Chapter 239: Chapters 239 and 240 Combined
With the Stove God offering done, there were only a few days left until the New Year. The next day, Li Jinzhu and her siblings, along with Mei Jie, A Wu, and Yu Ting, took a cart pulled by two horses and headed back to Li Family Market.
The house next to the ancestral hall, where the Li siblings were staying, had already been thoroughly cleaned. Ai Ye and Cui Ye waited outside the town to meet Li Jinzhu and her group, and then accompanied them back to the house.
Ai Ye was truly busy with preparations and arrangements, while Cui Ye, holding Li Xiaonan’s hand, chattered and laughed animatedly, gesturing as she shared all sorts of gossip about Li Family Market.
Mei Jie was bumped into twice by the two girls, so she simply pushed them to sit in a corner under the corridor to talk, so they wouldn’t get in the way.
Li Jinzhu brought two large stacks of yellow spirit paper to the two girls and instructed them to fold ingots.
One’s hands shouldn’t be idle while gossiping.
Old Master Li, Li Shikuan, came to visit once. Families from the clan came one after another, bringing all sorts of New Year goods.
It was already the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. The major event of preparing for the New Year was almost complete, with only the important task of preparing for ancestral worship left for tomorrow.
Ai Ye wasn’t involved in preparing for ancestral worship. Cui Ye and Li Xiaonan planned to go to the county town the next day, taking advantage of the last market day to buy some fresh silk flowers, beaded flowers, and the like.
The next morning, as Li Xiaonan had just changed her clothes, she heard Yu Ting exclaim loudly outside, “Why are you here?”
Li Xiaonan quickly poked her head out of the room. It was Wan Jing.
“Why are you here?” Li Xiaonan hurried out to meet her. “Is something wrong?”
Wan Jing greeted people as she walked, and when she got close to Li Xiaonan, she lowered her voice and said, “Do I have any business? It’s the New Year, and only our Young Lord is so inconsiderate.”
“Didn’t you say he was going to spend the New Year in Hangcheng? Did he come back?” Li Xiaonan also lowered her voice.
“Who knows! Anyway, he’s here now!” Wan Jing looked annoyed.
“Is there something you need? If not, just say you couldn’t find me. I’ve already arranged to go to the county town with Cui Ye,” Li Xiaonan whispered to Wan Jing.
“Look at what you’re saying. How would I know if our Young Lord has business or not? You should still go. Our Young Lord seems to be in a bad mood. It’s the New Year, and he’s all alone,” Wan Jing said, feeling a bit sympathetic towards her Young Lord.
“Aren’t you alone too? Shi Gun is also alone. Everyone around your Young Lord is spending the New Year alone this year, aren’t they?” Li Xiaonan gave Wan Jing a look.
“We don’t count as being alone; we’re a group. Many of us have already planned to have New Year’s Eve dinner together and make it lively. Your Young Lord will have to eat New Year’s Eve dinner alone,” Wan Jing chuckled.
“That’s true. Alright, where is your Young Lord? Is it far?” Li Xiaonan stood on tiptoe to look outside.
“Not far, about two to three quarters of an hour. Shall we go now?”
“Let’s go.” Li Xiaonan asked Yu Ting to run an errand for her and inform Cui Ye. She then followed Wan Jing out and got into the cart.
The cart trotted towards Linhai Town and stopped in a desolate area with a river in front and a small mountain behind.
Not far from the riverbank, a dark green tent was pitched. A dark green screen extended from the tent to the riverbank, blocking the cold wind. Gu Yan sat in front of the tent, pulling up his fishing rod and casting it out again.
“Are there many fish in this river? How many have you caught?” Li Xiaonan leaned over to look at the river.
Since moving, Li Xiaonan had relied entirely on her own fishing for fish, and her fishing skills and enthusiasm had greatly improved.
“I’m not fishing; I’m waiting out of boredom,” Gu Yan said, raising his hand to signal Shi Gun, who quickly stepped forward to take the fishing rod.
