Chapter 262: Canghai Cottage
Seeing the second master asking questions, Hongzhu replied:
"Replying to Second Master, Third Master has ordered that no one is allowed to approach the study. I did not dare to let anyone go to the study."
"Did you see who came to the study to deliver porridge just now?"
"I have been in the house the whole time. I didn't see it. I will go to the kitchen to ask later."
After hearing this, Xiao Jun frowned, waved his hand and said:
"Go back to your room and check carefully who has been in the study just now."
"Second Master, your injury..."
"Go down! Xiao Xia is guarding the courtyard. No one is allowed to approach the study."
Seeing the Second Master's stern tone, Hongzhu didn't dare to say anything more. She just responded and hurried away.
Returning to the door of the study, Xiao Jun pulled up Xiao Yun who was still in a daze and said:
"Third brother, let's go inside and talk."
As soon as he entered the study, Xiao Yun said nervously:
"Second brother, will the identity of the second sister-in-law be..."
"That's what I'm worried about. Time is running out. I'm afraid we won't be able to find out who just came. The matter at hand is important. Maybe it's just a little maid who came and it won't be spread out, but we must prepare for the worst. You and big brother should leave immediately, take the instructions and letters I prepared overnight, and go to Fuli Mountain to find Xiao Zhang. When he sees these, he will listen to your and big brother's command and mobilize all the forces of the Fuli Mountain Copper Mine. Remember, when you get there, you must find a way to create the illusion that the God of Medicine is in the south..."
"Second brother, you still have to stay in the north! Father and grandmother will never agree to this, so don't make them angry again. Besides, you are the most suitable person to mobilize the forces in the south!"
"Third brother is right. I was confused. Father and grandmother would never agree to let me stay. I just left two days later. First, I must find the prince or Xier immediately and tell them that Xier's identity might be exposed. I want them to leave Pingyang as soon as possible. Second, I have to clean up this side of the mansion. Not only do I have to send my and my eldest brother's daughter out of the mansion and hide her, but I also have to check if there is anything left in Xier's east wing that could reveal her identity, just in case something unexpected happens..."
"Second brother still plans to let the prince take Second Sister-in-law south alone!"
"Don't worry, Third Brother. After I finish dealing with these, I will go south to chase them. You are right. I should at least ask Xi'er whether she likes the prince or not!"
After hearing Xiao Jun's resolute words, Xiao Yun finally put her mind at ease and continued to advise:
"Second sister-in-law is the God of Medicine. She will definitely be able to cure your illness. Second brother, don't lose heart. You must find Second sister-in-law back!"
Xiao Jun sighed, looked down at the mess on the ground, bent down, picked up the scattered documents and said:
"Third brother, go find your eldest brother first and tell grandma and father. I'll pack up the documents I need to take south and come find you right away."
"Second brother, you should tell grandma and father about your second sister-in-law's identity. They won't tell anyone. You don't know that this morning, mother will discuss arranging a marriage for you with grandma. If you tell grandma about your second sister-in-law's identity, grandma will be hesitant. Besides..."
"Talk about kissing!"
After hearing this, Xiao Jun's face darkened, and then he shook his head weakly and said:
"I was originally afraid that my father would get furious and hurt himself after hearing this. After all, after all... Moreover, at this moment, the fewer people who know Xi'er's identity, the better. That's why I kept it a secret. Now that things have come to this, I really can't keep it a secret any longer. It's better to be mentally prepared after telling it out."
"Don't worry, second brother. Grandma and father won't be so careless. Besides, at this moment, I'm afraid it won't be long before Grandma is happy."
…
After leaving the Xiao Mansion, Li Du and Ouyang Di personally waited for the pick-up. Fearing that they would be followed by the people from the Xiao Mansion, they took a detour all the way, changed carriages several times, and brought Mengxi directly to the manor they had bought in Luding Mountain - Zhanyuan. Mengxi gave this name to Zhanyuan, which means having a far-sighted vision.
