Chapter 813
Restarting
Wang Cong was drunk when he was taken back to the inn.
He returned relatively early. Quanzhou had recently become bustling with people due to the lifting of the sea ban and the opening of the port, especially during the Lunar New Year. Therefore, Prefect Lu ordered a curfew. Wang Cong was sent back to the inn before it got dark, but he was just unlucky enough to find that Pan Yun had returned to the inn early today.
Wang Cong stepped into the inn and was startled to see his junior uncle. He tripped on the threshold as he lifted his left foot to enter the inn, lost his balance, and fell to the ground with a thud.
Tao Yanbai rushed over to help him.
Pan Yun picked up Pan Xiaohei and got up.
When the people who brought Wang Cong back saw Pan Yun's dark face and imposing aura, they instantly felt like their cronies had seen each other's parents. They trembled and ran away.
Pan Yun glanced coldly at their retreating figures, then slowly walked up to Wang Cong and asked, "What wrong thing have you done behind my back?"
Tao Yanbai helped Wang Cong sit down on a chair next to him, but Wang Cong acted as if he hadn't heard him, clutching his head and crying out, "I'm dizzy."
Pan Jun shook her head and stopped asking questions. She said to Tao Yanbai, "Make him a bowl of hangover soup and help him back to his room to sleep."
Tao Yanbai: "So, are we leaving tonight?"
"We'll set off again early tomorrow morning."
Wang Cong was so drunk that they were uneasy leaving him alone at the inn. Anyway, it was only a little over an hour's flight to Ji'an, so there wasn't much difference between leaving tonight and leaving tomorrow.
Wang Cong quietly opened one eye and saw his junior uncle carrying Pan Xiaohei away. He then breathed a sigh of relief and put all his weight on Tao Yanbai, letting him half-carry and half-help him back to his room.
Tao Yanbai was very thoughtful. He brought him hot water to wash his face and hands, and then took off his coat.
He poured out the water and when he came back to cover Wang Cong with a blanket, he saw that Wang Cong had spread out his arms and legs and taken over the whole bed. What bothered him was that Wang Cong's eyes were open at that moment.
Tao Yanbai: "...Senior Brother, you've been awake the whole time?"
“No,” Wang Cong stared at the mosquito net above his head without moving. “I just woke up, junior brother. Your hangover soup is very effective.”
Tao Yanbai was skeptical, but still pulled the blanket over him.
"Unbeknownst to me, Junior Brother has grown into such a considerate person," Wang Cong said, grabbing Tao Yanbai's hand with a solemn expression. "Junior Brother, from now on, when I'm not around, I'll be entrusting Junior Uncle and the two Junior Sisters to your care."
Tao Yanbai nodded: "I will take good care of my junior sisters."
“No, you don’t understand,” Wang Cong said. “I mean, Junior Martial Aunt and her two junior sisters. Third Junior Brother, although Junior Martial Aunt is powerful, she is younger than all of us.”
Tao Yanbai suddenly realized and nodded repeatedly: "I will take care of Junior Uncle."
Wang Cong stared at him for a long time, then sighed, "I still think you don't understand."
Tao Yanbai scratched his head: "Senior Brother, just tell me how you want me to take care of you, and I'll do as you say."
Wang Cong frowned, looking at his blockhead-like junior brother, and after a long while said, "Just remember one thing: stick close to your junior uncle and don't let her be alone with Xue Shao."
Tao Yanbai: "Why? Could Xue Shao be a villain? Or a spy planted by someone else?"
“…You think better than I do,” Wang Cong said helplessly. “Fine, with your brain, I’m afraid you’ll make things worse. Where’s Miaozhen? Go and call Miaozhen here.”
"Miaozhen is younger than me..." Tao Yanbai muttered to himself, somewhat unconvinced, as he went to find Miaozhen.
Miaozhen arrived quickly.
Wang Cong: "I'm going out to sea. I won't be with you. Keep an eye on Xue Shao and make sure he's not alone with Junior Uncle."
Miao Zhen readily agreed, "Okay." Tao Yanbai, who was following behind, widened his eyes instantly.
Wang Cong nodded in satisfaction: "I have nothing else to do, you can go now. Oh, and when you get to the capital, please give my regards to Master and Second Junior Brother."
Miaozhen nodded: "Okay."
Tao Yanbai looked at this one, then at that one, and seeing Miaozhen leave, he hurriedly chased after her: "Why don't you ask your senior brother why he made you keep an eye on Xue Shao?"
Miaozhen glanced at him and said, "You don't need to know, just keep an eye on things."
Tao Yanbai: ...
Before returning to her room, Miaozhen instructed, "Don't tell Junior Uncle about this."
Tao Yanbai: "Oh."
Tao Yanbai didn't say anything, and of course, Pan Jun didn't notice anything unusual either.
She has always been relaxed with children because she herself is still a child.
Regardless of her past or present life, she has always considered herself a student. As a student, no one should restrict another person too much.
Every child loves freedom.
Therefore, she didn't interfere much in Wang Cong's affairs, only supporting him when he needed it;
Naturally, she rarely interfered in Tao Yanbai and his group's affairs.
Fortunately, Tao Yanbai and the others were very self-disciplined and never caused her any trouble with their cultivation and studies. If they didn't understand something, they would study it on their own first, and if they still didn't understand, they would ask her. If she didn't understand either, they would write letters together to the teachers for guidance.
Each time, two copies were made, one sent to the academy and the other to Sanqing Mountain, and an answer was always obtained.
She also reviewed her lessons and gained a lot of knowledge, since many of the questions were ones she had never thought of before.
It was precisely because of them that she not only improved her skills in talismans, but also made great progress in astronomy, physiognomy, and medicine.
So she likes to take the three of them with her wherever she goes. Rather than saying she's leading them on their training, it's more accurate to say we're forming a study group, constantly learning from each other.
Her three junior apprentices were all very sensible, even less of a worry for her than Wang Cong, because they were all very self-disciplined.
Sometimes, she was so busy during the day that she was too tired to continue her cultivation at night. But when she turned her head, she would see the three of them holding books or meditating. So she would force herself to stay awake and complete her daily cultivation.
That's the use of a team; when she's alone and wants to sleep, she can just let herself fall asleep.
It was precisely because of this relaxed state that she didn't notice Miaozhen always hovering around her, while Tao Yanbai hovered around Xue Shao. Every time she spoke to Xue Shao, two people would squat down next to her.
Miaohe naturally didn't want to fall behind, and after a couple of times, she also squatted down next to Pan Jun, propping her chin up as she listened to them talk.
“Judging by the time, it’s been a while since the capital received Magistrate Wu’s memorial. Prefect Lu has already agreed to contact the Jiangnan Inspectorate to report on the matter and impeach Prince Lu, Earl of Huichang, Wang Ji, and the Chen family and other local clans.” Pan Yun looked at Xue Shao: “Based on your experience, how long do you think it will take for the court to react this time?”
Xue Shao: "The current Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review is my second uncle. Based on my understanding of him, he will react to the case in Ji'an as soon as possible. As for the case of the interception of the mission at sea, he will suppress it and let all those involved gradually come to the fore before dealing with it."
Pan Jun nodded: "That's good too. Although it will take longer, it's a good thing to force people who are potentially underwater to come out."
Xue Shao: "We can wait." (End of Chapter)