Translator: Vesper

  For him to travel all the way there, it was clear that the path he took was not free and easy. He was still worried about the emperor, otherwise, he wouldn’t have rushed over right after his engagement.

  “Your Highness, you don’t have to worry about this. I feel that Ning Meng Yao isn’t as simple as we think. Tian Chang might gain a huge support by marrying her.” Xiao Qi Tian thought about the examination he did on Ning Meng Yao earlier on.

  He admired Ning Meng Yao for keeping a low profile.

  “Hmm?”


  “She is better at doing business than I am, and according to my investigation, before the winery and sauce workshop, she opened a few embroidery workshops in several countries, and these embroidery workshops are all well hidden. She only does business with the noble. If she wanted to, it isn’t a problem for her to take control of the business movements of several other countries. And this is only part of it. I think she’s a very mysterious lady.” Xiao Qi Tian thought about it and explained.

  Even he couldn’t completely investigate Ning Meng Yao.

  Even her servants were not easy to deal with. At present, he only knew that Qing Zhu was responsible for all the embroidery workshops. As for what Qing Chun and Qing Xue were responsible for, apart from knowing that Qing Xue had a talent in the medical field, he wasn’t clear of any other talents. However, he knew that the servants weren’t of the ordinary. The temperaments that they gave off were different.

  “Oh? Is she really that powerful?”


  “Yes, she used to have a relationship with Ling Luo. Later, because Ling Luo married Xiao Zi Xuan, and made her his wife, she burned down the house near the capital and went to the small village Tian Chang was living in. If she hadn’t sent White Mountain Village’s Village Head’s daughter to the Embroidery House, I wouldn’t have been able to gather all these information.” Xiao Qi Tian frowned.

  He had a notion. In future, Ning Meng Yao would amaze everyone so what he had to do now was to have a good relationship with her.

  Xiao Qi Feng had occupied the position as the emperor for many years, so he naturally understood what Xiao Qi Tian meant: “I’ll pass this matter to you. Don’t investigate her anymore, I believe in Tian Chang’s decision.” If Ning Meng Yao was so powerful, she would be a huge support to Tian Chang when he returned.

  “Yes, Your Highness. But we shouldn’t approach her with a purpose. Otherwise, the consequences will be counterproductive. She’s quite a sensitive woman.” Xiao Qi Tian was helpless but he had known her for several months now so he more or less understood her.

  “Yes. I’ll leave this matter to you.” They were brothers of the same mother so they grew up together and had a deep affection for one another. Xiao Qi Tian wasn’t interested in the throne. He did business outside of the palace and helped Xiao Qi Feng to enrich the national treasury. The national treasury was rich now so they could handle natural disasters properly if it ever occurs.

  “Definitely.” Xiao Qi Tian said with a smile.

  “Very well. Since you’re already here, let’s eat together. Then I can taste whether this wine is as good as you said.” Xiao Qi Feng said while handling a few more of the memorial.

  “Sure.”


  Ning Meng Yao didn’t know what happened in the capital. She had no time to think about it these days.

  It was already the early summer now and it had been raining a lot. There were a lot of mushrooms on the mountain. So, she told the young girls from the village and the people who didn’t work that she wanted to gather as many mushrooms as they could.

  Therefore, the rest of the villagers went to the mountains to gather mushrooms. Later Ning Meng Yao also showed them some bracken so they could recognize it. At the end of the day, they collected mushrooms and bracken.

  Looking at the mushrooms and bracken that were collected daily, Ning Meng Yao was very satisfied. She thought of making dried bracken and dried mushrooms which were really delicious.

  Qiao Tian Chang came back on the tenth day after she started collecting mushrooms.

  On this day, Ning Meng Yao guided the young girls to cook mushrooms and bracken. Suddenly she heard horseshoes sounds from outside. When she went out, she saw Qiao Tian Chang riding back, looking somewhat in a mess.

  “You’re back.” The days when he was gone, she kept herself busy and tried not to think about him. Now that she saw him in person, she suddenly missed him a lot.

  Qiao Tian Chang nodded and reached out to hug Ning Meng Yao, smelling the warmth of her body: “I’m back.”


  “I’ll ask Qing Xue to prepare the bath for you. You should take a bath first, you’re so dirty.”