good season

"No, he just looked at A-Yue quietly for a long time without saying a word."

Because Zhao Shiqing had come, Xiao Zhen specially asked Dazhuang to light a brazier. However, the house had been empty for many days and was built by the lake, so it was already freezing cold. Even with the brazier, it was still chilly.

Looking at Zhao Shiqing's fingers, which were red from the cold, Xiao Zhen felt a pang of self-reproach. If he had known she would come, he would have lit the brazier earlier.

No, why doesn't this house have a floor heating system? It would be much warmer with one.

The greatest suffering Zhao Shiqing had ever endured since childhood was when he handed her over to that unscrupulous doctor, who then sold her to a kidnapper. Apart from that, she had never suffered any hardship; she was pampered and raised in luxury.

Zhen Wuduo is absolutely right. Right now, he is unworthy of her in every way. He doesn't even know how to cherish and take care of her. For example, right now, he can't even produce a hand warmer.

He took off his fox fur coat, walked to Zhao Shiqing's side, and draped the coat over her shoulders.

Zhao Shiqing was taken aback, and quickly said, "No need, I'm dressed warmly enough. You should put yours on quickly, it's so cold in here."

Xiao Zhen: "I'm sorry, it's too cold here."

Zhao Shiqing's eyes widened: "So you can feel cold? I thought you were so badly injured that you couldn't feel cold anymore. Sigh, I was afraid you would feel inferior, so I never asked you."

Xiao Zhen
There was no way around it; the first impression was just too strong. The first time Zhao Shiqing saw Xiao Zhen, he looked like a half-human, half-ghost. So much so that no matter what abnormal behavior Xiao Zhen exhibited later, Zhao Shiqing would attribute it to the serious injuries he had suffered.

Fortunately, Zhao Shiqing did not delve into this issue further, otherwise Xiao Zhen would have been utterly ashamed.

Zhao Shiqing's attention was still on the Emperor Emeritus. She asked, "And then what happened? When the Emperor Emeritus saw Xiaoyueyue, did he just stare at her blankly and not do anything else?"

Xiao Zhen shook his head: "No, really no. He didn't say a word, just waved his hand and let us go."

Zhao Shiqing asked, "Is someone monitoring him? No, if someone were monitoring him, how could he still wander around like this? He can even go to Wu."

Xiao Zhen said, "He will definitely be monitored, but he also has his own people. After all, he has been an emperor for decades. By the way, he has a double. Actually, I can't be sure if the person I saw that day was the real him."

I learned about the fact that the retired emperor had a double in my previous life. At that time, an old man's body was found in Daguo Village, but the face of the body was disfigured. At that time, there were rumors that it was the retired emperor's double.

Zhao Shiqing became increasingly curious: "Do you think Lan Caihe might be an assassin he sent?"

Xiao Zhen said, "It's most likely him. In my dream, Deng Qian also died a violent death, but Master Feng has been living a good life ever since."

"Did Deng Qian also die a violent death in your dream, also by assassination? Has the case been solved?" Zhao Shiqing asked.

"No, the case was not solved, but soon after, it was discovered that Deng Qian had opened several private mines. Hundreds of skeletons were found in Deng's private mines, and many mine slaves were rescued. These people were actually convicts serving hard labor. On the surface, Deng Qian was clean-living, but in private he did many heinous things."

A local official, unwilling to compromise his principles, ordered his men to burn the entire family of a county magistrate alive. He also murdered the two sons of another official, skinned them, and presented their skins to the official, who immediately went mad.

Zhao Shiqing knew some things about Deng Qian, such as that Cui Rong was Deng Qian's abandoned pawn. However, after arriving in the capital, she found that Deng Qian, who was humble and polite, had a better reputation than Feng Ke, who held a high position and great power. She knew that Deng Qian was not a good person, but she did not expect that he had done so many bad things.

Zhao Shiqing sighed, "The last time the Cui family was raided, they couldn't implicate Deng Qian."

Xiao Zhen smiled and said, "In my dream, although the Cui family was mediocre, they were not raided. In this life, it was because you picked up Shen Wangxing that the fate of the Cui family was changed."

Zhao Shiqing felt a little embarrassed, as it seemed to be true. If she hadn't taken in Shen Wangxing, she wouldn't have taken Shen Wangxing to Liangdi to find her father. If she hadn't found her father, she wouldn't have brought down Cui Rong, and thus wouldn't have implicated the Cui family.

“Many things are different from what I dreamed about, such as my parents, Xiao Su, A Yue, Zhu Yu, and the Cui family. By the way, in the dream, I didn’t hear that the Prince of Fu’s Mansion had found the lost child,” Xiao Zhen said.

Because Zhao Shiqing "picked up" the Loach Brothers, Zhao Tingluo was able to see the Loach and subsequently recognize Xiaobao.

Xiao Zhen added, "So now, my dreams can only be used as a reference, because many things have changed."

Zhao Shiqing felt even more embarrassed: "It's all my fault, I let you dream for nothing."

