Quick Travel to the Clouds

Chapter 490 Koi Little Lucky Star 19

As night fell, an inconspicuous figure climbed over the low fence of the Lin family and crept under the window like a ghost.

The Lin family had already gone to bed. A dark shadow slid silently into the room and knelt in front of the kang. It was Wei Qi, Xiao Hong's trusted and loyal soldier.

"Your Highness!" Wei Qi lowered his voice, his face covered with a black scarf, revealing only his eyes, and spoke urgently, "The capital is in chaos! The eldest prince and the crown prince are fighting fiercely. Someone has discovered that you are in the south and has sent people to search for you secretly. The traces of the assassin we are pursuing have already appeared at the border of Yuezhou!"

It only takes a dozen days to travel from Yuezhou to Pingcheng by galloping.

Xiao Hong listened, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the scab on his right wrist, his eyes as cold as a blade. After Wei Qi finished his report, he pulled out a small bottle of ointment from his pocket and handed it to him: "Are you feeling better? We need to evacuate as soon as possible, this place is too dangerous!"

Xiao Hong took the ointment and glanced at the courtyard of the sleeping Lin family.

He knew very well that returning to Beijing now would be a life-threatening situation - the eldest prince had many followers and the crown prince had no real power.

Instead, he smiled slightly, his voice hoarse but steady: "What's the rush? The chaos is just beginning, and I need to avoid the sharp edge."

Wei Qi was stunned: "Your Highness, are you going to stay in this countryside?"

Hong nodded: "The Lin family has protected me well, and Fubao's identity as the 'Lucky Star' is the best cover. When my wounds heal and the wind direction in the capital is clear, then it will be time to take action."

He paused, his tone unquestionable, "Go back and tell the secret guards: Lay low and wait for news from me. If necessary, I will have Fu Bao 'appear' and take the message out."

Wei Qi hesitated for a moment, then finally followed the order and left.

Xiao Hong closed his eyes and lay down again, but the situation in the court was churning in his mind - an amnesiac prince hiding in a small mountain village was the best chess piece at the moment.

***

Six years have passed in the blink of an eye.

After Yunfeng became a scholar (now a juren), he married Liu, the daughter of the president of Qingquan Academy (a family of scholars).

Liu, a virtuous woman, supported Yunfeng in opening a school in the countryside and now had a son. Together, the couple dedicated themselves to educating local children and became representatives of local sages in Kaiping.

After Yunsen passed the examination to become a scholar (now a juren), he married Zhao, the daughter of a partner of the Yun family who ran a grocery store in the provincial capital (from a merchant family).

Zhao is hardworking and capable, helping her second uncle Yunzhong manage the shop. Yunsen is now immersed in his studies, preparing to take the imperial examination in Beijing next year.

Yunze passed the imperial examination and married his classmate's sister, Li Luo, who also came from a scholarly family. The couple fell in love and had a daughter.

After achieving his Tongsheng (Tongsheng) status, Yunwu turned to business. He possessed a knack for business and now ran a rice and herbal medicine shop. Although he wasn't obsessed with the imperial examinations, his business thrived, making him a leading young businessman in his village.

Yunxia married Mr. Chen, the son of her second uncle's friend. The Chen family was a wealthy local family (large-scale agricultural producers). Yunxia was a skilled housewife and now helped her husband's family manage their land, leading a peaceful and comfortable life.

Yunyue married a wealthy young merchant named Wang Gongzi (who ran a silk business) in Yuezhou City. Wang Gongzi respected Yunyue's virtue and after marriage, Yunyue followed her husband in his business and often returned to visit her family.

As for the sixteen-year-old Yun Chu, she now runs her own rouge and powder shop.

The money to open the shop came from the wild ginseng she picked by chance (actually she grew it in the mountains), and because of Yun Chu's makeup skills and the good effects of rouge and powder.

Therefore, many dignitaries, rich daughters and young men would buy things from her shop.

