But Lili is too weak; she needs a powerful backer.
A powerful backer who can ensure she can do her own thing safely under everyone's watchful eyes.
She and Gu Ziyi are an ordinary citizen and a future crown prince. Unless she's out of her mind, she wouldn't believe she'd become the woman behind the male lead like in a storybook.
They have a genuine friendship.
But for Lili, it was simply a matter of each getting what they needed.
She helps him solve his problems, so he has to protect her in return.
As the crown prince, Gu Ziyi is of upright character and excellent in many ways. Most importantly, he cares deeply about the people.
He is a qualified partner.
Lili said from the beginning that Gu Ziyi is a good person.
Therefore, if one absolutely had to choose a backer, that person would definitely be Gu Ziyi.
However, she could tell that Gu Ziyi genuinely considered her a friend.
Call Lili selfish or cold-hearted, her relationship with Gu Ziyi was always tinged with ulterior motives.
If one day Gu Ziyi becomes unsuitable as a business partner, she wouldn't mind cutting ties with him.
Despite her inner turmoil, Lili simply chuckled and said, "Brother Zhuifeng, it's because His Highness treats Lili very well."
Zhui Feng stared at her silently. Li Li's expression remained unchanged. After a long while, Zhui Feng said, "I will report to His Highness."
Lili smiled and said, "Okay, but before that, we'll need to trouble Brother Zhuifeng to take us to Nanji Village, which is thirty miles away, tomorrow."
Nanji Village is located in the southeast of Nanlin County. Lili said she was going to find Doctor Sikong, and Zhuifeng agreed without much thought.
"Thank you, Brother Chasing the Wind."
"Master Huang, come and take a look!"
The registrar's surprised voice rang out, and Lili and Zhuifeng looked over at the same time.
Master Huang walked over to the registrar, picked up the booklet the registrar presented to him, and began to read it.
A moment later, Master Huang also showed a surprised expression: "What is the yield per mu in the whole village? The yield per mu in the whole village is nearly two shi? The Shen family's yield per mu is two hundred and eighty jin?"
These days, we're lucky if we can even get a harvest, let alone a bumper one.
The registrar visited so many villages in Liucheng, and almost all of them yielded around one shi per mu.
How come Xinghua Village's price has doubled?
This booklet must be fake!
This booklet is specifically used to record the village's annual harvest. Master Huang flipped through it and found that Xinghua Village's yield per mu had been similar to that of Nanlin County for many years, only starting to decline after the severe drought a few years ago.
All of this is normal. There has been a severe drought in recent years, resulting in poor harvests, and this is the case for every household.
The villages in Nanlin County that are close to Xixiang County suffered the worst, with almost no harvest at all.
But why did Xinghua Village suddenly double in value?
Master Huang was overjoyed.
The county magistrate had long suspected that the Shen family's harvest this year would be more than just a small increase.
But no one expected that this little devil could actually increase the entire harvest of Xinghua Village!
"It's not fake, it's absolutely not fake." Master Huang pushed aside the registrar and went straight to Lili. "Miss Lili, you are truly a lucky star sent from heaven, a blessing upon our Southern Jin!"
Zhui Feng snatched the booklet from his hand, quickly glanced through it, and stared blankly.
He finally understood why His Highness admired a child so much—he was intelligent and capable.
Now, Zhui Feng was completely convinced.
Lili chuckled: "Lili has a few little tricks to prevent pests and fertilize the soil to increase yield. These are Lili's exclusive secrets."
For the first time, Village Chief Ma felt so confident in front of these officials. He straightened his back and smiled, saying, "Sirs, we're all honest and straightforward. If you don't believe me, you can personally watch the villagers weigh themselves later!"
How could Master Huang dare not believe it? His young master was right there; how could he possibly have the courage to disbelieve him?
Master Huang instructed the registrar: "Alright, I've reviewed all the records. Have everyone pay their taxes according to the 20% grain tax rate."
"Yes, Master."
The officials beat the drums again, and the crowd lined up to pay their grain tax.
It took half a day to finish collecting taxes in Xinghua Village.
The registrar looked at the recorded numbers and couldn't stop smiling.
Xinghua Village must have the best harvest in Nanlin County this year!
Every year after the grain tax was paid, each region would submit its records and the collected grain to higher levels. Xinghua Village belonged to Liucheng, so under these circumstances, the imperial court would definitely reward Xinghua Village for its harvest after it was reported.
When the time comes, those of them who are minor officials in the county government will surely be able to get a share of the benefits.
In the end, the government officials left with a grin on their faces.
Before leaving, Zhui Feng told her to wait for him at the village entrance at dawn the next day, and Li Li smiled and agreed.
These past few days, Lili has helped the whole village improve the land, and the potatoes have almost finished sprouting and can be planted tomorrow.
Because she was going out the next day, Lili gave Yang some instructions on common questions in case anyone asked.
Shen Jiaqing was very excited that she would be able to meet Physician Sikong tomorrow.
Shen Jiahao said, "Lili, I want to go too!"
Lili asked in confusion, "Why, big brother?"
