Chapter 86 "You'd better have something important to do..."
Baili Xunzhou, his face dark, walked out of Canggong Courtyard side by side with Chu Jingqi. As he walked, he carefully straightened his clothes.
Chu Jingqi quickly caught up with him and said matter-of-factly, "Of course it must be something extremely important for me to come to you! I helped you a lot yesterday, so you can do me a favor, right?"
As he spoke, he noticed that Baili Xunzhou kept tugging at his cuffs, adjusting his collar, tightening his belt, and touching the jade pendant and sachet at his waist. He asked in bewilderment, "Are there thorns on your clothes?"
Bai Lixun looked at him with a slight smile, and asked, "Is it pretty?"
As he asked the question, he tugged at the narrow sleeves embroidered with auspicious clouds in gold thread, and his fingertips naturally flicked the vermilion and white jade belt, causing the delicate white jade waist pendant and indigo sachet hanging on it to sway gently with the movement.
Chu Jingqi: ...
For some reason, seeing him like this, I really wanted to say he didn't look good.
But Baili Xunzhou was a clothes hanger; broad shoulders, a slim waist, and a strikingly handsome face. With that face and that physique…
"You'd look good even if you wore a burlap sack," Chu Jingqi replied sincerely, offering his highest praise.
However, Baili Xunzhou was not very happy, and his brows furrowed slightly.
Chu Jingqi: ...What's wrong with you?
"Can't I even praise you?"
Bai Lixunzhou emphasized, "I'm telling you to look at the clothes, not the person, just the clothes."
As he spoke, he straightened his back and relaxed his shoulders, making his dark, narrow-sleeved brocade robe appear even more crisp and elegant. A glimpse of his light blue undergarment was inadvertently revealed at the collar, which perfectly neutralized the somber aura of the dark brocade robe.
Seeing his smug and boastful appearance, Chu Jingqi suddenly realized, "Oh! Could it be that your clothes belong to my little cousin...?"
Bai Lixunzhou's lips curled into a smile.
Chu Jingqi: "...Did your little cousin sew this for you by hand?"
Baili Xunzhou's face fell again.
Aside from sachets, he hadn't received any other items that Feng Mian had sewn herself, let alone clothes. He raised his eyelids and glanced at Chu Jingqi: "The clothes are all sewn by embroiderers, why bother her?"
Chu Jingqi: Oops, I guessed wrong.
He quickly corrected himself: "So it was your little cousin who picked out the clothes for you! Oh my, I never knew she had such good taste. I heard that Liuying usually takes care of all the clothes she wears because she's the least patient person when it comes to choosing outfits. The fact that she's willing to pick out clothes for you means she must really cherish you."
Having found the crux of the problem, Chu Jingqi suddenly became extremely good at praising, and every word he said touched Baili Xunzhou's heart.
Baili Xunzhou was finally happy and relieved, and his tone softened a bit: "So, Ninth Brother, what urgent matter do you have to discuss with me?"
"Have you forgotten? We used carrier pigeons to send letters to Mi Tu!"
Bai Lixunzhou: "..."
He took a deep breath, thinking that after all, it was Chu Jingqi who had decorated the waterside pavilion for him. Although the fireworks he set off had interrupted the beautiful atmosphere between him and Feng Mian, although he had rushed to his residence early in the morning and stuck his head into the bedroom, disturbing his warm morning time with Feng Mian, although...
Baili Xunzhou gritted his teeth and asked, "Is this matter very urgent?"
"Of course it's urgent! I've already written my letter, but I can't wait a moment longer!" Chu Jingqi said, then added shrewdly, "Besides, I also need to deliver a message to my little cousin. She said she wants to find some seeds to see if there's enough food to store for the winter. Autumn is just around the corner, and then it'll be time for autumn sowing. We have to race against time, don't we?"
Upon hearing this, Baili Xunzhou had nothing to say and simply quickened his pace.
