Chapter 212 Why don't men call girls when they go to pleasure boats?
Meeting Xiao Wan'er's hopeful gaze, Chen Yi naturally couldn't bring himself to refuse.
Besides, the poetry gathering at Guiyun Academy already attracted daughters of prominent families in Shu Prefecture, so adding Xiao Wan'er wouldn't make a difference.
"If you, elder sister, could go, the academy would surely be honored tomorrow night."
Xiao Wan'er was delighted to hear this, knowing that she could also participate in the poetry gathering.
But after the initial joy, she couldn't help but feel a little hesitant.
"However, this is my first time attending a poetry gathering like this... Is there anything I need to prepare?"
Knowing she lacked confidence, Chen Yi jokingly said with a smile, "Big sister, just dress up for the occasion."
Even if you just sit there and do nothing, no one can outshine you.
Xiao Wan'er blushed. "It's not as exaggerated as you say."
"Why not?"
"Tomorrow night will be your first time attending a poetry gathering. If Mr. Yue Ming and the others find out, they'll be overjoyed, so how could they possibly make things difficult for you?"
"real?"
"Of course it's true."
Xiao Wan'er asked with some skepticism, "Then tell me, what's usually at the academy's poetry gatherings?"
Chen Yi chuckled and then explained the general process of the Mid-Autumn Poetry Gathering to her.
Fortunately, Mr. Li Huaigu, Mr. Yue Ming and others gave him a general overview, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to explain the details.
"...It mainly involves worshipping the moon, appreciating the moon, and composing poems about it."
"There will be many people tomorrow night, including many women. If you have any good articles, you can certainly bring them out for Mr. Yue Ming and others to appreciate."
Xiao Wan'er subconsciously shrank her head. Her appearance was not like that of a rich young lady, but rather as cute and pretty as a girl next door.
"I'm not good at poetry, so I won't embarrass myself by trying."
"It's alright if you don't write it. My brother will bring Cui Qingwu over tomorrow night, and Brother Huaigu's wife will also be there. If you feel bored then, you can keep them company."
"They don't compose poetry either?"
"It shouldn't be... at least Brother Huaigu's wife doesn't write poetry."
“Cui Qingwu comes from the Cui family of Qinghe, so perhaps he knows a little about it.”
"Miss Cui? She's come to Shu Prefecture?"
"Don't you know, eldest sister? She's been in Shuzhou for a while now, but she's been staying with my brother the whole time."
"Speaking of which, the two of them are actually engaged."
"Yeah……"
Thinking about it carefully, Chen Yi had indeed not mentioned Cui Qingwu's visit to Shuzhou to Xiao Wan'er.
This is partly due to Cui Qingwu's status as a hidden guard, Luanfeng, and partly because she hasn't made many moves since arriving in Shuzhou.
It's strange, really.
Chen Yi still doesn't quite understand why Cui Qingwu joined the Hidden Guard, nor does he know why she came to Shu Prefecture alone.
It was as if that woman had come specifically to be with Chen Yunfan.
Is this what they mean by "marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog"?
However, he had heard Chen Yunfan express his dissatisfaction with that marriage agreement.
"If you have any concerns, eldest sister, you can bring Wu Ge, Hua Tang, and the others along tomorrow night to join in the fun."
Xiao Wan'er's expression relaxed upon hearing this, and she nodded, saying, "Alright."
"This is Wu Ge's first time attending a poetry gathering, so I have to keep an eye on him."
But as soon as she finished speaking, she saw Chen Yi's mischievous gaze, her beautiful face flushed slightly, and she couldn't continue speaking.
From childhood to adulthood, due to her health condition, she rarely participated in lively activities outside the Xiao family mansion.
She missed poetry gatherings, Lantern Festival parties, Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, and Spring Festival celebrations year after year.
If her health hadn't improved this time, and she wasn't as cold as before, she probably would have chosen to stay in Jiaxingyuan as well.
Just.
As Xiao Wan'er thought about these things, she couldn't help but recall Chen Yi's teasing, and she felt quite annoyed.
This person is really being strange.
Even though they knew she didn't have much experience going out, they still teased her like that.
Chen Yi had some idea of Xiao Wan'er's thoughts, so he stopped teasing her and lifted the curtain to look out the window.
As evening approached, the light grew much dimmer.
The streets were bustling with activity.
Passengers lined both sides of the road, flocking into the shops in groups.
Buying lanterns, clothes, mooncakes... most people are making preparations for the Mid-Autumn Festival tomorrow night.
In contrast, those working in the various government offices in Shuzhou City were not so leisurely.
