Chapter 10
After the morning court session, Yue Mingming received the imperial reward.
Yue Mingming was shocked to see boxes of gold, silver and jewelry being delivered like water.
It turned out that the emperor was furious when he heard about the series of unexpected events last night. He first reprimanded Zhao Congyun for his extravagant and dissolute behavior, and then fined him half a year's salary for beating a court official.
The favorite concubine Yue Mingming bravely rescued Li Si and was rewarded.
Thunder, rain, and dew, with clear rewards and punishments.
"...I didn't do anything! This is too exaggerated!" Yue Mingming was flattered.
Uncle Dong smiled and said, "My lady, just keep it and consider it as your reward for this performance."
Yue Mingming heard a hidden meaning in his words and asked quietly, "With so many things, how can you really be angry? The emperor is actually 'punishing in public but rewarding in private,' right?"
Uncle Dong sighed, "Even my wife has noticed... These rewards are given to the prince for 'keeping his head down'. This is to tell the prince that it doesn't matter how much money he spends. The real fear is that he won't spend it."
“…”
Uncle Dong smiled faintly: "My lady, don't worry. The prince is used to these things."
"Also, please don't blame the prince for what happened last night."
His expression suddenly became serious: "The prince has no intention of harming you. He even specifically instructed us to ensure your safety."
Yue Mingming was stunned: "Really?"
Uncle Dong nodded. "Some things are beyond his control, and some things are due to his personality... When a person has been deceived and disappointed too many times, it is difficult for him to trust others again."
Yue Mingming was surprised and said, "He's so smart, but he's also been deceived?"
Uncle Dong seemed reluctant to discuss further, only whispering, "Who is born with the expectation of planning every step carefully and meticulously? That's a very arduous task."
"Madam, think carefully. Since entering the palace, has the prince done anything to harm you?"
Yue Mingming was silent.
Does it count if I keep making her angry?
Looking at the room full of rewards and remembering the hot soup and medicine from last night, Yue Mingming felt a little soft-hearted: "Should I... go and thank him?"
Uncle Dong laughed, "It seems there are more than one person in this garden who has a sharp tongue but a kind heart."
"It's just that the prince is resting right now... How about you choose a gift as a thank you?"
"This is fine!" Yue Mingming immediately made the decision.
"Can I leave the house?"
"I'll have two secret guards follow you. Just come back before the lights go on."
"no problem!"
Yue Mingming looked at the glittering gold and felt that the gaming world had opened a new door for her.
She has money now! She can go out shopping!
*
Yue Mingming changed into low-key clothes and happily prepared to go to the downtown area.
She made a shopping list in her mind—a thank-you gift for Zhao Congyun, a gift to flatter Uncle Dong, and some delicious food and fun things for herself and Xing'er...
Finally, she also planned to buy some training clothes. The brocade skirts in the palace were really awkward. She couldn't even move her legs, let alone "fly over the eaves and walk on the walls."
When she left the mansion, she saw Princess Su Dingrou riding in a carriage, having left before her.
Yue Mingming turned on the navigation in the game and found that Su Dingrou was heading in the same direction as her.
She was a little curious. The princess looked cold and indifferent to everything. She wondered what she was going to buy?
He was thinking as he walked, but unfortunately, when he entered the street, Yue Mingming instantly forgot about Su Dingrou.
Unexpectedly, the prosperity of the ancient world was far beyond her imagination!
Those snacks, candied fruits, rouge, powder, hairpins, rings and jewelry... are as exquisite as museum collections, and even the sachets given by the tailor shop are particularly unique.
Yue Mingming was dazzled and frantically took out her wallet. When she finally got out of a candied fruit shop, someone suddenly grabbed her sleeve.
Yue Mingming turned around and saw an old man with white hair and beard. His clothes were full of patches. He was carrying a tattered bamboo basket on his back and had a typical profiteer smile on his face.
"Sir, do you want to buy something? I have some rare items here, and I'm only selling them to the right people!"
Yue Mingming was both angry and amused. It had been many years since he had encountered such a simple scam.
With nothing better to do, she decided to tease the old liar: "...How rare is it? Show me!"
The old man smiled mysteriously and said, "My treasure is not cheap. I wonder if you can afford it?"
