Su Xiaoqi and her companions sat talking, while Mei Xin, after taking more than ten turns through winding alleyways, was quite exhausted.
She then hid in a dark alley and peered out.
Outside, not a soul was in sight.
She assumed she had eluded her pursuers.
Quietly, she slipped out from the other end of the dark alley and entered a hutong.
She stopped before a courtyard filled with flowers and plants and knocked on the gate.
Entering the courtyard.
The pursuer outside leaped onto the eaves, trying to get a clearer view. As soon as he landed, he let out a shout and fell from the wall, losing consciousness.
Soon, the inner door reopened, and Mei Xin emerged. She glanced at the fallen figure on the ground, let out a cold snort, and issued an order to those behind her: "Kill him."
"Miss Mei, if you kill him, can you still return to the Zhuangyuan Mansion?" asked a middle-aged nanny who had just opened the door.
Mei Xin replied impatiently, "They already suspect me. What's left to return to?"
The middle-aged nanny disagreed, shaking her head resolutely:
"That's not good. Miss Mei's intention was for you to stay in the Zhuangyuan Mansion. Since this place is exposed, we can simply move."
"And him?" Mei Xin pointed at the pursuer injured by the trap on the wall.
The middle-aged nanny kicked the person and sneered, "Let him lie here. He's been drugged and won't be able to do anything for an hour."
Upon hearing this, Mei Xin said no more, only instructing her to relay her message.
She could no longer stay in the Zhuangyuan Mansion.
The middle-aged nanny indicated she understood and urged Mei Xin to leave, as she herself needed to pack and evacuate.
The two parted ways.
Unbeknownst to them, the person who had fallen to the ground after being caught sprang up with a powerful twist. He quickly followed the middle-aged nanny.
That's right, this person was Zhang Feng.
He had been assigned to specifically monitor Mei Xin.
The mechanisms on the wall were child's play to him.
He faked his incapacitation to see what their hidden capabilities were.
When he heard Mei Xin’s order to kill him, he almost lunged.
Fortunately, he managed to compose himself.
He followed the middle-aged nanny and discovered their other secret base for the "network."
Once he had the location, Zhang Feng did not linger and immediately left.
Returning to the Zhuangyuan Mansion, he reported his findings of the day to Su Xiaoqi.
"Heh, Miss Mei, how interesting," Su Xiaoqi mused.
For some reason, this so-called Miss Mei gave her a very familiar feeling.
She couldn't pinpoint it, but it was an instinct, like a sixth sense.
She believed it wholeheartedly and gave the order, "Continue to monitor her, and dispatch more people to watch that liaison point."
Zhang Feng acknowledged and left.
On the second day of the new year, Su Xiaoqi, accompanied by Shen Yun, visited the Duke's mansion as arranged, to see the Old Madam.
When they arrived, the Du Yiyi family had not yet appeared.
However, Yu Changfeng, knowing she was coming, had specifically waited at home.
Seeing her arrive, he happily stepped forward.
He performed a grand bow to her, startling Su Xiaoqi, who quickly dodged to the side.
The Old Madam seated at the head of the table stopped him: "Let him perform it. This is his thanks on behalf of his father, elder brother, and the thirty thousand soldiers in the Northern Territory.
It is thanks to you that they could wear proper winter clothing before the end of the year, repel the Northern Di army before the new year, and thus have a peaceful year."
Upon hearing this, Su Xiaoqi felt even more unable to accept the bow.
She hurriedly declined, stating that the Duke and his heir were guarding the borders for the common people, and she was one of the beneficiaries.
It was only right that she do something for them.
She truly did not deserve such thanks.
Madam Wen said with a smile:
"Xiaoqi, you deserve this bow.
Your uncle even wrote a letter to thank you, saying the clothes you sent to him and his son were exceptionally good."
Su Xiaoqi replied promptly, "That is just a small token of my respect as a junior. My uncle and elder cousin are too kind."
She truly did not do all this for anyone's gratitude. It came from her heart.
It also served as a reminder to herself to never forget her original intention in her future actions.
To avoid losing herself amidst the materialistic world.
The exchange of thanks livened up the atmosphere considerably.
Just then, Madam Rong returned with Du Yiyi.
The whole family was filled with joy.
Shen Yun and Du Wenqian sat with everyone for a while before heading to the front courtyard study with Yu Changfeng.
