Chapter 1364: Xiao Shi Poisoned

Xiao Shi never expected that the Second Prince was still alive, and she was even more surprised by the audacity of the Xiao family and the Third Prince to hide him in their residence.

She went to see the family head, pretending not to know anything, and asked why her maids and servants were taken away.

However, the family head, who used to treat her kindly as the only daughter of the Xiao family, now looked dark and forbade her from asking questions or leaving the Xiao family.

He warned her that if she dared to do anything reckless, not only her servants but even her parents' lives would be in danger.

Xiao Shi was frightened. After returning, she couldn't stop thinking that the family head was risking the lives of the entire Xiao family.

What was even worse was that Xiao Shi suspected she had been poisoned.

She suddenly became thin and couldn't eat or sleep properly. However, it wasn't that she had no appetite, but every mealtime, she felt nauseous.

She knew her father wasn't sick; how could he reach the point of disliking tea and food? But her nausea was abnormal.

It wasn't just her; her father's complexion was also very off.

Xiao Shi suspected that the family head wanted to eliminate their entire family as a precaution.

However, she had no way to resist. She was being watched, her trusted people were taken away, and her parents were being held as hostages. Even if Xiao Shi knew the family head was harming them, she couldn't find a way out.

Her relatives were all part of the Xiao family, and they wouldn't help her.

Her friends who came to visit the Xiao family were all turned away.

The only person who came to take her back was her mother-in-law, but Xiao Shi knew that her mother-in-law didn't like her, and she couldn't trust her either.

At that moment, Xiao Shi desperately hoped for Xiang Weinan to come back. He was the only person she could believe in and rely on.

Perhaps her prayers were heard, and Xiang Weinan did return.

Xiao Shi was ecstatic. She knew that her relationship with her husband wasn't good, but she understood his character well, knowing that he was intelligent and cautious.

Even... she knew he might already be one of the Emperor's people.

After going to Jiangyuan County, Xiao Shi didn't return empty-handed.

When the new Emperor ascended the throne, she noticed her husband's visible excitement. He was the son-in-law of the Xiao family, yet he didn't worry about being purged by the new Emperor.

Although it felt unbelievable, Xiao Shi believed in her intuition. Even her husband's trip to Jiangyuan County might have been deliberate.

Sure enough, after Xiang Weinan returned to the capital, he came to the Xiao family.

The day before, Xiao Shi used the limited tools at her disposal to write a message on a handkerchief.

After Xiang Weinan understood the cause and effect of the situation, he reported it to the Emperor.

After discussing the matter, they all agreed that it was not the right time to startle the snake. The Emperor intended to use this opportunity to eliminate the Third Prince as well.

However, Xiao Shi needed to be saved.

She was poisoned and couldn't stay in the Xiao family for long, or her life would be in danger.

The Emperor didn't care much about Xiao Shi. Sacrificing the Xiao family for the greater cause wasn't a difficult decision for him. But he did care about Xiang Weinan; he was one of his trusted men. To save his wife, the Emperor wouldn't be so heartless as to advise him to give up.

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But how to save Xiao Shi was a problem.

However, the letter ended here, and Shu Yu didn't know how they managed to save Xiao Shi.

She didn't pay much attention; these things were not supposed to be her concern.

She even couldn't understand why Qi Lie told her all this.

 Chapter 1363: Gifting a Hairpin

The writing on the handkerchief was messy and brief.

Xiao Shi could only use powder and bloodstains to write, indicating that she had limited time and resources to convey the message.

After receiving the handkerchief, Xiang Weinan's expression turned serious. He knew he needed to meet Xiao Shi again.

He never expected that after returning from the Emperor's meeting and learning about the possibility of the Second Prince being alive, he would immediately learn of the Second Prince's whereabouts from Xiao Shi.

This matter was of great significance, and it was evident that Xiao Shi had no freedom of her own. Even her parents were being held hostage to control her.

Fortunately, Xiang Weinan was Xiao Shi's son-in-law, so it was entirely normal for him to visit his father-in-law and wife.

