You can tell just by looking at their words and actions.
"Sigh, but she's so rude, always interrupting me." Su Wanyan sighed and continued rambling, "Oh, now that you mention it, I'm a princess. How dare she, a merchant's daughter, always interrupt me? Don't you think her status is unusual?"
Su Wanyan stared wide-eyed: "Yu Nanqing, you need to investigate her right away. Didn't you say before that envoys from other countries would be coming? It's June now, it's about this time."
Although Yu Nanqing said it would be no later than July, would the envoy come openly and honestly?
Shouldn't he first send some spies or something to Beijing to gather information?
Xiao Chensheng is a perfect example.
"Alright." Yu Nanqing smiled and gently put his arm around Su Wanyan's waist. "I'll send someone to investigate as soon as we get back to the manor."
He did receive news some time ago that the envoy from the East Sea had entered the territory of the Great Jin Dynasty, and according to the expected itinerary, it would take another half a month to travel there.
In addition, the Southern Kingdom and Xining also sent ministers to the Great Jin.
According to Su Wanyan's analysis, they must have sent more than one group of envoys, or perhaps they were not ordinary envoys.
Unfortunately, he currently has limited manpower. Apart from the guards in the mansion, there are not many spies left outside after he became paralyzed. There are too many things to do, and there are not enough people to keep a constant watch on the envoys.
But that's enough.
As long as their target is him, the final result will be the same.
What he needed to protect was Su Wanyan's safety.
"Aren't you going to send people back to the manor to investigate? Aren't you in a hurry?" Su Wanyan leaned closer to Yu Nanqing: "Why don't you send Tanaka to follow that Feng Yao? Maybe Feng Yao is just an alias."
Yu Nanqing smiled and said, "Since she appeared as a businesswoman, she must have been prepared. We can't find anything out of her on the surface."
"Okay." Su Wanyan nodded: "Anyway, I don't know how, you handle it yourself."
"good."
After talking with Yu Nanqing, Su Wanyan's gloom had long since vanished.
Just then, Qiu Ye's voice came from outside the door: "Your Highness, Your Highness, lunch is ready."
Su Wanyan called out, "Come in."
Qiu Ye opened the door, and Chen Wanfu stepped in carrying the dishes. Seeing that no one was in the room, he immediately understood and put the dishes on the table with his head down.
Because all the hairpins had been removed, Su Wanyan's hair was completely disheveled. Now that she was about to eat, she took a colorful rope from her belt to tie her hair up.
She prepared this on the spot, just so it would be convenient for this situation.
Yu Nanqing quickly took the colorful rope: "Yan'er! Let me do it! Let me do it!"
Su Wanyan's hair was very smooth, and every time she held it in her hand, it felt like a clear spring flowing through her. When it was wrapped around her fingertips, she could smell a light floral fragrance, which made Yu Nanqing linger.
His favorite thing was playing with her hair.
Of course, he also enjoys playing with the clothes she's worn...
And her hairpin...
Rouge... perfume...
Oh well, he liked everything Su Wanyan had used anyway, and everything Su Wanyan had was always fragrant.
“…I don’t want to!” Su Wanyan turned her head away and dodged: “Every time you braid my hair, you never do it properly. Just tying it into a ponytail is enough. You insist on making my hair into a bun, which takes so long. I’m hungry right now and can’t wait.”
Yu Nanqing quickly reassured him, "I'll be quick this time!"
However, before she could finish speaking, Su Wanyan had already finished bandaging: "I'm faster!"
After saying that, he jumped off the bed and happily sat down at the table to eat.
Yu Nanqing pursed her lips. "Alright, let's leave it at that for now."
Next time... he needs to be faster.
On the other side, the Duke of Shun's residence.
To the south of the Duke's mansion, there is a very pleasant courtyard.
The servants in the courtyard were all elderly. The courtyard was planted with many meticulously trimmed potted plants, and in one corner there was a small bamboo grove. The bamboo was tall and straight, its height exceeding that of the buildings in the courtyard.
Xu Yixuan appeared in the courtyard. She walked through the white stone path in the front yard, passed through the corridor, and arrived at the door of the main house.
Just then, an elderly man with a slightly hunched back walked towards us at the entrance of the main house. He was dressed neatly, and his hair and beard were already gray. The wrinkles on his face made him look very old.
Yet his steps on the ground were still very steady.
Upon seeing Xu Yixuan, he gave a respectful but not servile bow: "Young Miss is back?"
Xu Yixuan nodded: "Uncle Xu, is Grandfather awake?"
The old Duke Shun would take a nap after lunch every day. The man Xu Yixuan called Uncle Xu was the former steward of the Duke Shun's mansion.
Because he was deeply trusted by the Duke of Shun and had devoted his life to serving the Duke of Shun's household, the Duke of Shun bestowed upon him the surname Xu.
His name is Xu Ye.
Xu Ye bowed respectfully: "Master hasn't gone to bed yet. He's waiting for Miss to come back. Please go in."
Xu Yixuan smiled and lowered her eyes: "Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Xu."
Xu Ye returned the greeting before reaching out to push open the door to the main courtyard.
Xu Yixuan stepped inside. She didn't see her grandfather in the main hall. Just as she was about to walk towards the bedroom, she heard an old voice coming from the side room: "Girl, I'm here."
Xu Yixuan was slightly taken aback. She turned around and followed the sound into the side hall, where she saw her grandfather, half-hunched over, slowly walking out of the side room.
The hand that was lifting the curtain was like a withered branch, as if only a thin layer of skin was left covering the bones, and the veins on the back of the hand were clearly visible.
The Duke of Shunlao is named Xu Wenyang, and he is fifty-eight years old this year.
His gray hair was tied up on his head with a brass crown, and his beard hung down to his chest. He was not thin, but his complexion looked not good.
He was completely different from how he appeared at the hunting grounds.
Xu Yixuan quickly stepped forward to support him: "Didn't the doctor tell you to rest well? But Grandfather wouldn't listen."
Due to his early years of fighting, the Duke of Shun suffered from numerous injuries and illnesses. In addition, he was getting old, and sometimes the pain was so bad that he couldn't even get out of bed.
However, in order to prevent Emperor Yuanhe from noticing anything amiss, he would sometimes ask the doctor to prescribe medicines that resembled a final burst of energy before death, so that he wouldn't appear to be in such a bad state.
After all, if he were to fall, the Duke of Shun's mansion might truly be finished.
However, those medications also have significant side effects.
The old Duke Shun's illness is incurable, and he knows it better than anyone else.
Given the current situation of the Duke of Shun's mansion, how can he lie down in peace? He's going to die either way, so he might as well make more plans before he dies.
However, he never said this to anyone.
After Xu Yixuan helped him sit down, he asked, "Did you just return from the lakeside boat?"
Xu Yixuan nodded obediently: "Yes."
“Tell me in detail.”
Xu Yixuan did not hide anything and told the Duke of Shun everything she had seen and heard at the lakeside pavilion, including the content of the argument between Su Wanyan and Qin Shushen.
After listening, the old Duke of Shun nodded slightly and instructed, "Girl, go and get some pen and ink."
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