Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Jinjiang First Release

Chapter 72

The third year of Yuanchang, Liuzhou, spring.

Su Li was packing up the ox cart for today's stall.

She called Yang Dalang, who lived in the next house, and asked him to help move the pancake oven onto the cart. She also went to the woodshed to get a few bundles of firewood and a pot of charcoal that produced little smoke.

Seeing this, Yang Dalang couldn't help but grumble, "Sanniang, your preserved vegetable pancake is only ten cents, and this pot of charcoal costs fifty cents. Isn't that a waste of money? I took the trouble to bake the pancakes, and what good will I get?"

Su Li patiently explained to him, "This is charcoal smoked from pine wood, and it has a pine scent. Some wealthy families appreciate this elegant taste. Later, I can even raise the price of the pancakes!"

Su Li thought that it was really tiring to carry the pancake oven every day and drive the car to the market in Liuzhou's main city to sell pancakes.

However, she had made an agreement with the teahouse owner nearby that once she could scrape together some more money, she could leave her pancake oven and baking utensils in the shop, which would make it much easier for her to go into the city every day.

Su Li thought that her pine fragrance pancakes had become famous. Recently, many officials in Liuzhou sent their servants to her stall to buy pancakes, and she could sell more than a hundred pancakes every day.

After a while, when she had saved enough money, she went to the main city to rent a house. This way, she could sleep an extra hour every morning and didn't have to get up early in the day to sell pancakes.

Su Li felt delighted, as her future leisurely life seemed just around the corner. However, she still felt reluctant to leave Yang Dalang, Mrs. Hu, and Yuan Ge'er in the courtyard.

Since Su Li was rescued by Lin Yin in Pingyao City three years ago, she has settled in Meihua Village outside the main city of Liuzhou.

She was lucky and had a long life. The flying arrow was blocked by the jade pendant hanging on Su Li's waist. Although the remaining arrowhead pierced her waist and abdomen, it happened to be stuck in her ribs and did not hurt her lungs and internal organs. Su Li saved her life.

Su Li was bedridden and comatose for several months, but was finally able to walk.

After she recovered from her injuries, she heard that Cui Jue had ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor. He also posthumously named her empress and even went against public opinion and named her grandmother the Lady of the State.

After Su Li's death, Cui Jue still treated her family kindly without holding any grudges, and Su Li was very grateful.

Su Li no longer hated Cui Jue. All the hatred and resentment seemed to be wiped out in this life-and-death disaster, and all the injustice and dissatisfaction also disappeared.

But Su Li had experienced the oppression of power, and she didn't want to go back to that cramped high-door cage.

Su Li accepted Lin Yin's help, hid her identity, and escaped from the aristocratic family. Not only did she use tricks to disguise her delicate features, she also used a fake Liuzhou body tag to rent a small courtyard with someone in Meihua Village.

Su Li had witnessed the cruelty of the massacre in the city by the big tribes in the northwest. She did not think that Lin Yin was following a group of righteous people. Therefore, she not only persuaded Lin Yin to abandon the dark and join the light, and leave the army with her during the war, but also found some local livelihoods for him.

However, Lin Yin does not like a comfortable life like Su Li. He also wants to venture into the world.

Two years ago, Lin Yin bid farewell to Su Li and went out to travel.

Every few months, Lin Yin would return to Liuzhou to reminisce with Su Li, pour a glass of wine, and talk about what he saw and heard during his travels.

All good things must come to an end. Although Su Li felt melancholy, she did not say much. She continued to manage her own life, thinking about when she could save enough money to buy a small yard, open a pancake shop, hire two waiters, and live a simple life.

Now it is the third year of Yuanchang. Three years have passed, and the dark life of the past is already far away from Su Li.

Although Su Li missed her grandmother and Qiu Gui, she knew that once she returned to Jianye, Cui Jue would definitely trap her in the house.

Su Li finally escaped from the cage. She wanted to stay outside for a while to see if there was a chance to visit her relatives.

Su Li knew her grandmother and Qiu Gui's character very well. If they knew that Su Li's life was now easy and peaceful, they would definitely be happy for her and hope that she could live freely outside and never return to Jianye.

Before Su Li could finish her sigh, a chubby young man rushed into her arms and said, "Godmother!"

The child raised his cute little face, it was Yuan Ge'er, who was only three years old.

The little boy has chubby cheeks and his teeth haven't grown in yet, but he can speak clearly. He knows how to recognize people and likes his gentle godmother. He always runs after Su Li.

Yuan Ge'er smiled with a blessed look, his eyebrows but not his eyes. He said to Su Li, "Godmother, I, I still want to eat some rice!"

The vegetable rice balls the children were talking about were the vegetable leaf rice balls that Su Li made two days ago.

Wrap braised pork belly, fried tofu cubes, and hot rice in cabbage leaves, and knead them into small balls, which are very suitable for children to eat.

