Meeting Qi Yu's tender and lingering gaze, Yun Xi stiffened. For some reason, the handsome and arrogant face of Qi Rong suddenly flashed through her mind.
He had domineeringly demanded that she not attract suitors and, in particular, stay away from Qi Yu.
It had been over a month since he left. She wondered how things were going on his side...
"Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince. I'm not cold. You should put on the cloak yourself," Yun Xi said resolutely as she untied the belt and smilingly handed the cloak back to Qi Yu.
She did this not because of that tyrant Qi Rong at all. It was simply because she didn't want to get too close to the Crown Prince and arouse others' misunderstandings.
Looking at the cloak Yun Xi offered, a hint of disappointment flashed across Qi Yu's eyes. He was about to say something when Yun Sheng, who had been watching them not far away, strode over.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, it's getting late. Let's bid farewell here," he said, standing beside his daughter and smiling as he said goodbye to Qi Yu.
Yun Sheng had no complaints about the Crown Prince. On the contrary, he highly admired the Crown Prince's humble, polite, and consistent character.
Such excellent qualities were extremely rare, not only among the royal family but also among the sons of noble families. They were truly as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
If his status were ordinary, it would be fine. But he was the Crown Prince, the future heir to the throne, destined to be involved in the struggle for power.
Yun Sheng would never allow his daughter to marry such a person!
After the Crown Prince Qi Yu left, Yun Sheng immediately took off his own cloak and wrapped it around his daughter. Looking at his daughter with a pleased smile in his eyes, he said, "You really impressed me today, daughter. I'm so proud of you!"
Yun Sheng didn't hide his true feelings at all. He patted his daughter's head contentedly. "But in the future, if you have anything, you should discuss it with me in advance. Don't take risks alone. Do you understand?"
Looking at her father and listening to his words, Yun Xi felt a lump in her throat. Except for the matter regarding Lady Jiang, her father was still the same as before, doting on her without reservation.
"Got it!"
She leaned into her father's arms and decided to make peace with him for the time being.
Seven days later, Yun Xi's suggestion indeed worked. The number of sudden deaths among the refugees dropped precipitously! Excluding those who died of natural illnesses, it could be inferred that the cause of the refugees' sudden deaths was not a new disease.
Not only outside the capital but also from other places, good news came one after another. Through a series of bold reforms and governance by Prince Xian Qi Rong, the disasters in Tongwu and Cangzhou were quickly brought under control, and the occurrence of plagues was also prevented.
When the emperor heard the news, he was overjoyed! This was the first major disaster he had faced since ascending the throne, and it had been handled very quickly, winning the praise of the common people.
Before Qi Rong and the others even returned to the capital, they had already received promotions. And the Imperial Hospital in the capital had also managed to avoid a disaster!
Director Zhang kept his promise and sang high praises for Yun Xi in front of the emperor. The emperor was also generous and directly bestowed the title of Princess Yongning on Yun Xi.
Although it was only an honorary title, it made Yun Xi's name well - known in the capital and even throughout the Liuguo Kingdom!
In the Liuguo Kingdom, only the legitimate daughters of princes could be granted the title of princess. Yun Xi was just the daughter of the prime minister and didn't have any great achievements, but suddenly she was a cut above others in front of people.
Ordinary people would bow respectfully when they saw her! This made many of the female students extremely jealous.
So, under the leadership of the Princess Dowager, part of the money raised from the previous donation was used to relieve the poor in the capital, and the rest was evenly distributed among each female student.
This gave them a chance to show their intelligence and kindness.
They were to use the limited money to buy the supplies needed by the refugees, then combine them and donate them to the refugees in the name of the Girls' Academy.
"Miss, the day after tomorrow is the donation day of the Girls' Academy. Have you decided what to buy?" Seeing Yun Xi lying on the couch looking at the ledger, Yu Zhu poured her a cup of hot tea.
"I just saw a lot of rice being transported to the Second Miss's yard. I heard it's the fine rice from Xu's Grain Store. It's snow - white and crystal - clear, of excellent quality!"
"Really?" Yun Xi raised her eyebrows, took a sip of tea, and a faint smile curled up on her lips. "I have to say, the Princess Dowager is truly a very wise person when it comes to educating women!"
Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. No matter how much knowledge they had learned in the past, it was not as profound as one practical experience.
Those talented and elegant daughters of noble families seemed to be refined and unworldly, but in the end, they still had to deal with the daily necessities of life.
Since they were human beings, they couldn't avoid being ordinary. No one could guarantee that they would be wealthy and prosperous all their lives.
As a virtuous wife who assisted her husband and raised children, she not only had to be able to appear in public gracefully but also be able to manage the household. She had to know the cost of daily necessities to be able to run the household thriftily and be competent as the mistress of the family!
"Yes! As a member of the royal family, the Princess Dowager always sets an example. She never forgets to organize donations every year. She is also very popular among the common people!"
Seeing Yun Xi getting up to open the window, Yu Zhu quickly put a thick coat on her. Yun Xi sighed and said, "But I'm afraid there will be some jokes this time."
"Why, Miss?" Yu Zhu frowned in confusion.
Yun Xi gave her a bright smile and looked mysterious. "You'll know in a few days."
Since a while ago, Yun Xi had heard a fluttering sound like wings outside the window, followed by a few cooing sounds. Curious, she opened the window.
The weather was fine at the moment, and the ice and snow were melting. There was a row of thick icicles hanging from the eaves. As soon as she opened the window, a fresh and cold air rushed towards her.
A white pigeon was standing on her window, opening its small brown - red eyes wide and curiously looking at her.
"Wow! How come there's a pigeon here?" Yu Zhu exclaimed, her voice involuntarily getting louder.
However, the little pigeon didn't seem to be afraid of strangers. It held its head high, proudly took small steps towards Yun Xi, and even rubbed its head against Yun Xi's hand.
Tickled by this cute little thing, Yun Xi gently picked it up in her palm. When she saw the note tied to the pigeon's leg, she immediately understood why it was so unafraid of people.
"Yu Zhu, go find some grain to reward this little guy," she said.
It must be very tired to deliver a letter on such a cold day, so it had stopped for a rest.
Yun Xi stroked the pigeon's small head and didn't touch the note on its leg. However, the little pigeon seemed to be spiritual. It kept stretching the little leg with the note towards Yun Xi.
"Do you want me to read the content inside?" Yun Xi looked a bit embarrassed at the pigeon's action.
She wasn't sure who the letter was for and was worried about accidentally uncovering someone's secret.
"Miss, just take a look. We can just tie it back later!" Yu Zhu walked in with a plate of grain, looking at Yun Xi expectantly.
"I think you just want to watch the fun, don't you?" Yun Xi looked at Yu Zhu with a smile and helplessly shook her head. She reached out and untied the note on the pigeon's leg.
As soon as she read the content on the note, her face changed instantly, and two flames of anger burned in her eyes.
Fortunately, she had opened it to read. Otherwise, if this note had fallen into someone else's hands, she wouldn't be able to clear her name even if she had a hundred mouths!