Zhao Jiaqi rose from her chair in surprise and asked another question: "Is Mengmeng well? Has she gained or lost weight? Why is she in Jinzhou City?"
"Eldest Miss has grown taller and is very strong. This trip to Jinzhou City is a normal troop rotation. It's just that Huangfu Xian and Huangfu Xu also came along, and they've just been sent by Master to suppress bandits!"
A few sentences were very clear, explaining all the necessary matters. Only then did Shi He turn and leave!
Zhao Jiaqi, on the other hand, twitched at the corners of her mouth. Sending the Huangfu brothers to suppress bandits?
It would be a miracle if they weren't wiped out by the bandits, let alone expecting them to succeed.
The sun would probably set in the east then!
Fan Yao watched his mother's face contort as if it would disfigure. He knew his mother didn't think highly of Huangfu Xian, his cheap imperial uncle-in-law, nor the逍遥王 (Xiaoyao King). Otherwise, why would her face twitch so wildly with disdain?
"Mother, although Uncle-in-law and the Xiaoyao King are clumsy, you should have confidence in them!"
Hearing her son's comforting words, Zhao Jiaqi nodded with relief and squeezed his little face.
Before she could be happy for long, she heard her son continue, "The worst outcome for them is either success or martyrdom. This could also be considered a contribution to Yun Country!"
Zhao Jiaqi knitted her brows, her fingers tightening around his cheek. She applied a little force, displeased. "It's a shame your uncle-in-law and Uncle Xu treat you so well, and you ungrateful child are still cursing them!"
Fan Yao rolled his eyes helplessly, slapped his mother's hand away, and rubbed his face silently, pouting. His mother, a woman, had such a strong grip; she'd made his face hurt!
"Mother, you are truly framing me. Uncle-in-law is the Emperor, with countless guards and hidden guards around him. Anyone else might achieve martyrdom, but how could he?"
"Besides, Uncle Xu is a prince, with so many people escorting him. What could possibly happen to him? He's led troops in battles before, even fierce wars, and he still retreated successfully. If suppressing bandits could defeat these two important figures, then Generals Shi Haoming and Xie Changming would have to commit suicide in shame!"
Fan Yao rolled his eyes again and solemnly lectured her. "Mother, if you don't trust anyone else, you can at least trust Father, right? This time, Father is leading the team, with Sister as his fierce deputy. Can you still believe the people from the horse caravan will have an easy time?"
With Father and Sister, these two difficult people appearing at the same time, the horse caravan should be the one having a headache, not them!
Zhao Jiaqi mimicked her son's pout. His analysis made sense. However, hearing him speak like that earlier, she had worried that the child might have malicious intentions.
But judging from his explanation, the child had some intelligence, not a complete fool. He was a bit mischievous, even daring to tease his own mother.
Looking at her son's triumphant little eyes, Zhao Jiaqi gritted her back teeth.
She forced a smile and muttered to herself, "Just you wait until tonight. I'll deal with you. If I don't make you cry for your mommy and daddy, I won't have your surname!"
Ying Xiong laughed heartily watching the mother and son. He said to Zhao Jiaqi, "Old folks used to say that children are born to collect debts. I think there's some truth to that."
Zhao Jiaqi gave a wry smile and sat down, sighing softly. "In this life, who doesn't have some debts? It's just that my creditor is a bit too clever. There's nothing I can do but make the best of it."
Ying Xiong looked at Fan Yao, who was making faces behind Zhao Jiaqi's back. While his newly accepted disciple was a bit cheeky, he couldn't deny his cleverness. If trained well, he would undoubtedly become exceptionally intelligent.
"This barbecue restaurant we're opening together, why don't I have my little apprentice manage it? It will also give him a chance to observe the myriad of human conditions."
Zhao Jiaqi was taken aback. The matter had come too suddenly; her heart wasn't prepared. In contrast, Fan Yao jumped for joy, ran over, and hugged Ying Xiong's arm, incessantly asking if it was true, his eyes flashing with unspoken light.
Like starlight in the night sky, they flickered brightly.
Ying Xiong sensed her worry for her child's safety. He understood. After all, they had only met for two or three days and were not familiar with each other. One couldn't judge a person's character based solely on intuition.
"Madam, how about this: I'll temporarily reside in the inner city, and Yao Yao won't leave home. He can also learn some accounting and business skills from me. How does that sound?"
Zhao Jiaqi thought this was excellent. It would give them more time to get to know him.
"That would be great, of course. But it would delay your time and disrupt your plans. I feel uneasy about that. How about... I freely teach you the technique of cultivating Ganoderma lucidum as compensation?"
Upon hearing that she would offer her Ganoderma lucidum cultivation technique as compensation, Ying Xiong's smile vanished.
He resolutely refused. "Madam, you might suspect my intentions in approaching your son are impure, but I swear I am very fond of Yao Yao. I have no attachments and no one close to me. I regard Yao Yao as my own child and intend to nurture him, not as you might imagine. As for temporarily residing in the inner city, it's partly for Yao Yao, and partly because I'm a businessman. The inner city is prosperous and close to the trade city, so naturally, I'm here to make money."
"It is Yao Yao's fortune to be favored by Young Master Ying, and it is an honor for us elders. This child will be entrusted to you for training from now on. I apologize for my previous words."
Zhao Jiaqi bowed slightly, but before she could fully crouch, Ying Xiong quickly held her up. "Madam, please rise quickly. You must not!"
"Ying understands Madam's concerns. If my child were to be entrusted to a stranger, I would also not feel at ease. However, time reveals a person's heart. As our two families interact more, you will understand what kind of people we are. I have not taken your previous words to heart and there is no need to apologize!"
After speaking, Ying Xiong immediately released Zhao Jiaqi's arm, took a large step back, and bowed to her, exhibiting the demeanor of a perfect gentleman.
Zhao Jiaqi felt very guilty about her previous impulsiveness, but the words had already been spoken and couldn't be retracted. She had also almost forgotten that in this ancient era, scholars were very concerned about their reputation!
So be it. In the future, if he needed help, she would offer it.
Heaven-grade room at the inn.
Zhao Jiaqi sat by the table, gazing at the map of the Cangyi Continent, which was densely marked with mountains and the locations of various countries.
This map was taken from the government office's library. When she got it, it was covered in a thick layer of dust, clearly indicating that no one had touched it.
Zhao Jiaqi had been staring at the map for over half an hour and still couldn't find where the Barbarian tribe was.
To be honest, her eyes were watering.
Su Ya pointed to a small corner around Yun Country, near the Axi tribe. The location of the Barbarian tribe on the map was difficult to find. The key was that their area was tiny, and two small characters covered the location of their country.
If one were to use an analogy, Yun Country was like a birthday cake, the Axi tribe was a tart, and the Barbarians were just a crumb of the cake.