Chapter 217: The List of Success

Chapter 217: The List of Success

Miss Zhu cried for a long time, haphazardly wiping her face to reveal her red and swollen eyes. "I'm sorry—"

She wasn’t sure why she felt the need to apologize, but as she gazed at the calm expression of the girl before her, an inexplicable sense of hope stirred within her.

"Miss Zhu, I need to think carefully about how to handle your situation properly. Can you wait patiently for a while?" Miss Kou advised, and in that moment, she thought of He Qingxiao.

When he had urged her to be patient and not take her own life for revenge, did he feel the same way?

Miss Zhu lowered her eyes and remained silent for a moment before nodding slightly.

Miss Kou instructed Xiaolian to lead Miss Zhu to a guest room for rest and sent Stone to deliver a letter to He Qingxiao at the Northern Pacification Office.

That day, there were many groups of town criers on the streets, beating gongs and drums, creating a lively atmosphere. Stone happened to encounter one such group, watched for a moment out of curiosity, then hurried on his way without delay.

After receiving the letter, He Qingxiao rode to Qingsong Bookstore.

"Lord He, the boss asks that you come to the eastern courtyard for a discussion," Liu Zhou greeted him quietly as soon as he entered.

He Qingxiao knew that if Miss Kou was asking to speak with him at this time, it must be something important. He strode towards the eastern courtyard.

Miss Kou was waiting under a large tree in the courtyard.

The sunlight filtered through the lush branches, casting dappled shadows on the stone table and chairs, and gently illuminating the girl’s hair and clothes with a soft, golden glow—a scene of peaceful tranquility.

He Qingxiao paused, his eyes stinging from the intensifying sunlight.

Miss Kou stood up and came forward, greeting him familiarly. "Lord He."

He Qingxiao shook off the sudden surge of emotion and returned to his usual reserved demeanor. "Miss Kou asked to see me. Is something the matter?"

Miss Kou invited He Qingxiao to sit at the stone table under the tree before asking, "Lord He, have you received any replies from the people you sent to Dingbei?"

Dingbei wasn’t too far from the capital. With fast horses, messages could be relayed within two days.

"I have received the reply," He Qingxiao’s expression was a bit unusual. "The letter says that the people of Ping City are full of praise for Prince Qing and his disaster relief commissioners, expressing their deep gratitude."

Ping City was the prefectural capital of Dingbei, the central hub of the entire region.

He Qingxiao was surprised by this outcome, but at the same time, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

As mentioned earlier, among the provinces of Great Xia, Dingbei was relatively close to the capital. If the disaster victims in Ping City hadn’t been properly taken care of, the news would easily reach the capital. Unless Prince Qing and his team had lost their minds, they would at least put on a show in Ping City.

"They will conduct a thorough investigation in the Beiquan County area to verify the young man’s claims," He Qingxiao explained the follow-up arrangements.

He usually wouldn’t go into such detail, but her determination to die that day had truly frightened him.

"Lord He, could you have your men investigate Taiping Town?"

He Qingxiao was surprised by Miss Kou’s sudden mention of a town in Dingbei, and then realized that she had likely called him here today because of Taiping Town.

Miss Kou didn’t keep him waiting long and explained Miss Zhu’s situation. "Today, Prince Qing returned, and a girl attempted to assassinate him. I stopped her before she could act."

He Qingxiao listened quietly, his expression darkening with anger.

The massacre of an entire town was an act of unimaginable cruelty, beyond the scope of mere madness.

"Lord He, now, besides that young man who claims to be the son of a county clerk, we also have Miss Zhu. What should we do next?"

Xin You had invited He Qingxiao to discuss matters but had no intention of arranging a meeting between Miss Zhu and him.

Miss Zhu wanted to take the life of Prince Qing, and she also wished to do the same. However, Lord He was an outsider to this. Reducing his involvement would ultimately be better for him.

"First, arrange for Miss Zhu to be accommodated somewhere other than the bookstore, and we'll decide further once my subordinates have investigated Taiping Town."

Xin You nodded in agreement.

Before leaving, He Qingxiao couldn't help but ask, "When Prince Qing came to the bookstore today, did he cause any trouble for Miss Kou?"

"No, I managed to handle him with a few words."

"That's good. Before there's any action in Dingbei, Miss Kou should try to avoid Prince Qing as much as possible."

Afterward, Xin You arranged for Miss Zhu to stay in a nearby civilian house, and He Qingxiao sent people to secretly watch over her in case of any incidents.

By the afternoon, Xin You was ready to rest when someone from Shaoqing Mansion arrived.

Duan Yunchen's name was on the list, and she was requested to return to the mansion.

With Mr. Songling coming under the imperial family's attention, Xin You now needed the identity of Kou Qingqing even more to conceal herself, so she didn't make an excuse to refuse and returned to Shaoqing Mansion with Xiaolian.

Considering the death of Count Gu Chang, the mansion wasn't decorated with lanterns and colorful banners, but the joy in the household was undeniable.

The elderly lady had been ill for a few days after the shock, but now she had regained her spirit, smiling as she handed out cash rewards.

Among the grandchildren, Xin You only saw Duan Yunling and Duan Yunyan.

"Your eldest cousin and his peers are still parading in celebration and haven't returned yet. Your second cousin doesn't have leave from the Imperial Academy," the elderly lady said with a smile when mentioning the two grandsons, but her expression dimmed when mentioning Duan Yunhua, "Your second cousin is recovering from a cold and needs to rest properly."

Xin You noticed that the elderly lady's attitude toward her had improved.

Ever since the Empress Dowager made remarks about her marriage during the New Year court congratulation, Xin You had sensed the coldness from the elderly lady.

Xin You's feelings were correct; the elderly lady had indeed started to value this granddaughter again.

After the hope of becoming a family was shattered, the elderly lady felt distressed thinking about the 600,000 taels of silver that her granddaughter had taken away, which made her naturally displeased with Xin You. However, with Count Gu Chang's death and the uncertain future of her second granddaughter, even Shaoqing Mansion might be affected. If Xin You, who had caught the emperor’s attention, could marry into a good family, she could be a valuable asset if things go well.

Duan Yunchen's name being on the list was indeed an achievement, even though his rank was not high, placing outside the top 200. But for his age, passing the exam was already impressive.

Xin You congratulated him with a few words, which brought a smile to the elderly lady's face, briefly showing a touch of familial affection.

Although it was supposed to be a celebration for Duan Yunchen, he had returned after celebrating with his fellow passers.

When Xin You suggested returning to the bookstore, Duan Yunchen took the initiative to escort her.

"No need to trouble my eldest cousin."

Duan Yunchen insisted, "Cousin Qing came back to celebrate with me, and now it’s late, so I should see you home."

The elderly lady was pleased to see the two of them reconciling and also said, "Let your eldest cousin send you. He won't be busy studying all the time now; he'll have more free time."

With Duan Yunchen passing the imperial examination, the palace examination was now a certainty for him, and he was about to embark on his official career.

Xin You didn't refuse further.

Houses were lit up, and the streets were still bustling with people.

They arrived at Qingsong Bookstore, and Xin You got off the carriage, giving Duan Yunchen a brief nod. "I'm here, eldest cousin, you may return."

Duan Yunchen, slightly tipsy, seemed emboldened by the dim evening light, and looking at the expressionless girl, he finally voiced what had been weighing on his heart for a long time.

"Cousin Qing, I feel you've changed a lot. It’s like you’re a completely different person now."

Xiaolian, who had been following behind Xin You, held her breath.