Several people rode their horses eastward, covering more than twenty kilometers before arriving at Qingyang Mountain, a large expanse of land. A significant portion of Qingyang Mountain belonged to the royal family, and it was also dotted with various manors, large and small.
The princes, imperial relatives, and influential families within Rongcheng had all been desperately trying to acquire property here. The Regent's Estate owned a private property of over a hundred mu in this area.
Their destination this time was Hengqing Yuan, the Regent's Estate's manor in this location.
After traveling for over four hours, they finally arrived at Hengqing Yuan a little past one in the afternoon. The gatekeeper, a young servant, saw the Young Master arrive. He hurried forward to greet them while quickly sending someone to notify the manor's stewards.
As Ke Binna led them into the courtyard, Su Muqing surveyed her surroundings as she walked. As expected of a prince's villa, the layout was well-ordered, and the grounds were spacious. The décor showcased meticulous detail, with small scenic spots every five steps and larger ones every ten, all exuding refinement.
Su Muqing marveled inwardly. The Regent's Estate had only a few true masters, yet this manor boasted so many courtyards and numerous two or three-story houses. Even if Ke Binna's entire family were to come and each had their own room, they wouldn't be able to occupy them all in a month.
Given the scarcity of land in the Tianzhao Kingdom and the spaciousness of houses built by wealthy families in ancient times, constructing such a manor was a tremendous waste of land.
After sitting in the front hall for a while, servants brought tea, and several stewards hurried over to pay their respects.
The head steward, wiping sweat from his forehead, spoke with a hint of apprehension, "Greetings, Young Master. Why didn't you send word earlier that you would be visiting the manor? Your servants could have prepared better to ensure your comfort."
"There's no need for such formalities. This is Princess Ning An, personally enfeoffed by the Emperor. She wishes to inspect the situation on Qingyang Mountain. You will explain the climate, land conditions, and the most suitable crops for each season to her, and then guide her around," Ke Binna introduced Su Muqing's identity to the stewards and stated the purpose of their visit.
The stewards exchanged surprised glances. When did the Emperor have such a distinguished princess? However, since the Young Master had said so, they naturally wouldn't doubt the truth of his words.
They immediately knelt on the ground to pay their respects, "Your servants greet Princess Ning An. May the Princess live for ten thousand, ten thousand, ten thousand years."
"There's no need for such ceremony, stewards. Please rise. Tell me, what is currently being planted on the land here?" Su Muqing gestured for the stewards to stand and prepared to inquire about the basic situation.
Seeing that they were about to engage in a lengthy discussion, Wan Yan'er patted her stomach and interrupted, "Wait a moment, why don't we get some food first? Let's eat, and then we can chat. I'm so hungry after traveling all this way!"
"You insatiable woman, do you only think about eating all day? You didn't stop talking on the road, constantly asking Sister Muqing for food!" Ke Binna retorted, turning to her. Angered, Wan Yan'er stood up, placing her hands on her hips.
Su Muqing, seeing the two of them about to quarrel like fighting chickens again, quickly intervened, "Alright, alright! You'll just argue endlessly. Cousin, since Sister Wan is hungry, let's eat first. After we've eaten, we can have a proper chat with the stewards."
Wan Yan'er huffed at Ke Binna and turned away, ceasing their childish staring contest.
Ke Binna, not to be outdone, scoffed at Wan Yan'er. He then turned and instructed the steward to prepare lunch, "Tsk~! Since my Sister Muqing is hungry, of course, we must eat first. We can't let my good sister starve. Stewards, quickly go and prepare more delicious food."
The stewards took their orders. Noticing their travel-worn state, they said, "Yes, yes, yes, your servants will have people prepare immediately... The gatekeepers mentioned that the honored guests arrived at top speed. Food will take some time. Perhaps you would like to relax in the hot springs for a bit to relieve your fatigue?"
Upon hearing that the manor had hot springs, Wan Yan'er's eyes lit up, "This manor has hot springs too? Sister Muqing, let's go soak in the warm springs to ease our fatigue! My back is aching from the journey."
Su Muqing agreed at the mention of hot springs, "Good! Washing up is fine too. We're covered in dust from traveling."
"Then lead the way! Let's soak in the springs for a while. Send someone to call us when lunch is ready." Seeing that everyone wanted to enjoy the springs, Ke Binna waved his hand, and they each took their belongings and departed.
Su Muqing and Wan Yan'er were in separate small hot spring pools. Attended by maids, they removed their outer clothes and entered the water in their undergarments. After a while, more maids brought fruit wine and snacks.
