Chapter 90

Chapter 90

Magistrate He and Imperial Censor He was one of the officials sent from the capital to thoroughly investigate the massive case from eight years ago.

Meanwhile, another official had already headed to Quan Gang with his team, while Magistrate He was primarily responsible for investigating the Zhou family massacre and tracking down the whereabouts of General Qiao—that is, if General Qiao was still alive.

Since the assassin who killed the Zhou family was last seen in Yongchang County, and it was Yongchang County’s former magistrate who uncovered the clues that broke the case wide open, Magistrate He headed to Yongchang County upon arriving in Jianzhou. He intended to start his investigation at the Changlai Inn, where the assassins—the actual perpetrators—had been killed, hoping to uncover more clues.

Soon, word spread about Magistrate He’s identity and the reason for his visit.

Since Imperial Censor He arrived, Mr. Liu had been on edge, falling into a panic.

Could this investigation into the Zhou family massacre lead back to the Heaven Rank First bandit group? Why hadn’t the headquarters in the capital sent any intelligence to them?

Mr. Liu couldn’t have known. After exposing Du Jiang’s heinous crimes, the headquarters of the Heaven Rank First bandit group in the royal capital had been wiped out, and before they could pass on any information to the various branches, they were nearly annihilated. The survivors were too busy escaping and trying to survive. It would take some time for the insider information from the northern regions to reach the south. Thus, Mr. Liu’s intelligence was outdated.

Since this newly arrived Imperial Censor He was targeting the Heaven Rank First bandit group, should he, Mr. Liu, leave?

As Mr. Liu calmed down and weighed his options, he decided to stay.

The most dangerous place was also the safest.

Now that their people had died in the Changlai Inn and under the very eyes of the Imperial Censor investigating the case, no one would expect that members of the Heaven Rank First bandit group would dare to stay in that inn, right?

He had already been staying in the inn for some time, and no one had suspected him. This was the best disguise.

He wouldn’t leave until Pei Sixth Lady returned.

Thus, Mr. Liu continued to stay in the Changlai Inn, behaving as if nothing was wrong.

On the other hand, Pei Sixth Lady, who had been gathering information in the county, had already linked the three assassins she killed to the Zhou family massacre in Geyan County.

She even overheard merchants at the dock discussing Magistrate Du’s case.

Pei Sixth Lady also quickly deduced that the letter found on the assassin, which had been so significant, was fortunately carefully slipped back onto the assassin’s body by her. Otherwise, the massive uproar might not have been stirred up.

Reflecting on how her unintentional act had helped vindicate the wronged General Qiao, Pei Sixth Lady felt a surge of pride. However, the thought of Imperial Censor He investigating the assassin’s death made her uneasy.

This was natural since she was the real murderer, and even worse, she was an imposter under the identity of Sixth Miss from the Pei family.

Her first reaction was to leave immediately, but she couldn’t abandon the other person staying at the inn.

Then she realized, wait, Mr. Liu knew that Imperial Censor He was after the Heaven Rank First bandit group, yet he hadn’t made a move?

When Pei Sixth Lady confirmed that Mr. Liu was completely at ease, still staying in the Changlai Inn and enjoying himself, she sneered.

She wanted to eliminate these assassins, and here was a ready-made excellent blade.

Imperial Censor He was like an official, high-grade blade.

All she needed to do was draw a connection, and someone would handle the Heaven Rank First bandit group, including Mr. Liu, possibly even Mr. Jia, and those who had angered the masses. She wouldn’t have to worry about it.

With this plan in mind, Pei Sixth Lady left the county, took a boat to the neighboring county, and after searching for a while in a forest outside the city, found the spot where she had buried a bag of items.

This was where she had buried the silver pouch, jade pendant, swords, and everything else she had taken from the body of that hidden spy after killing him. She had buried them here to conceal his identity.

She never expected to return to this place.

The personal items inside were left untouched except for the silver, including the token of the Heaven Rank First bandit group.

This was the exact token he needed to find.

Pei Six weighed the token in his hand, then pocketed it. He gathered all the remaining items and buried them again.

The Heaven Rank First bandit group, an assassin organization, had existed for hundreds of years.

