novelden Chapter 11 Princess Fuhui
Chapter 11 Princess Fuhui
Three months later, on the beach of the East China Sea, there was a newly built courtyard with two pavilions.
Outside the courtyard, Wu You stared at the vegetable patch and sighed, "Brother Li, why are these radishes growing so slowly? The bok choy next to them was cooked yesterday. I want to eat pickled radishes. Sweet and sour, crisp and refreshing."
Li Lianhua, turning over the soil nearby, teased, "Maybe it doesn't want you to eat it yet, so it's deliberately growing slowly. Besides, it's already a princess, what's a little pickled radish compared to that?"
"Brother Li, you're making fun of me again. Besides, isn't what you grow yourself tastier? Humph, we're breaking up for five minutes, ??? -? ? -? ??, I'm not talking to you anymore." With that, she stormed back into the house.
"Okay, could you bring me a glass of water in five minutes? I'm thirsty," Li Lianhua said to Wu You's back as she continued what she was doing.
After spending some time with Wu You, Li Lianhua also learned some unfamiliar words from her.
Wu You ignored him and walked away on his own.
Wu You spent three months in this strange world, gaining a lot and experiencing many things.
First, she and Li Lianhua helped settle the refugees at the government office. Later, she found an opportunity to give the imperial envoy corn, the method of refining refined salt, a compass, and other useful items.
Unexpectedly, just as the two were about to leave, the imperial envoy brought an imperial decree, bestowing upon Wu You the title of Princess Fu Hui, along with a princess's mansion in the capital and tens of thousands of taels of gold and silver. In an instant, Wu You became a wealthy man.
(So, it's still good to have dreams of getting rich overnight, just in case they come true someday.)
Because Wu You had said he only wanted to travel the world, everyone in the world knew that the Da Xi Dynasty had suddenly gained a Princess Fu Hui, but no one had ever seen her. The only people who had seen her were Imperial Envoy Zhang Shuo, his two guards, the servants who carried the rewards, and Li Lianhua and a few others.
With the financial backing, Wu You was not only building houses but also acquiring his ancient assets, so he didn't have to live off his savings.
They successively opened inns, restaurants, teahouses and other businesses, mainly to make money and gather information. They also ran the Four Seasons Academy, which sheltered beggar children and trained talents. All of these businesses were collectively known as Spring Dew and Autumn Frost.
Wu You originally didn't want this artistic name, but all the names she came up with were too modern and not practical, so she asked the steward to come up with one. The steward suggested a few, and Wu You chose this one.
His Majesty sent many people, and Wu You simply conveyed his ideas by talking to people.
The Spring Dew and Autumn Frost faction was only established in Xuancheng and had not yet expanded to other cities. It also existed only as a Jianghu (江湖, a term referring to the martial arts world) force and had no connection with the imperial court.
Of course, all of this did not escape Li Lianhua's notice.
Wu You wasn't really angry with Li Lianhua. He drank a glass of water in the room, picked up a packet of chili seeds and Li Lianhua's thermos, and went out.
Wu You remembered that in the TV series, when Bi Cha poison took effect, the whole body would feel cold and tremble uncontrollably. It was specially bought for Li Lianhua.
"Here, drink up." Wu You handed the thermos to Li Lianhua, then turned around and threw the seeds into the holes Li Lianhua had dug, covering them with a little soil with his foot.
“Youyou is still the best to me. Even when we broke up, it was only for a short while.” Li Lianhua took the thermos, opened the lid, blew on it, and took a sip. Watching Wu You’s actions, she said, “This is the very spicy seed you mentioned. We don’t need to plant so many. The two of us can’t finish them all.”
"It's not much. If we can't finish it, we can grind it into powder and sell it in town or at restaurants." Wu You didn't seem to care. Looking at the various crops scattered around, he felt a great sense of accomplishment.
It's almost mid-August, the hot summer is coming to an end, and the cool autumn is on its way.
