Even women who travel through time can become prime ministers and nobles.

Chapter 420 Reinforcements Arrive

The rain slanted down on my face, carrying the coolness of a mountain morning.

Shen Yanzhou reined in his horse, his brows furrowing even more as he gazed at the outline of Xiaoping Mountain shrouded in rain and mist.

The guards behind him also fell silent, with only the muffled thud of horses' hooves pounding through the mud and the faint sound of water echoing in the distance through the valley.

"Your Highness, the entrance to Xiaoping Mountain is just ahead."

The head guard reported in a low voice, his gaze sweeping over the dense, damp forest.

"The rain has lessened a bit, but the mountain roads are still slippery and may be difficult to walk on."

Shen Yanzhou didn't turn around. His fingertips unconsciously caressed the carvings on the saddle, his gaze piercing through the rain and mist, as if trying to see directly into the depths of the dense forest.

"How long have Miss Shi and the others been trapped?"

"According to the time in Cui Jiuxin's letter, it has been at least two days and nights."

Choi Ji-ho caught up, his voice filled with barely concealed anxiety. His clothes were soaked through by the rain and covered in mud, but he seemed oblivious to it.

"Although we have plenty of grain and medicinal herbs, the supply route is cut off, and with this awful weather, I'm afraid..."

"Shut up."

Shen Yanzhou interrupted him in a deep voice, his tone filled with suppressed anger, but not directed at Cui Zhihao, "She will be fine."

As soon as he finished speaking, he spurred his horse and charged into the dense forest with a "Giddy up!"

Cui Zhihao and his personal guards hurriedly followed. The forest was lush with foliage, and rainwater rolled down the leaves, hitting people with a chilling cold. Branches frequently snagged their robes, making progress extremely difficult.

"Everyone, stay alert! Search the surroundings carefully, and look for any clues!"

Shen Yanzhou's voice echoed through the woods, carrying an undeniable authority.

They ventured deeper into the mountain path, and the further they went, the clearer the sound of water became; they could even hear the roar of the water crashing against the rocks.

After walking for about half an hour, the dense forest ahead suddenly opened up, and a steep mountain wall appeared before them. Below the mountain wall, there was a riverbed that had been washed by floods and was muddy and turbulent.

"Your Highness! Look over there!"

Suddenly, a soldier pointed to the opposite bank of the river and shouted.

Shen Yanzhou and Cui Zhihao immediately looked over and saw that on the opposite bank of the river, under the cliff, there were many figures huddled under a relatively dry rock. There were also many items wrapped in oilcloth next to them, which were probably the grains and herbs.

"It's them!"

Cui Zhihao's eyes suddenly lit up, and he almost blurted out, "Miss Shi! Miss Shi is over there!"

He shouted as he rushed to the riverbank, but the next moment, he suddenly stopped.

The river was not very wide, only about two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) wide, but the stone bridge in the middle had long since broken into two sections, with the half of the bridge near the opposite bank lying diagonally in the water.

Only a few twisted stone pillars remained above the water, constantly battered by the raging floodwaters, emitting a mournful "creaking" sound.

The turbid river water, carrying mud, sand, and broken logs, rushed past, its waves crashing against the rocks on both banks, splashing water up to waist height. Trying to wade across was simply a pipe dream.

"The stone bridge is broken..."

Choi Ji-ho's voice instantly turned somber, and the hope that had just been ignited seemed to be extinguished by cold water. He paced back and forth on the shore in a panic.

"How could it be so completely cut off? Is there any other way? Quick! You guys, go check upstream and downstream, see if there are any shallows that we can use to get around it!"

The guards immediately obeyed and dispersed, quickly searching along the riverbank.

Shen Yanzhou stood on the shore, his gaze fixed on the figures on the opposite bank.

Although they were far apart and he couldn't see their faces clearly, he recognized the figure being helped to stand up immediately—it was Shi Wanxia.

She seemed to have lost some weight, and her figure appeared somewhat frail in the wind and rain, but she showed no signs of distress. She was tilting her head slightly, as if listening to something.

"Miss Shi!"