City guards were stationed in every street and alley.
There were also many chief criminal officers from the Criminal Investigation Department nearby, in case of any unexpected incidents.
Especially on Zhennan Street, where the various government offices are located, the number of yamen runners deployed is several times greater than in other places.
I watched for a moment.
Just as Chen Yi was about to close the curtain, a familiar figure suddenly caught his eye out of the corner of his eye—
It was none other than Liu Zhaoxue, the eldest daughter of the Liu family, dressed in red, whose beauty rivaled that of Xiao Wan'er and Xiao Jinghong.
At this moment, she was standing on Zhennan Street, not far from the Dingyuan Marquis's residence, looking at a shop facing the street.
The store was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the words "Xinglin" were written on the lanterns covering the store.
Under the eaves in the center, there is a plaque covered with a red cloth.
Xinglinzhai?
These three words popped into Chen Yi's mind, and his gaze immediately fell on Liu Zhaoxue.
After Liu Wen's death, Liu Zhaoxue did not return to the Liu family in Jingzhou for the funeral, but instead had the mind to stay in Shuzhou and run Xinglinzhai.
As Chen Yi pondered these things, he couldn't help but feel a little strange.
It seems that Liu Zhaoxue has made up her mind to make a name for herself in Shuzhou.
However, upon closer reflection, Chen Yi realized that Liu Zhaoxue's choice was somewhat out of necessity.
I had previously heard that the Liu family of Jingzhou intended for her to marry Xiao Xuanshuo.
Perhaps it was this incident that made her disregard worldly customs and choose to stay in Shuzhou.
Xiao Wan'er, who was standing nearby, also saw Liu Zhaoxue's figure. The smile on her face gradually disappeared, obviously thinking about some unpleasant things that had happened earlier.
Even though she already knew that Liu Wen was dead and that it was related to the burning of the summer grain in the three towns, she still remembered everything that happened at Fengchun Tower that day.
With Xiao Wan'er's intelligence, how could she not understand the purpose of Liu Zhaoxue having Liu Wen accompany her to the banquet?
Seeing Liu Zhaoxue again now, her feelings were somewhat complicated.
I wouldn't say I hold a grudge; at most, I'm annoyed at being deceived.
In particular, Liu Wen not only spoke rudely to her that day, but also implicated Chen Yi.
Xiao Wan'er felt that she had invited Chen Yi to Fengchun Tower that day, and while she was unhappy, she also felt a little guilty.
At this moment, Chen Yi closed the curtain, noticed Xiao Wan'er's gaze, and said with a smile, "I didn't expect Liu Zhaoxue to still be in Shuzhou."
Xiao Wan'er pursed her lips, turned her head and said, "I heard Sister Wan mention it a couple of days ago."
"The Liu family of Jingzhou intends to open Xinglinzhai all over Shuzhou, and specially ordered Liu Zhaoxue to stay here temporarily to take charge."
Chen Yi's heart skipped a beat. "Temporarily?"
Xiao Wan'er nodded, "I heard that Lord Liu Hong gave this instruction in front of some people in the Provincial Administration Commission."
"Perhaps in the future, someone else from the Liu family of Jingzhou will come to replace Liu Zhaoxue and expand Xinglinzhai."
Chen Yi frowned inwardly.
If he remembered correctly, the previous meeting between the old master and Liu Hong had clearly stipulated that the Liu family of Jingzhou should not send anyone to Shuzhou again.
Liu Zhaoxue's stay in Shuzhou was an exploitation of a loophole in the agreement.
If more members of the Liu family come, wouldn't that be openly slapping the old master in the face?
Thinking about it, Chen Yi asked meaningfully, "This time, Xinglinzhai is not only targeting our few pharmacies, but all the pharmacies and medicine shops in Shuzhou."
"Does elder sister know how those people at Wan Family Pharmacy plan to deal with this?"
Xiao Wan'er shook her head. "I don't know either."
"Recently, due to the expansion of Baicaotang and the Medical Academy, I haven't paid much attention to the medicine hall."
She paused, then looked at Chen Yi and said, "After the Mid-Autumn Festival, brother-in-law, why don't you ask him?"
"I?"
"Well, just to find out Xinglinzhai's plans so we can prepare in advance."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi pondered for a moment and nodded: "Alright."
Xinglinzhai has expanded to Shuzhou, and it's likely they'll follow the same old path.
They won by virtue of their doctors' superb medical skills, their family-inherited prescriptions, and the inexpensive medicinal materials supplied from the rear.
As long as Xinglinzhai doesn't get involved in Baicaotang's business, there's nothing to worry about.
