Upon hearing this, the woman’s face turned green with anger.
Xiao Jinglin suddenly spoke up, “I don’t accept students who can’t read.”
“Huh?” Little Mo Xiaoliang forgot his struggle and stood there in a daze.
But the child was clever. His eyes lit up with joy as he asked, “So if I learn to read, will you take me?”
Xiao Jinglin thought for a moment and nodded, “Mm.”
Mo Xiaoliang immediately broke free from his mother’s grip and ran off happily, shouting as he went, “Time to write! Time to write…”
The woman watched her son disappear in the blink of an eye, her face and eyes filled with worry. She looked at Xiao Jinglin, hesitating to speak.
Before she could say anything, Xiao Jinglin nodded calmly to the woman and said, “Don’t worry.”
Hearing this, the woman let out a sigh of relief.
Xiao Jinglin then turned to Ren Yaoqi and said, “Go inside and wait for me. I’ll be back soon.”
“Where are you going?” Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but frown. The place was remote, and she only had Pingguo with her. Though she wasn’t timid, she didn’t want to stay here alone.
“I’m just going nearby to buy something. I’ll be back soon. I’ll leave Tong Xi here.” As if sensing Ren Yaoqi’s concern, Xiao Jinglin leaned closer and whispered, “Don’t be afraid. There are people guarding the area. No outsiders will be allowed in.”
Only then did Ren Yaoqi feel reassured, though she found it odd that Xiao Jinglin insisted on going herself to buy something. She had thought Xiao Jinglin truly disliked having people follow her, but it seemed there were still guards hidden nearby.
Xiao Jinglin exchanged a few more words with the woman before turning and leaving.
The woman led Ren Yaoqi to the backyard.
Ren Yaoqi now noticed that while the front of the shop was small, the backyard was at least three times larger. Though it was just an ordinary courtyard, it was filled with various plants. Ren Yaoqi spotted a patch of land near the wall where medicinal herbs like Panax notoginseng and Atractylodes were planted.
“Does someone in the shopkeeper’s family know medicine?” Ren Yaoqi asked.
The woman quickly replied, “My husband’s surname is Mo. You can call me Sister Mo. My daughter-in-law’s grandfather used to run a medicine shop, so she knows some herbs. She usually gathers and plants herbs to earn some extra money.”
“I see.”
“Do you recognize herbs, miss?” Sister Mo asked with a smile as she led Ren Yaoqi toward a table placed in the northeast corner of the courtyard.
“I only know a few common ones. I wouldn’t say I truly recognize them.”
A young woman arranging bowls and chopsticks looked up at Ren Yaoqi, her eyes filled with curiosity. Judging by her attire and age, Ren Yaoqi guessed she was Sister Mo’s daughter-in-law.
Sister Mo instructed the young woman, “Huoxiang, go help me keep an eye on Xiaoliang while he writes. We’re not opening for business today, and there are no other guests. I can manage on my own.”
“Yes, Mother.” Huoxiang finished setting the tableware and left with her head bowed.
“Please sit, miss. I’ll go to the kitchen to check if the meal is ready,” Sister Mo said with a smile.
Ren Yaoqi nodded. “Take your time.”
Sister Mo also left. Ren Yaoqi took a look around the small courtyard and stood up to examine a coarse clay pot nearby, which held a thriving plant of Chloranthus spicatus, another medicinal herb.
Upon closer inspection, Ren Yaoqi realized that most of the plants in the courtyard were medicinal. Just among the potted plants, she spotted Chloranthus spicatus, Pinellia ternata, Gentiana scabra, Pteris multifida, Paris polyphylla, Saposhnikovia divaricata, Asarum sieboldii, Zanthoxylum nitidum, Ligusticum chuanxiong, and Arisaema heterophyllum.Sensing someone entering the backyard, Ren Yaoqi turned her head and saw Dongsheng walking in.
Dongsheng stopped about four or five steps away from Ren Yaoqi and bowed: "This humble servant greets the Fifth Miss Ren."
Ren Yaoqi examined him with a smile. Dongsheng's appearance hadn't changed, and he looked quite spirited—his eyes still clear and lively.
"How come you're by the Commandery Princess's side?"
Dongsheng lowered his head respectfully: "The Second Young Master is also in White Crane Town. This humble servant was ordered to drive the carriage for the Commandery Princess."
So Xiao Jingxi had indeed come.
Ren Yaoqi looked at Dongsheng thoughtfully: "Do you have something to tell me?"
Dongsheng nodded and said: "Cousin, there's movement at White Dragon Temple."
Ren Yaoqi was taken aback, then overjoyed, and quickly asked: "You mean the Xiao Family's army..."
Dongsheng nodded: "The day before yesterday, another conflict broke out in the army, and people died. I heard that memorials requesting Yanbei to reduce its troops have already piled up on the Emperor's desk. In a few days, an imperial decree should arrive from the capital. The Yanbei Prince's Mansion will act before the decree arrives, dispersing several units by breaking them into smaller groups and scattering them as hired laborers among some of Yanbei's larger temples. When people from the capital arrive, even if they notice something suspicious, there will be nothing they can do."
Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but feel delighted. With the Xiao Family's army not entering Ningxia, even if Zeng Pu comes later, he won't have the same strength as in her previous life. His path to promotion will certainly not be as smooth either.
Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but admire Xiao Jingxi's efficiency. While the idea had seemed simple when she thought of it, actually implementing it was fraught with difficulties. Yet Xiao Jingxi had managed it, and in such a short time.
