Xiaoshen watched Lin Yuxin, his gaze soft with affection.

He didn’t care who the next emperor would be, but if this was what his girl wanted, he would stand by her and make sure it happened.

After resting for a while, the group continued their journey.

The further north they traveled, the hotter it became.

After two days on the road, Lin Yuxin started noticing cracks appearing on the ground.

Water had become a scarce resource.

The drought in the north wasn’t just due to a lack of rainfall—the extreme temperatures caused rapid evaporation, making it impossible for the fields to retain water.

The situation had already reached its breaking point after more than a month.

As Lin Yuxin watched groups of refugees fleeing south, her heart grew heavy.

The situation was even worse than she had imagined.

“Zhao Yi!”

“Young Miss?”

Zhao Yi appeared by the carriage, bowing slightly.

“Go ask those refugees where they came from and what the situation is like there.”

Lin Yuxin ordered.

“Understood.”

Since she had assigned Xue Ying to protect Xiao Hao, her grandfather had insisted she take Zhao Yi and Zhao Er along.

They traveled with twenty Zhao family soldiers, who were embedded in Li Xiaoshen’s troops to avoid detection.

On the surface, only Zhao Yi and Zhao Er were with her, while Xue Ying remained in the shadows.

However, since Li Xiaoshen had mentioned that the emperor had also sent people in secret, she wasn’t too worried about their safety.