Yongfu County Office.
Xi Qingyue and Xi Weilan sat leisurely beside the fishpond near the rockery, both wearing hats as they fished. A constable approached them somewhat nervously, with Lu Jinshuang, Mu Jin, and the others following behind him.
“Commandery Princess, they say they are your old acquaintances and that you will certainly meet them.”
The constable was frightened as he spoke. He was afraid these people were lying, in which case he might suffer for it too. But he was also afraid they truly were the Commandery Princess’s acquaintances and did not dare turn them away.
Xi Qingyue turned around and smiled. “Sister Jinshuang, what brings you here?”
Xi Weilan happily ran over barefoot. “Sister Jinshuang, did you come because you missed us?”
Lu Jinshuang smiled and lifted her into her arms. “Of course. How could I not miss someone as adorable as Lan'er after going even one day without seeing her?”
Then she looked at Xi Qingyue, her tone teasing. “If I hadn’t come, I never would have known how much trouble you two could cause.”
She had heard about them all along the way. In Lü City, they had caused such a sensation by killing people, sailed an extraordinary ship that had left everyone with an unforgettable impression, and even flown about on the ship, giving passersby something to gamble on. Here in Yongfu City, they had become the objects of every commoner’s gratitude. She truly felt ashamed by comparison.
Xi Qingyue shook her head with a smile. “Not at all. You came at just the right time, Sister Jinshuang. There are hardly any officials left in this county office. Could you arrange for a few replacements, or have the capital send some people over?”
At those words, Mu Jin, Dongxue, and the others could not help thinking inwardly, They really did kill them all.
Lu Jinshuang merely smiled. “All right. I’ll have someone hurry back to the capital. Ninth Sister will make the arrangements.”
Xi Qingyue nodded. “Good. I’ll have the things brought over now and sent back together with them.”
She was referring to the evidence of the county magistrate and the others’ crimes. She had no intention of concealing the people she had killed. It would be best to send everything to the capital exactly as it was and let them know the truth.
She looked at the constable who had led the way. “Go to the assistant magistrate and bring over all the documents from the past few days. Hand every one of them to the Seventh Princess.”
“The princess?” The constable stared in shock. Then he dropped to his knees with a thump before Lu Jinshuang. “Greetings, Princess! This humble one was blind and failed to realize that the Princess had arrived. Please forgive me!”
Lu Jinshuang waved a hand. “That’s enough. Go get the documents.”
The constable withdrew as though he had been granted a pardon. He needed to inform everyone else in the county office of the news, lest some fool provoke trouble again.
After he left, Lu Jinshuang carried Xi Weilan over to the rockery. Mu Jin and Dongxue hurriedly picked up the shoes and put them on Xi Weilan’s bare feet.
“It’s so hot out here. Let’s go inside and talk.”
With a smile, Lu Jinshuang carried the child toward the nearest courtyard. Xi Qingyue wanted to stop her, but ultimately did not.
A short while later, Lu Jinshuang stood in the empty room, utterly dumbfounded. Even Mu Jin and Dongxue looked puzzled.
“How strange. Why is this room so empty? Is the county office really this poor?” Dongxue could not help muttering.
Xi Weilan covered her mouth and giggled. When Lu Jinshuang saw this, the corner of her mouth twitched. It was obvious at a glance who had done this.
She gave Xi Qingyue an odd look. “Little Yue, when the new county magistrate moves in, he can’t possibly sleep on the floor, can he? Why don’t you take pity on him and leave a few things behind?”
Xi Qingyue thought about it. She still had plenty of low-quality items in her storage space, and they would be perfect for the occasion. She immediately nodded. “All right. We’ll do as Sister Jinshuang says.”
Before long, the constable brought over a thick stack of documents.
Lu Jinshuang had her people pack everything up and send it back to the capital at once. She was not short of guards.
Besides, the guards from Xi Qingyue and Xi Weilan’s residence had accompanied her on the journey. They had simply stopped elsewhere and had not followed her into the county office.