Even though the previous dynasty had fallen, the organization had survived and continued to operate since the founding of the new dynasty.

Wherever there were people, there were grudges. Hiring assassins had always been a thriving business, which was why a mere assassin organization could persist like a centipede that doesn't fall even when dead.

It was said that initially, the Heaven Rank First bandit group identified themselves not by tokens but by tattoos on their bodies. However, later, under the pressure of the imperial court, they changed from tattoos to tokens.

Pei Six had lost his token back in Zheng Prefecture.

Under those circumstances, he naturally didn't dare carry a token on him, but now, to use Imperial Censor He as a tool, the token would definitely come in handy.

When Pei Six returned to Yongchang County, he had changed his appearance.

As an assassin traveling outside, disguise was crucial. Pei Six was originally a prince, but after pretending to be Pei Six Lady, he hadn't worn men's clothing again.

Now, he wore a greenish-blue robe with a black belt adorned with white patterns, and his hair was loosely tied with a white ribbon. He walked gracefully, exuding the noble air of a distinguished gentleman.

After disembarking from the boat at the dock, he pretended to be a passerby from out of town, casually strolling into the city. He asked locals about local attractions and, after inquiring about the best tavern, headed towards Zuiyue Restaurant's street.

However, instead of going to Zuiyue Restaurant, he slowly walked to the end of the street and stood across from the Changlai Inn.

He had only been away for a day, but hopefully, that Mr. Liu was still there.

Pei Six didn't have to wait long before he saw Mr. Liu say something to the shopkeeper with a smile and then leave the inn.

The opportunity was ripe.

Pei Six quickly walked into the Changlai Inn: "Shopkeeper, what do you recommend here... oh!" He then pretended to be surprised, bent down, and picked something up from the floor.

Just as the shopkeeper was about to look up at the esteemed guest, the man disappeared. The shopkeeper stood up, craned his neck, and saw the gentleman who had just entered the inn picking something up from the floor and then standing back up.

"Sir, what are you doing?" the shopkeeper asked.

As the shopkeeper spoke, Xiaoguan also came over to join in the curiosity. "Sir, are you staying at the inn or..."

"Oh, just now, the gentleman who just left dropped this."

Pei Six showed the token he was holding to the shopkeeper and Xiaoguan.

Before the shopkeeper and Xiaoguan could look at Pei Six, their attention was drawn to the token handed to them.

Xiaoguan had personally gone to the scene when the assassin incident happened, and the shopkeeper had handled it himself. Both were deeply impressed by the assassin's token, so when they saw the same type of token again, they were both visibly shaken. Xiaoguan staggered back and fell to the ground, while the shopkeeper collapsed onto the chair behind the counter.

"Please wait, I'll return it to him," Pei Six said, sweeping his wide sleeve, grabbing the token, and turning to leave.

"Wait, wait!" The shopkeeper panicked and hurriedly called out from behind, "Sir, please, wait..."

Pei Six, of course, did not wait and instead quickened his pace.

By the time the shopkeeper and Xiaoguan reacted and chased after him to the door, the gentleman who had just intended to check into the inn was long gone.

"Did I just imagine that, Shopkeeper?" Xiaoguan, still shaken, found it hard to believe.

Hey, you, the thing you picked up, is it the token of the Heaven Rank First bandits?

"That's right, you didn't see wrong, it's that item." The shopkeeper wiped his cold sweat, muttering under his breath that this was a disaster.

Someone had already died in his inn, so how could they possibly come back?

Hey, if what the young gentleman said earlier is true, the assassin who dropped the token left the inn?

Meaning, it was a guest staying here?

So, there's an assassin hiding right under the nose of this innkeeper?

This is really something serious!

"Shopkeeper, what in the world are we going to do?"

"What can we do?"

The young man who found the token probably has no idea what's going on, right? If he goes looking for the assassin, his life might be in danger.

And who knows if the assassin will come back?

If the assassin realizes that both he and Xiaoguan have seen the token, how could they possibly have a way out?

"Go, quietly inform Lin the Bailiff about this." Concerned for their lives, the shopkeeper immediately pulled Xiaoguan aside and whispered, "Go before the person comes back, or we're both done for."

"Yes, yes, I'll go right away."

