After Zhao Yelan returned to his room, he quickly changed his clothes and sniffed his body for any smells.

He had been so busy these days that he had no time to groom himself at all, let alone have the luxury of taking a bath. He could only wet a handkerchief with water and wipe himself repeatedly all day, but he felt that he still stank during this time, so he wore two sachets at once.

Then he looked at the wound in the bronze mirror. A scab had formed and it itched a bit. It would take a few days to fully recover.

He inadvertently licked his lower lip in annoyance, finding that it was a little dry and his complexion was a little tanned.

For a time, he was in a mad rush and didn’t know where to tidy up.

As soon as he picked up the handkerchief and was about to wash his face, the door of the room was pushed open with a “pa,” and Yan Mingting broke in.

He looked toward the door at once and took a deep breath, pretending to be calm: “I haven’t allowed you in yet.”

Yan Mingting had already come before him as soon as he spoke, holding his face in one hand to inspect the injury on his forehead: “How did it happen?”

Zhao Yelan averted his face in embarrassment and turned around: “I was accidentally hit by someone.”

“Didn’t you promise me to take good care of yourself?” Yan Mingting asked, following behind him.

Zhao Yelan kept his composure and quickened his steps: “The incident happened suddenly.”

“Then why are you hiding? What else is wrong?” Yan Mingting asked.

Yin Pinglu stood at the door, watched the two people circle the table three times, then smiled helplessly and closed the door for them. As soon as she walked to the front hall, she caught a glimpse of a figure rushing through the door.

“Pinglu! I’m here to find you!”

Yin Pinglu raised her head and saw a smiling person standing under the sun. Her face was unknowingly taken over by a smile, and when she raised her foot to step outside, Zuo Ran acted faster and ran towards her and into her arms.

. . . . . .

The two people in the room finally stopped when Yan Mingting grabbed Zhao Yelan and said: “No more, I’m going to faint.”

It’s better for you to be dizzy, Zhao Yelan thought.

Yan Mingting lowered his head to study the injury. Zhao Yelan subconsciously raised his hand to cover it, but Yan Mingting grabbed it.

“Don’t touch the wound, be careful of infection and inflammation. It’s scabbed over, just bear with it and it will heal,” Yan Mingting said.

Zhao Yelan glanced at him a few times, and seeing that he didn’t think the wound was ugly, he was secretly relieved.

“Are there any other injuries?”

“None.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“There really aren’t.” Zhao Yelan even turned around to show him that he was safe and sound.

Unexpectedly, Yan Mingting grasped his shoulders, lowered his head, and kissed his lips: “I’m checking to see if you injured your mouth.”

“.....” Zhao Yelan didn’t know whether to laugh or get angry, but still acquiesced to his childish behavior, and the two kissed silently.

Absence making the heart grow fonder was no lie. Zhao Yelan could feel that his kiss was unequivocal this time, and his hands also caressed his back firmly. He wanted to speak but couldn’t, just humming twice. Yan Mingting became more enthusiastic, picking him up and setting him on the table.

Zhao Yelan was free to take a breath, and he looked down. From this angle, he could clearly see the infatuation in Yan Mingting’s eyes. He cupped the other’s cheek with the corners of his mouth curved, and lowered his head for a kiss.

The sun was shining outside as the two of them embraced each other inside the room. Zhao Yelan felt that his body was getting hot and sweaty, and sweating meant it would stink. He pushed the other person away and asked about business as if nothing had happened: “Have all the relief supplies come down?”

“En, the Imperial court squeezed out another 50,000 taels, as well as some everyday supplies, and local officials along the way also raised some silver.” Yan Mingting raised his hand with a smile and wiped away the traces of wetness around his mouth. “I met with the team when I was about to arrive at the capital. On the way, I sent a letter by pigeon to Zuo Ran to bring the original group of people and take the water route so that the journey would be faster.”

Zhao Yelan nodded.

“The new magistrate and the magistrate of Pi county are also here. They’re just outside, do you want to meet them?”

“Let’s go,?ba.” Zhao Yelan had just taken two steps when he suddenly stopped and turned around.

Yan Mingting was almost trampled on. Seeing him take the initiative to throw himself into his arms, he couldn’t help wrapping him up in an embrace: “Why aren’t you going?”

“I haven’t checked on you yet.” Zhao Yelan gripped his chin, looked right and left, and stroked his cheek again.

