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There was a lot of noise outside the window. The road in Liangdu City had just been repaired some time ago. The wheels of the carriage rolled over the smooth road and drove steadily towards Yuejiang Pavilion where Jiang Nian wanted to go.

The teahouse she chose was the most famous one in the city. Every day, there were endless streams of people going there to drink tea and listen to books, including some businessmen who came from outside to rest.

Previously, Jiang Nian had been busy with his own experimental field, but now that he has achieved a small stage goal, it is time for him to go out and explore the current market sentiment and the fluctuations in the current situation.

After the driver sent Jiang Nian to the door of the teahouse, he took his leave. After Guizhi helped Jiang Nian get off the car, he looked around the teahouse.

"Whenever I came here before, I always wanted to go to the bun shop next door to fill my stomach. Do you want to buy some there today?"

Following Guizhi's words, Jiang Nian turned his eyes away from the ancient teahouse and looked towards the bun shop.

Seeing Jiang Nian pause, Guizhi took a few steps forward and squinted her eyes to look at the steamer placed outside.

"Let me see...they also made crab meat buns today. Miss, would you like to buy some?"

“…”

Jiang Nian's eyes were slightly stunned, and her mind suddenly flashed back to the last words she heard Xiao Yingzhu say when she passed by him yesterday before she left.

"If Miss Jiang still has something she wants to know, why not go to Yuejiang Pavilion in Liangdu?"

There was silence all around, but his tone was lower, and the slightly cold voice was only audible to her.

When she turned her eyes slightly, Xiao Yingzhu had already looked away.

…

At first, Jiang Nian only regarded Xiao Yingzhu's words as a reminder for cooperation, but now it seems that there must be more of a test in it.

He was testing whether he was the original Miss Jiang.

If she had thanked him politely as usual yesterday, she would have been exposed by now.

However, she was cautious with Xiao Yingzhu yesterday and only answered him with words that were easily confusing, pushing back his proposal and temporarily avoiding his constant suspicion and anticipation.

Although he had concealed his actions in the past two months very well, and had not even aroused the suspicion of Miss Jiang's personal maids Guizhi and Fuling, he still had to do it, as it would leave traces in this world.

And when did Xiao Yingzhu realize and investigate her past?

"Here's the iced plum soup—plenty of rock sugar, thick plum juice, cool and sweet and sour—hey, sir, wouldn't you like some?"

Jiang Nian's thoughts were suddenly interrupted, and the silence in her memories was broken by the hustle and bustle around her. She came to her senses and found herself still standing on the noisy street.

A vendor selling sour plum soup walked past Jiang Nian, clapping the ice cup in his hand while shouting his wares and asking questions of passersby around him.

The sound of ice cups knocking on each other attracted many children playing on the street, and soon a group of people gathered in front of the vendor.

Jiang Nian took a step back and turned sideways to make room for a child who was holding his mother's hand and pushing his way towards the vendor.

Guizhi was hesitating whether to buy crab roe buns when she saw her young lady shaking her head.

"No need, we'll go to the teahouse now."

The teahouse wasn't too crowded at this hour, but there were still quite a few people going there to drink tea and listen to stories.

The waiter came over with a smile and led them to the private room on the second floor according to Jiang Nian's instructions.

A storyteller was standing in the center of the first floor of the teahouse, telling a story, and people in the hall were listening while cracking melon seeds.

Jiang Nian glanced at the movement downstairs, and under the eager gaze of the waiter, he ordered two cups of scented tea and three different kinds of pastries.

Guizhi was standing behind Jiang Nian. She was surprised to see that she ordered several cakes, which was different from usual.

She spoke softly after the waiter walked out singing the words for the order.

"Miss... have you fallen in love with the cakes here recently? You said before that the cakes here are too sweet, that Master Li doesn't like them, and that you can't get used to them either."

Jiang Nian's attention was focused on the conversation of the people downstairs. He was listening to the guests having tea talking about the current living market prices. When he heard Guizhi's question, he just answered casually.

"When feelings change, my style will naturally change as well. Before, I lost my appetite because of Mr. Li, but now I don't have those rules and regulations."

Her eyes never left the downstairs, and seeing that they were about to talk about fruits and vegetables and then about buying insect repellent to drive out the rice fields, she became more alert.

