The following day, Wen Jiu went out as usual to distribute porridge and cotton clothes. Thanks to proactive measures, the capital and the various regions of Dachao faced no hunger or riots. While a small number of refugees still lacked proper clothing, Prince Duan quickly contained them outside the city walls, preventing them from entering. With Prince Duan and Gao Yining managing these efforts, the prince’s calm and composed approach slowly began to catch Emperor Yuan’s eye. Ganzhou handled the situation best; remaining completely unaffected, they suffered only from the bitter cold.
Before long, the Lantern Festival arrived. Shuangshuang and Fu Yichen, wearing disguises, went out to see the lanterns. On the streets, people were filled with praise for Su Jinyu and Wen Jiu. Shuangshuang was reluctant to part with Fu Yichen, and he, sensing this, bought her a lantern and whispered, "My lady, wait for me." It was the first time he had ever called her that.
Wen Jiu, however, did not go out. Every year at this time, she would hide away to drink, and this year was no exception—though she remained unexpectedly sober. She had not witnessed the events herself, so she could not judge whether her ally was disposable based solely on Xuanying’s words.
Chapter 373