Chapter 438: Chapter 413: Taking Money to Get Things Done_1
The blow from the Imperial Guard was so fierce that Daohua didn’t regain consciousness until the next day.
“Mmm~”
In a daze, Daohua only felt a severe pain in her neck, as if it were about to break, and couldn’t help but lift her hand to rub it. The moment her hand touched her neck, all thoughts came flooding back, and she suddenly jolted up.
“Ouch!”
Because she rose too quickly and pulled at her neck, Daohua couldn’t help but cry out in pain, but at that moment, she couldn’t care less about the pain. She darted out of the room like a shot.
Upon seeing Old Granny Gu and Gu Jian standing in the courtyard safe and sound, she instantly let out a sigh of relief.
“Granny, Master, are you two alright?”
Daohua rushed to Old Granny Gu and Gu Jian’s side, the smile that had just begun to appear on her face vanished the moment she saw the eunuch An under the eaves, replaced by wariness and dread.
Daohua quickly pulled the two elders behind her and was just about to hurl a few harsh words at Eunuch An when Gu Jian spoke up.
“They’re not bad people.”
“Hmm?”
Daohua turned her head to look at her master in confusion: “They are gold thieves, bad people.”
Eunuch An showed a wry smile: “Miss, we are Imperial Envoys, not gold thieves, you have made a mistake.”
Daohua was skeptical: “If you are Imperial Envoys, why would Xiao Yeyang want to capture you?” She said as she pulled Old Granny Gu and Gu Jian toward the courtyard entrance and whispered, “Master, Granny, don’t be fooled by them.”
Watching his little disciple’s face, showing that they were oblivious to the dangers of the world, Gu Jian was speechless: “Are you sure Xiao Yangzi was capturing them?”
Daohua nodded earnestly and then jerked her chin towards Eunuch An: “Xiao Yeyang told me himself that man is not a good person.”
These words happened to be overheard by the Fifth Master, Wu Jingyi, Yang Chenghua, and Wei Qi who had arrived at the courtyard entrance, and all four couldn’t help but twitch at the corners of their mouths.
No wonder the young lady was adamant that they were gold thieves, it turned out to be Yangyang’s (Little Prince’s) doing.
Yang Chenghua chuckled: “The Little Prince sure has a big grudge against Eunuch An.”
Wu Jingyi clicked his tongue twice: “No help for it, the Little Prince was a troublemaker in the palace when he was young, and every time he was punished, it was Eunuch An who carried it out.”
Daohua, hearing noises from behind, immediately turned around to look, her face crumbling upon seeing the Fifth Master and the rest. Her heart cried out that it was done for, but she quickly noticed something amiss and her expression revealed contemplation.
Neither Granny nor Master were harmed, and she was only knocked out; these people’s actions indeed didn’t seem like those of bad people.
Watching the girl’s expression change by the minute, the Fifth Master and the others found it amusing and watched with a smiling gaze, not interrupting her thoughts.
Especially the Fifth Master, who knew that if not for this young lady’s rescue, he would never see his mother and uncle again, he felt grateful in his heart.
Moreover, the girl was so clever and her appearance was endearing, increasing his good impression of her.
“So, have you figured out that we are not bad people?”
Seeing that Daohua was less guarded than before, the Fifth Master asked with a smile.
Daohua glanced at Eunuch An, then at the Fifth Master and the others, and suddenly remembered Yan Wenkai and the others. She quickly turned to Gu Jian and asked, “Master, how are my third brother and fourth brother, and everyone at the manor? Are they all alright?”
Gu Jian glanced at the Fifth Master and the others: “They’re fine.”
Wu Jingyi immediately joined in, smiling: “Your third brother and fourth brother saw how formidable our bodyguards were and insisted on sparring with them; they left early in the morning.”
Daohua looked skeptical and turned to Gu Jian.
Gu Jian nodded: “It’s not a bad thing for your third brother and fourth brother to exchange pointers with those bodyguards.”
Reassured by her master’s words, Daohua lowered her voice: “Although these people haven’t forced us, we still can’t trust them too soon. I have sent a message to Xiao Yeyang, and we’ll wait for him to arrive before we do anything else.”
Upon hearing this, Gu Jian couldn’t help but cough, recalling the hawk that had been killed by an arrow through its throat and cast a cold glance at the Fifth Master and his companions.
Daohua turned to Eunuch An: “You say you are Imperial Envoys, do you have proof?”
Eunuch An immediately looked at the Fifth Master and the others.
Yang Chenghua, without being told, quickly took out an official seal from his sleeve and handed it to Daohua with a smile.
Upon seeing it, Daohua’s eyes widened, inwardly criticizing her two brothers for how they had searched these men, wondering how they could have missed the official seal.
Indeed, they have no brains!
