Look, this was the reaction a normal person would have when receiving Mr. Xian Yun’s greeting card.
Old Madam Yu looked up and said calmly, “It’s said that they met in Youzhou in the past. I reckon that Mr. Xian Yun should be on par with Linghuai, so he handed over a greeting card like Mr. Hu Shan.”
Yu Zongzheng took a deep breath and was a little stunned. “On par? Isn’t the heir of the Zhenguo Marquis Residence, Song Mingzhao, also Mr. Xian Yun’s disciple? Why is Linghuai on par with Mr. Xian Yun?”
Could it be that his nephew was even more talented than Song Mingzhao?
Old Madam Yu reminded, “Linghuai has a close relationship with Youzhou. Knowing Mr. Xian Yun, I’m afraid he’s related to the son of the prefecture’s governor, Ye Hanyuan, and the mysterious heir of King You, Yin Huaixi. It’s good that you know this in your heart. There’s no need to be too conflicted. It’ll be the same as before.”
The reason why she said this was because the royal court was changing rapidly now. If she explained some things clearly, she could give a response. If she did not know much, it would be bad if she was taken advantage of.
Yu Zongzheng nodded solemnly. “Since he’s entered the Yu Residence, he’s a member of the Yu Residence. I know the severity of the matter.”
Although he wasn’t smart, he wasn’t stupid. However, he couldn’t control herself when it came to women and suffered a setback.
Old Madam Yu continued, “Don’t tell anyone about Mr. Xian Yun’s visit. On the day Mr. Xian Yun enters the residence, welcome him into the residence before going to the government office.”
Even though they were of the same generation, the first branch could not be rude.
There had to be elders at home to welcome guests.
As a woman, it wasn’t appropriate for her to step in. It was only logical for Eldest Son to step in. He would have taken a day off if not for the urgent matters in court.
At ten o’clock the next day, Yu Youyao went to her grandmother’s house to learn “mind games.” Old Madam Yu told her about Mr. Xian Yun’s visit.
Yu Youyao was a little surprised, but only a little. She said, “Grandmother, don’t worry. I’ll definitely make the arrangements.”
Seeing her attitude, Old Madam Yu knew that Zhou Linghuai was close to her granddaughter, so he might not have hidden many things from her. As a result, she felt more at ease with Zhou Linghuai.
Although Zhou Linghuai was related to the first branch, he had a cold personality and treated others coldly and distantly. His thoughts were as deep as an abyss, making it impossible to figure him out.
If he did not have the intention to belong to the main family, it would also be endless trouble.
However, since he was willing to open his heart to Yao Yao, that was another matter.
Old Madam Yu did not say much and only said, “Now that the court is in a chaotic period, the family’s matters depend on you. It’s been hard on you.”
They were usually easy to settle, and it did not matter if anything went wrong.
However, now, a storm was brewing in the capital. A bloodbath was about to happen. Who knew when this calamity would fall on them? How could they tolerate any mistakes?
Yu Youyao knew the severity of the matter. “Although I’m in charge of the family matters, Nanny Liu and the stewards of the residence are in charge of all the big and small matters. With Grandmother around, it’s not difficult.” After saying that, she held her grandmother’s hand and comforted her. “Punishment and rewards are all bestowed by the emperor. Grandmother, don’t think too much. Second Uncle and Father are walking on thin ice in the royal court. We women and children don’t know much about the matters of the country, so we can rest in peace and avoid their worries.”
The old man was old and looked forward to her family’s well-being.
How could she not understand this logic? Old Madam Yu laughed when she heard this.
After learning for an hour, Yu Youyao returned to the Jade Courtyard.
Zhou Linghuai was reading under the Parasol Tree. He put away the book and handed her a cup of tea. “You’re back!”
Yu Youyao drank her tea. “Cousin, didn’t you say that Mr. Xian Yun probably doesn’t want to see you for the rest of his life? Why did you suddenly send a greeting card?”
Zhou Linghuai picked up his tea and took a sip.
The new tea made by the little girl had the taste of peppermint. There was a hint of bitterness in his mouth, but also a hint of coolness. He liked it very much.
After putting down his teacup, Zhou Linghuai said, “This is the general trend. Those I don’t want to see will always meet with me in the end. Since my chessboard has been set up, there’s nowhere to hide.”
Yu Youyao glared at him. “Cousin, you’re keeping me in suspense again.”
Zhou Linghuai smiled and took out annotations from Heavenly Works. “Currently, I’ve only sorted out the farming and grain section. Take a look first.”
There was too much knowledge in Heavenly Works, and it was very complicated to organize. He had been rather busy recently, so he did not organize much.
Even though it was just a small section of farming and grains, he had already sorted it out in a thick book. Yu Youyao happily took the notes. “Thank you, Cousin. I’ll make Eight Treasure Cake for you another day.”
Her cousin liked the Eight Treasure Cake. She changed the wild ginseng inside to white ginseng. It was just right and not dry. It nourished the body, the spleen and lungs. It could also strengthen the foundation of the body.
It was fine even if he ate more every day.
Zhou Linghuai nodded. “Okay!”
Next, the cousins sat down and leaned against the Parasol Tree to read.
The notes were very detailed, and the content was easy to understand. Yu Youyao read for a while and felt a little tired. She picked up her tea and drank it. Seeing that her cousin was holding a copy of Guiguzi in his hand and looking very focused, she couldn’t help but look at him with her chin in her hand.
His cousin had a Daoist master called Xuan Jizi. It was said that he was an expert from Ghost Valley.
She had never heard of this person, but from her cousin’s casual words, it was not difficult to guess that he was even more unpredictable than Mr. Xian Yun.
Her cousin liked Guiguzi very much and said, “Ghost Valley is mysterious. It’s a place where society is unhindered, natural and hides the mysteries of the world. Its secrets are unfathomable. It’s a place where everything can be seen. It’s a place where the Six Daos are powerful and everything can be learned!”
“Yao Yao.” Suddenly, she heard a clear voice.
Yu Youyao nodded and tilted her head. Seeing that her cousin had closed the book and was looking at her, she asked, “Cousin, aren’t you going to read anymore?”
How could she calm down and read like this? Zhou Linghuai felt helpless. “Do you have anything to ask me?”
Yu Youyao stared at her cousin and finally asked the question she had been holding in for a long time. “Cousin, do you look like my Cousin Zhou or do you look like yourself?”
So that was what she wanted to ask. Zhou Linghuai smiled. “It’s just a little disguise. I still look like myself.”
Yu Youyao was in disbelief. “Cousin, you’re too bold. Aren’t you afraid of being recognized?”
Zhou Linghuai gently rubbed the cooling pearl in his hand. When he heard the little girl say that he was high-profile, his ears turned a little red. He coughed lightly and said, “Cough, I used to like to disguise myself when I went out. After all, there are many inconveniences to my status as the heir of King You. I’ve always done as I please. I’m used to doing whatever I want. Cough…”