"Brother Li, I just came back from town and saw that they've already started selling Mid-Autumn Festival items. There are all kinds of mooncakes. The Mid-Autumn Festival is in four or five days. Everyone spends it with their families. Are you going home for the Mid-Autumn Festival?"
As soon as he ran into the courtyard gate, before he had even put his things down, Wu You asked Li Lianhua, who was reading a book in the courtyard.
"So, what are your plans for Youyou?" Li Lianhua asked instead of answering.
"I want to go to the city to see it. I've never seen people here celebrate a festival before. It must be different from usual, much more lively."
Wu You looked on with longing, wishing the Mid-Autumn Festival would arrive immediately. Ancient times were just too boring, with so few forms of entertainment.
“Then I’ll go with Youyou. Youyou will need someone to accompany her when she goes to the city alone. The family won’t miss me,” Li Lianhua said, lifting her head from her book.
Since he stopped practicing martial arts every day, Li Lianhua has had plenty of free time and spends his days reading.
"What danger could there be? Besides, you know I have two imperial guards with me. It's just that their techniques aren't suitable. Brother Li, do you know martial arts? If you do, please teach me. I also want to be able to fly over rooftops like a great hero."
"But those people said they were rewarding me, but I think they were actually there to keep an eye on me, afraid that I, this princess from the mountains, might do something bad or give the good things to other countries."
"It's good that you know, but don't be naive and believe everything. You need to have your own judgment." Li Lianhua nodded in agreement.
"I just told them to stay far away so they wouldn't bother us, and luckily they're easy to use. So, Brother Li, do you know martial arts? I want to learn."
Wu You sighed slightly, his eyes fixed on Li Lianhua. If he could get guidance from the best in the world, it would be a sure thing, a huge windfall.
Meanwhile, the two bodyguards, Nanfeng and Beiyi, who were perched in a tree a kilometer away, said: "Waaah, it's so kind of Your Highness to still remember us."
Upon hearing this, Li Lianhua sighed slightly: "I only know a little bit about martial arts and I don't know how to instruct people. Besides, what kind of martial arts master can fly over rooftops and climb mountains every day? Moreover, learning martial arts is very hard and it's best to start practicing from a young age. Youyou, it's a bit late for you to start now."
"I see. I still want to learn, even if it's hard. If I learn even one or two more moves, I can hold off danger while waiting for rescue. Besides, there are always times when I can't take care of the bodyguards around me."
"Brother Li, could you teach me the basic swordsmanship first? I'll formally learn it once Spring Dew and Autumn Frost find some good swordsmanship and mental techniques. I want to protect myself and Brother Li once I've mastered them." Wu You said earnestly, full of enthusiasm.
Looking at Wu You's serious expression, Li Lianhua chuckled: "Alright, then I'll teach you from the basics first. Don't complain about being tired later, I'll be waiting to protect me after you've learned it all."
"Okay, I will definitely protect you and not let anyone hurt you in any way," Wu You quickly promised.
So, starting the next day, Wu You began his painful life of practicing martial arts in the morning, digging in the afternoon, and occasionally practicing calligraphy.
Although Li Lianhua may seem indifferent to everything at present, he is meticulous and rigorous in his teaching of martial arts.
Wu You asked someone to find martial arts manuals, because if you're going to venture into the martial world, you need to have martial arts skills and techniques.
Wu You also instructed his two secret guards and the guards in Spring Dew and Autumn Frost who had learned royal martial arts to practice more martial arts moves without affecting their internal energy, and not to reveal their royal skills in normal times.
Of course, in life-or-death situations, life comes first, and all rules need not be followed.
When this order was first issued, apart from Li Lianhua, no one in Chunlu Qiushuang, including the two secret guards, could understand it.
They came out of the palace, where the rules were absolute, and rules were everything. It took Wu You a long time to persuade them before they slowly accepted it.