Chapter 483: The Pay-to-Win Palace Intrigue System (18)

Before returning to Jingcheng, she rested for two days in Yanzhou Prefecture to organize the supplies she was bringing home, eventually loading up a full twenty horse-drawn carriages—

Four carriages of furs and fabrics; two carriages of Jiangnan silk; two carriages of medicinal herbs (one of which contained precious herbs originating from Nanyang); two carriages of mushrooms and tea leaves (the mushrooms had been sun-dried during her stay in the Northwest; the tea leaves included premium pre-Qingming Longjing from Jiangnan, Cloud Mist tea picked from snow-capped mountains, and half a carriage filled with raw and ripe Pu'er tea cakes); two carriages of local specialty dried goods purchased along the way, suitable for gift-giving and return gifts; two carriages of Nanyang specialties, including hawksbill, coral, ivory, rhinoceros horn, pearls, and Nanyang Bird's Nest...

Two carriages of beef and mutton products and dairy products (she had wanted to bring out fresh beef and mutton, but feared it wouldn't keep once she returned to Jingcheng as the weather was turning warm); two carriages of fine Nu'er Hong suitable for wedding celebrations; the final two carriages were loaded with crushed jade seed material and gold dust.

That's right, the crushed seed material and gold dust discarded during the Mining Robot's processing required two whole carriages to haul.

Twenty carriages, and that was even after streamlining the quantity.

Xie Yang herself was dazzled by the sight.

She hadn't realized it until she packed, but how did she end up with so much stuff?

And this was only what she had taken out after the cargo holds of the six Cargo Flying Vehicles were already stuffed full.

The twenty carriages were lined up in a row; with her small stature, she couldn't even see the end of the line from the lead carriage, so she simply hired an Escort Agency to help guard the transport.

On this trip back to Jingcheng, the Robot Bodyguard no longer appeared in public as the "Thousand-Faced Saintess"; she had changed it into the skin of a middle-aged woman, named her Ning Gu, and established her identity as the mute protector of the "Thousand-Faced Saintess," sent by the "Thousand-Faced Saintess" to protect her personally.

As for her, she was now the direct disciple of the "Thousand-Faced Saintess," and she even had a ready-made sect technique—the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden Technique.

Well, when you're out and about, you give yourself your own identity.

In the lush, vibrant third month of spring, the Duke Mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, with servants bustling in and out.

Everyone in the surrounding streets knew that the Duke Mansion was about to hold a joyous event—in five days, it would be the grand wedding day for the fourth young master of the house.

The third branch of the Xie Mansion was even busier.

The Third Madam directed the maids and matrons to sweep the courtyard, scrub the doors and windows, tidy the plants, and paste up wedding characters.

The new bridal chamber prepared for her son also needed to be dusted and wiped down once more; the brand-new furniture was tied with festive red ropes; the auspicious dried fruits to be spread on the bed on the wedding day were selected for their plumpness and set aside.

The wedding cakes, wedding tea, wedding candies, and wedding candles, all likewise prepared, were checked over and over again; not the slightest mistake could be made.

"Mother, your son has returned."

Xie Jing, with fine beads of sweat on his forehead, hurried in from outside.

"How was it? Were you able to find any news of the Saintess?"

The Third Madam of the Xie family ordered a maid to prepare warm water for her son to wash his face and hands, while stepping forward to ask.

Xie Jing shook his head, picked up the teapot on the table to pour himself a cup of water, and gulped down two cups to quench the thirst in his throat before saying, "I ran to every Escort Agency and carriage firm in Jingcheng, and they all said there was no news of the Saintess."

"Oh my! What is to be done!" The Third Madam struck her hand, her expression anxious. "The last letter clearly stated she would bring Yang Er to attend your wedding. But the Saintess's whereabouts are uncertain, and the letter your father entrusted to the Escort Agency to send to Jiaozhou Fu couldn't find a recipient—could something have happened?"

Xie Jing was also worried about his little sister's safety. After thinking it over, he decided to go ask his close friend Meng Ran for help; his father was in the Five Cities Military Horse Division and had a better grasp of information inside and outside Jingcheng, so perhaps he could find out something.

