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After taking revenge, Cao De had always been following Lih Qingshu’s traces, secretly protecting her. The embroidered piece he had obtained was placed in the main hall where the Emperor met with court officials, framed and hung up.

This was another way he protected her.

He knew she had no interest in fame or profit, but he wanted every court official who came to see it, to know that she was recognized by the Emperor. He intended for the officials to tread carefully around her, to caution their subordinates and keep their eyes peeled, not to cause her any trouble.

Under Yuchi Zhao’s administration, the world was rather just and orderly, yet his sister wandered from place to place, from the far north to the deep south, never settling down, elusive as a mist, with only Qian Chen as her guard.

He always feared that some reckless souls would provoke her, beyond his reach to protect.

While eating fish, Cao De couldn’t help but negotiate, "Sister, could you possibly stop calling me Xiao De?"

He didn’t like this nickname at all, feeling it diminished him in her presence, making him seem small.

Lih Qingshu’s lips curled slightly in a smile, but she said nothing.

Xiao De hadn’t changed at all, still like a child, who used to get so upset when she called him by that nickname, now he was just the same.

Yet, calling him Xiao De just rolled off the tongue. If not Xiao De, what should she call him?

She didn’t want to call him any of the bizarre titles he gave himself, like Brother De or Thousand-faced Gentleman, which always seemed so strange to her.

"Sigh..." Seeing her expression, Cao De knew his sister had not agreed, and he could only sigh in resignation.

Whenever there was something his sister didn’t want to agree on, it was always like this, no amount of his tantrums would change her mind.

In the past he had also tried to make his sister change the way she addressed him, she would initially agree to discuss it, asking him how he wished to be called, but perhaps he had been too reckless, and she ended up ignoring him entirely, thus it was delayed, and he blamed himself for being too obvious back then.

Changing how she addressed him was indeed a long and arduous task, sigh...

He didn’t dwell on the matter, instead changing the subject to something he had wanted to ask since they met, "Sister, where are you heading this time in the north?"

A flicker of concern crossed Lih Qingshu’s eyes, "I am not sure. This time I was going to visit my benefactor and my young disciple whom I haven’t seen for many years, just took a detour on the way there, but then I heard about a great change, so I took Qian Chen with me, and after inquiring around and following the tracks without success, I ended up here and met you. "

Cao De was surprised, his sister had a benefactor and a disciple? He had never heard of them.

Is the benefactor male or female?...

Seeming to see his confusion, Lih Qingshu continued, "Before I met you, I had been in a difficult situation, and I was saved by my benefactor, the tea you once drank was made by my benefactor’s family."

Upon hearing the word ’family,’ Cao De breathed a sigh of relief. It was good the benefactor wasn’t a man.

He then said, "Sister, how can I help you?"

His sister’s concerns were his own, and he was quite adept at finding people.

Lih Qingshu thought for a moment and said, "If you come across the tea you once drank, just let me know."

The benefactor’s family, according to locals, had been involved in some trouble, and nobody dared to speak loudly of it, implying some conspiracy, and it was not suitable to involve Xiao De in it.

Cao De nodded in agreement, "Alright, that tea was indeed exceptional. If you need help, Sister, please do not hesitate to ask me; otherwise, I will be saddened."

Lih Qingshu nodded.

At that moment, a faint noise came from outside, and Cao De alertly looked towards the door.

Lih Qingshu glanced at him and soothed, "Don’t be afraid, it’s Qian Chen."

As her words fell, Qian Chen entered, holding a sword, and said to Lih Qingshu, "Young Master, no one is pursuing us anymore, the tracks have been cleared."

Lih Qingshu nodded and handed him a string of roasted fish, "Eat the fish."

After finishing the fish, Cao De, having lost blood, quickly felt drowsy and fell asleep—it was the first restful sleep he had had in many days.

The next morning, with the sky still dimly lit, the entire dilapidated temple was shrouded in mist.

Cao De quietly got up, considering even one such night a luxury.

He could delay no longer; further delay could lead to changes, and he needed to rush back to see the Emperor before anyone else realized what was happening, to weed out the spies in the military.

Before leaving the temple, he silently walked up to Lih Qingshu, bent over, and greedily gazed at her eyebrows and eyes. He involuntarily raised his hand, wanting to touch her face but dared not; he felt that even to touch her would be to desecrate her.

Feeling very dejected, he solemnly said to her in his heart, "Sister, we part today, and I do not know when we will meet again. Once this matter is resolved, Xiao De will come to find you."

Reluctantly taking one last look, he steeled his heart and decisively walked out.

In his life, the three most important people to him were his late mother, Yuchi Zhao, and his sister.

Both were bonds he could not sever.

He still had tasks to complete and couldn’t be completely devoted to staying by his sister’s side. One day, when he could clear his mind and be as open-minded as his sister, he would follow her...

Upon exiting the temple, he saw Qian Chen not far off, holding a sword and meditating with his eyes closed.

Qian Chen was a swordsman, a descendant of the Shu Region’s Thousand Mountain Swordsmen, existing to protect the Lih Sect of Bashu, specifically chosen to protect Lih Qingshu.

"You’re leaving without saying goodbye again," Qian Chen said, his eyes still closed, stating it as a fact.

"I..." Cao De opened his mouth, wanting to explain something.

Before he could speak, Qian Chen opened his eyes and looked at him intently, saying, "Go ahead, the Young Master will not blame you."

The martial world and the Imperial Court are inherently separate entities; having this intersection is already rare.

Ultimately, Cao De swallowed his explanation, pulled out a token, and tossed it to Qian Chen, saying, "I know my sister has matters to handle and wouldn’t want to trouble me with her help.

Take this token, and if there’s trouble, use it to find the manager at the Li Family Firm.

I have some ties with their big boss; they can contact me and will be able to assist you. "

This firm was extremely secretive; no one knew it was founded by Yuchi Zhao when he was the Crown Prince. The silver earned in the early years was all used to support people; without silver coins, even a Crown Prince could hardly make a move, let alone reach his current standing.

Now in times of peace, one of the roles of the Li Family Firm is to directly observe public sentiment and monitor civilian trends. Being well-informed is crucial; praises sung by court officials can easily deceive the eyes, never quite matching what one hears firsthand.

Apart from this, the Li Family Firm plays another significant role in balancing civilian prices, preventing merchants from exploiting natural disasters or catastrophes to hoard goods and inflate prices, which could plunge the common people into dire straits.

Merchants have the keenest senses and act the fastest. For instance, during the recent floods in Jiangnan and the famine in the Northwest, the Li Family Firm played a critical role even before the Imperial Court’s personnel were deployed, taking precedence in initiating crucial actions.

Otherwise, by the time court officials debated a plan of action and allocated funds and grains over long distances, the local disaster victims might have already caused major upheavals, complicating subsequent relief efforts.

Thus, the Li Family Firm is regarded by the folks as a virtuous establishment; the owner is a great philanthropist, ensuring fair and reasonable prices for rice, flour, and textiles, wherever and whenever.