They hastily dug up a few snake-repelling grass plants and then emerged from the bushes.

When they reached the shallows, the men had finished eating and resumed work.

Qin Zheng helped Magpie collect the food boxes, while Lin Zhao went straight to Lin Yao and whispered something to him.

Lin Yao’s expression immediately turned serious.

He turned to whisper to a few men beside him, who nodded and then set down their work to leave.

Lin Zhao returned and picked up the food boxes from the ground. “Sister Zheng, let’s go back. My brother will take care of the rest.”

“Alright.” Qin Zheng nodded and lifted the bamboo basket onto her back as they headed back.

As long as Lin Yao and the others were vigilant, the river bandits shouldn’t be able to cause any trouble on Two Yan Mountain.

When they returned to the courtyard, it was just past noon.

Qin Zheng set down the heavy bamboo basket and wiped the thin sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.

On the way back, they passed a bamboo forest where Qin Zheng had picked some tender shoots, which she added to the basket, thinking they would make a delicious stir-fry with pork in the evening.

There was no one in the courtyard, indicating that Aunt Lu had gone back to the fields.

However, there was faint chatter coming from the main house.

Qin Zheng listened carefully for a while and could faintly hear the voice of the old physician lamenting, “I made the wrong move! I should have placed my piece here!”

Calculating the date, Qin Zheng knew that the old physician was supposed to come today to change the prince’s wound dressing.

Were these two playing chess?

Qin Zheng called out from the courtyard, “My lord, I’m back.”

When she stepped into the house, she indeed saw the crown prince and the old physician playing chess at the table.

There was no chessboard; instead, there was a yellowed sheet of paper with a grid drawn on it, and the pieces were peanuts and soybeans.

Surprisingly, they were deeply engrossed in the game.

She greeted the old physician with a smile. “Doctor Zhao, you’re here too.”

The old physician stroked his goatee and smiled. “I was itching for a game, so I played a few rounds with your husband. I heard you went to the mountains to dig up snake-repelling grass. Why go to such trouble? I’ll bring you some snake-repellent powder next time.”

Digging up the snake-repelling grass was just a pretext.

Qin Zheng casually replied, “I forgot to ask you earlier.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard the prince’s cold voice. “I’ve lost.”

“Oh dear, it’s all because of this girl distracting me!” The old physician didn’t want to regret his move in front of the younger generation. “Let’s call it a day. We’ll continue tomorrow. There aren’t many people in the village who can play chess. I’ve become rusty in my skills…”

The old physician murmured as he folded the sheet of paper with the chess grid, treating it like a precious item as he tucked it into his pocket and picked up his medicine box.

“I’ll head back now.”

Qin Zheng offered to see him off, but the old physician waved his hands, declining the offer.

After the old physician left, the prince asked Qin Zheng, “Where did you go to dig up the snake-repelling grass? It took you quite a while. I heard from the physician that there is plenty of it in the mountains behind.”

His gaze was gentle, but Qin Zheng felt as though she was being interrogated, inexplicably feeling a sense of unease.

“The villagers are building a trestle bridge, and Zhao wanted to take lunch to them. I didn’t recognize the snake-repelling grass, so I went with her. The route was a bit longer.”

She hadn’t thought to hide the fact that she went outside the village herself, as it would be difficult to conceal, especially with the men from the Western Village at the basket station.

If things turned out like last time in the kitchen, where she was falsely accused, it wouldn’t look good in front of the prince.

By voluntarily disclosing her whereabouts, she appeared more forthright, and even if someone exaggerated later on, the prince wouldn’t easily believe it.

Upon hearing her explanation, the crown prince suddenly asked, “Is the village chief also working on the bridge?”

Qin Zheng didn’t expect him to ask that. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded.

She had been feeling thirsty on the way back, and now, being questioned so calmly by the prince, she felt even drier.

She picked up the water pitcher from the table and poured herself a glass of water.

The prince seemed to want to stop her when she picked up the earthenware cup, but it was too late.

Qin Zheng had already drunk it all in one gulp.

After finishing the water, Qin Zheng noticed the prince staring at her inexplicably.

She thought perhaps she had looked ungraceful while drinking, so she coughed lightly. “I was really thirsty.”

The prince simply murmured an “mm” and averted his gaze from her lips, which were still moist from the water.

The cup had been one he had drunk from earlier.

He didn’t inquire further about Lin Yao and the bridge construction.

Qin Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, but she still felt a strange atmosphere between them.

She initiated a new topic. “I heard that the seventh day of the fourth month is Emperor Wu Jia’s birthday.

Yun Gang Temple in Qingzhou was where Emperor Wu Jia practiced before. Would my lord like to visit the temple to pay respects?”

“What’s there to pay respects to?” The prince’s tone was flat.

Qin Zheng looked at him in surprise, wondering how he could be so indifferent to Emperor Wu Jia.

Although Emperor Wu Jia wasn’t his direct ancestor, their ancestors had inherited the country he had built.

Now that the country was lost, was he really going to turn his back on his ancestors?

Seemingly understanding her thoughts, the prince said, “All beings suffer. Even gods and Buddhas cannot save them all. What can a dead person do to help?”

Although his words made sense, Qin Zheng had just heard Lin Zhao talk about Emperor Wu Jia’s glorious achievements that afternoon.

Unable to hold back, she said, “His Majesty the Founder fought the northern barbarians and southern tribes, achieving numerous military successes.

People pay homage to him not necessarily to seek blessings but simply to remember him.”

The prince chuckled lightly, but in an instant, his gaze turned distant and desolate, his tone carrying an indescribable sense of mockery, “Isn’t he just criticized by the world for being militaristic and bloodthirsty, a butcher from Longxi?”

Why did it sound more and more absurd?

Qin Zheng felt the prince’s behavior was strange. “How could that be? The people of Chu all hold great respect for Emperor Gaozu.

Temples dedicated to Emperor Wu Jia have been erected in many places, where incense offerings are made regularly.”

The prince’s slender fingers pressed against the table, exerting so much force that his knuckles turned white.

However, there was still a smile lingering at the corner of his lips. “Indeed… Times have changed.”

Could it be that the royal family of Chu and the common people had different opinions about Emperor Wu Jia?

Qin Zheng couldn’t make sense of it.

But the crown prince clearly didn’t want to say more.

Sensing his reluctance, Qin Zheng didn’t pry further.

As she packed up her belongings, she noticed a box on top of a wooden chest containing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

The paper was rough and had frayed edges, obviously not of high quality, but it was rare in the mountain stronghold.

After all, in these turbulent times, there were few who could read and write, and the Four Treasures of the Study weren’t something ordinary families could afford.

“There weren’t these things here before,” Qin Zheng curiously asked, “Where did they come from?”