Xiaoguan knew this was no small matter and immediately ran out of the inn, sprinting towards the yamen.

Near the inn, Pei Sixth Lady, who had been hiding, watched as the flustered waiter left. He smiled slightly.

Perfect. The plan is set.

Unaware of the danger, Mr. Liu continued to stroll outside, inquiring about the yamen's movements while gathering information at the dock based on the names of the inn's guests. When he returned to the inn and saw several bailiffs inside, he didn't pay much attention.

Recently, Imperial Censor He had been investigating and often sent bailiffs to question the inn's waiters. Even Imperial Censor He himself had come by a few times. Having grown accustomed to it, Mr. Liu wasn't afraid anymore.

Thinking he could still get information from the waiters about how far Imperial Censor He's investigation had progressed, Mr. Liu believed his choice was wise.

This way, he could protect himself while staying informed. Even if Jia Six came, he would have to admit that Mr. Liu was clever.

As usual, after greeting the shopkeeper, ignoring the ugly expression on his face, Mr. Liu headed towards the second floor of the inn. The bailiffs who had been scattered around suddenly gathered in front of him, blocking his path. "This gentleman is?"

"My surname is Liu."

"This is Mr. Liu, who has been staying at our inn for some time." Xiaoguan introduced.

Mr. Liu smiled but soon realized something was wrong. "Gentlemen, what's the matter?"

"We are conducting routine investigations on the guests staying at the inn these days. Everyone must be checked." Lin the Bailiff came down from upstairs and explained to Mr. Liu, "Please, Mr. Liu, let us check all the items on you."

"Oh, since Head Bailiff Lin knows I'm just a regular guest, why would you still make things difficult for me?"

"We're not singling you out, Mr. Liu. Due to an incident today, we need to check everyone in the inn as a precaution. We are just following orders, so please cooperate." Lin the Bailiff explained, "Please don't make this difficult for us."

Mr. Liu realized that the authorities now suspected the guests because of today's incident.

Why would they suspect the guests?

"What happened today? Why wasn't I informed of this?"

"Once we have checked you, Mr. Liu, and confirmed that there are no issues, we will provide you with all the details."

"Alright, alright." Mr. Liu forced a smile, but his face turned quite miserable, and he regretted his choices.

The search and inspection of his personal belongings made it clear that he was being specifically targeted.

This is it, he thought. He had believed the most dangerous place was the safest, but now, he might have gotten himself into trouble.

Naturally, Mr. Liu wasn't willing to sit still. With a smiling face, he untied the longsword from his waist, and just as his hand gripped it tightly, he made his move.

"Not good!"

"It's him!"

Outside the inn, Pei Six, who was paying attention to the movements inside, heard the commotion and imagined the clash of blades. A wide grin spread across her face.

Well, it's over for Mr. Liu.

She didn’t need to lift a finger.

Soon, Bailiff Lin, clutching his bleeding arm, was helped to sit down.

Mr. Liu, now subdued by two martial experts brought by Imperial Censor He, knelt on the ground, his hair disheveled. Clearly, he was in a difficult position.

A bailiff was searching Mr. Liu and retrieved a purse, a dagger, a fragrant pouch, and finally, an imperial token.

"Head?"

Bailiff Lin grabbed it to take a closer look and then passed it to the shopkeeper and Xiaoguan for verification.

The shopkeeper and Xiaoguan looked at the token and nodded repeatedly.

"Bailiff Lin, this person didn't come alone to our inn." Xiaoguan, who had been responsible for guiding Mr. Jia and the sixth young master, and even showing them around the crime scene, immediately provided further information.

"That's right, there's another person with them," the shopkeeper also remembered. "It's likely another assassin from the Heaven Rank First bandit group."

The news of capturing a member of the Heaven Rank First bandit group at the Changlai Inn spread quickly. Even the county magistrate and Imperial Censor He couldn't keep it under wraps to catch the other member.

Because on that day, before Mr. Liu was captured, many guests who had been in and out of the Changlai Inn were searched by the bailiffs.

And many who witnessed Mr. Liu being subdued also saw the token being found and guessed what was going on.

"This is huge! The assassin was right under our noses, hiding in the inn!"

