Li Wei smiled: "This involves some things in their royal family... anyway, it won't bother you again, so just ignore it." Some people wanted to take advantage of the death of the Ning Wangfei and the fact that the Ning Wang was too busy to pay attention, but they happened to run into trouble at the right time and place. However, these things were not easy for him to explain clearly to anyone, and saying more would be useless.

  Things between the imperial relatives, after all, cannot escape the struggle for power and interests. This is to say that the person who is secretly sabotaging her does not have her as their target, but rather is muddying the waters. Since she won't be able to stir up trouble again in the future, Peony wisely suppressed her curiosity and asked instead: "Has Uncle not had any disagreements with that Grand Steward because of this?"

  Li Daodao said, "No way, my father and the Grand Steward are actually both the left and right arms of the palace, neither of whom can be offended. He knows how formidable they are. If anyone is to blame, it's Deng Guanshi who is really reckless and daring. On that riverbank, he didn't even have a plan, yet he dared to think about harming you. Such an evil person who doesn't know the bigger picture will eventually come to no good, how can we keep him?" In fact, in his heart, he was secretly rejoicing. Fortunately, at that time, those people didn't recognize Peony, and Peony wasn't present, so they mistook Sun Shi for Peony and directly took action. Otherwise, if it had been another time when Peony was traveling alone with her servants, who knows what big trouble might have occurred.

  The peony saw him speak seriously and put his heart at ease: "It's good this way."

  Li Wei smiled at Peony: "Actually, this time, you reacted very quickly and did a great job, not bad at all. If it weren't for your precautions beforehand, they wouldn't have been forced to fall into my hands so smoothly. In the future, I'm sure you'll be able to manage that estate very well."

  "Peony smiled slightly: 'I don't dare take credit, without the uncle's note coming over, you help set up an ambush to catch people, and my brothers help me out, it won't be easy to resolve.'"

  Li Wei saw that she was just being polite, deliberately keeping her distance, and couldn't help but think that it didn't make sense to keep pushing like this, it would only push them further apart. It's better to be natural. She shook her head, smiled and said: "You're busy, I'll go chat with Uncle He and the others." After speaking, she got up and sat next to He Zhitong, listening to him bragging and occasionally interjecting a few words, teasing the kids a bit, making them shout and laugh, looking like they had returned to their usual selves.

  Peony stood by, smiling to herself, thinking that it was quite all right like this. Suddenly, she saw Zhen Shi walking in with a hint of a smile and said: "Lady Peony, the steward from the Jiang family has arrived. He says he wants to see you."

  Peony immediately thought that it must be to send peony seeds to give to himself, and hurriedly got up and said a word to Mrs. Cen, who instructed: "Take good care of him."

  Peony nodded and led Lin's mother and Yuhe out. As expected, they saw Wu sitting in the side hall, chatting with the family's general manager. When Peony entered, Wu immediately stood up to greet her and handed over a bamboo basket, smiling: "This is the peony seed that my father promised your mother, I don't know if the timing of picking it is appropriate."

  "It must be good." Peony lifted the thin silk cloth covering the basket, took a glance at the bright spot inside, but found that it wasn't directly filled with crab apples. Instead, there were five or six pieces of cloth packages. She picked up the largest one and saw that on the cloth, several words were written in fine handwriting: "Nanzhao Purple Peony". The writing was bold, simple and seemed to be a man's handwriting. When she opened it, inside were more than twenty crab apples with yellow skin, full and refreshing, very suitable indeed.

  She sighed at how meticulous Jiang Changyang's people were, and then picked up the other bundles to examine them. The silk fabrics all had the names of flowers written on them, just like the first bundle: Gan Cao Hong, Bian Hong, Yu Ban Bai, Zhu Sha Hong, Fen Er Qiao. However, the number of dried fruits inside varied - some had five or six, while others only had one or two. Some were shriveled up, while others were plump; some were dry and dark in color, while others were moist and light in color. It seemed that they had been picked at different times, and the people picking them didn't know which ones were suitable and which weren't, so they just picked everything indiscriminately. Still, they would all be usable.

