Chapter 170

The group arrived at Fragrant Blossom Garden outside Jingcheng.

Fragrant Blossom Garden lives up to being the Grand Princess's private estate, nestled among embracing mountains, magnificent and extraordinary.

Tuan Tuan got off the carriage, looked up, and exclaimed, "Wow, it's huge!"

The steward led a group of servants to greet them outside, saying, "Please pay respects to the Princess," then directed the servants to unload everything from the carriage.

Please follow me.

Xiao Er led Tuan Tuan, with Jifeng following behind, as they entered the manor; they saw high walls, pavilions and towers arranged in pleasing order, and the trees, flowers, and grass trimmed neatly.

The steward walked and talked: "Princess, please look, the water in this garden is fresh water brought in from outside. Going out the south gate, there is also a carefully tended woodland reserved for hunting."

"Hunting?" Jifeng's eyes lit up, "Are there horses?"

The steward quickly replied, "Yes, there are several good horses kept in the stable."

Tuan Tuan walked a few steps properly, then let go of Xiao Er's hand and started running around.

Jifeng smacked his lips: "This place is beautiful, but there are too many rules—even the trees grow in neat rows."

After a brief walk, they settled into their respective lodgings.

Jifeng felt an itch all over his bones: "What's the point of just looking? Weren't we just told there's a hunting ground? Let's go play."

Tuan Tuan immediately cheered: "Great, great! Let's go hunting!"

Xiao Er glared at Jifeng, "The miss is still so young, and all you want to do is play with dangerous things!"

Jifeng pretended not to notice.

The servants led forward several fine horses; Jifeng swung onto his mount, his motion smooth as flowing clouds and water.

He picked up the bow and arrow hanging from the saddle, wiped the playful laziness from his face, and his eyes became as sharp as an eagle's.

Xiao Er held Tuan Tuan as they rode together on one horse.

"Go!" The two horses surged forward, one after the other, into the forest, and the two servants spurred their mounts to keep up.

On horseback, Jifeng was exceptionally at ease, as if born to ride, and his whole demeanor suddenly changed.

Like a fish entering the sea, a bird returning to the woods, he was utterly free.

He heard everything in all directions; no slight movement escaped his notice.

The bowstring in his hand seemed alive; the sharp arrow split the air, precisely striking grass and trees, never missing its mark.

Tuan Tuan clapped her hands happily, "Uncle Jifeng! Another one! You're so amazing!"

Jifeng laughed triumphantly, let the horse gallop wildly, and moved with unrestrained ease.

Xiao Er watched Jifeng's consummate horsemanship and archery, and couldn't help but nod in approval.

No wonder he's a man of the plains—he really does have some skill.

Not long after, their haul was quite abundant.

The two servants who followed gathered firewood, set up a grill in the clearing, prepared the game, and placed it over the fire.

Soon, oil hissed and fragrance filled the air.

Jifeng untied his waist wine pouch, tilted his head back, took a big gulp of strong liquor, and exhaled satisfied: "Exhilarating!"

"This one's done; any longer and it'll get tough." He tore off a rabbit leg, fragrant and steaming, and handed it to Tuan Tuan.

He then pulled off the other rabbit leg and took a big bite, tearing at it.

Xiao Er reached out to Tuan Tuan: "Miss, give it to me, I'll tear it open for you."

Tuan Tuan watched Jifeng's hearty meat-eating, her small face full of envy, she shook her head: "No, Uncle Xiao, I want to eat like Uncle Jifeng!"

Then, imitating Jifeng, she brought the rabbit leg to her mouth, bared her little teeth, and tore at it.

Unfortunately, her teeth were too small and she lacked strength; after several pulls she managed only a tiny strand of meat, which dangled from her lips, making her look both earnest and comical.

Jifeng laughed loudly: "Hahaha! Your teeth aren't even fully grown, and you want to imitate me?"

Xiao Er glared at him, reached out to take the rabbit leg, pulled out a small knife, made several cuts in it, and handed it back to Tuan Tuan.

"Uncle Xiao is so nice! Thank you, Uncle Xiao!" Tuan Tuan smiled sweetly, opened her mouth, and bit again, finally able to eat like Jifeng.

Xiao Er gazed at his own miss with an indulgent look: "Our miss is just adorable!"

Tuan Tuan munched a few bites, her mouth glistening with oil, her big eyes narrowed to slits: "So delicious! Uncle Jifeng, you hunt so well—do you hunt and eat roasted meat like this every day in Xilu?"

Jifeng thought: "Pretty much. On the plains, never mind anything else—there's plenty of meat."

Back there, girls your age can already ride small ponies and help herd sheep for their families.

"Herd sheep?" Tuan Tuan tilted her head, imagining, "Don't they go to school?"

"School?" Jifeng blinked, then laughed and shook his head: "On the plains, the land is vast and people sparse, tents follow the water and grass—how could there be a school like you have here?"

"For a girl, being able to recognize her own name and knowing how to tend livestock well is already excellent."