Xiao Zhen desperately wished that the tragic events of his past life were just a dream, but they were all real experiences, and even now, he is still awakened by nightmares.

“It’s not a wasted dream, but it’s a constant reminder to proceed cautiously and prudently,” Xiao Zhen said.

Zhao Shiqing thought about it and realized it made sense. Suddenly her eyes lit up and she said to Xiao Zhen, "Deng Qian in your dream was also assassinated. Could it have been done by the Emperor Emeritus? Because Deng Qian was a bad person. He was not only a parasite on the court, but he also harmed many people. However, the emperor was deceived by him. The Emperor Emeritus couldn't stand such a person sitting in the court, so he sent someone to kill him?"

Xiao Zhen nodded, signaling her to continue.

Zhao Shiqing looked confused again: "But why didn't the Emperor Emeritus tell the Emperor? He could have just told the Emperor. Why did he have to do it himself?"

Xiao Zhen looked at her and said softly, "Is it possible that he doesn't want that person to know that he's not refining pills, but is instead on a private visit to the countryside?"

Zhao Shiqing paused, then sighed. She thought of Zhao Xingzhou, who had been pretending to be crazy. She wondered if he had really been kicked out of his house by the aunt that night, or if he was just feigning pitifulness to get her to take him in.

“I’m just too kind-hearted. This is a bad habit, and I need to change it.” She frowned in distress.

Xiao Zhen said softly, "No need to change, you're fine."

Zhao Shiqing looked up: "Really?"

Xiao Zhen: "Really."

Zhao Shiqing: "You also think that my hobby of picking up people doesn't need to be changed?"

Xiao Zhen: "No need to change it, it's not like you don't have a place to put it."

“Yes, I have two mountains to rely on now. At worst, I can just let them go herd sheep on the mountain!” Zhao Shiqing perked up again. Xiao Zhen said she didn’t need to change, so she wouldn’t.

Knowing that Lan Caihe was the Emperor Emeritus's man, Zhao Shiqing's lingering doubts were resolved, and she felt relieved and happily went home.

No sooner had Zhao Shiqing left than Xiao Zhen summoned Jiang Ping and the others: "Go and buy a batch of braziers and silver charcoal, as well as hand warmers and foot warmers. Oh, and ask around to see if this house can be fitted with a floor heating system."

When Zhao Shiqing comes again, he will give her a warm and cozy Ruyi Pavilion.

The brazier and charcoal were all bought, as were the hand warmers and foot warmers. The craftsman who installed the underfloor heating system came to inspect it and told them that the house originally had an underfloor heating system on the first floor, but it had become blocked due to long-term disuse. He said that once it was cleared, it would provide heating. Xiao Zhen was overjoyed and immediately sent people to clear the underfloor heating system. After two days of work, the system was finally clear.

Xiao Zhen began to look forward to Zhao Shiqing's arrival, but after several days, Zhao Shiqing still did not come.

Zhao Shiqing didn't come because Yang Shengqiu returned from Daguo Village.

That day, when Zhao Shiqing returned from Ruyi Pavilion, she found Xiuxiu and told her that the reason why Yang Shengqiu did not run into Xiuxiu again was not because she misjudged, but because Yang Shengqiu was not in the capital. He had official business and went to Changshou Palace.

These days, Xiuxiu is on edge, feeling empty inside. Even when she goes to the lantern festival during the Lantern Festival, she is preoccupied.

A young girl's feelings are always like a dream. When Xiuxiu had her first secret, she was hit hard before she could even imagine herself in the person she was looking for. As long as there was a sliver of hope, she didn't want the person she liked to be using her.

However, she trusted Zhao Shiqing, and Zhao Shiqing's words were reasonable and well-founded, so she couldn't help but believe them.

Therefore, she longed to see Yang Shengqiu more than ever before, for whatever it might be, good or bad, she wanted to experience it all herself, to give Zhao Shiqing an explanation and to give herself an answer.

If she doesn't see an answer, Xiuxiu feels she will never truly let go in her life.

She was not an ignorant girl sitting in her boudoir weaving dreams; she had experienced life and death. Although she was not clever, she was by no means stupid.

Xiuxiu borrowed a guard from Zhao Shiqing. This guard, named Xia Dachuan, was brought by Zhao Shiqing from Liangdi. He was the second most ruthless person in the family, the first being Mudfish.

Xia Dachuan used to be a soldier in the Imperial Guard Battalion. Later, he was assigned to be Zhao Shiqing's bodyguard. All the brothers in the battalion envied him. Miss Zhao was also considered half a mistress. Those who could be bodyguards for their masters would have a good future.

He was very happy and even went to his father's grave to offer incense. Unfortunately, when he got to the second young lady's side, he realized that they, the guards, were just for show and that the second young lady rarely thought of taking them with her.

Now that they've arrived in the capital, the Second Miss would rather borrow the four great guards from the Old Master than remember these people from Liang.

Although the monthly allowance increased instead of decreasing, Xia Dachuan found it hard to endure the days of receiving money for nothing without doing any work. He didn't want to be a freeloader, so he always looked for work that he could manage.