  Wu Jian saw the peonies and couldn't help but smile slightly, timely interjecting: "These are other varieties, the flower farmer followed Master's instructions to pick them when the skin was crab-yellow in color, they just aren't many, and the time it takes to dry is a bit longer. My master thought you might need them, so he had me bring them over as well. I don't know if you have any use for them."

  What a wonderful surprise, Peony laughed with her mouth wide open, and the chicken pecked at the rice, nodding: "Useful, useful, it's useful now." She dug up another one, and just remembered to thank Wu Daoye for being polite: "Mr. Jiang is really generous, and the person who packaged these seeds is very meticulous, this character is written so well. Your family's new flower craftsman is really good." According to her imagination, someone like Jiang Changyang would absolutely not package these seeds himself, it must have been done by the flower craftsman.

  A strange expression appeared on Wu's face, and he said vaguely: "Hmm, this florist is indeed not bad. This character...this character is indeed written very well. It can't be written without more than ten years of skill."

  Peony didn't notice his expression, nodded in agreement: "Later please ask Mr. Ou to thank General Jiang on my behalf." He took the two packages handed over by Yuhe and handed them to Ou Dao: "This larger package is for you, Director Ou, to have some tea, and this smaller one is for that gardener. Just looking at how carefully this package was made and even had the name of the flower written on it, I can tell he's a meticulous person."

  Wu's hand hovered in mid-air, thought for a moment, then reached out to take the bundle and said with a smile: "That little one will thank He Niang for him."

  "Of course."

  Wu Xiaoxiao put away her handbag and said seriously, "He Niang, my father went to see Master Fuyuan today. He told us that the matter in your village has become more serious? Please tell me about it, what's the current situation? Maybe my father can ask someone to help and send a message to the Ning Wangfu."

  "Thanks for your concern, it's all right now, the matter has been settled. I was just thinking of going to the mansion another day to say hello, troubling Lord Jiang with worries."

  I'm a bit puzzled, yesterday the mad cow was already chased to the big river, and you say nothing's wrong? Is this true or false?

  The peony saw that he didn't believe it, so she roughly told him what had happened: "My uncle is the chief historian of the Ning Wang Fu, and yesterday because things were getting more and more serious, I asked for his help. My cousin went to the villa that night, caught the arsonist, and brought them before the Ning Wang. They have all been punished accordingly and won't be able to harm people again."

  Wu heard and also happily congratulated Peony, thanked for the meal, and bid farewell.

  Peony carried a bamboo basket and went in. Zhen Shi sat beside Mrs. Cen and beckoned her to come over: "What did she give you?"

  The peony opens for them to see: "It's the peony seeds that were promised to me before."

  Madam Qin picked up the package and looked at it, smiling: "The packaging is quite meticulous, and the characters are written very well... You said it was written by a florist? Can a florist really write such good characters? It's truly rare!"

  He Zhizhong heard this and smiled, "Let me take a look?" After seeing the words on the silk package, he couldn't help but praise: "Indeed, it's well-written. It's a pity that such good handwriting is wasted on being a florist."

  Li Wei also took a look and casually asked: "Whose flower arrangement is this?"

  He Zhizhong said casually, "It's that Jiang Changyang, the one who saved Dan Niang last time. It's really a coincidence that his villa is also near Fangyuan, and it was he who sent someone to tell DENG about the trouble caused by the union of other households, which alerted Dan Niang. This man is not bad, we went to thank him last time, just casually mentioned it, but he remembered it all along."

  "Can he not remember? I still owe him a few good flowers."

  Li Wei pursed her lips and suddenly said, "Dan Niang, I heard that you've been looking everywhere for peonies to graft, but they were snatched away by someone? The ones in my house, I've instructed them to take good care of them, and when autumn comes, I'll have someone send them over to you."

