"He bears a slight resemblance to those large golden figures who sparred with him at the Ma residence that day. However, Ke An deliberately concealed his movement techniques. I don't know if he intentionally hid his original techniques or deliberately pretended to be somewhat similar."
Lili sighed: "If we simplify the problem, I think he's just deliberately hiding it."
Yun Shu learned the cause and effect from the conversation between the two and quickly deduced Li Li's guess: "Does Miss think... that person is related to the Golden Man?"
“Yes.” Lili sat up straight and took a blanket from the side to cover her lap. “I just don’t understand what he’s doing here.”
"Everyone has to register their place of origin and identity when they enlist in the army, let alone the Red Eagle Army, which is the most strict. If that person is a Jurchen, how could he possibly be in the Red Eagle Army?"
Lili nodded; she couldn't understand it either.
Gu Ziyi had Zhuifeng personally instruct people to prepare a car, so it was impossible that he would simply send her out.
When Zhui Feng helped Li Li onto the carriage, he had already compiled all of Ke An's information and handed it to Li Li.
Lili looked at it carefully again. Ke An had been in the Red Eagle Army for eight years and was considered a veteran. All the information was normal and there was nothing wrong with it.
That's strange. He stayed in the army for eight years, so how did he learn the Jin Dynasty's moves?
You can't be mistaken, the Golden Man is brave and passionate, and his fighting style is very distinctive and extremely aggressive.
Could it be that the original Ke An was killed and replaced by a giant golden man?
That doesn't make sense either. If someone is replaced halfway through, wouldn't his companions notice?
No matter how hard Lili thought about it, she couldn't figure it out, so she simply gave up and lazily leaned back against Yunshu's shoulder.
Yun Shu massaged her temples to relieve her fatigue. The carriage was warm and cozy, and Lili was so comfortable that she was about to fall asleep.
As she closed her eyes, feeling drowsy, Lili casually asked, "Yunshu, are there any disguise techniques or anything like that in the martial arts world?"
"Of course there are. Not only is there the art of disguise, but the witchcraft of the Miao villages in the east is also quite famous. The martial world is a mixed bag, and these kinds of tricks are everywhere..."
Pear mumbled a response and closed her eyes.
Gu Ziyi always liked to arrange everything without anyone noticing. For example, when she went to Gu Ziyi in the afternoon to talk about repairing the thatched hut, Gu Ziyi had already thought of that.
When Lili returned to the General's Mansion, Han Xi was already waiting at the door.
Upon seeing Lili return, Han Xi took it upon himself to report to her about the materials.
"Now that the craftsmen and materials are ready, His Highness had planned to discuss this with Miss in the next few days. Miss, please take a look and see if there is anything amiss?"
Gu Ziyi is meticulous and reliable, so Lili is naturally at ease. However, he still likes to ask for her opinion on every matter that Lili inquires about, even though he himself can handle things very well.
This made Lili feel like she was a fortune teller.
Yes, it's like how ancient emperors would consult a divination book before doing anything to see if it would be auspicious or inauspicious.
The people, things, and plans were all listed out in detail. Lili never thought she was better than the talented people around Gu Ziyi, and she felt she had no good opinions.
After thinking for a moment, Lili sent Yunshu to her room to retrieve the small purse she always carried with her.
Yun Shu handed her the purse, and Li Li pulled out a stack of silver notes. Without even checking how much it was, she put them all in Han Xi's hand: "Here, I don't have much to offer in terms of help, so consider this my contribution."
Han Xi reacted as if his hand were burning: "Miss, you mustn't! What if His Highness finds out..."
"Alright, alright, so what if he knows? I can't just stand by and do nothing, can I?"
Lili wanted to come up with an idea, but Gu Ziyi had already done everything, so all Lili could do was give him money.
Lili is no longer the same Lili who didn't even have two taels of silver in her pocket.
Out of affection and gratitude for Lili, Shen Lao Er and Chen Shi would give her 40% of the profits from the Shen family's shop every year.
She knew how successful the Shen family's shop was; a 40% profit was enough for her to live a carefree life.
Not to mention the shops Gu Ziyi gave her before; their profits were practically sitting on a gold mine.
Besides these, the boxes of treasures under Lili's bed are almost all good treasures.
She was good for nothing except money.
Han Xi still hesitated, so Li Li patted her chest and assured him, "It's alright, can he stop me from doing a good deed? Let's use this money to get more charcoal for the people. If Your Highness disagrees, I'll be the first to scold him!"
Han Xi then accepted it.
