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

Chapter 398 Encountering Disaster Victims on the Road

"parking!"

Shi Wanxia asked the coachman to stop the carriage, lifted the curtain, and got out.

An old woman in tattered clothes was carrying an unconscious child on her back, walking unsteadily forward. When she saw their carriages and horses, a hint of wariness flashed in her cloudy eyes, along with a hint of pleading.

Shi Wanxia stepped forward, trying to keep her voice gentle: "Grandma, what's that place up ahead? Where are you going?"

The old woman sized her up for a while, noticing that her clothes, though neat, were not luxurious, and that Cui Zhihao and Lin Yiyu beside her looked kind, before she finally stammered, "Young lady, are you... are you an official? Ahead is... is Qinghe County, but half of the town is flooded. We're thinking of... going to our relatives' house in the north to take refuge."

What's wrong with the child?

Shi Wanxia noticed that the child's face was pale and his lips were chapped.

"Hungry...hungry,"

The old woman wiped away her tears, "The food in our house was washed away by the flood long ago, and we haven't eaten for days..."

Shi Wanxia felt a pang of sadness and turned to Captain Zhao, saying, "Captain Zhao, how much dry food and water is left in the cart? Take some for the old woman first."

"But sir,"

Commandant Zhao hesitated for a moment, "Our food supplies are only enough to last until we reach Chuzhou..."

"Saving lives is the priority."

Shi Wanxia said firmly, "We'll find a way to replenish our supplies once we get to Ge County."

Cui Zhihao also said, "Lord Shi is right, let's give it to the old lady first."

Without further hesitation, Captain Zhao immediately ordered his men to bring him dry rations and water.

The old woman took the things and knelt down with a thud: "Thank you, sir! Thank you for saving my life!"

"Get up quickly,"

Shi Wanxia quickly helped her up, saying, "Quickly give the child some water and food."

Looking at the many more displaced disaster victims in the distance, she frowned. "Brother Cui, it seems the situation is more serious than we imagined."

Cui Zhihao nodded, his expression grave: "Ge County is only on the outskirts, and it's already like this. I'm afraid Chuzhou and Jiangzhou will be in even worse shape..."

"We need to speed things up."

Shi Wanxia made a quick decision, "Lieutenant Zhao, let the brothers work hard and try to travel at night, so we can reach the outskirts of Chuzhou City before dawn tomorrow."

"Yes!"

Once back on the road, the carriage was much faster.

As Shi Wanxia sat in the car, listening to the sound of the wheels rolling over the mud outside, her heart felt heavy.

She took out the map drawn by Lin Yiyu and examined it carefully in the dim light. Cui Zhihao leaned over and pointed to one of the spots, saying, "To get to Chuzhou City from here, you have to pass through Luoma Slope."

"According to the old woman, that place should now be blocked by floods and landslides."

"Lin Yiyu said he has a solution?" Shi Wanxia asked.

"He said we could try going around through the valley next to us, but that road was narrower and more dangerous, and we didn't know if it was flooded."

Choi Ji-ho's voice was filled with worry.

Shi Wanxia was silent for a moment, then said, "No matter how dangerous it is, we have to try."

"If the relief food is delayed even a little longer, one more person may starve to death."

As night deepened, the carriage bumped along the rugged mountain road.

A light rain started falling outside, pattering softly against the car roof.

Shi Wanxia was feeling drowsy when she suddenly felt the carriage lurch violently, followed by a gasp.

"what happened?"

She immediately snapped out of it, lifted the curtain, and asked.

"Sir, a small section of the road ahead has collapsed, and the carriage can't pass!"

The driver's anxious voice came through.

When Shi Wanxia and Cui Zhihao got out of the car, they saw that a section of the mountain road not far ahead had collapsed due to the rain. Although the gap was not large, the carriage could not pass.

Lin Yiyu also ran over, surveyed the terrain, and said, "We can only leave the carriage here and walk over."

"Fortunately, the road ahead isn't far. When we reach the village ahead, we might be able to borrow a few donkeys or horses."

Shi Wanxia nodded: "That's the only way. Lieutenant Zhao, leave two people to guard the carriages and supplies, the rest of you come with us."

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the mountain road was slippery and difficult to travel.

Shi Wanxia walked with uneven steps, almost slipping several times, but Cui Zhihao beside her caught her in time.

"Be careful."

Choi Ji-ho's voice came through the rain, carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension.

He simply walked over to Shi Wanxia and took her hand.

His palms were large and warm, with calluses from years of holding a pen, yet they were unusually steady.

Shi Wanxia was stunned for a moment, her cheeks slightly flushed, but she did not pull away.

On such a dark, damp, and cold rainy night, this hand seemed to be her only support, making her feel much more at ease.

The two held hands and struggled forward through the mud.

Lin Yiyu and Captain Zhao followed behind with their personal guards. No one spoke; only the sound of rain and footsteps echoed in the valley.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, a faint light finally appeared ahead.

"The village should be just ahead!" Lin Yiyu shouted excitedly.

Everyone perked up and quickened their pace.

As we got closer, we realized it was a small mountain village, with a few villagers holding torches at the entrance, seemingly looking around.

Upon seeing the group, the villagers were initially wary. However, seeing that although they were disheveled, their clothing did not resemble that of criminals, an elderly man at the head of the group stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Gentlemen, who are you...?"

"We are officials sent by the imperial court to Chuzhou to provide disaster relief."

Shi Wanxia wiped the rain off her face and said, panting, "I'd like to ask to stay overnight in the village and find a few animals for transportation. Is that possible?"

The old man sized them up for a long time, then looked at the tokens on their waists (the dragon pattern was still faintly visible despite being wet from the rain), before finally letting out a sigh of relief: "So you are officials from the imperial court! Please come in! Please come in! Although the village has also suffered from the disaster, we can still make room for you, sirs."

Upon entering the village, Shi Wanxia discovered that this small mountain village had not been spared either.

The walls of many houses were swollen from being soaked in water, and there was still water accumulating in the yards.

Most of the villagers looked pale and sickly, but their eyes were still full of expectation when they saw them.

"Sir, are you here to deliver food?" a child asked timidly.

Shi Wanxia patted his head, her heart aching: "We're here to find a way to deliver food; we'll have food soon."

The old man led them to an empty house at the edge of the village. Although it was simple, it provided shelter from the wind and rain. "Sirs, I'm sorry to trouble you. This is the only house in the village that is still habitable."

"I'll go and ask my wife to boil some water and get something to eat."

"Thank you, old man."

Shi Wanxia said gratefully, "No need for too much trouble, just keep it simple."

After the villagers left, Lin Yiyu slumped to the ground, rubbing his aching legs: "Finally, I can rest for a while. This road was so bumpy."

Choi Ji-ho walked to the window, looked at the rain outside, and frowned: "If this rain keeps going, the situation at Luomapo will probably get worse."

Shi Wanxia also walked to the window, looking at the dark rainy night outside, and had a vague sense of unease in her heart.

She had a feeling that this trip to the south would probably not go so smoothly.

Just then, a quarrel broke out outside, mixed with the villagers' exclamations.

"What's going on?" Lin Yiyu stood up alertly.