Chapter 15

Young master of the Five Mausoleums, clad in golden thread.

The tyrannical Qin dynasty collapsed, and the land was restored to its former glory.

Fu Yuan Wanli offered sacrifices, and a book was written in his honor, referring to Emperor Wu.

Yuan Su returned with the secret report from his informant, his aged face filled with excitement, his heart surging with emotion that he could not calm down for a long time.

"Tell the young lady that I agree to her proposal, and I will send more men to Zhao County. As long as she can lure the bearded man down the mountain, I will make sure that bandit never returns!"

"promise."

Just as the kneeling guard disappeared from sight, a knocking sound came from outside the study.

Steward Yuan respectfully announced from outside the door, "Prime Minister, the Master has arrived."

"Let him in."

After putting away the secret report, Yuan Su calmed himself down and walked to the pear wood chair with his cane.

A middle-aged man dressed in a dark robe pushed open the door and entered.

Yuan Su sat back down and asked calmly, "Is there something you need?"

"My son heard that Qiong'er had written a letter, so he came to see her."

Yuan Sizhe is the eldest son of the eldest son's family and the biological father of Yuan Qiong. He is just over forty years old this year. He is slightly overweight but has an elegant demeanor and a great presence.

"Did she say when she would return to the manor?"

With his hair turning gray, Yuan Su glanced at his son and asked, "Why are you asking this?"

Yuan Sizhe was extremely arrogant in front of outsiders, but he was terrified in front of his father, hesitatingly saying, "Son... I've heard some rumors circulating... If Qiong'er is really at Shenshou Temple, it would be best to have her return as soon as possible. If she's not..."

So what if he's not here?

Yuan Sizhe mustered his courage and said, "If she is not here, then please, Father, send people to search for her as soon as possible! A woman's reputation is above all else. Having been missing for so long, Qiong'er must be..."

"How is Qiong'er?"

Yuan Su's questions were all asked in a flat tone, making it impossible to discern his emotions.

"Qiong'er has no face to come back."

"You bastard!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yuan Su suddenly sprang to his feet, grabbed a teacup from the table, and threw it at his son.

Yuan Sizhe dared not dodge and took the hit squarely, his forehead was cut and began to bleed.

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!"

"Reputation? What is that? How dare you use that to pressure the eldest daughter of the Yuan family?!"

Yuan Su was furious. What was wrong with his son's brain?! It was bad enough that he favored his lowly concubines and illegitimate daughters while neglecting his eldest legitimate daughter. But now he'd been so easily provoked by a few words! Had that concubine taken his brain?!

"Did Madam You tell you this again?!"

"No, this has nothing to do with Lady You!" Yuan Sizhe was terrified by his father's outburst, but he immediately defended his beloved concubine: "Son...son...son is just worried about Qiong'er..."

Yuan Su didn't want to see this good-for-nothing son, so he said directly, "You Shi is guilty of gossiping and will be punished with ten lashes and confined to her quarters for half a year. As for you, get out of here now!"

"Father, this..." He wanted to plead for Lady You again, but ultimately retreated under his father's angry glare: "Your son takes his leave..."

"How could I have given birth to such a son!" Yuan Su slammed his cane against the ground.

The steward immediately stepped forward to soothe him, saying with a smile, "Prime Minister, please don't be angry. Master was just confused for a moment."

"Fortunately, Qiong'er doesn't resemble her father at all!" Yuan Su sighed and waved for the steward to leave.

Yuan Sizhe, who had just left the study, covered his bleeding forehead with a gloomy expression.

That Yuan Qiong is truly a jinx! Not only did she bring death to his mother, but now she's bringing him misfortune in every way. How could he have given birth to such a daughter!

**

Some say: Some people are like rainbows; you only realize they exist in the world when you actually meet them.

For Yuan Qiong, the long black beard was such a figure. Before meeting him, she had never known that such a man existed in the world.

Despite his rugged and unkempt appearance, he was erudite and possessed an extraordinary presence. He didn't covet her beauty, status, power, or money. He simply treated her well.

This was someone she had never met in her first thirteen years.

Sometimes, she really wished that time could stand still, so she could hold onto his clothes forever and follow behind him, remaining a naive and innocent little girl.

However, this was impossible. She was the eldest daughter of the Yuan family, and she had her responsibilities and ambitions. After a moment of immersion, she quickly regained her senses.