Thus, after a few days, Xiang Weinan bought many tonics and went to Xiao's house again.

In front of the monitoring maids, he calmly told Xiao Shi to stay at her family's house and take good care of her father.

Everyone knew that Xiang Weinan and Xiao Shi's marriage was forced by the latter. His current attitude towards Xiao Shi wasn't surprising.

It was also fortunate that the Xiao family didn't know his true allegiance; they believed that marrying Xiao Shi to him would help gain favor. Unfortunately, before they had a chance to do so, the late Emperor passed away, and the new Emperor ascended the throne.

As a result, the Xiang family wasn't aligned with the Third Prince's faction and was marginalized.

The new Emperor, however, valued Xiang Weinan's family ties, so through the efforts of the Xiang family, he was brought back to the capital. Although his official position was low and he held a leisurely post, it was still better than being a county magistrate in a small county.

The Xiao family and the Third Prince thought that the new Emperor did this deliberately to show the officials in the court that he was magnanimous and nostalgic.

Because the Xiao family didn't know Xiang Weinan's stance, they didn't strictly stop his interactions with Xiao Shi.

Xiang Weinan didn't stay at the Xiao family's house for long and soon left.

Before he left, he gave Xiao Shi a jade hairpin to console her.

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After Xiang Weinan left, the maids took the hairpin and examined it. Finding nothing wrong with the hairpin, they returned it to Xiao Shi.

However, when Xiao Shi went to the restroom, she took off the hairpin and dismantled it, removing the pearl from it. Then, she hollowed out the hairpin.

Inside the hollow hairpin, she filled it with powdered material of the same texture. With a slight poke, the powder could be released.

The once solid hairpin now became hollow. Afterward, Xiao Shi hid the charcoal pencil Xiang Weinan gave her inside the hairpin.

With this charcoal pencil, Xiao Shi could easily write anything she wanted.

At present, apart from having her own space when going to the restroom, she was under constant surveillance at all other times.

Even when going to the restroom, those two people waited outside and urged her from time to time.

However, with the charcoal pencil, Xiao Shi's actions became smoother.

When Xiang Weinan received Xiao Shi's letter during his next visit, he finally understood the cause and effect of the situation.

After returning to the capital from Jiangyuan County, Xiao Shi visited her parents the next day.

During this visit, she unexpectedly saw the figure of the Second Prince, who should have drowned and died.

The figure only flashed by, and it was just a back view. Xiao Shi wasn't entirely sure and doubted herself, thinking she might have seen wrong, so she didn't think much of it.

Who would have thought that the Xiao family would quickly replace her trusted maid Gu Mama and loyal servant He Wen with new ones and forbid her from returning to the Xiang family.

This action confirmed Xiao Shi's suspicions.

 Chapter 1362: The Recent Situation of the Xiao Family

The incident in Dong'an Prefecture was just a small case. The bigger grudge was exposed when the Third Prince revealed the affair between Gong Qiu and the Imperial Concubine.

It was the Third Prince who brought this matter to the late Emperor's attention, leading to the beheading of Gong Qiu, the concubine's death, and the exposure of the Second Prince not being of royal blood.

The current situation of the Second Prince was undoubtedly influenced by the Third Prince.

These two had a deep-seated enmity. However, now the Third Prince was unexpectedly sheltering the Second Prince??

Shu Yu looked at the letter and couldn't help but sigh. It was truly a world where interests prevailed, where even the greatest hatred could be temporarily set aside to achieve a common goal.

It was easy to understand. When the Third Prince was so close to the throne and suddenly preempted by the current Emperor, who also regarded him as a major threat, he couldn't do anything and naturally felt unwilling.

He also knew that the Second Prince wasn't the late Emperor's biological son and could never ascend to the throne. Since they had a common goal, cooperation was not out of the question.

But in Shu Yu's opinion, this was simply courting death.