Placing the tray on a low table in the middle of the pool, the maids stepped forward to massage their shoulders. The moment their hands touched them, Su Muqing shivered, goosebumps rising on her skin. She smiled a little uncomfortably. Having lived two lives, she had never experienced being attended to during a bath, let alone having someone help with shoulder and back rubs.
As a young lady of noble birth, raised in pampered luxury, Su Muqing felt uneasy, but Wan Yan'er, by her side, was completely at ease and enjoying herself.
She picked up the fruit wine, and upon drinking it, found the taste surprisingly good. "Sister Muqing, this fruit wine is quite good. You should try some too!"
"Is it? Then I'll try it!" Su Muqing picked up a cup and tasted it. She couldn't help but frown after drinking it.
How to describe the taste? It tasted a bit like a mixture of fruit beer and rice wine from her previous life, with a faint fruity fragrance. It was really not very pleasant.
Su Muqing took a small sip and put down the wine cup, then closed her eyes to enjoy the maids' service. She had to admit, these young ladies had excellent skills. After a while, the soreness in her shoulders and neck had significantly eased.
They soaked for about twenty minutes before getting out. Wan Yan'er wanted to soak longer, but Su Muqing looked at her wrinkled palms and said nothing. She held out her own hand and looked.
"Eh~ it's like this after just soaking for a while," Wan Yan'er quickly picked up her damp clothes and got up.
After changing into their own clothes, Su Muqing took a bottle of beverage from her bamboo basket. Wan Yan'er happily accepted it, clutching it tightly, and they headed to the front hall together.
They hadn't been sitting long when Ke Binna and the others arrived at the front hall after washing up. The stewards had the prepared dishes brought out. Time was tight, and fearing the guests would be hungry, the head chef hadn't had time to prepare overly elaborate dishes.
Looking at the table full of dishes – all boiled, steamed, or raw – they felt a sudden lack of interest. Recently, they had been spoiled by the food Su Muqing occasionally produced, and the bland dishes on the table now completely dampened their appetites.
Everyone's gaze turned to Su Muqing. She couldn't help but pout, "Why are you all looking at me? Doesn't Brother Leng Ren's bamboo basket have a lot of spicy fermented beans and chili sauce? Just bring them out to eat with the rice!"
"I'll get it right away!" As Su Muqing finished speaking, Leng Feng sprang up and went to the bamboo basket.
When the stewards came to serve the next dishes, they saw a large pile of jars and bottles on the table. The bowls and plates in front of them were also filled with some unidentifiable items.
The stewards didn't ask any questions but called for several young maids, with one standing behind each of them, ready to serve them. However, everyone refused their service, asking them to step aside and attend to other matters.
Since the masters didn't require service, the stewards retreated behind Ke Binna to watch them eat. What struck the stewards as strange was that every time someone took a bite of food, they would scoop a bit of the red substance from their small bowls onto it and eat them together.
With the various chili sauces as condiments, they managed to enjoy the meal reasonably well. By half past two in the afternoon, the sun outside was shining brightly, making it hard to open one's eyes.
Su Muqing looked at the bright sun outside and took out several straw hats from her basket. She then took out two veils made of light gauze. She and Wan Yan'er each wore a set, covering their faces to avoid getting too tanned by the sun.
The stewards led several people out of the manor on horseback. After traveling about ten miles, they saw a vast expanse of green land ahead.
Su Muqing sped up and rode to the side of the green land. The crops in the fields seemed to be wheat. She dismounted and leaned in for a closer look, "Stewards, these are all wheat, aren't they?"
The stewards caught up from behind and replied, "Reporting to the Princess, indeed they are. This large area of land is all planted with wheat."
Su Muqing nodded. Wheat was the staple food of the Tianzhao Kingdom, so it was understandable that it was planted in large quantities. "Are there any other crops besides these? Are there no vegetables or fruits planted?"
"Reporting to the Princess, yes, there are. This is only a portion of the royal manor's land. Behind this wheat field, there are over ten mu of land planted with other crops." As the steward finished speaking, several elderly people, dressed in coarse linen and with tanned skin, hurried over.
They wore straw sandals woven from dry wheat stalks on their feet and repeatedly wiped their hands on their bodies, looking nervously at the people before them. "Steward, with such a strong sun, why have you come?"
The steward stepped forward and introduced them to the old man, "Old Yu, why don't you quickly kneel and pay your respects? This is Princess Ning An of the Tianzhao Kingdom, and this is the Young Master of our Regent's Estate. They have specifically come today to inspect the situation at Hengqing Manor."
Upon hearing that the people standing before them were of such noble status, the old men were startled and quickly knelt and kowtowed, "Your humble servants greet the Princess, greet the Young Master, greet all honored guests."
