"The situation is unstable right now, and it's not advisable to stay in Licheng for long. Many things have happened in Pingnan City, and I'll tell you about them on the way."
The city of Li is in turmoil, and lingering too long could bring trouble upon oneself. The city is filled with a desolate atmosphere, making it hard to muster any desire to stay any longer.
The prefect's mansion was more luxurious than any other residence she had ever visited. As a guest, Wang Xueru had more than a dozen maids serving her in the west wing.
"Miss Wang, Madam heard that you are going back and would like to see you one more time."
A maid came to deliver a message, and Wang Xueru said to Sun Miao'er, "Miao'er, your godmother really likes the white silk and has been saying she wants to see you. Why don't you come with me?"
As soon as they stepped outside, the maid lifted the curtain, and a warm breeze wafted out of the room, making Sun Miao'er's cheeks, which had been red from the cold wind, feel dizzy.
The problem is that the prefect's mansion is too big; it took a full half hour to walk from the west wing.
"Godmother, look who I brought to see you."
As Wang Xueru's voice rang out, Sun Miao'er met the magistrate's wife's scrutinizing gaze, noting that she looked much younger than she had imagined.
Madam Jia wore a cloud-patterned jacket with gold trim, her face was rosy, and only a few fine wrinkles could be seen at the corners of her eyes. "Xue Ru, sit down quickly and try the Xue Ming tea from the capital."
"Please sit down, Miss Sun." Madam Jia was kind and gentle, and did not look down on Sun Miao'er because she was a country girl.
Wang Xueru lowered her head and took a sip of tea, exclaiming in surprise, "Godmother, what kind of tea is so delicious?"
Madam Jia smiled and said, "Snow tea is brewed with snow from Jade Mountain in Shangjing. It has a mellow aroma and a sweet aftertaste."
“But shouldn’t the snow from the capital have melted by the time it reaches Yingzhou?” Wang Xueru asked, puzzled.
Lady Jia replied, "The Ferghana horse was delivered day and night, and with the addition of a box made of cold jade to keep it warm, it still arrived in Yingzhou as fine sand and snow."
Sun Miao'er sat quietly to the side, thinking about the scene outside the city earlier. The common people were suffering terribly, while the families of the officials in Yingzhou were enjoying their snow tea in their mansions without a care in the world. It was truly laughable.
"I heard that the white silk that Xue Ru sent last time was made by Miss Sun?" Madam Jia put down her teacup, even though she didn't think that the ordinary-looking girl in front of her could have such skills.
Sun Miao'er nodded, "It's just a humble skill, Madam is too kind."
Madam Jia's eyes and brows were not gentle, but rather carried a hint of authority without anger. "I have heard that the white cotton yarn is a craft passed down from the previous dynasty, which has long been lost in this dynasty. In two months, it will be the Empress Dowager's birthday. I was thinking of bringing the white cotton yarn to the palace so that the Empress Dowager can see it."
“Madam, it is the dead of winter, and silk is hard to find. Moreover, the production process of white raw yarn is complicated and involves many steps. I’m afraid it won’t be ready in a short time.”
Sun Miao'er thought she could use this excuse to get away with it. It wasn't that she couldn't finish in time; in a few months, the Empress Dowager might be replaced.
Madam Jia's face darkened, and she said, "Difficult to find? I have never heard of any treasure that is difficult to find in the world. Since Miss Sun is unwilling to do me this favor, I will have to ask my master to find another job."
"Godmother, please don't make things difficult for Miao'er. Miao'er's skills are not good. At most, she can only make you happy. What if the Empress Dowager doesn't like her?" Wang Xueru quickly stepped forward and acted coquettishly when she saw that Madam Jia was displeased.
Madam Jia flicked her sleeve and turned her face away. "Very well, your godfather is receiving distinguished guests from the court today, so your godmother can't see you off. Xue Ru, take care on your journey. After we've dealt with the rioting refugees outside, you can come and stay at the prefect's mansion for a while."