That's right, although on the surface they were accompanying their respective wives to their maiden homes for New Year greetings, they were actually using this opportunity to discuss political matters.
Currently, the imperial court was in a stalemate due to the imperial edicts. However, undercurrents were surging.
Su Xiaoqi and Du Yiyi, while the elders were chatting, discussed the operational status of Chen Jin Ji and the supermarket.
For the supermarket, Su Xiaoqi planned to introduce many new products she had recently developed.
For instance, board games and card games created to pass the time.
Paper games like Werewolf, San Guo Sha, Mining Board Games, and Who is the Spy.
Du Yiyi, having played a few rounds of Werewolf with Su Xiaoqi, listened with a smile:
"It's fun, but can those made of paper sell for a high price?"
Su Xiaoqi replied, "There are those made of paper, those carved on bamboo, and also those made of rosewood and golden nanmu..."
In short, by catering to the different desires of various social classes, they aimed to meet their needs and thus make money.
Du Yiyi suddenly understood, chuckling:
"Yes, if they are made of different materials and packaged in beautiful boxes like Chen Jin Ji, their value will surely increase."
As for Chen Jin Ji, it naturally maintained its usual pace of product updates, introducing new items every two or three days.
After all, Su Xiaoqi had thousands of pastry recipes in her mind; even if she changed one daily, it would take three to four years to use them all.
In fact, with the methods for extracting fresh cream, butter, and various other Western pastry ingredients, Shen Mingzhu could now develop new products on her own without Su Xiaoqi's prompts.
Sometimes, she could even find exact replicas in modern pastry shops that Su Xiaoqi frequented.
Indeed, though it was a different era, there were still foodies.
After discussing food, Du Yiyi shifted the topic to clothing.
She said with a hint of regret:
"It's a pity about your little sister Zhao Xiaozhu."
Zhao Xiaozhu possessed great talent in embroidery and tailoring.
She learned almost instantly and the embroidery patterns she created, at first glance, looked the same as others.
But upon closer inspection, they seemed almost alive.
Her hands were incredibly skilled.
Su Xiaoqi thought for a moment, "I didn't have many ideas for clothing before.
But now that I've made down jackets, padded coats, and wool sweaters, perhaps I can invite her to the capital."
Zhao Xiaozhu and Yun Nishang had already met through her introduction.
When Yun Nishang was in Mianzhou City, she had helped Zhao Xiaozhu sell her embroidered patterns.
If she were to write and invite her to the capital, she was sure Yun Nishang would be even happier than she was.
Su Xiaoqi immediately wrote a letter and asked Zhang Yu to take it to be mailed.
After a lengthy chat, it was unknowingly approaching the hour of the Serpent, and everyone decided to stay at the Duke of Yu's mansion for dinner.
During this time, Su Xiaoqi and Du Yiyi spoke again about the Misty Rain Pavilion.
Xiao Xing, in his struggle with Xiao Xin, had already gained a subtle advantage.
"Brother Xiao asked me to convey to you that he is grateful for your saving him back then.
If there is anything he can do for you, just say the word, and he will do it within his capabilities."
Su Xiaoqi smiled and shook her head, "I don't have anything I need him to do. However, have you asked your second aunt about your matters?"
Du Yiyi's cheeks flushed red: "Brother Xiao agreed to your suggestion, saying he... he was originally not very interested in these court affairs.
However, he can make an exception for me."
As Du Yiyi spoke, her face turned completely red.
As someone experienced, Su Xiaoqi understood immediately.
It was certainly that Xiao Xing's words were more audacious and explicit than Du Yiyi's, which caused Du Yiyi, a woman not one to be shy, to blush.
Su Xiaoqi covered her mouth and smiled, trying not to laugh too overtly for fear of embarrassing Du Yiyi.
Fortunately, Du Yiyi was not one to be coy and directly asked:
"What does Brother Xiao need to do now?"
"The edict to depose the Crown Prince has been issued, but it has not yet been announced. I fear the Emperor might hesitate.
Why don't you ask people from the Misty Rain Pavilion to spread rumors about the Crown Prince widely?"
What she wanted was Emperor Xing Zhao's decisiveness, and for the Crown Prince to show no hesitation.
Otherwise, they were father and son, and who knew if they might reconcile.
It was best to do things thoroughly!