CHAPTER 252: CHAPTER 252: IT’S LATE—TIME TO MAKE A MOVE!

"What’s wrong with the foreigners?"

Qi Jingyu stepped forward, looking in the direction Li Qingmu pointed. The two indeed looked like foreigners, but so what?

In the past two years, the situation around Dazhou had stabilized significantly. It’s become more common to see foreign merchants in the Capital City; encountering two on the street wasn’t out of the ordinary.

Li Qingmu leaned on the railing, resting his chin on one hand, contemplating, "There’s nothing inherently wrong with the foreigners, but they exude a murderous aura... they’ve seen bloodshed, yet their attire is that of merchants. That’s suspicious!"

"What?"

Qi Jingyu was startled, quickly craning his neck for a better look, but the two had already taken two women into their room.

"Should we have someone tail them?"

Qi Jingyu decided promptly, his expression serious.

"No!" Li Qingmu waved him off, restraining the young man’s impulse to act. "The Princely Heir should not act recklessly. These two have nothing to do with us. Arbitrary surveillance might be inappropriate. If we find something, that’s one thing. But if we come up empty-handed, we might alert them, and then we’d be in the wrong."

Recognizing his mistake, Qi Jingyu apologized with a guilty look, "I was reckless."

The Young Prince had this one virtue: able to recognize and amend his mistakes, an admirable trait indeed.

"Hey, what are you two doing standing there? Come have some drinks! The wine here is especially delicious! Not drinking would be a waste, right? Also, let’s get more girls in here—it’s been ages since I last indulged in any... hey, Li Qingmu, why are you tugging my ear?"

Cao Xiao was speaking with enthusiasm, his eyes even slyly glancing at An Xiang, but ended up being dragged into a room by his ear, courtesy of Li Qingmu.

"Frequenting brothels is bad for your health; didn’t your father ever teach you that?"

With a stern face, Li Qingmu pulled Cao Xiao out, permitting every indulgence except involving women! Li Qingmu, himself a person with a cleanliness obsession, avoided any entanglement with other women, leaving Cao Xiao to suffer.

"If we’re not here for women, why did you bring me?"

"Indulging in women is too vulgar. We’re here to enjoy the music and dance."

Li Qingmu righteously spun a tale.

Cao Xiao felt pitifully pressed. Managed by his father at home, he thought living alone in the Capital would allow him some freedom. But now even his brother-in-law had a hand in controlling him, casting a bleak shadow over his life.

The brother-in-law was a simple man, barely resisting, remaining ever tragic.

"Mr. Li, someone is looking for you outside!"

"Who?"

"Someone claiming to be your household servant!"

A household servant?

Li Qingmu’s heart skipped a beat. Could something have happened to Yue’er?

Swift as a flash, he disappeared.

Outside the Tianxiang Pavillion, Li Qingmu encountered a middle-aged man, someone familiar—it was one of the thirty-plus craftsmen he had once rescued.

Behind him was a carriage. Was he here to pick him up?

"What’s going on? Is there trouble at the manor?"

Relieved it wasn’t Yue’er in trouble, Li Qingmu asked calmly.

"Madam requests your presence."

"Yue’er wants me to go? Alright, got it! Wait a moment!"

Li Qingmu returned to the room to find Qi Jingyu and Cao Xiao absorbed in a game of chess.

"Yu, I need to visit the manor. You and A shao stay here, and don’t cause trouble, understood?"

"Alright, Uncle Mu, off you go!"

"An Xiang, keep an eye on them for me!"

"Rest assured, Mr. Li. Even if you hadn’t mentioned it, I planned to watch over them."

Inside was her Young Master, and she would watch over him, with or without Li Qingmu’s instruction.

Li Qingmu followed the craftsman to the manor, where Long Yue had been waiting for some time.

Seeing Li Qingmu arrive, Long Yue hugged him, sniffing to ensure there was no scent of women’s powder on him, finally relaxing.

Li Qingmu saw right through his little wife’s thoughts but only smiled silently, understanding without exposing.

"What’s the matter, Yue’er, missed me?"

"Miss my foot!"

Long Yue rolled her eyes, casting him an annoyed glance, turning to drag him into the room.

"Someone has been watching our manor!"

Li Qingmu’s eyes narrowed slightly, anger tinging his face. "Who? I’ll kill him!"

This manor was his little wife’s heart’s blood. Knowing she had been painstakingly managing the herbs, though he didn’t know why she was so fixated on them, if anyone dared covet it, he’d kill them without question!

Long Yue explained, "This farmland belongs to our grandfather. He arranged for tenants to farm it while ensuring supervision. However, the overseer deducted wages from the tenants, which I caught and punished by expelling him."

Long Yue recounted the previous incidents in detail, and Li Qingmu’s face turned colder.

"Such scum should have had their legs broken to prevent future harm!"

Li Qingmu was indignant with righteousness.

Having risen from the bottom himself, he despised those who embezzled others’ money; such people were bloodsuckers! They should be eliminated!

"You should temper the killing intent a bit. Keeping him has brought us a pillow now, see?"

"Brought what..."

Li Qingmu paused, finally understanding her meaning, offering a knowing smile as he wrapped an arm around Long Yue’s slender waist. "You’re wise, my wife. I pale in comparison."

"Hmph!"

Long Yue sniffed with a small nose.

"These next few days, let’s stay at the manor!"

"Alright, we’ll catch the turtle in the jar; while they are in the open, we’ll remain hidden, catching them with evidence in hand!"

"Li Qingmu, where are the Princely Heir and A shao?"

Long Yue suddenly asked, making Li Qingmu slightly embarrassed, "Still at Tianxiang Pavillion!"

"Are you out of your mind? Leaving them at Tianxiang Pavillion—what if something happens?"

"With An Xiang watching, they’ll be fine."

"That’s still not good. Before dark, I’ll fetch the brother-in-law back! Moreover, we should feign departure before circling back stealthily, so the enemy will have no guard up."

"Wife, you are wise!"

"Hmph!"

Long Yue instructed Hu Dafu to prepare a small secretive room for her, then headed back with Li Qingmu.

As the two drove away in the carriage, from behind a large tree on a hill at the manor, a wretched head peeked out.

This was none other than Steward Pang, whom Long Yue had expelled before.

Glancing at the receding carriage shadow, he turned and descended the hill.

After a two-quarter hour walk, under an old locust tree, he met with a man in black.

"Their farm is ready for harvest. Time to move!"

The man in black stood with hands folded behind his back, exuding composure and calm.

"Heh, rest assured, sir, everything is ready. I’ve been familiar with the layout for a while now to ensure the task’s completion!"

Steward Pang simpered ingratiatingly.

"Good, make your move tonight! Upon success, you’ll receive a hundred taels of silver as a reward!"

"Oh, thank you so much, sir!"

"Enough, go now! Be cautious in all things!"

"Alright!"

Steward Pang scampered away, while the man in black smirked with a derisive cold smile.

Once the job’s done, you won’t need to live anymore!