  The peony raised her eyes to look over, but saw that he was extremely serious, thinking that it would be inappropriate to refuse his kindness in front of the whole family, so she said half-jokingly and half-seriously: "That price is not allowed to be high, otherwise, even if you are my cousin, I won't agree."

  Li Wei hurriedly smiled and said: "Alright, you can sell it to me at market price, but don't try to cheat me."

  While they were talking, Mrs. Xue had the meal ready and came in to invite everyone to eat. Li Wei stood up politely: "I still have something to do, so I'll take my leave first."

  He Zhizhong pulled him back and said slightly angrily, "What kind of reason is it to leave without eating? Eat first and then talk!"

  Li Wei looked at Mrs. Cen with difficulty, but Mrs. Cen didn't have any opinion about him after all. She had seen him grow up and he was a good kid. Seeing him looking over at her with eager eyes, she softened and smiled: "Of course, silly child, can't you even eat a meal at your aunt's house? You weren't so polite in the past either. Go sit down and eat, have some more."

  As soon as she spoke, the children who were already sensible next to her immediately swarmed up and surrounded Li Wei, moving forward. Before leaving the house, Li Wei glanced at the half basket of peony seeds, straightened her waist, smoothed out her already neat and tidy jade-colored robe, and started talking about poetry with He Ru and He Hong in a calm and natural manner.

  Madam Cen sighed softly, what a good kid, it's really a pity.

  But he hummed a little tune and returned to the Jiang's residence by the Qujiang Pool, asking the young servant Jiang Changyang who was feeding fish at the pond in the garden, then bypassing the small path, heading towards the back garden.

  The sky had already turned dark, with only a few strands of golden red light shining through the colorful clouds. Jiang Changyang stood by the pond, gently sprinkling fish food into the water. The fat koi swam around him, opening their round mouths to swallow, making soft "glubbing" sounds. Jiang Changyang's face was particularly distinct in the dim light. Hearing footsteps, he asked without turning his head, "Are you back?"

  He pinched the pouch in his sleeve, a sly smile spreading across his face as he approached with a respectful expression: "Yes, I'm back. Mrs. He said that matter has been resolved. Let me express her gratitude to you."

  Jiang Changyang sprinkled the last bit of fish food into the pond, patted his hands, and turned around to look at him: "Solved? So quickly? What did she say was the solution?"

  Wu repeated what Peony had said, and smiled: "This He Niang, looking so smiling, is actually also a strong-willed person."

  Jiang Changyang grunted and nodded in understanding, then turned around and walked away. Wu hurriedly called out: "Master Jiang!"

  Jiang Changyang stood still, puzzled and asked: "Is there something else?"

  Wu pulled out the pouch full of money from his sleeve and handed it over with both hands, saying seriously: "This is what He Niang gave you." As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Jiang Changyang's expression.

  Jiang Changyang was taken aback, standing still and staring at the handbag. The handbag was a steady azure color with a simple embroidery of a cluster of orchids on it. The embroidery was not bad, and the pattern looked pretty good too. He clearly remembered that every time he saw her, her dresses were embroidered with all sorts of peonies, each one more beautiful than the last, each one more stunning than the previous. Why did this handbag have an embroidery of orchids instead of peonies? Jiang Changyang was startled by his own sudden thought and didn't reach out to take the handbag, saying lightly: "Why would she suddenly give me a handbag? Are you playing tricks on me?"

  Wu Wen heard this and raised his head in shock, saying: "How dare I? I dare to swear to heaven that if there is even half a word of falsehood, I will be struck by five thunderbolts. It was indeed He Niang who gave it." What he said was actually not false for half a word, but rather one word was false, which was "reward" instead of "give", so he was not afraid of this oath and could make him swear ten times if needed.

  Jiang Changyang wiped his palms somewhat nervously and hesitated: "Why did she give me this? Do you know what's inside?"

  Wu suppressed her smile and continued to hold out the package, saying honestly: "I don't know, nor do I dare ask, He Niang. Why not open it and take a look?"

