Chapter 49: Following One’s Heart

She was never meant to be confined by rules—she should have been free and unrestrained.

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Li Yunli had been feverish for an entire day. It wasn’t until the afternoon of the next day that she finally felt lighter, touching her forehead and realizing her temperature had dropped.

There was no time to rest. While she was recovering, Xiao Linjia had already discussed with his deputy general about entering the Western Territory.

Yun Chu had also gone through all the geography-related books in Zhou Foxiao’s study, marking a few important ones.

Originally, Li Yunli had planned to summon Ji Wenxun, but during her sick day, none of her subordinates had come to trouble her with any matters.

By the time evening arrived and Yun Chu stepped into the courtyard, he saw a few maids tidying up the quiet room and carrying hot water.

He asked, “Isn’t Her Highness recovering from a cold? Why would she order a bath?”

Ya Xiang, upon seeing Yun Chu, lowered her head in greeting before replying, “Her Highness said she’s feeling better and ordered several braziers to be placed in the room. She wishes to take a bath and relax.”

Yun Chu frowned, hesitating. If that was the case, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to disturb her.

Ya Xiang, however, winked at him and said, “Sir, we are also worried that Her Highness might get sick again, but we can’t persuade her otherwise. Perhaps you could try talking to her?”

“Is she inside?”

“Yes, she slept for two hours in the afternoon and has been awake for a while now.”

Yun Chu nodded, rolled up the book in his hand, and stepped inside.

Inside the room, Li Yunli had already loosened her hair and was wearing a thick robe, sitting by the brazier while flipping through a book.

She felt almost fully recovered. Having sweated several times throughout the day, she now felt sticky and uncomfortable, so she hadn’t dressed too heavily.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, she looked up and noticed the book Yun Chu was holding.

“What book are you carrying?” she asked.

“A few maps from Lord Zhou’s study. He made some notes on them.” Yun Chu carefully closed the door, walked over to the brazier, and stirred the coals to make the fire burn brighter. “Your Highness, why are you not wearing more layers? You just recovered; be careful not to fall ill again.”

“People my age aren’t that delicate,” Li Yunli chuckled, taking the book from his hands and flipping through a couple of pages. “I’m feeling much better. If everything is ready, we can enter the Western Territory tomorrow. Is there something special about these maps?”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to discuss with you. Look here.”

Yun Chu flipped through the topmost book, pointing to a specific marked spot.

“This is Lord Zhou’s note. It documents a water conservation project from the early Yuanhe period, but the records only go up to early June. The project seems to have ended abruptly, almost as if—”

“As if it was cut short,” Li Yunli finished.

“Exactly. This area is the Water Back Bay, which is prone to water accumulation. The soil around Yongzhou isn’t very firm. Undertaking a project here would have greatly benefited the people, and Lord Zhou’s records are very detailed. But for some reason, the project was left incomplete,” Yun Chu said, pausing as he sensed something suspicious. “Since these records are from past years, I overlooked them at first. But now I see the problem.”

Li Yunli frowned in thought.

The marked location was the same place that had recently flooded and destroyed farmland. That land was low-lying, but the surrounding soil was suitable for crops. Many families relied on that area for farming. The flood had forced many of them to flee to Leopard Head Mountain for survival.

If Zhou Foxiao had already identified this issue two years ago and had even started water conservation efforts, why had the project stopped halfway?

“In our current situation, investigating the flooding from the Western Territory alone won’t be enough to save Yongzhou,” Li Yunli murmured, pulling her robe tighter and tracing a finger over Zhou Foxiao’s notes.

“This project must have been reported to the Ministry of Works two years ago. I will write to the capital immediately, requesting His Majesty to send officials from the ministry to verify the records.” She paused, then cleared her throat. “No, not just to verify. I want them to solve this long-standing issue!”

Without proper water conservation, Yongzhou would never prosper.

Yun Chu nodded. If this report reached the emperor’s desk, certain people would surely be alarmed.

Just as he was about to speak, a maid lightly knocked on the door.

Li Yunli closed the book. “Enter.”

Ya Xiang walked in, glanced at Yun Chu’s expression, then turned to Li Yunli and bowed. “Your Highness, the hot water is ready.”

She stole several glances at Yun Chu, hoping he would convince the princess to give up on bathing.

Yun Chu rubbed his nose and cleared his throat.

Ya Xiang’s eyes widened in anticipation.

Finally, the consort was taking action!

She watched eagerly as Yun Chu parted his lips, hoping for a decisive statement.

Li Yunli, adjusting her robe, turned back in confusion. “Hmm?”

“The wind is strong today. Maybe you should skip the bath? You might catch a chill…”

Li Yunli glanced toward the window—outside, the bamboo leaves were perfectly still.

“Uh…”

Yun Chu fell silent, embarrassed.

Li Yunli frowned slightly, gave him a puzzled look, then turned and walked out.

Ya Xiang’s hopeful smile froze.

She watched in despair as the princess left, then quickly followed after her.

Useless consort!

---

Soaking in the bathtub, Li Yunli had dismissed all attendants.

She curled her body slightly, fully submerging herself in the hot water.

The first time she bathed in this world, she had been shocked by the four maids carrying various scented soaps and flower petals. Now, a simple hot bath was the most comfortable thing to her.

It helped her relax and think.

Given Yongzhou’s current situation, there was still much she had to do. Ji Wenxun might have already arrived in Yongzhou. Without an official military order, he would have only brought a small number of personal guards. But his presence meant that Ji Chunhui was also aware of Yongzhou’s state—at least it served as some level of deterrence.

Then there was Zhou Foxiao’s notes.

If she sent this report to the capital…

Li Yunli closed her eyes, mentally running through the possible outcomes.

She needed soldiers.

No matter what happened, she knew she was at a disadvantage. The Empress Dowager didn’t want her to have military power for a reason. If she failed to make careful plans, she would eventually die in the place she trusted the most.

She had many enemies and few true allies. But in a way, having fewer choices made decisions easier.

---

When she emerged from the bath, the maids were so worried about her getting sick again that they had heated the entire room with multiple braziers.

Ya Xiang and Jiang Xiang had prepared thick clothes in advance, immediately wrapping her in layers as soon as she stepped out.

Li Yunli struggled to walk, nearly sweating from the heat, and found Yun Chu still waiting inside.

“Is there something else?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Uh…” Yun Chu hesitated before quickly flipping open another book. “This one is similar. There’s also a note from Lord Zhou—look at this.”

He pointed to a phrase, bringing the book closer to her.

Li Yunli tilted her head to read.

It was another record of a river project, though this one seemed to have been completed successfully. However, at the end of the notes, Zhou Foxiao had scribbled something in hasty, almost illegible handwriting:

“Unworthy of being a magistrate.”

Five short words, written with evident frustration.

Just as Li Yunli was processing this, a loud knock came at the door.

“Your Highness,” a voice called. “Cheng Si has confessed!”