76. Trade Cooperation

  Transaction Cooperation

  "You can have a cup of tea if you want, or ask for something if you need it, but first, you must defeat me!"

  Ye Li looked at Feng Yue, who was staring at her with a provocative expression, and found it amusing. She knew that Han Mingyue was not in Jiangnan now, and she even knew where he had gone. Although Han Mingyue and Han Mingxi were two brothers, Han Mingxi was obviously easier to get along with than Han Mingyue. For various reasons, Ye Li did not want to meet Han Mingyue. "What does the young master want to bet on?"

  Han Mingxi raised his eyebrows and smiled: "I won't take advantage of you. Weren't you very fierce just now? Let's gamble with dice instead, to compare who's bigger."

  Ye Li raised an eyebrow, didn't object, "Okay."

  Han Mingxi smiled in satisfaction: "Good, straightforward. If you can win against me, no matter what you ask of me, I will help you achieve it." Ye Li smiled: "No need for that, I don't like people who make big promises easily. Even if I have something to ask of you, I won't let you lose out. After all... in business, mutual benefit is the key to long-term success, don't you think?"

  "It's interesting." Han Mingxi smiled and said, "What if you lose?"

  Ye Li said: "If I lose today's matter, it will be as if I never mentioned it. Besides, just now in your building, I won 210,000 silver tickets as a bet."

  "Is it one game for all?" Han Mingxi asked.

  "Please." Ye Li raised her hand to gesture.

  Han Mingxi swept his sleeve, and the guqin on the table flew out flatly and landed on a nearby cabinet. Han Mingyue took out a set of dice from one side and put them on the table, saying proudly: "You can check the dice first." Ye Li shook her head, pushed the dice cup back, and smiled: "I believe in the reputation of Qingfeng Mingyuelou and Mr. Han. Please go first, Mr. Han."

  Han Mingxiu rolled her eyes, "Which one is bigger?"

  Ye Li thought for a moment and said, "Big."

  Han Mingxi let out a soft hum, picked up the cup and dice on the table, and slowly started shaking them. Ye Li watched Han Mingxi's movements with interest, and had to admit that they were quite pleasing to the eye. The cup seemed to be performing magic tricks in his hands, and finally came to a stop with a loud thud on the table. With a raised eyebrow at Ye Li, Han Mingxi opened the cup without looking, and Ye Li gazed calmly at the dice on the table. The original three had become six, with three half-dice cut diagonally from the middle. They formed six golden pyramids on the table surface. "Han Gongzi has great inner strength, 33 points."

  Han Mingxi was clearly in a good mood, smiling as he looked at Ye Li, "Looks like this one can't be used anymore, Chu Gongzi can use a new one. I'm sure Chu Gongzi won't pick up someone else's leftovers, right?"

  Ye Li's expression remained calm as he took the new ivory dice from Han Mingxi and dropped them into the dice cup. Unlike Han Mingxi's elaborate shaking method, Ye Li simply held the cup and shook it in a steady, moderate rhythm, not even fast. The water pavilion was quiet, with only the sound of the dice being shaken and collided. However, Han Mingxi's smile, which had been slightly relaxed and carefree, gradually became serious. Even his lazy, slouching posture straightened up, his eyes fixed intently on Ye Li's calm face. He couldn't hear any possible points that the dice might land on! But he wasn't too worried about winning or losing, thirty-three points was already the highest number that could be rolled, unless this young man in front of him imitated his method, otherwise he wouldn't have a chance to win against him.

  Clang! Ye Li slammed the dice cup back onto the table and smiled at Han Mingxi, saying: "Young Master Han, would you like to take a guess how many points it is?"

  Han Mingxi gave her a disdainful glance and said, "No matter how many points you have, you can't beat me. Let's start. I want to see just how formidable Chu Gongzi is."

  Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Young Master Han is right."

  Slowly lift the dice cup. The three dice are intact and stop on the table. However... all three dice stand upright with one corner on the table, leaning against each other with a slanted surface. Two sides of each die face up, and these two sides happen to be five and six, which means Ye Li is also thirty-three points. Ye Li smiled slightly: "Thirty-three points, it's a tie. What does Mr. Han think?"

