In the Mingtao Mountain Villa outside Hangzhou City, on the second day early in the morning, Ming Shaoping came to the villa to pay his respects. The Empress Dowager, as usual, sent someone to ask about his well-being and offered tea, but did not see him in person. The King of Qin sent a servant to the academy to ask for leave, all of which were common practices.

  Ming Shaoping knocked his head outside the mountain villa, returned to the post house, and Li Wenlin hurriedly dragged the two legs of the mill with blood and flesh, went to Wansong Academy to find his younger brother Li Wenshan.

  Li Wenshan was not in the academy, the old doorman who answered the question looked impatient, he wasn't there and that's it, how would he know why he wasn't there? Without waiting for Li Wenlin to ask again, he slammed the door shut.

  Li Wenlin was bursting with idle energy, and he quickly sent someone to report to Ming Shaoping, who was waiting at the De Yue Lou. Ming Shaoping immediately sent someone to find Zheng Cao and Mr. Qin to ask where Li Wenshan had gone.

  Mr. Qin was not in Hangzhou City, and Zheng Cao got a letter from somewhere unknown, saying that Li Wenshan did not follow Wang Ye back to Hangzhou City yesterday and is still at home in Hengshan County.

  Ming Shaoping hastily asked Li Wenlin to run a trip to Hengshan County and bring back Li Wenshan. As the authentic imperial envoy, it was not suitable for him to go to Hengshan again at this time.

  Li Wenlin gritted his teeth and got on the horse, running halfway before encountering Mr. Qin's entourage heading leisurely to Hangzhou City. Upon learning that Li Wenshan was not in Hengshan County, he dismounted and boarded Mr. Qin's carriage, abandoning his trip to Hengshan County and instead turning back towards Hangzhou City.

  After all this fuss, it's almost noon already.

  Mr. Qin learned from Li Wenlin's mouth in a few words that the hundreds of miles of empty running yesterday had come to an end, and everyone who should know knew it immediately, and understood that Li Wenshan was avoiding this avoidance, which was probably still the king's intention.

  Mr. Qin felt at ease, accompanied Li Wenlin to have a sumptuous and unique dinner in Lin'an City, then found an orthopedic doctor in Lin'an City, applied medicine to Li Wenlin's two legs that were worn out, got back on the carriage, and slowly entered Hangzhou City, the sky was already pitch black.

  Ming Shaoping waited almost all day at De Yue Lou, sending people to Xiangshan County one after another. From Hangzhou to Xiangshan County, back and forth, even with the best horses, it would take at least two hours each way. The first trip didn't find anyone, and neither did the second, but the person on the second trip had just returned when Li Wenlin arrived.

  Ming Shaoping was covered in the smell of medicine, with no clothes on his legs, only a thin quilt covering him. Li Wenlin looked like a general who had been tortured to death, his face twisted in pain, and he was dizzy from anger.

  The next morning, they set out early for Mingzhou, as this imperial envoy had a tight schedule.

  ………………

  Mr. Qin sat on the most common Tongmu wooden carriage, watching Ming Shaoping's team leave Hangzhou East Gate, and the horses trotted away before ordering to return.

  Back in the small courtyard where he rented, Mr. Qin sat under the corridor, looking at the layer of silver ginkgo leaves on the ground, and after a while, he called Ji Dajun to come in and instructed him: "You immediately go to Jiangning Prefecture, meet with the old master, and tell the old master that Fifth Master returned to Hangzhou City yesterday morning, accompanied Wang Ye to visit Hengshan County, and probably returned late last night. Today didn't go to the academy. Third Master went to the academy but couldn't find him. Later, he was in Hengshan County, on his way to Hengshan County, I met him, and we returned to Hangzhou City together when it was already very late. This morning, Third Master has set off with Young Master Ming to go to Mingzhou."

  Ji Da listened attentively and repeated it again. Seeing Mr. Qin nodding, he bowed his head and retreated, led the horse out, and went to Jiangning Prefecture.

  ………………

  Li Cuishi sent Ji Dage down to rest and sat upright at the top, his face somewhat pale and cold.

  After sitting for a while, Li Cao got up and entered the inner courtyard. Mrs. Yan saw that his face was not right, so she quickly dismissed the maidservants and personally poured tea to hand to Li Cao, looking at his expression and asking: "What's wrong?"

  "Earlier, Mr. Qin sent Ji Da over..." Li Chuo drank half a cup of tea, took a deep breath, and recounted the words that Ji Da had brought, his expression gloomy with a hint of anger and loss, as well as other indescribable emotions. "Qin Qing and I have known each other for over 20 years, yet..."

  Li Chuo let out a long sigh, and Madame Yan was stunned for a moment, asking uncertainly, "Sir, what's going on? Mr. Qin?"

  "Hmm, Qin Qing has already submitted to Fifth Brother's camp." Li Chao's face grew even more somber.

  Mrs. Yan was slightly incredulous, standing still for a moment before sitting down beside Li Chui, just about to speak when she saw that his cup was empty, hastily getting up again to pour him another cup of tea and then sitting back down, her mind already turning several more corners than before, "Old Master, I think this is actually good news, firstly, you didn't misjudge Fifth Brother, our Li family's next generation will definitely surpass the previous one, this is a good thing."

  "You're right." Li Chuo thought of smiling, but let out a sigh. If only this were his own child, that would be great.

  Mrs. Yan's heart was also sour and uncomfortable, forcing a smile: "Secondly, Mr. Qin has known Grandfather for so many years, Grandfather is very clear about what kind of person Mr. Qin is, and Mr. Qin also knows what kind of person Grandfather is. With him by Fifth Brother's side, it's much better than anyone else."

  Li Cao didn't say anything and slowly let out a sigh.

  "To be honest with you, sir, thinking about the next generation of the Li family, the most outstanding one is not born to us, my heart... it's just sour. I'm not like you, sir, I'm narrower-minded, but I know what's right. From our eldest brother to fifth and sixth brothers, they're all close relatives, can't be closer, we're all one family."

  Mrs. Yan continued, and Li Cao let out a long sigh, "It's human nature, I'm also sad, alas. But I'm not because of this, it's just that thinking about Qin Qing... forget it, forget it, don't think about it anymore. At the time when Qin Qing asked me to help pick people for Fifth Brother, he had already hinted at something and said those people would all be Fifth Brother's in the future, telling me to let go a bit. I thought at the time, how could I not let go? Could I really not let go because of this matter? But when it actually happened... alas! I didn't expect Qin Qing..."

  Li Chuo sighed one after another, and Mrs. Yan looked at Li Chuo and followed with a sigh.

  "Don't worry, I'm just talking to you about these things, to distract myself. If I can think it through, when Qin Qing volunteered to go... I know this is inevitable, if that person was sent away and still my person, Fifth Brother wouldn't be able to handle it, that would be bad. Don't worry, I can think it through, it's just a bit... sigh."

  "It's still hard no matter how you think about it." Mrs. Yan added.

  Li Shuo wanted to smile, but halfway through, he sighed again and patted Yan Furen's hand. "You and I are husband and wife, our hearts understand each other... Alright, I won't be sad, you don't have to be sour either. Who let us not give birth to a good son?"

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