Chapter 76: Qi Yu, filled with anger, had already mounted his horse with his sword in hand and was galloping...

As the day of her return to the frontier drew near, the summer heat of the capital had already begun to set in. Early in the morning, Liu Yeshu rose early, donning a light yellow dress as thin as a cicada's wing, a white jade hairpin in her hair, and walked gracefully towards the city's bustling market.

The vendors, long accustomed to the summer heat, continued to hawk their wares with vigor. The morning sun hadn't yet fully penetrated, but it had already slightly distorted the air, leaving it with a parched, sweltering atmosphere.

Liu Yeshu arrived at a jewelry stall. The owner was a middle-aged woman in her forties. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, but her eyes remained bright. Liu Yeshu's gaze swept across a row of silver ornaments, finally settling on a hollow, carved silver hairpin. Its silver light flowed as lightly as autumn water.

"Girl, you have excellent taste!" the stall owner said, fanning gently with a silk fan. "This is the latest style!"

This was bought for Liu's mother. Liu Yeshu did not bargain, put down the silver and left.

Pushing open the wooden door of the cloth shop, a gust of cool air greeted me. Inside, neatly arranged cloths—silk, fine cotton, and satin—were stacked neatly according to color and texture, emitting a faint, fresh fragrance of laundry. The shopkeeper, a middle-aged man in his fifties, was carefully selecting summer fabrics for a woman. Hearing the door open, he turned and his gaze fell on Liu Yeshu.

"Miss, do you want to buy some summer fabric?" the shopkeeper asked kindly.

Liu Yeshu smiled and nodded: "Exactly. I want to find a piece of light, thin and breathable material to make clothes for the younger generation in my family."

The shopkeeper had already begun to skillfully pull out several bolts of fabric. He spread a piece of light pink fine cotton on the counter, the sunlight filtering through the fabric, revealing its light, thin texture.

"Do you think this one suits your taste? It's a new material recently imported from the capital. The material is of high quality and is perfect for making summer shirts." The shopkeeper introduced the material while gently stroking it with his hand to show its texture.

Liu Yeshu looked at it carefully and found that it was indeed the best summer material, as light as gauze, breathable and soft.

"Give me some more light-colored ribbons," she ordered. "Summer clothes should be made lighter and tied with ribbons at the collar and cuffs. They will look nice and breathable."

The shopkeeper smiled and took out a few soft-colored ribbons from the corner of the cabinet: "Miss, you have good taste. These ribbons are perfect for this pink fabric."

Liu Yeshu took the opportunity to ask, "It's the height of summer, but the shopkeeper's shop feels cool and refreshing. How did he do it?"

"Here's the secret," the shopkeeper pointed to the burning spices in the corner. "This is a specially made cooling herb that can dispel the heat and reduce fever. If you want to buy some, go straight ahead. It's in the last shop. He'll prepare it for you."

Liu Yeshu walked into the spice shop and saw the owner weighing cooling spices such as borneol and mint for the customers.

"Boss, do you have any spices that can calm the mind and cool down the summer heat?"

The shopkeeper wiped his sweat off his face and said with a smile, "Miss, this incense made from sandalwood and agarwood is the most refreshing. After burning a stick of incense, it feels like taking a rest by a cool stream. If you buy more, I can give you a discount."

"Give me some more warming spices. Give me a discount and I'll come back next time."

After leaving the house, Liu Yeshu weighed her package; it was already quite heavy. She looked towards the other side of the market and caught a glimpse of a plaque reading "Nanchahang" (Southern Tea Shop). With a thought, she headed towards the shop. She had long considered importing some tea from the south, suitable for the frontier, to not only satisfy her and her family's drinking needs but also open up a new trade route.

The tea shop owner came up to them with a smile on his face, and seeing that Liu Yeshu was interested in tea, he began to introduce it enthusiastically.

"Miss, here we have all kinds of fine tea from the south. Biluochun and Longjing tea have a pleasant fragrance, perfect for summer drinking; Pu'er tea is mellow and smooth, warming the stomach and resisting the cold, suitable for climates like these on the frontier. Tieguanyin oolong tea has a long-lasting flavor and unique aroma, and is a favorite of the nobles in the capital."

Liu Yeshu nodded as she listened. The border environment was very different from that of the Central Plains. It was dry and rainy, and the climate was harsh, which was not necessarily suitable for the growth of ordinary tea trees.