  Han Mingxi gazed at her steadily for a while before speaking in a low voice, "You win. Say what you want." With a wave of his hand, the dice cup with three dice was sent to one side of the multi-treasured cabinet, and Han Mingxi called out loudly, "Bring tea."

  In the Water Pavilion, Ye Li savored the exquisite tea that had just been served. The Clear Wind and Bright Moon Building was indeed one of the best places to indulge in the world, where even the tea could almost rival the tribute goods from the palace. Han Mingxi gazed at Ye Li with a profound gaze, "Now, Young Master Chu can tell you what's going on with the master of Tianyi Pavilion, right?"

  Ye Li put down the teacup and smiled faintly: "Actually, it's not a big deal. I'm going to Nanjiang soon, so I need some information. Since Tianyi Tower is known as the best intelligence organization in Great Chu, I had no choice but to come knocking on your door with a thick face."

  Complimented by someone who didn't yield to himself, Han Mingxiao's expression eased slightly, and he hummed softly: "Being able to know the relationship between Qingfengmingyuelou and Tianyi Pavilion, Chu Gongzi's information is already quite well-informed. Why would you still need Tianyi Pavilion's assistance?" Ye Li smiled helplessly: "Knowing this... was just a coincidence, I hope Han Gongzi won't blame me for being presumptuous. Of course, since Tianyi Pavilion has been selling intelligence for a living, I will naturally pay a satisfactory price to Tianyi Pavilion."

  Han Mingyue's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, her body leaning back in a relaxed manner as she sized up Ye Li, "Oh? Let Tianyi Pavilion be satisfied... it seems that Chu Gongzi is very confident in himself."

  Ye Li smiled and said: "I believe that Tianyi Pavilion, being a business that opens its doors to customers, shouldn't be making sky-high prices, right?"

  "Hum! I wonder if Chu Gongzi intends to use the money he won at Qingfeng Mingyuelou to pay off his debts at Tianyi Pavilion?"

  "How dare I. As it happens, I also have two shops in Guangling City, although they are newly opened, but I suppose they can still meet your expectations, Mr. Han." Ye Li drank her tea calmly and smiled at Han Mingxiao. Han Mingxiao slightly furrowed his brow, his devilishly handsome face inadvertently exuding an enchanting aura that could captivate people's hearts. Although Ye Li was not affected by him, she couldn't help but secretly admire him in her heart. Han Mingxiao and Han Mingyue looked very similar, but their temperament differed greatly.

  "Could it be that the Chu Gongzi was referring to the fragrance shop called Xun Ya Ge on Xuanwu Avenue, which opened half a year ago?" Han Mingxi asked with an obvious tone of probing.

  Ye Li nodded and said, "Exactly. I'm sure Mr. Han knows how much money Xun Ya Ge can make. As long as Mr. Han can provide me with satisfactory information, I can give him 20% of the annual profits from Xun Ya Ge."

  "Every year?" Han Mingxi raised an eyebrow and said, "So can this young master understand that what Chu Gongzi said is a long-term cooperation? Xun Ya Ge is indeed quite profitable, but it seems that it has not yet reached the level of becoming a long-term partner of Tian Yi Ge."

  Xun Ya Ge, he certainly knew. In fact, the fragrance he was using now came from Xun Ya Ge. And since he used Xun Ya Ge's fragrance, other fragrances could no longer enter his eyes. Xun Ya Ge had been open for business in Guangling City for only half a year, but its reputation had already quietly surpassed that of all the old shops selling cosmetics and fragrances in Guangling City.

  However, because the price was more than three times higher than ordinary stores, it was not very popular among ordinary people. But Han Mingxi dared to confirm that at least 70% of the ladies from prominent families and noblewomen in Guangling City used Xun Ya Ge's fragrance. If Xun Ya Ge were willing to lower its prices, he believed that dominating the fragrance industry would be just around the corner.

  Ye Li smiled and shook her head: "Does Young Master Han know whose money is easiest to earn in this world?"

