"Yes, miss, I did see Young Master Rui talking to his people about going to Dingshui Village. This is the entrance to Dingshui Village," a servant quickly replied.
Lu Wanqing pursed her lips, then jumped down from the carriage.
Her maid, Emerald, exclaimed in surprise, "Miss! Are you trying to scare me to death?"
The carriage is so high above the ground; if anything were to happen to the young lady, she wouldn't have enough lives to compensate for it.
"Stop making such a fuss, let's walk in." Lu Wanqing waved her hand and took the lead on the path.
She was different from other well-bred young ladies; she was naturally wild. Even with her father's strict upbringing, she secretly learned some martial arts and even opened a security escort agency with her like-minded best friend!
Emerald quickly climbed down from the carriage and followed, and the others hurriedly followed behind the mistress and her servants.
"Miss, won't His Highness be angry if you go with him like this?" Emerald asked softly.
Xiao Rui's identity has changed. In private, they call him His Highness, but in public, they call him Young Master Rui.
Lu Wanqing paused, a hint of conflict on her face. "I'm worried about his safety. I want to see for myself. My cousin is such a good person, he shouldn't be angry, right?"
Emerald thought about it and nodded, saying, "That's right. His Highness has never argued with Miss. It's not a big deal. He certainly won't blame you."
Hearing this, Lu Wanqing felt more confident and straightened her back to continue walking forward.
Actually, she had overheard her cousin's servant mentioning a woman's name by chance, and feeling uneasy about it, she decided to come and see for herself.
If her cousin really was coming to see a woman, she wanted to see what was so special about her.
As for what will happen after watching it... she hasn't thought about it yet.
Meanwhile, Jiang Qinyu had just finished her business and was letting the two children go play when she heard someone knocking on the gate of the courtyard again.
"Come in, the door's open." She was too lazy to even get up; it was just some villager coming to ask about something.
However, the next moment, Xiao Rui's smiling face came into view, and Jiang Qinyu immediately stood up and subconsciously curtsied, "Your Highness, you..."
“Madam, there’s no need for such formalities. I have changed my status now, so please just call me Young Master Rui.” Xiao Rui quickly reminded them when he saw that there were other people in the courtyard.
Jiang Qinyu suddenly remembered that Chen Xiuer was still there, so she quickly changed her words, "Greetings, Young Master Rui. May I ask what brings you here today?"
She agreed to help him with the favor he asked her last time, but he hasn't sent anyone over yet.
"I'm here to see Brother Lu. Is he home?" Xiao Rui glanced around the courtyard but didn't see Lu Yanzheng.
Jiang Qinyu said regretfully, "Young Master Rui arrived a step too late; he left this morning."
"They've left?" Xiao Rui paused. "Are they going to Chengguan Town?"
Jiang Qinyu smiled and shook her head, "I don't know about that."
Regardless of Xiao Rui's current status or his intentions, she will not voluntarily reveal Lu Yanzheng's whereabouts.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Rui understood and said with a wry smile, "I have overstepped my bounds."
Jiang Qinyu didn't say anything, nor did she ask him to sit down. She just stood opposite him.
Her attitude was quite clear; she was silently telling Xiao Rui: If there's nothing else, you should leave now, I have things to do.
Xiao Rui, however, seemed not to understand. He sat down under the thatched pavilion in the courtyard and looked at Jiang Qinyu with a troubled expression, asking, "The weather is colder than in previous years. Does Madam have any good ideas?"
Jiang Qinyu looked at him in confusion, "Isn't this the responsibility of the Ministry of Revenue? Didn't the imperial court take any precautions against the cold wave?"
Strictly speaking, in ancient times, the departments responsible for disaster relief were the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Grain Supply. However, in the current system of Dai Viet, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Grain Supply have been merged into the Ministry of Revenue.
Xiao Rui shook his head and sighed, "I worked in the Ministry of Revenue for a while before. The most important thing for those officials every day was to balance the national treasury's accounts. They ignored everything else."
"What?" Jiang Qinyu exclaimed in astonishment, "Aren't they just occupying positions without doing their jobs?"
Occupying a position without doing anything is typical of someone who just freeloads.
Xiao Rui smiled bitterly again, "Father... my father's mind is now focused on alchemy and attaining enlightenment. How could he be willing to go to great lengths to investigate every department? As for Su... that official, he only cares about enriching himself and doesn't care about the lives of the people at all."
Although Prime Minister Su's residence would distribute porridge outside the city every year, it was nothing compared to the wealth he had plundered from the people.
"Young Master Rui, why have you come to ask me about this?" Jiang Qinyu stared at him, not missing a single expression on his face.
Xiao Rui said solemnly, "I can't control other places, but I don't want to see a large number of people in Yukang Prefecture go hungry this year. I beg you, Madam, for your help!"
Aren't the other places he mentioned just the territory under the jurisdiction of the imperial court and Prince Yong?
Jiang Qinyu felt that this person was subtly undermining the other two parties, but she had no evidence.
“Young master truly cares for the benefit of the people, and I, though a woman, admire him greatly.” Jiang Qinyu curtsied to him again and then said, “There is indeed a way to get through the cold winter.”
"What method?" Xiao Rui asked in surprise.
The joy in his eyes was genuine; he truly hoped that the people could get through this winter.
Jiang Qinyu glanced at Chen Xiuer.
Chen Xiuer was listening intently when she was glanced at, and her face paled for a moment, but she quickly recovered and said with an awkward smile, "Well, sister-in-law, Auntie has some things to attend to, so I'll head back now."
After saying that, she walked out slowly, somewhat reluctantly.
Don't think she didn't hear Jiang Qinyu call this exceptionally handsome young man "Your Highness" just now; she heard it very clearly!
What does this mean? It means this young master's identity is not simple!
Aside from princes and crown princes, there doesn't seem to be anyone else who can be addressed as Your Highness.
Originally, Chen Xiuer thought that the highest-ranking person she could come into contact with was Lu Yanzheng, but she never expected that she would actually meet a prince today!
That wretched Jiang Qinyu! She's about to leave, why hasn't she asked her to stay yet?
Moreover, Jiang Qinyu is so impolite. The prince has been here for so long, and she hasn't even brewed a pot of tea. She really doesn't know the rules!
No, Jiang Qinyu won't serve tea to His Highness, she will!
Thinking of this, Chen Xiuer quickened her pace.
Back at Chen's place, she quickly brewed a pot of tea, took the best cup from the kitchen, put it in a basket, and headed out.
However, as soon as she arrived at the door, she saw a beautiful girl dressed in bright red walking towards Jiang Qinyu's house.
"Excuse me, who are you? Are you here to see my cousin-in-law?" Chen Xiuer asked Lu Wanqing as she stood in front of Jiang Qinyu's courtyard gate.
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