Suddenly, the door opened slowly from the outside, and a man entered the room with a casual gait. The young man exuded a lighthearted and cheerful aura. His handsome face was adorned with curious brown eyes and a mischievous smile that always drew attention. His black hair complemented his tall and sturdy figure, and he wore light blue attire. There was a charm that surrounded him, making him easily recognizable in a crowd.
Wang Tianyi glanced at him briefly and said lightly, "You're late."
Hearing Wang Tianyi's reprimand, Huang Changyi approached him quickly and replied with a face full of complaints, "Cousin, don't be mad, don't be mad. If you're going to be mad, blame the women downstairs who kept stopping me every three steps!"
Wang Tianyi sneered lightly, "That's because you like to flirt with them too much."
"What can I do? I can't be like you, always keeping a cold face around the ladies," retorted Huang Changyi.
Wang Tianyi raised an eyebrow and said, "You're already 18 years old, aren't you? I think I should visit the First Aunt and ask her to arrange a suitable marriage for you soon."
Huang Changyi's face suddenly stiffened. A hint of fear crept into his heart. The thought of a wife controlling his every step, confining him to a monotonous routine, filled him with anxiety. In his mind, marriage was a trap that would imprison him. No! He couldn't lose his freedom!
"Heh, heh, Cousin… Your Highness the Crown Prince, there's no need to trouble yourself with my marriage. I promise, next time, I won't be late again," Huang Changyi said, acting a bit coquettish. He even lightly shook Wang Tianyi's hand.
"What are you doing? Don't disgust me with your antics!" said Wang Tianyi, quickly pulling his hand away. He didn't even try to hide the look of disdain on his face.
"Alright, I understand!" said Huang Changyi obediently, sitting upright as if he were a good student.
He hurriedly changed the subject, "By the way, Cousin, why did you summon me so suddenly? Is something wrong?"
A cold glint flashed in Wang Tianyi's eyes, and he spoke softly, "Wang Mingze has planted a spy in the Huang Residence. Go and investigate thoroughly."
"What?" Huang Changyi froze for a moment before standing up abruptly. "In that case, I'll handle it now!" He quickly saluted Wang Tianyi and left.
After Huang Changyi departed, Wang Tianyi stood and exited the private room of the Qiangye Tea House. Xinghan followed behind him. Initially, Xinghan thought they would return to the Crown Prince's Residence, but as he noticed the direction they were heading, he grew suspicious.
"My Lord, are we returning to the residence?" Xinghan asked.
"Of course," Wang Tianyi replied casually, adjusting his sleeve. "Where else would we go?"
"... Isn't this the route taken by First Miss Hu?" Xinghan asked softly. The direction to the Crown Prince's Residence was in the opposite direction. There was no way he could be mistaken about the path he had walked for years.
Wang Tianyi stopped, then turned and asked with a furrowed brow, "Are you saying I'm following First Miss Hu? Can't we take a detour back once in a while?"
Was that really the case? How could his master twist the truth so easily? But Xinghan dared not argue. "No, of course not."
"Good that you think so," said Wang Tianyi indifferently, resuming his walk.
After some time, the two of them finally spotted Hu Lihua and Xixi strolling through the market. They followed the pair for nearly the time it took to drink a cup of tea, but Hu Lihua and Xixi did nothing other than browse the market.
"My Lord, what exactly are they doing?" Xinghan whispered.
"Who are you talking about?" Wang Tianyi asked.
"First Miss Hu, of course," Xinghan replied.
"Ah? Where is she?" Wang Tianyi asked, feigning a look around.
Xinghan: "..." His face twitched slightly.
Alright, he understood. His master was too embarrassed to admit his interest in a woman. He quickly replied, pointing toward Hu Lihua and Xixi, "My Lord, it seems that's First Miss Hu and her servant."
"You're right!" Wang Tianyi nodded, folding his fan and continuing to walk.
"She's highly suspicious. Let's follow her!"
Xinghan: "..." Wasn't that what they had been doing all along? Your Highness! Why did they look like a pair of sleazy stalkers?
Xinghan decided not to bring it up again and simply followed Wang Tianyi, who was already walking far ahead. The two continued to follow Hu Lihua, keeping enough distance not to arouse her suspicion.
"Wow, the capital's market is so fun!" Hu Lihua said with a bright smile.
"Young Master, why do we have to carry this pig intestine? It's inedible," Xixi said, lifting the bundle in her left hand with a disgusted look.
"That's because they don't know how to prepare it! Don't worry, I'll make something delicious for you later!" Hu Lihua replied confidently.
But her answer carried a different meaning in Xixi's ears. Her heart broke again. Her young miss must have suffered greatly in the past, to the point of eating something even the butcher would discard!
"Young Master, is there anywhere else you'd like to visit besides the market?" Xixi asked, trying to cheer her up.
"Take me to the seed shop," Hu Lihua replied.
"Yes!" Xixi answered.
"My Lord, where are they going now?" Xinghan asked. The distance was far enough that they couldn't hear Hu Lihua and Xixi's conversation.
"Don't talk too much, just follow them," Wang Tianyi ordered, stepping out from behind the wall and walking slowly.
Xinghan: "..." Your Highness, can we not walk like thieves? I'm afraid the people on the street will grow suspicious of us!
However, Wang Tianyi was oblivious to Xinghan's inner turmoil. He was merely captivated by Hu Lihua's intriguing nature and wanted to see what she was doing other than buying smelly pig intestines.
Ahead of them, Hu Lihua and Xixi entered a seed shop.
The owner was a chubby man with a round, friendly face. Seeing two young men enter his shop, he quickly greeted them warmly, "What would the two young masters like to buy?"
Hu Lihua planned to buy a plot of land on the outskirts of the capital. She wanted to build a four-courtyard house, using the remaining space for farming and livestock. At the very least, they wouldn't starve once they left the Hu Residence. Spotting the shopkeeper approaching her, Hu Lihua promptly replied, "Boss, please show me all the seeds you have."
Boss Chen's smile grew wider at Hu Lihua's request, and he immediately displayed all the seeds in his possession.
Hu Lihua inspected them one by one. Most were common agricultural seeds like rice, wheat, and some vegetables.
She picked up a handful of rice seeds in front of her. The rice yield of this era was very low, usually only 70–90 kilograms per *MU* (1 *MU* is about 666.7 m²). But as a botanist, she was confident she could multiply the yield!
"Boss, I'll take these rice seeds and some of these vegetable seeds," Hu Lihua said, pointing at her selections.
"Of course!" Boss Chen's grin widened even further at the sight of her substantial order.
While waiting for the seeds to be packaged, Hu Lihua's gaze wandered around the shop. The neatly arranged bamboo shelves were lined with bags of seeds, each labeled with meticulous handwriting. On the back wall, a scroll with beautiful calligraphy read, "Good plants grow from excellent seeds."
Suddenly, some crates near the entrance caught her attention. Her eyes lit up, and she quickly approached them. She reached out to pick up a slightly oval, rough-skinned item that looked like cracked, dried soil. Tiny green shoots sprouted from its surface, curling like small hands reaching for the light.
"Boss, how do you sell this?"