Guizhi was standing behind Jiang Nian. When she heard her reply, she was stunned and a little confused.

The young lady really doesn't like Mr. Li now, so this change... seems to make some sense, right?

…

"No, Brother Wang Ren, you can't calculate it that way. Although Xu's insect repellent is a bit expensive, it can eradicate the insects completely. Just use the dosage they use."

The rough words were particularly noticeable among the slightly noisy people downstairs.

Jiang Nian's gaze shifted slightly to the square table where people were talking.

Several people gathered around a table, moving the tea brought by the waiter to the side and gesturing on the wooden table with their fingers.

"...Yes, my family bought some of their insect repellent a while ago and tried it out in the fields. It's amazing! It's different from other insect repellents. It killed all the bugs right away. It works so fast!"

"Yes, yes. Although it's expensive to buy once, the effect is quick! It works slower than usual, so you don't have to buy it over and over again..."

Hearing so many people urging him to buy Xu's insect repellent water, the man called Brother Wang Ren was a little unsure for a moment.

"But he charges seventy coins for each purchase..."

Seeing that his thoughts were wavering, the other person sitting at the table spoke up.

"It's more expensive than before! But didn't I just say it works quickly?... But then again, the prices at Liangdu Pharmacy aren't cheap either. I compared the two before, and I feel Xu's is cheaper."

"Yeah, they rely on their reputation as a time-honored brand. Although the quality is guaranteed, the price is higher than the normal market price!"

"Hey, keep your voices down. Even though I think they're not as famous as they used to be, they're still a wealthy family. Be careful, someone might be listening."

“…”

Although he said he wanted to lower his voice, the tone of his words was serious. Even though the tone was a little deep, it could still be heard clearly in the box in the direction of Jiang Nian.

Guizhi also heard the conversation downstairs and looked at Jiang Nian with concern.

"Miss……"

Jiang Nian was thinking about how to lower the price to the store so as to avoid losses and clear out the goods in the warehouse. Seeing the worry on Guizhi's face, he just smiled.

The two waited in the box for a while, and the snacks they ordered were brought in by the waiter.

"Sir, the tea is here, please enjoy it."

Seeing the waiter leaning out, Guizhi reached out to tidy up the snacks that had just been brought to the table for Jiang Nian. Jiang Nian, who had a general idea in mind, reached out and gently blocked Guizhi's hand, then tilted his head and smiled at her.

"Come and eat with us."

Guizhi opened her eyes slightly, and quickly shook her head and waved her hands, saying: "This is not possible. Guizhi will get better if she stays by the lady's side."

In modern times, when Jiang Nian has snacks, she often shares them with people she knows around her, not to mention that Guizhi is by her side every day, taking care of her meals.

Although in this era of distinct classes, she couldn't be too obvious, as this would contradict her original image of "Miss Jiang." However, she could still make some changes when it came to eating out.

Seeing that Guizhi was still insisting on not overstepping the line, Jiang Nian could only smile and shake his head, picked up a piece of snowflake crisp on the table and raised his hand to Guizhi's mouth.

"It's okay. I can't finish all this. I'll save some for Fuling later."

Guizhi was stunned. Looking at Jiang Nian's eyes full of comfort and smile, she had no choice but to reach out and take the snowflake crisps she handed to her and take a bite.

Jiang Nian gently wiped away the residue of snowflake crisps on her hand, and the milky white foam fell on the dark wooden table. Her gaze paused on the table for a moment, and suddenly she heard the storyteller downstairs closing his fan and telling a story in a rhythmic manner.

"Continuing from last time, we mentioned that the mighty general predicted the enemy's secret movements on the other side of the country based on the existing situation. He led thousands of troops with a clever strategy to resist the enemy's surprise attack. He took advantage of the terrain to hide in the enemy's blind spot and took advantage of the enemy's carelessness to slaughter them!"

"And the fourteen-year-old heir was not to be outdone. He led another army and joined forces with the general to attack the enemy from both sides of the Shenjiang River, forcing them into a desperate situation!..."

Jiang Nian was fascinated by the storytelling for the first time, but when he thought that the protagonist in the book was a general, there might be a prototype. Someone's face flashed through his mind, and he turned around and asked Guizhi in a low voice.

"The characters in this book sound familiar. Have you and I come here to listen to this book before?"

