In mid-August, at the Prince's manor.
Under the osmanthus tree, Zhao Jiaqi admired the flowers, inhaling their fragrance, her mood quite pleasant!
Behind her, a woman, holding a three-to-four-month-old infant, gazed intently at her, softly calling out, "Sister, Sister Qi!"
Such a familiar voice, unheard for many years.
Zhao Jiaqi turned to face the newcomer. She saw her standing not far away, tears streaming down her face, with a man by her side, deeply affectionate, constantly wiping away her tears.
"Sisi, Li Sisi!"
Zhao Jiaqi rushed forward, and upon seeing her dear sister from years past, she exclaimed in surprise.
She scrutinized her from head to toe. Not much had changed over the years, only that she had become more graceful, exuding a mature charm. Her demeanor had shifted, and her entire being radiated a gentle beauty!
"Sister, I'm back!" Sisi handed the child to the man beside her and directly embraced Zhao Jiaqi, weeping.
Years had passed in a flash since their last meeting. The anticipation of seeing her again had been with her, intending to surprise her, share tea, and reminisce about the sights seen during her travels. But upon actually seeing her, tears flowed before any words could be spoken!
The reunion was fiery and passionate, completely eclipsing Gao Wenbin, who was left to hold the child and search for Fan Zehao.
In the pavilion, after crying and laughing, they finally began to talk.
"Sister, I visited Zongsheng Country this year and saw Jun Jun. She's doing well. She misses you and Brother-in-law and said she'll come back to see you both in a while!"
Zhao Jiaqi nodded. Her child had settled down; as long as she was happy, that was all that mattered.
"Tell me, what other people and events have you seen outside? I'll tell your Brother-in-law, and maybe we can go see them too. Apart from Yun Country, we haven't been anywhere else!"
Curiosity was a woman's nature. She also wanted to know what the vassal states were like, what they ate, what they wore, and any interesting anecdotes.
The two women's conversation flowed endlessly.
Fan Zehao watched Gao Wenbin expertly handle the child. He was a truly superb fatherly figure. Recalling his own parenting of his daughter and son in their younger days, he realized he hadn't measured up to Gao Wenbin at all.
In September, news arrived from the capital that the origin of the "Tunyun" had been thoroughly investigated. When the results from both sides were compared, they discovered it was the work of a single individual.
Unfortunately, this person was in a vassal state and had never been in Yun Country. Capturing them would be impossible!
In response, Fan Zehao directly dispatched his elite special forces, disguised, to secretly abduct the person.
"If they can't be caught? Hmph, then we'll see if they truly want to catch this person. If they genuinely want to, how can they fail to catch them! If the direct approach doesn't work, then we'll resort to indirect methods!"
The special envoy arrived in a small, barbaric country, only to discover it had become a living hell!
A plague of rats had broken out, followed by smallpox. With two epidemics combined, the resulting misery was unimaginable!
Witnessing the scene, the special envoy, fully armed and with their mouth and nose meticulously covered, feared contracting the plague.
After entering and searching, they found the person. Just as their identity was confirmed, the person died!
Before any further questions could be asked, the individual had breathed their last!
Seeing this, the special envoy could only lament their bad luck.
Upon leaving the barbaric little country, they wrote a letter to Fan Zehao, then stayed behind to investigate. However, the small country had a sparse population to begin with, and with the two epidemics, before they could complete their investigation, the country was utterly devastated within a month.
Far away in the inner city, the two individuals, seeing the news transmitted by the special envoy, exchanged glances.
"They didn't harm others, but they suffered for it themselves. Isn't this like digging a grave and burying oneself!"
"This epidemic is truly a combination of natural and man-made disasters. Let's have the special envoy and their team return. They shouldn't linger there any longer. Upon their return, Yun Country's trade city must undergo a reform. All incoming goods must be recorded, including information about the carriers. This will prevent the issue of mysterious cargo origins in the future!"
Fan Zehao quite agreed with his wife's suggestion.
"Alright, I'll write to Huangfu Xian immediately and inform him."
After the major adjustments, the origins and channels of goods from various countries were no longer a mystery!
With the opium matter settled, the new Emperor also left the palace for an unannounced tour. Where he went, the ministers did not know. All state affairs were handed over to Huangfu Xu to manage. Within the逍遥 King's manor in the capital, one could constantly hear his grumbling.
Meanwhile, Huangfu Xian was already on his way to the inner city by carriage.
Zhao Jiaqi and Fan Zehao were immediately informed of Huangfu Xian's impending visit and both clutched their foreheads. She said, "Our new Emperor, can't he go a single day without causing you trouble? Instead of attending to the affairs of various households, he has to come here and stir up excitement!"
She gazed at the sky, speaking with exasperation.
Fan Zehao put his arm around her shoulders and gently patted her. "Who asked our Emperor to be so unreliable? There's nothing we can do but adapt."
Zhao Jiaqi rolled her eyes. What else could they do if they didn't adapt? Could they strangle the Emperor?
As they were speaking, their eldest son, Yao Yao, rushed in, looking anxious, and shouted to them, "Dad, Mom, my younger brother was beaten up and is bleeding a lot!"
"What? Where is he, where?"
Hearing that her second son was bleeding, Zhao Jiaqi's mind reeled, her blood pressure soaring to 180. She didn't even bother to ask why he was beaten!
Yao Yao rubbed his fingers and lowered his head, saying softly, "At Grandpa Qi's clinic!"
It turned out he had gone to Qi Xuan's place. The couple grabbed Fan Yao and rushed out of the manor. It wasn't until they were in the carriage that Zhao Jiaqi found time to ask.
"How was Sensen beaten? Explain the whole story to me."
Children fighting was common, but Sensen being beaten to the point of needing a clinic was a first!
Normally, their minor scuffles with playmates, their fists flying, were harmless. They couldn't possibly go to the other parents every time their children fought.
Besides, it takes two to tango. Both parties in a fight were at fault, especially for boys, who were usually more robust.
But this time, the incident of bleeding still made Zhao Jiaqi's heart ache.
Yao Yao tugged at her sleeve and said, "Mom, my brother saw someone bullying a young girl, so he drew his sword to help, 'acting righteously.' But that young master had too many thugs... However, my brother and I still beat those people down, and even that young master was beaten by my brother until he was worse than a bear. They were much more miserable than us!"
Hearing this, Zhao Jiaqi's blood pressure shot up from 180 to a staggering 250!
Children barely out of diapers, thinking they could play the hero!
After hearing the whole story, Zhao Jiaqi felt no pity for her two sons. She smacked Yao Yao on the back of his head.
"You little rascals! Don't you even look at yourselves! With mere flashy moves, you want to be heroes? Who gave you the courage? And you ended up beaten and bleeding! Such pathetic creatures! Don't you dare say you're my and your father's children from now on!"