Yuan Ge'er was so greedy that he gestured with his little hands that looked like diced radishes, imitating the way Su Li had wrapped rice with cabbage two days ago, and begged for food from Su Li.

When Mrs. Hu heard her son's voice, she hurried out with a bamboo tube of goat milk.

She stuffed the warm goat milk into Su Li's arms and said to her, "Don't listen to what you say, brat. It's not easy for you to earn a few bucks. How can you afford to cook for him every day? You should save more, otherwise you won't be reluctant to see a doctor every time you have a headache or a fever. You will save a few dollars and end up getting sick!"

Su Li had some knowledge of medicine. Whenever she caught a cold or had a fever, she would write down the prescription of medicinal materials and go to the herbal medicine shop to get the medicine.

Mrs. Hu thought that Su Li had no money to pay for the medical fees. She felt pity for her and secretly lent her the silver money she had hidden away, which made Su Li laugh and cry.

Su Li smiled and said, "Brother Yuan calls me 'godmother', but he's still my son. He's my own child, so why not buy him some food? I love those braised pork belly buns, and they're perfect for satisfying my craving. Besides, Sister Hu loves me and gives me warm goat milk every day to nourish me! All of Brother Yuan's rations went into my stomach, so I have to compensate him."

"You, you, you are such a grown-up girl, but you still speak like a child." Mrs. Hu knew that Su Li was kind to others and was good to children.

Although the young lady is old now, almost twenty years old, and is not a stunning beauty, she can at least be called a pretty girl from a small family.

It's just that Su Li has too high standards. Mrs. Hu has introduced several single young men to her, including men who work as staff in government offices, and men whose families are wealthy enough to afford to hire maids to serve them. Unfortunately, Su Li didn't like any of them, and no matter how much she tried to persuade them, it was useless. Until now, she didn't even have a man to take care of her daily life.

Mrs. Hu smiled and sighed, "Alright, alright, just spoil your brother! Okay, he'll recognize you as his godmother, and I'll let that brat take care of you in your old age!"

Su Li laughed out loud: "That's great, I got such a filial son for free, I'm really taking advantage."

Seeing that the sun was about to rise over the mountain, Su Li stopped chatting with Mrs. Hu. She pinched the child's face, promised to bring him two pieces of osmanthus cake when she came back in the evening, and then went out with Yang Dalang.

It takes an hour to drive from Meihua Village to the main city of Liuzhou.

Yang Dalang worked as a waiter in Jinxiu Tower, and Su Li was going to the market to sell sesame cakes, so the two of them happened to be passing by.

Every day, Su Li would take Yang Dalang into the city on her own oxcart, saving him some money for the fare. Su Li would be lazy and let Yang Dalang drive the cart. When they got to their destination, she would ask him for help, asking him to move the pancake oven off the cart and set up the stall. It was a mutually beneficial relationship.

Su Li's business was quite bad today. For some reason, the dignitaries who usually came to her stall to buy pancakes did not show up. Instead, there were many more soldiers guarding the streets, stopping the peddlers selling vegetables and food, asking them to move aside and make way for them.

When Su Li was pushed back, a loud trumpet sounded through the sky, and she realized that a distinguished guest had entered the city.

Su Li hurriedly closed the lid of the pancake oven and knelt down trembling with fear along with everyone else.

After a while, the rumbling sound of horse hooves gradually approached, and flags painted with cranes with spread wings fluttered in the wind, flying in the vast sky, making rustling sounds.

The honor guard led the way, and the grand music of copper plucks and cowhide drums sounded one after another. Rows of guards, armed with sharp weapons and armed with armor, came riding on horseback with a fierce momentum, their heads held high and their chests puffed out.

Beneath the towering city walls, dust billowed. The people, hearing the noise, fell silent, afraid to move. The galloping warhorses shook the earth and sent shivers down Su Li's spine.

When the music started, the people around finally came back to their senses. Everyone was excited and whispered to each other, discussing what they had seen and heard that day.

Su Li was also anxious and uneasy. She couldn't help but tilt her head and asked a familiar stall owner, "Who is here? Is it a high-ranking official from the capital? Or a local prince?"

Young Master Liu, who often wrote letters home for the common people, lowered his head and whispered to Su Li, "Sanniang, don't you know? It's His Majesty who has come to Liuzhou in person!"

Cui Jue's cold, world-weary face immediately flashed through Su Li's mind. Her hands and feet froze instantly, and she was terrified...

Su Li couldn't help but ask, "Liuzhou is so far away from Jianye, why would Your Majesty abandon state affairs and make a special trip to the place?"

Could it be that Cui Jue discovered her whereabouts and sent troops to capture her? Su Li couldn't blame her for imagining things. Cui Jue had done so many bad things and had a criminal record.

