Chapter 43: The First Lesson
Li Yin Zhu and Hong Zhen Ye’s marriage arrangements, including exchanging birth charts for betrothal and the three matchmakers’ gifts, were all handled by Li Wen Liang. Li Jin Zhu and Li Yu Zhu, as usual, went out early and returned late to the workshop to oversee the production of preserved eggs and salted eggs.
The courtyard full of eggs had all been pickled. More eggs needed to be bought, and a batch had to be pickled every day to ensure there were fresh preserved eggs and salted eggs available once the shop opened.
The preserved egg and salted egg business was the most important matter right now.
Li Yin Zhu continued to grow vegetables, feed chickens, wash clothes, and cook at home.
Li Xiaonan put down the various books that Li Xue Dong had borrowed. She found a worn copy of the Three Character Classic in her brother’s room and began to teach Li Yin Zhu to read.
When Li Yin Zhu married into the Hong family, as the wife of the eldest son and eldest grandson of the main branch, she would definitely be in charge of the household. A lack of education was not a big problem, but being illiterate was unacceptable.
Around the end of the Chen hour, Li Yin Zhu finished her household chores. Just as Li Xiaonan took out the Three Character Classic to teach Li Yin Zhu to read, Shi Gun pushed open the courtyard gate and peeked inside. Meeting Li Xiaonan’s gaze, he smiled, “Miss Li, our master asks if you are free at the moment.”
“Mm,” Li Xiaonan stood up and handed the Three Character Classic to Li Yin Zhu. “It’s nothing, I’ll be back shortly.”
Li Yin Zhu, still worried, followed with the book to the courtyard entrance. Seeing a pretty woman of about eighteen or nineteen standing there besides Shi Gun, she immediately relaxed.
Shi Gun first introduced the woman waiting at the courtyard entrance to Li Xiaonan.
“This is Wan Jing. She manages my master’s clothing and accessories. My master said it’s not very appropriate for me, a man, to be coming and going from a young lady’s home. From now on, please have Miss Wan Jing accompany you back and forth.”
Li Xiaonan listened with a smile, appraising Wan Jing.
She wore an apricot-yellow top and skirt, with a chestnut-colored half-sleeved jacket over it. She had willow eyebrows and apricot eyes, fair and delicate skin, and slightly full lips that exuded a hint of simple honesty. She wasn’t exceptionally beautiful, but she gave off a very comfortable and reliable feeling.
Managing clothing and accessories meant she was a personal attendant, right?
It seemed that gentleman didn’t pay much attention to appearances. Well, that made sense; he himself was so good-looking, he only needed to look at himself and didn’t need to look at others.
Li Xiaonan sized up Wan Jing, and Wan Jing also sized up Li Xiaonan from head to toe.
With Shi Gun in front, Li Xiaonan and Wan Jing walked side-by-side out of the alley and into the teahouse diagonally across the way.
The teahouse was open, with all the shop assistants and the shopkeeper present, but besides that gentleman, there were no other customers.
Gu Yan sat by a table near the window, facing the teahouse entrance, fanning himself with a folding fan and watching Li Xiaonan, who was looking around as soon as she entered.
This little imp was completely different from Lu Xiu.
Lu Xiu was bought, meticulously trained for three or four years before being resold, and after passing through several households, she finally came to him. Could this little imp before him be Lu Xiu’s original disposition?
But Lu Xiu’s astonishing talent in poetry and prose could only come from nature; it couldn’t be taught. Where had that talent gone?
“Did you rent out this teahouse?” Li Xiaonan sat down opposite Gu Yan.
“Not rented, bought,” Gu Yan closed his folding fan.
“What’s your surname? What do you do? How do you know about the Imperial Examination Hall exam? Also, we’ve definitely never met, so what connection do you have with me?” Li Xiaonan asked a string of questions, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at Gu Yan, waiting for his answer.
Gu Yan raised his eyebrows and clicked his tongue. “In all my years, this is the first time anyone has questioned me like this!”
“Mm, your surname is Gu, given name Yan. Continue,” Li Xiaonan nodded.
Gu Yan chuckled and, mimicking Li Xiaonan, rested his arms on the table, looking at her and smiling, “Have you heard of Prince Rui’s Mansion?”
“No,” Li Xiaonan shook her head. She truly hadn’t.
Gu Yan sighed and tapped the tabletop with his finger. “Do you know the current Emperor’s surname?”
“Mm? Gu?” Li Xiaonan’s eyes widened.
She had memorized the imperial edicts; she knew the royal family’s surname was Gu, but she never expected this!
“Emperor Taizong only had two sons. The elder son inherited the throne, and the second son was adopted by his uncle, Prince Rui, and took over Prince Rui’s Mansion. This second son was my great-grandfather.
“Oh, right, Prince Rui holds the only hereditary title in this dynasty that can be passed down indefinitely. Do you know what ‘hereditary title passed down indefinitely’ means?” Gu Yan asked Li Xiaonan with a smile.