"The imperial court has sent distinguished guests today, so please be careful and avoid any mishaps."
"What kind of distinguished guest arrives without a single servant, riding alone on horseback?"
"What do you know? I heard that the people who came are from the Feather Camp, the emperor's trusted confidants. How can they be compared to a nobody like mere petty official?"
Yu camp!
Sun Miao'er's heart skipped a beat, and she stopped in her tracks.
"What's wrong, Miao'er?"
Upon hearing the name "Yu Camp," Sun Miao'er couldn't help but think of Yu Camp and the Song family. Last time, the people from Yu Camp escaped from her master's hands, and with the clues about the Song family gone cold, she had no further leads.
Now that we've run into the Feather Camp here, if we can take advantage of this opportunity...
But for her, it was somewhat risky.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained," Sun Miao'er gritted her teeth and turned to Wang Xueru, asking, "Xueru, did you put on your veil?"
She put on Wang Xueru's veil, and because her figure was similar to Wang Xueru's, the maids in the prefect's mansion did not suspect anything and simply assumed that she was Wang Xueru.
"I've come to say goodbye to my godfather."
Sun Miao'er imitated Wang Xueru's tone, and the servant outside the study didn't recognize her. "The servant is receiving a distinguished guest inside, so he probably won't be able to see Miss."
"It's alright, I'll wait outside." Sun Miao'er said, slipping a silver ingot into the servant's hand.
The servant said with difficulty, "Miss, please don't go inside. If the master blames you, I can't bear the responsibility."
Sun Miao'er entered the inner courtyard, made her way from the outer room to the study, and heard sounds coming from inside.
"May I ask what brings Lord Luo Yu here today?" Jia Huan never wanted to offend anyone from the Yu Camp, and it was best to avoid trouble and get rid of them as soon as possible.
Luo Yu's face was half-covered by a mask, making it impossible to discern her emotions. "Are you aware that the remnants of the Fu family have been hiding in Yingzhou?"
Remnants of the Fu family?
Jia Huan was struck dumb, and hurriedly knelt on the ground. "Lord Luo Yu, please investigate! Wasn't the entire Fu family executed? How could this be?"
"Hmph, a few months ago, the remnants of the Fu family severely injured my Yu Camp at the border of Huizhou and Yingzhou. You can't recognize them, but how could the Yu Camp mistake them?" A cold glint flashed in Luo Yu's eyes, making Jia Huan tremble with fear.
Before he could finish speaking, Jia Huan quickly defended himself, "Lord Luo Yu is extremely discerning. May I ask where the remaining rebels are now? I will immediately send men to strangle them!"
"He's in Kezhou. What, does Lord Jia dare to go there?"
Jia Huan was stunned. Back then, when the King of Wei and his mother fled to Yingzhou, he, as the magistrate of Licheng County, led a group to surround and suppress them. The King of Wei had a blood feud with him.
For so many years he had been hoping that the court would deal with the Prince of Wei as soon as possible, but what he received was news of the Prince of Wei's rebellion, which almost scared him to death.
"The Emperor hopes that you, Lord Jia, will defend Yingzhou well. Kezhou cannot be attacked in the short term." Luo Yu lowered his eyes, seemingly deep in thought.
Jia Huan accepted the order and said, "This humble official will certainly live up to the Emperor's command and defend Yingzhou. However, I'm afraid the imperial reinforcements will not be enough to deal with the displaced people and scattered soldiers outside!"
"Do you really think the imperial court has that many reinforcements? Right now, even the capital is in dire straits. Lord Jia, you'd better take care of yourself." Luo Yu rolled her eyes at Jia Huan, her fingertips rubbing the token on her waist.
Jia Huan wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked, "I wonder what Lord Luo Yu's plans are next?"
"Go to Pingnan City to find someone."
Sun Miao'er stood outside the door, suddenly feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
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