Tuan Tuan put down her meat, looked serious: "But girls should also learn more skills!"

"Just knowing how to tend livestock isn't enough!"

"I've set up a Nüzi Jian, which is different from the Guozijian where the brothers study."

"It's for learning handicrafts. It lets all the young ladies learn a skill, so even if their families are gone, they can earn a living and won't go hungry."

Jifeng's hand paused slightly.

He looked at Tuan Tuan, listening to her bold words.

Thinking of the women on the plains, wind‑blown and sun‑scorched, whose fates from birth are destined to depend on fathers, brothers, or husbands, his heart felt as if lightly struck by something.

He fell silent for a moment, then suddenly took another gulp of liquor: "Your words make our Xilu men seem somewhat lacking toward the girls at home. Your Nüzi Jian is truly a good thing!"

Tuan Tuan proudly lifted her chin: "Exactly! My father says the same!"

The campfire crackled, and the aroma of the roasted meat gradually drifted away on the evening breeze.

Jifeng satisfiedly took a big gulp of wine, lay back spread-eagled, and said, "This place really isn't bad."

"If it weren't for your Lie Kingdom's so‑called 'World Trade Grand Assembly,' making a fuss everywhere, I wouldn't have come all this way, nor would I have met you, this interesting little fellow."

Tuan Tuan heard the words, tilted her head curiously: "You came for this too?"

Jifeng snorted, unconvinced: "If you ask me, it's just unnecessary!"

"We in West Lu have cattle, sheep, and fine horses; you in Lie Kingdom have tea leaves and silk. Our products differ, each to their own, living leisurely—how pleasant! Why go to all that trouble far away?"

"How could that work!" Tuan Tuan set down her water bag, "If everyone only guarded their own things, you'd only be able to eat meat every day and never taste our Lie Kingdom's sweet pastries."

She stretched out her two little hands, gesturing: "Things wouldn't keep getting more and more, better and better!"

"By selling your good things for silver, you can buy even more good things!"

Jifeng blinked, then chuckled: "Little girl, what you say makes some sense. But turning everything into silver—hm, that yellow-white stuff flows here and there, and in the end who knows whose pocket it fattens, a hassle!"

Tuan Tuan blinked her big eyes, thinking hard, then realized: the people of West Lu don't like silver!

Her eyes lit up: "Then let's not use silver!"

"Huh?" Jifeng blinked.

Tuan Tuan excitedly clapped her little hands: "Uncle Jifeng, you don't like silver, so just trade goods for goods!"

"You can use a flock of fat sheep to exchange for our cloth and sugar cakes!"

"We can also use the things you want to exchange for your fastest horses!"

"That way, nobody needs silver, and we can still have lots more good things, right?"

Jifeng's face showed emotion: "Little girl, do you know that before silver existed, our grasslands were like this?"

"But each item differs in size, quality, good or bad, so trading often led to arguments. Gradually we learned from you all and started using silver. The more silver, the more trouble."

"Oh——" Tuan Tuan nodded, "I see."

"But this is good for everyone, isn't there any way to make everyone satisfied?"

Jifeng watched her earnestly thinking, couldn't help a small smile: "Alright, little girl, don't rack your brain—we might as well just live our own lives!"

Tuan Tuan looked at him, refusing to give up: "There must be a way, Uncle Jifeng!"

Suddenly her eyes lit up: "Uncle Jifeng, let's first assign prices to the goods! Once everyone agrees, we can trade goods for goods—wouldn't that work!"

Jifeng's hand holding the wine skin froze midair.

"Yeah, in trade and commerce, why must we cling to that empty, flashy silver?"

"As long as we can set fair prices, then each take what they need, bartering goods—wouldn't that be a more direct way?"

He suddenly looked at this bright-eyed, smug little girl before him, and his heart churned with tumultuous waves.

This child's naive words actually hit the core more directly than all the lofty discourses of the West Lu officials he'd heard, and suited his temperament perfectly!

He tipped his head back and drained the strong wine from the pouch, a smile appearing on his face.

Over the next few days, they leisurely passed their time in the Fangfei Garden.

Sometimes they entered the forest to hunt, sometimes they fished by the stream, sometimes they gathered various wild fruits in the mountains in autumn.

The days were tranquil, as if all worldly turmoil had faded far away.

That morning, the sky was high and clouds wide; Jifeng gazed at the old forest beyond the manor, its layers of trees fully colored, rarely trodden by people, and his heroic spirit rose: "Little girl, dare to follow uncle into that old forest to explore? There must be even more game there!"

Tuan Tuan naturally clapped her approval; Xiao Er hesitated a moment, then nodded.

The group rode their horses deep into the old forest.

Here ancient trees towered, branches and leaves blocking the sky, light suddenly grew dim.

Jifeng's keen gaze swept over every tree shadow and thicket.

"What a fat deer!" He nocked an arrow, drew his bow, aimed, and was about to take it down.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several sharp tearing-through-air sounds rang out, shooting swiftly from the dense forest!

Straight for Tuan Tuan!