Trip to Jiangnan (2)
Just as Yan Qing said, she handed over all the account books of Cat Tea House and Cat Supplies Shop to He Yi, and in the days before she left, she no longer inquired about the business, leaving all affairs to He Yi to arrange and handle.
Yan Qing felt as if she had returned to her semi-retired, cat-loving days in modern times. She woke up every day with cats by her side and fell asleep with cats warming her bed. Such a blissful life made her unconsciously fall in love with it, and she naturally had the idea of putting all her world-saving missions out of her mind.
But despite her thoughts, when the day came to leave, Yan Qing could only bid farewell to the kittens with tears in her eyes. Each kitten was subjected to a grand farewell ceremony of kisses, hugs, and being lifted high in the air.
Strictly speaking, after completing this set—forty sets in total—she was completely unrecognizable.
Ptooey, ptooey, a mouthful of mixed cat hair.
Yan Qing continued to pamper the cat after cleaning off its fur.
The grand farewell ceremony finally ended after more than half an hour. Yan Qing took her package and stepped out of the Cat Tea Garden, unable to resist turning back to look at the place she had built with her own hands.
The pear trees in the courtyard were already lush and leafy. Suddenly, a cat's head appeared in the field of vision. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that there were many cat heads frolicking on the tree.
Yan Qing's lips unconsciously curled up. She didn't know what it would be like to see him next time, but she was sure it would be better and better.
Yu Guangzhong suddenly saw Jingyuan Garden not far away. It stood silently next to Cat Tea Garden. The garden's signboard, which was unclaimed, was stained with the colors of the past, presenting a scene quite different from Cat Tea Garden.
She withdrew her gaze, embraced He Yi for a moment, and then embarked on her journey to Jiangnan.
Yan Qing was used to and good at traveling alone, but this time was very different. She had He Yi and the furry friends behind her, who would miss her, long for her, and await her return.
The water shimmered with golden light as many boats slowly sailed out and disappeared into the distant, layered mountains.
Yan Qing found the prepared boat, but unexpectedly saw an acquaintance at the mooring.
Fangbi was still dressed the same as before, but with a bundle on her back, as if she was waiting for her.
As soon as Yan Qing approached her, he handed over his life-and-death contract.
The holder of this contract has the right to decide the life or death of this person, and the government cannot interfere. If the person bound by the contract escapes, they will be sentenced to death, and the government will issue a public notice to apprehend them.
This should have been in Rong Xuan's hands.
Before Yan Qing could even ask, she said, "If you accept, I will be yours. If you don't, Your Highness will set me free."
Fang Bi's cold and aloof voice made it impossible for Yan Qing to discern her emotions. She reached out and took the contract, unfolding it and reading it carefully.
This is an unequal treaty that is doubly unfair.
She clicked her tongue in amazement. Fangbi was really honest. If she were Fangbi, she would have burned everything and run away long ago. Why would she really come here to look for her?
When Yan Qing looked up again, she found Fang Bi standing a step behind her, clearly ready to pledge her loyalty.
Yan Qing turned to Fang Bi and, under her gaze, tore the life-and-death contract in two, then overlapped it and tore it in two again, until it was too shattered to be pieced back together. With a flick of his wrist, the thin pieces of paper fluttered and scattered in the air.
The premise for building relationships is equality. She doesn't need loyal subordinates; she hopes to have more companions.
Having had her first time with He Yi, speaking up was no longer difficult.
With her eyebrows arched and her eyes sparkling, she smiled and invited, "Would you like to come with me? As a friend."
Upon hearing this, Yan Qing felt as if she had traveled back in time to her childhood, making friends with newcomers in the orphanage using carefully preserved candies.
Back then, she was very good at making friends, and everyone in the courtyard was her good friend. Unfortunately, as time went by, her good friends left the courtyard one by one and moved to new homes.
The older she got, the more profound the parting became. Gradually, she stopped wanting to make friends. Since everyone was going to leave anyway, she figured she might as well be alone from the start.
Yan Qing stopped herself in time, halting the spread of negative emotions. In this world, she would no longer follow the old path forward.
She waited quietly for Fangbi's reply.
Fang Bi's face, which had remained unchanged for thousands of years, now showed a hint of dazedness.
She didn't understand the "job hopping" part, but she understood the other part.
But.
Fang Bi bluntly asked, "What should a friend do?"
When she said that, Yan Qing was stumped. It was hard to explain the situation clearly, especially since Yan Qing was also inexperienced in making candy. They couldn't just share the candy like children.
Thinking about it carefully, it wasn't a bad idea. There's no set formula for friendship. She extended her hand to Fangbi and said frankly, "I don't know either. Maybe we can start by boarding this ship together?"
The sand barge carried them toward Yunzhou, leaving the capital city far behind.
Yunzhou is located in the center of Jiangnan. It is a prosperous and bustling city. Rong Xiao stayed at the post station here, which is also the reason why Yan Qing finally chose Yunzhou.
Yan Qing had arranged a small house near Rong Xiao's post station in advance to facilitate her future actions, but she was not in a hurry to go to Yunzhou to meet Rong Xiao.
Just as Rong Xuan said, Rong Xiao will not be returning to the capital for a while; she has plenty of time.
It only takes half a month to travel by boat from the capital to Yunzhou, but it took them a full month to set foot in Yunzhou. They spent most of their time traveling between different cities.