Su Muqing shifted her position to avoid the old men's kowtows. She was not a native princess. When the servants and attendants knelt before her, she could still manage to control herself and not interfere, but she couldn't quite get used to having people of such advanced age kowtow to her.
"Old sirs, there's no need for such formality. Please rise quickly! Don't be nervous. We will only be here for two days. Afterwards, we will trouble the old sirs to guide us around," Su Muqing said with a smile, her tone very gentle.
The old men helped each other up. "Your graces, please don't say that. This is what your humble servants should do. We are only worried that the strong sun will bother your graces."
"It's nothing. Let's go!" Su Muqing said and then remounted her horse.
Seeing that their masters had mounted their horses, the stewards selected two of the more articulate old men, Hake and himself, to ride behind them. The group circled around the wheat fields. The wheat was growing well, with the ears bending slightly, and it was estimated that the harvest would be ready before the New Year.
After finishing touring the wheat fields, they quickly galloped to another area. This area was also not small, with crops planted in patches of varying colors.
The group tied their horses to trees by the roadside. The villagers tending to the crops saw people riding horses and breaking into their fields. They gathered in twos and threes and ran over.
The stewards and the two old men went forward and drove the villagers back to their fields, telling them to continue their work and not disturb the honored guests' peace. When they returned, they were accompanied by two more people.
As the two newcomers were about to kneel and kowtow, Su Muqing stopped them, "Let's dispense with these formalities! I'm pressed for time. Tell me what crops are planted on this land, and what is the yield per mu?"
After she finished speaking, she walked along the embankment, with Lu Yuzhi following behind her. The old farmers looked at each other. The stewards winked at them and then followed.
As the old farmers walked, they introduced the crops planted in the fields. Various vegetables, pumpkins, and gourds were present. Tomatoes, beans, and garlic were also planted.
The reason Qingyang Mountain was designated as an ideal location for leisure estates was mainly due to the abundant water sources in the vicinity, with a very large freshwater lake at the foot of the mountain.
Although there was no shortage of water, there was a drawback. Every time irrigation was needed, it required a large labor force for transportation. Not only was the journey long, but they could only transport a small amount each time using flatbed carts.
Su Muqing blew her whistle to summon the eagle and, with Lu Yuzhi on its back, flew towards the lake in the direction the old man was pointing to inspect the situation.
As their figures slowly diminished in the sky, everyone standing on the ground, except for Ke Binna and the others, the old farmers, and the stewards, were so frightened that they "plop" knelt to the ground, continuously kowtowing towards the sky, their foreheads covered in dust, yet they didn't stop.
"God... God!"
"I... I saw it, a bird god..."
"No! It's a bird immortal!"
After hearing the old farmers' words, the scene fell silent for a moment. Then, bursts of laughter erupted!
"Pfft... Hahaha!"
"Hahaha..."
"Bird immortal... Hahaha!"
"Good thing they didn't say it was a chicken..." Ke Binna laughed until tears streamed down his face.
The old farmers looked at the young man laughing unreservedly and couldn't help but think, does this Young Master seem a bit mentally deficient? They had served the land for most of their lives, raised chickens, ducks, and pigs for most of their lives, and could they not distinguish between a chicken and a bird?
Flying with the eagle, Su Muqing and Lu Yuzhi quickly reached the lakeside. She used her detector to scan the area and discovered the main raw material for cement in the nearby mountain body, which was a significant discovery.
After their inspection, they returned by eagle. The old farmers and stewards were still kneeling on the ground. Seeing them return, they looked at them with reverence and kowtowed several more times before getting up from the ground.
Su Muqing asked Leng Ren and Leng Feng to open the two bamboo baskets on their backs. One contained potato pieces that had already sprouted, and the other contained green seedlings about an inch high – these were sweet potato sprouts she had cultivated.
Lu Yuzhi's horse had a shoulder pole attached, with a large basket containing soybean seeds in one basket and neatly arranged corn seedlings in the other.
These items were all cultivated by Su Muqing in her spiritual field a few days ago. They had high yields and survival rates, making them most suitable for experimental purposes.
Su Muqing briefly mentioned the yields of these crops. The stewards and old farmers present looked at her with a curious gaze, as if she were a novelty.
They all shared a common thought: did this noble lady truly know how to farm? Where were such high-yielding crops in the world?
Su Muqing ignored their probing gazes, handed one item to each of the four old farmers, and meticulously and carefully taught them how to plant each crop according to the instructions from her system.
These old farmers were seasoned hands at tending land; they quickly learned with her brief explanations. Once one learned, Su Muqing would have them finish planting the rest before teaching another.
It wasn't until sunset, when the sky was already dimly lit, that they finished planting all the seeds and seedlings they had brought.
