Qi Qingyao chatted with Heir Pei for a bit while the children ate some of the treats before falling asleep beside them amidst the shaking of the carriage. Qi Qingyao patted the children and asked a casual question.
“What kind of person is the State Preceptor Li Ruoxuan?”
“Why are you concerned about the State Preceptor?” Heir Pei asked.
Qi Qingyao laughed lightly, “I just heard that the State Preceptor is rather…handsome, so I’m curious.” She exerted a lot of force on her mouth to forcefully switch to the word ‘handsome’ to avoid arousing Heir Pei’s suspicion.
Heir Pei was momentarily stunned.
He clapped a hand to his face.
He felt seemingly resigned and did not know whether to laugh or cry.
He recalled the letter his father had sent him before and said, “Don’t be concerned with the person’s face. That man, you can’t afford to offend him. There are only two individuals whom the emperor fully trusts within the entire court; the first being the State Preceptor Li Ruoxuan, the other being the current Head Grand Secretariat.”
Qi Qingyao asked, “Is the State Preceptor really that powerful?”
Heir Pei replied, “He is a master of the nine-rank system (1) and is proficient in extrapolating numbers. Within the present court, the emperor appreciates him and thus, he has great power. There are many officials who are part of his party.”
“That’s impressive.” Qi Qingyao could not help but sigh with emotion.
Heir Pei informed her, “If you’re going to enter the capital in the future, don’t make an enemy out of the Head Preceptor.”
Qi Qingyao laughed and said that she would not be entering the capital in the meantime, so how could she possibly offend the Head Preceptor!
Pei Fengtang was relieved but after thinking for a bit, he asked, “When we reach Qingzhou City, would you like to join me and stay in my home in Qingzhou City for starters?”
“I’m afraid that wouldn’t be too convenient.” Qi Qingyao rejected him politely.
Even though she was interested in establishing a good relationship with Heir Pei, she would eventually pay the price if she were to constantly eat from his hand.
Heir Pei did not persist either and simply added, “If you plan on staying at an inn, let me advise you as a friend that you should not go out at night.”
These words made Qi Qingyao quiver. “Why not? Are there people out there who often kill others or set them on fire at night?”
Heir Pei laughed bitterly. “I don’t know how to describe it to you. In any case…the people of Qingzhou City are somewhat ‘unsophisticated’! If you were to be out at night, it would be better for you to have a bodyguard.”
The use of the word ‘unsophisticated’ was rather peculiar.
It made Qi Qingyao gulp. Carefully, she asked, “Could it be that things become really messed up?”
Noting that her concern looked genuine, Pei Fengtang asked, “Have you really never been to Qingzhou City before?” If she were related to Su Hexiao, or if she was Su Hexiao herself, how could she possibly not have been to Qingzhou City?
Qi Qingyao pursed her mouth aggrievedly and sighed. “Heaven have mercy on me. I come from a village and have lived in town for only a period of time. How could I possibly have the time to sneak into Qingzhou City?”
Heir Pei suppressed the doubts in his heart. “Then, you just need to remember that even if you do go out, it’s best to stay away from those dark alleys. Also, don’t go into any quiet places that are unpopulated.”
“…”
This made Qi Qingyao even more nervous.
Qi Qingyao asked for more details but Heir Pei said nothing further, though he purposefully tacked on, “If you want to familiarize yourself with Qingzhou City, you need to look around the place with your own eyes and come to your own conclusion! If I share any more now, you will only have a biased impression of Qingzhou City.”
Qi Qingyao shrugged and did not ask any more questions.
However, she was trying very hard to recall the original host memories but they were blurry and unclear…she could not get any useful information.
After that, Qi Qingyao was lulled to sleep by the shaking of the carriage. Her sleep was particularly sound as she hugged Xiaobao.
…Then she was woken up by Heir Pei.
Qi Qingyao rubbed her eyes and stretched her waist, sitting up. “Have we arrived?”
Translator’s note:
The nine-rank system, also known as the nine-grade controller system, was a system used to categorize and evaluate officials, and potential entrants into officialdom, in Imperial China.