"The Ye family of Liuhe Town, you'll know once you go there and ask around. Master Ye is the most famous teacher in Liuhe Town. In the old days, even the rich young men from Weiyang County went to Master Ye's school to study. However, Master Ye is old and can no longer teach students. His two sons have limited knowledge, and the school has gradually declined."
"Why did they take Qi Jiu away?" Pei Junqi asked curiously.
"It's a long story..." He Youcai didn't keep them in suspense and quickly told Qi Chengshuo and the others the whole story.
Qi Chengshuo and Pei Junqi were both stunned upon hearing this.
After He Youcai left, Pei Junqi exclaimed, "My God, is Ninth Master really going to be forced to marry an older widow? That's terrible!"
Qi Chengshuo was calmer than him, and coughed lightly, saying, "That's not necessarily true. Ninth Uncle is of noble birth. Apart from being a prince, he can't do anything. The Emperor has also sent people to keep an eye on him and forbids anyone from helping him. Even our arrival was only agreed to by the Emperor after my grandfather begged and pleaded with him, but we are not allowed to give him any money. Ninth Uncle can't lift a finger. How do you think he will survive? What will he eat and drink?"
“This…” Pei Junqi scratched his head and said after a while, “Alright, if the Emperor does not allow anyone to interfere, then Ninth Master will only have the option of living off a woman. Ninth Master was very handsome when he was young and he is still good-looking now. I think that Lady Ye would be willing to marry him.”
"Cough cough cough..."
Qi Chengshuo, who was drinking water from his water bag, choked upon hearing this.
"Look at your pathetic self. No matter what, Ninth Uncle is a prince and has had the best teachers since he was a child. If he really goes to the Ye family, he doesn't have to be a son-in-law. He can go to the school to be a teacher. With Ninth Uncle's knowledge, teaching those children is a piece of cake." Qi Chengshuo glared at Pei Junqi and said loudly.
The Emperor simply forbade them from giving Uncle Nine money and from interfering in Uncle Nine's affairs, requiring Uncle Nine to support himself. Otherwise, would it still be considered exile?
Those princes must have sent people to keep an eye on this area.
"So what do we do now? Go to Liuhe Town to find Ninth Master?" Pei Junqi asked hurriedly.
"Of course we'll go." Qi Chengshuo nodded. "We need to find Uncle Jiu and ensure his safety. We don't need to get involved in anything else."
Uncle Nine was also protected by secret guards sent by the Emperor.
However, the Emperor was still worried about his son, so... he and Pei Junqi came over with their men.
On the surface, it appears that his grandfather had begged the emperor for a long time before the emperor "reluctantly" agreed.
In fact, the emperor was very worried about his son.
My grandfather did this in accordance with the emperor's will.
Seeing Qi Chengshuo put on the bronze mask again, Pei Junqi couldn't help but say, "Young Master, why don't you take this mask off? I feel a little scared seeing you wearing it. Don't forget, that Miss Jiang said that this mask is somewhat ominous."
Qi Chengshuo: "..."
“My grandfather obtained this mask from Huangjue Temple. He donated a lot of money for incense and oil. It was forged by the martial monks in the temple and blessed by a high monk. It has the effect of protecting the body and warding off evil.”
"Oh, whatever you want then." Pei Junqi didn't say anything more.
If it were him, he would definitely take off the mask and throw it away immediately.
...
At Shenshi (3-5 PM), Jiang Xianya finally arrived at Liuhe Town by oxcart.
Since it was still early, He Guangcai planned to help Jiang Xianya find someone before going back.
“Uncle Guangcai, you should go back first. It takes at least an hour to get back to our village from Liuhe Town. If you are delayed on the road, you will have to travel at night. Other places are fine, but the Huai Shuling area is particularly yin after sunset, and it is easy to encounter evil spirits.”
After Jiang Xianya finished speaking, she performed a divination for He Guangcai. She vaguely captured some images in her mind, and her expression changed slightly: "Uncle Guangcai, you either have to leave now or stay at the inn in Liuhe Town tonight. You can't leave if you stay any longer. If you insist on leaving, we'll have to ask someone to draw a talisman to exorcise the evil spirits for you another day."
He Guangcai was about to say something when Jiang Xianya said, "That Xu Lanxiang is nothing. She doesn't have much real skill and is just a fraud. Moreover... she has three lives on her hands and Zhang Cuilan has already sent her to the county government to report to the authorities."
He Guangcai: "..."
"Uncle Guangcai, go quickly. Don't worry about me. I know where my maternal grandparents' home is," Jiang Xianya said with a smile.
Even if she's never been there, she can still find it.
It's not about calculating; she's not mute, she can just ask someone.
"Then... then Uncle will head back first. Xianya, be careful and take good care of yourself," He Guangcai said, scratching his head.
Jiang Xianya wanted to give He Guangcai some money, but He Guangcai refused and quickly drove off in his oxcart.
Jiang Xianya didn't insist. Anyway, she would see their family again in the future, and she would repay them then.
Liuhe Town is not big, and Jiang Xianya easily found out where the Ye family lived after asking around.
Her maternal grandfather, Ye Jinghuai, was a scholar who failed the imperial examinations twice in the prefectural city. He then gave up on the path of taking the imperial examinations and returned to Liuhe Town to become a teacher.
The Ye family's house is located at the west end of the town, and their courtyard is very large.
Ye Jinghuai opened a school there, called Liuhe School. The front yard was where the students studied and lived, while the back yard was where the Ye family lived.
A few years ago, Master Ye was very famous, but in recent years his reputation has declined.
Ye Jinghuai was getting old, and his two sons, Ye Xianwen and Ye Xianzhang, were not very learned and failed to become scholars, so they could not support the family. In addition, the two academies in the county town were becoming more and more prestigious, so the Ye family's school declined.
When Jiang Xianya arrived at the school gate, she heard the sound of a boy reading aloud coming from inside.
An elderly man with gray hair was teaching three teenagers.
Jiang Xianya smiled.
It seems that Ye Family School isn't as bad as others say; there are still students.
Just as the thought crossed Jiang Xianya's mind, one of the boys said, "Grandfather, it's getting late. You should go back and rest. My second brother, third brother, and I will study hard. We're sure we'll pass this year's preliminary examination and we won't let you down."
Jiang Xianya: "..."
It turns out these three are all members of the Ye family! They're not the maternal grandfather's disciples, but his grandsons.
The four family members inside the house were all extremely focused and did not notice Jiang Xianya standing outside the window.
Jiang Xianya was about to go in and say hello when she suddenly heard heavy footsteps. She turned around and saw a woman dressed in a light blue cotton dress running towards her.
The woman was very plump, making it extremely difficult for her to run.
"Father...Father..." The woman ran to the door, panting, and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Please go and see...Miaoyun is talking nonsense again, and she fell off the bed and hit her head."
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