  Han Mingxi frowned, "Of course it's a wealthy merchant." The astonishing income of Qingfeng Mingyue Tower every year is provided by these wealthy merchants with millions of dollars in their belts. Ye Li stretched out her hand holding the folding fan and shook it, smiling: "No, it's a woman."

  "Women?" Han Ming Xuan snorted in disdain. Women have no source of income, they are completely dependent on men to survive. It's also destined that they can't spend money as freely as men do. Moreover, very few women can splurge like men do. Ye Li sighed lightly and carelessly played with the folding fan in her hand, smiling as she said: "In this world... there are more women than men. However... not all men like to indulge in food, drink, prostitution, and gambling, but it's destined that all women like to be young and beautiful." Even those female soldiers from their past lives, who were not inferior to men on the battlefield, would always prioritize clothing and cosmetics stores when they walked onto the streets.

  Han Mingxi's heart moved, he didn't have the same astonishing talent and sensitivity to business as his brother, nor was he particularly obsessed with money. But that doesn't mean he's an idiot, naturally, so he said a few words and Han Mingxi heard them out. He gave Ye Li a look to continue speaking, and poured tea for himself and Ye Li, apparently interested in this topic.

  Ye Li didn't mind, "The fragrance formula of Xun Ya Ge is absolutely confidential and not just any ordinary cosmetics shop can make it. To be honest, the quality of cosmetics and fragrances in Da Chu's territory doesn't impress me much, I believe you, Mr. Han, also have the same dissatisfaction?" Han Mingxi frowned, originally he didn't have much feeling about it. But since Xun Ya Ge appeared, he felt that the fragrances he used before were single-minded and not as good-smelling. Although he privately had someone make him top-grade fragrances, the time and effort spent far exceeded the value of the fragrance itself. Occasionally, he would also give Xun Ya Ge's products to his female friends, those beautiful girls also showed obvious preference for Xun Ya Ge's fragrant powders. Han Mingxi didn't want to admit that maybe indirectly, he had brought a lot of customers to Xun Ya Ge. Ye Li looked at Han Mingxi with satisfaction as he lowered his head in thought and continued: "Although Xun Ya Ge currently only has this one shop in Guangling City, from your perspective, I don't have the possibility of opening such a shop in every major city in Da Chu, or... including Xiling, Beijiang, Nanjiang, and even farther places. After all... wherever there are women, it's not hard to sell. What do you think?"

  Han Mingxi felt a bit intimidated by the young boy in front of him, who was clearly not yet fifteen years old. He believed that if his older brother, who loved money like his life depended on it, were here, they would have plenty to talk about. Opening a Xiang Ya Lou in every town... seemed like a grand idea, and Han Mingxi began to imagine what it would be like if he opened a Qing Feng Ming Yue Lou in every town...

  "Hehe, I advise you, Master Han, not to think like that. Otherwise... Master Mingyue might get angry." Looking at Han Mingxu leaning against the railing with his eyes shining as he gazed out at the water pavilion, Ye Li guessed what he was thinking and hastily spoke up to stop him. The reason why Qingfeng Mingyue Tower could become the number one tower in the world is because of its uniqueness. If it were opened everywhere, it wouldn't be so wonderful. She didn't believe that Han Mingxu hadn't opened brothels in other places, just not as famous ones. Moreover, to be honest, the industry of running a brothel doesn't require much skill, and maybe one can become the best among them, but it's hard to say if one can completely dominate."

  "Lip gloss is a consumable, while the Clear Wind and Bright Moon Pavilion...hmm, that's for leisure. Two completely different things, aren't they? However...I think in this regard we can also cooperate perfectly."

  Han Mingxi was just a temporary brain fever, if he really let him open the Qingfeng Mingyue Building all over Da Chu, he might not be able to bear it himself and run away first. After listening to Ye Li's words, there was no backlash, and he raised an eyebrow to indicate that he was listening carefully. Ye Li smiled and said: "For example... the fragrance and cosmetics used by the girls in Qingfeng Mingyue Building can be purchased at Xun Ya Ge, what does Mr. Han think? As a gesture of goodwill for our first cooperation, I can give Mr. Han a special fragrance, and provide it to him for free indefinitely. How about that?"

