Chapter 258: They Got Married
Li Changyi felt a sharp pain in his finger, and blood gushed out. Meng Jingjing threw down the dagger and used the white cloth on the bed to catch the blood until there was no more blood to flow.
The few drops of blood quickly spread across the white gauze, resembling plum blossoms blooming in the snow, possessing a breathtaking beauty.
"Only with this can you truly pass the test."
Meng Jingjing threw the white cloth onto the bed, then got out of bed, turned off the light, and lay down on the small couch next to the bed: "There are people from the Meng family guarding outside, so Your Highness can sleep peacefully."
Li Changyi smiled and lay down. Soon his breathing became long and even, while Meng Jingjing on the small couch turned over a couple of times and quickly fell asleep.
When Li Changyi and Meng Jingjing got married, Zhou Mujiao was indeed relieved. The main reason was that after arriving in Lingnan, although Li Changyi still made those flirtatious remarks and devoted himself to building the royal city, his gaze towards her became more and more intense. Regardless of whether his marriage with Meng Jingjing was a contract or not, at least before the royal city was completed, Li Changyi would no longer bother her.
But she was wrong. On the second day after their marriage, Li Changyi took advantage of Zhao Yunjing and the villagers going up the mountain for inspection, and came to see her under the pretext of discussing official business with Zhao Yunjing.
She was teaching the villagers to read and write, and to learn some basic life skills. Next to her, a pot was burning, bubbling and steaming, and the sweet aroma of mushrooms wafted for miles.
Li Changyi smiled broadly: "I could smell the aroma from afar. Is this chicken stew with mushrooms?"
On the second day of his marriage, instead of being affectionate with his new wife, he went to see a stranger. His intentions are obvious to everyone.
Zhou Mujiao didn't mince words: "Is Your Highness a dog? You came here just by smelling the scent."
"I was born in the Year of the Rabbit, a little rabbit who gets flustered just thinking about certain people."
"If you have something to say, say it. If not, get out of the way. Your Highness, you may not be busy, but I don't have time." A married man still flirting with others is truly disgusting.
“Alright, I’ve upset Doctor Zhou, it’s my fault. But I have come to see you today because I have something important to discuss,” Li Changyi said. “My queen was originally a general, as Doctor Zhou knows, right? But Lingnan is very peaceful now, and I am just a prince with a title but no real power. It’s not my place to patrol the border and strengthen defenses. But my queen is always busy, so I thought I’d have her find a job here with you to pass the time and prevent her from having any wild thoughts.”
"Okay, let her come."
And so Meng Jingjing actually came.
Zhou Mujiao quite liked Meng Jingjing. She was dashing and heroic, upright and straightforward, and her likes and dislikes were clearly written on her face. These qualities might not be suitable for a general, but they were perfect for the Princess Consort of Anding.
Moreover, Meng Jingjing taught the villagers how to patrol the border and how to identify enemies, and she also taught the children martial arts. In just a few days, she, the princess's tutor, won the hearts of the people.
Li Changyi didn't expect this to turn out so unexpectedly. When she asked Meng Jingjing, Meng Jingjing replied expressionlessly, "It's just a matter of sincerity for sincerity, there's nothing more to say."
"Is Your Highness blaming me for not treating you with sincerity?"
"Although I want to, I know it's impossible, so I don't expect Your Highness to treat me sincerely. I only hope that Your Highness will stay away from me and let me do what I like to do. By the way, Your Highness, although Lingnan women are not as tall as women from the Central Plains, nor as charming as women from Jiangnan, Lingnan women are lovely and clever, and have their own charm. I have already found five women that I think are good for Your Highness. When Your Highness has time, go and take a look. If you find one you like, keep her to serve you."
"Why would I, with a perfectly good princess, choose another woman outside? Does my princess think I'm a fool?"
"No, Your Highness isn't stupid, it's me who's stupid." Meng Jingjing laughed self-deprecatingly. "I originally wanted to form an alliance with Your Highness so that the Meng family could regain its former glory, but I didn't expect that before the Meng family could regain its former glory, I would have my wings clipped."
Li Changyi opened his mouth as if to say something, but Meng Jingjing had already turned and left. A moment later, five petite women walked in.
She is indeed charming and lovely.
But when it comes to elegance and charm, who can compare to Zhou Mujiao? And in terms of cuteness alone, Meng Jingjing is quite cute too.
Li Changyi went to find Meng Jingjing, only to discover that she had a bundle and had moved into the village with Zhou Mujiao.
Zhou Mujiao could naturally sense the cold war between the two, but since their marriage was originally based on a contract, it was obvious that their conflict stemmed from a clash of interests, so as an outsider, she wouldn't interfere.
The people of Lingnan may be barbaric, but they are also very eager to learn and, more importantly, intelligent. They love to ask questions and keep asking questions. Zhou Mujiao has a wealth of knowledge and is not afraid of asking a hundred thousand whys. She is happy to hear their questions. But Meng Jingjing is different. She was originally a military general and knows mostly about warfare and tactics. Occasionally, when the villagers ask her questions that she doesn't know the answer to, the situation becomes a little awkward.
Fortunately, Li Changyi came and moved to the village, where he became a proper schoolteacher.
The autumn rice was planted quickly, and the terraced fields were completed. When the rice seedlings took root, the mountains and valleys were covered in vibrant green, a sight that refreshed the mind and spirit.
Deep in the mountains, far from the city, there is a village blessed by nature. No one knows who planted the tea, but it grows all over the mountains. However, the quality is poor, and it tastes very bitter. Not only the villagers, but even the dogs won't eat it.
Zhou Mujiao, however, was overjoyed. She remembered this place; it was the starting point of the ancient tea boat route, which was created precisely to transport these teas overseas for trade!
This village is called Liubao Village. It is extremely poor. Most people have never left the mountains in their lives. Occasionally, one or two people will go to the prefectural city, and that will take at least three to five years. When there is not enough food, they go into the mountains. The mountains have everything. Even in the worst years, no one has ever starved to death.
But that's all.
In modern times, Liubao tea is exported overseas and enjoys an international reputation, but it is relatively unknown in China. Apart from the locals who love to drink it, most people only know about Pu'er, Longjing, Biluochun and Da Hong Pao. Zhou Mujiao, however, loves to drink it. When she has free time, she will go to Liubao Village to pick tea and make tea with the tea masters. She can stay there for a whole day and leave with a jar of tea she made herself, feeling very satisfied.
Liubao tea was also my grandfather's favorite tea. He only drank Liubao tea his whole life.
So when Zhou Mujiao saw these tea trees in a different time and space, she felt a little sad, but it also strengthened her determination to improve the tea trees.
She firmly believed that as long as the waterways in Lingnan were unobstructed, any good product could be sold.
Improving tea trees is not easy; it requires a lot of work and manpower. Fortunately, the villagers, though fierce, are very hardworking. The key is that they are not afraid of being tired or dirty. Even if they are busy until midnight, they will still come early the next morning, still smiling.
While improving the tea trees, the ancient tea boat road was also excavated at the same time. The project was quite large, and it would have taken many years to complete if the villagers had to do it alone. So Zhou Mujiao recruited several batches of workers from outside to clear the mountains, build roads, and care for the tea trees. This solved the employment problem for many people and boosted the local economy.
At the same time, Zhao Yunjing also gained something.
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