Pampered Consort of the Fragrant Orchard c1-234

by N/A

"What?!" Du Xiao Li instantly shot up from her chair, as she looked to Mu Zi Mu and asked, "Why was Sui Yuan picked for this kind of thing?"

  "According to the news we received, someone had suggested it to his Majesty, saying that Sui Yuan has always held some verse and poetry essay single-elimination open tournaments, so holding the competition this time there won't be a problem. This competition originally was set in Northern Yuan, but because of Northern Yuan's internal turmoil, it was changed to our country in the last moment. But we've never prepared something like this before, and wanting to temporarily close the hall isn't possible either, so.........."

  "So someone is using Sui Yuan to take advantage of the situation?" Du Xiao Li continued, "Do you know who recommended us to the Emperor?"

  "This subordinate is useless, we were unable to find out." Mu Zi Mu remorsefully said.

  Du Xiao Li opened up the imperial decree and rapidly skimmed over it. As expected, on there stated for Sui Yuan to carry out the arrangements for the competition this time, letting Sui Yuan's owner enter the palace to have an audience with the Emperor. Du Xiao Li sat back down on the chair and silently stared at the imperial decree for a while, "Where's the eunuch that came to announce the imperial decree?"

  "I've already told him that I won't be able to contact you until tomorrow, so he said that tomorrow at the end of chen-hour(7-9am), he'll come pick you up to enter the palace." Mu Zi Mu replied.

  "I understand." Du Xiao Li had the imperial decree placed on the table and said, "You go back first. Tomorrow, I'll come to Sui Yuan at chen-hour."

  "Yes." Mu Zi Mu got up and left under Ying Ge's lead.

  Xia Yuan stood to the side, and seeing Du Xiao Li's anxious look, she said, "Miss, what should we do about this?"

  "Right now, I don't know either. We'll have to wait until tomorrow after I enter the palace and meet the Emperor, and then decide." Du Xiao Li massaged her forehead, "Seeing that the Grand Empress Dowager's body has more or less recovered, I originally was thinking to wait another few days before removing the gu for her, but looking at the present situation, we'll need to have this matter taken care of in the next two days."

  "This way is better too, else when that side gets busy, we won't be able to pay attention to this side." Xia Yuan said.

  "If I find out who was it that had Sui Yuan pushed before his Majesty, I'll definitely........" Du Xiao Li angrily said.

  "Miss will definitely do what?" Xia Yuan, seeing Du Xiao Li fuming look, asked with a laugh.

  "When the time comes, you'll know!" Du Xiao Li said, "Right now, we need to prepare for the gu removal first."

  "Yes."

  Xia Yuan curtsied and then left, leaving Du Xiao Li alone in the guest hall as she absentmindedly stared at the imperial decree on the table.

  In the evening, Du Xiao Li as usual examined the Grand Empress Dowager's body for her, and after the Grand Empress Dowager went to sleep, she bid Meng Gu farewell and then left. Just as she walked out, she saw Han Ming Yi outside the door.

  "Big brother Yi, what are you doing here?"

  "Waiting for you."

  "Waiting for me?"

  "En."

  "Do you need something?" Du Xiao Li combed her hair by her ear as she asked.

  Han Ming Yi walked over, suddenly embracing her waist, and with a leap, disappeared from the courtyard. Shortly after, they arrived at the mountain in the back.

  Along the way, Du Xiao Li didn't say anything, and when they finally landed, she looked to Han Ming Yi and asked, "What did you bring me here for?"

  "To talk."

  Sweat------

  Du Xiao Li casted Han Ming Yi a glance and said, "Can't we talk at home? Must we come here?"

  Han Ming Yi carried Du Xiao Li in his arms and leapt all the way to the treetop of a tall tree that was reaching into the skies. This tree was already very lush, there was simply no need to worry about falling down.

  "Sit." Han Ming Yi sat down and patted the space next to him.

  Du Xiao Li sat down next to Han Ming Yi and looked down to the lights of the estate below, listening to the early autumn insect cries. Her somewhat jittery heart slowly calmed down.

  Han Ming Yi quietly sat next to her. Sensing her calm down, he finally asked, "What happened? This my first time seeing you this anxious."

  Although currently Han Ming Yi has been staying every night at the estate, in the morning he still needed to enter the city to take care of business, or go to the army barracks to handle affairs. During dinner, he'd already sensed that Du Xiao Li was different from usual, thus he brought her here to relieve her stress.

