The daughter of a noble family is reborn, and she is doted on by her godmother.

"Why does Qingqing look so worried? Don't be afraid, the workshop is very safe. Although it's a little inconvenient, ensuring safety is the most important thing right now."

Seeing Yun Qingjin lower her head and remain silent, Aunt Hua's daughter, Liu Zhou'er, asked her a question.

"Ah? Oh, Sister Zhou'er, I'm fine. I just saw something in Sister Yuan Chen's hand. I've never seen it before and I was very curious."

Yun Qingjin hurriedly picked up the books she had brought with her and unconsciously flipped through them to cover up her dazed state.

One's behavior must not be abnormal; it must remain normal.

The underground workshop isolates people from outside noise, and those inside the building are also able to isolate themselves from outside noise, making them feel more at peace.

Perhaps because similar emergency situations had occurred before, the people of Yunfu did not exhibit any unusual behavior.

The artisans in the workshop continued to complete their work as usual.

Other people naturally have their own things to do.

Even Liu Zhou'er, Aunt Hua, and the other aunts, some went to assist the craftsmen with their work, while others found things in the neighboring warehouse to do their own things.

The underground facilities have everything. Yun Yuke has a habit of collecting books, which are all kept in the storeroom.

After listening to Liu Zhou'er's account, Yun Qingjin used the excuse that she wanted to find books to read to hide away in the library by herself.

"The study is dimly lit, don't stay there too long."

"I understand, Sister Zhou'er."

Although the time was short, at least I had the opportunity to calm down and think things through.

Regardless of whether Tong Yuxing and Duke Wujing were related, it is certain that the Empress Dowager was behind it all.

This year marks the time when His Majesty has appointed the Imperial Preceptor Fan, and the nation's fortunes are beginning to improve. The Empress Dowager is also the most powerful woman in the land. If one were to rush to the Empress Dowager now, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Perhaps, before they even reach the capital, they might be silenced by the Chu family's relatives outside.

After all, bringing down the Chu family would be at least several years away.

A few days ago, my mother, Boss Yun, and Miss Yuan Chen were whispering something to each other. But they were so good at keeping secrets that I didn't hear what they were discussing at all.

How should I persuade them? How should I hint at it to them?

Yun Qingjin scanned the hundreds of classic texts in the library. She had been studying with Teacher Zhu and had read a lot of books during this period.

No wonder so many men study to pursue knowledge and become officials; education truly is useful. Professor Zhu explains complex concepts in a simple and accessible way, including classical texts that expound profound principles, as well as famous quotes reflecting on social injustices. Of course, there are also those specifically written to rigorously demand of others.

For the first time, Yun Qingjin hated herself for knowing so little and being so illiterate.

I walked around the library several times but didn't find any usable books. Or perhaps I just didn't know them.

Having gained nothing, Yun Qingjin was quite frustrated. She could only grab a few books at random and return to the workshop, pretending that nothing had happened.

"What book did Qingqing take?" Liu Zhou'er had been waiting at the door. When she saw Yun Qingjin come out, she extinguished the oil lamp inside the room and locked the door.

"I just picked them up randomly. Teacher Zhu told me to find and read more books, regardless of the type, so I just picked up a few at random."

I was too nervous and didn't even look closely at what I was holding.

Zhuangzi, Huangxi Zazu, and Poetry Collection

Well, the classics of the pre-Qin philosophers, the tales of the strange and supernatural, and the collections of poems do not interfere with each other and have little correlation.

As Professor Zhu had previously suggested, the classics of the pre-Qin philosophers are still worth reading, so let's start with those. As for the other supernatural tales, poems, and songs, well, I've already taken them, I'll read them later.

Yun Qingjin walked to a corner, picked up a book, and began to read.

Meanwhile, Yuan Chen on the other side was not having an easy time either.

I've looked at the form in my hand over and over again several times. It's exactly the same as the one I remember seeing. There's no difference at all.

The gift list that Boss Yun had someone bring over didn't contain anything particularly special. Yuan Chen had seen the list before, and even now, looking at it again, he really couldn't see any significant differences.

Back then, my parents didn't let me participate in the business of Tong Yuxing. They only let me assist my mother in managing the accounts, organizing the ledgers, and learning some basic management methods.

In my mother's words, she wanted me to learn some methods and skills for managing a household and keeping accounts, so that I wouldn't be caught off guard when I got married.

"When you get married, I'll give you ten shops as a dowry. No matter how difficult your future in-laws are, these ten shops will be your safety net!" That's what my father said back then.

But before his parents could explain the details of the family shop to him, Tong Yuxing went bankrupt, and the original shop was divided up by others.

If I hadn't happened to be visiting Boss Yun, I might not be here today.

Yun Chen shook his head, composed himself, and re-examined the gift list in his hand.

From the perspective of their own business, there is absolutely no problem with this gift list.

Fur coats, famous wines from beyond the Great Wall, raw jade ore, porcelain from famous kilns, etc., are all things that our family has sold before.

However, the cover of this list is labeled as a gift list.

Whose gift list is it for? What is the reason for the gift list? Is the gift-giving a normal social custom, or is it an act of flattery and filial piety?

No, that's not right. Common social obligations are nothing more than festivals, birthdays, weddings, funerals, visiting friends, and the like. The items on this list can be given to five or six people, so why not write them all on one list?

Could it be that this is an attempt to curry favor and show respect? But if it's about currying favor and showing respect, who would give raw jade ore as a gift? At the very least, they should find a craftsman to carve it into a jade artifact and present it to the person, right?

quantity!

The odd thing about this gift list is the sheer number of items listed!

Yuan Chen quickly checked the contents of the gift list again.

From the perspective of the business owner, the number of items on this list is enormous. If the name of this list were changed to Tong Yuxing Business Catalog, no one would suspect anything.

But if it's for gift-giving... these things are too extravagant. How can I reciprocate with a gift that matches them?

Then the second question arises.

How could such a misleading gift list be in a mountain stronghold where robbery is the main occupation?

The last time I went to the county government office, it was to have Boss Yun appraise a special headdress. This morning, I started sketching out the design of that headdress for the craftsmen to reference.

They are currently studying the sketches they drew.

Boss Yun said that the crown was probably meant for a noblewoman. The fact that the bandits stole it but didn't sell it suggests that the item might be of great sentimental value.

Thinking back now, the name of that mountain stronghold was Fenglang Village, but the leader of that stronghold gave himself the name "Gouchen Jun".

Gouchen—part of the Big Dipper, Ziwei Star, quite a powerful name.

The hexagram is Gou Chen (勾陈).

This person is definitely not simple.

I still need to have a good talk with Uncle Wu and Sister Yun. If I remember correctly, the items on the gift list should just be the products that Tong Yuxing originally sold.

I wonder if there's any new information from Boss Yun.

"Sister Chenchen, I have a question. Could you explain it to me?"

Before she knew it, Yun Qingjin walked up to her, carrying a stack of books.

"Hmm? What is it?" Yuan Chen had just figured something out and was in a state of confusion, strangeness and anger. His tone was unfriendly, which startled Yun Qingjin and made her take a few steps back.

"Sister Chenchen, are you alright..." Yun Qingjin sensed the change in Yuan Chen's emotions. Although she was startled, she still took the initiative to ask about her.

"Phew..." Realizing he had lost his composure, Yuan Chen let out a long sigh and calmed himself down. "I'm sorry, Qingqing, it's my fault. I got too excited. Is there a problem?"

"Hmm, sister, I read a sentence in a book that I don't quite understand. What does it mean: 'He who steals a hook is punished, he who steals a country becomes a prince'?"