“I heard you’re quite good at fishing?” Gu Yan pointed to a chair beside him, indicating for Li Xiaonan to sit.
“Who told you that?”
Li Xiaonan sat down and watched as two servants brought over a brightly colored square low table. They placed a intricately carved charcoal brazier on the table, and on top of that, a similarly styled red copper teapot. Then, they brought over a slender pot adorned with jewels, followed by two red copper cups, also encrusted with jewels.
This set of exotic tea ware was incredibly luxurious and beautiful. Li Xiaonan stood up and walked around the table, admiring it.
The style of this tea set clearly came from the grasslands or highlands.
“Try some milk tea. The caramel flavor is quite good,” Gu Yan said, looking at Li Xiaonan, who was gazing at the items with curiosity. He leaned slightly and poured two cups of milk tea from the jeweled pot.
Li Xiaonan sat down, picked up a cup, and took a few careful sips, turning the cup around. “Are these all real jewels?”
Gu Yan glanced at Li Xiaonan and ignored her.
Li Xiaonan drank a few more sips of milk tea.
The milk tea was delicious, partly because the milk tea itself was excellent, and partly because the cups and pot were so precious and beautiful!
Gu Yan watched Li Xiaonan, who had finished looking at the cups and was now examining the pot, and explained with a smile, “This was a treasured possession of a Great Khan from the founding of the dynasty. General Qiao trampled the Khan’s golden tent and brought the Great Khan to the Capital City as a captive. This set of utensils was sent to the Hangcheng Villa as a gift to my masters and has been stored in the villa’s storeroom.”
“These are spoils of war!” Li Xiaonan exclaimed, then poured herself another half cup of milk tea, holding the cup and sighing again, “No wonder it’s so extravagant. What about now? Who is strong and who is weak? Can we still trample the Great Khan’s golden tent?”
“Of course, we can!” Gu Yan’s voice rose slightly, full of pride.
Li Xiaonan glanced at him sideways.
“Ever since the Maritime Tax Bureau was established, Emperor Taizong laid down an iron rule: the silver from the Maritime Tax Bureau was to be used for military expenses in the north, and no part of it was to be diverted. Military expenses in the north could only be drawn from the Maritime Tax Bureau. Although the Maritime Tax Bureau has become more corrupt year by year, it hasn’t deteriorated to the point where it can no longer support military expenses,” Gu Yan explained.
“But compared to the founding days, it’s still quite a bit worse?” Li Xiaonan sipped her milk tea.
“Mm,” Gu Yan’s expression darkened slightly.
The north needed a decisive battle like those in the early years of the dynasty.
Li Xiaonan eyed Gu Yan and said with a smile, “A few days ago, I received a letter from Miss Shi. It was quite long and said that Young Master Pang fell off his horse and had both his lower legs crushed by a cart. It said that only a god could heal those legs. It also said a lot about the Pang family, Prime Minister Pang, and so on.”
“And so on, what does ‘and so on’ mean?” Gu Yan looked at Li Xiaonan sideways.
“I think what Miss Shi meant is that Young Master Pang’s legs have something to do with you?” Li Xiaonan asked directly.
“You were the mastermind behind the incident when you were in danger,” Gu Yan replied concisely and directly.
“They wanted to kill you? They got the wrong person? Their eyesight is really bad!” Li Xiaonan reacted quickly.
“They did want to kill you. The Jiangnan Weaving Workshop’s transition from shutdown to the sound of looms again is thanks to you. Young Master Pang is a smart man.”
Li Xiaonan drew out her words and said, “No wonder he only broke two legs.”
Gu Yan raised his eyebrows. “You used my warning signal cannon. To outsiders, it looked like I was attacked.”
“You were attacked, and that’s worth only two legs?” Li Xiaonan was even more surprised.
