Not long after Li Xiaoxiao returned, her mother, Wu Xinyue, sent letter after letter urging her to go back.
Pressed relentlessly, she had no choice but to hurry back with her belongings. Before leaving, Li Xiaoxiao specifically sought out Gui Sujuan and asked, "Do you want to come back with me?"
Gui Sujuan shook her head, "No, my lady, my husband and I are managing our business here. When my husband's injuries have healed, we will gather enough strength to go to the capital again."
Li Xiaoxiao nodded. She had originally wanted to offer some advice, but it seemed there was no problem.
When they found He Chunying again, she was already in control of Suixin Pavilion. Suixin Pavilion had been handed over to Gu Lan before, but now that Gu Lan needed to manage the business in the capital, he had long ago handed over the management of the restaurant to He Chunying.
Upon seeing Li Xiaoxiao, He Chunying immediately knelt on the ground. "Master, I was too talkative last time and spoke ill of the young master. I have now realized my mistake and will not be so rude in the future. Of the four sisters, the other three are valued, and I see that clearly. I have also carefully reflected on my behavior. Master, I have been working hard to cultivate recently and have made some progress. I have discovered that I have some talent in illusion magic. I am currently in the Foundation Establishment stage. Master, please do not abandon me."
"I am not content to stay in Suixin Pavilion."
He Chunying knelt on the ground and begged humbly. These words impressed Li Xiaoxiao. She had thought He Chunying was stupid, but now she thought she had some ideas. Originally, He Chunying was indeed going to be arranged to stay at Suixin Pavilion, but she was going to give up.
"How can you prove it?" Li Xiaoxiao became interested. Illusion magic, that's an interesting skill. Seeing Li Xiaoxiao's interest, He Chunying hurriedly raised her head. "Master, you know I'm not good with words. How could I possibly survive in the mountain stronghold? Dozens of women have died there. I have a strong personality. Sometimes when men come to my room, I use illusion magic to avoid most of their harassment. I also saved Chen Xueqing. That's why I'm qualified to call Xueqing and the others sisters."
As He Chunying spoke, seemingly wanting her words to be more truthful, she said, "Master, I'll show you right now." As soon as she finished speaking, He Chunying pointed at the table, and the table immediately turned into a water vat. When Li Xiaoxiao looked at her again, He Chunying had transformed into a burly man, which was quite strange.
Li Xiaoxiao walked over and touched the table with her hand. The touch felt exactly like a water tank. If she went deeper into the water tank, she could even feel the flow and coldness of the water.
It's very realistic. This illusion is quite interesting. Getting closer to He Chunying, the texture of her oily and sticky beard is so real.
"That's amazing."
Li Xiaoxiao changed her mind. This skill would indeed be very beneficial in the future and was worth taking with her.
“Alright, I’ll take you away. Be careful what you say and do in the capital. I can’t always protect you.” Li Xiaoxiao agreed immediately. He Chunying was overjoyed. She seized this opportunity. She was originally afraid that her master would say that this ability was flashy but meaningless. She didn’t expect it to be recognized.
"Thank you, Master. Thank you, Master." He Chunying kowtowed repeatedly on the ground. Li Xiaoxiao impatiently told her to leave. As soon as He Chunying left, Chen Xueqing knocked on the door from the outside. Li Xiaoxiao opened the door, and Chen Xueqing looked at her with concern, "Master, you must be tired these days."
Chen Xueqing was considerate. She held a can of fine tea in her hands and placed it in Li Xiaoxiao's hands. "Master, Chunying has come to see you. I knew she was unwilling to accept her fate. Chunying is a good person, just a bit sharp-tongued. She is also a pitiful person. Her background is even more tragic than Su Juan's, mine, and Shan Yunfang's. It's normal for her to be a bit sharp-tongued and have high standards. I also wanted you to take Chunying with you. She is a princess of the country with an extraordinary background. After being expelled from her family, she has fallen to such a state. She has a bad temper, but she is still a very good person."
"Surprisingly, there's such a secret!" Li Xiaoxiao pulled her in, closed the door, and then sighed with red eyes, "Master, I can't say more about the details. I promised her before that now that she's in your hands, she would never betray you. She's also my best companion."
Chen Xueqing spoke several times in succession, while Li Xiaoxiao looked at her with great interest, "You can tell the result just by looking at her expression when she left, so why bother telling me all this?"
"I just wanted to say that, my lord, you are now an inseparable part of my heart."
Chen Xueqing said a few more kind words, and Li Xiaoxiao's thoughts began to wander. A princess who was expelled from her family? Tragic, illusion? Wait, this person seems to have been mentioned in the original book, but only later. I didn't expect that they would meet now.
This princess is indeed pitiful. Her character in the book has always been mysterious, and later, the mysterious figure, the Thousand-Faced Gentleman, no one can see her true face.
It was her! She was indeed a pitiful woman, despite her exceptional intelligence.
“Life is unpredictable.” Li Xiaoxiao replied simply. Chen Xueqing then continued, “Master, a new planting plan is about to begin. It’s in Shiwu Village. After testing, the soil there is very suitable for farming. However, the residents of Shiwu Village are a bit difficult to manage, so Master will need to go there personally.”
Stone Mist Village was indeed part of the fiefdom of the Founding Duke, but that place was occupied by strange magical beasts for many years, and the villagers had all turned into half-monsters, making it difficult to manage and causing frequent accidents.
“Let’s discuss this matter when we get back. The Founding Duke’s government is still making moves, so let’s be patient for now.” Li Xiaoxiao knew that she was a development fanatic, but then she thought, “You don’t need to worry about these things. The Founding Duke’s silver and iron mines are about to be launched, and I will arrange for you to get involved. You know that I am just an outsider, and you are my confidant.”
The four sisters had all sworn an oath before her, promising that if they betrayed her, they would suffer a terrible death. This was not the mortal world; if they betrayed her, none of the four sisters would have a good end.
A vow is a good thing.
Silver mines and iron mines? Chen Xueqing perked up immediately. So her master thought highly of her. A business tycoon—that dream was about to come true. She wasn't an ordinary woman, one who only fawned over men.
"Thank you for your guidance, Master. Thank you so much, Master." Chen Xueqing originally wanted to talk to her about the plan, but at this moment she felt happy. Li Xiaoxiao was a truly rare kind person.
Seeing her enthusiasm, Li Xiaoxiao continued, "Originally, I also intended to let Gu Lan get involved in the mining business, but his previous words made me give up on that idea."
"Gu Lan has disappointed me somewhat. He is inherently hostile to you all. In fact, you will all be important to me in the future, especially you, who have a strong business mind. The sisters from the mountains are also working diligently in the workshop, and you are the leader. If he doesn't think highly of you, it is indeed easy for problems to arise if you disagree later."
After Li Xiaoxiao finished speaking, Chen Xueqing's eyes reddened, and she didn't say anything more that was on her mind. "Yes, Master is wise."
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