When Jinbao came to call Jun Huailang out, he was still on the embankment. Jinbao did not tell him what they were going to do.
“You only need to come with me,” he said with a grin.
Jun Huailang did not ask further and followed Jinbao into the carriage.
At noon that day, Jun Huailang finished interrogating the prisoners, and Xue Yan had important matters to deal with at the government office. Jun Huailang had originally wanted to go with him, but Xue Yan had insisted on sending him home to take an afternoon nap.
Xue Yan seemed exceptionally attentive to even the smallest details of his daily life, from major matters like his usual schedule to little things like when he ate and slept. Yet despite being so meticulous, he was also extremely domineering and never gave Jun Huailang any room to discuss things.
Jun Huailang found it both amusing and helpless. Since there really was nothing that required him, he could only listen to Xue Yan and return to the residence for a short nap.
After getting up, he went to take a look around the embankment.
By now, under Jun Huailang’s arrangements, the damaged sections of the embankment north of the city had already been filled in with sand and stone, and they were now working at full speed to clear away the accumulated water. Once the water was drained, they could begin repairing the river embankment.
Because Jun Huailang had made careful arrangements, even though he had not been there during this period, the construction site north of the city had continued in an orderly manner without any major problems.
When they saw him arrive, the official in charge of this section of the construction site hurried over happily.
“Your Highness, the Heir!” he said with a smile. “I heard long ago that you had recovered, but I didn’t dare disturb you. Why aren’t you resting at the residence for a few more days?”
This official had been following Jun Huailang since the embankment repairs began, acting as his right-hand man. At first, he had assumed Jun Huailang was merely a young nobleman from Chang’an who was treating this as a pastime, thinking that repairing the embankment and helping with disaster relief was something both entertaining and honorable. Thus, he had not trusted him very much.
But after spending this much time with him, he had come to admire Jun Huailang sincerely from the bottom of his heart.
This Heir not only worked tirelessly every day without the slightest slackening, but also had considerable insight when it came to flood control. Projects that had originally been extremely troublesome and required repeated mistakes and repairs proceeded particularly smoothly in his hands, saving a great deal of manpower and resources.
By now, he genuinely respected Jun Huailang and sincerely cared about him.
Jun Huailang smiled familiarly and shook his head.
“I was indeed worried, but after coming to look around, I found that my concern was unnecessary.”
The official smiled.
“Isn’t that because Your Highness made such thorough arrangements? There have been a few minor mishaps on the embankment these past few days, but all of them were things you had already instructed us about. Following your previous orders, we resolved them all.”
Jun Huailang merely smiled without speaking.
It was not that he had been particularly farsighted. In his previous life, his unresolved feelings had driven him to obsessively study many books on water conservancy. He had never expected that something he had used to ease his pain in his previous life would actually have a chance to become useful.
The official took him around the construction site once more to inspect it. It was not until dusk had fallen that Jinbao came to look for him.
With outsiders present, Jinbao would not be tactless enough to call Jun Huailang “Master.” However, when the official beside him saw that the person who had come was the eunuch serving at the Prince of Guangling’s side, he naturally did not dare delay any longer.
“Since His Highness the Prince of Guangling has important matters, I won’t disturb Your Highness any further,” the official said, stepping aside. “Everything on the embankment is properly arranged now. Your Highness can rest assured and recuperate peacefully at the residence.”
Jun Huailang thanked him and gave him a few more instructions before leaving together with Jinbao.
“Did Xue Yan tell you what this is about?” Jun Huailang asked Jinbao before getting into the carriage.
Jinbao remained mysteriously silent.
He simply smiled at him.
Jun Huailang could not help smiling along with him.
Seeing Jinbao like this, how could he not understand? Xue Yan must have found something else and wanted to take him somewhere to have some fun again.
Jun Huailang involuntarily thought of Xue Yan’s appearance, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
He boarded the carriage, which traveled all the way from the embankment north of the city to the South City Gate.
There were many people coming and going by the city gate today. They carried things on their shoulders or in their hands, and they all looked like peddlers. This was quite different from what Jun Huailang normally saw, making him involuntarily lift the carriage curtain and take a few more looks.
Naturally, he had no idea what they were going to do tonight.
Xue Yan had eyes and ears everywhere. Normally, all sorts of matters, large and small, in the city would pass through his ears. Today, he happened to hear that the common people in the city and the refugees outside the South City Gate had jointly submitted a petition to the government, asking to hold a celebration that night, entirely to celebrate the lifting of the epidemic.
Among the common people, such requests were quite common. The government had long since grown accustomed to them. As long as the reason was not excessive, they would approve it directly.
This time was the same.
Prefect Shen did not hesitate and allocated a broad street near the South City Gate, originally lined with residences, for them to hold the celebration. It was conveniently close to both inside and outside the city, so the refugees outside the city would not have to travel too far. He also assigned some soldiers and yamen runners specifically to oversee the safety of the celebration.
Although Prefect Shen and Duke Yong both knew about this matter, neither of them would go along to join in the festivities.
But Xue Yan, who had heard about it, immediately got an idea.
He thought that Jun Huailang would definitely want to join in the fun.
Thus, when the carriage stopped beside the West City Gate, Jinbao opened the curtain and immediately saw Xue Yan standing outside.