Because it was built relying on the surrounding mountain scenery, Zhanyuan has completely gotten rid of the square and regular style with little undulations of most buildings in Pingyang City. The entire manor is completely integrated into the beautiful scenery. The pavilions, towers, waterside pavilions and bridges inside are also eclectic in style. It is nestled against the mountains and beside the water, shaded by bamboo forests From a distance, it is indeed a unique and elegant place. Mengxi fell in love with it at first sight.
When the owner returned home, the main gate was already wide open. On the door was a large plaque with two huge golden characters "Zhanyuan" inscribed on it. This was her own home. It was great. Mengxi smiled with relief, and suddenly she finally felt a sense of belonging.
"Second Madam, you are finally back, this servant..."
Looking up, she saw Zhichun leading a dozen maids and old women standing on both sides. When she saw her, her eyes turned red and she choked up and couldn't say anything halfway through her words. Everyone came forward to greet her.
Seeing Zhichun, Mengxi and others felt their noses sore and reached out to pull her into the carriage. Mengxi nodded to everyone, and the carriage continued to move forward and entered Zhanyuan.
They came to a two-story building and got off the carriage. Mengxi looked up and saw a vermilion building with a hip roof built against the mountain. It was very unique with carved beams and painted buildings. The mountain corridor formed an independent courtyard. There were rockery and bonsai in the courtyard, winding paths and a strong sweet-scented osmanthus fragrance. He was staring at it in a trance when he heard Li Du say:
"Master, when Brother Ouyang and I chose this manor, we had our eyes on this small building. This building is not only elegant and unique in structure, but also beautifully decorated inside. More importantly, standing on the second floor, you can have a panoramic view of the entire Zhanyuan Garden and the lake and mountains in the distance. Especially at night, the small building, the bright moon, and the gentle breeze are even more beautiful, like a fairyland on earth."
Seeing the master nod, Li Du continued:
"When Brother Ouyang and I renovated Zhanyuan Garden, we gave names to all the other courtyards except this small building. Since it is where the master lives, I did not dare to make any decisions on my own."
Looking at the small building, the lonely Mengxi suddenly remembered a poem:
once having seen the best, the rest is not worthwhile looking.
So he said casually:
"Let's call it 'Cang Hai Xiao Zhu'"
Li Du and Ouyang Di were both startled, and Li Du immediately responded:
"Yes, Master, I will write the plaque and hang it up tomorrow."
As he spoke, he led his master into the courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard, he saw more than 20 servants standing in two neat rows. When they came in, they all saluted. Li Du said:
"Zhanyuan has only hired 60 servants so far. I didn't ask all of them to come. I only called the heads of each courtyard. This small building has always been managed by Zhichun. He is the general manager here, Li Xian."
Li Xian had already walked forward.
Seeing him coming, Li Du pulled him and said:
"Mr. Li, I'm here to meet Miss Li. From now on, I will follow Miss Li's orders on all matters in the garden."
Manager Li responded quickly, stepped forward and greeted him:
"My servant greets the young lady. The young lady has just arrived. Would you like me to show you around?"
Although it was his own manor, Mengxi had no intention of browsing it at this time. After listening to what Manager Li said, he shook his head to indicate that it was not necessary. He then introduced the servants of each courtyard one by one . Mengxi said a few simple words and then signaled to disperse.
Everyone then entered the small living room on the first floor. After Mengxi sat down, a maid had already served tea. She took a sip and saw Li Du and Ouyang Di standing on both sides. She said casually, "There are no outsiders here. You all can sit down." After the two of them declined for a while and sat down, they briefly reported to Mengxi about the business of Baicao Garden and Yichun Hall as well as the imperial edict. Finally, they said:
"The Queen Mother's illness seems to be very serious. I'm afraid she won't live long. The Prince of Yan couldn't sit still any longer. He came to Yichun Hall early this morning to cause trouble. He brought a group of people to sit in the pharmacy, blocking the business and insisting that the servant tell me where you are. With the prince's mouth, the servant couldn't do anything. Fortunately, the prince was there, so they didn't dare to do anything. It wasn't until the afternoon that they suddenly received the emperor's imperial edict that no one was allowed to harass Yichun Hall. The people of the Prince of Yan left in anger. I think this imperial edict was also requested by the prince for you."
