The next day, before dawn, the plane landed within the territory of Nanyue.
Just as Qi Yue had finished packing, Zhao Tai hurried over to inquire.
Turning her head to look, she saw that he had already written the letter to be sent to the Longnan County Governnt and had prepared another blank secret envelope for Qi Yue's use.
After a mont's thought, she decided not to tell Zhao Xiyan about this matter.
"Didn't Lord Shen go to Western Chu? Without ten days to half a month, he won't arrive at his destination. Perhaps by that ti, we'll already have returned! Besides, isn't Qingzhu here? In case they do et, I'd actually like to see who is more formidable," she said.
Qingzhu reminded her expressionlessly.
"Master, I'm afraid the Marquis may already know about it. The news from Rishengchang may be even faster than ours."
Qi Yue twitched the corner of her mouth, realizing she had forgotten about that.
Well then, the letter had to be written!
She had to butter him up with all manner of sweet talk and cajoling!
Otherwise, Zhao Xiyan might just leave Longnan County Governnt to seek her out.
With the situation in the Four Nations unclear, Zhao Xiyan, as a person in power, could not rashly leave his post.
Qi Yue took great pains to write a letter that stretched to ten pages, which took her a full shichen.
This prompted Zhao Tai and the others to barely stifle their laughter.
"It seems our master is also afraid of our Marquis' nagging!"
For this trip to Nanyue, Qi Yue did not have Zhao Chong fly the plane directly to Nanyue Capital but to Jimo City, the largest city on the border between Nanyue and Western Chu first.
They were to stay there for several days.
Firstly, they were waiting for Shen Zikuang's arrival, and secondly, they had arranged to et with the wide-faced, fat man and the bearded man, among others. Arriving early by plane, they had to wait for them as well.
The Rishengchang branch in Jimo had received word and had discreetly sent soone to welco the group into the city.
Given the Nanyue Court's unclear stance on Rishengchang and the Emperor of Nanyue being the most prominent advocate of the Four-Nation Alliance, Qi Yue had soone find separate accommodations, unaffiliated with Rishengchang.
Once settled, Qi Yue didn't sit idle.
This ti, they would be dealing with the Liu Family, and there were no small number of preparations and matters to understand.
Qi Yue planned to go to the streets to gather intelligence and understand the market for dicinal products in Nanyue Kingdom.
Early in the day, just as Qi Yue was about to leave, she found Zhao Chong and Zhao Tai with their heads down, blocking the doorway and not budging, while Qingzhu held a bundle in his hands.
"Do you have sothing to say?" Qi Yue asked, puzzled, "Didn't we agree to go out yesterday?"
The few of them exchanged looks but said nothing.
Qi Yue was baffled and took a seat, flicking her sleeve.
"Who will speak first? Be quick about it, don't waste ti!"
Qingzhu stepped forward and carefully placed the bundle on the desk beside Qi Yue. "Master, it's chaotic outside. Please change into n's clothing before going out," he implored.
Upon closer inspection of Zhao Chong and Zhao Tai, they appeared eager and nodded repeatedly.
Qi Yue found this a bit strange.
"...Aren't you all overstepping a bit?" she hesitated, pulling over the bundle and opening it, which left her sowhat at a loss for words.
The fabric, style, size... weren't these all reminiscent of the n's clothes she liked to wear?
"Have you received a letter from Zhao Xiyan? Are these clothes also from him?"
Zhao Chong and the others glanced at each other and promptly bowed ceremoniously.
"We received the news early in the morning; it was sent out four days ago. The letter first reached Yindu and then was forwarded here," they explained.
Zhao Tai said this while presenting a letter to Qi Yue.
Four days ago?
Wasn't that imdiately after the first letter was sent?
Qi Yue took it, and indeed it was a letter Zhao Xiyan had written to Zhao Chong.
The letter was brief, with just one sentence: "A package of n's attire has been forgotten, ensure that it reaches the lady." Notably, at the end, two striking, large characters emphasized its importance—Important!
With a twitch in the corner of her eye that she couldn't quite control, Qi Yue clenched her silver teeth.
This Zhao Xiyan!
Was it because she appeared as a woman in Yindu this one ti? Was there a need to be so nervous?
Moreover, born with such a fine appearance, could a set of n's clothes really disguise it?
Put on n's attire, and who knows what other troubles might arise!