"If these teas were shipped to the frontier, they would be very rare. I wonder if the boss has any cold-resistant and drought-resistant tea varieties?"

Upon hearing this, the boss raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled, "I didn't expect the girl to be from the frontier. She looks more like she's from our capital!" He paused and said, "Although the climate in the frontier is different from that in the south, our tea shop does have some cold-resistant and drought-resistant tea varieties from the southwest. For example, this Pu'er tea variety has a well-developed root system and strong adaptability, and can even tolerate semi-arid areas. And the seeds of this large-leaf green tea are also suitable for dry environments. If the girl really wants to grow crops in the frontier, these two should be the most suitable."

Liu Yeshu nodded, thinking that this boss actually understood the situation.

"So what's the price of these seeds?"

When the boss heard her interest, he smiled and said, "Young lady, these tea varieties are not common, especially those suitable for the frontier. They are quite rare even in the capital. Each package of my large-leaf green tea seeds costs thirty taels of silver, and each package of Pu'er tea seeds costs twenty-five taels of silver." He paused, watching Liu Yeshu's reaction, "If you buy more, you can get a lower price."

Liu Yeshu frowned slightly, thinking that the prices were much higher than expected, so she had to pretend to be embarrassed.

"Boss, this price is not low. The survival rate of the seeds is not high. If they fail when taken to the border, wouldn't it be a waste?"

The boss thought for a moment, saw that she was willing to try, and didn't want to lose this business, so he smiled and said, "Since you are so willing, then each package of Pu'er seeds will be 20 taels, and each package of green tea seeds will be 25 taels. If you buy more tea, I will give you another 10% discount, how about that?"

Seeing that the boss had relented, Liu Yeshu no longer hesitated and bought several bags of tea along with two bags of seeds.

I put the seeds into my purse and was about to turn around and leave when suddenly, a system notification sounded in my ears:

[A cold-resistant tea species suitable for border cultivation has been detected. It is recommended that the host place it in the system for warming to increase its survival rate and adapt to the border environment.]

After Liu Yeshu left the tea shop, she eagerly sought a quiet spot, removed the seeds, and placed them in the system for warming. Suddenly, a faint glow enveloped the tea seeds, and the screen displayed an interface for adjusting temperature, humidity, and other parameters. She adjusted the parameters to suit the border environment and silently watched the tea seeds absorb the nutrients from the glow. Then, the system transmitted a message:

Tea seeds enter a warming mode, with a 70% survival rate. They are expected to adapt to the frontier climate within seven days.

Liu Yeshu couldn't help but feel a little excited when she thought about being able to drink a cup of stomach-warming Pu'er tea during the cold days at the frontier in the future.

Suddenly, she heard hurried footsteps behind her. Liu Yeshu turned around and saw that it was Han Mo, followed by two burly attendants, whose steps were full of oppression.

Han Mo wore a long gown embroidered with dark patterns and inlaid with expensive jade buttons at the collar. He wore a nonchalant smile, but that smile was like a thin layer of ice, unable to conceal the hidden calculation in his eyes.

Liu Yeshu's heart sank suddenly and she quickened her pace, but Han Mo and his attendants immediately stood in front of her.

"Miss Liu, what a coincidence?" Han Mo deliberately dragged out his words, a hint of teasing in his voice. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" He glanced at the cloth and jewelry in Liu Yeshu's hands, a trace of contempt flashing in his eyes. "Carrying so many things! Come on, you two, why don't you help our Miss Liu carry them!"

The servants rushed forward like wolves and tigers, trying to snatch Liu Yeshu's things from her hands.

Liu Yeshu took a step back cautiously, and his right hand moved quietly down and hid in the wide cuffs.

"Mr. Han, please respect yourself. I have to hurry back to the General's Mansion, so please get out of the way."

Han Mo remained unmoved, taking a step forward with a half-smile on his face. His boots made a slight, rhythmic sound as they stepped on the bluestone slabs.

"Miss Liu, there's no need to be so distant," he said in a low and ambiguous voice. "I just felt that you were unfamiliar with the capital, so I wanted to keep you company out of kindness."

"What's the good of following Qi Yu? He is engaged to the princess, and the princess will definitely not tolerate you... Why don't you come back with me and I will marry you as my concubine, okay?" As he said this, he stretched out his hand, as if to touch the hairpin on Liu Yeshu's head.