After being exposed to the sun for several days on the road, his skin had not turned into charcoal and was only a little red, but....

“Where did the red mark on your neck come from?” Zhao Yelan asked with narrowed eyes.

“What red mark?” Yan Mingting rubbed his neck. “Oh, there were a lot of mosquitos at night. I’ve been bitten in several places and there are also some on the back. If you don’t believe me, look.”

He turned away, revealing the marks on the back of his neck.

Zhao Yelan touched them and they were still swollen, so he believed they were mosquito bites. He walked out without a change of expression: “Let’s go out and have a look.”

Two men, one old and one young, stood in the hall, listening to the head official’s introduction to the affairs of the government office.

Zhao Yelan went out to find that they were old acquaintances.

The elder was a bachelor of the Imperial Academy, who had come to take up the post of magistrate. They were both fourth-rank positions, so it could not be considered a promotion. It was only that his ancestral home was in Jiangnan, and he hoped to return to his roots when he became old, so he accepted this position.

And the younger person was Wang Guisheng, who was favored for his agreement with the Emperor’s political views. His upright temperament was just right for Jiangnan, so he was sent to Pi County to serve as the county magistrate.

“Zhao-daren.” Wang Guisheng was the first to notice Zhao Yelan’s figure, and saluted.

“Don’t be so polite.” Zhao Yelan stepped forward and led the two of them to the back office to discuss the drought.

“The General communicated the situation to us on the way here. If you have any orders, just mention them.” Wang Guisheng did not expect that he would face such a big problem when he first took office.

“You came at a good time. After you receive the official seal in the government office, you will take your people to Pi County and take away the three hundred people in the charity house as well. I’ve already planned the route. Try not to leave anyone behind, and I will arrange for the people who deliver dry food and water to meet with you.”

“What about after arriving in Pi County?”

“Then you arrange for the officers of Pi County to send these people to Quzhou. I have tallied the money, and you will pay the officers more money at that time. Then go to the disaster relief point in the next county to inform the person in charge, and move a little to the north to meet these people.”

“Alright.”

Zhao Yelan informed him of the current situation in Pi County, and Wang Guisheng nodded. After the discussion, he went to get the seal without stopping on the way, and then followed him to the charity house to lead the people.

When the people in the shelter saw Zhao Yelan coming, they all rushed up, calling Zhao-daren enthusiastically and expectantly.

Wang Guisheng was pushed aside when he wasn’t paying attention, while Zhao Yelan was well-protected by Yan Mingting.

“Calm down and listen to me. We’re taking 300 people from here and sending them to Quzhou, who wants to go?” Zhao Yelan said.

Everyone gradually quieted down, and no one spoke for a while because they were reluctant to leave. They had found work here, and still had food and shelter. They would not starve to death for a while. Who knew if they would face death once they left this place?

“There is no drought in Quzhou and Longzhou, but there is no certainty here in Huaizhou. If we continue to suffer, the last drop of water may be drained here, and then we will have to wait for death. It is a better choice to leave while the water source is still barely maintained. Don’t worry, someone will bring you food and water on the road, they won’t leave you alone.” After Zhao Yelan finished speaking, he looked around and pulled Wang Guisheng aside, saying, “This is the newly appointed magistrate of Pi County. He will leave with everyone, so can you rest assured?”

Wang Guisheng said: “Right, we will not abandon you. The most important thing right now is to move to other places. The surrounding areas are already dry, and sooner or later, gathering here will lead to nothing.”

Those people were moved, and someone asked: “Zhao-daren, can? you guarantee that we will not die of hunger or thirst on the way?”

“As long as you hurry on your way obediently and don’t delay other people’s schedules, someone will deliver the food on time,” Zhao Yelan said.

“Then I will listen to Zhao-daren. I’ll go.”

“We’ll go too.”

“I happen to have relatives in Quzhou, so I’ll join them.”

While counting the number of people, Wang Guisheng picked up the registration book. Zhao Yelan and Yan Mingting passed by him at this time, and he caught a glimpse of the two holding hands from the corner of his eye.

He froze for a moment and scratched his hand unconsciously, looking back at them in surprise.

The two held hands all the way to the government office. Zhao Yelan let go, and Yan Mingting paused: “Why did you let go?”

“It’s hot.” Zhao Yelan’s palms were sweaty. “Stop pretending to be wronged here.”

Yan Mingting instantly failed, and followed with a smile.