Why would the Second Prince cooperate with the Third Prince to confront the current Emperor if there weren't substantial benefits involved?

Shu Yu shook her head and continued reading the letter.

The letter mentioned that it was an unexpected discovery about the whereabouts of the Second Prince, and it was related to Xiang Weinan.

Earlier, when Qi Lie came, he mentioned that Xiang Weinan's wife, Xiao Shi, had returned to the capital first. As a result, she was left at her parents' home, supposedly caring for her sick father. Even when Xiang Weinan's mother went to bring her back, she couldn't do so.

Recently, Xiang Weinan finally returned to the capital, and his first task was to go to Xiao's house.

On one hand, he went to visit his "sick" father-in-law, and on the other hand, he wanted to take his wife back and inquire about the situation at Xiao's house.

Xiao's family had no reason to stop him, but what puzzled Xiang Weinan was that when he saw Xiao Shi, he noticed that she had dramatically lost weight.

It had only been two or three months since they last met, and Xiao Shi's change was too significant.

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Xiao Shi explained that she was worried about her father's illness and couldn't eat well or sleep, causing her to become like this.

However, Xiang Weinan, a keen observer, felt something was amiss.

The most obvious thing was the maids and servants around Xiao Shi, all of whom were new faces.

The familiar Gu Mama and Shui Xin were gone, and the two maids present stared at Xiao Shi like they were monitoring her.

When Xiang Weinan proposed talking privately with Xiao Shi as husband and wife, the two maids didn't agree.

No, it wasn't that they didn't agree, but rather Xiao Shi didn't agree.

Before, Xiao Shi had been eager to be alone with Xiang Weinan, so this unusual response and attitude puzzled him.

Xiang Weinan had many doubts but couldn't ask anything.

Before he left Xiao's house, Xiao Shi hugged him, and in that brief moment, she discreetly slipped a handkerchief into his hands.

Xiang Weinan realized that something was seriously wrong, but he didn't say anything at the time and quietly kept the handkerchief. After returning home, he opened the handkerchief and found that the message on it wasn't written with ink but with several types of powder, possibly even bloodstains.

Xiang Weinan's eyes widened in shock. Xiao Shi wanted to write a letter to him, but she couldn't use ink and brushes, indicating that she couldn't access those things.

Or, she could access them, but someone was watching her, and she couldn't use them.

After reading the content of the letter, Xiang Weinan's expression changed drastically.

Xiao Shi asked him to save her and her parents because she unintentionally saw the Second Prince's figure at Xiao's house...

 Chapter 1361 - Qi Lie's Letter

The children from their family were originally meant to stay at Grandma's place for a few days. During the day, everything was fine, but at night, each of them started missing their mothers. Even with their father by their side, it wasn't easy to console them.

Cui Hua's son was still alright. He was six years old this year, and being a boy, he was more sensible. He stayed with his father without much trouble. Moreover, Er Niu also studied and wrote with him together.

Lu Sixing's son, Quan Quan, was still young. He missed his mother at night, but with his father and elder sister around, it wasn't too much of a problem. Xiao Zhen took good care of him, playing with him during the day and putting him to sleep at night.

However, Lu Sanzhu's family was a bit difficult. Da Bao didn't mind much, but Bao Ya couldn't sleep without Liang Shi. Especially when Lu Sanzhu wasn't very reliable and didn't wash his clothes, he would let Bao Ya wear dirty clothes from the day before.

Bao Ya, who had already developed a sense of beauty, felt even more longing for her mother when she looked at her dirty appearance.

So, the little girl decided to wash her clothes herself. At first, she scooped too much water and when she put the clothes in the basin, the water overflowed. After some thought, she scooped the water back into the bucket.

This scene was seen by Da Bao, who recalled that sometimes when he was too thirsty, he would scoop water from the basin and drink directly from it. His face turned black.

But this was his younger sister; she should be doted on, so he went to find Lu Sanzhu and asked him to fetch water again.