Gu Ziyi came back in the evening and had dinner with Lili, during which he asked about what happened during the day.
Lili truthfully said, "I suspect that person was in disguise. He wasn't Ke An; he looked like a golden man."
Lili's directness did not surprise Gu Ziyi. However, he could sense that something was amiss when Lili pointed out a particular person so deliberately.
Gu Ziyi frowned, sorted out his thoughts in his mind, and asked, "Was he brought up on stage to test his skills?"
"Mm." Lili nodded and said, "Xiaoqi also said that she would never mistake him for someone else."
"Okay, got it."
Lili asked curiously, "What does Your Highness intend to do?"
Gu Ziyi shook his head: "Do nothing."
Only by remaining calm and collected can one avoid alerting the enemy. Even if the other party hasn't done anything, one should first observe what they intend to do.
Lili said "oh" and focused on eating her food, then heard Gu Ziyi ask her about the stack of silver notes.
Lili waved her hand dismissively, "It's no big deal, Your Highness, don't be so polite."
Gu Ziyi chuckled and said nothing more, silently planning other things in her mind.
*
After staying in Anding City for half a month, Lili finally returned to Liucheng.
In just half a month, the greenery on the street was covered with a layer of dust, looking dull and lifeless.
Lili pursed her lips, somewhat uneasy, and asked Yunshu, "Yunshu, did Fourth Brother mention Xixiang County in his letter?"
Yun Shu nodded: "Yes, Miss."
Lili sighed. No matter how much she planned, she couldn't defy fate.
Yesterday, Shen Jiaqing sent a letter saying that an epidemic had suddenly broken out in a remote village in Xixiang County.
Physician Sikong, without hesitation, immediately set off with his medicine box. Shen Jiaqing, worried about the old man, insisted on going with him.
The epidemic came suddenly, and its cause and severity were unknown. Doctor Sikong did not want his young apprentice to go with him, but Shen Jiaqing was stubborn and even knelt down and said that he had studied medicine in his life to save people, so Doctor Sikong had no choice but to take him along.
Before leaving, Shen Jiaqing hurriedly left a letter for Lili and then departed.
Lili had no idea this was going to happen. The weather had turned cold, but before the blizzard even arrived, the epidemic struck first.
"Even the most meticulous plans can have flaws; this is something that is truly impossible to guard against."
Lili was somewhat worried, and returned the next day after bidding farewell to General Chu.
Yun Shu had never met the Shen family and didn't know how to comfort her.
She rushed back to the county magistrate's office, not even having time to see Madam Yang, and went straight to Shen Laosan's study.
The study door was open, and Shen Laosan and several clerks were discussing matters inside. A charcoal fire had already been lit in the room, something Lili hadn't done when she left Liucheng for Andingcheng.
Lili greeted the clerks, and Shen Laosan was very happy to see his daughter return. He immediately dismissed the clerks.
Once only the father and daughter were inside, Lili went around behind Shen Laosan and began to massage his shoulders attentively.
"Father, do you know how my fourth brother and Grandpa Sikong are doing?"
Shen Laosan knew she was going to ask about this, and patted her hand reassuringly: "It's hard to say. The temperature has dropped sharply recently, and the weather is abnormally cold. Even here, many crops have died. I heard that the ground in Xixiang County has frozen. Alas, it's tough. I don't know how long it has been since the news from Xixiang County reached us. The epidemic there may have reached its most dangerous stage."
A sudden drop in temperature can lead to an epidemic of typhoid fever, especially in ancient times when sanitation and medical technology were limited, and even a minor case of typhoid fever could develop into a serious epidemic.
The elderly, children, and those with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable and could suffer significant mortality. Furthermore, population movement, such as merchants and travelers moving between different regions, could spread the disease to even wider areas.
In terms of crops, growing crops are very sensitive to temperature changes. A sudden drop in temperature can cause frost damage to crops, especially those varieties that are less cold-resistant.
If a sudden drop in temperature occurs during the planting or harvesting season, it can disrupt the normal rhythm of agricultural production. The soil may freeze and harden due to the sudden cold, making planting impossible. During harvesting, the cold weather can hinder the harvesting process, and harvested crops are prone to mold and rot if they are not dried in time.
Lili frowned. The weather in Nanlin County was getting colder day by day, and everyone could feel it. People were adding clothes as needed and making charcoal as needed, but there was no news of any epidemic.
How could an epidemic break out in Saigō County?
Even if Xixiang County has been poor in recent years, surely it's not like they don't have a single warm garment?