Seeing that he had agreed, Xiao Wan'er smiled and said:
"After the Mid-Autumn Festival, I want to go to my fiefdom. If my brother-in-law is free, he can come with me."
"Location selection?"
"Yes, everything is difficult at the beginning. The Medical Academy must take the first step..."
The other side.
Liu Zhaoxue glanced at the sky and then instructed her men to make proper preparations.
"Uncle Lin, after the Mid-Autumn Festival, make sure the doctors get plenty of rest before reopening."
"And please keep an eye on Elder Chang for me. Since several renowned medical experts aren't coming, he's the face of Xinglinzhai in Shuzhou."
"Yes, Third Miss."
Liu Zhaoxue nodded and continued to instruct the next person: "Uncle Fu, you should sign contracts with several medicinal herb merchants as soon as possible, otherwise things may change."
Upon hearing this, the older shopkeeper, Uncle Fu, looked troubled and said:
"Things took an unexpected turn."
"What accident?"
"Among the medicinal herbs needed by Xinglinzhai, the cheapest ones are not available from the other medicine merchants. They say they are supplied to Baicaotang in the West Market."
"In addition, several other high-quality medicinal herbs used as medicinal guides were also monopolized by Baicaotang."
Liu Zhaoxue frowned slightly, "Not even a single one?"
Uncle Fu shook his head: "Indeed not."
"It's also my fault for only focusing on stocking up on those expensive medicinal herbs and neglecting the others."
"However, I have already written back to Jingzhou. Several major pharmaceutical merchants there still have a lot of stock, which should be able to be transported to Shuzhou in at most half a month."
Liu Zhaoxue said in an unhappy tone, "I can't wait that long."
"Make an appointment with those medicine merchants for me. They should come early tomorrow morning to discuss the new contract. They should say that whatever Baicaotang contributes, Xinglinzhai will triple it."
They were just some cheap, common medicinal herbs anyway, and she didn't believe those medicine merchants would pass up the opportunity to make money.
But Uncle Fu quickly advised, "Third Miss, this is not allowed, absolutely not."
"Oh? Why?"
"According to those medicine merchants, Baicaotang has just signed a new contract with them, and the amount of medicinal materials they need has been prepared until the end of next year."
Liu Zhaoxue frowned. "How much?"
Uncle Fu hesitated before saying, "I estimate it's worth two hundred thousand taels of silver."
"In addition, a clause was specifically added regarding compensation for breach of contract. Even if Xinglinzhai were to purchase it at three times the price, they would not agree."
After listening, Liu Zhaoxue fell silent.
Three times 200,000 taels is 600,000 taels, which is almost all the money she has.
Her previous statement was indeed somewhat presumptuous.
"I remember, Baicaotang sells all kinds of tea drinks, right?"
Uncle Fu nodded: "The Third Miss is right, the Hundred Herbs Hall does not primarily focus on medical treatment."
"We only sell inexpensive medicinal herbs and five kinds of teas with good effects."
"It is said that since they opened, they have made a considerable amount of money just from those few kinds of tea drinks."
Liu Zhaoxue nodded slightly, looked towards the West Market, and pondered for a moment:
"Go and buy some tea, and let the doctors study it to see if they can deduce the prescription."
Uncle Fu was stunned for a moment, "This..."
"Do as I say."
"Yes, this old servant will go right away."
After everyone left, Liu Zhaoxue took a deep breath, regained her composure, and then got into the carriage to return to her residence.
After hearing what Uncle Fu said, she understood—
If she wants to open Xinglinzhai all over Shuzhou, in addition to competing with peers such as Xiao Family Pharmacy, Baicaotang is also an obstacle she cannot avoid.
If we don't prepare early, we will inevitably fall into a disadvantageous position later.
Just as Liu Zhaoxue was thinking about these things, she suddenly heard a familiar, sinister laugh coming from ahead.
"Has Miss Zhaoxue encountered any trouble?"
Liu Zhaoxue snapped out of her daze, frowned at the coachman in front of her, and asked, "Why is Elder Yan here?"
The newcomer was none other than Yan Fusha of the Five Poisons Sect.
"Don't worry, Miss Zhaoxue, your coachman just fell asleep and is fine."
"Why don't you tell me if there are any problems? It will be better for both of us to resolve this as soon as possible."
A hint of displeasure flashed in Liu Zhaoxue's eyes, but her tone returned to calm: "Elder Yan need not trouble yourself with the affairs of the pharmacy."
“Miss Zhaoxue, you are mistaken. Our Five Poisons Sect still needs the smooth expansion of Xinglinzhai before we can begin our plans.”