When passing through each major city, Yan Qing would have the boat dock, and she and Fang Bi would spend the whole day wandering around the city, writing down their observations and experiences in letters to He Yi.
This wasn't just idleness; they had a crucial mission: to gather information to inform He Yi's business expansion plans.
Working hard for half an hour and then spending half a day playing and recharging is reasonable.
Although He Yi, who was far away in the capital, was not present, he successfully became the most worried person at the youngest age. He always carried silver notes with his replies, fearing that something might happen to them on their journey.
Holding a banknote that you can withdraw at any time in the money exchange in your hand is a novel experience, but it's not bad.
While they were out sightseeing, they kept a close eye on news about He Yi's family, but unfortunately they didn't find anything, so they didn't tell He Yi to avoid making her even more anxious.
The letters were sent back and forth, and Yunzhou was right before their eyes. The day they arrived happened to be the beginning of autumn, and they received a reply from He Yi as soon as they settled in.
It was delivered by express, which is quite unusual. I received a letter in Ganzhou yesterday, and another one has arrived today.
Yan Qing and Fang Bi exchanged a smile, both thinking that He Yi's worrying nature had been greatly upgraded again, but when they opened it, they found that this was not the case.
The content spanned several pages, with every word revolving around Rong Xuan.
It turned out that not long after they left, things in the capital became unsettled. Now that the dust had settled, she explained the whole story.
First, rumors circulated that the Crown Prince's failure to transport grain had led to setbacks in the war effort, but these rumors disappeared within half a day.
Although the Jiang family took action in just half a day, the matter still shattered the peaceful atmosphere of the capital like a thunderbolt.
Until the battle report from the front arrived, although the war in the North was a great victory, the army suffered more than 10,000 casualties because the prince failed to transport enough grain.
The backlog of impeachments could no longer be concealed, and the Crown Prince was immediately summoned back to the capital.
Faced with questioning, the crown prince vehemently denied the accusations, claiming that a treacherous person had secretly obstructed him by setting fire to the grain, which led to his mistake. At the end of his statement, the crown prince pleaded with the emperor to thoroughly investigate the matter and find the traitorous collaborators.
Whether this villain is a real person or just something the crown prince made up, it doesn't change the fact that he neglected his duties.
The emperor, however, defied public opinion and dispatched a large force to investigate, clearly determined to protect the crown prince. Behind this lay the pleas of countless people, but the goal was achieved, and the clamor demanding severe punishment for the crown prince subsided.
The Crown Prince was incompetent in military affairs, but the battle was still won. It seemed that this matter would be forgotten over time under the Emperor's protection, even though anger was rising in the army and resentment was rampant among the people.
Unexpectedly, Rong Xuan appeared out of nowhere.
The matter was about to be settled when Rong Xuan, unusually, went to the court with evidence of Rong Zhang's embezzlement of military rations and hoarding of private soldiers, nailing him to the pillar of treason.
Even at this point, the emperor was still hesitant.
While the Crown Prince awaited his verdict, Rong Xuan attended court every day and took the initiative to handle many impressive matters.
The emperor's unpredictable favor seemed to have come to an end, and the crown prince was stripped of all his posts and permanently confined to the Eastern Palace.
All Rong Zhang had left was the title of Crown Prince.
The mere fact that Rong Zhang harbored a private army was enough to cost him his life, but the court was not surprised by this outcome, which shows how much he was favored.
In order to protect Rongzhang, the Jiang family also suffered heavy losses, and it is unknown what they traded for the title of Crown Prince.
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. After the crown prince fell from power, those who followed him were either purged or, if they managed to escape, began to choose sides. The court was in chaos, like a typhoon had passed through.
In short, at least on the surface, the princeling faction no longer exists.
Rong Xuan's popularity was unparalleled for a time.
His name was frequently mentioned in the streets and alleys, followed by heartfelt praise.
His heroic deeds spread like wildfire, reaching farther and farther, becoming increasingly exaggerated.
Having been in Yunzhou for over two months, Yan Qing has listened to no fewer than 20 fantastical versions of the story.
Why is it that for just this one thing, the whole country is full of praise for Rong Xuan?
After a moment's thought, she felt that the credit should still go to Rong Zhang. He had committed countless evil deeds, and Rong Xuan, who could make the emperor despise him, had become a great hero.
Of course, Rong Xuan's meticulously crafted, gentle mask also played a significant role.
Hearing a new version of the storytelling in the teahouse once again, Yan Qing's curiosity was piqued, and she asked Rong Xiao across from her with a smile, "Do you think the Crown Prince is really going to rebel?"
“He’s used to being unrestrained, so it’s not surprising that he does anything.” Rong Xiao’s answer was very official.
Yan Qing, however, felt that this matter was not so simple. The emperor would go to great lengths to investigate the military's mismanagement, fearing that Rong Zhang would be punished. Yet, such a serious matter as hoarding private soldiers was not investigated in detail, causing Rong Zhang to fall from grace.
The emperor's thoughts are hard to fathom, but she wanted to probe Rong Xiao's thoughts. She turned her attention to Rong Xuan and said, "Rong Xuan is currently enjoying great fame, and the crown prince has just fallen. Aren't you afraid he will become your next obstacle?"
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