After completing the divination and three consultations, Jin Shanyao returned to the backyard.
Magistrate Yang was standing to the side pouring water for the man. When the man saw her come in, he didn't get up, but glanced at Magistrate Yang. Magistrate Yang understood and laughed heartily.
"Miss Jin, this is Lord Su Wenqian, the prefect of Qingzhou Prefecture."
Jin Shanyao. "Greetings, Lord Su. May I ask what brings you two here?"
Seeing her calm expression, Su Wenqian couldn't help but glance at her a few more times. "Miss Jin, I heard from Lord Yang that you are skilled at finding lost items and people, so I came here today to pay you a visit."
Jin Shanyao looked at Lord Yang, Lord Yang chuckled twice, walked over, closed the door, and whispered, "The prefect has lost two boxes of tribute and would like to ask for your help."
Su Wenqian held the teacup, slowly skimming the foam from the tea with the lid. "Miss Jin, if you can find this batch of tribute goods, I will give you a reward of five hundred taels of silver. If you can't find it..."
Su Wenqian glanced at Jin Shanyao, but before he could say anything, the teacup in his hand shattered instantly, and Shuihua splashed all over his front. Su Wenqian was so frightened that he quickly got up and shook off the water droplets.
"How could such a perfectly good teacup just break like that?" Magistrate Yang rushed forward to help, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jin Shanyao standing still.
He said urgently, "Don't just look, go get a handkerchief."
Jin Shanyao chuckled, "Nine out of ten divinations are inaccurate. Instead of seeking my divination, Lord Su, you should increase the number of people investigating. Give five hundred taels to your men; I believe they'll find it faster than I can."
Su Wenqian, a fourth-rank official, was used to being flattered, but today he met with a cold shoulder at Jin Shanyao.
He laughed out loud, "Everyone says Miss Jin is naive and innocent; seeing her today, it's certainly true."
Even if Jin Shanyao didn't understand human customs, she knew what those words meant, and her smile gradually faded.
Magistrate Yang chuckled and smoothed things over, "Sir, Miss Jin just moved to the county seat. She used to live in Little River Village and had never seen such an important person as you before. She was a little nervous and misspoke. Please don't mind."
He glared at Jin Shanyao as he spoke, "Do you think I'm some kind of adult? You want to throw your weight around? Come over here and apologize."
Finding lost items or people is a Merit deed, and she could help, but she disliked Su Wenqian's arrogant attitude. Jin Shanyao Spiritual Power swirling around Su Wenqian.
"Seeking divine intervention is not as good as taking matters into your own hands. If Lord Su doesn't trust himself and wants my help, that's not out of the question."
Lord Yang reached out to pull Jin Shanyao, hoping she would say less. How could this girl be so tactless, daring to negotiate with the prefect? Did she have a death wish?
Su Wenqian found the Jin Shanyao amusing and chuckled softly, "If you can help me find the tribute items, I'll agree to give you not just three, but thirty."
"Okay, thirty pieces then."
The air fell silent instantly...
Su Wenqian and Magistrate Yang looked at each other, both seeing regret in each other's eyes.
After the matter was settled, Su Wenqian got up to take his leave. Before leaving, he took a deep look at Jin Shanyao, a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl whose eyes were not lively and bright, but only unfathomably calm.
Lu Chi and Meng Anci returned close to dusk. Meng Anci covered in dust, but she was grinning with her Little White teeth showing. She started shouting even before she entered the house.
"Auntie, Auntie, guess what I saw today?"
Jin Shanyao was teaching Meng Anzhi how to concoct poison when the door was suddenly pushed open. She quickly used her Spiritual Power to shield the powder. "So hasty! Has something happened?"
Meng Anci chuckled twice, then sat down on a chair. "Master took me horseback riding today. I saw a tiger hunting; that tiger was huge!"
As he spoke, he gestured with his hands, "Its tail is this thick, its claws are this big, it could pin down a silly roe deer with one swipe and then bite it."
He imitated a tiger, baring his teeth and making Meng Anzhi giggle. Although they often went up the mountain, they had never encountered any large animals.
Jin Shanyao casually asked, "Are you scared?"
