"He's incredibly capable; he even knows the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager is a prodigy; I've heard she founded Baichuan Academy. I'd really like to meet her sometime."
Li Xi had previously heard about the Empress Dowager's educational philosophy and felt that she might be from the same era as her.
"Sister, you said you'd been to Baichuan Academy before. Is it really as good as you say?" Li Yi was a little skeptical. Their academy's dean looked down on Baichuan Academy.
"Well, how should I put it? You're just listening. If you want to know how it goes, you can try it yourself. I'll talk to him and let you see for yourself." She knew that the minds of the ancients were not easily changed.
Li Xi drove the carriage to take Headmaster Xu and Li Yi back to Baichuan Academy.
"Xiao Yi, I'll come pick you up tomorrow." Li Xi waved his riding whip and left.
"Xiao Xi, let's go back to the base." Old Sun had been thinking about the intelligence he had recently obtained.
Night fell like a curtain, concealing the hustle and bustle of the day, leaving only silence and tranquility. A gentle breeze blew by, carrying the breath of the earth and stories from afar.
"Sister Chu Ran, did Uncle Zhao say anything?" It's been two or three days, and Li Xi has been coming over every day but still hasn't been able to get him to talk.
“No.” Chu Ran sighed. “He didn’t say anything, he just remained silent.”
Upon hearing this, Li Xi frowned. "What should we do? We can't keep dragging this on like this."
Chu Ran nodded, "I know, but we don't have any other options right now. We can only see what other methods we can use to force him to confess."
"It seems I need to go find Lan'er and ask her if she has any medicine to give him." Li Xi smiled. "I'll go see him."
As the two were chatting, they suddenly heard a commotion coming from the inner room. Chu Ran and Li Xi exchanged a glance, both looking puzzled, and then got up to go out and see what was going on.
"What's going on?" Several people were seen holding Zhao Bo down on the ground.
"Xiao Xi, this man tried to bite his tongue and commit suicide. So the sect leader dislocated his jaw." Chen Quan retied the man.
"I didn't expect you to be such a tough guy. Looks like the person behind you is someone important." Li Xi stepped on Zhao Bo's back.
Uncle Zhao gritted his teeth, staring intently at Li Xi with eyes blazing with fury. "Don't waste your energy. I'd rather die than utter a single word."
"Then let me ask you another question. Did you kill my parents?" Li Xi felt that the deaths of her adoptive parents were not accidental.
"Hmph, I didn't kill him. I was taking care of you at the time. Have you forgotten? You're not Li Xi. Who are you?" Uncle Zhao was terrified.
"I already told you I'm a demon who came back from hell to settle scores with you." Li Xi patted his face with the hilt of her knife.
"If it wasn't you, it must have been one of your accomplices. You sold off all my family's assets back then. You're ruthless enough."
The thought of these things made her feel a burning anger within her, and she felt her breathing become erratic, so she quickly calmed herself down.
"Give up on that idea," Uncle Zhao said, then fell silent.
"Don't worry, I'll give you something good to try in a couple of days." She didn't believe him.
“This kind of scum is a waste of food to be alive. The sooner he dies, the sooner he’ll be free,” Chen Quan said.
"Let him wish he were dead but couldn't live either; death would be too good for him." Li Xi dragged Chu Ran to stroll through the night market.
As night falls, the brightly lit streets are bustling with vendors setting up their stalls.
Among these stalls were vendors selling food, handicrafts, and miscellaneous goods. Pedestrians came and went in a steady stream, stopping to admire these unique products.
"It's been so many years, it's been so long since I've strolled through a night market in Kyoto. The last time was five years ago..." Unfortunately, things have changed, and Chu Ran recalled some things from the past.
“Cherishing the present is the most important thing,” Li Xi said, knowing about Chu Ran’s past. “I’ll treat you to a late-night snack. Come on, let’s buy some hairpins for our beautiful sister.”
Chu Ran knew that Li Xi was trying to change the subject, and that she meant well. Looking at the bustling crowds on the street, they both smiled.
"Beautiful lady, would you like some barbecue skewers?" Li Xi asked.
Chu Ran nodded, "Okay, let's get some skewers." The two walked to the barbecue stall and were about to order some when Chu Ran suddenly felt someone watching her. She subconsciously turned her head and saw a man in a white robe standing at the alley entrance, staring intently at her.
Chu Ran was stunned.
The man was tall and upright, with an elegant appearance and an indescribable air of grace. His eyes were deep and bright, as if they could see right through people's hearts.
Chu Ran's heart stirred; she sensed that this man was not simple.
"Chu Ran," Li Xi called softly, "What are you looking at?"
Chu Ran snapped out of her daze, turned to look at Li Xi, and said, "It's nothing."
"Okay," Li Xi replied, then said to the barbecue stall owner, "Give me twenty skewers of lamb."
Chu Ran's gaze unconsciously returned to the man. The man remained standing in the same spot, his eyes never leaving Chu Ran.
"Sister Chu Ran, what's wrong?" Li Xi asked curiously when she saw Chu Ran standing there in a daze.
Chu Ran frowned and said, "I feel like someone is watching me."
Li Xi followed Chu Ran's gaze and saw only a bustling crowd; she didn't see anyone looking at Chu Ran. Puzzled, she looked away and saw a conflicted expression on Chu Ran's face.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Li Xi asked with concern.
"It's alright, we probably misjudged it. Let's eat. Ruyi Shop has some new jewelry, I heard it's very popular?" The two ate quickly and rushed towards Ruyi Shop.
Shopping is indeed a pleasant activity, and the two of them had a very fruitful experience.
After sending Chu Ran back, Li Xi returned to Tingfeng Courtyard.
"Lan'er, Lan'er," Li Xi went to find Meng Zhelan as soon as she got back.
She was rummaging through some old books in the study. Without even looking up, she asked, "What's wrong?"
"Is there any itching powder that can make people unbearably itchy?" She planned to have Lan'er make some strange and unusual medicines to test their effects.
"You've come at just the right time. I've also been refining some poisons lately. If you're traveling, you can use the medicine and you'll be less likely to get hurt." Meng Zhelan's original intention was to ensure Li Xi's safety while traveling.
"Wow, Lan'er, you're so resourceful!" Li Xi knew that Lan'er always thought things through.
"Those medicines are in my room, go get them later. That itching powder you mentioned is quite interesting, try making it at Ren'an Hall tomorrow."
Emperor Jingyuan has been very irritable lately, and the various sects are becoming increasingly out of control. So far, no signs of evil cults have been found, and the retired emperor and empress dowager have also disappeared.
He's becoming increasingly incompetent as emperor; things are probably about to change. "Someone, go and urge those secret guards when they can find the person."
Pacing back and forth in the imperial study, Emperor Jingyuan grew increasingly anxious. "Summon Qin Xiaolin to the palace, and also..."
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