Lu Yuan’s mouth twitched fiercely once again.
ng Qianqian reminisced, "Obvious features leave a deep impression on people. That night, the person who abducted Bao Shu used the scar on the Wang Family coachman’s face to deceive Nanny Li and the others. I suspect the person impersonating the Wang Family coachman was Luo San!"
Ordinary people could not handle Qing Shuang.
At Ten Miles Pavilion, Xun Qi deliberately emphasized giving Qing Shuang knockout drug and soft bone powder ant for a dozen people to bring him down, but didn’t ntion who caught Qing Shuang in the first place.
Afterward, when she questioned Qing Shuang, Qing Shuang only rembered being ambushed as soon as she got onto the carriage. Then everything beca blurry, vaguely recalling soone feeding her drugged concoctions.
Xun Qi intentionally downplayed the person who drugged Qing Shuang, trying to avoid drawing attention to him.
And this just exposed this person’s significance.
Combining this with Lu Yuan’s insights about Luo San, ng Qianqian could almost be certain that this person was Luo San!
ng Qianqian declared, "Luo San is in the Capital City! He’s still working for the Pri Minister’s Mansion! This proves Hai Pig’s testimony is accurate—Luo San is indeed the Pri Minister’s lackey. The person who collaborated with the Crown Prince back then to eliminate King Chu was none other than the Pri Minister!"
Lu Yuan replied, "Since he’s still alive, that’ll make things easier."
ng Qianqian relaxed, "Exactly. The worst scenarios were Luo San being silenced or wandering far away, but who would’ve thought he’s right here in the Capital City? Turns out, the most dangerous place is also the safest place, isn’t it? Could this be ’searching high and low only to find it effortlessly’?"
Lu Yuan glanced at the soundly asleep little one, "What kind of luck do you have..."
In response, Bao Shu gave soft and steady snores.
ng Qianqian took in the expression on his face after being "slapped" by reality, smiled knowingly yet said nothing, and teased him, "Should we tell Minister Xing about Luo San’s whereabouts in the Capital City?"
Lu Yuan suggested, "That’s an option."
ng Qianqian weighed her thoughts, "But would that alert the snake in the grass?"
Lu Yuan smirked, "It’s more fun to both alarm the snake and lure it out of its hole, isn’t it?"
Here it cos. Whenever he smiles like that, it ans soone is about to suffer.
ng Qianqian scooted closer to him, her eyes blinking as she stared at him, "Seems like you already have a plan."
"Let’s celebrate the festival first."
Lu Yuan said effortlessly.
This woman was getting bolder; in broad daylight, she openly dared to lean closer to him.
As his gaze swept her soft fingertips, mories of their warm touch in his palm gave him a sudden tingling sensation in his chest.
Without drawing attention, he extended his hand.
ng Qianqian clapped her hands, "Oh right, Mid-Autumn Festival, I nearly forgot!"
Lu Yuan’s hand missed its target.
ng Qianqian turned to look at him, staring unblinkingly, "Did you co back specifically to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival?"
Lu Yuan nonchalantly brushed off nonexistent dust from his seat and said coldly, "Task completed, that’s all."
ng Qianqian smiled slightly and instructed Wu Bro, who was driving the carriage, "Wu Bro, let’s go pick up Cousin."
"Okay, Miss!"
Wu Bro responded promptly.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Imperial College also took a holiday.
Lu Yuan had assud they were heading to the Imperial College to pick up Yu Li. To his surprise, when the carriage stopped, he saw they were at the Lin Family’s residence.
Pulling back the curtain, he asked, "Why are we here?"
ng Qianqian explained, "Cousin is good friends with Young Master Lin. He often joins him at the Lin residence to seek academic guidance from Sacrificial Officer Lin. Now that it’s the festival, Cousin ca by to express his gratitude to the teacher. I made arrangents with him earlier to et him at the Lin residence."
Lu Yuan made no further comnt.
"Cousin’s coming out!"
ng Qianqian left the carriage with a carefully prepared brocade box in her arms.
Accompanying Yu Li out were Sacrificial Officer Lin and Young Master Lin.
"Master Lin!"
ng Qianqian respectfully greeted Sacrificial Officer Lin as a junior, then turned to Young Master Lin and Yu Li, saying, "Young Master Lin, Cousin."
Yu Li gave a shy smile, "You’ve arrived, Cousin."
Young Master Lin politely remarked, "Lady Lu!"