Shen Yanzhou shouted, his voice somewhat muffled by the sound of water and wind, but it still carried clearly.

Shi Wanxia on the opposite bank suddenly turned around, and when she saw the figure on the shore, her tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly for a moment.

Supported by Cui Jiu, she tried to wave in this direction, her lips moving as if she were saying something, but her voice was completely swallowed by the roar of the river.

"She saw us!"

Choi Ji-ho was both surprised and delighted, but then he was stumped by the insurmountable barrier in front of him. "What should we do? We can't get through!"

Shen Yanzhou didn't speak, his gaze falling on the broken stone bridge and then sweeping across the rushing river.

The current was faster than expected, and the underwater reefs were numerous, making swimming impossible.

He raised his hand to signal his guards to stop searching. "No need to search anymore. In this terrain, there is no other way out except for this stone bridge."

"What can we do? We can't just stand by and watch them get stuck on the other side!"

Cui Zhihao was sweating with anxiety. He looked at Shi Wanxia on the opposite bank and saw her whispering something to Cui Jiu. Then she bent down, picked up a tree branch, and squatted on the ground, seemingly gesturing something.

"What is she doing?" Shen Yanzhou squinted, trying to see what was happening on the other side of the river.

Not long after, Shi Wanxia stood up, waved vigorously in their direction, pointed to the woods beside her, then pointed to the broken bridge surface, gesturing repeatedly.

Cui Zhihao suddenly understood something, and his eyes flickered: "She wants to build a bridge."

"bridge?"

Shen Yanzhou was taken aback, then looked at the surrounding woods. "Use wood? But the water flow is so fast, how can we build a bridge?"

"If she did this, she must have a way."

Cui Zhihao's tone became more confident. He nodded towards Shi Wanxia on the opposite bank, then turned to give orders to his personal guards.

"Listen up, everyone! Immediately cut down the thickest tree trunks around here, long enough to reach the other side, the more the better! Also find some sturdy vines and ropes, quick!"

Upon receiving the order, the guards immediately sprang into action.

The sound of axes and knives striking tree trunks quickly echoed through the forest. The slippery trunks were difficult to handle, so the soldiers had to work together to drag the felled trunks to the bank with great effort.

Seeing their actions, Shi Wanxia on the opposite bank breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Cui Jiu and several surviving guards, saying, "Quick, let's get started too. Cut down those crooked trees over there and try to straighten them out as much as possible."

She had been squatting on the ground, repeatedly calculating the width of the bridge with a twig.

She had just carefully measured the distance from the edge of the cliff to the broken stone bridge pile on the opposite bank, which was about 25 feet, or about 7.5 steps.

The pine trees in the mountains are sturdy. As long as you find a trunk of long enough, remove the branches and leaves, set up three of them side by side, and then fix them with vines, they should be able to support the weight.

"Girl, is this okay?"

One of the guards looked at the rushing river and hesitated, "The current is too strong; if we put the tree trunk down, it will probably be washed away."

"It must work."

Shi Wanxia's voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable firmness. She wiped the rain from her face, her gaze sharp.

"The floodwaters are still rising. If we wait any longer, not only will our supplies be submerged, but the land beneath our feet could be flooded as well."

"If the trunk isn't long enough, join two together and tie them tightly with vines. We have to be quick!"

As she spoke, she personally stepped forward and directed the guards to select tree trunks.

Her fingers were slender, yet she pointed out precisely which tree trunk was the straightest and which piece of wood was free of insects. Her movements were swift and efficient, showing no sign of the dejection that followed being trapped for two days.

Watching from the side, Cui Jiu's previously anxious heart inexplicably calmed down, and he followed her instructions, diligently cutting and binding the branches.

On the other side of the river, Shen Yanzhou and Cui Zhihao were also making preparations in full swing.

Shen Yanzhou personally selected the tree trunks, tapping them with his sword sheath to listen to the sound and determine their sturdiness.

"This one won't do, it has a hole in the middle. Let's get the one that three people can hug!"

"Twist the vines into two strands; if that's not enough, find more!"