Seeing the undisguised joy on Ren Yaoqi's face, Dongsheng couldn't help but ask: "What benefit does this bring to the Xianwang Residence?"
Ren Yaoqi said: "I only know that if the court's influence infiltrates Yanbei, it won't be good for the Xianwang Residence."
Dongsheng thought for a moment and nodded in agreement: "Miss is right."
Seeing that he still constantly thought of the Xianwang Residence, Ren Yaoqi sighed softly: "Tong Xi, will your master blame you for telling me this?"
Hearing her call him by his current name, Dongsheng understood Ren Yaoqi's meaning. After a moment's thought, he shook his head: "Probably not. This humble servant feels that the Second Young Master seems to have guessed something. Yesterday, when Tongde went to report this matter to him, he didn't ask me to leave. Today, he specifically ordered me to accompany the Commandery Princess to the Ren Family... I feel he seems to know."
Did he know that she was the one who proposed this method?
"Miss need not worry about this humble servant. I know my limits," Dongsheng said to Ren Yaoqi. "The Second Young Master treats me well. Since I've chosen to follow him, I will naturally serve him with all my heart. But the Xianwang Residence... the Xianwang Residence is like my home. I won't forget where I come from."
If the Xianwang Residence and the Yanbei Prince's Mansion remain peaceful, then Dongsheng's situation will be fine. But if, one day, conflicts of interest arise, Dongsheng might...
However, in her previous life, the Xianwang Residence and the Yanbei Prince's Mansion remained separate and even turned a blind eye when Li Tianyou secretly went to the capital to find her. In this life, they probably won't suddenly develop conflicts either."By the way, have you ever heard of a family surnamed Qu? They should have been a prominent clan in Yan Prefecture decades ago, but later fell into decline for some unknown reason, and most of the clan members died." Ren Yaoqi suddenly remembered the Han Family's affairs and quickly asked.
Since so many people from the Qu Family had died, it must have been a major incident. If that were the case, Dongsheng might know about it. Although they were not from Yanbei, they knew quite a bit about things even the Yanbei people might not be aware of.
Upon hearing this, Dongsheng thought carefully but still shook his head. "Miss, are you certain the Qu Family was a prominent clan? Why do I have no impression of them? Logically speaking, if they were a prominent clan in Yanbei, even if it was decades ago, I should still know about it."
Regarding this point, Dongsheng was quite confident. In terms of martial arts, even Yihong and the others might be better than him, but when it came to social interactions and the customs of noble families, he was the most proficient. As for the various prominent clans in Yanbei, large and small, he had memorized their genealogies.
Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but feel disappointed. Even Dongsheng couldn't recall a Qu Family?
"Perhaps they weren't a prominent clan," Ren Yaoqi said uncertainly.
"Perhaps during that period decades ago, when the Liao people were rampant, some families suffered disasters and completely vanished without being recorded. However, I really can't recall it at the moment. Should I go back and think about it more carefully? I remember that Second Young Master Xiao's study seems to have some local chronicles documenting the history of Yan Prefecture. I can go back and look through them to see if I can find anything." Seeing Ren Yaoqi's disappointment, Dongsheng tried to comfort her.
Ren Yaoqi nodded. Usually, such local chronicles recorded various events, big and small, in the area. If the Qu Family was truly from Yanbei, some clues should be traceable.
At that moment, someone else entered the backyard. Ren Yaoqi glanced over and was taken aback—it was Xiao Jingxi walking in.
Seeing Ren Yaoqi and Dongsheng talking, Xiao Jingxi showed no surprise or displeasure.
He walked over slowly, glanced at Ren Yaoqi, and gave her a faint smile. "Fifth Miss Ren."
"Second Young Master Xiao," Ren Yaoqi quickly curtsied in greeting.
Aunt Mo brought tea, respectfully placed it on the table, and then hurriedly bowed before retreating.
Xiao Jingxi walked over to a pot of gentian, gently lifted a newly sprouted tender leaf with his right index finger, and bent down to examine it closely.
Ren Yaoqi stood not far from him in front of a pot of pearl orchid, silently watching his movements.
"The Su Family has sent an invitation to the Han Family, inviting them to join the Su Family and several other families in preparing for the dragon boat race outside Yunyang City during next month's Dragon Boat Festival," Xiao Jingxi turned to look at Ren Yaoqi, his smile light and clear.
After a brief moment of surprise, Ren Yaoqi's mind raced.
Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival in Yunyang City, dragon boat races were organized, but the preparations for the event were always handled by a few of Yan Prefecture's leading prominent families. It could be said that this was a symbol of a family's strength. The Ren Family had tried to secure this qualification last year but ultimately failed.
The Su Family was the main organizer of the dragon boat race, essentially the initiator of the event, so their invitation carried significant weight.
Regardless of the Han Family's actual strength, their foundation was too shallow, and they kept a low profile. Logically, such an event shouldn't involve them.
Could it be that the Su Family's true intention was not what it seemed?
The Han Family's salt well... This was the reason Ren Yaoqi thought of.Is the Su family making their move?
"Does Fifth Miss Ren know the reason?" Xiao Jingxi looked at Ren Yaoqi and asked with a smile.
Ren Yaoqi raised her head to look at Xiao Jingxi. She always felt there was something else behind Xiao Jingxi's smile.
(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to Qidian to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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