  Du Xiao Li had the matter of the Emperor wanting to hold the talent competition between the countries at Sui Yuan told to Han Ming Yi. And after listening to everything, Han Ming Yi opened his mouth, "Since the imperial decree has already come down for this matter, then it's already a fixed matter. Placing the literature competition between the countries at Sui Yuan is indeed somewhat stressful. However, you don't need to worry either, I will accompany you together."

  "Together with me?" Du Xiao Li turned her head to Han Ming Yi, and seeing his face being blur by the night, she suddenly felt the urge to reach out and touch.

  "En, such an important matter, his Majesty won't let Sui Yuan just handle on their own. Tomorrow, I'll talk to him, and let him have this matter given to us to handle together. For cautions sake, he most likely will also do it this way." Han Ming Yi grasped Du Xiao Li's hand and said, "Not only that, you can also drag your fox-like old father into this. With Prime Minister Du present, you for the most part can relax on this matter."

  "Right! How did I forget about my father!" Du Xiao Li suddenly recalled Du Yun Han. With her fox-like old man around, she completely can hide in the back and be idle. "Tomorrow, I will tell his Majesty to let my old man help out too."

  "Actually, even if you don't say, his Majesty will also let Prime Minister Du come. You just need to worry about providing the location. Everything else, just give to your husband and your father to handle." Han Ming Yi said assuredly.

  T/N: I don't think I can think of a MC that's better at recruiting free laborers than DXL.

  Ch. 078.2 – Cursing Ren Wang In Anger (2)

  Cursing Ren Wang In Anger (2)

  "En." Du Xiao Li nodded. Although she believed that she alone can also handle this matter nicely, just like in her past life no matter how difficult, or how impossible, the mission was, she was all able to complete it perfectly, even if it meant suffering serious injuries. But, it seems having someone to rely on was also not bad.

  But, just now, did he say husband?!

  The two sat atop the treetop for a long time. And when Du Xiao Li's mood calmed down completely, she finally stood up and looked to Han Ming Yi, "Thank you, big brother Yi."

  "What's there to thank." Han Ming Yi stood up, wanting to pinch her cheeks, yet got avoided by her. Seeing her body lean back, seemingly about to fall down, he hurriedly went forward, wanting to grab her waist.

  But Du Xiao Li's figure brushed past, dodging his arm. Then, she leapt backwards, agilely landing on the ground.

  The instant Du Xiao Li fell, Han Ming Yi broke out in cold sweat from the fright, wanting to grab onto her, yet saw the teasing look in her eye and blanked for a moment, before seeing her smoothly land on the ground.

  "Big brother Yi, what are you still doing up there? If you don't come down, I'm going to just go back by myself." Du Xiao Li waved at Han Ming Yi as she spoke with a smile.

  Seeing Du Xiao Li's smiling appearance, Han Ming Yi helplessly laughed, then jumped down and landed next to her, tapping her forehead, "Naughty."

  "Who told you to always take me outside without asking me first!" Du Xiao Li said, covering her forehead.

  Han Ming Yi grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction back to the estate, saying: "I should've noticed sooner, for you to still be able to see things under a moonless night, this was the display of having inner energy. But, such an obvious thing, I ended up overlo
oking. When did you learn martial arts?"

  "Learned it when I was little!" Du Xiao Li didn't pull her hand from his, freely allowing him to hold her hand.

  "In the beginning, no matter how Leng Er tried to teach you, weren't you unable to learn it? He even helplessly said that you didn't have the gift to learn martial arts!"

  "At that time, I indeed didn't learn it, but afterwards, I was able to teach myself."

  "Then let's compete sometime?"

  "Don't wanna. You're Feng Ming's Ding Wang, it's not good if I beat you, but if I lose, I'll be unhappy as well."

  "Hehehe........"

  The morning of the next day, after Du Xiao Li had everything on the estate arranged, she took Xia Yuan with her and headed to the capital. And before chen-hour(7-9am), they arrived at Sui Yuan Club. Mu Zi Mu had long arranged for someone to wait for her at the entrance, and to quickly have her welcomed inside once her horse carriage arrives.

  Mu Zi Mu was currently in the courtyard holding a morning meeting for the staff at the club, telling them the club will soon stop business for a short period of time, because the club is about to receive a major task. At this time, the guard at the gate brought Du Xiao Li and Xia Yuan inside.

