Xiangli Youming obtained the Red Spirit Fruit and took one every day. His cultivation speed indeed increased significantly. In just one year, he went from the fifth level of Qi Refining to the sixth level.

Yuan Qi thoughtfully sent some over after he finished eating the red spirit fruit.

Xiangli Youming immediately sent the good stuff he got to Yuan Qi.

That day, Yuan Qi received some good things from Huang Zhong and was just about to send some to Xiangli Youming when Jiang Jiulu came in, lifting her skirt, her expression quite intriguing.

"Seventh Sister, Li Jiaojiao died in childbirth." Jiang Jiulu stared at Yuan Qi with a complex expression, a mixture of excitement and sorrow on her face. She asked somewhat angrily, "Did you already know that?"

Yuan Qi had Green Bamboo put away everything Huang Zhong had given her before inviting her to sit down: "I saw it all along. You just need to wait another year, and you'll have your chance..."

Jiang Jiulu smiled slightly: "You mean I still have a chance to marry the Sixth Young Master, right?"

Yuan Qi said, "Wait patiently, don't let anyone see how happy you are. Did the Sixth Young Master have a daughter?"

Jiang Jiulu nodded: "I've been keeping an eye on the Sixth Young Master's situation. After the Sixth Young Master and Li Jiaojiao got married, they were very harmonious and had a great relationship. The Bai family also treated Li Jiaojiao very well, and they took good care of her when she was pregnant. It's just that she was unlucky. She had a difficult childbirth and suffered severe bleeding. An experienced imperial physician used medicine to induce labor when Li Jiaojiao was on her deathbed, which saved the child."

Jiang Jiulu had already given up hope on Bai Fujun. She subconsciously thought that Bai Fujun and Li Jiaojiao would be loving and devoted to each other for life, and even if Bai Fujun were to take a concubine, the Jiang family would not agree to their daughter becoming a concubine.

Jiang Jiulu was already mentally prepared for the possibility that other romantic opportunities might await her. She also knew that there were plenty of good men in the world, and perhaps she could meet someone even better than the Sixth Young Master.

I didn't expect the opportunity to come so quickly.

Although Bai Fujun had to observe a year of mourning for Li Jiaojiao, Jiang Jiulu decided to wait for him for a year.

Yuan Qi picked up her small cloth bag and walked outside; she was going to set up her stall as usual today.

As soon as Yuan Qi arrived under the big locust tree, she noticed that Bai Youhui was sitting on her small stool, dressed in a dark blue official robe.

"Congratulations, you got a job?" Yuan Qi nudged him, gesturing for him to sit down to the side.

Bai Youhui obediently stood up, circled in front of Yuan Qi, and said with a proud expression, "How's my new official robe? Impressive, isn't it?"

Yuan Qi chuckled and nodded, "That's good. Where is the job?"

"The head of the Dali Temple is responsible for investigating and adjudicating cases." Bai Youhui was very happy. "It's a sixth-rank official position, which is a bit low, but it's already very good to have a job."

Yuan Qi greatly admired Bai Youhui: "Your grandfather found you this job?"

Bai Youhui didn't hide anything, nor did he think it was anything shameful. He explained, "The current Minister of the Court of Judicial Review is my grandfather's protégé, and it's all up to him. But I also have real skills. In the past two years, I've learned a lot from you. Although I haven't formally become your apprentice, we're practically master and disciple. Minister He of the Court of Judicial Review only accepted me because he saw that I knew some mystical things, and he thought I was suitable for the Court of Judicial Review. In truth, I got into the Court of Judicial Review based on my own real abilities."

Yuan Qi nodded and looked him over again, noticing two men dressed as constables from the Dali Temple waiting for him not far away: "Are you going to investigate a case today?"

Bai Youhui said with great pride: "That's right. A lot of babies have gone missing in the south of the city over the past year, and a lot of strange things have happened. The local authorities couldn't solve the cases, so they reported them to me. Lord He said he wanted me to go and take a look."

Yuan Qi hummed in agreement, looking at him with admiration: "I think you can do it. By the way, how is Sixth Young Master?"

Bai Youhui was about to leave, but now he sat down again: "It's alright, just so-so. Li Jiaojiao is dead. Actually, I had already seen that Li Jiaojiao was dying of a fit of rage, but I didn't dare to say anything, afraid that they would beat me. I saw that my sixth brother was in a bad mood, so I advised him that this was his destiny."

Yuan Qi asked him with a half-smile, "Is he in a better mood?"

Bai Youhui nodded: "No, I'm even more upset. She complained that I didn't say so earlier. If I had, I might have been able to change Li Jiaojiao's fate. Now look what's happened. He's a widower at such a young age, and there are rumors that he has a tough fate. Tell me, which girl would want to marry someone with a tough fate?"

"Have you forgotten how many girls liked him back then, lining up to marry him? I bet there are still quite a few who want to marry him now, right?" Yuan Qi sighed softly. "He's at least the next head of the Bai family, so he shouldn't be so disliked. But you, you're two years older than the Sixth Young Master, and he's already a father, yet you still refuse to get married."

Bai Youhui chuckled and said, "I want to study with Master for another two years before I think about it. But I reckon that when Sixth Brother gets married this time, he'll have someone do some divination, and maybe he'll ask you."

Yuan Qi smiled enigmatically: "Let's hurry up and leave, they're waiting, and we could talk forever."

Bai Youhui wasn't in a hurry to leave. He wanted to chat with Yuan Qi a bit more: "Master, don't chase me away. I still have something to say."

The two chatted for quite a while before Bai Youhui finally left, dawdling along.

Yuan Qi set up his stall nonchalantly, placing the Bagua diagram and divination tube on the table, waiting listlessly for customers to come in.

In no time, someone arrived. It was a man wearing a dark blue official robe, whom Yuan Qi recognized at a glance as Qi Sheng.

"Master, thank goodness you're still here." Qi Sheng ran over breathlessly and sat down immediately.

Yuan Qi asked, "Don't panic, what happened to you?"

Judging from his appearance, this person is destined for great success and has an abundance of romantic opportunities.

Qi Sheng clasped his hands in a fist salute to Yuan Qi: "I'm fine. It's a colleague of mine, Li Fu, who works at the Hanlin Academy. He's changed a lot lately. Today, I was drinking with him, and he suddenly started crying, saying things like he was sorry to Huang Ying. I didn't quite understand what he was saying. Just then, his wife arrived, and when she heard Li Fu talking about Huang Ying again, the two of them started arguing. Li Fu stormed off. His wife told me that Li Fu has been like a different person lately, always running around and even giving all his salary to that Huang Ying. The family urgently needs money; how can he not make ends meet?"

"I've been thinking about Li Fu's behavior these past few days and something seems off, so I came to find you. Shall we go over and take a look?"

Having nothing else to do, Yuan Qi simply hummed in agreement: "Let's go, you lead the way."

Li Fu's home was quite far from here. The two walked for a long time before finally finding Li Fu's home in an alley in the south of the city.

Li Fu's home was just an ordinary little courtyard, and it was rented.

Li Fu's family was of modest means, and his salary was meager. He and his wife used to be very loving. After he entered the Hanlin Academy, he brought his wife from his hometown to live with him. The two worked together to make a living, and it was not bad.