However, in his previous life, Xiao Dong was registered as Li Fudong at the Imperial Hospital.
Fudong, Fudong, so that's how it is.
I'm truly blind to my own shortcomings.
From the first moment he met Xiao Dong, he was Xiao Dong.
Therefore, I didn't think much of it when I heard this name in my previous life.
The longevity lock that Xiao Dong wore around his neck shone faintly in the afternoon sun, stinging Qin Yuan's eyes.
At first listen, one doesn't understand the meaning of the song; upon second listen, one becomes a character within the song.
The sudden sorrow of Physician Li, the unspoken words with hidden meanings, the actions that prevented Xiao Dong from going to the Imperial Hospital...
Every single thing tells her who Xiao Dong is.
But neither in her past life nor in this life had she ever imagined it.
"Do you know of a place in Hangzhou Prefecture called Yuhang County?"
Qin Yuan's throat was dry.
There are many things that cannot be said, for to say them would be a sin.
Xiao Dong should just stay Xiao Dong.
She suddenly understood Doctor Li.
“I know,” Xiao Dong nodded. “My master said that this is his hometown, and it is also mine. He told me to go back and visit it when I grow up. Although my master didn’t tell me, I know that he must have found me there and raised me.”
Qin Yuan's eyes stung a little. She reached out and straightened the longevity lock for him, then gently wiped it a few times with a handkerchief. She softened her voice and coaxed him, "My mother's hometown seems to be in Yuhang as well. We can go back and visit together sometime. Don't leave me behind and go back first, okay?"
“Okay,” Xiao Dong nodded emphatically, his chubby chin sticking out.
His senior sister seemed even closer to him, which gave him an indescribable sense of pleasure, so naturally he responded without hesitation.
Qin Yuan scrutinized his face and said seriously, "Then we have a deal. If you go first, I'll get angry and ignore you. A gentleman's word is as good as his bond."
"Fine, even eight horses can't catch up. I, Xiao Dong, am a man of my word."
Xiao Dong patted his chest and agreed decisively.
Qin Yuan lowered her head and drank her tea.
The tea wasn't hot, but a layer of mist clouded her vision.
After eating some snacks and fruit, Xiao Dong couldn't help but ask again after she put down her teacup, "Senior Sister, is the Jade Complexion Cream ready? Will it be sent to Prince Qi's residence immediately?"
Qin Yuan shook her head: "Leave it for two days before sending it."
Why?
“If we send it over so quickly, they won’t value it. The King of Qi searched the entire palace but couldn’t get it. If we send it over so quickly, they might have other ideas. Even if the King of Qi doesn’t have that idea, who knows what others might think.”
Xiao Dong frowned, thought for a moment, and was still puzzled: "But people with bad intentions won't just disappear because we've delayed for two days."
Qin Yuan choked for a long time before saying, "A lock can't stop a thief, but we still need to lock it when we're out and about. That's called 'it doesn't stop petty people but it stops virtuous people,' you know?"
"……oh……"
Qin Yuan continued, “What is too easily obtained is not easily cherished. Although we obtained a lot of medicinal materials from Prince Qi, our prescription is priceless and we will not easily sell it. Therefore, Renhetang only managed to make the Jade Complexion Cream because of the Marquis of Dingbei’s influence. It took a lot of effort and so many rare medicinal materials to get such a small jar.”
Xiao Dong: ...I understand.
Although it didn't take many good medicinal herbs or much effort, it's only worth the good price if we say so.
Senior sister has been corrupted by her master.
However, my senior sister did this for the sake of Renhetang's business and for the sake of the father and son's livelihood.
Xiao Dong nodded emphatically, "Yes, that's it, absolutely right!"
Qin Yuan looked at Xiao Dong with loving eyes, and asked him about his business, painting, and holiday plans before letting him go.
Xiao Dong inquired about the place where Yelü Xianyong was recuperating, and almost fainted from the stench as soon as he entered.
The room was filled with the stench of wound medicine, blood, and decay, making it truly unbearable.
He pinched his nose and placed the incense pill in the incense burner by Yelü Xianyong's bedside, instructing the servant, "These are incense pills prepared by the lady. Lighting them will help the patient recover quickly. Light one pill every day, and don't forget."
Once the incense was lit, the smell became even stranger.
Xiao Dong didn't want to stay any longer. He put down the box, turned around, and left. Before leaving, he repeated, "Give the medicine on time, and remember to give the incense pills every day. If you run out, please ask Madam to make some more. The incense pills are all in the box."
The servant replied, "Understood."
Xiao Dong wanted to ask Master Gu for more advice on painting techniques, but was stopped by Master Gu's servant from afar: "Master Gu was woken up last night and has been painting ever since. He only stopped to rest at noon. He's been busy publishing his poetry and painting collections lately. Come back after the holiday."
Seeing that everyone was busy, Xiao Dong hurried back to attend to his own business.
On the Mid-Autumn Festival, he also had to make time to go to Ranxiangju to see the lantern festival. He heard that the Marquis's Mansion would be having a showdown with Shuhaige that day, and there would be many fun things to do.
Xiao Dong also had to cheer for the Marquis's mansion.
After Xiao Dong left, Qin Yuan stayed alone for a while, and only got up and went to the council courtyard when Hong Ye came to urge her.
Today's reports all concern the hanging of lanterns at your residence.
Qin Yuan originally only wanted to follow the crowd, but later worried that people would seize on her shortcomings, so she changed her mind and hired a top-notch lampsmith to quickly make a complete set of Magu's birthday celebration.
It's practically as if it was made specifically for the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration.
As for what others say about the implications and clever ideas, none of that is taken into consideration.
In addition, Qin Yuan repeatedly instructed people to be careful about fire prevention, and ordered Steward Han and Steward Cao to keep the water in the pool full for the next few days, and to arrange for guards to keep an eye on it.
Some people think being overly cautious is an overreaction.
Mr. Songshan agreed wholeheartedly and came specifically to speak with Qin Yuan: "Feiyun Pavilion has received a lot of news recently. There are quite a few men from other places who have come to the capital to see the lanterns. Their behavior is different from that of ordinary people, and they pretend not to know each other. It's really quite strange. The manor should be careful."
Qin Yuan was taken aback and asked, "How many people?"
Mr. Songshan said with concern, “There are probably a dozen or so people. They came one after another, and they didn’t stay in one place. Some were selling dates, some were selling silk, some were visiting old friends, and some were high-ranking officials from Jizhou and other places who came to the capital to see the lantern festival and have fun… Some people noticed that they spent money very lavishly, and they also saw them having fun in the entertainment district. Their expressions and demeanor were not clear, and they did not seem like strangers. That’s when they became suspicious.”
Qin Yuan pondered, "This, this... there's still no movement from Monk Zhiguang's side?"
"……ah?"
Mr. Matsuyama was taken aback, as if he had just woken from a dream.
"Does Madam suspect they are from Black Wind Stronghold?"
Qin Yuan said, "That's hard to say. They are all men in their prime, generous with their money, yet they pretend not to know each other. They all have different accents and have come from all over the country. What do you think their intentions are?"
Black Wind Stronghold was involved in the prison break, and although Monk Zhiguang wasn't one of their people, he was still implicated.
Mr. Songshan realized what was going on: "The people in front haven't sent any messages back yet, and the people in the village are getting anxious because they can't get any news. They're planning to take advantage of the Mid-Autumn Festival to open the city gates and rob people, and then kidnap Zhiguang in the chaos?"
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