The situation was critical. After bidding farewell to the Young Emperor and leaving the palace, Xu Junjun immediately returned to the Prince's Estate to pack her bags.
Her personal guards, aware of the gravity of the circumstances, did not dare to delay. While Xu Junjun packed, they alerted the estate's steward, instructing him to secure the grounds and await further news. Finally, amid the tearful pleas of the elderly steward, Xu Junjun mounted a fast horse and set off on the road toward Jiang City.
A plague was sweeping through the cities surrounding Jiang City. As she traveled from the Tianqi Imperial Capital, the closer Xu Junjun drew to Jiang City, the more she realized the severity of the outbreak. The surrounding towns were desolate, their vast streets completely empty. Scattered yellow leaves detached from branches, spinning as they fell into the eerie stillness. The air was thick with the stench of decay, and swarms of flies hovered high above the city. Dark clouds pressed down upon the settlements, the vegetation was withered, and crows circled overhead before diving down to tear at scraps of flesh from unknown sources, vanishing into the sky with haunting cries. Despite it being spring, Xu Junjun felt no warmth, only a deep, penetrating chill.
Chapter 203