Gu Yan froze for a moment, leaned forward, and examined Li Xiaonan carefully. “Look at your temperament. Only two legs! Shouldn’t you be lamenting that they were too ruthless? That they brutally broke his legs?”
“He wanted my life! No, he wanted your life. He didn’t succeed because he wasn’t capable enough, not because he was merciful and couldn’t bring himself to lower his blade at the last moment. If he had the ability, he would have killed me, no, killed you with one blow?” Li Xiaonan retorted without politeness.
Gu Yan stared at Li Xiaonan, and after a moment, burst into laughter.
“What are you laughing at!”
“Let me tell you why he only broke his legs.”
Gu Yan pulled his chair closer to Li Xiaonan’s, leaned forward, and Li Xiaonan’s back was pressed against the chair, her eyes warily watching Gu Yan.
“Prime Minister Pang is only fifty-eight years old this year, and Young Master Pang is thirty-six. Both are in their prime. Young Master Pang has only broken his legs, making him unable to walk freely and unable to enter officialdom. He can still assist Prime Minister Pang with official duties, educate the family’s younger generation, and even advise and mentor his sons, nephews, or even disciples from the clan when they enter officialdom. As long as Prime Minister Pang can maintain his position, in about ten years, the Pang family can produce another Young Master Pang to support the family after Prime Minister Pang.”
“Now, Prime Minister Pang has retreated and is focusing solely on state affairs. For at least the next ten years, Prime Minister Pang’s best strategy is to be a loyal minister solely dedicated to the country.”
“But what if Young Master Pang were killed?” Gu Yan asked Li Xiaonan with a smile.
“It would be for the Emperor, wouldn’t it?” Li Xiaonan muttered.
“The Emperor is the state,” Gu Yan snorted and tapped Li Xiaonan on the head.
“I didn’t tell you about Young Master Pang’s legs because I thought you would feel unbearable and blame yourself upon hearing about it. I didn’t expect you to have such a heart.”
“What’s wrong with having such a heart? He tried to kill me, and when I escaped, I still had to feel guilty: ‘Sorry for making you chase me so hard, you must be tired.'”
Gu Yan laughed heartily. “Don’t worry, I mean, such a heart is good. I have the same kind of heart.”
Li Xiaonan’s “hmph” rose in pitch. She leaned forward, picked up the milk tea pot, and refilled her cup. As she was about to put it back, she hesitated and asked Gu Yan, “Do you want some?”
Gu Yan quickly handed over his cup.
She rarely refilled his tea for him.
“What did Miss Shi write to you about ‘and so on and so on’? What does she mean?” Gu Yan asked, taking a sip of tea and looking at Li Xiaonan.
“What do you want to ask?” Li Xiaonan retorted.
Gu Yan lowered his eyes, and after a moment, smiled. “If she were to speak to me like she did before we broke off the engagement, she would definitely advise me to be magnanimous and tolerant, and to prioritize education.”
Li Xiaonan chuckled. “She said that Young Master Pang no longer needs to toil over official documents and can focus on his studies and educating his nephews, which is also a fortunate thing. She also said that most worldly affairs are like this; a loss at one place can be a gain at another.”
She paused, then looked at Gu Yan and said with a smile, “She added a sentence: ‘For example, being jilted.'”
Gu Yan raised his eyebrows, and after a while, imitated Li Xiaonan and chuckled.
“Tomorrow is Lunar New Year’s Eve. You’re not going to spend it alone in Pingjiang City, are you?” Li Xiaonan asked Gu Yan.
“What difference does it make to me whether I’m in Pingjiang City or not?” Gu Yan retorted.
“You should go to Hangcheng, with Mrs. Fu and the others. After all, it’s the New Year. If you spend it alone in Pingjiang City, even if you don’t think anything of it, others will think you’re too pitiful,” Li Xiaonan advised.
“Who are these ‘others’? You?” Gu Yan looked at Li Xiaonan sideways.
