Chapter Forty-Five
Mo Wenzhong spoke calmly, but tears welled up in his eyes.
As Zhou Yanqing listened and watched, while finding it absurd, a voice in her mind seemed to be telling her—he was right.
He tried to deny it, "Old man, is it possible that I'm different from you? You've fallen for a man, but... Si Yanmo is a woman, why should I be afraid or angry?"
“Because it’s uncontrollable.” Mo Wenzhong looked up at him, his gaze seemingly trying to see through him. “Why not give it a try, feel it carefully, and see if even just touching her hair would be better than everything you’ve had in the first half of your life?”
Zhou Yanqing seemed to have been persuaded by him. Even though she kept denying it in her heart, she still had an impulse to go find Si Yanmo.
Maybe... I could hug her?
As he thought about it, he actually moved his feet, preparing to go back.
“However, I have something to remind you,” Mo Wenzhong called out to him, “She doesn’t seem to like you.”
How is that possible?
Zhou Yanqing was confident in this much; with his good looks and talent, who wouldn't like him?
He swung the short blade at his waist as he left the divination hall and returned to the palace, planning his actions all the way, but he stopped the moment he saw Si Yanmo.
How could he have such an absurd idea?
They actually fell for that old man's tricks!
Seeing that the person opposite her remained silent, Si Yanmo tentatively asked, "Are you... still angry?"
The woman's words brought him back to his senses.
Zhou Yanqing shook her head and walked straight back to her room. "It's nothing."
What he calls "likes" is just the old man fooling him!
——
The next day, Si Yanmo was supposed to go to the Ministry of Revenue to investigate the case files. Fearing that the Ministry of Revenue was just like the Ministry of Revenue, she thought of asking Zhou Yanqing to accompany her. However, Zhou Yanqing left early in the morning and seemed unhappy. She wondered what was wrong with him.
It just so happens that she has been thinking about her sister's illness, so she might as well postpone it for a day and go see her sister first.
As soon as Si Yanmo entered the door, she saw Zhou Junsong reading a book in the front yard, and she could hear him coughing from time to time.
The man sat under the corridor, dressed in a moon-white robe. It was unclear whether the robe was ill-fitting or Zhou Junsong was too thin, but it appeared somewhat oversized.
Countless times in her past life, Si Yanmo watched him sitting like this in the courtyard, looking weak, wondering what he was plotting in his heart.
At that time, she felt that this person was amazing, and he was different in front of everyone.
Speak human language to humans, and ghost language to ghosts.
Now, she has become like this too.
Perhaps... I really should thank my husband from my past life.
Every time she interacted with someone after her rebirth, she learned from him, and it always worked.
"Your Highness," she bowed.
The current relationship is the best.
She wasn't the older sister; she couldn't be the wife of someone as wise and capable as her, someone who could strategize and plan.
Zhou Junsong raised his eyes, and after recognizing the person who had come, he subtly curled his lips into a smile.
It's true... I've searched high and low, but it's right here...
"There's no one else here, Auntie, you don't need to be so polite. Just call me brother-in-law."
Zhou Junsong put down his book, smiled, and stood up. "You've come to see Yun'er?"
Si Yanmo nodded, "Yes, I wonder if you are feeling better, sister?"
"Much better." The man said, taking a few steps closer to her. "Speaking of which, I heard from Yun'er that you are now a shaman in Qin? You are truly young and promising. No wonder the rumors in Nandu say that you and Yun'er are both auspicious beings."
His words were exactly what Si Yanmo had expected.
She didn't hide it from her sister that day because she knew that, given Zhou Junsong's suspicious nature, he would have found out even if she hadn't told her.
If he really finds out on his own, it won't be a good thing for either him or Zhou Yanqing.
Si Yanmo guessed correctly; there was no point in hiding it anyway.
She smiled and said, "Yes, it is the Emperor's favor."
"I still remember that Lantern Festival banquet when my aunt revealed that my mother was pregnant. It seems that my aunt is exceptionally gifted."
Zhou Junsong looked her up and down. In an instant, his sickly frailty vanished, replaced by an inquisitive gaze like that of a hawk.
Si Yanmo immediately recalled Zhong Zihe's words, and it seemed that Zhou Junsong was among those two groups of people.
This is not good news. If one of them is him, then the other is either a prince or an empress, which means she is involved in the royal power struggle.
Si Yanmo looked at the man in front of her. If she lied now, he would probably become suspicious.
She didn't hide anything: "It is indeed a gift. When I was in Nandu, I did some fortune telling for people a few times, and they all said it was very accurate."
Zhou Junsong was a smart man and naturally understood her implication. He simply got straight to the point, "If that's the case, Aunt, have you thought about giving this ability a chance to be used? But divination is too much of a waste."
Wu Bu was already the national advisor of the country, so how could he feel wronged?
Si Yanmo finally understood his intentions... He wanted to win her over and have her assist him.
But she never wanted to get involved in any power struggles. In her previous life, she was just a pawn in it, and in this life, she didn't want to be on the chessboard.
"Mo'er and her husband are deeply in love and just want to live their lives peacefully. Wu Bu is already favored by Emperor Gu, so why ask for more? But if my brother-in-law wants to have his fortune told, Mo'er is happy to help."
Let's not make any definitive statements, so as to leave Zhou Yanqing with the impression that he has no ambition.
Si Yanmo only hoped that she could persuade the person in front of her.
But Zhou Junsong wasn't stupid. He could tell that when Si Yanmo said those words, there was no lingering affection in her eyes, only wariness.