For example, picking up dog poop, helping Aunt Ji buy groceries, and like this time, being borrowed by Xiuxiu from Zhao Shiqing.

Xiuxiu chose Xia Dachuan because she thought he was the most diligent of all the guards.

She instructed Xia Dachuan to keep an eye on things at the Ministry of Revenue and to inform her when Yang Shengqiu arrived at the yamen.

Xia Dachuan waited at the entrance of the household registration department for four days before finally spotting Yang Shengqiu.

Yang Shengqiu had just returned from Daguo Village the day before. This time, the Emperor Emeritus was holding a ceremony, and the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Revenue, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and even the Ministry of Works sent people there. Several eunuchs from the palace also went.
150,000 taels of silver is no small sum. As the Ministry of Revenue responsible for disbursing the silver, it needs to keep a close eye on how this money is spent.

Logically speaking, such a large sum of money, and given that it was for the retired emperor, shouldn't be the responsibility of a newly promoted official like Yang Shengqiu.

But precisely because the amount of money is large, and it's for the retired emperor, if we don't handle things properly, we'll suffer without reward. Besides, it's not even the end of the first month yet, and who wouldn't want to have a good New Year in the capital?

When the task reached the Ministry of Revenue, it became a hot potato. After being passed around, it ended up on Yang Shengqiu's shoulders. He had no one else to pass it on to, so he had no choice but to accept it.

Upon arriving at Daguo Village, this was just the beginning. Changshou Palace intended to hand over the 150,000 taels of silver to them, who would then manage the expenditures of the silver.

However, before Yang Shengqiu left the capital, the Minister of Revenue instructed him that the 150,000 taels of silver must be kept in the hands of the Ministry of Revenue, and anyone who needed the silver should come to him for it.

Thus, the situation became that Changshou Palace demanded money, but Yang Shengqiu refused. Changshou Palace used the name of the retired emperor, so Yang Shengqiu could only be cautious and compromise.

The ten-odd days in Daguo Village truly felt like an eternity. Yang Shengqiu was quite shrewd and resourceful, but he was still overwhelmed with problems. The troubles at Changshou Palace never stopped. Today they wanted to spend five thousand taels here, and tomorrow they wanted ten thousand taels there. After finally finishing the Dharma assembly, when they checked the accounts again, they found that out of the 150,000 taels, they had less than three thousand taels left.

The Emperor Emeritus was quite satisfied with the ceremony. Before the officials from various departments were to depart for the capital, the Taoist priests from Changshou Palace came to present them with rewards, saying that the Emperor Emeritus was grateful for their hard work and had specially rewarded them handsomely.

Everyone was both happy and excited. While others were enjoying themselves in the capital during the Spring Festival, they had gone to the countryside to endure the cold wind and harsh conditions. Fortunately, the Emperor Emeritus still remembered them.

The crowd knelt down to receive the rewards, which the Taoist priests then handed to each person. It was an exquisite box, and no one knew what treasures were inside.

After the Taoist priests left, everyone eagerly opened the box, only to find a dark, unremarkable golden elixir inside.

That's right, whether it's black or white, they're all called Golden Elixir.

These elixirs were personally refined by the retired emperor; he hadn't even been willing to give them to the emperor, yet he gave them to them.

How could they not be moved?
Yang Shengqiu did some mental preparation, but still didn't have the courage to swallow the golden pill.

He didn't know if anyone else had eaten it; he had secretly thrown it away.

He didn't dare eat it; that golden pill didn't look like anything good.

The day after returning to the capital, Yang Shengqiu went back to the yamen to report. When he got out of the sedan chair, he saw a big, dark-skinned man looking at him. When the man saw him looking over, he grinned and showed a set of big white teeth.

A dark face makes one's teeth appear exceptionally white.

Yang Shengqiu didn't care. He was the top scholar in the imperial examination and had once paraded through the streets on horseback. Many people in the capital had seen him, and the big, dark-skinned man must have recognized him as the top scholar.

Top scholar!
Yang Shengqiu sighed inwardly. What good was it to become the top scorer in the exam, when he still had to take over the mess that others had dumped on him?
He went to see the Minister of Revenue, and when the Minister learned that he had only brought back 3,000 taels of silver out of 150,000 taels, his face immediately fell.

He had painstakingly scraped together 150,000 taels of silver, hoping to have at least 10,000 or 20,000 taels left over, but he ended up with only 3,000 taels.

What kind of Dharma assembly costs 150,000 taels of silver?

If the previous demand of 150,000 taels was an exorbitant amount by Changshou Palace, then the fact that only 3,000 taels remain means that it's not entirely Changshou Palace's greed; Yang Shengqiu is also partly to blame. This Yang Shengqiu can't even manage the money in his own hands; what a waste of all the books he's read.

Yang Shengqiu went in cautiously and came out covered in dust.

The news of his reprimand by the Minister quickly spread throughout the entire government office. (End of Chapter)