Yun Chu made a lot of money, and he used the money to buy a small courtyard with a store in Beijing.

I opened a rouge and powder branch and the business is very good.

***

Eight years is enough time for a dilapidated courtyard to regain its vitality.

Next to the former Qingquan Academy, the Ji family's courtyard has long since changed its appearance.

The adobe walls were replaced by blue bricks, and the small courtyard became neat and elegant. A few clumps of newly planted green bamboos in the corners of the walls swayed in the wind, replacing the wilted wild chrysanthemums of the year.

The aroma of medicine faded, replaced by the scent of ink from books and the faint fragrance of osmanthus - this was proof that the Ji family had survived the cold winter and were finally living a healthy life.

Ji Qingyuan, now sixteen, was no longer the frail child who boiled medicine under the eaves. He was now tall and slender, and even his washed-out blue robe couldn't hide his sturdy character, like a bamboo that had grown stronger after weathering the frost.

The spirit that he had when he passed the examination to become a student at the age of eight, instead of diminishing due to the passage of time and the hardships of life, has been restrained into a profound edge.

Those clear eyes now look at people with a bit more maturity and calmness of a young man, and the occasional cunning and calculating flicker in his eyes vaguely reveals his "evil-hearted" nature.

Eighteen-year-old Yun Chu has long shed her youthfulness and has grown into a graceful young lady. Her brows reveal a unique temperament that is a mixture of competence and gentleness, and her speech and behavior are calm and confident.

Over the years, she not only helped the family, but also took good care of the Ji family. With her help and care, Ji Xiucai's health has greatly improved. Ji Qingyuan's academic performance has made great progress. He passed the imperial examination early and became a well-known young talent.

At this moment, a subtle atmosphere permeated the backyard of Yun Chu's Yun's Rouge Shop.

The elders of the Yun family were sitting together, talking in low voices.

"Chu girl is already eighteen years old, and will soon become an old maid. This matter can't be delayed any longer!" Wang frowned, clutching a piece of cloth in her hand. "I think the youngest son of the shopkeeper Chen in the next street is not bad. He comes from a wealthy family and is an honest man."

"I think the distant nephew of Mr. Liu from the west of the city is better. Although he is from another place, he is also a scholar. Maybe he can be a companion to Qingyuan in the future." Third Aunt Li whispered.

The protagonist being discussed by everyone, Yun Chu, was sitting quietly by the side, sipping tea, and said slowly: "Mother, why don't you arrange for us to meet each other?"

Anyway, one of her tasks is to start a family.

Just then, hurried footsteps were heard from the front hall. The waiter, Ah Fu, poked his head in, his tone a bit nervous and excited, "Boss! Mr. Ji...Mr. Ji is here!"

Before he finished speaking, a green figure quickly stepped over the threshold and directly broke into the backyard filled with the atmosphere of a "blind date".

The person who came was Ji Qingyuan. He walked hurriedly, his breathing was a little unstable, and there was even a little sweat on his forehead. It was obvious that he had come in a hurry.

However, when he stood in front of Yun Chu, the original haste in his journey was quickly replaced by an indescribable calmness.

His gaze passed over Yun Bai, Wang Shi and others, and fell directly and firmly on Yun Chu.

His eyes were as deep as a cold pond and as hot as charcoal, carrying a sense of oppression that could not be ignored. He was completely different from the gentle, respectful and frugal look he had shown in front of Yun Chu in the past.

The entire backyard was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone looked at the uninvited guest and his unusually burning gaze in astonishment.

Ji Qingyuan seemed not to notice the existence of other people. He took a deep breath, as if he had accumulated a lot of strength. He spoke to Yun Chu in a clear voice, enunciating each word clearly:

"Sister Yun."

"I heard that your family is arranging a marriage for you."

"Don't promise them."

"marry me."

Just four short sentences, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirs up a thousand waves!