Chapter 69 - Traveling to Lishui

Feng Long walks down to Zhang Yi's room. Upon arrival, Zhang Yi bows to him:

-Your majesty! Do you need anything?
-Please, rise... I'll help you. - Feng Long smiles, helping Zhang Yi to rise.
-Help me? How?
-Zhong Kunyi said that you need more raw material to make the medicines. I'm willing to accompany you on that.
-Your majesty, please, do not feel obligated to do it... I can go alone.
-No problem at all. I want to go and help you find the best. This batch is for Xia Chunyu, and I have so much admiration for him.
-Well, your majesty can go. I'll try to protect you at all costs! - Zhang Yi bows.
-Please, you can rise... I trust you, and this is why I want to go with you on this.
-Well, so let's start it today. We will travel to Lishui, from where most of my raw material comes. We could get it in a closer location, but in Lishui, it is ubiquitous all over the year. 
-Fine. Going to Lishui is a relatively long trip, so I'll provide us a good carriage and some supplies. 
-I'll wait for your majesty.

Feng long smiles and moves back to his room. He packs some clothes and asks a soldier nearby to provide a carriage with some supplies. At the same time, Zhang Yi also packs some compounds that might be useful during such a trip. 
A few hours later, they meet at the square in front of the palace. Yu Lexuan and Zhong Kunyi are also there:

-As I told you, we will harvest the flowers and other components Zhang Yi needs. We will stockpile a large quantity this time, so our response time will be shorter. -Feng Long smiles.

Yu Lexuan and Zhong Kunyi bow to him:

-We wish your majesty a safe trip. 
-You can rest assured I'll be back very soon. Lishui is not that far away. We can get very close to it today. 

Feng Long enters inside the carriage, and Zhang Yi controls the horse. Yu Lexuan moves closer to him:

-Zhang Yi, please... Take care of Feng Long... Keep him warm as you did with me. - Yu Lexuan smirks.
-I assure you I will keep him very well... I'm not sure about keeping him warm as I did with you, but I'll try.

Yu Lexuan smiles and moves away from the carriage. Zhang Yi starts moving and looks inside it:

-Your majesty, please tell me if I'm going too fast... I want your trip to be comfortable.
-Please, Zhang Yi, no need to care. This trip should be short. I want to send our medicine to Xia Chunyu as fast as possible.
-As your majesty desires.

As Zhang Yi lefts the city, Feng Long hold some conversations with him:

-Zhang Yi... If I ask you how much do you trust your medicine, would it be too harsh?
-I think this is perfectly appropriate, Feng Long. My answer is that I trust them. Otherwise, I'd not have given it to almost everyone in the empire.
-I asked that because... you know... I felt terrible for the increase in the death toll in our empire and how people outrightly refused to take it.
-We face some problems that we may not be able to solve. It happened in Lishui too. After an increase in the fatality rate, everyone rushed to get immunized. I can see it happening in Zhejiang too.
-You are right... Maybe people need this to get very scary, so they later adhere to the strategy.
-Exactly... We can help but not force them to get immunized. Of course, those who refuse will have their movements restricted until the epidemic is brought under control again.
-You are right, Zhang Yi... My "beauty of governance" philosophy also includes situations where individual liberties cannot override the common good. An epidemic is a classic example. If you have a pathogen affecting you, we have to keep you out or treat the disease. No one should be allowed to die for the sake of your freedom.

Zhang Yi keeps driving the carriage. At sunset, they reach the small village of Qianzhucun. This village is only 120 li away from Lishui, so a very convenient stop. Qianzhucun has a hotel where they can stay for the night and some restaurants to eat something. 

They stop in front of the hotel, and Feng Long goes to the front desk. Since he is the emperor, a very handsome one, after all, people stare at him. The attendant smiles:

-Hello, how can I help you?

-Please. I need to book a room for two people. We will depart tomorrow morning.

-I'll check availability. Any preference for orientation?

-It can be in the front. I noticed the hotel has some beautiful balconies, so I'd like to have one in the front. 

-No problem, I'll provide one for you. 

-Right. Meanwhile, I'll help my partner with the luggage. Please, don't bother, it is only two small volumes.

-As you wish. 

Feng Long moves out of the hotel and helps Zhang Yi to bring the luggage. There is also a small area where he can leave the horse overnight.

The attendant books a room for Feng Long and Zhang Yi. They go upstairs and let their luggage in the room. Feng Long opens the door leading to the balcony, inviting Zhang Yi:

-Hey, Zhang Yi, look at how beautiful the view is from here!

Zhang Yi smiles, walking towards Feng Long:

-I can see two nice things. - He smiles.

-Two? Where?

-One of them is the village. The other is you.- Zhang Yi smiles.

Feng Long blushes:

-I feel flattered by this comparison...

-You don't have to... After all, you are one of the prettiest emperors.

-Yes, this is what they say... But, you know... Let's have something to eat? I'm a bit hungry.

-For sure, as your majesty wants.

-There are some restaurants very close to our hotel. Let's have it.

...

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