Gui Ling had told him a few days ago that this person was the woman who gave him acupuncture three years ago, and her stitching skills proved it. Ordinary women wouldn't dare to breathe in front of her, yet she could stitch so meticulously.
His gaze paused when it fell on the woman's hair bun, then he looked away.
More than three years ago, he was truly obsessed. She was clearly just a widow, how could it be her? She had an indescribable fragrance, but it wasn't the kind he wanted.
And the meals these past few days—it's not hard to find similar culinary skills anywhere in the world. Thinking about it carefully, her deliberate attempt to get close to them is actually suspicious.
As he watched her slender, fair hands finish stitching and prepare to apply ointment, Cao Anmin suddenly withdrew his hand. "Go back. I will arrange for someone to investigate your son's matter. I don't need the thousand taels of gold you mentioned before. Prepare all the shops you have in Nanlin; I want them."
She gasped.
This is outrageous! It's like taking away half of her fortune as Mrs. Li.
However, what pained her most was that the system simultaneously announced, "Ding, the male supporting character's happiness value has dropped by 30. Host, what happened to you? Have you gone back to square one?"
Xia Yixin was furious when she looked at the cold and aloof man. "I helped you stitch up your skin and you're so dark, and you still deduct points?"
This supervisor is too difficult to deal with!
She returned to Yuelai Tower looking completely bewildered.
However, her "high profile" during this period finally yielded some results, as she spotted a young boy who had sneaked into the room.
When the Eastern Depot released the news that "Madam Li is looking for her son," Xia Mingyu, who was comfortably staying with Cao De, actually knew that his mother had come looking for him. However, for some reason, he had to delay until now before showing up.
"Mom. That...hehe, hehe..." The young boy scratched his head guiltily.
Xia Yixin was in a fit of anger, so she immediately rolled up her sleeves and said, "Hey my ass, you come here right now, or I promise I won't beat you to death."
"..." Xia Mingyu felt he had really angered his mother this time, but thinking of what he wanted to do, he became determined. "Mother, please let me explain..."
That night, Xia Mingyu still didn't get a beating. He knew that his mother was just a stubborn but soft-hearted person. After he said he was hungry, she even cooked him a midnight snack.
During the meal, Xia Mingyu gave a general explanation of why he had left the group.
"Qi Lin!?"
While eating the late-night snack made by his mother, Xia Mingyu nodded, "That's right. About two years ago, when we passed through Nanlin, I met him once. At that time, I knew his identity and became friends with him. Over the years, we have been exchanging letters on and off. In the letter he sent me that day, he mentioned that he wanted to launch a palace coup, and I came to stop him."
Xia Yixin had a bit of a headache. "Stopping the palace coup, all by yourself? Xia Mingyu, you really are something else."
She felt an itch in her hands and wanted to punch someone.
Xia Mingyu quickly put down his chopsticks and obediently looked at his mother, admitting his mistake, "Mother, I was wrong. The situation was urgent at the time. If this idiot had launched a coup, he would have been dead without a doubt. His survival is a good thing for our Beiwu."
Xia Yixin understood what he meant.
A puppet emperor has only a nominal title and no real power. Even if he dies, the Eastern Depot and Minister Lin can simply install another one.
"So?" She raised an eyebrow.
“I’ve saved his life, and I’ve convinced him. He’ll stop Yu Shang from continuing the war with Nan Lin. Mother, believe me, war doesn’t always have to be fought with arms.” Xia Mingyu interrupted her, saying earnestly, “Mother, I want to try, okay?”
Xia Yixin looked at the little boy, who was only eight or nine years old. In modern times, he would still be in elementary school, but the maturity and wisdom in his eyes were already undeniable.
After weighing the pros and cons, she nodded. "Okay, but you can't really go it alone. Take half of my people with you. Also, send me letters regularly. If that little emperor becomes unreliable, leave immediately. You must protect yourself."
"Don't worry, Mother. My kung fu skills may not be the best, but being in the top ten in the martial arts world is no problem."
Xia Yixin knew that children eventually grow up and she had to let go. Besides, in terms of martial arts alone, he was indeed a martial arts prodigy, almost otherworldly. She patted his head and let him be, of course, not forgetting to give him some antidote pills or something.
Just as Xia Mingyu was about to leave, she suddenly remembered something she had overlooked: "By the way, have you met General Shi before? He's from Yushang who came all the way with you."
"What!?" Xia Mingyu was also taken aback. "Didn't I leave him a letter?"
"Do you think he could go back on his own after losing a young marquis like you? Now look what's happened, you've found him, but there's not a trace of him. All the clues have disappeared through the Eastern Depot, as if he vanished into thin air." Xia Yixin frowned.
Xia Mingyu frowned as well. "With Brother Shi's abilities, he shouldn't be caught. Even if he is, the Eastern Depot wouldn't keep it all out of the blue, especially given his special status. There's only one possibility: he did it on purpose."
Xia Yixin pondered for a long time, then sighed softly, "This is what I'm most worried about. Have you seen him in the palace?"
She knew a little more than Xia Mingyu, including the fact that the Eastern Pearl in the palace was Shen Ruyu.
Will Shen Shaoyang see that Shen Ruyu has regained her memories and then want to do something?
For example, this so-called "wanted notice" is very suspicious.
Unfortunately, Xia Mingyu didn't have any good news either. The young emperor was fond of grand displays, so there were many miscellaneous people in the palace. Xia Mingyu stayed in the palace for a while but didn't get to see them all.
"But Mother, don't worry, I will lead people to investigate. I still believe in Brother Shi in my heart. Although he is sometimes stubborn, Beiwu has been kind to him in the past ten years."
Xia Mingyu knew about what happened before Shen Shaoyang.
After the two agreed to exchange information every three days at the hidden stakeout, Xia Mingyu prepared to leave through the window.
Before leaving, Xia Mingyu suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, Mother, are you still wearing the sachet I made for you? I need it."
Before Xia Yixin could react, she had already taken off the sachet. Xia Mingyu had made this more than two years ago, saying that he had obtained a kind of herb that could cover up her body odor.
Who knows if she herself could smell it, but Xia Mingyu and Shen Shaoyang had a similarly keen sense of smell.
What Xia Yixin didn't know was that Xia Mingyu didn't immediately return to the palace after leaving this place, but went to Cao De's place first.
Xia Mingyu successfully gained Cao De's trust by using his face, which was 90% similar to Qi Yu's. Moreover, he also exposed Xia Yixin's true identity.
Cao De was now one of only two people in the entire capital who knew that "Madam Li" was Xia Yixin, so the next day, Xia Yixin received two messages early in the morning.
First, it was the Eastern Depot that said there was no need to send food there anymore, and the portrait of Xia Yixin's "son" was also taken away by Gui Ling, which meant that Xia Yixin no longer needed to go to the Eastern Depot.
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