"That assassin must have been out of his mind—knowing the officials from the capital were after him, he still stayed here?"

"This is what happens when you try to outsmart yourself."

"Speaking of which, why do these assassins always end up at the Changlai Inn?"

"What’s so special about the Changlai Inn?"

The shopkeeper also wanted to know what was happening.

Even after two assassins had already met their end there, why did they keep coming back?

Didn’t they realize they were walking into a death trap?

"Well, this time the officer caught the assassin!"

Of course, now that the assassin was captured, people began to wonder how it was discovered that an assassin was staying at the Changlai Inn.

The shopkeeper and Xiaoguan were so startled that they had already forgotten who it was that found the token.

Since the token was back with that Mr. Liu... spit spit, the assassin, it was presumed that the person who returned the token was in grave danger, so it was best to let Imperial Censor He handle the questioning!

After cleverly using someone else's hand to eliminate an enemy and then hiding her achievements and fame, Pei Sixth Lady carefully hid the token and changed back into her women's clothes, leisurely making her way back to Xiaxi Village.

"Sixth Miss, you're back so quickly this time?"

"Hmm."

"Your elder sister?"

"The lead turned out to be a dead end."

Gu Ran was surprised and, noticing that Pei Sixth Lady wasn't upset and even seemed somewhat pleased, thought it was strange.

How could she be so happy even though she didn't find her sister?

"You should tell me how you look for your elder sister, so I can help you find her in the future!"

Holding Xiaohua and stroking her little head, Pei Sixth Lady was surprised by Gu Ran's offer to help. After a moment, she replied, "My elder sister works at a family that grows oranges."

"Grows oranges?" Gu Ran was surprised, "Here in Min Prefecture, a family that grows oranges?"

Pei Sixth Lady nodded.

At that point, Gu Ran understood why, after arriving in Jianzhou, she had reunited with Pei Sixth Lady in the orange orchard of Donglin Township.

So, she went to work at the Liu family's orange orchard to look for her elder sister.

Was it because she had gone to each family that grew oranges in the county to find her sister that she was so familiar with them?

And when she accompanied Gu Ran to the banquet at the Xu family in Jianzhou and then hurriedly left, it was probably because she saw other families that grew oranges from different counties at the feast.

It seemed that Pei Sixth Lady had put in a lot of effort to find her elder sister since arriving in Jianzhou.

"In a few days, it will be the orange harvest, and I might need to go out again."

"You don't need to go to the Liu family's orange orchard," Gu Ran reminded, "The county might not hire people this time."

"Why?"

Gu Ran then explained to Pei Sixth Lady about the incident where the Liu family's and Zhu family's orange orchards were burned down to control the pest infestation.

"Yellow Shoot Disease?"

Pei Sixth Lady blinked hard, finding it hard to believe. "Is this true?"

"It's true!" Gu Ran explained the dangers of Yellow Shoot Disease to her.

"Although the Liu family's orange orchard was burned, they still sold a lot of oranges locally last year. There's a concern that during transportation, if wood lice were attached to the fresh orange leaves, those wood lice, which specifically target citrus trees, might spread the disease to any tangerine or pomelo orchards they pass by."

So, taking preventive measures, after the incidents with the Liu and Zhu families, some citrus growers who knew about the severity of Yellow Shoot Disease had carefully examined their own fruits. However, Gu Ran hadn't inquired about other areas, so she didn't know if similar pest problems had occurred elsewhere.

Seeing Pei Sixth Lady's dazed expression, Gu Ran couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic.

Since Pei Sixth Lady makes her living working for a family that grows oranges, if something happens to the oranges, she might lose her job. If that happens, this clue would become useless, making it even harder for her to find the person she’s looking for.

"Xu Sanlang couldn’t secure oranges from the Liu family, so he probably went to other counties to buy from orchards that grow oranges. When I run into him, I’ll ask on your behalf about other citrus growers in Jianzhou, saving you the trouble."

Pei Sixth Lady slowly came to her senses and glanced at Gu Ran. There was something odd about Gu Ran’s expression when she mentioned Xu Sanlang.

"What is it?"

"It’s nothing. Then… thanks for doing this for me."

"No problem."

Gu Ran was also planning to deliver the citrus she had promised to Xu Sanlang.

