Chapter 275: His Hidden Condition 10
Northern Liang Palace.
Imperial Study.
The woman who was dressed in imperial robes looked young. She was twenty-three years old and was the current empress of Northern Liang.
The empress was seated on the imperial throne. She had picked up a sealed report from the desk and pushed it across gently.
Below the desk stood a young man, his body in a slight bow. The young man was dressed in a black, ceremonial uniform. Compared to the magnificence of the imperial study, his appearance oozed harsh antiquity.
The empress said, “State Preceptor, I’m sure you’ve seen the outcome report from the Qingzhou City government office.”
The young man was the current State Preceptor, Li Ruoxuan. He looked clean and refined; his eyes and brows were calm and there was a hint of coldness in his gaze.
His hands were clasped behind his back.
Slowly, he spoke, “The seven Grand Masters are not in Qingzhou City. However, a peerless master has appeared in Qingzhou City, and they wiped out everyone in Lingyun Restaurant in an instant, save for the cook who was in the kitchen and a servant. Everyone else was eradicated. Based on the results of the investigation run by the government office, the rank seven and eight masters who were at the scene didn’t seem to have any chance to fight back and were thus wiped out.”
The empresses nodded lightly. “If they were a rank nine cultivator, they would have at the very least needed to engage in two bouts with the number of rank sevens and eights who were present. In the end, however, there was not a single trace of a fight, they had all been annihilated! This is simply horrifying.”
The young man did not say anything, he only looked at the sealed report on the table silently.
“State Preceptor, based on what I’ve just said, could it be that… another Grand Master has appeared in Northern Liang?” the empress asked.
There was a beat of silence.
Then he responded.
“Your majesty, I’m afraid this humble servant will have to make a trip to Qingzhou City to investigate the matter in person.”
“I think so as well,” the empress said.
The young man answered in agreement.
As she looked at the young man, a hint of shyness suddenly appeared on the empress’s face. She said with some nervousness, “Do look into the whereabouts of the Head Grand Secretariat since you’re going to Qingzhou City. I am rather worried that something might have happened to him.”
“As you wish, your majesty,” said the young man.
With that, he turned around and left.
The empress called out to the young man one more time.
The young man turned to look at her.
Pausing for a moment, the empress said, “State Preceptor, will you be making the trip incognito or officially?”
The young man replied, “This humble servant thinks that since an atrocity has happened in Qingzhou City despite there not being any Grand Masters around, there is the possibility that… it would attract the other Grand Masters to conduct their own investigation. Thus, it would be better to make my way over in secret.”
The empress nodded and said, “I wish the State Preceptor a safe trip.”
The young man nodded.
With that, he immediately left the imperial study again.
The moment he exited the Imperial Study, the young man glanced up at the warm, winter sun of the Capital City.
The sun was shining on him but there was not the slightest bit of heat.
He then gazed in a particular direction. ‘Could another Grand Master have appeared?
‘Also… Head Grand Secretariat, where have you hidden yourself if you’re still alive?
‘Looks like I’ll have to personally go to Qingzhou City and drag you out.
‘Tsk!’
Qi Qingyao felt someone patting her shoulder. However, being in such a pleasant sleep, she was too lazy to bother. Eventually, she heard someone speak loudly from beside her.
“We’re here.”
Qi Qingyao sat up suddenly. Rubbing her eyes, she took a look around her. A carriage? She was rather disoriented!
Jiang Yeqian said, “How did you get so sleepy the moment you got onto a carriage?”
Qi Qingyao yawned again. She opened the window and glanced at the scenery outside, replying vaguely, “It’s the clatter of horseshoes, along with the slight bumpiness of the carriage, they have some kind of lulling magic!”
Jiang Yeqian, “…” This was the first time he had met someone who fell asleep the moment they boarded a carriage!
He put on his mask swiftly.
He was preparing to get off the carriage first and then help her down, but in the blink of an eye, he once again saw the woman jumping down from the carriage immediately, not even giving him the chance to react.
After Qi Qingyao got off the carriage, she looked at the signage on the side of the path.
“The Yuexiu Fabric Shop!!”
Lu Yan had also gotten out of his carriage. Qi Qingyao asked him, “Is this the largest fabric shop in Qingzhou City?”
It really looked quite huge, occupying at least three shoplets.
There were a number of finely and luxuriously dressed young ladies and married women all bringing their maids along as they went in and out of the store. They all had satisfied smiles on their faces. Qi Qingyao entered on her own.
The moment she walked into the building, she realized that other than some hemp mourning garments made of coarse linen in the left corner, the rest of the shop only contained the highest grade of silks and satin as well as all sorts of embroidery brocades. It was so overwhelming that she did not know where to begin looking.
Qi Qingyao was wearing a black, wide-sleeved robe today. The black robe was embroidered with golden, peony flowers and the embroidered trimming was also red. It looked a bit harsh in this place! Compared with the other ladies’ pink and white tones, she did not look like one of them.
The other ladies could not help but turn their heads to look at her a few times, but Qi Qingyao was unperturbed as if she had not noticed the others’ eyes on her. After rounding the place once, she found some high-quality fabric that looked elegant and had koi fish embroidered on them.
She thought of making the children some koi-themed pouches!
“Boss, I want these fabrics.”
A shop assistant came over and saw the fabric she had picked. They said, a little sheepish, “Patron, you have a tasteful eye. This particular embroidery was made specially by the Koi Temple and this batch of fabric has also been specially ordered by someone else. We have no leftovers, unfortunately.”
Someone had already reserved them? Qi Qingyao pursed her lips. “Just my luck.”
Jiang Yeqian stood behind her and glanced at the interesting fabric material. Leaning forward, he whispered, “You go ahead and take a look around first. I’m going to the lavatory for a bit.”
Qi Qingyao made a sound of acknowledgment and continued looking at the other fabrics.
After Jiang Yeqian left, Lu Yan came over. Keeping a little distance from her, he coughed slightly and said uncomfortably, “We can go take a look at the other fabric shops. The Lu family has a fabric shop under their name, you’re free to choose whatever you wish!”
Qi Qingyao was surprised.”This one is not yours?”
Lu Yan answered, “No, it isn’t.”
Qi Qingyao said, “Then, doesn’t that mean the Lu family isn’t all that great?”
Lu Yan, “…” Why would that degrade the Lu family? First, she accused him of being impotent and now she was saying that the Lu family was pathetic! This woman was really asking for a beating with the things she said!
Regarding this, however, Lu Yan had actually asked his father before why this particular shop was able to become the largest fabric shop in Qingzhou City despite not being under the Senluo Chamber of Commerce.
His father said that this shop was close to two hundred years old and had had too long of a time to develop! Even the Lu family was not sure of their background.
…
The man in the ox-head mask said he was going to the lavatory but had instead made a beeline to the backroom of the fabric shop. One of the shop assistants saw this and immediately went to stop him.
“Hey hey hey, you weirdo, why are you barging into our shop’s backroom!!”
Jiang Yeqian remained idle, his demeanor somewhat lazy. He sat down on the chair in the backroom and said with a commanding aura, “Get your shopkeeper to come out here.”
The shop assistant was slightly taken aback. “The shopkeeper?”
Another shop assistant pointed at the weird man and asked loudly, “Why are you asking for our shopkeeper?”
Jiang Yeqian saw these ignorant shop assistants and felt his temper flare in an instant. “If you don’t get your shopkeeper out here now, watch out that I might just tear down this shop.”