  "Miss." When Mu Zi Mu saw Du Xiao Li, he neatly bowed to her, and then turned to the people below, "This is our Sui Yuan Club's owner, Miss Du Xiao Li. Everyone can just call her miss. The other one is Miss Xia Yuan."

  "Miss." Everyone uniformly bowed to Du Xiao Li.

  Du Xiao Li waved her hand and said, "This year, everyone has worked hard, Xiao Li will express one's heartfelt gratitude here. This later matter will not only bear upon the club's future, but will further affect every one of our lives. But if we handle this matter well this time, then the Sui Yuan Club's name will become renowned all over the world! That's why, everyone all needs to put in a hundred and twenty percent effort, understand?"

  "Understood!" Everyone all uniformly replied.

  Du Xiao Li nodded in satisfaction and said, "Later, we'll need to trouble everyone to work hard! Uncle Mu, you can continue."

  With that said, she took two steps back and watched from the side.

  Mu Zi Mu coughed twice and continued with what he was saying earlier. A while later, the guard at the entrance brought in two people. Hearing the sound, Du Xiao Li turned to look, and just as she expected, the incoming person was the head eunuch at Han Ming Ze's side, Eunuch Shan.

  "Eunuch Shan." Mu Zi Mu cupped his hands at the eunuch.

  "Manager Mu, has your boss returned?" Eunuch Shan saw Mu Zi Mu and directly asked.

  "Replying to Eunuch Shan, the owner has already returned. This is our boss." Mu Zi Mu pointed to Du Xiao Li and said.

  When Eunuch Shan saw Du Xiao Li, he widened his mouth in shock.

  "Du, Miss Du? How come it's you?"

  Du Xiao Li smiled towards Eunuch Shan and said, "Greetings Eunuch Shan!"

  "Keke, Miss Du, you're the owner of Sui Yuan Club?" Eunuch Shan swung the horsetail whisk in hand once and restrained his surprise, as he smilingly looked to Du Xiao Li.

  Du Xiao Li nodded.

  "Haha, Miss Du really is a promising youth. Since you're the owner of Sui Yuan, then please follow this one to the palace, his Majesty is still waiting!" Eunuch Shan said.

  Du Xiao Li curtsied and said, "Eunuch Shan, please."

  This was Du Xiao Li's second time entering the palace, and Eunuch Shan directly lead her to the imperial study. Du Xiao Li observed the guards on the two sides along the way, thinking to herself that the imperial palace's security was indeed incomparable.

  Eunuch Shan let Du Xiao Li wait outside, and then walked in, seeing Han Ming Ze currently in the middle of speaking with Han Ming Yi, Han Ming Hong, and also Du Yun Han.

  "Your Majesty, Sui Yuan's owner is already waiting outside the hall."

  Han Ming Ze was just speaking with Han Ming Yi and Du Yun Han about the competition this time, and hearing Eunuch Shan's words, he said, "Announce."

  Eunuch Shan turned and shouted towards the outside of the hall, "Announcing Sui Yuan's owner Du Xiao Li---------"

  Hearing Eunuch Shan's voice, Du Xiao Li followed the eunuch that came out to greet her into the imperial study, and upon seeing the imperial study that was bigger than the average people's guest hall, she once again sighed at the imperial palace's luxury.

  "This humble official greets your Majesty, Ding Wang, Ren Wang, and Prime Minister Du." Du Xiao Li knelt down and bowed towards Han Ming Ze.

  "Du, Du Xiao Li?" Aside from Han Ming Yi, everyone present were all shocked.

  "You're Sui Yuan's owner?"

  "Replying to your Majesty, it is precisely this humble official." Du Xiao Li calmly replied. Seeing the similarly shocked Du Yun Han, she apologetically smiled.

  Scaring even her own father, she won't suffer a beating when she returns home, right?

  "How can that be? How are you Sui Yuan's owner? Impossible, impossible........" Han Ming Hong was the most shocked among them, with a look like he'd suffered a huge blow, and continously shook his head.

  Han Ming Ze returned to his senses and said, "Imperial Physician Du, why don't you get up first."

  "Thank you, your Majesty." Du Xiao Li said and stood up.