Of course, this had to be kept from Pei Sixth Lady, otherwise it would be hard to explain how she came to have so many citrus fruits.

Seeing that Pei Sixth Lady’s mood had suddenly turned gloomy after their conversation, Gu Ran couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. "Have you eaten? If not, how about I make something delicious for you, Sixth Lady?"

Pei Sixth Lady, whose mood had become somewhat somber, brightened a little upon hearing that Gu Ran was going to make food for her, and gently stroked Xiaohua’s head. "Okay."

"What would you like to eat?"

"Anything you make is fine."

Gu Ran thought for a moment and decided to make Eight-Treasure Braised Rice with Red Swimming Crab.

The red swimming crab, despite its name, is actually a type of crab commonly used in the Min region for steaming rice.

It was late autumn, the perfect time for crabs to be rich in fat and roe. Using red swimming crabs for steaming rice was just right.

The red swimming crab and the rice were the main ingredients, and naturally, other supporting ingredients were essential. These included dried scallops, shrimp, oysters, mussels, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and red or green beans. Additional seasonings could be added according to personal taste.

In addition to the sauces, ingredients like ginger and scallions were indispensable. Since Gu Ran was making a seafood-flavored dish, she focused on freshness, using ingredients that were more on the sweet and light side, with less sauce.

First, rinse and steam the glutinous rice. Then, fry the seasonings to release their aroma and stir-fry all the supporting ingredients to bring out their fragrance. Mix the glutinous rice into the stir-fry and place it in a steamer—to prevent sticking, lay a lotus leaf at the bottom of the steamer first.

Next, clean the red swimming crab, crack it open, and cut it into four pieces. Scoop out the crab roe and place it on top of the rice. Drizzle a small amount of prepared broth over the rice for added flavor and then steam it.

When the glutinous rice had absorbed the broth, after less than a quarter of an hour, pour a sauce mixed with soy sauce, salt, and rice wine over it, add some scallions, and the eight-treasure rice was complete.

If you felt that there wasn’t enough red swimming crab, you could steam a few more and set them aside. When the eight-treasure rice was ready and served from the pot to the bowl, you could add a few more pieces of red swimming crab to enjoy.

The glutinous rice, now glossy and infused with the flavors of the crab and other ingredients, looked especially inviting.

Digging in, the glutinous rice was savory and fragrant, while the crab meat was delicate and sweet, making it hard to resist indulging.

Seeing that Pei Sixth Lady’s mood had lifted and feeling full and satisfied, Gu Ran asked Pei Sixth Lady to tidy up the table and wash the dishes in the utility room—it only seemed fair that since she cooked, Pei Sixth Lady would do the dishes, a fair division of labor.

Pei Sixth Lady had no objections and did as she was asked.

As Pei Sixth Lady tidied the table and washed the dishes, Gu Ran casually picked up the large orange tabby and took a leisurely stroll in the courtyard to aid digestion.

With the new month approaching, it was time to deliver the citrus to Xu Sanlang.

Passing by the utility room, Gu Ran glanced at Pei Sixth Lady, who was carefully washing the dishes by the light of the lamp.

She definitely needed to drive the donkey cart to the county town, but should she bring Pei Sixth Lady along?

"Sixth Miss, the dried burn jelly is ready. In a couple of days, I need to deliver it to the He family in the city. I might also need to meet with Xu the Steward. What do you think? Do you want to come with me, or would you prefer to rest a bit longer when we return?"

Pei Sixth glanced back at Gu Ran, recalling that the authorities in the county town had recently captured a member of the Heaven Rank First bandit group. Given her status and recent events, it wouldn’t be wise for her to show her face in public.

"I won’t go. But I’m not comfortable letting Gu Erniang go to the county town by herself."

"If you’re not going, I’ll hire two guards from the Shen family, or maybe ask someone from the village who’s heading to the city to give me a ride." Gu Ran suggested.

"That sounds like a good plan."

And so, on the first day of the tenth month, Gu Ran found several villagers who were heading to the city and used their donkey carts to go together.

When they arrived in the city, Gu Ran learned that what Xu San had told her was indeed true.