Is it true?
He moved closer, his breath warm against her ear, reminding Si Yanmo of her past life.
On her wedding night in her previous life, this man was just like that, and at that time, Si Yanmo thought he had some tenderness towards her.
It was only later that I realized that Zhou Junsong looked at his sister and at her with completely different expressions.
When he looked at his sister, his expression was gentle, but when he looked at her, he was completely devoid of emotion, as if he could do or say anything, but it had nothing to do with his love.
When she introduced her uncle to him, it was like a reward.
Now, they're resorting to the same old tricks.
Si Yanmo has no interest in competing with her sister for men, and she dislikes people like Zhou Junsong even more.
"Your Highness, please show some respect. Since Your Highness has asked me to call you brother-in-law, then you are naturally Mo'er's family. Mo'er only wishes for a long and happy marriage for my sister and brother-in-law."
Zhou Junsong smiled calmly, but his eyes were full of cold light.
"What a pity," he murmured to himself, before quickly regaining his gentle demeanor.
"Then I wish my aunt and His Highness Prince Qin a long and happy marriage..." He deliberately emphasized the last few words. Since she didn't want to be at his chessboard, he wouldn't let anyone else use it.
"Yun'er is in the pavilion on the west side, go there."
Si Yanmo didn't sense any murderous intent from the man, but felt relieved and quickly walked towards the backyard.
Neither of them knew that Si Yunyun had seen through their earlier "intimacy."
The woman returned to the pavilion first, picked up her needle and thread, and when Si Yanmo came over, she stood up as if nothing had happened, "Mo'er, you've come!"
When Si Yanmo saw her sister, she finally relaxed completely and sat down next to her sister as before. "Sister looks much better."
She looked up and her gaze settled on the embroidery in Si Yunyun's hands.
My sister's needlework has always been good. When Si Yanmo and Zhong Zihe were little, they would go to play together and she would be led astray by him. When they came back, her clothes would have at least seven or eight holes.
Si Yunyun used her clothes as practice material. Later, her clothes were decorated with many embroidered flowers, which were more beautiful than new clothes and made her happy.
"What is your sister doing?" she asked curiously, looking at the embroidery that resembled a black bird.
"Making sachets, huh?" Si Yunyun asked tentatively, recalling the scene from earlier. "Isn't Mo'er making some for His Highness Prince Qin?"
Si Yanmo then remembered that the Ministry of Rites had already submitted a memorial a few days ago inquiring about the auspicious time for the Shangsi Festival.
In the eyes of southerners, the Shangsi Festival is a day as lively as the Lantern Festival.
On this day, the Southern Emperor and the monarchs of various countries would bathe in the palace's hot springs after worshipping Emperor Gu, while divination masters and sorcerers would perform rituals and burn mugwort to exorcise evil spirits and diseases.
People would go to the river to bathe, washing away filth and misfortune.
In folk traditions, large-scale events are held where shamans place mugwort in the center, use it to boil spring water, let it cool, and then apply the water to children and women with orchid leaves, wishing for the health of young children and the pregnancy of women.
Women would give their own sachets to men they admired, husbands, family members, or friends, embroidering patterns on them themselves, often featuring black birds.
Because Digu had two wings, the people of the south believed that the black bird was Digu's messenger, and that embroidering a black bird could bring Digu's protection.
In the past, Si Yunyun embroidered these things and gave them to her family. Now that Si Yanmo has regained her senses, it is natural for her to do it herself.
She had just used the excuse of mutual affection to deceive Zhou Junsong, and now she should continue to play the part to the end!
Si Yanmo took the needle and thread from her sister and smiled, "I'm just afraid that if I make it too ugly, he won't like it."
As she spoke, she resembled a young girl experiencing her first love, but she didn't notice the needle and thread pricking her own hand.
Blood beads oozed out, staining the lotus root cloth red.
"How could you be so careless?" Si Yunyun quickly grabbed a handkerchief to wipe her face, and casually threw away the unfinished embroidery, saying, "Don't keep this."
"Why not?" Si Yanmo snatched it back. "It's stained with blood, does that make me seem more sincere? If he doesn't want it, I can play the victim!"
The two sisters chatted and laughed, and the sunlight quickly faded.
Si Yanmo practiced with her sister for a whole day, but the embroidery she produced was still a mess, and she herself was disgusted with it.
Fortunately, she wasn't bothered by it. She wasn't really going to give it to Zhou Yanqing anyway, so it didn't matter what kind of embroidery it was.
But my sister's visit today was not in vain.
Previously, Zhou Yanqing said that she wanted to find out Qi Gu's spies first, but she had no clue. Just now, she chatted with her sister and learned that her own shop also had spies from rival shops on weekdays, mostly to find out about the shop's situation, and some even stole the account books.
As the head of the Chamber of Commerce's charitable organization, Si Jianwen would first use counter-espionage tactics, sending people to the rival's shops to collect information on spies and investigate them one by one.
Sometimes, trusted confidants would be placed to supervise the employees, or the shop assistants would be rotated frequently. Employees were welcome to report any wrongdoings, and those who reported the truth would be rewarded.
Of course, if the other party's spies are willing to come forward and reveal the situation of the other party's shops, they will be dealt with properly.
These tactics would naturally be effective when used between countries.
Si Yanmo returned to the Prince of Qin's residence, intending to tell Zhou Yanqing the good news, but found that he was not at home.
She found Wu Guan and asked, "Where is His Highness?"
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