He overheard Zhui Feng talking to Li Li today. Zhui Feng would bring a subordinate with him, the two of them riding a horse, one with Li Li and the other with Shen Jiaqing.
He wanted to ride a horse too!
He had long wanted to pester Zhuifeng to teach him martial arts.
But Zhui Feng used to either follow behind His Highness the Crown Prince or appear briefly in a hurry, giving him no chance to speak.
Although Shen Jiahao considered himself to be quite thick-skinned, he didn't dare to ask for someone in front of His Highness the Crown Prince.
Now that he's finally caught Zhui Feng acting alone, he has to make the most of this opportunity.
Lili was both amused and exasperated. Seeing Shen Jiahao's attitude of "I'll make a scene if you don't agree," she nodded in agreement.
The next morning, the three of them waited hand in hand at the village entrance.
Everyone was busy planting potatoes in the fields today, so the village was already bustling with activity even though it was only early morning.
Regular potatoes take a week to sprout, but Lili's potatoes only take four days.
Don't ask, the answer is that he has a halo.
Many people saw Lili at the village entrance and, seeing that she was about to go out, worried that something might happen to her if she wasn't there.
Lili comforted everyone, "Don't be nervous, everyone. Just treat it like planting potatoes normally. If you really don't understand something, you can ask my mom."
The villagers were relieved to hear Lili say that.
"Hoo."
Zhui Feng arrived at full speed on horseback with one of his men. Seeing that Li Li had brought an extra person, he frowned and asked, "Miss Chen, is your elder brother going too?"
Before Lili could explain, Shen Jiahao had already enthusiastically moved closer: "Brother Zhuifeng, what a coincidence! We actually ran into each other here!"
Chasing the Wind: "???"
Lili covered her eyes and stopped talking; she couldn't bear to look.
Shen Jiahao cupped his hands and said, "Well, since we've met by such a coincidence, it means we're destined to meet, right? How about this, Brother Zhuifeng, since we're so destined to meet, you teach me how to ride a horse!"
Chasing the Wind: ...It's not really a matter of fate.
Another guard hesitated for a moment, then looked at Zhui Feng and said, "How about I take him and you take the two younger ones?"
Zhui Feng looked at Li Li, who was humming a little tune and gazing at the sky, seemingly indifferent to the situation.
Zhui Feng nodded and said to Shen Jiahao, "You can't ride a horse, so you should follow him."
Shen Jiahao asked, "Can he teach me how to ride a horse?"
Chasing the Wind: "Why do you want to learn to ride a horse?"
Today's mission is to escort Shen Lili to see Doctor Sikong, not to teach Shen Jiahao how to ride a horse!
Isn't this just adding to his workload?
"Because I want to learn," Shen Jiahao said.
Zhui Feng's lips twitched, trying to deceive him: "...You're too young to learn."
"You're only a few years older than me, and your riding skills are so good, why can't I learn them? Besides, His Highness the Crown Prince is five years younger than me, how come he can learn them?"
Lili chuckled, never expecting her older brother to be so quick-witted.
“Brother Zhuifeng, why don’t you teach my brother?” Lili tugged at Zhuifeng’s sleeve, pointed to a spot nearby, and whispered, “My brother is really strong; he can punch through a big rock!”
Zhui Feng looked in the direction she was pointing and saw a huge rock that even an adult couldn't hug lying there.
Zhui Feng's lips twitched, clearly indicating his disbelief.
Zhui Feng sighed. His Highness had already said that Li Li was practically his master. How could he not listen to his master?
"Go down and give it a try," said Zhui Feng.
"Huh?" The guard pointed at himself.
Zhui Feng nodded: "Yes."
If you curb his arrogance, he will back down on his own.
"You, get on." Seeing the guard dismount, Zhui Feng nodded to Shen Jiahao.
"Huh? By myself?" Shen Jiahao was flattered. "Okay!"
Shen Jiahao recalled how others mounted their horses and, imitating them, approached the horse.
Shen Jiahao walked to the left side of the horse, gently grasped the reins with his left hand, and first patted the horse's head with his right hand to soothe it. After the horse calmed down, he placed his hand on the back of the saddle.
Shen Jiahao slightly bent his knees, leaned forward, and steadily stepped his left foot into the stirrup. Then, with a powerful push, his right leg smoothly crossed over the horse's back and landed lightly on the saddle.
After settling in, he adjusted his posture, letting his legs hang naturally. He gently squeezed the horse's belly, and the horse began to move steadily and slowly, circling in place.
Lili and Shen Jiaqing's mouths were open in an "o" shape.
Lili hopped and skipped around, clapping for Shen Jiahao: "Wow, big brother is so amazing!"
After completing this series of actions, Shen Jiahao finally breathed a sigh of relief, remaining stiff and motionless. He only dared to slightly twist his head and ask Zhuifeng, "How was it? Right?"
Chai Feng: (っ°Д°;)っ?
Does this kid really need to learn?
"You, is this really your first time riding a horse?"
