"Yi'er, be good, get up and take your medicine." His voice was very gentle, and could only be gentle. The woman on the bed had a fiery temper. He dared to say that if he yelled at her, she would yell back louder than him.
Nan Yi didn't want to pay attention to him, but she was so hungry that the aroma of food behind her was wafting into her nose.
Why is the food so delicious in this run-down inn? I'm so hungry, I can't take it anymore. She hasn't had a proper meal in the three days she's been in the dungeon.
Who cares what the fourth uncle does? Eating is the most important thing; filling your stomach is the priority.
Nan Yi threw off the covers, grabbed some clothes and put them on, not even bothering to comb her hair. She dragged her shoes to the table and sat down, drooling over the food.
Knowing she was hungry was good. Yinzhen wrung out a handkerchief from a basin of water on the shelf next to him and handed it to her.
There was no attempt to curry favor. Nan Yi casually took the medicine, wiped her hands and face, picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp. The food on the table whetted her appetite.
It's all her favorite food; it's a thoughtful gesture, but she might not accept it.
After she had finished eating, Yinzhen called a maid in to comb her hair. "No need," he said, "I want to rest."
"The inn is not comfortable enough, so we have prepared another house in the city. Your illness also requires further examination by the imperial physician."
That damned imperial physician was clearly afraid she would run away, so he changed her residence so he could find someone to keep an eye on her.
Nan pursed her lips and didn't say anything. He had caught her, so she could go wherever he wanted.
She's like a fish on a chopping board now, clinging to him no matter what.
Seeing that she did not object, Yinzhen gestured for the maid to come forward and serve him.
After washing up and changing into a plain-colored outfit, Nan Yi had Yinzhen cover his face with a veil. Once everything was ready, he led her outside.
Yinzhen arrived on a secret imperial decree, dressed as an ordinary person. The two walked down the street like an ordinary couple, except that their appearance and demeanor were somewhat striking.
Perhaps she was too quiet, and Yinzhen was not used to it. Passing by a sesame seed cake stall on the street, he learned that she loved to eat street food.
He ordered the guards around him to buy two sesame seed cakes. The cakes were piping hot, filled with beef, and sprinkled with scallions. They were baked until crispy, soft, and fragrant.
Nan Yi's eyes lit up. She was the kind of person who never forgot what she had learned. Once the sesame seed cake was in her hand, she ate it with relish.
"Didn't you eat enough just now?" Yinzhen asked, trying to make conversation. He finally found an opportunity to speak and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Nan Yi remained silent, thinking to herself, whether she was full or not doesn't affect her enjoyment of the food.
She ate heartily, and Yinzhen ordered the guards to search for some other street food. The two then strolled leisurely back to their residence.
Thirteen waited anxiously at his residence. A servant reported that Fourth Brother had returned. He ran out and saw the couple walking in hand in hand, looking leisurely.
The missing Sister Tong was holding food in her hands, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster stealing food.
So, the reason why Fourth Brother only returned last night and today is because of Sister-in-law Tong.
Where did he catch this person from? The two of them didn't argue or make a fuss, acting like nothing had happened. Tong Xiaosao even had the leisure to eat. She's really carefree.
"Fourth Brother, Fourth Sister-in-law, you... are back." He paused deliberately, his probing gaze sweeping over the two of them from head to toe.
Great, Fourth Brother seems to be in a good mood. Is it because he found Sister-in-law Tong?
"Yes, come in, let's discuss the next steps." Yinzhen dragged Nan Yi into the hall.
Once Nan Yi stopped, she wouldn't participate if there was official business involved.
"It's nothing, I need your help with something." Yinzhen held her hand, not letting her leave.
Thirteen was a little confused, not knowing what his fourth brother was up to, and followed behind in bewilderment.
They said they needed her help, but actually the two brothers sat aside and discussed things in hushed tones while she sat by the stove eating snacks.
The southerners, some with ears and some without, overheard the general situation: apparently, a small copper mine had been discovered near Shicheng, but the people below hadn't reported it and were mining it privately. The government had taken bribes and turned a blind eye. The imperial spies received the tip and came to investigate but were framed. However, the matter was still discovered by those above.
The Fourth Master and the Thirteenth Master were sent here on a secret mission to investigate the copper mine.
Zheng Yong said he had some things to take care of; could this be the matter? He was doing his business properly, but he also sold her out while he was at it—that's outrageous.
"...The area around Shicheng is mountainous, and there are no definite clues pointing to the location of the copper mine. The area is too large to be easily investigated."
"Even if it's difficult to investigate, we must investigate. Order your men to disguise themselves as local mountain people and search thoroughly. I refuse to believe we won't find it."
"Fourth Brother, that would alert them. If they take precautions, stop mining, and disperse their workers, when will we be able to find out the location of the copper mine? Even if we do find out the location, the people involved will have already disappeared. Wouldn't that be letting them get away with it?"
This is not the result they want. They need to find out the location of the copper mine and arrest the people involved in order to close the case; otherwise, it will remain an unsolved case.
Both of them knew that there was no better way to resolve the matter for the time being. The only person who knew about it was someone who provided information that there was a copper mine in Shicheng, and he knew nothing else.
The two frowned, racking their brains for a better plan.
Nan swallowed the snack in her mouth, then turned around and looked at the two of them thoughtfully.
Yinzhen looked up at her, then got up and sat down next to her. "If you're bored, I'll have someone take you back to your room. Your condition has just started to improve, so you need to rest more."
Nan shook his head, deciding whether to speak or not. It might not be effective, but it was better than them running around like headless flies.
She didn't want to do this for nothing, so what should she ask for?
"Did you bring any money?" she asked.
Yinzhen nodded, "If you need anything, just tell the servants."
Nan shook her head repeatedly, looking at him earnestly, "I have a way to help you."
"..." Upon hearing this, Yinzhen was taken aback. If there was a way, then asking him for money was...
Upon hearing this, Thirteen rushed over, his eyes shining brightly. "What method is it? Tell me about it."
Nan extended her hand in front of Yinzhen. "The method is only 50% certain. I can tell you, but only if..." She pinched her thumb and forefinger together, looking at the two of them with a shrewd expression. "You understand?"
Thirteen looked bewildered, not understanding the meaning of the gesture, but Yinzhen knew perfectly well. He didn't know what to say. After running around outside, his money-grubbing nature had become even more serious. Had he run out of money?
Yinzhen readily agreed, since the money wasn't going to end up in someone else's hands anyway. He took out a stack of silver notes from his sleeve and placed them in her hand with a slight smile.
Upon seeing this, Thirteen suddenly realized what was going on. However, he instinctively clutched his purse tightly, as he didn't have much money on him. The silver notes he had brought were the travel expenses given to him by his father.
Nan Yi counted the silver notes; not much, six thousand taels. She took one out and handed it back to Fourth Master, saying, "I'm generous; I'll leave you some living expenses."
Yinzhen raised an eyebrow, calmly put away the thousand taels, and said with a half-smile, "Thank you, Yi'er."
These words made Thirteen so sour that he kept rubbing his cheek.
Nan Yi, of course, didn't let him off the hook either. He took four thousand taels and left him five hundred taels as pocket money. Thirteen was dissatisfied. Why should Fourth Brother get twice as much as him?
Nan Yi's reason was that Fourth Uncle had to cover her living expenses, and Thirteen was a single man without a family to support, so he didn't need too much money.
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