A cool breeze swept away the sweltering heat. Inside an elegantly furnished hall, two maids stood behind a huge hand-cranked fan cart, tacitly pulling the mechanism. The fan blades turned, and cool air was continuously sent into the room through the large blocks of ice stacked in front, emitting wisps of cool air.
The sound of tea being poured into a cup rang out. Madam Zhe pushed the brewed hot tea towards Feng Mian and said with a smile, "He didn't dare to come to the Prince's mansion rashly, so he wrote a letter asking me to put in a good word for him. He has brought all the seeds that the Princess wanted before, and he estimates that he can say it today. He wanted to ask me to inquire whether Her Highness is sure she will buy them?"
Feng Mian was somewhat surprised, and nodded, saying, "Of course."
“Princess, please don’t be offended. Old Bai is busy all day long, searching for new and exotic seeds. He earns his money through hard work.” Madam Zhe hurriedly explained, “Often, he encounters noble people who make promises on a whim and then go back on their word. In such cases, the seeds that we have worked so hard to find are left unsold. If he weren’t so conflicted and anxious, he would never send a letter so close to the deadline.”
“It is by no means a lack of trust in the princess.”
“I understand.” Feng Mian smiled. “If Boss Bai arrives today, just tell him to come knocking on the door of the Prince’s Mansion at any time. I have already instructed the gatekeeper to invite him in with the utmost respect.”
"That puts my mind at ease. At least I didn't make things worse." Madam Zhe patted her chest exaggeratedly, and the two of them burst into laughter.
Footsteps came from under the corridor. Liu Ying peeked out, her face beaming with undisguised joy. "Princess, His Highness the Crown Prince has sent you a note."
Feng Mian beckoned for her to bring in the note. He unfolded it, revealing that Chu Jingqi had sent a letter to Mi Tu. He had even checked the part about urging Feng Mian to plant the seeds, confirming it was correct before releasing the carrier pigeon and leaving. Finally, he even drew a dejected little figure, just like Feng Mian, clearly still upset about being disturbed by Chu Jingqi that morning.
It was clear that he was not skilled in painting; the little figure was crooked and barely legible, reminding Feng Mian of the portrait he had seen with his uncle in the palace, and he almost burst out laughing in front of Madam Zhe.
Seeing the smile that she couldn't hide in her eyes, Madam Zhe smiled knowingly, "The fireworks display by the lakeside pavilion last night was seen by everyone in the city. Everyone was saying that His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Princess were a young couple, deeply in love, truly envied by all. Now it seems that the rumors were true."
Upon hearing this, Feng Mian's cheeks flushed slightly. She carefully tucked the note into her bosom, picked up her teacup and took a small sip to cover her embarrassment, before smiling faintly and saying, "Those fireworks were set off by my ninth brother in a silly way. I'm sorry everyone had to laugh at us."
But nowadays, probably no one will keep asking her about her divorce from the Crown Prince, right?
Her thoughts shifted slightly, recalling some old stories she had heard, and she said, "Speaking of which, I've heard that Madam and Chairman Chen were childhood sweethearts, weathering storms together for decades. Their harmonious relationship is the envy of many."
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhe's gentle and dignified smile froze abruptly. She lightly stroked the rim of her cup with her fingertips, her gaze fixed on the distant blue sky outside the hall, and her tone became indifferent and elusive: "Me and him, this young couple... are merely a facade in the eyes of the world."
The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat stagnant.
She lowered her eyes, a slight smile playing on her lips, but it was full of sarcasm and weariness. "The word 'love' is the most fickle of words, and it cannot withstand the wear and tear of time and the pursuit of profit. In this world, how many unwavering affections are there?"
After saying that, she seemed to realize her lapse in composure and looked up at Feng Mian with an apologetic smile: "I misspoke. The princess is different from me, and His Highness the Crown Prince is far superior to my husband. They will surely love each other without doubt."
Feng Mian felt somewhat apologetic: "It was my slip of the tongue that reminded Madam of something unpleasant."