  "Du Xiao Li ah Du Xiao Li, how many secrets do you really have? Did you really grow up in the mountain village?" Han Ming Ze looked to Du Xiao Li and questioned with a sigh.

  "Replying to your Majesty, this humble official, from childhood, has only ever been raised in Du village. Aside from this time, I've never left Zhou county before. This is also something that everyone Zhou county all knows." Du Xiao Li said.

  Ever since she helped the people of Du village become wealthy, she has become a famous person in Zhou county. Quite a few people have gone to her to purchase the saplings for grapes and tangerines. This is also a portion of her later income.

  "Impossible! If you grew up in a farming village, how come you know medicine? How come you know how to sing and dance?" Han Ming Hong flatly objected.

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  Ch. 078.3 – Cursing Ren Wang In Anger (3)

  Cursing Ren Wang In Anger (3)

  "Ren Wang, no one said people that grow up in a farming village don't know anything, right?" Du Xiao Li looked to Han Ming Hong, feeling her eyes extremely blocked. And hearing his words, she further felt uncomfortable. "Besides, right now, many people that grew up in a village have also become our Feng Ming's talented pillars. Ren Wang isn't looking down on these people right?"

  Du Xiao Li's words made Han Ming Hong unsure how to reply, because her words weren't wrong at all. Right now, quite a few officials were all of farmer or merchant background, and because of the imperial exam walked on the path of officialdom. Among them, there was no lack of capable people. That's why Du Xiao Li knowing these things wasn't all that strange. But in the beginning, why did she pretend to not know anything?!

  It was all her fault. If not for her, he wouldn't have broken off the engagement, and Han Ming Yi wouldn't have possibly taken advantage of the situation and entered either, letting the Emperor issue a marriage decree for the two of them. And he wouldn't have because of this, missed her!

  Thinking of these things, Han Ming Hong tightly clenched his fist.

  "Du Xiao Li, who all did you learn these things from?" Han Ming Ze curiously asked.

  "Your Majesty, as you already know, Niu Jing is my senior brother. These medical skills of mine naturally were all learned from his place at a young age. At the time, Ding Wang even watched me study how to differentiate medical herbs." Du Xiao Li continued.

  "Is it that place you went to treat your illness at in the past?" Han Ming Ze looked
to Han Ming Yi and asked.

  Han Ming Yi nodded.

  "So you already knew her?" Han Ming Hong skeptically questioned.

  "Li'er and I already knowing each other, Ren Wang do you have any objections?" Han Ming Yi asked with a cold face. Seeing the look he gave Du Xiao Li, the vicious air around him uncontrollably wanted to spread out!

  "Everything was all schemed by you? It was you that deliberately let Xiao Li pretend to not know anything, and then let me go break off the engagement, while you seize the opportunity to let his Majesty decree the marriage, right? Han Ming Yi, you are so despicable!" Han Ming Hong said it clear and logically, feeling everything was just like how he'd thought it to be. It was all Han Ming Yi and Du Xiao Li joining together and deceiving him that brought about this result today.

  "Ren Wang is really funny. At the time, who came to the Du Manor with an 'engagement breaking letter' and said I'm not worthy of you? And who was it that said to my second sister that you like her and will marry her no matter what?" Du Xiao Li laughed in anger at Han Ming Hong's words, looking to him and asking, "Asking Ren Wang, at the time, who held a knife to your neck, forcing you to do this?"

  "I......." Han Ming Hong shrunk under Du Xiao Li's gaze. Those decisions were indeed made by him, "At the time, wasn't I deceived by the rumors?"

  "Hmph, just a word of 'got deceived' can cover up your aim? At the time, didn't you feel that since I came from a farming village, I wasn't worthy of you? Originally when you broke off the engagement, did you ever think of what kind of humiliation this will bring me? Since you've never cared about others, what right do you have to say others deceived you? Besides, Ding Wang and I merely just knew each other for a few months in Du village when we were little. How come you say it like it was all a scheme, what's the point? Your Highness, Ren Wang, you breaking off the engagement damaged my reputation, and Ding Wang requesting a marriage decree to remedy the situation, asking Ren Wang, saying all these now, what's the point? Also, although Ren Wang is a wangye, I'm still an unmarried young lady, asking Ren Wang to please don't call me Xiao Li."

  When Han Ming Hong saw the loathing in Du Xiao Li's eyes, he unconsciously fell back two steps.