Liu Yeshu stared coldly at the approaching Han Mo. His right hand quickly pulled out a dagger from his sleeve. With a flash of cold light, it accurately slashed across Han Mo's arm. Blood instantly stained his sleeve red. Han Mo screamed and stumbled back.

"You!" Han Mo covered his wound, his eyes filled with incredible anger, "How dare you do this!"

Qin Mo covered his wound, staring at Liu Yeshu with wide eyes, and said angrily, "How dare you hit me? It seems you're not going to accept my offer!"

He waved his hand at the attendant beside him and said coldly: "Catch her for me!"

Before the attendants could react, Liu Yeshu had already pulled out a small packet of pre-prepared drugs from her bosom. The fine powder fell gently like spring rain, instantly enveloping Han Mo and his two attendants.

Before the three of them could react, they fell to the ground with a bang as if their souls had been sucked out.

Liu Yeshu stood there, her cold eyes sweeping over the three unconscious people. She slowly put the dagger back into her sleeve, straightened her clothes, and then stepped forward to step on each of them.

Returning to the General's Mansion, Liu Yeshu quietly entered the courtyard. The summer sun streamed down like water, and the bluestone slabs in the courtyard still retained the warmth of the day. However, in the depths of the courtyard, she suddenly heard a low, melodious conversation. Following the sound, she saw the princess reclining in an exquisite sandalwood pavilion, swaying a cup of tea in her hand, an elegant and calm smile on her face as she chatted with Qi Yu.

On the flower stands surrounding the pavilion, several midsummer peonies were in full bloom, their petals as delicate as silk. On the coffee table stood an exquisite celadon tea set, emitting a faint tea fragrance.

Liu Yeshu stepped back quietly, ready to leave without a sound, but Qi Yu had already looked up and saw her, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. His gaze swept over her slightly disheveled clothes, and he immediately noticed something was wrong. He asked in a deep voice, "What happened?"

Liu Yeshu paused for a moment, a hint of hesitation in his eyes, but then he calmly answered truthfully, "When I was out today, I ran into Young Master Han Mo and nearly had something bad done to me. Luckily, I had some self-defense items with me, so I managed to escape."

Upon hearing this, Qi Yu's face immediately darkened, his eyes were as cold as frost, and his expression revealed suppressed anger.

However, the princess at the side snorted coldly, a trace of disdain and contempt flashing in her eyes. She glanced at Liu Yeshu with a sneer on her face and said, "Isn't it because Miss Liu accidentally attracted a lot of attention while out and about that she got into all this trouble? If it weren't for her own promiscuity, how could she have encountered all this for no reason?"

Her words seemed to be poisoned, each word was full of wisdom, and it was clear that she wanted to nail Liu Yeshu to the pillar of shame.

Liu Yeshu looked calm and didn't say much. It was useless to say more to such a person. She was wondering whether the princess and Han Mo had agreed that one of them would hold Qi Yu back while the other would rob him?

Qi Yu had naturally thought of this, his face already livid. He looked at the princess coldly, his tone carrying undisguised majesty and reproach: "Princess, be careful with your words."

The princess was frightened by Qi Yu's coldness, her face turned pale for a moment, but she turned her head away unwillingly, with a flash of anger in her eyes.

Qi Yu looked at Liu Yeshu, a trace of heartache flashed in his eyes, then he turned and walked to the wall, and took a long sword from the shelf without hesitation. The sword body flashed with cold light in the sunlight.

Seeing his stern expression and the resoluteness in his eyes, Liu Yeshu's heart tightened and she hurriedly called out, "General..."

However, Qi Yu had already walked away, saying coldly, "We must seek justice for this matter."

His back was like a sharp sword pointing straight to the sky, resolute and firm. The princess stood there, staring at his back, her eyes gradually filled with gloom and resentment.

Seeing Qi Yu walking out of the mansion without looking back, the princess's face gradually became gloomy, and she glanced at Liu Yeshu with an unfriendly look, as if she wanted to drive her out of here.

Liu Yeshu stood there, feeling slightly surprised. Qi Yu had always been calm and composed, but now he was actually going to chop someone with a sword?

Facing the princess's increasingly gloomy gaze, she immediately suppressed all her emotions. With her head lowered, she retreated silently to the side like a willow leaf blown by the wind, as quiet as if she had never existed.

At this time, Qi Yu had already mounted his horse with a sword in hand and was running towards Han's mansion. His eyes were as sharp as blades and his heart was filled with anger.