But this time, Su Li was truly being sentimental. Young Master Liu patiently explained to her, "Sanniang, you don't understand state affairs, do you? His Majesty had the idea of ​​moving the capital three years ago. To extend his favor to the imperial examinations and benefit the people of the south, he specially built a new city in Liuzhou. He planned to move the entire clan south after the palace was completed! His Majesty recently brought a group of officials to Liuzhou, perhaps wanting to inspect the local customs and understand the people's sentiments in advance so that he could arrange the relocation of the capital as soon as possible."

Young Master Liu could not hide his excitement, as if one day he would be able to become an official and realize his ambitions under the emperor.

Only Su Li was frightened silly. She felt as if struck by lightning and the root of her tongue was bitter.

She didn't even know that Cui Jue would move the capital here... But it made sense. Su Li had no power or influence, and there were no officials in her family. She was just an ordinary person with little information and no eyes or ears. How could she know the decisions and plans of these bigwigs?

She was lucky enough to get a glimpse of it today.

Su Li comforted herself that it was no big deal and that she would move out early after a while to avoid Cui Jue.

Besides, Su Li's voice was hoarse due to smoke in her early years, and her voice has changed a lot. Now she has changed her appearance and her face is covered with disguise. Cui Jue probably won't recognize her. What's more, three years have passed. Cui Jue may have already embraced the beauty and forgotten her. Even if we take a step back, Cui Jue is now the emperor of Wu and lives in the palace all day long. How could he have any intersection with her, a commoner?

After thinking about this, Su Li's shoulders relaxed a lot. Even when she saw the jagged wheels rolling past her eyes, she did not show the slightest panic.

The teams escorting the nobles passed by Su Li's knees one after another.

The carriage was so tall that Su Li looked even more inconspicuous, like an ant in the mud.

Su Li lowered her head lower and lower, trying her best to avoid being seen by others.

The royal army moved further and further away, the music faded away, and Su Li breathed a sigh of relief after having narrowly escaped a catastrophe.

Just when Su Li felt relieved, her eyes suddenly blurred, like a snow wave covering the ground, suddenly drowning her.

It turned out to be a big furry dog ​​that fell from the sky, jumped into Su Li's arms, and pressed her under it with a groaning sound.

Su Li looked at the aggrieved dog's face, her mind went blank, and she thought to herself: Oh no!

Su Li almost shouted out that name, but fortunately she came to her senses and immediately kept silent.

This sudden change also scared everyone present.

The stall owners who were familiar with Su Li were even more panicked and yelled—

"Sanniang?! Are you okay, Sanniang?"

"Where did the dog come from?"

"This is Princess Mingxiu's royal dog, named Taxue!"

"Ah? Could it bite? Get away from me!"

People are not stupid. How can their worthless lives be as important as the lives of noble people? They might not even have a leg bitten off and have nowhere to seek justice!

Soon, the canopied imperial carriage, pulled by four sturdy horses, suddenly stopped by the roadside. Princess Myeong-soo, Cui Shun-ying, brushed aside the maids adorned with pearls and jade, trotted forward, and pulled the big dog away. "Taxue! How dare you hurt someone in the street? Be careful or I'll tie you up again!"

Taxue disliked being tied up and would only leave the house when Cui Shunying held her in her arms. Taxue was timid and disliked being close to people. Even the noble ladies who wanted to enter the emperor's harem would be pushed away with disgust. So why would she suddenly pounce on a stranger she had never met?

Cui Shunying eagerly pushed aside the big white-haired dog, lowered her head curiously, and looked at the young lady in front of her.

An absurd thought came to her mind, but after taking a look at the girl's facial features, she pulled Taxue back disappointedly: "Are you okay?"

Su Li took in Cui Shunying's expression. She knew in her heart that Cui Shunying must have thought that the royal sister-in-law had come back to life. But when she saw Su Li's completely different face now, she felt disappointed and thought she had recognized the wrong person.

Su Li quickly got up and lowered her voice to Cui Shunying, "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, Princess."

As soon as Su Li finished speaking, she suddenly felt a chill above her head. Someone was staring at her without blinking, and the sharpness of the eyes was chilling.

Su Li lowered her head even lower.

Until the hem of a dark black dress with crane pattern approached and stopped in front of her.

Su Li smelled the faint orchid fragrance that she had not smelled for many years. This cold fragrance came with such force that it penetrated almost every pore, wrapping her up in the impenetrable spider web again.

Su Li felt like she was being pricked by a thorn in her back, and the oppressive feeling from many years ago once again hit her heart. She subconsciously shrank her thin shoulders and clenched her knuckles tightly around her knee-length dress.

It was Cui Jue, who had become the emperor. He condescended to step down from the carriage and walked towards Su Li.

Su Li didn't look up, she couldn't see Cui Jue's face.

Just a moment later, the man's familiar and terrifying voice suddenly rang in the girl's ears.

She heard Cui Jue's cold voice command: "...Look up!"