Grandpa will lure the bearded man down the mountain, and his guards will ambush him. If they can capture this man, the *Fuyuan Handbook* will be the Yuan family's for the taking!

"Girl, what are you thinking about?"

Lin Qiang picked up the book in his hand, gently tapped her on the head, and laughed, "Don't get distracted, hurry up and do your questions!"

Spring plowing on Black Wind Cliff has long been completed. Now it is early summer, and Yuan Liu Niang is busy fertilizing the grain.

Lin Qiang wasn't interested in any of this and handed it all over to Mang Hu, instructing him to lead a few of his smartest brothers to learn from Yuan Liu Niang. He himself continued to teach Yuan Qiong every day, determined to mold her into an ancient version of a business role model, so that no matter what kind of man she married in the future, he wouldn't have to worry about her suffering.

"Your question is so strange. Why would you put a chicken and a rabbit in the same cage? Even if they are, why would you count their legs?"

"..." Lin Qiang was speechless. The chicken-and-rabbit problem was a famous problem in the mathematics world, a nightmare for many junior high school students! He only gave it to her so she could experience it.

If you can't answer, the best approach is to use a vague concept. So Lin Qiang banged on the table, pretending to be fierce, and said, "Just do what I tell you to do! Why are you asking so many questions!"

Yuan Qiong wasn't afraid of him at all, and said with a smile, "If I can finish it in half an hour, how about you come down the mountain with me in a couple of days to buy jewelry?"

"Okay!" Lin Qiang readily agreed.

Last month, after deducting the money for the village's daily expenses, he used the remaining money to buy a shop in the town at the foot of the mountain and hired several slaves as helpers.

As a business tycoon in his previous life, Lin Qiang is a typical capitalist who is best at making money from money.

These past few days he's been planning to go down the mountain to check on the shop's renovation progress, and there's nothing wrong with bringing this little girl along.

"Don't get any funny ideas. I said I won't let you go, and I mean it. Stick close to me after we get down the mountain, and don't even think about running away." Lin Qiang glanced at her sideways. "Even if you run away, it'll be a waste of your energy. I'll catch you soon enough."

"Hahaha..." Yuan Qiong laughed so hard she was shaking. This bandit was really adorably clueless: "You still haven't released my servant, so where can I run to on my own?"

Lin Qiang nodded and said nothing more. Sure enough, Yuan Qiong solved the problem within half an hour.

"You promised to take me down the mountain, you can't go back on your word!"

Lin Qiang took the white cloth, checked it over, and found no mistakes.

He approvingly ruffled her hair: "Alright! Let's go down the mountain together the day after tomorrow!"

In the afternoon, while learning martial arts moves, Yuan Qiong frequently lost focus.

If Grandpa really catches this bandit and gets the manuscript, will he kill him?

Even if he survives by chance, will he resent her after learning the truth?

Yuan Qiong became increasingly agitated, and Lin Qiang's repeated reminders were to no avail. Enraged, he punished her by making her stand in a horse stance for two hours!

"This is the consequence of not paying attention in class!"

When he said it would take two hours, he meant it; Lin Qiang kept his word and didn't cut it short at all.

Afterwards, seeing the little girl walking unsteadily, he felt a pang of heartache and reached out to carry her on his back.

"Let's go, I'll take you home."

Yuan Qiong lay on his broad back, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Pressing her cheek against his back, she asked, "Big Beard, if one day I lie to you, will you hate me?"

"Won't."

Facing the setting sun, Lin Qiang's expression was gentle and carefree.

"I will never hate you."

In his previous life, he experienced too many ups and downs and witnessed too much of the warmth and coldness of human relationships. He was long past the age of intense love and hate.

Deception was nothing more than child's play to him.

Even if you lied to me, you are still my most beloved girl.

Whatever you did, it was my choice. Having made that promise, I will fulfill it to the end.

The man's words were like a gentle needle, piercing straight into her flesh. At that moment, Yuan Qiong, who was lying on his back, had tears welling up in her eyes, but she stubbornly held them back.

I'm sorry I lied to you. It was my responsibility and obligation, and I had no other choice.

Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants!

Thank you to the little angel who watered the [nutrient solution]:

Even the top bunkmate who's terrible at naming things gets a name from one bottle;

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!