This is his first time riding a horse. What about when he was a child and the first time he rode a horse, he was so scared that he cried and even startled the horse and was thrown to the ground? These are nothing compared to what he did when he first got on a horse!
Zhui Feng, refusing to believe in superstition, took a deep breath and said, "Let's try running a couple of steps."
Shen Jiahao hesitated: "I don't know how yet, what if I...?"
"Stop talking nonsense, if you can't ride, don't ride."
"All right."
Shen Jiahao mentally prepared himself, squeezed the horse's flanks hard, lashed the whip, and the horse let out a long neigh and began to gallop wildly.
Shen Jiahao's eyes widened. At first, he was a little unaccustomed to it, but after running around for a while, he found that he was not afraid at all, but rather found it very fun. He immediately cracked his whip and started galloping away.
"Wow! I can ride a horse now! Brother Chasing Wind is truly a divine master!"
Shen Jiahao's voice faded into the distance, leaving only four bewildered people staring blankly at Shen Jiahao's gradually shrinking figure.
Lili and Shen Jiaqing exchanged a glance and exclaimed in unison, "Big brother is so cool!"
Lili sighed inwardly, "A general is indeed a general; my big brother is truly a born martial arts master."
It seems like it's time to find a mentor for the older brother.
Zhui Feng watched Shen Jiahao's disappearing figure and laughed at himself in anger.
Look, look!
They even tried to dampen someone's spirit, but I wonder whose spirit got dampened.
Another guard said sheepishly, "Boss, my horse..."
Zhui Feng glared at him and said irritably, "Go away, didn't you see your horse was stolen?"
"I saw it, so what am I supposed to do, boss?"
Zhui Feng grabbed Shen Jiaqing on his left and Lili on his right, quickly placing them on the horse's back. He then nimbly mounted his own horse and spurred it on, chasing after Shen Jiahao.
He only left a message for this poor guard.
"What should we do? We'd better walk back!"
"Ah?! It's almost a hundred miles from the city!" The guard ran a few steps in despair, trying to catch up with him.
However, the wind only left him with the dust kicked up by the horse's hooves.
The guards stood bewildered amidst the sandstorm: "..."
With Lili in front of him and Shen Jiaqing behind him, Zhui Feng had to be careful not to go too fast while also keeping up with Shen Jiahao, which made things very difficult for him.
The most frustrating thing was Shen Jiahao's self-taught riding skills.
Damn it, he rode a horse so well on his first time, aren't we going to give him any face?
But Lili, who was clinging tightly to the saddle, kept stabbing him in the heart: "Brother Zhuifeng, what do you think of my riding?"
Shen Jiaqing quickly answered, "I know, I know! Big Brother's riding skills, while not the best, were definitely better than Zhui Feng's first time riding a horse! Lili, didn't you see the shocked look on Zhui Feng's face back then? It cracked me up."
Zhui Feng said coldly, "Speak again and I'll throw you down."
Shen Jiaqing: "...Oh."
Lili chuckled, and Zhuifeng said awkwardly, "He was really good. You could tell he was very nervous, but... I can't believe it was his first time riding a horse. He wasn't unfamiliar with it at all, as if he had practiced it a hundred or a thousand times in his mind."
Lili smiled and said, "Big brother must have secretly practiced it in his mind. My big brother really wants to learn martial arts."
"Good horsemanship does not necessarily mean that one is suitable for martial arts, nor does it mean that one can master martial arts."
“Is that so?” Lili chuckled. “No one is more suited to martial arts than him.”
Zhui Feng dared not ride too fast, as it was really not easy to catch up with Shen Jiahao, who was running wildly with his feet off the ground.
Fortunately, when Shen Jiahao saw that the others hadn't caught up for a long time, he stopped and waited for them.
Upon hearing from Shen Jiaqing that Shen Jiahao had taken the guard's horse, causing the guard to have to walk back to the prefectural city, Shen Jiahao felt extremely guilty: "I'm really sorry, it was my first time riding a horse, and I got too excited."
Zhui Feng waved his hand: "It's nothing, it's not me anyway."
Lili silently felt sorry for that guard.
Lili climbed onto Shen Jiahao's horse and settled in. The four of them then headed towards Nanji Village at a moderate pace.
Thirty li is not far. It might take two hours by oxcart, but it would be much faster on horseback. At the speed of the wind, it would take more than 45 minutes.
However, considering the two children and that their purpose wasn't anything important, and having set off early, the group walked and stopped frequently, like on a picnic. They would even stop to let Lili enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way.
Lili often goes to the city, but this is the first time she has come to this southern road, and everything is new and exciting to her.
When they passed a lake of moderate size, the group stopped to rest for a while.
It was just past Chen Shi (7-9 AM), the time when Li Li was having breakfast. The group tied their horses to the lakeside and sat under a tree to share the naan bread that Li Li had brought.
The naan was baked by Yang last night, and she heated it up this morning to give to the children.
Although it wasn't as crispy as when it was freshly baked, Lili still ate it with great relish.
Lili was enjoying her meal when her heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if reminding her that something was about to happen.
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