  Han Mingxi thought for a moment, raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Since Chu Gongzi is so sincere, if I don't agree, wouldn't that be pushing the business away? Alright, what information does Chu Gongzi need? I think it will be worth your while." Ye Li nodded in satisfaction, "Alright, then let's have Han Gongzi make preparations first. I also need to make some preparations. Let's meet again in a few days and sign the contract?"

  "It's settled with just one word."

  Leaving the Clear Wind and Bright Moon Building, he returned to a small, unassuming courtyard in Yangzhou City where his five-person group was temporarily staying. An San let out a sigh of relief as he faced the strange expressions of his brothers. With an expressionless face, he pulled out a thick stack of silver notes and tossed them onto the table. An Er, who was in charge of managing their finances, raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Where did all this silver come from?" They had only brought 20,000 taels with them from the capital, so how did Wang Fei manage to bring back ten times that amount after just one outing with San?

  An San glanced at Ye Li, who was sitting on the side fanning himself and drinking tea, and said woodenly: "Go to the gambling house and win." After finishing speaking, he still looked at Ye Li with lingering fear and said: "Young master, I really didn't expect us to come out safely today." Ye Li glanced at him and smiled: "Don't worry, if Qingfeng Mingyue Tower makes trouble for us just because of 200,000 taels, it's not worth mentioning."

  A mere 200,000 taels? Even if the Clear Wind and Bright Moon Building makes a profit of 200,000 taels per day, it's absolutely not a small amount.

  The Clear Wind and Bright Moon Building?! Dark One, Dark Two, and Dark Three twitched the corners of their mouths, making a unanimous decision to forget this matter. As the queen's secret guards, they absolutely would not tell the king that the queen had gone to the brothel with Dark Three.

  Ye Li didn't rush to find Han Ming Xue, wanting to completely cover his tracks and needing information from Nanjiang. In fact, Ye Li originally had no intention of finding Tian Yi Pavilion. Although Han Ming Xue and Han Ming Yue seemed to get along well, Ye Li knew that even if he only met once, Han Ming Yue was more difficult to deal with than his brother by at least ten times. If it wasn't for the coincidence that Han Ming Yue was not in Da Chu recently, Ye Li would have absolutely no contact with Han Ming Xue.

  Although Han Mingxi looked unreliable, the intelligence network of Tianyi Pavilion was quite fast. When Ye Li had just strolled around Guangling City, Han Mingxi arrived at the door early in the morning.

  Looking at the dark red Luo clothing, Han Mingxiu was sitting in the flower hall, teasing the little girl who came to serve tea, exuding an evil charm. Ye Li waved her hand and let the blushing little girl go down, smiling and saying: "It's been a few days since we met, and Han Gongzi is still as elegant as ever." Han Mingxiu smiled and said: "Where, but rather Chu Gongzi feels that the spring scenery of Guangling can still be pleasing to the eye in recent days."

  Ye Li didn't expect Han Mingxi to send someone to spy on her, and she wasn't angry either. She smiled calmly and said: "The ancient capital of three dynasties is as beautiful as a painting, how can it not be pleasing to the eye?"

  Han Mingxi smiled and said, "As it happens, Chu Gongzi forgot something the other day. Fortunately, you came over today, so I'll send it to you together with him. It's also a good opportunity for us to show our sincerity in cooperating."

  Ye Li raised an eyebrow in suspicion, looking at Han Mingxi who was smiling with ill intentions. Han Mingxi lifted his hand and lightly clapped, soon a beautiful woman in purple clothes appeared at the door, "Your humble servant Rourou has seen Master Ye, seen Master Chu." This woman was none other than Rourou, the young lady who had been running the gambling den a few days ago. Ye Li suddenly felt a bad premonition, "Han Gongzi, what is this?"

  Han Mingxi brushed open the folding fan, and his handsome face was half-hidden behind it as he smiled: "The rules of Qingfeng Mingyue Tower are that whoever wins against the top card of the house is who gets to take her. Chu Gongzi's gambling skills are superb, and even I have to admit defeat. From today on, Ru Mei will no longer be a card in Qingfeng Mingyue Tower, nor will she be a person of Qingfeng Mingyue Tower. She belongs to you now, Chu Gongzi. If you fancy her, it's fine to take her as a concubine; if not, even having her as a maid to serve tea and wash clothes is acceptable."

