As expected, Wang Hanqi and Jiang Yuancheng once again received twenty strokes of the board at the gate of the Imperial Study before going home.

But this time, they were accompanied by Zheng Yu.

At the Jiang residence, Chun Tao was helping Jiang Yuanxi get dressed while feeling heartbroken.

“Madam, every time Miss goes out with Fourth Young Master, she ends up getting hurt. Poor Miss, her long hair has just grown back, and now it’s gone again.” How would she face people like this?

Madam Chen sighed deeply, her brows furrowed with worry.

As soon as Jiang Yuanran entered, he saw his sister’s bald head.

He tried hard not to laugh. “Mother, look at Yuanxi—she actually looks quite cute like this. But… how did her hair disappear?”

[Struck by lightning.]

She had originally planned to use heavenly lightning to get rid of the big turtle.

Who would have thought that it would jump into her arms instead?

Not only did she lose her hair, but all the dried meat and fruit she had saved up for so long were also completely burned to a crisp.

This debt would have to be settled sooner or later!

But at least she got a turtle shell out of it.

“Madam, lunch is ready,” Chun Tao called as the servants brought out the dishes one by one.

The family gathered around the table, and Jiang Yuancheng was carried over on a stretcher.

“What smells so good?” Jiang Yuancheng struggled to sit up and sniffed hard.

Everyone caught the delicious aroma.

Chun Zhi opened the pot, and the fragrance instantly filled the entire room.

Smelling it, Jiang Yuanwu’s exhaustion was instantly swept away.

“What is this?” he asked curiously.

Chunzhi smiled. “This is turtle soup, specially made in the small kitchen at Miss’s request.” But the ingredients had been provided by Miss herself.

She had never seen a turtle shell as tall as half a person.

Chun Zhi suspected that it must have been a thousand-year-old turtle.

Luckily, the kitchen had smashed the shells into pieces, so they were able to make quite a bit of soup.

Jiang Yuanxi kept staring at the clay pot in the middle of the table, eyes shining.

[Turtle soup, turtle soup, the soup of longevity.]

Jiang Fengyuan felt that the turtle shell floating in the soup looked oddly familiar.

Chun Zhi ladled out bowls for everyone.

Madam Chen hesitated before picking up a spoon.

The milky white soup tasted so fresh it made her teeth tingle.

Jiang Yuancheng finished his bowl and felt that even the pain on his backside had eased.

Chen Xinwan also felt a warm sensation spread through her body.

After giving birth to five children, she always suffered from discomfort during her monthly cycle.

Yet, after drinking the soup, the dull pain in her lower abdomen gradually faded, replaced by soothing warmth.

Jiang Yuanxi hadn’t expected that the turtle shell she had caught this time contained so much spiritual energy.

After the family finished eating, Chen Xinwan shared the remaining soup with the household servants.

Jiang Yuanxi, with her sharp eyes, quickly stashed away a few more jars into her talisman pouch.

Once they were full and content, Madam Chen Xinwan asked Jiang Yuanran about Lan Fang Pavilion’s situation.

Jiang Yuanran frowned. “Mother, Lan Fang Pavilion is in trouble.”

Lately, Sima Pingting had been causing problems for them for no apparent reason.

Not only that, but the city gates were now being strictly monitored.

Their goods had mysteriously been blocked from leaving the city.

He hadn’t wanted to worry his mother, but he truly couldn’t resolve the issue on his own.

He could only hope the family had some ideas.

Jiang Fengyuan was furious. “That old dog Sima Dao still refuses to learn his lesson.”

Jiang Yuanran sighed, “The delivery deadline is approaching. If we don’t make it in time, Lan Fang Pavilion’s branch stores will have nothing to sell.”

“If only we could get the Mu family’s help.”

The Mu family?

Could it be…?

Thinking of this, Jiang Yuanxi pulled out the jade pendant that Madam Mu had given her before.

Jiang Yuanran took it and immediately widened his eyes.

“This—this is the Mu family’s token!” Jiang Yuanran was ecstatic.

Over the past few days, he had dealt with many noble families.