Though she grumbled internally, Qi Yue still took the bundle to her room, and when she ca out, she had transford into a charming young man.
"Now are you satisfied? You can write your letter and report back," Qi Yue rolled her eyes at Zhao Chong and the others, then took the lead out of the inn.
Zhao Chong and the others exchanged a smile, but soon their faces soured again.
Without saring their faces, there really was no difference between dressing as a man or a woman!
Alright, the buddies should just keep a close watch!
Leaving the inn they were staying at, the group strolled toward the marketplace.
"What's going on over there?"
Seeing a number of people carrying loads of goods gathered at the entrance of the street, Qi Yue's curiosity imdiately piqued, "Let's go have a look."
Saying so, she headed to the front of the line, with Zhao Chong and the others hastily following.
When they pushed their way to the front, they saw a table at the intersection with two individuals dressed in the attire of minor officials sitting beside it, holding pens and seemingly recording sothing, and next to them stood a basket about half the height of a person.
An old grandmother, trembling and unsteady, stood in front of the table, pleading non-stop.
"Governnt officer, please spare this ti," she begged, "I will surely bring silver tomorrow."
"Old thing, what do you an by tomorrow? If you don't have silver, then get lost!"
One of the governnt officers cursed loudly, ca out from behind the table, and kicked the old grandmother down.
The old grandmother, struggling, clung to the leg of the governnt officer, begging even louder.
"Governnt officer, I beg of you, please show so rcy. My son is waiting for dicine to save his life; if I can't enter the marketplace, I can't sell these goods, I can't buy dicine..."
"Get lost, damn old hag...Get lost, get out of here, what are you selling without money?"
The governnt officer continued to curse, smashing the old grandmother's back with the hilt of his sword and pushed her to the ground, then kicked over the two baskets she had.
Sweet potatoes the size of fists imdiately rolled all over the ground.
Yet the governnt officer was not finished. He continued to kick and stomp on the sweet potatoes, completely destroying them before he finally stopped.
Qi Yue could hardly hold herself back from intervening upon witnessing this.
If it weren't for Qingzhu repeatedly saying that this was the Nanyue Kingdom, she would have drawn her sword and charged forth long ago.
Several people went forward to help the old grandmother pick up the sweet potatoes, only to find that they were no longer edible.
Qi Yue couldn't help but advise.
"Elder, perhaps it's best not to pick these up. They are no longer fit to eat!"
"I'll pick them up and dry them out, grind them into flour, and they can still be eaten," the old grandmother said with a choking voice, continuing to scoop the crushed sweet potatoes into her basket.
Drying rotten sweet potatoes to grind into flour?
Qi Yue was taken aback.
She had not expected that,in a major trading city like Jimo, there would be such poor commoners?
While pondering this, a few more governnt officers approached, shouting at them.
"You there, what are you doing? If you're going to the marketplace, then hurry up and go, don't block the way here."
Zhao Chong quickly stepped forward and said a few words to send them on their way.
"Master, shall we go into the marketplace now?"
Qi Yue turned to glance at the weeping old grandmother and shook her head.
"You go and find out what exactly happened. We're not going to the marketplace today."
"Yes, master."
Zhao Chong went off to gather information, while Qi Yue approached the old grandmother, helping her up.
"Elder, you're seriously hurt. Where is your ho?"
At this mont, two commoners ca forward to speak, stating they were neighbors of the old grandmother, also there to sell goods, and willing to take her ho.
Seeing the old woman in such a pitiful state, Qi Yue had Zhao Tai slip ten taels of silver into the old grandmother's hand.
The old grandmother's face was imdiately covered in tears, and she kept thanking them profusely.
Recalling how the old grandmother had told the governnt officer that her son was sick, Qi Yue couldn't help but ask.
"Elder, what kind of illness does your son have? I can give you so dicines."
Hearing this, the old grandmother's face suddenly changed, and she stamred, unable to speak for a while.
"I, this..."
Being a physician herself, Qi Yue was always interested in challenging diseases and found the situation odd, pressing the question.
"Is the illness strange? Elder, my family has been practicing dicine for generations, and I understand dical skills as well. How about I take a look at your son?"
The old grandmother remained silent, her head down, while the two neighbors whispered persuasions.
"Li family's old madam, I think this young master is a kind person. You might as well tell her!"
"That's right, she may be able to save your eldest son!"
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