Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 2228: Chapter 2227: The Quanrong Clan’s Conspiracy

Yizi tirelessly went to the pharmacy to fetch the medicine, borrowed the inn’s kitchen stove to prepare the decoction, and once it was ready, carefully poured it into a bowl. After cooling it a bit with her breath, she brought it to Jianqi’s room.

”Brother Jianqi, please drink the medicine. It’s not too hot now.” Yizi placed the bowl of medicine soup in front of Jianqi.

Jianqi, who was meditating cross-legged, looked up at her, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

”Your nose is dirty,” Jianqi’s voice contained a hint of amusement.

”Ah?” Yizi, surprised, reached up to touch her nose, only to smudge the soot further. Originally, there was just a small patch of black soot the size of a fingernail on her nose, but now her entire nose and bridge were smeared black.

Jianqi was a bit helpless; are all young girls this clumsy? Can’t she just use her sleeve to wipe it off?

Thinking of this, he instinctively lifted his hand and used his sleeve to clean the soot off her nose.

Yizi could only hear the pounding of her own heart, all other sounds disappeared, and she stood there frozen, her face burning.

Oh my, Brother Jianqi helped wipe her face. Is this a dream?

Jianqi withdrew his hand, suddenly feeling it was inappropriate, and he too felt embarrassed. He quickly picked up the medicine bowl to hide his embarrassment by drinking the medicine.

After gulping down the bowl of medicine soup, he placed the empty bowl to the side.

Yizi snapped back to reality, took out the sugar wrapped in a cloth, and handed it to Jianqi, ”Have a candy, it won’t be bitter.”

Jianqi chuckled, ”I’m not a child; I’m not afraid of bitterness.”

”Just try one. These are sour and sweet plum candies I learned to make from my mistress; they’re really tasty,” Yizi said with a hopeful expression.

Jianqi reluctantly took a candy and popped it into his mouth. Hmm, it’s indeed a flavor women would like, sour and sweet. He wouldn’t usually touch it, but now with a mouthful of sour and sweetness, a different feeling arose in his heart.

”I won’t disturb you anymore, take a good rest.” Yizi carried out the empty bowl, seemingly in a very good mood.

The next day, Bai Ruozhu inquired about Yizi’s medicine preparation. Yizi replied that she watched Jianqi drink it, prompting Bai Ruozhu to nod in satisfaction, ”Good, drink one bowl every day for three days.”

”Are we staying here for two more days? Aren’t we in a hurry?” Yizi asked in confusion.

”There’s no rush.” Bai Ruozhu didn’t want to discuss the matters regarding the Empress Dowager and Mr. Yao with others, but having met them with difficulty, she wanted to spend an extra two days with them.

In the following two days, Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun frequently took Dengdeng to Fengya’s Residence. Gao Zhou also accompanied them once, while Yizi and Jianqi were tactfully sent away. One reason was that the Empress Dowager didn’t want to see too many people, and another was to give Jianqi and Yizi more time to be alone.

Two days later, the Empress Dowager and Mr. Yao, wearing gauze caps, saw them off to the outskirts of the City.

”Godfather, Godmother, you should go back now. I’ll write to you often. If you have any news, send it to me through the Commerce Association,” Bai Ruozhu said.

The Empress Dowager was quite reluctant; she had long regarded Bai Ruozhu as a daughter. Holding Bai Ruozhu’s hand, she said, ”Be careful on your way. Take good care of yourself and the child.”

”I will. You both take care of your health too.”

The horse carriage moved further and further away until it disappeared completely, only then did the Empress Dowager and Yao Yuxuan were willing to leave.

The following journey was smooth, without encountering even a rainy day. Bai Ruozhu and her company picked up the pace, and after eight days, they finally reached Duanyang City, near the Jiuli Clan.

”Let’s stop by the Commerce Association first to see if there’s any message.” Bai Ruozhu suggested.

The group went to the Commerce Association in Duanyang City. The manager, who was already familiar with Bai Ruozhu, handed her a letter from Lin Zhenghui.

Bai Ruozhu hurriedly opened the letter, not expecting that her master said it’s fine if she didn’t want to return to Capital City. With the Danliang Country severely damaged, even the selection of young elders in the Commerce Association was temporarily shelved, so she needn’t worry about him.

She was actually stressing about how to tell her master about her plan to go overseas. To tell him about Jiang Yichun’s matter meant one more person would worry and be sad; not telling him made it hard to explain her sudden departure.

Luckily, the selection of the young elders in the Commerce Association was temporarily postponed. It’s likely to resume after Tang Yin stabilizes the situation in the Capital.

”Madam Bai, someone discovered that recently people from the Quanrong Clan have been sighted in the City. They said they’re going to the Jiuli Clan for revenge and brought a lot of stuff with them. However, each one of them is exceptionally skilled, and we couldn’t find out what they’re taking,” the manager said in a low voice. ”I thought they might go after your clan, so I kept an eye out.”

Bai Ruozhu was shocked, ”When did this happen?”

”About three days ago,” the manager replied.

Bai Ruozhu couldn’t sit still and immediately wanted to rush to the Jiuli Clan, but Jiang Yichun caught her by the arm.

”There’s a barrier protecting the Jiuli. They’re not going in easily, unless there’s a traitor inside. But after the Second Elder’s rebellion, many people have been purged,” Jiang Yichun remained calm.

Seeing his calm eyes, Bai Ruozhu slowly calmed down as well.

”Thank you, Manager Liu.” Bai Ruozhu thanked the manager before leaving the Commerce Association.

The group’s expressions were all rather tense; the Quanrong Clan wasn’t one to give up easily, but no one expected them to come so soon. Judging from Manager Liu’s description, they brought a lot, definitely not just supplies. Could it be required for their Quanrong trick techniques?

”Let’s go check out the situation first, and don’t make any rash moves,” Gao Zhou suggested.

”Alright.” Bai Ruozhu nodded. Finding a less populated area, she instructed Little Dengdeng to enter the Space to play with Xiaohei Rabbit.

Soon, they all arrived near the entrance of the Jiuli Clan barrier. The closer they got, the more they sensed an eerie atmosphere.

”Something feels off, let’s not proceed further!” Jiang Yichun suddenly pulled Bai Ruozhu aside, causing her expression to change. They were still some distance from the barrier entrance and hadn’t seen any Quanrong Clan members. Could it be some kind of strange technique?

She immediately thought of the Quanrong Clan’s chief, You Meng. His trick technique, the Greedy Wolf Art, had left a deep impression on her!

They quickly ducked to the side as Jianqi sniffed the air and said in a deep voice, ”It smells like gunpowder.”

”It is certainly gunpowder,” Jiang Yichun confirmed.

Bai Ruozhu frowned, ”Could they have brought a large amount of gunpowder to blow up the Jiuli? But with the barrier in place, they can’t possibly blow anything inside.”

Soon, she realized with a shock, ”No, they can’t blow up the inside, but they can blow up the outside. Unless the Jiuli people never leave their homes!”

”Master, I’ll go take a look,” Jianqi, who was skilled at inspecting traces, including detecting underground buried explosives, volunteered.

Bai Ruozhu nodded, ”Be very careful. Don’t let them notice you, and retreat quickly if anything happens.”

”Understood.” With that, Jianqi vanished in a flash. Yizi opened her mouth, wanting to tell him to take care, but he didn’t hear her.

Yizi felt a bit pained but was more worried for him.

”Don’t worry, Jianqi knows the limits,” Bai Ruozhu seemed to understand her thoughts and comforted her in a low voice.