A few days later, Xiao Mochen indeed invited two masters over.
They were so excited to see Mr. Xiao Mochen that they were about to kneel down and pay their respects.
Xiao Mochen raised his hand to stop them, and then said, "When you're out and about, there's no need for such formalities."
Until my identity is known to anyone, neither of you should reveal it.
The two men quickly nodded, and one of them said, "Your Highness, rest assured, we will absolutely keep our mouths shut."
But does the Li family also not know His Highness's identity?
Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Xiao Mochen's eyes. Was this someone trying to find out about his relationship with the Li family?
The two people in front of him were his former teachers, and his mentors at that. They had always been very protective of him, and he respected them greatly.
After he was framed and disappeared by the eldest prince, he heard that the two of them had written to the emperor, saying that he was framed by a villain and asking the emperor to find out the truth and give Xiao Mochen justice.
However, the emperor was unable to find the murderer for a long time, or he found out but was unwilling to deal with him. Disheartened, the two resigned from their posts and returned to their hometown to retire.
If they are truly loyal, Xiao Mochen will naturally treat them well in the future. But if they become disloyal, Xiao Mochen will not consider their past relationship.
The Xiao Mochen of today is not the Xiao Mochen of a year ago. He trusts no one except Yan Qingqing.
Xiao Mochen glanced at the two of them and replied indifferently, "No matter what my relationship with the Li family is, that's none of your business."
You two just need to focus on teaching your books well. I hope you won't let me down.
Before confirming their loyalty, Xiao Mochen would not let them know the Li family's place in his heart, nor would he let them know Yan Qingqing's place in his heart.
After giving the two a good talking-to, Xiao Mochen introduced them to Yan Qingqing.
Xiao Mochen said to Yan Qingqing, "Aunt, these two are my former teachers, Master Song and Master Zhao."
We came here specifically to see you, having heard that you funded the construction of a school, hoping to help them realize their ambitions.
Yan Qingqing, suppressing a laugh, cupped her hands in greeting to the two gentlemen, saying, "I have long admired you both."
"We'll have to rely on you two to take good care of the children in our Canghe Village from now on."
The two exchanged a glance and then quickly returned the greeting to Yan Qingqing, saying, "Mingzhao, you are too kind. We will do our best."
Yan Qingqing dared not be presumptuous; he was Xiao Mochen's teacher, and his knowledge and past official position were certainly not low.
Now, for Xiao Mochen's sake, he has condescended to come to their Canghe Village, a place of such lowliness.
So he quickly said, "Thank you both for your hard work. If you need anything in Canghe Village in the future, please feel free to come to me."
The three discussed Qingqing Academy for a while longer. The two men felt an even greater admiration for Yan Qingqing.
Before they came to Canghe Village, they knew a little about the Li family. It wasn't that they deliberately inquired about it, but rather that Yan Qingqing's deeds had already spread throughout the entire Great Yan Dynasty.
They only knew that Yan Qingqing was good at farming and business, but they never expected that her insights into academic matters would be so unique.
Furthermore, no one would have expected that Xiao Mochen would be living in the rising Li family.
Xiao Mochen was a little unhappy to see the two of them pestering Yan Qingqing with endless questions.
He invited them to be teachers, not to pester his aunt with questions.
Finally, Xiao Mochen couldn't take it anymore and said to the two of them, "Alright, stop bothering Ming Zhao and go to the school to familiarize yourselves with the environment."
I think that with the two teachers' abilities, teaching these children in Canghe Village will definitely not be a problem.
Upon hearing this, the two quickly got up to say goodbye.
After they left, Yan Qingqing asked about Master Song and Master Zhao.
Xiao Mochen replied, "Song Lianzhi was the top scholar in the first year of Emperor Wu of Yan's reign and once served as Grand Tutor."
He was cautious and skilled in archery and horsemanship. When I was a child, he secretly taught me martial arts. So I was one of the few people who knew he knew martial arts.
He has a blood feud with the Crown Prince's maternal family, which is one of the reasons why I dared to use him.
Zhao An was the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination during the third year of Emperor Wu of Yan's reign. He served in the Hanlin Academy and was a smooth and tactful man who was highly favored by the emperor. The emperor specially hired him as my mentor. He was skilled in painting and was a man of great talent.
So far, it seems to be quite loyal to me.
I specifically asked around and found out that after I was framed, he insisted that my father give me justice, and later, in a fit of anger, he even resigned from his official post.
"Let's see. If they remain loyal to me, I will certainly not treat them unfairly in the future. But if they harbor disloyalty, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Upon hearing this, Yan Qingqing patted Xiao Mochen on the shoulder without saying anything. She thought to herself, "This is truly a great scholar; it's a waste of his talent for him to come and teach in our small village."
However, she wouldn't interfere in Xiao Mochen's affairs just because he trusted her to some extent. A qualified emperor has his own judgment of people.
Time flies, and winter is just around the corner.
The cotton that Yan Qingqing picked from the mountain found a great use.
The cotton had already been deseed and pulverized into cotton wadding. Yan Qingqing asked Ruyi to make her a cotton-padded jacket first, and she felt that the effect was good, neither bulky nor cold.
Yan Qingqing really wanted to make another quilt, but there was only so much cotton, and there were so many children in the family that she couldn't use it all by herself.
So they asked the old woman in the family who knew how to sew to make a cotton-padded coat for each of the children.
With many servants in the household, it was impossible for everyone to have a cotton-padded coat.
So Yan Qingqing had a pair of cotton shoes made for each of them, as a token of her affection as their mistress.
Yan Qingqing's actions naturally made them even more grateful.
Winter arrived quickly, and Chengyang County welcomed its first snowfall.
Yan Qingqing felt no chill at all while wearing her new cotton-padded coat.
I even felt a little sweaty.
However, Yan Qingqing dared not be careless. If she caught a cold, it would be troublesome. Not to mention that in ancient times, a cold could be fatal. She was not short of money for medical treatment, but those medicines were too bitter for her to swallow.
So Yan Qingqing tried to stay indoors as much as possible and not go out.
Feeling bored staying indoors, Yan Qingqing wanted to do something entertaining.
Then, a brilliant idea struck him: playing cards.
She quickly instructed Ruyi to find some wood chips and paper.
Yan Qingqing was busy with Ruyi and Ruxue.
They first cut the wood into rectangles the size of a palm, and then pasted paper over them.
Yan Qingqing then picked up her pen and drew numbers on it.
A deck of cards was quickly made.
Ruyi and Ruxue were itching to join in, and Yan Qingqing was also looking for two people to play with.
Then, a smile flashed in his eyes as he said to the two of them, "I'll teach you two a fun game called Dou Dizhu (Landlord). The rules are like this..."
In short, Yan Qingqing just wants to gamble.
Ruyi and Ruxue exchanged a glance, both somewhat hesitant.
They weren't as wealthy and powerful as Yan Qingqing.
Seeing their hesitation, Yan Qingqing smiled and said, "This is very simple. Why don't we try a couple of rounds first? We won't gamble on these two rounds."
Ruyi and Ruxue nodded excitedly upon hearing this, while Yan Qingqing smiled slyly like a victorious hunter.
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