Under the instruction of the head official, the new magistrate had already learned about the government office’s affairs. As soon as he breathed a sigh of relief, he was dragged off by Zhao Yelan to talk about the current situation. The immediate priority was to evacuate the people in the charity house to other places.

He had sent money to disaster relief sites, and sent people to places without drought to prepare food and water, ready to go meet the refugees at any time.

“I’ve already arranged the manpower, money, and supplies. You should keep an eye on these things and not make any mistakes,” Zhao Yelan said.

“You handed these to me so suddenly. What about you?”

“I must go to Zhizhou, the situation there is not optimistic. Huaizhou is under control for the time being and you are here to watch over the town, so I will go to Zhizhou myself.” Zhao Yelan said calmly, “Yan Mingting will leave some manpower for you, and we will take the rest to Zhizhou. You can use the disaster funds allocated by the Imperial court in Huaizhou, and the money I collected from the merchants will be taken to Zhizhou.”

Zhao Yelan was not worried that he would embezzle in this season. This person was cautious in his actions and would not act boldly upon first taking office.

After an early meal, the group set off in the evening since it was cooler at night.

Sitting in the carriage were Zhao Yelan and Yin Pinglu, while Yan Mingting and Zuo Ran guarded several large boxes of silver outside.

Zhao Yelan and Yin Pinglu discussed their plans after arriving in Zhizhou for a while, and then lifted the curtain to assess the drought situation in the place they passed by.

After a while, Zhao Yelan took another look.

A short time later, he raised the curtain again.

After repeating this several times, he noticed Yin Pinglu’s expression of restrained laughter, and explained awkwardly: “I’m just looking at the situation of this field.”

“En, we haven’t passed this field yet, and my lord has already looked at it seven or eight times.” Yin Pinglu couldn’t help but say, “Are you spying on the General?”

Zhao Yelan was mute, neither admitting nor denying it. After a while, he couldn’t help but lift the curtain with his hand. Upon realizing it, he put his hand down and touched his nose with embarrassment, pretending that nothing had happened.

Yin Pinglu lowered her head.

Zhao Yelan clearly saw the corners of her mouth rising manically.

“.....”

Yin Pinglu coughed to clear her throat, and said: “Zuo Ran told me that the General always wanted to write to you.”

Zhao Yelan paused and looked at her suspiciously.

“But he was on his way at that time and was afraid that you wouldn’t receive the letter, so he wrote it and threw it into the river. He urged the boatman to go faster every day, wishing he could paddle it himself.” Yin Pinglu laughed.

The corners of Zhao Yelan’s mouth rose slightly.

“The General also told Zuo Ran that my lord, you....”

“I what?”

“You kissed him in public.” Yin Pinglu covered her face. “He often brags about it to the lieutenants.”

“......”

Zhao Yelan lifted the curtain and stared straight at Yan Mingting, who was a few meters behind. The other party felt his gaze and rode to the side of the carriage to ask: “Do you want a drink?” As he spoke, he handed the water bag to him.

Zhao Yelan took a small sip, not much, and returned it, saying: “Come over here.”

“What?” Yan Mingting’s eyes darted as he thought of something, and looked back at the team behind. Many people here had witnessed the scene where Zhao Yelan kissed him in full view, and they all watched curiously.

Yan Mingting leaned over distractedly and asked with a smile: “Do you want to kiss me again?”

Zhao Yelan stretched out his hand and pinched his face hard.

Yan Mingting pretended to have been kissed, and returned to the team with extreme pride.

In the middle of the night, everyone rested in place for a while. Zhao Yelan held a fire paper to check the conditions of the nearby fields.

Yan Mingting went around with him, and when they returned, they leaned against a nearby tree to rest. Feeling a little thirsty, he took out a pot of lotus wine from the carriage and drank it.

“Is there no water?” Zhao Yelan asked.

“There’s a bit more, I’ll leave it to you. Fortunately, there were still several jars of wine given by Magistrate Sun in the carriage.” After speaking, Yan Mingting took another big gulp of wine.

Zhao Yelan took a few glances at him, and his gaze fell on his wine-soaked lips. He suddenly went over to lick them, and seemed to taste lotus.

Yan Mingting stared at him, dumbstruck, then took a few sips and looked at him expectantly.

Zhao Yelan chuckled, but just raised his head to gaze at the starry sky. It seemed that tomorrow would be sunny again.

