Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 356 - 354

Chapter 356: Chapter 354

The next day, after the rain, the lazy sunshine sprinkled over the busy land.

The moisture in the air evaporated all at once, and quite soon, people were engulfed by scorching heat waves.

After Xiao’er finished her breakfast, Yang Liu started to report the investigation result of the boy whom Zhao Yong had tracked down last night.

"The boy is named Lin Yong...indeed, there’s a bedridden grandmother in his family, and they depend on each other for survival. He stayed home all night, didn’t meet anyone else, and nobody came to visit him either. After dawn, he went to Huarong Yue Mao for work, he’s working as a porter there."

Huarong Yue Mao is a place that sells rouge and face powder right? Why would a man choose to work at Huarong Yue Mao?

"Continue to have someone keep an eye on him in secret!" Xiao’er thought for a moment and then changed her mind: "Or not, ask the people who were dispatched to come back! Investigate Huarong Yue Mao, give me all the related information, the more detailed the better."

Spying on people is better to leave to the golden python, it’s much more reliable.

Upon hearing Xiao’er’s instruction of not needing to spy on Yang Yong, Yang Liu did not ask anything extra, she respectfully accepted her orders and left.

After settling the matter, Xiao’er saw that there was nothing else to do today, so she asked her maid, she intended to rest a little longer.

Then she hid into the space and started to organize the things she had collected in the space.

Both Bai Tian and Tian Bai’s goose eggs don’t know when they hatched, the items collected in the space were piled up in the stone cave, the goose hadn’t helped her organize it for a long time, everything had to be done by herself.

Xiao’er took out a medicine book from the study and according to the prescription above, she put some medicinal materials into the factory, asking the factory to process some pills.

Just as she finished this action, there was a knock on the door outside, and Xiao’er hurried out of the space.

The voice of Yang Mei from outside resounded: "Miss, The Empress Dowager commanded for you to enter the palace immediately for an audience."

"Come in." Xiao’er pretended to just sit up from the bed.

"Have they found out why the Empress Dowager summoned me to the palace?" Xiao’er got out of bed.

"The person who came was the Empress Dowager’s palace maid."

Xiao’er nodded, it seems it wouldn’t be convenient to inquire, even after probing she wouldn’t be able to find out anything!

Yang Mei took out a set of clothes from the wardrobe: "Miss, can you wear this new garment that was made a couple of days ago?"

Xiao’er turned her head and looked at this tender green gauze skirt, and nodded.

Although it was already September at this time, the weather was still unusually hot, wearing this outfit was breathable, and it would not make people feel stuffy, and there was even a sense of coolness.

After getting dressed, Xiao’er entered the palace with Yang Mei and Yang Liu.

Cining Palace

The Empress Dowager looked at Lan Yue in her red palace robe with heavy makeup, still not concealing her dark skin, her forehead throbbed.

What kind of grooming is this! Are those who served her dead?

The palace was originally heavily decorated, and there were ice basins for cooling everywhere in the Cining Palace. But ever since this future First Prince wife came, the Empress Dowager felt that the Cining Palace, which was originally quite cool, became extra hot.

"Empress Dowager, this is the tea I made personally, please drink it while it’s hot." Lan Yue personally made tea on the tea table to show her filial piety.

The Empress Dowager was already feeling rather irritated due to the heat. After hearing this, she felt even more anger, and displeasingly said, "Leave it there."

Drink it while it’s hot? It’s so hot and she’s asking her to drink hot tea, wouldn’t she break out in sweat?

She doesn’t have any sense at all!

Thinking about this, the Empress Dowager hesitated again, letting her great grandson marry such a twisty future First Prince’s wife, would there be too many disturbing days in the future?

Could Master Yunfa have been wrong?

"Empress Dowager, the Countess of Rui’an is here." The Empress Dowager’s thoughts were interrupted by the voice of a palace maid.

"Please come in!" The Empress Dowager, annoyed by the person in front of her, wearily spoke.

Xiao’er, stepping with lotus steps, appeared in front of the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager finally felt a refreshing coolness, as if a spring breeze was blowing on her face.

After Xiao’er had performed her courtesy, the Empress Dowager hurriedly asked her to sit next to her.

Xiao’er was somewhat surprised in her heart, the Empress Dowager seemed to be a little too enthusiastic about her.

Lan Yue was not yet the wife of the First Prince, and she performed a courtesy towards Xiao’er. After Xiao’er sat down, she also sat back down.

But when she found out that her position was far away from the Empress Dowager, unlike Xiao’er who was close to the Empress Dowager, she then spoke: "Aunt Gui, please move my stool over to the side of the Empress Dowager so that I can serve the Empress Dowager well."

Aunt Gui looked at the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager felt the heat that had just dissipated was ignited again, making her face even more displeasing, she sternly said, "Sit still and don’t move!"

The Empress Dowager turned her head and directly asked Xiao’er: "Dear Countess Rui’an, I heard from the Sixth Prince that you are in charge of recruiting female teachers for the Zhixin Academy, is that correct?"

Zhixin Academy is divided into the male academy and female academy, the male academy was under Di Shaowei’s responsibility, whilst the female academy was Xiao’er’s responsibility.

Xiao’er nodded, but in her heart, she thought it wouldn’t be the case where she wanted to let Lan Yue go in as a teacher, that would be misleading the students, wouldn’t it?

"Ranhui is not bad at playing the guqin, she heard that Zhixin Academy is recruiting female teachers, and she wants to try. But she’s just returned from Jiangnan with me not long ago and has never met you before, she didn’t feel right about visiting you, so when I got to know about it, I said I would ask for her."

The eldest princess’s daughter? Her impression of her was not bad. But playing the guqin, Zhixin Academy didn’t have this course.

"Replying to the Empress Dowager, the Zhixin Academy does not have a course on guqin skills." Xiao’er honestly replied.

"There isn’t even a course on guqin skills, what do the girls go to Zhixin Academy to learn then?" The Empress Dowager frowned, but Countess Rui’an seemed like she wasn’t finding an excuse to decline.

Moreover, this was something that could be easily checked, she didn’t need to lie about it now.

"Replying to the Empress Dowager, the female academy’s courses are: agriculture, cooking, pharmacology, needlework, as well as literature and arithmetic. Zhixin Academy is a free enlightenment academy for the children of the people, it is only open to poor families, and only teaches some basic survival skills, they do not teach skills like guqin which are for cultivating one’s temperament."

The Empress Dowager responded with a nod upon hearing this, if it was exclusively for teaching the children of poor families, then indeed, there was no need to teach guqin.

The Empress Dowager thought of the poor children she had seen among the people. Most of the clothes on their bodies were all dirty, their nostrils were always running with two trails of snot, the delicate girl probably wouldn’t be able to stand it, thinking of going there to be a female teacher? Better not.

"There is no guqin class, then let it be, the only skill she has that is noteworthy is the skill of guqin."

Fu Ranhui, who was hiding in the inner room, heard this and stomped her foot, since when was guqin the only notable skill she had! The Empress Dowager is unreliable, she couldn’t help but walked out, "Countess Rui’an, I not only know how to play the guqin, but I also know needlework."

Xiao’er saw her walking out from behind the screen and was not surprised, but she looked at the Empress Dowager after hearing her words.

The Empress Dowager frowned: "Hui’er, stop messing around!"

Fu Ranhui wouldn’t care, Cousin Hao was there as the teacher for the male academy’s pharmacology course, she must also go into the female academy to become a teacher! That would be the first step to get closer to him!