  Jiang Changyang pursed his lips and took over the bundle, feeling its weight as soon as he held it. He weighed it in his hand and felt something was off. As soon as he opened the bundle, several shiny copper coins rolled out, falling onto the small path paved with gravel, making a crisp clinking sound before rolling into the nearby grass and disappearing in an instant. Jiang Changyang raised an eyebrow, pointing to the opening of the bundle, which was now fully open, revealing that it was packed tightly with copper coins. He couldn't help but feel annoyed, pursing his lips tightly, looking at Wu with a cold gaze, and said angrily: "What kind of trick are you playing again?"

  Wu Ren couldn't help but laugh, holding his stomach in pain. He pretended to look wronged and said: "Master, you're being unfair to me! Hei Niang said that the person who wrapped the flower package did a good job, and their handwriting was also nice, so she gave it to him as a gift to buy tea with. It was a kind gesture from them, and I couldn't bear to refuse, so I brought it back. If you don't want it, Master, then give it to me as a reward."

  He's family's Dan Niang is not a person who doesn't understand etiquette, how could she inexplicably send herself a package of money like sending off an underling? Looking at it, it's clear that there has been some kind of misunderstanding. Jiang Changyang clearly knew that Wu was playing tricks, but he couldn't get angry, and instead calmly said: "You can't even handle such a simple task properly, you're still thinking about getting more reward money?! If you do things like this in the future, I think you can just go back."

  Wu also followed him, straightened up and hung his head, sincerely responding with a "yes". Jiang Changyang glared at him, lightly kicked him: "Take advantage of the remaining light to quickly find the money, don't waste it! A penny can be hard to come by for heroes in critical times."

  Wu bent down and searched for the money in the grass, then handed it to Jiang Changyang with both hands. Jiang Changyang glared at him again, put the money in his bag, tied the opening, and turned to leave. Wu hurriedly followed behind him, smiling obsequiously: "Master, what time do we set off tomorrow?"

  Jiang Chang said without turning his head: "At noon, go to Fashou Temple to pick up Master Fuyuan, pack up and leave."

  Wu stole a glance at the pouch in his hand and quickly followed up: "Let that little man go check the horse's equipment again."

  Jiang Changyang nodded: "Be careful, I'll have dinner with everyone later. Go and see how the dishes are prepared, remember to add more dishes in the kitchen. Each person can only drink one bowl of wine, no more, keep an eye on it."

  Wu Ying answered and went to make preparations without mentioning it again.

  Jiang Changyang held the package of money and returned to his room, took out flint and steel from his pocket, and skillfully lit the candles on the table. He casually put the package of money into a yellow poplar wooden box on the table. He reached under the table and felt around for a moment, pulled out a piece of paper filled with writing, and examined it carefully in the candlelight before burning it completely to ashes.

  Soon, Wu lightly knocked on the door: "Master, everyone is here."

  Jiang Changyang blew out the candle and turned around to open the door: "Let's go."

  The dusk had not yet fully fallen, and the county master's mansion in Yongxingfang was already shrouded in a low-hanging curtain, with bright lights shining. The maidservants, dressed in green clothes, with their hair tied back in a bun, and wearing silk shoes, were moving in an orderly manner, one by one, bringing steaming hot dishes to the main house's long table, which was decorated with gold frames and precious stones, ready for the master to use at any time. The thick scent of suet oil was everywhere, making it almost impossible to smell the fragrance emitted by the delicious food. The maidservants didn't have the heart to care about this either, as everyone was nervous and fearful, afraid that if they made a slight noise, they would be punished by the master who was in a very bad mood.

  When the dishes were all served, several maidservants who usually attended to Qinghua quietly pushed and shoved each other, none of them willing to go and report to Mistress Qinghua. After a brief commotion, Ajie, the maid who was usually most favored by Qinghua, let out a sigh and said softly, "Alright, I'll go today, and we can take turns from now on." The others all breathed a sigh of relief, showing their joy at having escaped disaster, and together they pushed her forward.