The Emperor had sent officials to Min Prefecture to investigate General Qiao’s defeat at the hands of the Japanese pirates. Imperial Censor He, who was sent to the county to handle the case, had only been there for a few days when he captured another member of the Heaven Rank First bandit group hiding in the Changlai Inn.

"The officials from the capital really know what they’re doing!"

"Exactly, they don’t act unless they’re certain, but when they do, it’s impressive."

"Our county magistrate had been investigating for so long after the incident, but he didn’t find a single clue. As soon as Imperial Censor He arrived, he caught the criminal."

"The members of the Heaven Rank First bandit group are well-hidden."

"But why did the Heaven Rank First bandit group come to our county instead of somewhere else?"

"I heard, just a rumor, that there might be a hideout for the bandits in our county."

"What? A hideout for bandits in our county?"

"Otherwise, how else could so many members of the Heaven Rank First bandit group keep showing up here? If you ask me, I suspect the Changlai Inn might be their usual secret meeting place."

"Really? A secret meeting place in such a busy spot?"

"You don’t understand. It’s called hiding in plain sight. They’ve been hiding so well that no one knew there were members of the Heaven Rank First bandit group in the city all these years. If not for this incident..."

It seems the Changlai Inn is no longer a safe place for us to stay.

Understanding the situation, Gu Ran bid farewell to the villagers who had come with her by donkey cart and headed to the He family to deliver the burn jelly. After that, she went to another inn, the Yunlai Inn, and booked a room. While resting in the room, she moved several baskets of oranges she had stored in the eighth storage compartment to the front for easy access later. She also selected the orange marmalade and prepared the sealed white porcelain jars of canned oranges she intended to give to Xu San.

Once she had everything ready, she retrieved the donkey cart from the Yunlai Inn.

Before driving, she climbed into the back of the cart, arranged the oranges, marmalade, and canned oranges neatly, then jumped down, clapped her hands, and prepared to drive towards the dock.

On the first day of the month, the dock was bustling.

In addition to the regular stalls, many people had come to the big market to sell their goods and earn some money.

"Excuse me, could you move aside?"

Gu Ran had already spotted the Xu family’s merchant ship at the dock and was making her way through the stalls and market crowds.

"What are you pushing through for?"

"This donkey cart can’t go any further. You’ll have to find another route."

"No, I need to get to the dock, and this is the only way. Please move aside."

Gu Ran found herself barely able to move and ended up in a dispute with someone. Just as they were at an impasse and about to start arguing, a city official responsible for maintaining order at the fair that day noticed the commotion and walked over, shouting, "What’s going on over here?"

"Officer, it's her! She's trying to squeeze through with her donkey cart!"

"Yes, there are so many people here, how can anyone get through?"

Gu Ran looked up and forced a smile when she saw the official approaching, "What a surprise, Xiao Wu Ye?"

"Oh, it's you, Gu Erniang. What are you doing at the dock this time of day, and why are you bringing a donkey cart?"

Xiao Wu Ye muttered.

"Ah, I promised to bring some orange fruits to the Xu family at the dock, so I had to use the donkey cart."

"The Xu family?" Xiao Wu Ye was startled and looked back at the merchant ship, "You're delivering goods to the Fu Sheng Trading Company?"

"Yes, Xiao Wu Ye, could you do me a favor and clear a path? I'll unload the goods and leave as soon as possible." Gu Ran said, giving Xiao Wu Ye a knowing look: Maybe I’ll show my appreciation later?

Xiao Wu Ye coughed and gave a signal to his colleague, then walked to the front of the donkey cart, shouting and waving for Gu Ran to come over quickly, "Make way, make way! Give us some room, we'll be through in no time!"

Sure enough, when the officials shouted, the crowd quickly made a narrow path that the donkey cart could barely pass through. The path ahead cleared, but it immediately filled up again behind.

The donkey cart moved extremely slowly, inching its way towards the dock.

By the time Gu Ran reached the ship, she was drenched in sweat from the crowd.

"Gu Erniang, you're here?"

Xu the Steward had already spotted Gu Ran and quickly went on board to call Xu Third Young Master out.

The master and servant saw Gu Ran approaching and preemptively cleared the area in front of the dock to make room for her.

"I'm here. The goods are at the back. Would you like to take a look?"