Sacrificial Officer Lin and Chief of Staff Xing were both stern elders, but compared to Chief Xing, Sacrificial Officer Lin was even more solemn and stoic.
He cupped his hands slightly, "Lady Lu."
Young Master Lin grumbled, "Father, don’t be so formal! Lady Lu is Sister’s friend, and Yu Li is my friend! We’re all on the sa side!"
ng Qianqian extended the brocade box, "Last ti Madam Lin ntioned that she often has restless nights. These are dried flowers I made myself, perfect for brewing tea to soothe the mind and aid sleep."
Before Sacrificial Officer Lin had a chance to decline, Young Master Lin grabbed the brocade box eagerly, "Mother and Sister aren’t ho. I’ll accept it on their behalf! Thank you so much, Lady Lu!"
"You’re welco." ng Qianqian appreciated straightforward personalities like his; excessive politeness always created a sense of distance.
Sacrificial Officer Lin’s gaze shifted beyond ng Qianqian, landing on the carriage parked by the roadside.
The curtain of the carriage wasn’t fully drawn, and amidst the gap, a faint glimpse of a purple sleeve could be seen.
Lu Yuan sat motionless inside the dim carriage, his fingers slightly tense.
Bao Shu gave him a small kick, turned over, and continued her sleep.
Sacrificial Officer Lin and his son were heading to Madam Lin’s maternal ho to celebrate the festival, so Yu Li and ng Qianqian didn’t linger long before bidding farewell.
"Cousin, did you find Teacher’s behavior a bit odd just now? He kept looking at our family’s carriage..."
Yu Li remarked as he pulled back the curtain and boarded the carriage. Upon seeing Lu Yuan inside, he jumped, "Brother-in-law! You’re here too!"
Lu Yuan responded indifferently, "Hmm."
Yu Li couldn’t help but wonder: could Teacher have been looking at Brother-in-law earlier?
Then he quickly dismissed the thought as unlikely.
After all, Brother-in-law was not Teacher’s student.
Strictly speaking, neither was he; Madam Lin rely suggested he use that term.
Xun Yu was truly Teacher’s official disciple. He’d once seen Teacher interact with Xun Yu, and the gaze directed at Xun Yu didn’t carry such complexity or depth.
Back at the Governor Mansion, the group headed toward Tinglan Garden.
Treasure Piggy hadn’t woken up yet, and when ng Qianqian wanted to carry her, Lu Yuan picked her up instead.
As soon as they entered Tinglan Garden, the little one woke up: "Put down."
Lu Yuan glanced skeptically at the suddenly lively little one, who didn’t seem at all like she had just woken up, "Were you pretending to sleep? Did you use tricks just to get soone to hold you?"
The little one stuck her tongue out defiantly at her dad, shook her tiny head, and squeaked, "Grand-granny! Grand-granny!"
Lu Yuan thought to himself: This little rascal has eight hundred sches!
Miaojiang also celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival, but this year was Bai Yuwei’s first reunion outside her hotown.
Without her grandfather, parents, brother, and aunt around, she felt deeply lonely.
The laughter and cheer in the mansion had nothing to do with her; this wasn’t her ho.
Her ho was in Miaojiang.
"Ah Man, I miss ho... I miss mother... I don’t want to stay in the Capital City anymore... I want to return to Miaojiang... Waaa..."
She broke into heartrending sobs.
Suddenly, an ethereal figure descended from the skies.
"Little girl, during such a festive occasion, crying so mournfully must an you’re plagued by karmic afflictions. For five copper coins, this Commander Guard can alleviate your troubles."
Bai Yuwei recognized him—one of the Twelve.
"Take to my grandfather. I’ll pay you a thousand taels!"
"How much?"
"A thousand taels!"
After Bai Yuwei made her offer, seeing no response, she assud he felt it wasn’t enough. Hesitating, she removed a bracelet from her wrist and handed it to him, "I’ll add this too!"
The Commander Guard glanced at the bracelet.
...
ng Qianqian was accompanying the elder matron, enjoying the moonlight in the courtyard. Si Snake was led into the garden by Ban Xia.
"Is the Ministry of Justice investigation complete?" ng Qianqian asked curiously, "Did you co alone?"
Where’s the chicken?
Si Snake replied, "He said he went to earn a few copper coins."
"That fraud’s money-making ventures have even reached the Governor Mansion? He wouldn’t have set sothing on fire again, would he?"
Just as ng Qianqian finished speaking, a loud thunderclap rumbled through the skies.
"Bad news! Young Miss and Rooster Lord were struck by lightning!"
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