Guizhi shook her head and listened carefully to the storyteller's next tale while recalling the past.

"The protagonist is still the old general in the Duke's Mansion, but the plot has changed a bit from the previous one. It sounds even more fascinating. It should be the latest version."

“…”

Jiang Nian turned his head and lowered his eyes to look at the storyteller who was talking nonstop. Thinking of Xiao Yingzhu's cold and unfathomable eyes, he couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Before she came to this place, she must have experienced a huge battle, and this battle is well-known to everyone, which means it is very famous and must have been a meritorious service.

But she had been here for two months, and when the court's affairs were announced on the bulletin board, she would more or less hear some whispered words, but she had never heard about what was happening in the Duke's Mansion.

What the general did is still circulating today, and should be mentioned, but she only just now knows about this person.

Was there something else going on? Or was there something that everyone knew was happening?

"After the battle, the fields were littered with corpses and devastation! The Sunken River beside them was no longer as turbulent as before, as if sensing the grief of the battlefield. The empty valley fell silent, the cries of battle swallowed up by an invisible force, the blood so bright it could have dyed the river red! Looking around, all living things were silent."

The storyteller's tone was deep and low, and the noise downstairs gradually died down. Everyone listened carefully to the storyteller's words.

When I thought about the fact that the story I heard was true, and combined it with the rumors about the Duke's eccentric and cruel character, the connection between the two became a little clearer.

But looking at Xiao Yingzhu who seemed to act according to her mood yesterday, she was not the same as the one in the book.

If she had not come here to listen to the book today, she would never have thought that Xiao Yingzhu was actually connected with the battlefield.

...He doesn't look like the kind of person who would go to the battlefield to kill the enemy, but more like a secret manipulator behind the current regime.

Although he didn't know which side Xiao Yingzhu stood on in the court, when he thought about all these things, Jiang Nian couldn't help but think of the kind of stories he often saw in novels he read in modern times - usurping the throne, killing the emperor and completely seizing power.

The snowflake crisp she was picking up was accidentally crushed by Jiang Nian with a little force. She lowered her eyes and looked at the snowflake crisp broken into two halves, her heart a little depressed.

Taking into account that he knew nothing about his current economic partners, and Xiao Yingzhu's apparent motivation for cooperating with him seemed to be just a whim, it was even more difficult for Jiang Nian to discern his true motivation and purpose for cooperating with him behind his various appearances.

This would make her situation even more dangerous because she had no idea what to do.

What's more, according to rumors, Xiao Yingzhu has always been known to be dangerous.

This time, he is really taking an unconventional approach. In the eyes of outsiders, isn't it like trying to get the skin of a tiger?

But often the more dangerous something is, the greater the benefits it may bring.

Now, her partner is one of the strongest in the court in all aspects. All she has to do is find out his true intentions, and her subsequent operational plans will become much smoother.

The storyteller downstairs finished telling the story of the general and changed to a slightly more cheerful topic, and the scene began to liven up again.

Guizhi, who was standing by, laughed so hard that her eyes curved up when she heard what the storyteller said. She bent down and told Jiang Nian the funny parts of the story.

Jiang Nian, who had been lost in thought, felt relieved after Guizhi interrupted his thoughts. He gave Guizhi a gentle smile, then turned his head to think about his next plan.

The hidden sharpness in her father's eyes that morning also appeared in her mind.

At first, Jiang Nian only wanted to use court officials to make a name for himself, but now that he thinks about it carefully, such a simple motive should change.

Jiang Nian withdrew her gaze from the storyteller's narration, her thoughts as clear as a mirror. She asked Guizhi to pack up the remaining cakes on the table, opened the door, lowered her veiled hat slightly, and quickly walked out of Yuejiang Pavilion.

As soon as I returned to the street, the time for meeting the coachman was about to come. I didn't think about the complicated things, but just listened to Guizhi's guess about Fuling's impression of the cakes brought from Yuejiang Pavilion. These daily topics made me happy and a gentle smile appeared on my face.

It was almost noon, the sun was getting brighter, and pedestrians on the street were walking under the trees on both sides. She stood in the shade, looking sideways in the direction of the carriage, when she heard a familiar voice that still brought a cool feeling even in this hot summer day.

"Miss Jiang, what a coincidence."