Chapter 80

Sometimes people are like this. When no one pays attention to you, you feel like you can handle everything. But once someone asks if you’re tired, you feel like all the bones in your body are about to collapse.

Shen Yu remained silent, hanging her head.

She couldn’t tolerate herself becoming weak, but in the face of Xie Tingzhou’s light words, she indeed felt weak.

Xie Tingzhou glanced at her and said, “This case has been dragging on for a long time. If it continues, it will provoke public anger. The Three Judicial Offices will expedite the conclusion of the case. Regardless of the outcome, you should prepare yourself first.”

Shen Yu lifted her head to look at him. “Your Highness, what do you mean?”

Xie Tingzhou looked out the window and said, “The case will be decided, but it may not entirely meet your wishes.”

Shen Yu furrowed her brows in thought. All she wanted was for those involved in the case to receive the appropriate punishment. Could it be that even this was not possible?

“It’s just speculation. Don’t think too much about it for now,” Xie Tingzhou softened his tone.

Shen Yu nodded and looked at him, asking, “Are you feeling better now?”

Xie Tingzhou’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment. “It’s nothing serious.”

Shen Yu knew how firm Xie Tingzhou’s will was. As long as he still had breath, nothing would seem serious to him.

“Go back,” Xie Tingzhou said again.

Shen Yu walked to the door, thought for a moment, then turned back and said, “I want to go out for a while, to the Lu’s shop. There are some things I want to confirm.”

She didn’t know why she was telling him this, but she felt like she should.

Xie Tingzhou nodded. “Go ahead.”

Shen Yu went out and closed the door behind her. She looked around and saw Xi Feng speaking with a palace guard at the corner.

She faintly heard Xi Feng mentioning some rare medicinal herbs to the guard, probably for Xie Tingzhou.

Shen Yu walked over. Xi Feng knew she had something to ask and waved for the guard to leave, then asked, “What’s the matter?”

“Are you looking for medicinal herbs for His Highness?” Shen Yu asked.

Xi Feng cautiously glanced at her and nodded. “His Highness’s residual poison hasn’t cleared yet, and we’re missing several medicinal herbs.”

Shen Yu said, “I don’t know what’s missing. I have some acquaintance with the Lu family. I’ll see if they can find them.”

Xi Feng took out a piece of paper from his sleeve, with the names of the missing herbs circled in red ink. There were three or four missing.

Shen Yu memorized them and then glanced at the door not far away. She asked in a low voice, “He was fine when he entered the palace, but when he came back, he was like this. Did something happen in the palace?”

Xi Feng’s voice was grave. “This shouldn’t be a question you’re concerned with. If you want to know, just ask His Highness directly.”

Disappointed, Shen Yu turned back and walked towards the courtyard. After walking a short distance, she heard hurried footsteps behind her.

“Hey, um… that person, that… um, Yu, you, stop!” Li Jifeng called from behind.

Shen Yu stopped and bowed to him. “Ninth Prince.”

Li Jifeng pulled Shen Yu behind the rockery and spoke in a secretive tone, “What were you asking Xie Yun just now? You asked the wrong person. Why didn’t you ask me?”

Shen Yu said, “Please speak, Your Highness.”

Li Jifeng raised his robe and sat on a stone bench, opening his folding fan. “This is a long story.”

Shen Yu couldn’t help interrupting him. At this rate, it seemed like he would still be talking until dawn tomorrow, and Xie Tingzhou still wouldn’t have grown up.

Shen Yu bowed and said, “Yushi still has other matters to attend to. How about I come back another day to listen to Your Highness’s storytelling? Oh no, to listen to Your Highness’s enlightenment.”

Li Jifeng was straightforward and didn’t mind. “Fine, go on, go on. But I’m not always in the mood to enlighten people. You’ll have to rely on luck in the future.”

Shen Yu laughed and said, “Of course, Your Highness has many responsibilities. Yushi won’t delay Your Highness’s time.”

Li Jifeng raised his chin proudly and walked away, fanning himself.

When Shen Yu arrived at the Lu’s shop, it was already dark, and the shopkeeper had closed the door.