The whole household was in chaos every day due to various incidents. Lu Sanzhu instantly felt worn out from taking care of the two children. He found it too difficult and without saying a word, sent Bao Ya to the estate.

Fortunately, there were Xiao Ya and Zao Zao in the village. With enough help, they didn't worry about taking care of the children.

Just two days after setting up the stalls outside the village, Shu Yu also received a letter from Meng Yunzheng.

As expected, he was still at the top of the list, officially becoming a prestigious top-scoring scholar.

Shu Yu felt that she should prepare a gift to congratulate him.

Just as she was thinking about what gift to prepare, Qi Lie's letter arrived as well.

After two months, his letter finally came.

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She didn't know what the result would be, so when she opened the letter, she was somewhat nervous.

As soon as she unfolded it and read the first line, she was stunned.

In the capital... something must have happened.

The Second Prince, he was indeed alive. Not only that, during the search process, they unexpectedly learned that the Second Prince was hiding in the mansion of the Third Prince's maternal family.

At first, neither the Emperor nor Qi Lie and the others ever thought that these two would have any connection.

Back then, even when the late Emperor was still alive, these two fought each other openly and in secret for many years, stabbing each other in the back numerous times.

Not to mention anything else, just about Dong'an Prefecture. Although the new Emperor was the mastermind behind the scenes, the Third Prince did a lot of things on the surface and successfully brought down the influence of the Second Prince, ultimately leading to the destruction of the Shu family.

Thinking back, the Black Market in Jiangyuan County gradually prepared to withdraw after that incident.

Since the Shu family was exiled, the two subsequent auctions were smaller and smaller in scale until they stopped altogether.

At the time, she didn't think much about it, but now it seemed that there were traces to follow.

As a result, the Black Market even publicly claimed that it was because of the consequences caused by the beautiful and clear mirror that Shu Yu took responsibility for, and she felt like spitting blood at the thought.

 Chapter 1360: Lu Sixing Sets Up a Stall

Lu Sixing said, "The sunflower field is different from peach blossom forest. It's far from the county, and they want to eat something warm, either they bring their own pots and pans to cook, or they buy from nearby farms."

"But either way, it's not a good choice for them. Cooking is troublesome, and they may not be used to the food from the farms. If there's a stall selling wontons, dumplings, noodles, or something similar, it would be a good place for them."

Shu Yu pondered for a moment, rubbing her chin, "This idea is not bad, but can you handle it alone?"

"No, I plan to call Big Sister-in-law, Third Sister-in-law, and Cui Hua to help."

Since she didn't call Li Shi last time when selling sunflower seeds, she had been complained to for quite a while. This time, she would set up the stall outside the sunflower field, and now that Li Shi was helping with the children, she spent half a month living in the village. If she didn't call her, it wouldn't be appropriate.

Anyway, it was just a temporary stall. In the short term, they could all cooperate to make money together, which was also good.

Shu Yu didn't mind whom she cooperated with. Despite Li Shi's unpleasant personality, she was still hardworking. At least she worked faster than Liang Shi.

"Alright, you can set up a stall nearby. It's close to the estate, so you can put everything into the house when you close the stall in the evening. There are plenty of rooms in the estate. If it's inconvenient for you to go back and forth, you can stay there overnight."

That's why Lu Sixing came to talk to Shu Yu in advance because she had this concern.

She found it feasible, so she became even more confident.

"By the way, can I sell instant noodles?"

Shu Yu's eyes lit up, "Of course, that's what I was thinking too."

Lu Sixing acted quickly and the next day, she borrowed two carts from Shu Yu and took a group of people with luggage and kitchenware to the estate.

Li Shi was already in the estate. When she heard that she could make money by setting up a stall, she agreed.

In just half a day, the stall was set up—wontons, dumplings, instant noodles, melon seeds, preserved fruits, and even several kinds of tea.

After a few days of fermentation, more and more people came to admire the sunflowers. Not only scholars but also many young masters and young ladies came as if admiring sunflowers had become a trend. Those who hadn't been there felt like they hadn't seen the world.