Yue Mingming was delighted. The last thing she lacked was money. "What's the price? I want to hear it!"
"No more, no less, one hundred taels of gold, plus one thousand two hundred and forty-six taels of silver."
Yue Mingming opened his eyes wide and opened his mouth wide. There were even numbers with both zeros and whole numbers?!
However, the next moment she felt something was wrong and her expression suddenly changed.
At this moment, the banknotes and small change in her arms, added together, amounted to exactly one thousand two hundred and forty-six taels!
Among the imperial rewards, there was a small box of gold ingots. She specifically asked Uncle Dong, and it was exactly one hundred taels of gold!
Yue Mingming got goosebumps all over his body and said blankly, "How... did you know..."
The old man did not answer, but only smiled and said, "Would you like to buy it, sir?"
“No!”
Yue Mingming was so frightened that she quickly hid in the crowd, but she heard the old man say quietly behind her: "This blind box of mine is a limited-time deal. If you miss this opportunity, you will never see it again!"
Yue Mingming suddenly stopped...
Blind box???
She walked back dejectedly and stood in front of the old man again.
The old man pretended to have never seen her before and asked with a forced smile, "Sir, would you like to buy something? I have some rare items here, and I'm only selling them to those who are destined to buy them!"
…
It really is a repetitive system NPC!
Yue Mingming asked, "What's going on? What's your plot arrangement?"
System: "Congratulations, player, you've encountered a hidden merchant! Here you have the opportunity to buy rare treasures, which may have a significant impact on the plot and characters!"
"Can you make it cheaper? You're such a profiteer, asking for my entire fortune right away!"
If the system doesn’t reply, it means there’s no hope.
Yue Mingming was helpless and said to the old man: "The price is negotiable. What's in your blind box?"
"From the Imperial Seal to martial arts manuals, I have everything here. What you can buy depends on your luck... But let me be frank, the blind box may be empty. Once you buy it, you can't return it or exchange it!"
Yue Mingming rubbed her hands together, expressing her excitement. If she could unlock the ultimate skill at the maximum level, she would be able to dominate the game.
In her experience, the hidden merchants in the game only sell bug-level products, and she would sell everything she has to buy in!
The money isn't real anyway...might as well take a gamble!
Yue Mingming simply said, "I bought it! But I don't have the 100 taels of gold with me. Can you wait for me to go back and get it?"
"I can go with you to your house to get it." The old man said attentively.
"Hey...wait a minute."
Yue Mingming suddenly remembered that two secret guards were following her somewhere. What if Zhao Congyun and Dong Shu found out? How would she explain it?
The system voice sounded at the right time: "Player, please rest assured that others cannot see the hidden vendor, and the goods are only available to you."
This makes sense. If the imperial seal could be easily purchased on the street, wouldn't the world be in chaos?
The two hurried back to the house. After the transaction was completed, the old man took out a square wooden box and said, "Here is the blind box. Please keep it."
Yue Mingming couldn't wait to take it, but when he looked up again, the old man had disappeared.
Her heart was pounding as she opened the box, only to see a porcelain bottle lying quietly inside.
Is this... medicine?
There are indeed some potions in the game, which can restore, detoxify, and poison, with different functions. The most precious ones can even bring the dead back to life.
Yue Mingming shook the porcelain bottle. It didn't contain liquid, but rather a pill. After opening it, a strange fragrance filled his face. A reddish-brown pill lay in his palm, a bit like... Maltesers?
System prompt: "Congratulations, player, you have obtained a precious medicine. The name, efficacy, and usage are unknown."
“…”
Poor her, that whole box of gold ingots that hadn't even warmed up yet, was exchanged for such a "three-no" product?!
Yue Mingming was so angry that he vomited blood: "You are liars! This broken thing doesn't even have an instruction manual... Give me back my gold!"
Like all scammers, the system decisively disappeared.
Yue Mingming had spent all his money, but he was not as open-minded as Li Bai. He angrily grabbed two bags of snacks and planned to stuff himself to death with the mixture of sugar and oil.
As I was drowsy from eating, the remaining rationality in my mind jumped out and sounded the alarm -
Oops!
I forgot the thank-you gift I promised to buy for Zhao Congyun!
Her loot consisted of nothing but food and women's clothing, not even enough to temporarily fill the pond. Even worse, she couldn't even come up with a single ounce of silver...