"Don't forget, we're in the same boat now."
But after Yan Fusha finished speaking, before Liu Zhaoxue could reply, he changed the subject and said:
"However, I believe in Miss Zhaoxue's abilities, and Xinglinzhai will surely prosper in Shuzhou."
Liu Zhaoxue explained with difficulty, "Now that my second brother is dead, my family has become suspicious of me, so it is not advisable to cause any further trouble for the time being."
Yan Fusha chuckled and said, "I understand now that Miss Zhaoxue has said that."
"Since you don't want me to get involved, then I'll wait. There's no rush."
"Just these past two days, I've discovered some interesting things while investigating that Mr. Qingzhou, and I'm planning to test his background."
Liu Zhaoxue's heart skipped a beat, "Chen Yi?"
"What did you find out about him?"
"On the night the summer grain in the three towns was burned, he wasn't at the Xiao family's house, but on a painted boat on Quchi Lake."
“But I went to the pleasure boat and asked, and he didn’t invite any girls to accompany him that night, not even any courtesans.”
At this point, Yan Fusha asked, "Isn't it suspicious that a grown man like him goes to a pleasure boat without inviting any girls?"
Liu Zhaoxue was slightly taken aback, and said in an unpleasant tone, "Elder Yan, please forgive me, Zhaoxue doesn't understand those romantic matters."
Yan Fusha smiled and said, "If Miss Zhaoxue hadn't repeatedly reminded me that Mr. Qingzhou was no ordinary person, I wouldn't have had this suspicion."
How do you plan to test him?
"We'll find out once we arrest him and question him."
Upon hearing this, Liu Zhaoxue pursed her lips, knowing that he had made up his mind, and did not try to persuade him further.
"Remember not to reveal your identity."
"Don't worry, Miss Zhaoxue. Although I am a rough man, I know that he has a special identity and I will not ruin things because of him."
"Besides, he's just a scholar who doesn't know martial arts. He can't cause any trouble in my hands."
"That would be best..."
...
Xiao family, Chunhe Garden.
Xiao Wuge was overjoyed to learn that he would be attending the Guiyun Academy Poetry Gathering the next night.
After dinner, he still kept asking Chen Yi all sorts of questions.
Unlike Xiao Wan'er, Xiao Wuge not only showed no fear, but was eager to try.
"Brother-in-law, do you think I can also compose a poem?"
"Brother-in-law, if my poems win applause, will my sister be so happy that she'll let me rest for a few days?"
"Brother-in-law..."
Chen Yi interrupted helplessly, "You don't need to do anything tomorrow, just stay with your sister."
Why learn anything but Fang Zhongyong, who composed poetry at the age of five?
Xiao Wuge's face fell. "Can I go with my brother-in-law?"
"No, your sister was a little worried just now. Your presence will put her at ease."
"What are you worried about, eldest sister?"
"I was a little nervous, probably because it was my first time attending a poetry gathering."
Xiao Wuge was taken aback, then laughed: "Even Big Sister has her moments of fear."
Chen Yi patted his head: "Don't say that in front of her, or you'll get beaten up."
Xiao Wuge nodded repeatedly and chuckled, "Then I will definitely take good care of my eldest sister tomorrow."
"Go to sleep. There are still many things to do in the manor early tomorrow morning."
"good……"
After Xiao Wuge went back to his room to sleep, Chen Yi also changed into light pajamas, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began to cultivate the Four Symbols Technique.
Until midnight—
[Daily Intelligence - High-Grade Mystic: 7 PM - Mid-Autumn Festival, Guiyun Academy Poetry Gathering. A small amount of good fortune may be obtained.]
Chen Yi woke up from his cultivation, glanced at the two lines of golden characters, slightly pursed his lips, got up from the bed, picked up his five-fold spear, and headed to the Purple Bamboo Forest to practice his techniques.
In two hours, Xiao Wan'er will lead the women of the mansion to worship the moon and pay homage to their ancestors.
He has plenty of time.
But as soon as he arrived at the Purple Bamboo Forest, he noticed some unusual activity not far away and frowned.
Who's there?
As if she knew she would be discovered, she snapped, "Take this!"
Then, a series of crisp, tinkling sounds rang out.
Chen Yi recognized the person who had come, paused for a moment, and then threw a punch.
Its fierce and domineering aura, as imposing as a mountain, directly pinned the newcomer to the ground.
Suddenly, a voice pleading for mercy rang out:
"Brother-in-law, it hurts, it hurts..."
(End of this chapter)
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