Seeing that he was not taking the initiative anymore, Yan Mingting simply grasped the other’s head, moved forward, and accurately planted his lips.

After a moment, Zhao Yelan tasted the lotus brew, and the aroma of wine diffused between the lips and teeth of the two.

There was only one last sip left in the jar. Yan Mingting asked him if he wanted to drink. His mouth was parched, so he simply finished the drink from Yan Mingting’s hand.

When they set out again, Yin Pinglu left the carriage. Now that it was late at night, it was inconvenient for her to ride in the same carriage as Zhao Yelan.

“It’s all right for you to ride a horse?” Yan Mingting confirmed.

“Don’t worry,?ba, I used to be on horseback for days and nights when I was traveling.” Yin Pinglu smiled and walked to Zuo Ran, who stretched out a hand. She skillfully mounted the horse and sat in front of her.

Seeing this, Zhao Yelan secretly despised his own skills.

While the team was still moving forward, Yan Mingting rode his horse to follow beside the carriage.

Not long after, Zhao Yelan felt a little hot. These two sips of wine should not make him drunk, but perhaps due to the weather or eating very little, he had already started to feel a little inebriated. He opened the curtain and called quickly: “I’m dizzy.”

Yan Mingting came to the side and looked at his flushed face. He immediately realized the cause, and got into the carriage regardless of the eyes of others.

“Are you drunk?”

“Hot....” Zhao Yelan reclined weakly in the carriage and tried to untie his belt, but his outer layer got stuck and he couldn’t take it off no matter what.

Yan Minting had no choice but to help him take off his outer garment. Zhao Yelan tugged at his collar and then felt better, closing his eyes drowsily.

Yan Mingting was afraid he would be uncomfortable, so he fanned him with his fan. The other party was quiet for a while, as if he had fallen asleep.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Yan Mingting continued to fan him until the wheels hit a stone, jolting the carriage. Zhao Yelan opened his eyes in a daze and then stared at him intently.

Yan Mingting immediately shivered, and suddenly realized that he might be about to act abnormally again.

Sure enough, he saw the other party open his arms in the next moment and speak one word in a clear voice: “Hug.”

What else could Yan Minting do, of course he would hug him,?ah!

As soon as he sat next to him, the other party hugged him and began to count his crimes: “Why would you rather throw the letter into the river than send it to me?”

Yan Mingting guessed that it was Zuo Ran who informed Yin Pinglu, and then Yin Pinglu turned around and told Zhao Yelan. He explained: “I was afraid you wouldn’t receive it, and feared that it would delay your business.”

“You are my business.”

Yan Mingting’s eyelashes fluttered and he looked sideways at him, the corners of his mouth crazily raised: “What did you say?”

Zhao Yelan blinked his eyes, but refused to say any more. He just found a comfortable angle again, but finally found that sitting like this was not conducive to hugging at all, so he turned around and sat directly on his lap.

Yan Mingting hugged him tighter to prevent him from falling down.

Zhao Yelan thought he was trying to touch his back, and said: “Don’t touch.”

“Okay, I won’t touch, I won’t touch.”

“Not allowed to look either.”

“Won’t look, won’t look.”

Zhao Yelan didn’t believe it. He picked up the belt next to him and covered his eyes.

Yan Mingting raised his head and smiled at him: “So worried about me?”

Zhao Yelan looked down at him, held his face in both hands, and narrowed his eyes slightly: “Tell me, what was written in the letter?”

“Nothing.”

“Say it, do you want me to punish you?”

Yan Mingting felt that his neck was being strangled, and gave a quiet laugh, saying: “Okay, I’ll tell you. The letter said — I miss you, so very much.”

Zhao Yelan released his grip, his fingertips lingering on his cheeks and caressing them gently. Then he put his arms around the back of his neck, lowered his head, and kissed his lips: “I missed you too.”

Yan Mingting’s sight was blocked, but the other four senses became more sensitive.

Slight panting and moist sounds kept ringing in his ears, and he became more and more enthralled with the other party’s slight fragrance. He couldn’t help but entangle his tongue, plundering the air that belonged to him, and unconsciously fumbled with his hands.

With a “pa,” Zhao Yelan slapped his hand away: “I told you not to touch my back!”

“Oh, sorry, I couldn’t help it.” Yan Mingting assured him that he wouldn’t do it again, and continued to kiss him.

A moment later, Yan Mingting was slapped again: “It won’t be repeated! Believe me!”