Yue Mingming stared at the imperial jewelry in a daze, wondering if the pawnshop would dare to accept it.
She picked out a few less exaggerated styles and wanted to try her luck. As a result, as soon as she left the ginseng garden, she ran into Li Pingru head-on.
Obviously no luck today.
"Where are you going, Madam Yue?" Li Pingru's smile made people's backs chill.
"I received a reward from the emperor. I'm going out to buy some fun things." Yue Mingming responded with the same fake smile.
"You really can't stand being alone... Didn't you get enough of the limelight last night? You're going out to attract attention during the day too?"
Yue Mingming's pretty face darkened: "Who is attracting bees and butterflies?"
Li Pingru snorted coldly, "The story of you and the censor by Jade Lake last night is probably known to everyone in the capital... Now that Li Si is still lying in the clinic, you can't wait to hook up with someone else! The prince indulges you, but I can't just ignore it!"
This is a bit harsh to say.
"If you're bored and want to chat with someone, go find the prince! I won't accompany you!"
Yue Mingming felt that this woman was a match for Zhao Congyun in terms of sarcasm, but she was too lazy to argue and turned to leave.
Li Pingru suppressed his smile and pointed at Yue Mingming's nose, saying, "You are so shameless and shameless, you are secretly meeting a man. We have witnesses and evidence. Today, I will clear the family of yours for the prince!"
As soon as these words were spoken, two burly servants immediately stepped forward and sandwiched Yue Mingming between them.
It turned out that everything was prepared and waiting for her here!
Yue Mingming suppressed his anger and said, "This is a fabricated case. Where did you get any evidence?"
Li Pingru sneered: "You left home this morning and returned home in less than half an hour. Why?"
Yue Mingming's heart tightened, but he remained calm and said, "I'm tired from shopping. Can't I come back and rest?"
Li Pingru gave a look that said, "I knew you'd deny it," and ordered the servant behind him, "Tell me everything you saw today! If you tell even a single lie, I'll sell you to Ningguta!"
The servant slumped to his knees. "My name is Sanbao. At noon, while I was feeding the horses in the backyard, I saw a figure heading towards the inner quarters. I heard that the prince had been assassinated last night, and I was afraid that another villain might sneak in today, so I followed him..."
He swallowed fearfully and continued, "In the end, I saw... that man and a woman hiding behind a rockery. They didn't come out for a long time! I was so scared that I ran back quickly, and was just in time to be seen by the concubine..."
Yue Mingming angrily asked, "Are you sure that person is me?"
San Bao shook his head and said honestly, "I was too far away at the time to see her face clearly, but judging by the lady's clothes, I can only be sure that she is definitely not a servant in the mansion."
Li Pingru shouted sternly, "Excluding the maids and servants, there are only three women in the palace: you, me, and the princess. The princess left home this morning and hasn't returned yet. He ran into me outside, so who else could he be meeting with if not you?"
"Just based on this?" Yue Mingming almost laughed out loud: "You're slandering me too much! How do I know this person wasn't bribed by you to frame me?"
Li Pingru laughed and said, "You really won't cry until you see the coffin!"
She pulled something out of her sleeve and waved it in front of Yue Mingming: "Is this yours? You left it behind when you hurried back home, and someone found it and gave it to me."
Yue Mingming recognized it at a glance; it was the sachet given to her by the tailor shop.
"I bought this outside, what's wrong?"
Li Pingru hadn't expected her to admit it so openly. He was shocked and furious. "Shameless! You dare to bring back such filthy things between men and women, and you still say you haven't had secret meetings with men?"
Yue Mingming felt that his brain was not enough - what does a sachet have to do with men?
Li Pingru thought she was going to quibble and taunted her, "Don't tell me you're planning to give this to the prince?!"
"So what? Is it not possible?" Yue Mingming blurted out.
Li Pingru's face suddenly turned red, and the people around him looked at him strangely and unfriendlyly.
Yue Mingming intuitively felt that she had done something wrong, but she really couldn't figure it out. The only explanation was this sachet!
Shouldn't I admit it?
She was about to change her mind when a cold and familiar voice sounded behind her.
"What are you all arguing about here?"
The boss Zhao Congyun woke up from his sleep fortunately.
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