  Ajie stepped around the six-bend silver hook and feathered lady screen, and on the wide white sandalwood bed behind the low-hanging crimson gauze curtains, Qinghua Junzhu lay motionless, staring blankly at the top of the canopy. She said softly: "Junzhu, the dishes are all ready. Shall we bring the table over now to serve you?"

  Tsinghua County's mistress blinked her eyes, which had been open for a long time and were slightly sour, and said in a cold voice: "Liu Chuan hasn't arrived yet?" Her voice was hoarse and unpleasant due to not having spoken for a long time.

  This voice was no less than a magical sound to Ah Jie's ears, and she involuntarily trembled slightly, stiffening her neck and speaking with a thick tongue: "Liu Si has sent someone over with a message saying he'll be late, please don't wait for him to eat, Your Highness."

  Ajie spoke with a sense of desperation, knowing that the consequences of her words would be terrible. Since Qinghua Junzhu fell off her horse and injured herself, she had been bedridden and recovering, but her temper had become increasingly erratic and violent. She would often summon Liu Chong to keep her company, but now that her injuries were stable, he didn't come as frequently as before. Even when he did come, it was just a formality - he would hold a cup of tea or a book, sit by her bedside for a long time without saying a word. If Qinghua Junzhu was in a good mood and spoke nicely to him, Liu Chong might occasionally respond, but if she flew into a rage, smashed things, and scolded him, he would remain completely still, pretending not to see or hear anything.

  The mistress of Qinghua was extremely dissatisfied with this, scolding him for not being a good thing. But the people around her all advised her, saying she was wrong, praising Liu's good temper and magnanimity. The two of them were at odds, but the ones who suffered were these servants, always on tenterhooks, constantly worried that they would accidentally provoke the mistress of Qinghua again and bring disaster upon themselves.

  Ah Jing was right, as soon as she finished speaking, Qing Hua Jun Zhu swung a porcelain pillow and threw it over. Although Qing Hua Jun Zhu's lower body couldn't move, her two arms, which had been exercising for a long time, were not weak at all. Grabbing the porcelain pillow and throwing it at someone was simply a trivial matter.

  Ajie's toes were all cramped with fear, she stared wide-eyed and motionless, staring at the trajectory of the porcelain pillow, calculating that it was about to arrive, and subtly tilted her head. The porcelain pillow whizzed past her hair, looking like Qinghua had missed on purpose - Qinghua usually punished people by not allowing them to dodge, otherwise the punishment would be increased, so making intentional dodges look accidental was also a profound art that couldn't be achieved without actual combat training.

  The sound of the porcelain pillow hitting the ground was particularly jarring and frightening in the empty, dimly lit room. Qinghua seemed tired and didn't continue to pursue the matter. Ajie, who had narrowly escaped disaster, only now felt her sweat dripping down her back, her legs weakening, and with a "thud" she knelt down on the ground, trembling all over as she cried out: "Your Ladyship, rest! Your Ladyship, take care! The imperial physician specifically instructed that you cannot move, you must rest quietly."

  Tsinghua County's mistress panted heavily, her voice full of hatred: "How detestable! If I could get out of bed now, I would definitely make him regret it!" She turned her head and glared at Ah-jie with a fierce gaze: "Go! Have someone go and urge him again! Tell him that if he doesn't come, I'll make him regret it for the rest of his life!" How unlucky she was! Nothing was going smoothly. She had already taken to bed, yet her family members not only didn't take care of her but also came to scold her in a rage over such a trivial matter as a needle point! And that heartless Liu Chong! She hated him so much that she almost bit her silver teeth to pieces.

  Ajie quietly retreated, her brow furrowed as she beckoned a young servant to come over: "Go and invite Liu Temple again, ask him to please hurry over. Just say that the county master's mood is particularly bad today. If he doesn't come, I'm afraid something even bigger will happen."