Mengxi nodded and said:
"I'm sorry, big brother. I think Zhiqiu has also told you that the Crown Prince and the Second Master know my identity. I'm afraid this matter can't be kept secret for long. We have violated the imperial decree. Once this matter spreads, it will be a heinous crime of deceiving the emperor and exterminating the clan. We must make plans early."
"Master, I have asked the Crown Prince about this matter, and he said he would mediate."
The prince is mediating!
He can hardly protect himself now, if it really happens, he might really get his feet pierced by the broken shoes. Hearing this, Mengxi shook his head and said:
"It would be fine under normal circumstances, but the King of Yan and the Crown Prince are at loggerheads, and will not stop until one of them dies. I'm afraid that once the King of Yan finds out, the Crown Prince will be powerless. We'd better make plans early."
Ouyang Di listened, bowed and said:
"Master is absolutely right, but we never make friends with the government. Other matters are fine, but we have no one to turn to for help in matters of the court except the Crown Prince. Anyway, you are free now. Just hide your whereabouts and don't let them get caught by the King of Yan. We will start preparing now. If the Crown Prince is deposed, you can just fake your death and close Yichun Hall. When the storm has passed, you can reopen it under a new name. Anyway, we have the secret recipe."
Mengxi listened, thought for a moment and said:
"As a last resort, I have no choice but to do this, but this is a matter for the future. For now, let's first solve the problem of deceiving the emperor. So, when you two go back, immediately send a pigeon to the southern branch to tell them to find someone to impersonate me and come forward to treat the plague. Once this news is passed back, the emperor will believe that I am in the south. Remember to tell them that the power of the King of Yan is rampant, so be careful and don't let the King of Yan's people discover your whereabouts."
"Master, your method is good, but the people in the southern branch may not have your superb medical skills to cure the disease. I'm afraid it won't cure the plague, and it may even backfire."
"Don't worry, I've thought of everything. Send a message overnight to let them prepare. How's the plague information I asked you to collect? "
"My Lord, I prepared as soon as I received your letter. A large amount of information about the symptoms, signs, diagnosis, and transmission routes of the plague has been sent back. I have brought it all here. It is in the study on the second floor. However, this is only a preliminary diagnosis made by the branch doctor. I am afraid it is inaccurate and there is a possibility of misjudgment. If you really want to confirm the diagnosis and control the epidemic on a large scale, you have to go south to diagnose in person."
"Okay, I'll analyze the data overnight and try to make a few prescriptions. You come and get them tomorrow morning and pass them on. Have them try it out in a small village with a mild outbreak. Even if they can only cure a few cases, it will cause a sensation in the local government, and they will report it immediately to win credit. As long as the report about my appearance in the south can be made to Pingyang, the crime of deceiving the emperor will be solved."
Li Du and Ouyang nodded repeatedly. Just as they were about to speak, Zhiqiu came in and replied:
"Second Miss, dinner is ready. You have been busy all afternoon. Please eat first."
Looking out the window, it was already dark. Li Du said:
"Master, you have been busy all day, I think you must be tired, so have a meal and rest first, I will come back tomorrow."
Ouyang Di also echoed. Mengxi was really tired, and she had to read the plague information overnight, so she didn't try to stop them. When she saw the two of them getting up, she suddenly remembered the prince and hurriedly ordered:
"By the way, if the prince comes to Yichun Hall to look for me tomorrow, tell him that I have to deal with Yichun Hall affairs tomorrow and bring him here directly the day after tomorrow."
After hearing this, Li Du and Ouyang nodded in agreement and then said goodbye and left.