Just as he was preparing to leave, he saw a gatekeeper boy run into the Xi Kuayuan with a look of surprise, reporting breathlessly:

"Third Madam! Fourth Young Master! Seventh Miss has returned to the mansion! Seventh Miss has returned to the mansion!"

"Really? Oh, that's wonderful, that's wonderful!"

The Third Madam couldn't be bothered to change her clothes or wash up; she lifted her skirt and ran toward the mansion gate.

Xie Jing, with his long strides and quick pace, reached the gate a step before her.

He saw that outside the Xie Mansion gate, the originally spacious open area was already filled with carriages; those that couldn't fit had to park on the street. With twenty carriages arriving at once, the scene was nothing short of spectacular.

"Yang Er?"

"Yang Er?"

Xie Jing didn't see his chubby little sister at a glance and began calling out anxiously.

"Fourth Brother."

Xie Yang couldn't help but roll her eyes; she was standing right there on the shaft of the lead carriage, for goodness' sake.

"!!!"

Only then did Xie Jing notice that the slim little girl standing on the lead carriage shaft was actually his chubby little sister.

"Little sister, how did you..."

He wanted to ask how she had become so thin and so tall.

He was shoved aside by his mother.

"Yang Er!"

The Third Madam hugged Xie Yang and began to sob:

"My dear Yang Er! You have suffered!"

"Mother, Yang Er is fine, I haven't suffered."

"How could you not have suffered! Look at how thin you've become!"

"..."

Xie Yang couldn't dissuade her, so she simply let her convenient mother vent by hugging her and crying.

Fortunately, knowing they were still outside the mansion gate, the Third Madam wiped away her tears after a good cry and carried her daughter into the mansion.

The cargo in the twenty carriages was naturally arranged by Xie Jing to be unloaded and carried to the third branch.

Fortunately, at this time, the Third Master of the Xie family, who had been out inquiring about the Saintess, also returned. With father and son there to oversee, no one dared to covet the goods, and every single carriage was transported into the Xi Kuayuan without loss.

By the time the first and second branches received news that their little niece had returned to visit, bringing twenty carriages of gifts bestowed by her master, the pristine premium furs, expensive medicinal herbs, ornaments, pearls, Blood Bird's Nest, and the jade seed material and gold dust—which were not meant for outsiders to know about—had already been tucked away into the third branch's private treasury.

What was piled in the courtyard were only the relatively secondary items, convenient for gift-giving.

The return of the Seventh Miss of the Xie Mansion became a topic of conversation for the people of Jingcheng over tea and meals for a long time to come.

Two years ago, she had been taken away from Jingcheng by the Thousand-Faced Saintess to be taught martial arts; two years later, on the eve of her elder brother's wedding, she returned to the Duke Mansion with twenty carriages of gifts.

Some people were guessing what exactly those twenty carriages were hauling.

Some were guessing whether the Seventh Miss of the Xie family had received the true teachings of the Thousand-Faced Saintess and learned powerful martial arts.

Others were guessing why the Thousand-Faced Saintess hadn't come. To actually let a five-year-old girl like the Seventh Miss of the Xie family return home alone? How could a master be so unconcerned?

In the third branch of the Xie Mansion, the family gathered together and was also discussing this topic.

"Yang Er, where is the Holy Maiden? Why didn't she come with you?"

"Yang Er, what places have you been to with the Holy Maiden these past two years? How is it that the holiday gifts you sent came from all over the world?"

"Little sister, how did you grow so tall? You're almost catching up to your sixth brother!"

Xie Yang: "..."

Which one should I answer first?

Forget it, I'll eat first!

After returning to the manor, she soaked in a hot bath boiled with Pomelo leaves, changed into the spring and autumn ru-skirt that Madam Xie San had just made for her the other day, had her hair dried by a maid, and sat on a soft couch, eating with great relish the small wontons with Shepherd's Purse, spring bamboo shoot, and fresh meat filling, boiled in chicken broth by the small kitchen.

It was said that the freshly sprouted tender Shepherd's Purse and the first batch of spring bamboo shoots were sent from the Farm.

The Old Matriarch tasted them, found the flavor good, and had the First Madam send some to every household.