Meng Anci said excitedly, "I'm not afraid. I want to get closer and take a look. My master said I'm like a newborn calf that's not afraid of tigers, and I'm a bit silly."
Jin Shanyao laughed out loud, "That tiger didn't see you."
"I saw him, but for some reason he glanced at me and then ran away," Meng Anci with a regretful expression.
Jin Shanyao pinched his little face. "Silly child, you really thought Dahuang was afraid of you just because you saw him run away."
"Alright, go find Qing He and ask her to give you warm water; you stink."
Meng Anci sniffed his little arm. "Does it smell bad? I can't smell it. Sis, smell it." He raised his arm and brought it close to Meng Anzhi's nose.
Meng Anzhi covered her nose and pushed Meng Anci away, "Don't get so close to me, you smell like sweat."
Meng Anci a mischievous idea and pounced on Meng Anzhi, giving her a bear hug. The two playfully teased each other for a while before separating.
That evening, Jin Shanyao told her family about her trip to the prefectural city.
The two little ones asked excitedly, "Are you going to take us?"
Jin Shanyao served them food with her chopsticks and said with a smile, "This is a rare opportunity; I'm taking you out to broaden your horizons."
"Wow..." The two little ones excitedly raised their hands.
Lu Chi pressed Meng Anci, who was jumping the most enthusiastically, into a chair. "Eat your food properly," he said, then turned to Jin Shanyao and asked, "Has the prefect of Qingzhou Prefecture arrived?"
"Hmm, you know him?"
"How would I know the prefect?" Lu Chi interrupted with a laugh. "You're alone with two kids, do you need me to go with you?"
"No need, I'll be right back, it'll be quick."
Unlike before, Lu Chi didn't shamelessly insist on following him this time; he simply lowered his head and ate his food silently.
The next day, Jin Shanyao helped the two children get dressed and had just finished packing when Magistrate Yang's loud voice rang out from outside the door.
"Miss Jin, open the door, it's me."
Jin Shanyao stuffed the two law books into the child's arms, turned and left the house. Qing He had already opened the door, and outside Magistrate Yang and Su Wenqian, with a carriage parked behind them.
Magistrate Yang, "Is Miss Jin ready?"
"Ready? Let's go," she called into the house. " Anzhi, Anci leaving."
Su Wenqian assumed they were attendants, but two little children appeared instead. He asked in surprise, "Miss Jin, are you perhaps taking your child with you?"
Is there something wrong with it?
"No, we..." Su Wenqian was at a loss for words.
Half a month ago, the county governments sent a batch of tribute items, which were stored in the prefectural government's warehouse, with the intention of sending them to the capital on the fifteenth of May.
To his surprise, two boxes of rare and exotic animals were missing during the inspection the day before yesterday. This was a capital offense, so he immediately sent people to cordon off the scene and conduct an emergency search, but they found no clues.
Just when he was at his wit's end, he suddenly remembered the case file that Yang Kui from Willow and Poplar County had submitted before the New Year. One of the points mentioned that the location where the child's body was hidden was calculated by a fortune teller.
He used to mock Yang Kui, saying he'd eaten too much lard and would write anything on the case file, but now he's using this as a lifeline.
Every year, the imperial court would send officials to various regions to supervise and inspect the tribute goods. He needed to resolve this matter before the officials from the capital arrived.
Since it concerned his future career, Su Wenqian dared not be careless.
He forced a smile, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Miss Jin."
After saying this, he gestured for Jin Shanyao into the carriage. Jin Shanyao pointed to the oxcart, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Lord Su, but there are many of us, so the oxcart will suffice."
Su Wenqian looked over and saw a cat and a dog jump onto the oxcart. They then found a comfortable spot to lie down. He took a deep breath and thought to himself, "I've already brought the children, so what's a cat or a dog?"
Divination by left and right isn't about catching a thief; just follow along if you want.
"Miss Jin, let's go."
"Alright, let's go," Jin Shanyao patted the cow's rump.
The two little ones kept glancing into Lu Chi's room, but when they came out, they still didn't see their master. The two little ones were a little disappointed.
Never mind, maybe Master hasn't woken up yet.