Ma Xueyang hurried over and reported to his aunt, "Madam, the signing documents for this county have been issued and are here for your perusal."
After saying that, he took out a bag of documents, which his aunt took and put aside, with Green Snake standing nearby.
Qi Yu came out of the room and was about to kneel down when he saw the magistrate. Magistrate Ma was so frightened that he trembled and hurriedly stopped him, saying, "This is unacceptable. It would be too much of an insult to me."
Qi Yu raised his head, his expression returning to its calm state.
“Madam, I have brought a child with me in the carriage. He has been bullied in the Cold Palace and is now the only remaining member of his lineage. I hope you will take him in.”
After he finished speaking, a child who was dressed fairly neatly got off the sedan chair. The child had a blank look in his eyes and a cold expression. He looked about five parts similar to Qi Yu.
After coming out, his expression didn't change much; he just stood there blankly.
"With Consort Li dead, the Tenth Prince had nowhere to go. The palace was full of wolves and tigers, so he was taken out of the palace to preserve the bloodline of our Northern Wei Kingdom."
After Ma Xueyang finished speaking, he sighed deeply. At this moment, his aunt also shook her head, "It's tough on you. In the palace, only the Imperial Preceptor is obeyed. Your mother is just a palace maid, born without power or influence. It's good that she stays here to avoid some harm."
"Your subject thanks the Empress Dowager for her kindness." The Tenth Prince, Tuoba Jun, kowtowed on the ground, remaining quiet.
His aunt didn't make things difficult for him, saying, "There's no custom of kowtowing in this village, so you don't need to be so subservient in the future."
After hearing this, the tenth prince stood up quietly to the side.
"Madam, we will be sending more troops here in the future. At the same time, the Feng family also wants you to return as soon as possible. They will come to urge you in a few days. We hope you will make a decision soon."
Ma Xueyang cautiously replied, observing her expression out of the corner of his eye.
The Empress Dowager flew into a rage and threw the snacks she was holding at Ma Xueyang, scattering nuts and other treats all over him.
"How audacious! How audacious! I have just escaped death, and you are already eager to send me back there. Last time it was tuberculosis, and I still have so much residual poison in my body. The Feng family is so impatient to send me back to stabilize the situation!"
After complaining for a while, the aunt stood up, insisted on going outside the yard, found a tree, grabbed a large leaf, tore it off forcefully, and held it in her hand.
Springtime was in full bloom, and a gentle breeze occasionally swept by, refreshing her face. It took the Empress Dowager a while to regain her previous calm and composed expression before she turned and went back into the courtyard.
"Go tell them that I will return to the inner palace, and this time I will not let them off easily."
Ma Xueyang finally breathed a sigh of relief, "You've had a long and tiring journey."
After venting her anger, the Empress Dowager returned to her reclining chair. The Tenth Prince secretly observed his surroundings and wisely kept quiet.
Knowing that the Empress Dowager was displeased, Ma Xueyang tried to appease her, saying, "Your Majesty, I have brought two thousand taels of silver. All the land in the vicinity is suitable for construction. When we build some nice buildings, it will not be unfair to the Tenth Prince."
"Alright, you can go back now."
Ma Xueyang sent another two thousand taels of silver, and then hurriedly took his leave.
As the Empress Dowager watched him leave, the ease on her face vanished, replaced by sadness. She seemed to have aged several years in an instant, whereas just yesterday she appeared to be only in her thirties.
"My son, stay here and behave yourself. We will not make things difficult for you, nor will we poison you."
The Empress Dowager pulled the Tenth Prince to her side, patted his head, and a hint of kindness appeared in her eyes.
"I'm afraid the Imperial Advisor won't be so arrogant lately. When we get back, I'll definitely teach him a lesson."
A sinister smile appeared on her face.
The Tenth Prince shuddered involuntarily, and Qi Yu then spoke, "Aunt, convey your instructions to Green Snake. Green Snake has already begun preparations."
"She always has to clean up this mess." The aunt smiled. Manager Hu thoughtfully brought out tea from inside and placed it on the table. She picked up the tea, held the cup in her hand, and gently swirled it.
That day, Tuoba Jun was arranged to stay in a fully equipped room, where he settled in quietly.
The family was busy dealing with orders and paperwork when, at noon, just as everyone had finished their lunch, Gu Lan came to visit them in person.
Seeing Qi Yu about to leave, she hurriedly called out to him, "Young Master Qi, I heard that the master was assassinated. The restaurant is already being prepared, but what about the menu? The selection of dishes is still too limited."
After pondering for a moment, Qi Yu found Butler Hu and said, "This is Butler Hu. He usually cooks with Xiao Xiao and has learned Xiao Xiao's true skills. It is very good to have Butler Hu in charge of the dishes. However, the main ingredients cannot be known to others. I will send two people over, and you should also find two head chefs. You need to sign a contract that the menu cannot be disclosed."
Gu Lan thought for a moment and understood immediately. He hurriedly knelt down and said, "Master Qi, this is very good. However, what should we do with my son? His whereabouts are unknown. Please help me."
"Your son should be from the Rongguo Mansion. It will take some time. Please wait patiently and do not give yourself away."
Gu Lan paused, about to kowtow, when Qi Yu coldly stopped him, "There's no need for such a grand ceremony in the future. There's no such rule in the Li family."
Qi Yu gave him another five hundred taels of silver to settle the workers' wages and the expenses for the new business. After receiving the result, Gu Lan hurriedly went to Manager Hu to discuss the matter. Soon after, Shan Yunfang and He Chunying went to Suiyilou in the city together.
After dealing with these matters, Qi Yu was about to cook when Bai Yi and Gui Sujuan quietly started cooking. Only then did he have time to pick up his book and read.
After watching for a while, once the meal was ready, Bai Yi quietly prepared another portion and placed it in Li Xiaoxiao's room, then put the rest of the meal on the table.
The only people dining were Aunt Qi Yubai, the Tenth Prince, and Gui Sujuan. At first, the Tenth Prince was a little uncomfortable, but after trying a few bites, he found it to be exceptionally delicious and began to shovel rice into his mouth.
The meal was eaten in unusual quiet. Qi Yu finished eating quickly and rushed to Li Xiaoxiao's room.
After eating for a while, the aunt put down her chopsticks and hurried to Li Xiaoxiao's room.
When the Empress Dowager arrived, Qi Yu had just finished feeding Li Xiaoxiao. Because her body couldn't move around much, she could only eat some small pieces of liquid food and vegetables, which took Qi Yu a lot of effort.
The Empress Dowager sat alone by Li Xiaoxiao's bedside, looking at the sleeping girl with affection, "If only I had been as strong as you back then."
After speaking, he sat down closer, grasped Li Xiaoxiao's hand, and stroked it carefully several times, his eyes inexplicably becoming moist.
“Yu’er, treat her well, she is destined for greatness.”
That night, her aunt talked a lot, and Qi Yu listened quietly from the side, occasionally responding with a few words.
“Ayu, if I hadn’t learned that I had tuberculosis, I wouldn’t have rushed to find you. Fortunately, she found me outside the door and rescued me. Otherwise, I would have died then.”
"Yes, Auntie."
"Back then, I was very happy. Life here was so good."
"In the quiet of the night, there is only the sound of birds chirping in the empty valley. There is no scheming, no calculation, and not even so many rules and worldly constraints. There is no need to think about who I am. I just enjoy the leisurely time of drinking tea and having fun every day."
"I am, after all, only human."
After the Empress Dowager finished speaking, she reluctantly left the room. Qi Yu was still watching Li Xiaoxiao's quiet face, his eyes gradually becoming infatuated.
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