Xu Third Young Master waved his fan and, along with Xu the Steward and a few maids, headed to the back of the donkey cart.

Sure enough, there were several baskets of oranges in the cart, all fresh and tender, looking like they had just been picked. Xu Third Young Master couldn't help but laugh out loud, "You didn’t let me down!"

"Young Master, this Gu Erniang is truly capable!"

"Quick, bring all the oranges onto the ship and weigh them. Let's see if there are five hundred jin."

"Yes, Young Master!"

As Xu Third Young Master had the oranges loaded, Gu Ran hopped off the donkey cart and thanked Xiao Wu Ye and the other city official, secretly slipping half a tael of silver coins to each.

"Thank you, officers!"

Xiao Wu Ye and his colleague smiled and returned to the market to maintain order.

When she turned around, Gu Ran saw Xu Third Young Master smiling and approaching her. "By the way, Xu Third Young Master, did I mention I brought some homemade fruit preserves for you?"

"Are those the white jars?"

"Yes, two of them are homemade orange preserves, which are a little extra gift for you this time." Gu Ran smiled, "There are also ten bottles of orange canned preserves. These are sealed and will last longer than fresh oranges. When you return to the northern region, could you help me find a market for them? If there's demand, I'll sell you more next time."

"There's definitely a market for it." Xu San immediately asked Xu the Steward to fetch a jar. He and Gu Ran climbed aboard the merchant ship.

When Xu the Steward brought over the jar, he lifted the wooden lid to reveal perfectly preserved orange slices, still looking fresh and submerged in clear syrup.

"Can you eat it straight from the jar?"

"Yes, go ahead and give it a try." Gu Ran nodded.

Xu San immediately asked Xu the Steward to bring some chopsticks or a spoon. He scooped up a piece and tasted it. "Not bad at all! It’s got a unique flavor. Did you make this too, Gu Erniang?"

"Of course."

"I think this..." Xu San forgot what it was called.

"Citrus preserves."

"These citrus preserves have great potential. You can make more next year, and I'll buy them from you." Xu San said.

"I’ll hold you to that, and I’ll have more ready for you next year." Gu Ran smiled.

"The citrus Gu Erniang brought has been weighed—five hundred and twenty taels."

"How's the quality?"

"We checked every basket. The oranges are unblemished, fresh, and taste fantastic—top quality."

"Very good." Xu San nodded in satisfaction. "Pay the remaining silver to Gu Erniang."

When Gu Ran took the box of silver ingots from Xu the Steward, she grinned from ear to ear, just as Xu San had expected.

"Gu Erniang, these citrus of yours are early-ripening varieties. Which orange orchard did you buy them from?"

"It’s a trade secret—I can’t tell you."

Xu San chuckled, shaking his head.

"It's almost getting cold, right? Many ports in the northern region will have to stop operations, and your Xu family's ships need to rush back for the New Year, right?" Gu Ran asked. "You should take the opportunity to ship the goods back and make a profit before the festival."

"Exactly. But unfortunately, it looks like..."

Gu Ran understood the implication in Xu San's words: he hadn’t bought enough citrus.

But there was nothing she could do. With the incident at the Liu family, and since she wasn’t the one growing the citrus, she could only sell this much to Xu San.

After a few more pleasantries, Xu San personally saw Gu Ran off the ship.

By this time, the market was not as crowded as before. Gu Ran hurried her donkey cart along and passed by Uncle He's stall, exchanging greetings before heading into the city.

Xu San squinted as he watched Gu Ran disappear into the distance.

Xu the Steward sighed beside him, "Lord, this Miss Gu knows so many things, and everything she knows can make money."

"Hmm!" Xu San nodded lightly.

"If we could get Miss Gu to work for Fusheng, that would be amazing. Her skills would then be put to use for you, Lord."

"You've been dealing with her for quite some time now, do you think she would agree?"

"What a pity!" Xu the Steward looked at Xu San and, seeing his gentle expression, dared to say, "Miss Gu really hits it off with you, Lord. When you go back to the capital for the New Year, your parents will definitely ask about your marriage plans. What do you think?"

"Her and me?" Xu Sanlang glanced at Xu the Steward and laughed incredulously.