  Looking at Han Mingxiao smiling with a ambiguous face and winking at himself, Ye Li got a headache. "Han Gongzi is being polite, I'm just lucky for the time being. Moreover...I didn't even have a one-on-one gamble with Ru Mei, so it can't be said that I won against Ru Mei. Therefore, Ru Mei, you should take her back."

  Han Mingxi closed his fan and carelessly tapped it against the palm of his hand, saying: "Is Master Chu looking down on Ru Mei?"

  After hearing Han Mingxi's words, the delicate and beautiful face of Mei Niang turned pale, and she gazed at Ye Li with a resentful look, standing aside with her head down, silently shedding tears. Ye Li glared at Han Mingxi with annoyance and said: "Han Gongzi, since everyone has good intentions, why must you tease me like this? My family's teachings are very strict, so I can only thank you for your kind intentions."

  Han Mingxi let out a long sigh, looking at Ye Li with a face full of resentment: "Lang Xinruo is indeed heartless. Forget it, Ru Mei. It seems that Chu Gongzi really doesn't think highly of you. Go down." Ru Mei hummed softly, stomped her foot, and glared at Ye Li before turning around and leaving. Ye Li couldn't help but bitterly smile in her heart. If she were to really send the courtesan back, she didn't dare think about how her uncle would react, let alone Mo Xiuyao's furious outburst. Mo Xiuyao... thinking of when he left, Ye Li recalled that despite his efforts to hide it, his eyes still revealed a hint of sadness. Ye Li softly sighed in her heart.

  "What is Chu Gongzi thinking about?" Han Mingxi supported his chin and curiously stared at Ye Li, if he wasn't mistaken, he saw a hint of longing or worry in the eyes of this clever and mysterious young man.

  "Is Lord Han here to discuss this private matter with me?" Ye Li asked indifferently, glancing at him.

  Han Mingxi shrugged and raised an eyebrow, "It doesn't matter now, let's just talk."

  "That's perfect, why don't you, Mr. Han, also talk about your own... romantic history? I've recently become quite interested in dialogue scripts, how about writing one and calling it... The Legend of the Romantic Young Master?" Ye Li said with a slanted smile.

  "You're indeed very boring." Han Mingxi muttered. Since Chu Junwei knew the relationship between Qingfeng Tower and Tianyi Pavilion, it wasn't surprising that he also knew about Han Mingxi, the infamous Wind and Moon Young Master. However, knowing his reputation didn't make him look down on him like ordinary people did. Han Mingxi thought this person seemed to have some interest after all. "We can be considered familiar with each other now. Constantly calling each other 'young master' is also boring. Why don't we just address each other by name? I'll call you Junwei, and you can call me Mingxi."

  Ye Li blinked lightly. Jun Wei? Ming Xi? Why did she think this name was a bit strange?

  "Brother Han." Ye Li warned, staring at him to remind him that it was time to get down to business.

  "Alright, are you just shy?" Han Mingxi blinked his charming eyes and smiled, then quickly put on a serious expression before Ye Li's outburst: "I've roughly found the things you wanted. However, as you know, we're in Great Chu and most of the people you want to investigate are in Nanjiang. So there's only a part here, and I'll have someone send the rest to you after you enter Nanjiang. But... I'm actually quite curious, Han Wei, you're still young, why do you want to go to Nanjiang so badly? Even if it's just for traveling... it seems completely unnecessary to investigate the Nan Zhao imperial family and the Holy Maiden of Nanjiang as well."

  Ye Li's expression didn't change as he said, "To be honest, I went to the southern border in search of a certain medicine, and it seems that this medicine is somehow related to the royal family of Nanzhao and the southern border."