“I’m not included in those ‘others.’ I think you’ll definitely find spending the New Year alone quite good and liberating.”
Gu Yan laughed again and raised his cup to Li Xiaonan. “I’ll be going to Hangcheng shortly. It’s not because I’m lonely spending the New Year alone, but for the New Year’s Day sacrifice. Also,”
Gu Yan put on a pained expression. “If I spend the New Year alone, my uncle will definitely spend the Spring Festival crying. Alas.”
Gu Yan sighed deeply.
Li Xiaonan burst out laughing. “He’ll definitely write an essay about pitying his nephew during the Spring Festival, and it might even be passed down through the ages.”
“On the third day of the New Year, I’m hosting a banquet for those overseas merchants in Linhai Town. Will you go?” Gu Yan asked.
“Why would I go!” Li Xiaonan looked surprised.
“To watch the excitement. Don’t you want to see what kind of people those overseas merchants are? Don’t you love watching excitement the most?” Gu Yan looked even more surprised.
Indeed! This opportunity was extremely rare. Li Xiaonan hesitated. “How would I watch? It wouldn’t be appropriate to stay by your side, would it?”
“You can follow He Chengzhe,” Gu Yan said with a smile.
Li Xiaonan drew out her words and said, “Oh.”
“Don’t overthink it. I’m not asking you to watch anything specific, it’s just a rare opportunity to see some excitement,” Gu Yan explained earnestly.
Li Xiaonan slowly said, “Oh,” and leaned forward. “Coincidentally, I also have something I need your help with.”
“Just say it,” Gu Yan said with a laugh.
“It’s the New Year. Are your subordinates, like Shi Gun, quite idle?” Li Xiaonan asked first.
“Just tell me what you need. If there aren’t enough people, I’ll find more. We’ve never had a situation where a task was delayed due to a lack of manpower,” Gu Yan said with a snort.
“Alright then. Can you help me investigate which families in our preserved egg workshop have people who can write or go to school? Whether the people who write or go to school are male or female, and how old they are,” Li Xiaonan subconsciously lowered her voice.
“Did something happen?” Gu Yan asked with immediate concern.
“It can’t be considered an incident, it’s just that~” Li Xiaonan leaned forward. “At first, three or four ink sticks went missing. I asked my brother, and he said that the leftover ink sticks he had also went missing several times. This is strange, isn’t it? Only my brother and I write at home. Even if there was a thief, they wouldn’t steal ink sticks.”
Gu Yan nodded repeatedly.
“This matter needs to be investigated. So, I broke an ink stick, ground it into the shape of an ink stick, and put it in my brother’s basket. Fishing!”
Gu Yan raised his eyebrows.
“The ink stick was still there when I went to sleep. It was gone when I woke up in the morning. I told Mei Jie that the account books were in the side room and asked her to watch them. Mei Jie said only my second sister went in once. My second sister went to the workshop early that morning. A Wu drove the cart to take her there, and he said she went directly from home to the workshop without stopping anywhere in between.”
“Your second sister took it? Why didn’t you ask your second sister?” Gu Yan asked with great interest.
“It’s precisely because I asked that I’m asking you to investigate,” Li Xiaonan sighed dejectedly. “At dinner, I mentioned that the ink sticks were missing and that I didn’t know who took them. What use are ink sticks? My second sister lowered her head and ate, not saying a word!”
“That’s strange. If your second sister really took them, there’s no reason she wouldn’t say anything about lending them to someone else. Why the silence?” Gu Yan frowned.
“Exactly! Why? Isn’t it strange?” Li Xiaonan tapped Gu Yan’s knee with her finger.
Gu Yan glanced down at Li Xiaonan’s fingers, his eyebrows raised slightly before falling back.
“This matter is easy. Once we find out, I’ll send someone to tell you?” Gu Yan asked.
“No need, no need. We can talk about it on the third day,” Li Xiaonan said with a smile.