"This servant has overstepped."

"No, that's not it," Xu Sanlang shook his head. "In fact, I have had this thought before..."

"Then why, sir?" Xu the Steward was puzzled.

"Our Xu family, although we are royal merchants, are really just common folk at the bottom. If I want to keep expanding the Fu Sheng Trading Company and ensure that our Xu family will not be bullied in the future, I must climb upwards," Xu Sanlang closed his fan and said, "The wife of Xu San must be a lady from an official family in the capital. On this point, Gu Erniang is not suitable."

"If Gu Erniang were still the young miss of the Marquis residence, that would be great!" Xu the Steward lamented.

"If Gu Erniang were still the young miss of the Marquis residence, she wouldn't have noticed me, nor could I have ever hoped to marry her." Xu Sanlang turned around. "Alright, let's not dwell on these unrealistic dreams. Hurry and finish collecting the goods so we can set off for the capital as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir!"

Meanwhile, after leaving the dock and venturing onto the quieter streets lined with food stalls, Gu Ran took the opportunity to indulge in some shopping.

Since Pei Sixth Lady wasn't with her, Gu Ran took the chance to restock her nearly empty spatial compartments.

After a shopping spree, Gu Ran drove the donkey cart back to the Yunlai Inn. After parking the cart in the storage area, she climbed into the carriage and stowed all her new purchases into her spatial compartments, finally satisfied as she headed to her room to rest.

The next morning, Gu Ran drove the donkey cart to other hotels and pastry shops in the county town to stock up on more supplies. After transferring most of her purchases into her spatial compartments, she headed to the south gate of the county town to see if there were any travelers heading in the direction of Xiaxi Village to hitch a ride and avoid an empty trip.

After some enthusiastic calling out, she indeed found a few fellow travelers. After collecting a symbolic two coins, she headed straight toward Xiaxi Village.

Pei Sixth Lady, who had been waiting at the small cottage, sighed in relief when she saw Gu Ran return safely.

"Was it alright in the county town?"

"It was fine..." Gu Ran thought of the imperial censor from the capital who had caught the members of the Heaven Rank First bandit group. She coughed and, watching Pei Sixth unload the rations from the donkey cart, unhitch the cart, and lead the donkey to the bamboo shed, carefully asked, "Sixth Miss, I heard in the county town that a high-ranking official from the capital had come and caught the members of the Heaven Rank First bandit group."

As Pei Sixth was about to lead the donkey into the bamboo shed, she glanced back at Gu Ran. "The Heaven Rank First bandit group was hired with my money for a job. Now they've been exiled here because of their crimes. That has nothing to do with me."

"I'm glad to hear that," Gu Ran breathed a sigh of relief.

Indeed, the imperial censor was after the members of the Heaven Rank First bandit group, which had nothing to do with Pei Sixth.

After feeling relieved, Gu Ran went to see how many cats she could pet in the courtyard.

As the ripples caused by the officials from the capital who had come to Min Prefecture to redress grievances slowly spread to the relevant parties, Xiaxi Village was, as always, busy preparing for the winter rice harvest. It was also the season when various citrus fruits, oranges, and pomelos were being harvested.

As Gu Ran carefully selected citrus fruits as usual, she realized that without the bountiful harvests from the Liu and Zhu family's orange orchards, the fruit stalls in the county town this year were visibly understocked, with only a few scattered farmers selling oranges.

If one still wanted to purchase oranges in bulk, they would have to go to other county towns or the prefecture city of Jianzhou.

It was clear how much the lack of production from the Liu and Zhu family orchards had impacted citrus production in Jianzhou.

On her way back from checking on the konjac planted by Mae Xiang, Gu Ran passed through Jianzhou. There, she bought some oranges at double the usual price.

Back at the small cottage, Gu Ran sighed as she watched the red oranges on the tree slowly turn from green to orange. The growing environment had likely restricted the red oranges from growing taller and stronger. After a period of growth last year, the red oranges had stopped growing, resulting in fewer fruits.

If only this red orange tree could grow taller and more lush, it would produce a hundred jin (about 100 pounds) of oranges... A hundred jin was still too little!

A year's worth of oranges was hardly enough.

Maybe I should consider growing oranges myself.