  Han Mingxi raised an eyebrow, with a hint of joking: "Jun Wei, you're generous and your brother isn't stingy either. What medicine do you want? Just say it and I'll have someone fetch it for you. Why bother going all the way yourself? You wouldn't be after the Southern Border's treasure, 'You Luo Ming Hua', would you?" Ye Li nodded seriously: "That's right."

  Han Mingxi's smile froze, and he let out a helpless sigh: "You're also... the Youluo Minghua is the treasure of Nanjiang, personally guarded by the Holy Girl of Nanjiang. Let alone ordinary people, even if the King of Nanzhao wanted to take it, he might not be able to get it. Junwei, are you sure you want to go?" Ye Li nodded firmly, "If it wasn't for this, why would I pay such a huge price to Tianyi Pavilion for information? The trip to Nanjiang is inevitable, so please help me prepare the materials thoroughly, lest I don't return and you lose a business partner."

  "As far as I know, although the Yuroku flower is said to have the effect of reviving the dead, whether anyone has actually used it to revive someone, I don't know. But what I do know is that those who want to get their hands on it end up dying a clean death. Are you really willing to risk everything for this?" Han Mingxi asked with some concern, "Is it an illness or poison? Perhaps I can help you find out if there's another way."

  Seeing Han Mingxiao so worried, Ye Li felt a bit guilty and quickly said: "Don't worry about it, I'm just doing my best. If it's really not possible, I won't risk my life to send myself to death." Han Mingxiao nodded, while instructing: "You'd better think that way, the southern border is different from our Central Plains. There's always a bit of evil energy there, even our Tianyi Pavilion can't fully display its abilities in the southern border many times."

  "I understand. Thank you, Brother Han." Ye Li nodded and replied, taking out a delicate small crystal bottle from the box on the table, which was filled with more than half of a light green liquid, "This is what I promised to give to Brother Han earlier, I hope it meets your expectations."

  Han Mingxi curiously took it over, and once the crystal bottle was opened, a faintly elegant floral scent wafted out and filled the hall. Han Mingxi exclaimed with delight: "This is...the fragrance of orchids..."

  "Although this flavor doesn't seem to suit Brother Han's taste, we can only make do with it for now." Ye Li actually couldn't quite understand the significance of a man making himself smell so fragrant, but she still decided to respect her newly acquainted partner's personal hobby.

  Han Mingxi was completely nonchalant, holding the crystal bottle with great fondness, "How could it be? It's really too good, thank you, Jun Wei. The matter of the fragrance and cosmetics for Qingfeng Mingyue Tower and Xun Ya Pavilion that Jun Wei mentioned earlier is settled then. From now on, all the fragrances and cosmetics needed by Qingfeng Mingyue Tower will be ordered from Xun Ya Pavilion." Ye Li nodded and smiled: "Then thank you, Brother Han."

  "No need to thank me, I suppose it's mutually beneficial. Jun Wei, can you make something with a stronger flavor next time? This seems much better than the spices, and if sold at Xiang Ya Lou, it will definitely sell for more."

  Ye Li twitched the corner of her mouth and said, "This is not easy to handle. Including the bottle in Brother Han's hand, there are only five bottles of Xun Ya Ge. And...Brother Han, I've actually had a question I wanted to ask."

  "Feel free to ask, I'll tell you everything." Having gotten what he wanted, Han Mingxi's mood was unusually good. He waved his hand casually and said.

  Ye Li looked at him and said, "Is it really convenient for someone like you... in your profession... to have such a fragrance that assaults people?" If it were an ordinary household, it would be fine, but if he were to visit a household with strict security or one with skilled martial artists, wouldn't they notice the scent as long as their noses weren't impaired?

  Han Mingxi was taken aback, and it wasn't until after a while that he understood what Ye Li meant by "profession". He glared at her with annoyance and said: "You're still just a little kid, you don't understand the elegance of men. Beautiful women don't know how much they love this young master's fragrance."

  Ye Li was speechless. Had she never seen a man before? The five Xu brothers, and Mo Xiuyao Fengyao, including Mo Jingli, were all included. At most, they only had a light fragrance on their clothes, such as Longwangxiang, musk, or sandalwood. Mo Xiuyao probably had a faint ink scent from spending too much time in the study room. She had never seen any man use such a flashy fragrance before; why didn't he just turn himself into a giant incense burner?