The carriage he was riding today bore no special markings. Xue Yan had not even taken his own carriage. Instead, he had simply had an accompanying Embroidered Uniform Guard lead a horse for him. The Embroidered Uniform Guards accompanying him were also not wearing their flying-fish robes today. All of them were dressed in ordinary clothes, looking no different from household servants following behind a wealthy young master.
Before Jinbao could reach out, Xue Yan stepped forward and helped Jun Huailang down.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, as Jun Huailang stepped down from the carriage, Xue Yan also supported his waist from behind.
Jun Huailang looked at Xue Yan, only to see him maintaining a perfectly serious expression, as though nothing had happened.
“What did you bring me here for?” Jun Huailang asked without holding it against him.
“You’ll know once you go,” Xue Yan said, looking down at him.
Then he raised his head and looked toward the several Embroidered Uniform Guards behind him.
The guards immediately understood. They dispersed into the shadows to protect them and no longer followed directly behind.
Only Jinbao remained with them.
Xue Yan turned his head toward Jun Huailang.
“Let’s go.”
The two walked side by side toward the city gate.
Jun Huailang looked around.
The farther forward they went, the livelier the surroundings became. People chatted and laughed around them, as though everyone was coming here from all directions.
“Could today be some sort of festival?” Jun Huailang asked curiously.
However, he knew that customs in the northern and southern regions were always somewhat different. It was normal for there to be differences in certain festivals.
Thus, Jun Huailang did not think much of it.
“Fortunately, the epidemic was dealt with in time,” he said to Xue Yan with a faint smile. “Otherwise, it would have delayed their festival again.”
Xue Yan did not answer. He simply led him all the way to the entrance of a street.
When he turned to the side, Jun Huailang froze.
An entire street was decorated with lanterns and colored streamers. Ropes had been strung between the buildings, with lanterns hanging all along them.
Beneath the brightly lit lanterns filling the street were crowds of people coming and going. Both sides of the street were packed with vendors, while some performers doing tricks and acrobatics moved through the crowd.
Before Jun Huailang could say anything, Xue Yan slightly bent down beside him.
“It won’t delay anything. They’re celebrating this festival specifically today.”
Jun Huailang looked up at him in surprise.
Xue Yan gave a low laugh.
“Because you saved them, they’re celebrating today.”
Jun Huailang understood.
So today was a celebration by the people of the city for recovering from the epidemic.
He looked toward the street.
There were people coming and going everywhere, shoulder to shoulder. Quite a few of them were dressed in somewhat worn clothing. They were probably all refugees from outside the city. But over the past few days, the grain and money from the capital had arrived in Jinling, immediately resolving their urgent needs. These people now had food to eat and could work for money. Although their clothes were somewhat old, every one of them now looked radiant.
The lantern light reflected in his eyes, suddenly making them feel warm.
Jun Huailang suddenly remembered his previous life, when he had read through the records and seen the description of Jinling.
“By September, the epidemic finally ceased. Corpses lay scattered throughout the city, and the people suffered everywhere.”
The epidemic had lasted for so long in his previous life. He did not know how many of the people celebrating here today had failed to survive that summer in his previous life.
Jun Huailang watched for a while. The peace and liveliness before him made his eyes grow slightly moist.
He looked up at Xue Yan and said with a smile, “How could I have saved them? Clearly, it was you.”
If Xue Yan had not been there, then even if he had been reborn and figured out the mastermind behind everything and their schemes, he would still have been helpless in the face of an epidemic like this.
But Xue Yan became serious.
“It was you who saved them.”
The two stood at the entrance of the street, looking at each other. People bustled around them, the entire street filled with noise and activity, yet no one paid any attention to the two elegantly dressed young masters.
Amid the lively voices of the crowd, Jun Huailang heard Xue Yan’s voice.
“You saved me first,” he said. “So all these things you care about, I’ll protect them for you. It wasn’t me who saved them. It was you.”
Jun Huailang stared at him, unable to speak for a moment.
His eyes were already slightly misty. He did not know how bright his eyes appeared beneath the lantern light, or how warm his gaze looked.
Xue Yan gritted his teeth and cursed softly.
Then he grabbed Jun Huailang and walked away.
But the direction he went was not toward the bustling main street. Instead, he turned to the side and entered a dark alley.
It was already late at night, and there was not even a single lamp in the alley. The moment they entered, they were swallowed by darkness.
“…What are we doing here?” Jun Huailang asked belatedly as Xue Yan pulled him along.
But immediately afterward, Xue Yan tugged him forward and pressed him firmly against the cold wall of the alley.
The light from outside quietly shone in, with the final patch of light falling right at their feet.
Xue Yan lowered his head and kissed him hard.
At Jun Huailang’s ears was the faint sound of the lively crowd outside the alley. From the corner of his eye, he could see a sea of bustling lights, all coming from the people celebrating on the main street.
And before him, the heavy scent of sandalwood surged toward him along with scorching breaths.
For a moment, the world spun, and all sound and color blurred.
Jun Huailang could make no other response. He could only clutch tightly at the fabric over Xue Yan’s chest, held firmly between the wall and Xue Yan’s embrace.