Xi Qingyue did not particularly care whether her guards had come or not. She would not need them for the time being. The two of them alone were enough to make the entire county office obey them, so the guards were of little use for now.
“By the way, Sister Jinshuang, how is your relationship with Prince Kang?”
The moment Lu Jinshuang heard the question, she knew what Xi Qingyue meant. When she had learned that Prince Kang had ordered children to be abducted, she had found it difficult to believe. Such a heartless act was simply too vile. Her brothers were truly more vicious than the last.
She shook her head. “It’s nothing special. We hardly see each other. But the Duke of An’s residence has some connection with him. The heir’s wife, Bai Ruoshu, is his maternal cousin, and they’re currently on their way to Xuanzhou. I don’t know whether they’ve found another miracle healer or whether they’re coming after you.”
She actually leaned toward the latter possibility, but was not entirely certain, so she gave Xi Qingyue a warning first.
Xi Qingyue smiled faintly. “It’s fine. We’ll deal with them when they arrive. Get some rest, and I’ll take you somewhere good to eat.”
At the mention of rest, Lu Jinshuang glanced at the empty room and said nothing.
As if she knew what Lu Jinshuang was thinking, Xi Qingyue let out a soft laugh. “Sister Jinshuang, I certainly won’t make you sleep on the floor. There may be no furniture here, but there are beds in the rooms. The bed inside is perfectly fine.”
With that, she headed toward the bedroom on the eastern side, and Lu Jinshuang followed suspiciously.
When Lu Jinshuang entered the room, she indeed saw a neat, clean bed, along with a soft couch beside it.
Other than that, there was nothing else.
Lu Jinshuang was genuinely tired and did not bother wondering whether these things had been there all along or had just appeared. She lay down on the bed and promptly fell asleep. Xi Weilan was also getting sleepy, so Xi Qingyue carried her over and lay down beside her.
While they rested, everyone remaining in the county office learned that the Princess had arrived. They also learned that the Princess and Xi Qingyue were sisters who shared a close relationship. Their awe of the two women deepened even further.
When Lu Jinshuang opened her eyes, she saw Xi Weilan lying on her stomach in front of her, studying her with undisguised curiosity.
“Little Lan'er, what are you doing?”
Xi Weilan narrowed her eyes and smiled. “Big Sister told me to watch over you. Once you woke up, I was supposed to take you to eat something delicious.”
Lu Jinshuang was speechless. “So you’ve been staring at me this whole time? Where’s your sister?”
Xi Weilan nodded like a pecking chick. “Yes. I had nothing else to do. Big Sister is practicing swordplay with Mu Jin right now. I’m waiting for you to wake up so I can take you to eat.”
That made Lu Jinshuang understand immediately. The girl had not been staring at her out of boredom—she had simply been waiting for her to wake up so they could eat. What a glutton. No matter where she went, she never forgot about food.
Lu Jinshuang rose and tidied her clothes and hair. Then she picked up Xi Weilan and headed outside, saying as she walked, “Come on. Let’s see what delicious things you two have been eating.”
The moment she heard the word “eat,” Xi Weilan happily began explaining. “Sister Jinshuang, there are lots of delicious things here. They’re even better than the food in the capital. I like the dishes from the Liu Family Eatery and Fuxi Restaurant best.”
Lu Jinshuang pinched her cheek and smiled. “All right. We’ll go to both places later. You can choose one first.”
Xi Weilan’s eyes curved into a smile as she hugged Lu Jinshuang around the neck and shook her head. “No need to go out, Sister Jinshuang. We can just eat at Pear Fragrance Courtyard. Big Sister and the others are practicing swordplay there, and the food from both places will be delivered soon.”
“You two certainly know how to enjoy yourselves. Even for a meal, you have people bring it right to your door.” Lu Jinshuang teased her with a laugh.
Xi Weilan shook her head again. “That’s not it. We have them prepare a hundred portions every day and deliver them to us. We pay for everything.”
At these words, Lu Jinshuang was instantly dumbfounded. A food lover was a food lover wherever she went.