The Mu family was the most prominent among them, and he recognized their token immediately.

“Yuanxi, how did you get this?”

Jiang Yuanxi hugged her bowl and licked the last drop of soup from the bottom.

“They asked me to treat someone and gave it to me.”

Jiang Yuansheng chuckled. Yuanxi was indeed the Jiang family’s little lucky star.

“Third Brother, the Mu family’s merchant fleet has a strong reputation in Yufeng. Now that you have this opportunity, whether you can make use of it depends on you.”

Jiang Yuanran beamed. “Don’t worry, Big Brother! With this jade pendant, if we manage to strike a deal with the Mu family, our transportation problems will be solved for good.”

He hugged his little sister and gave her several kisses.

After the meal, Jiang Yuanxi carried the turtle shell around, occasionally taking it out for a little lick.

This thing was truly amazing. It was lucky she had brought the turtle back.

A little bit each day, and she could eat it for several more meals.

Thinking of this, she pulled out something she had captured the previous day from her talisman pouch.

After two nights of repairs, Xuanwu had finally managed to patch up the turtle shell.

When he saw Jiang Yuanxi, he hurriedly crawled over.

“Master!” Xuanwu’s eyes gleamed with mischief.

This little human child—once he regained his full strength, he would surely tear her into pieces!

Jiang Yuanxi: ……

He already called her “Master”—how was she supposed to strike him down now?

She couldn’t just say, “Hey, why don’t you cook yourself up for me to taste?”

Jiang Yuanxi scratched her head.

This was too much of a headache.

Absentmindedly, she brought the turtle shell to her lips and took another tiny lick.

The familiar texture and faint spiritual energy—this was his turtle shell!

Xuanwu’s eyes turned red.

The missing chunk on his backside let in a chilly breeze.

Xuanwu hated Jiang Yuanxi even more.

Seeing him stare at her intensely, Jiang Yuanxi reluctantly broke off a fingernail-sized piece of the shell and handed it over.

“Want to suck on it together?”

A shadow flashed by, and the turtle shell was swiftly snatched away from Jiang Yuanxi’s hand.

Hei Zi quickly stuffed it into his mouth.

“Hei Hei, that was for the turtle.”

Hei Zi shook his head vigorously like a rattling drum.

He didn’t care—if the turtle got one, he wanted one too.

Xuanwu bit down on the tiny piece of his shell, holding back his tears.

Why couldn’t another lightning bolt strike down these two shameless creatures?

…

At the Prime Minister’s residence.

Sima Dao listened to his subordinate’s report.

“Master, somehow that brat from the Jiang family managed to smuggle the goods out of the city without making a sound. Our people couldn’t stop them.”

“Useless!” Sima Dao hurled an inkstone, striking the servant’s forehead.

Blood quickly trickled down, and the servant trembled as he knelt in silence.

Just then, Zhao Yue entered with a tearful expression. “Master, you must seek justice for Qier.”

Sima Dao had pampered Sima Qi excessively in his old age, turning him into a second Jiang Yuancheng.

And, in fact, Sima Qi was even worse.

On the bed, Sima Qi was wrapped entirely in white bandages, with only his eyes, nostrils, and mouth exposed.

“Father… avenge me…”

His entire body was covered in injuries.

His arms couldn’t be lifted, three ribs were broken, and both legs had been shattered.

For the past two days, he had survived only on thin porridge.

He was in such a miserable state, while the one responsible was still running free.

To make matters worse, the emperor had rewarded the Jiang family with the Mu Prince’s estate. Sima Qi couldn’t accept this.

Summoning all his strength, he squeezed out three words: “Jiang… Yuan… Xi…”

Zhao Yue sobbed at her son’s bedside. “Master, you must avenge Qier and Pingting.”

Sima Dao frowned.

Could it be that the sixty thousand taels he had lost were also the Jiang family’s doing?

But how could a mere toddler have beaten ten young men so badly they couldn’t get out of bed?

Even if he wanted to report Jiang Yuanxi, who in the imperial court would believe such a ridiculous claim?