Upon returning to Hengqing Manor, Ke Binna followed Su Muqing's instructions and had the stewards pack four large bags of steamed buns, giving one bag to each old farmer. He also asked the kitchen to cut four pieces of meat for them.
Recalling the bland lunch, Ke Binna insisted that Su Muqing prepare a hot pot to satisfy their cravings for dinner.
Seeing the longing in everyone else's eyes, Su Muqing nodded helplessly and took out two packets of broth base to stir-fry in the kitchen. She also instructed the elderly women in the kitchen to wash all the ingredients clean. The meat was thinly and evenly sliced by the head chef.
The head chef in the kitchen initially thought that these noble ladies, being pampered and privileged, would not know how to cook and could not produce anything delicious. However, he saw her stir-frying something in a pot, and a peculiar aroma wafted through the entire kitchen courtyard.
While slicing meat, the head chef craned his neck to see what she was doing. Truly a master chef, even without looking at the cutting board, his knife skills were both fast and precise.
Su Muqing poured out a pot of broth base and left some soup base for the head chef, telling him to boil the vegetables and meat in it.
The kitchen staff expressed their gratitude. After they took away the broth base, they eagerly threw in the various meats and vegetables.
The waiter placed the broth base on a roaring stove, and he and the steward retreated to the side. Ke Binna and Wan Yan'er, seeing the dishes served, eagerly began to dip the vegetables and meat into the broth. As soon as they were cooked, they quickly picked them up and put them in their mouths, sputtering from the heat, yet they ate heartily without restraint.
Watching their unrestrained eating, the stewards behind them kept swallowing their saliva. The Young Master was eating so deliciously! They wondered if the kitchen staff would leave any for him, and hoped they wouldn't finish all the delicious food the Princess had prepared.
Su Muqing unintentionally saw the two people standing behind Ke Binna and raised an eyebrow. They were on their tiptoes, swallowing their saliva, their eyes practically begging to be dropped into the hot pot and boiled.
She put down her chopsticks and said to them, "Stewards, it's getting late. You and this young... you should also go down and have your dinner. You don't need to serve here anymore."
Suddenly being singled out, the steward and the young servant quickly withdrew their gazes. The steward nervously swallowed the saliva in his mouth and wiped his forehead awkwardly. The young servant even "plop" knelt on the ground to beg for forgiveness.
The steward stepped forward to reply, "No, no, thank you, Princess, for your consideration. We are not hungry, we are not hungry."
Su Muqing looked at their reaction, bewildered, "I said for you to go down and eat, what are you doing?"
Ke Binna, seeing Su Muqing's confused expression, frowned, his face showing a hint of displeasure. "The Princess told you to go down and eat, don't you understand? You are no longer needed here. Hurry and go down."
"Yes, yes, yes, your servants will go down now." The steward quickly bowed and nodded, then retreated. The young servant was so frightened that he didn't stand up and crawled out on his knees.
Perhaps this was the oppression of feudal society. Most servants had a natural fear of their masters. For some reason, Su Muqing felt rather uneasy.
She thought about Hua Xia City, which was under construction. If she suddenly decided to build a country that was not feudal, would she be considered an outsider?
No!
As the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. This world was originally a feudal society. If she suddenly proposed a change, she would surely encounter much resistance. Her remaining tasks were already difficult enough, so it was best not to be eccentric at this time.
Su Muqing stopped her wandering thoughts and focused on eating. It was especially important not to overthink while eating, as it could lead to indigestion.
After riding horses in the morning and touring the fields in the afternoon, everyone was hot and tired. After dinner, they each went to wash up and then returned to their rooms to rest.
Su Muqing came out of her room after bathing and stood at Lu Yuzhi's bedroom door. "Brother Lu, are you asleep?"
"Not yet. What is it?" Lu Yuzhi quickly put on his clothes after hearing Su Muqing call him and then got up to open the door.
Su Muqing: "It's nothing. Didn't we look at a few suitable places by the lake this afternoon? I want to go back and check them out. Do you want to come with me?"
"Alright! Then let's go!" Lu Yuzhi stepped forward and took her hand, leading her out the door.
Su Muqing noticed that since Lu Yuzhi's Ice Reed grass poison had been resolved, his personality seemed to have changed slightly from before.
She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but after he absorbed that strange power from his body and recovered his own inner strength, his personality had become somewhat cold. He didn't seem to smile as much as before. However, one thing hadn't changed, and that was his fondness for clinging to Su Muqing.
No matter where she went, Lu Yuzhi would follow behind her, as if to fully uphold his promise to protect Su Muqing's safety.
Even though he knew in his heart that Su Muqing's martial skills meant she didn't need his protection at all.