Just as she was about to find a topic to change the subject, she saw a maidservant from Madam Zhe's side hurrying closer. "Madam, Master Bai has arrived."
Madam Zhe smiled naturally and changed the subject, "See, what I said came true. Old Bai must have made it in time. Quickly, please invite him in."
The old woman replied "Yes," then reported in a low voice with a troubled expression, "Madam, there is another Miss Liang outside the door requesting an audience."
Madam Zhe's smile froze on her lips, her eyes revealing a cold, indifferent understanding, even tinged with annoyance. She clearly knew who the visitor was and why they had come.
She quickly suppressed her emotions, put on an impeccable smile again, and smiled politely but distantly at Feng Mian: "Princess, I'm so sorry, I have some mundane matters to attend to, so I can't keep you and Boss Bai any longer today."
“It’s alright, I can take Boss Bai to meet the officials.” Feng Mian tactfully got up to take his leave. “Madam has important matters to attend to, no need to see me off.”
Madam Zhe nodded slightly and watched Feng Mian leave.
Feng Mian followed the nanny out of the courtyard. As they passed through the hanging flower gate, she passed a woman who was walking in with her head down.
The woman was dressed in simple, plain clothes. She was slender and delicate, with pretty features and a charming, pitiful air about her. She didn't dare to look up, but gave a quick curtsy before walking lightly toward the inner courtyard where Madam Zhe was.
Feng Mian didn't stop walking, but she already understood. The words of "cold-hearted affection" spoken by Madam Zhe earlier instantly connected with the delicate figure before her.
She sighed inwardly. This Chairman Chen, whose business is not as good as Madam Zhe's, how dare he flirt with women?
Feng Mian suppressed her sigh and met Boss Bai, who was waiting in the outer courtyard. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she took him to the manor.
Whether it was a telepathic connection with Mi Tu or something else, just as Chu Jingqi's letter was sent out by carrier pigeon, Feng Mian encountered soldiers from the express courier station at the manor gate. They said that not long after Baili Xunzhou had sent her a note, the express courier station presented seeds sent by Mi Tu, and Baili Xunzhou ordered them to deliver them directly to the manor.
What day is it today? Why are all these things happening at once? Fortunately, although there seem to be a lot of things going on, they are all related to seeds. Feng Mian then took the seeds delivered by Mi Tu and the seed merchant Boss Bai to find Cheng Lixu.
Cheng Lixu was checking on the growth of the white cypress when he saw Feng Mian coming over. He took the initiative to report with some difficulty: "Princess, the white cypress that have been planted will probably not bloom until after winter. After all, it is not the climate it is used to growing in now, so I'm afraid the quality will not be very good."
“Winter? That’s too late.” Feng Mian was a little worried. After the white cypress flowers bloom, it will take a month or two to prepare, including picking, drying, removing the seeds, and then carding the cotton. By then, it will be almost spring. How will the people have time to use the white cypress for warmth?
"Your Highness, I have something to report," Boss Bai suddenly stammered.
Feng Mian suppressed his emotions and said gently, "Please speak freely, Mr. Bai."
"The plant for which I purchased the most seeds this time is called 'Moon Spring.' There is a nobleman there who loves the sight of white cypress flowers blooming like clouds and snow, and has planted hundreds of acres of them. They will bloom in September. If Your Highness is willing, I would like to go to Moon Spring again to ask him if he is willing to sell them."
Hundreds of acres? Feng Mian's eyes lit up, and he made a decision: "Alright, however much he's willing to sell, we'll buy it. When will you depart? I'll send a team of guards to protect you."
Boss Bai was overjoyed: "It can be done today!"
Feng Mian chuckled: "You've just arrived in Yunzhong County after a long journey. Take a couple of days to rest and recharge before continuing your journey."
Mr. Bai felt a warmth in his heart. Everyone said that the princess was kind and loved the people, and she even cared about such a small matter. When he could no longer run around, he might as well come to Yunzhong County to live out his days.
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