  After seeing off Han Mingxi, who had a reluctant face, after returning from the south of the country and promising to take a look at whether he could adjust better spices for him, Ye Li sat down to look at the things Han Mingxi had sent over.

  "Gongzi, when are we leaving for the southern border?" An San and An Si were fiddling with the things they had just bought back from Ye Li's instructions, while looking at Ye Li who was sitting on one side reading a scroll. Ye Li didn't lift his head, staring at the scroll in his hand as he said: "The Guangling matter has been dealt with for the most part, we'll leave early the day after tomorrow. Take a look at these things too." He casually tossed out a few paper notes, An Yi and An Er caught them and also began to study them intently.

  "Besides, I'm leaving the day after tomorrow. Only one of you can come with me."

  The four of them stopped what they were doing and stared at Ye Li's calm face in shock, "Your Highness...young master, this..." An frowned and said, the southern border is not like the central plains. They are unfamiliar with the place, and it's too dangerous for the princess to only bring one person along. Ye Li looked up and smiled at them, "Don't you think that our group of five would attract a lot of attention? The people of the southern border are very xenophobic, and I'm afraid as soon as we enter the southern border, we'll be watched by others."

  "But it's too dangerous for Young Master to bring only one person. What if something happens..." An San said.

  "Don't you believe me or don't you believe in yourself?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow and asked.

  The four of them exchanged a glance, unable to utter any words of rebuttal. Ye Li smiled and said: "Alright, it's settled then. Dark Three, follow me. Dark Four, you stay behind and secretly keep an eye on the Qingfeng Mingyue Tower. If Han Mingyue returns or there's any movement, immediately send a message to me. Be careful not to get discovered. Dark One, go to Suixue Pass and try to infiltrate the military camp. If I don't send you a message, just ignore everything else. No matter who you see from our side or the royal family, just pretend you don't know. Secretly pay attention to the situation in Lingzhou. Dark Two, set off tonight with my token and head to Nanjiang to find Big Brother. Once you've found him, just stay by his side."

  The four of them saw that Ye Li had obviously made up her mind, and could only nod in agreement. Ye Li smiled as she looked at them, "Unless absolutely necessary, you are not allowed to contact the capital. I think...you all know what it means by 'absolutely necessary', right?"

  The four of them couldn't help but feel sorry for him, as An San hung his head in shame, the other three also casting sympathetic glances at him. He would definitely be skinned alive by Prince Wang.

  Ye Lixiao didn't have the mind to care about the emotions of her subordinates, staring at the scroll in her hand about the Holy Girl of Nanjiang, lost in thought. The Holy Girl of Nanjiang was not just a nominal title without real power as she had previously thought. On the contrary, the Holy Girl of Nanjiang had considerable influence over the politics of Nanzhao, and in some aspects even surpassed that of the royal family of Nanzhao. However, the Holy Girl could not get married or have children, and whenever a new generation's Holy Girl appeared, the previous one would have to enter the Holy Land of Nanjiang to guard the Yu Luo Ming flower, never to step out of the Holy Land again or see outsiders. Therefore, the threat to the royal power was not so sharp after all. The current Holy Girl's name is Shu Manlin, 23 years old this year. According to the rules of Nanjiang, the Holy Girl must abdicate by the age of 28 at the latest.

  Ye Li furrowed her brow, secretly guessing in her heart whether the reason why the Holy Maiden of Nanjiang would want to rebel was because of this. After all, a 28-year-old woman who had enjoyed the highest honor and respect being locked up in some unknown sacred place, not even allowed to see outsiders again... it's a rather cruel thing for anyone.

  "Gongzi, are we really going to get the You Luo Ming Hua?" An San asked curiously as he saw Ye Li staring at the scroll of the Nanjiang Saintess.

  Ye Li replied casually, "If we can get it, of course, it's better to take it. But let's prioritize the matters in Nanjiang first." Finally, she asked Yu Luo Ming Hua if her body had any use for Mo Xiu Yao before deciding whether or not to go and retrieve it.