“You didn’t come yesterday. Shun said you were delayed on the way by the Du family’s brat. Is everything okay, miss?” the shopkeeper asked.

“Everything’s fine,” Shen Yu said. “Did the news from the Shen family arrive?”

The shopkeeper said, “Miss Shen Er came to the shop yesterday and left a message, saying that you can go wherever you want to find what you’re looking for. The address is a nunnery in Shangchu.”

Shen Yu frowned. Shen Yan hid the green medicine in the nunnery, and she hid it so far away.

“Master Lu.”

The shopkeeper bowed. “Miss, you have my full attention.”

Shen Yu said, “Tomorrow, please go to the Wan Tong Escort Agency and find Miss He Xuehui from the agency. Ask her to take a group of people to Chu. The more, the better. The price is negotiable. Just tell them it’s a big deal.”

The shopkeeper pondered for a moment and nodded. “Miss’s method is reliable.”

There were four major escort agencies in the capital, and Wan Tong Escort Agency was one of them. Lu’s Trading Company had branches all over Great Zhou, transporting goods back and forth. When they encountered very important goods, they would also find escort agencies. Therefore, they had cooperated with Wan Tong several times.

To run an escort agency well, one had to be able to deal with both black and white matters. They not only needed connections in the court but also had to have considerable strength.

Even if Shen Yan had any crooked ideas, it shouldn’t cause too much trouble. One escort agency was enough.

“Once you find the green medicine, bring her back no matter what the result is,” Shen Yu added.

“Yes, I’ll remember that.”

“Master Lu.”

The shopkeeper said, “Please speak, miss.”

Shen Yu hesitated for a moment and said, “I want to find some medicinal herbs.”

“What specific herbs?” the shopkeeper asked.

Shen Yu said, “Thousand Spirit Ginseng, Blood Python Branch, Tian Shan Snow Lotus, and a herb called Black Knotweed.”

The shopkeeper stroked his beard and said, “There happens to be a ready-made Thousand Spirit Ginseng.”

“Really?” Shen Yu asked in surprise.

“Two years ago, Lu’s Medicinal Shop found one, but it was too rare, so it was not sold. It should be stored in the warehouse in Hezhou Prefecture. However, the

others might be hard to find, especially the Blood Python Branch. I’m ignorant, and I’ve never even heard of it.”

Shen Yu knew these medicinal herbs were hard to find. Otherwise, with Xie Tingzhou’s power, they wouldn’t still be missing. Unexpectedly, there was a pleasant surprise today, finding one was already very good.

“I’ll go back to the Shen Mansion tomorrow and check the warehouse. Regardless of the price, I’ll ask Master Lu to keep an eye on the matter of the herbs in the future,” Shen Yu said.

“Lu’s Trading Company belongs to Miss. Miss doesn’t need to say such things. If there’s anything, just tell me to handle it,” the shopkeeper said.

Shen Yu left a letter to inquire about the Thousand Spirit Ginseng and took out a handkerchief from her sleeve.

The shopkeeper smiled as soon as he saw it. “Miss really embroidered a sachet for the old lady.”

That was last year. Shen Yu asked Mrs. Lu what she wanted as a gift. Knowing that she wasn’t good at embroidery, Mrs. Lu teased her and said she wanted a sachet embroidered by her. Unexpectedly, Shen Yu really embroidered one.

Shen Yu touched the unevenly embroidered sachet and whispered, “I embroidered a few. This is the best one.”

The shopkeeper said, “Regardless of how it looks, the old lady will surely be delighted to receive it.”

Leaving the shop, it was already late in the evening. The front yard was bustling, and Shen Yu asked Er Ya, “What’s going on over there?”

“I don’t know what’s going on either,” Er Ya said. “Many people came from the Wang Mansion, with many beautiful maidservants and young ladies.”

Shen Yu asked, “What’s a young lady?”

Er Ya innocently said, “A young lady is someone who doesn’t dress like a maidservant, but like a lady, a very young lady. She’s very pretty and seems to be arranged in the yard next to ours.”

The next day, Shen Yu finally understood what Er Ya meant by “young lady”.