On the way back, Qin Zhaoyue remained silent.
She doesn't consider herself a purely kind person; she's just an ordinary girl.
Perhaps because I had exhausted too many emotions in Mingyan County, the emotional turmoil I felt when I saw critically ill patients again was not as intense as before, especially when I was powerless to help.
If only I had taken note of the penicillin invention experiment back then...
The thought occasionally crosses my mind, but it ends there; though, I still feel somewhat depressed.
Upon returning to the residence, the other officials and imperial guards did not require her assistance and went straight to the backyard.
Just as he was about to go back inside, Ping An's imposing figure blocked his way.
"Pretty sister, you eat."
Looking at the flatbread handed to her, Qin Zhaoyue was stunned for a moment, then shook her head and chuckled.
Who says kids are stupid? They're the most sensitive to adults' emotions.
In his mind, being able to eat his fill was probably the happiest thing.
Having already rejected him once at Iron Slag Mountain, Qin Zhaoyue reached out and accepted it this time, facing his anxious yet eager eyes.
"Thank you, Ping An..."
He thanked her and took a bite of the pancake in front of the child.
Ping An doesn't know how to hide his emotions at all; he wears his heart on his sleeve, immediately revealing a憨憨 (simple and honest) smile.
"Alright, get some rest."
After soothing the child and watching him turn to leave, Qin Zhaoyue's face immediately darkened.
"Who made these pancakes? Ah! Is this a pancake or a stone?"
Good heavens, if it weren't for her inner energy protecting her, she would have broken a tooth.
Sui Mo awkwardly accepted the large round pancake with a small hole in it. "It's a pancake made by Mo Liu. He said it's filling and can also help Ping An chew his teeth."
"He acts like a child, but he's not a real child. He grinds his teeth... Let Mo Liu take it back and grind it slowly. He's not allowed to sleep until he finishes grinding it!"
Sui Mo chuckled, "Yes."
She didn't take it seriously. Having spent time with her, she knew that the Sixth Princess wasn't really going to punish anyone.
This little incident actually eased the worry in my eyes by about 70-80%.
After removing her hairpins and earrings and washing up, Qin Zhaoyue sat in front of the bronze mirror, letting Sui Mo comb her hair.
The first combing is done with a wide-toothed boxwood comb, dipped in a jade-like cream made from plum blossom morning dew mixed with otter marrow to untangle the hair knots, and then the hair is combed with a fine-toothed rhinoceros horn comb.
Previously, Suimo had no skill in such delicate service. She had simply followed the Sixth Princess and often watched Taoyao do it, and gradually learned it.
"Your Highness, what do you think of this county magistrate?"
Qin Zhaoyue said casually with her eyes half-closed, "Talented."
Compared to the magistrate of Mingyan County who sought stability in everything and waited for the imperial court to make decisions, the magistrate of Chiyan County could be described as quite shrewd.
Although his actions were often unconventional, they were remarkably effective. If it weren't for his timely measures, the disaster would not have been as it is now.
"Such people are prone to extremes; they can be either pure-hearted and selfless, or... extremely wicked."
With that kind of ability, I wouldn't even bother with him if he embezzled a hundred thousand or twenty thousand.
Sui Mo was stunned upon hearing this: What? Did she hear wrong?
Qin Zhaoyue caught a glimpse of Sui Mo's expression in the bronze mirror, but offered no further explanation.
What is the purpose of becoming an official? The vast majority of people do it for status and wealth.
Those who are not too greedy but can get things done deserve to be called "upright and just officials."
If she were in charge of the investigation, as long as the magistrate of Chiyan County didn't touch the word "iron," everything else could be let off lightly.
Sui Mo snapped out of her reverie, "Which one does Your Highness prefer?"
"Who knows? Go ask Xuanji Wei."
Broken Ink: ...
Just as I finished combing my hair and was about to go to bed, Tao Yao came to announce that someone was requesting an audience.
"What happened?"
Qin Zhaoyue's first reaction was that something was wrong at the mine, but she quickly noticed that Tao Yao's expression was off.
It didn't seem like anxiety, but rather some distress and... embarrassment?
"Your Highness, Young Master Pei... is waiting outside. He said he was worried you would get caught in the rain, so he specially brought you some ginger soup."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became strange.
Whether it was Sui Mo, Tao Yao, or the Mo Group secretly guarding the area, everyone had sharp eyes and listened intently.
Although His Highness always complains, now Lord Pei is taking the initiative to make amends...
Qin Zhaoyue glared at Tao Yao, who was speaking in such a breathy manner.
"Is this guy crazy? What kind of time is this to be thinking about romance?"
Pei Xueqiao stood under the back corridor, his heart pounding like a drum.
During this period, he tossed and turned, unable to eat or sleep, often recalling his father's advice when he insisted on joining the disaster relief team before leaving Beijing.
He had a high opinion of himself and took his father as his role model.
After achieving the highest rank in the imperial examination, he refused his father's suggestion to join the Six Ministries and instead chose the Hanlin Academy.
According to the custom of this dynasty, anyone entering the cabinet must first enter the Hanlin Academy, which is also known as the "place of future prime ministers".
However, in the span of half a month, Pei Xueqiao realized that no matter how much he read books, it was all in vain if he didn't understand practical matters.
Aside from recording medical cases in the Mingyan County medical ward, he made no other contributions, yet Meng Jian…
Especially since the dredging of the landslide dammed lake, they often get together, and she even calls him a great hero... a great hero!
Taking advantage of Meng Jian's presence at the mine, which was a golden opportunity, Pei Xueqiao had been pondering this all the way.
So when he got back, he went straight to the kitchen and personally cooked a bowl of ginger soup and brought it over.
Rain fell on the eaves and courtyard, but Pei Xueqiao's gaze always lingered on the threshold.
It was three inches higher than the front yard, symbolizing a secluded and forbidden area, and shared the same name as this winding corridor: Retreat and Reflection.
It was as if it was constantly reminding him that it was not the behavior of a gentleman to secretly meet with a young woman in the dead of night.
Moreover, Meng Jian's absence always gave him a feeling of "secretly".
But if he didn't do it this way, he was afraid... In his struggle and hesitation, a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Just then, an oil-paper umbrella came along in the rain, and Pei Xueqiao quickly straightened his clothes.
But when I saw the somewhat round face under the umbrella, my heart skipped a beat.
“Peach...Peach Blossom Girl.”
Tao Yao turned her head away, somewhat unable to meet his gaze, and after catching her breath a few times, she murmured:
“My lord said… said that you, Young Master Pei, can go play with your eggs…”
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and rushed back, his hurried footsteps splashing water everywhere.
What kind of egg? How do you play with it?
Pei Xueqiao couldn't understand it, but the refusal was crystal clear.
His face turned deathly pale instantly, and he staggered back a step, causing the food box to fall to the ground, spilling the ginger soup inside...
Meanwhile, County Magistrate Zhou Yanqing returned to his residence.
These days he's been running around all day, so busy he barely has time to rest, practically living at the county government office.
Now that the imperial envoy has arrived and the stationing of troops for assistance has been arranged, he felt much more at ease and went home to rest.
His wife died early and he never remarried. His two children were studying in Fengjing. The entire house consisted of only two old maids, an old housekeeper, and a coachman. The household was very small.
After a long time, I took a hot bath, changed into dry clothes, warmed up some wine and ate some snacks, when the old butler came to report.
After a cup of tea, Zhou Yanqing carried a bowl of steaming ginger soup into the backyard, and immediately closed the door behind him after entering the bedroom.
"Yuan'er, quickly drink this bowl of ginger soup..."
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