Daohua walked over and snatched the official seal quickly, inspecting it carefully. She saw it was not much different from the one her adoptive father used but was uncertain of its authenticity, so she looked to Gu Jian for confirmation.
At this moment, Granny Gu spoke up, pulling Daohua towards the house as they walked, she said, “Girl, the person who just asked you a question is someone both your master and I recognize.”
Daohua looked startled, quickly turned her head to glance at Fifth Master, and asked in surprise, “Granny, you know him? How do you know him?”
Granny Gu fell silent for a moment and, instead of answering directly, vaguely said, “An old acquaintance from the past. He indeed is an Imperial Envoy, commissioned by the Imperial Court to investigate the gold mines. The other four are his subordinates.”
Not wanting to dwell on this topic, Granny Gu quickly changed the subject, “Girl, have you seen Jing Cao anywhere before?”
As soon as she asked this, Fifth Master and the others pricked up their ears but, the next moment, they all looked speechless.
Daohua: “I’ve read about it in storybooks.”
Wu Jingyi couldn’t help but ask, “Haven’t you seen it at Ningmen Prefecture?”
Daohua didn’t want to respond, but seeing Granny Gu and her master staring at her, she could only shake her head and explain, “My family only moved to Ningmen Prefecture this year, and there’re only a few places I’ve been to. I wouldn’t have had the chance to see it.”
Hearing this, everyone showed a look of disappointment.
Seeing how much they valued Jing Cao, Daohua’s eyes swiveled, and she ventured, “Does Ningmen Prefecture really have gold mines?”
Fifth Master glanced at the curious Daohua but didn’t say anything.
Daohua asked again, “If I help find the gold mine, will the Emperor reward me?”
Yang Chenghua chuckled, “Miss Yan, as the daughter of an Imperial Envoy, you ought to be conscious of serving the Imperial Court. Rewards from the Emperor should be gratefully accepted; one should not actively seek them out.”
Daohua pouted, “Sir, I must disagree with you. You have to feed a horse well before it can run fast, and that’s just a horse, let alone a person with feelings and desires.”
“If the Emperor doesn’t grant you a position or dispense silver to you, offering you no profit, would you still work diligently? Don’t criticize from a point of comfort; think first if you could do it yourself.”
Yang Chenghua was left speechless by her retort, staring at Daohua, unsure of what to say.
Seeing this, Wu Jingyi, Wei Qi, and Eunuch An couldn’t help but snigger ungraciously, their shoulders shaking with laughter.
The thought of the Grand Secretary, who battled with words in the court, being outwitted by a young girl was amusing.
Fifth Master also struggled to suppress a smile.
Both Gu Jian and Granny Gu watched Daohua with smiles on their faces. Gu Jian glanced at Fifth Master and said, “Finding a gold mine would be a great achievement; there would definitely be a reward.”
Daohua’s eyes brightened, “What kind of reward would I get?”
Fifth Master smiled, “What do you want?”
Daohua paused for a moment, then started counting on her fingers, “I don’t need gold, silver, or jewels; I can earn those myself. What I lack now is status and identity.” She then smiled bashfully.
“I’ve read in storybooks that some women who performed great services were granted titles like county mistress or commandery princess. Is that true?”
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Daohua with a mix of exasperation and speechlessness.
Fifth Master looked at Daohua, somewhat at a loss for words. Regardless of whether she could find Jing Cao, this young girl sure had the guts to ask; although female titles were not as powerful as male titles, without any real power, they were not frivolously granted either.
Seeing everyone’s reaction, Daohua fell silent, “What, is that not possible?”
Just as Fifth Master was about to say it wasn’t, he felt a discreet gaze upon him. He looked up and noticed it was his uncle, which gave him pause.
His uncle should have been the current Duke Cheng’en, and since he was his only apprentice, almost like a half-child to him, granting her the title of county mistress didn’t seem too excessive.
However, currently, it was not convenient to make his mother and uncle’s identities public, which would be unfounded and inappropriate.
Right then, Daohua spoke again, “Never mind, asking you is pointless anyway since you’re not the Emperor. Besides, even though I know Jing Cao, I can’t guarantee that I’ll find it. Forget it.”
Seeing his uncle looking disappointed and turning away, Fifth Master pondered for a moment and then smiled, “I understand the Emperor well, and if you really do find the gold mine, the title of a county mistress could indeed be granted.”
Daohua’s eyes lit up once more, “Can you guarantee that?” She paused, then mumbled to herself, “You probably can’t guarantee it. I’ll ask Xiao Yeyang when he arrives. After I get it clear, I’ll consider whether to look for it or not.”
Eunuch An couldn’t help but interject, “Can’t you look for it first?”
Daohua responded as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “Money makes the world go round; it motivates people. If I can’t even be sure of what I’ll get, how can I be motivated to do it?”
Fifth Master and the others: “…”
She made too much sense, leaving them speechless.