Lili asked the question, and Shen Laosan sighed even longer: "You don't know this, but according to the letter from Prefect Qin, the temperature in Xixiang County didn't drop day by day, but suddenly overnight. The town where the epidemic broke out is called Xingcun, which is located deep in the mountains. It's extremely remote and doesn't even have a barefoot doctor. The first person who got sick didn't receive timely treatment, and the disease spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred, which is why we have the epidemic today."
"A sudden drop? Overnight?"
Lili was somewhat shocked. She had been wearing an extra layer of clothing each day and still felt unbearably cold. Waking up to find herself transformed from lava to glaciers was indeed a recipe for illness.
It's already this serious before November; what will happen when winter comes?
"Father, I have to go now. I'll have dinner with you tonight!"
Lili lifted her skirt and ran out. Shen Laosan called out a couple of times, then shook his head with a smile: "Still so reckless."
Back in her room, Huang Ying, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, ran in excitedly and pulled her around, exclaiming, "Miss, you're finally back!"
When Lili saw her, she pulled her aside to introduce her to Yunshu. After the two maids had greeted each other, she instructed her, "Huang Ying, go to Lixiang Pavilion to ask my second brother about the situation. I remember that the Lixiang Pavilion caravan should have just returned from Xixiang County at this time. Go and ask them if there was anything unusual about the weather in Xixiang County at that time."
Pear looked somewhat serious, and Oriole, not daring to delay, immediately went to greet her.
After saying that, Lili said to Yunshu, "Yunshu, write a letter to His Highness for me and ask him how things are going."
"Yes, Miss."
She told Gu Ziyi about this yesterday, and because she was worried, she immediately asked Gu Ziyi to send someone to investigate the situation.
She was genuinely worried about the doctor, who was over sixty years old, and Shen Jiaqing, a child who was just over ten years old.
Lili paced back and forth in the yard, seemingly oblivious to the cold wind blowing against her face.
Lili didn't really have any intention of getting involved in other things. She was from Nanlin County, and she was a native of Nanlin County. It was already the limit for her to take care of the county.
Therefore, she has been promoting the circulation of her family's grain seeds within the county for the past few years. With the help of the Qin family and Gu Ziyi, it was not difficult to do so.
Lili was a little anxious, so she went inside and flipped through the notebooks that recorded the grain stored in granaries in various places again.
As I pointed to the rows of numbers, my agitation subsided slightly.
Fortunately, she always liked to be prepared, and there was enough public grain to last for a year or two even if Nanlin County faced a crisis.
only……
Perhaps because Physician Sikong and Shen Jiaqing went to Xixiang County, Lili became uncontrollably worried about Xixiang County again.
The situation in Saigo County is already so dire, and now an epidemic has broken out. Saigo County was already in a state of disrepair, and if this happens again, it will only be worse than before.
"Pear."
As Yang stepped into her courtyard, her gentle voice soothed Lili's restless heart, allowing her to temporarily put aside these matters.
"mother!"
Lili went to greet her.
Madam Yang looked her up and down and saw that her daughter's face was not thinner but rather rounder, so she knew that she was not affected by the cold wind at all and was living comfortably.
Madam Yang smiled and pinched her little cheek: "Your Highness is truly reassuring, at least when it comes to raising children, I am very at ease."
Lili pouted shyly, "Is Mother saying that Lili has gotten fat? Lili hasn't, it's Ziqi who has. Ziqi follows Brother Chenye around every day, eating this today and that tomorrow, and has gotten so round."
The mother and daughter smiled at each other. Lili led Yang into the house, and Yang said, "I was just about to tell you about Ziqi. The Crown Prince's wife has left Ziqi at the Shen family's house for four months now. It got cold early in the south this year, and it looks like it's going to get even colder. Ziqi is used to the dry cold in the capital, but the south is damp and cold. I'm afraid Ziqi won't be able to handle it. Do you think we should send Ziqi back to the capital before it gets too cold?"
No, no!
Gu Ziqi strode in with a triumphant air, then slid down to his knees and knelt before Madam Yang, crying out, "Aunt Yang, Ziqi, don't go! Ziqi, don't go!"
Yang was startled and quickly tried to pull him up, but Gu Ziqi wouldn't let her succeed. He not only dodged her grasp, but also simply lay down on his back on the ground, rolling around and throwing a tantrum.
"No, no, Ziqi won't leave! Ziqi won't leave! Ziqi wants to stay here! Ziqi wants to stay with her sister!"
Lili covered her mouth and laughed. This little rascal, who was originally a quiet and aloof little boy, has turned into a rascal after staying here for a while.
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