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As a result, in addition to Lu Sixing's group, many other stalls were set up around the sunflower field, selling various small items or some tea and snacks.

In a few days, Lu Sixing and her group's stall became popular.

First, it was because of the instant noodles. They were quick to cook and unique, and the patrol guards who had been patrolling the sunflower field had introduced them to the visitors, leading to the most sales.

Some even finished eating at the stall and bought some to take home.

Therefore, instant noodles were in high demand.

Second, their stall was the largest, selling the most variety, and Lu Sixing, inspired by Shu Yu, paid great attention to hygiene when making food. They wore uniform coveralls, with sleeves and headgear, and they covered their mouths.

Seeing this, the scholars and young masters and ladies felt reassured.

Third, it was because of Shu Yu. Everyone knew that several of them were the aunt and in-laws of Lu Xiangjun, and when they heard that instant noodles were made by Lu Xiangjun, the celebrity effect attracted even more customers.

In just a few days, the stall earned a lot of money.

If it weren't for the limited space of the stall, they wouldn't be able to keep up with the demand.

 Chapter 1359: Sunflower Field Sets Fire

The scholars from Jiangyuan County participated in the provincial examination in Dong'an Prefecture, so the county didn't have the same lively atmosphere as during the county examination.

Before the provincial examination began, Shu Rui wanted to witness the scene, so he, Er Niu, and Da Bao were taken to the prefectural city by Zhao Xi.

If it weren't for Zhao Xi taking them, given the current situation in the prefectural city, they probably wouldn't even find a place to stay.

Shu Yu's only concern regarding the provincial examination was about Meng Yunzheng.

After sending the letter about the pearl, Meng Yunzheng did reply, acknowledging that he received it, but didn't say much else.

Shu Yu continued to be busy with the workshop, but what she didn't expect was that while she didn't promote instant noodles among the scholars, her sunflower field unexpectedly became famous among them.

Most of the candidates for the provincial examination arrived in the prefectural city about ten days in advance. If they arrived late, they wouldn't even find a place to stay.

When they set off, the sunflowers had only grown taller, and the flowers hadn't bloomed yet, so the candidates didn't pay much attention to them.

Besides, they were in a hurry to take the exam and didn't have the time to appreciate the scenery along the way.

However, after staying in the prefectural city for about ten days and taking the examination, they continued to wait for the results. In total, they spent over a month, and on their return journey, they coincided with the blooming of the sunflowers.

Shu Yu's sunflower field was located on the road between Jiangyuan County and the prefectural city. Furthermore, travelers from another county to the prefectural city would also pass by here.

Therefore, the returning candidates didn't have much trouble coming to visit the sunflower field. A few of them rode in a carriage and soon arrived at the destination.

Some even found that when they stood on the hill where the black market was located and looked down, the scenery was even more breathtaking.

They could enjoy the scenery while climbing the mountain. It was truly a good place to visit.

This development caught Shu Yu off guard.

She was stunned for a moment and then immediately mobilized personnel. Although these scholars were educated and cared about their image, some unscrupulous people might still sneak into the field to pick flowers or cause damage.

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Coincidentally, besides the instant noodle workshop, the other two workshops in Luji Workshop were not too busy at the moment. So, Shu Yu pulled some workers over to patrol and guard the sunflower field.

In the meantime, she took the opportunity to promote instant noodles.

It seemed like a perfect plan.

However, just two days later, an even better idea came to her doorstep.

It was from Lu SiXing. She wanted to set up a stall near the sunflower field to sell food.

Last time, when sunflower seeds were first launched, she bought them wholesale from Shu Yu and sold them at peach blossom forest, making a few taels of silver, which left Lu SiXing with a sweet taste of success.

However, peach blossom forest was inside the county, where she couldn't sell food with flavors or served hot. But outside peach blossom forest, there were stalls and shops everywhere.

There were indeed many visitors, but the competition was fierce.

Moreover, people visiting peach blossom forest could still make it home for lunch.