Li Xiaonan leaned back, pressing herself tightly against the chair back, and glanced sideways at Gu Yan.
Why did she have the feeling she had encountered a con artist?
It was like those scams: “I am the 37th generation descendant of Emperor Taizu, I have a treasure map but lack startup capital. Send me a thousand, and I’ll split a hundred million with you upon finding the treasure!”
“The newly appointed Educational Commissioner of Liangzhe Circuit is my uncle. When you were taking the exam in Hangcheng, I walked past you, came and went, came and went. Didn’t you see me?”
Gu Yan leaned forward, looking at Li Xiaonan, and asked with a smile.
Li Xiaonan leaned back against the chair, her hands propping up the edge of the table, causing the front two legs of the chair to lift off the ground.
“Our connection is very deep, but it’s not something that can be spoken of yet. I heard your third sister is engaged?”
Gu Yan leaned back against the chair, suddenly unfurled his folding fan, and looked at Li Xiaonan, who had both hands pushing against the table edge, her eyes wide open staring at him.
“How do you know my third sister is engaged? Who told you?”
“Wang Gui,” Gu Yan pointed his folding fan outwards. “My intelligence steward.”
“You’ve been watching us for a long time? Was that person you when County Magistrate Huang was judging cases in Li Family Market?” Li Xiaonan glanced at Wang Gui, who was standing next to Shi Gun.
“It was me,” Gu Yan smiled. ” ‘Watching’ doesn’t sound good. It wasn’t that early. The first time I saw you was when you were taking the exam at the Imperial Examination Hall. You were very good at putting on an act. The Li Family Market incident was just a coincidence, as I was passing by.”
“You recognized me long ago? Why did you recognize me? How could you possibly know me?”
“Let me ask you, your third uncle, his name is Li Wen Hua, right? He said the poems you wrote before were very inspired. I’ve read all the poems you’ve written since the County Examination. Tsk!”
Gu Yan made a sound of disgust and raised his folding fan, as if to shield himself, and lowered his voice.
“You at least got the rhyme scheme right. Tell me, where did all that inspiration of yours go?”
Li Xiaonan pursed her lips tightly, her heart in turmoil.
What did his words mean? What exactly did they mean!
“You don’t want to say, so I won’t ask. See, this is one part of our connection. Also, I recognize you; this is another part of our connection. Just consider it—” Gu Yan drew out his words, chuckling, “our connection from a past life.”
“You’re like a con artist!” Li Xiaonan looked at Gu Yan.
His talk of connection made her heart race. His words were full of hidden meanings, and each meaning was both frightening and exciting.
Li Xiaonan’s calling him a con artist made Gu Yan raise his eyebrows, looking speechless.
He had been called all sorts of things in past lives and present, but being called a con artist was a first!
Gu Yan took a deep breath and was about to speak when Li Xiaonan continued, “You’ve been watching me, called me out, and now you’re spouting all this nonsensical rubbish. What do you want?”
Gu Yan leaned back against the chair, suddenly unfurled his folding fan, and glanced sideways at Li Xiaonan.
This girl before him was blunt and foolish; she had none of Lu Xiu’s agility and gentleness!
“Speak up!” Li Xiaonan stared at Gu Yan, urging him.
Gu Yan let out a long sigh. “I, the dignified Heir of Prince Rui, the Imperial Inspector of Jiangnan, am being questioned like a criminal by you, a little girl!”
Gu Yan closed his folding fan and slapped it onto the table.
Li Xiaonan leaned back, her hands pushing against the table edge, her arms fully extended.
“Look at yourself properly. With you like this, what about you is worth my scheming?” Gu Yan leaned forward, extending his arm in front of Li Xiaonan, and repeatedly tapped the tabletop with his curled fingers.
“It’s because I don’t know that I’m asking you,” Li Xiaonan looked at the jade thumb ring on Gu Yan’s thumb.
The thumb ring was carved with intricate patterns, and a delicate silk cord was tied to one end of the ring and the other to his wrist.
Gu Yan followed Li Xiaonan’s gaze to his thumb ring.
This thumb ring was a gift from the Crown Prince when he first went north to join the army. In his previous life, this thumb ring was taken by Lu Xiu and given to a minor border guard leader who was guarding them, in exchange for thirty catties of aged rice.
“You like this? The Crown Prince gave it to me, I can’t give it to you,” Gu Yan dangled the thumb ring at Li Xiaonan.
“I don’t like it! You still haven’t said what you want.”
Li Xiaonan was forced back against the chair by Gu Yan’s outstretched fingers, but she remained seated, her position unyielding!
“We agreed that discussing Investigation of Things would cost one tael of silver per trip. Idle talk doesn’t count. Now, are we going to continue with idle talk and no silver, or discuss Investigation of Things?” Gu Yan leaned back against the chair, glancing sideways at Li Xiaonan.
Li Xiaonan pursed her lips. After a moment, she decisively replied, “Discuss Investigation of Things!”
