Thinking of this, Zhao Luoning took a deep breath. Her originally somewhat disordered and rapid heartbeat gradually returned to calm.
Looking at Abbot Kongliao, Zhao Luoning bowed with clasped fists.
"Luoning has something to attend to and needs to leave. I hope the abbot can..."
Before Zhao Luoning could finish her words, the abbot interrupted her.
"Here there is only Young Master Zhao. As for Miss Zhao, she is in the side room for meditation."
In the past, she often came to Zhaoming Temple to "meditate" in order to change her clothes. It is said that Buddhist monks never tell lies, but Abbot Kongliao has broken the rules many times for her.
Zhao Luoning saluted the abbot and then got up and walked out of the room.
Not long after Zhao Luoning left, the abbot opened his eyes, got up and walked out of the room. Looking in the direction where Zhao Luoning had left, he chanted "Namo Amitabha".
"Namo Amitabha. Benefactor Zhao, good people will be rewarded."
...
Zhao Luoning left Zhaoming Temple with Caixue.
The mistress and her maid hired two fine horses from the teahouse owner on the halfway up the mountain. While the owner went to harness the horses, Caixue handed the packed parcel to Zhao Luoning.
"Miss, it's not convenient for me to accompany you back. Feixing is waiting for you at the foot of the mountain. Please be careful on your way."
Feixing was also picked up by Zhao Luoning. Since he was a boy, he usually accompanied "Zhao Luojing" and helped him handle business affairs.
"Go back to the temple and be more alert. Ji Shisu has been acting a bit strange recently. I'm afraid he might suddenly rush up the mountain to look for me."
"Don't worry, Miss. I'll act according to the situation."
Zhao Luoning nodded. Caixue had a lot of ideas, and with Abbot Kongliao there, there should be no big problem.
Looking at Zhao Luoning in men's clothes, Caixue couldn't help but sigh.
"Miss, I'm not quite used to seeing you in this outfit again after such a long time."
Zhao Luoning replied with a bitter smile, "I also thought that I wouldn't have to wear this outfit again after I got married."
"It's a pity about Second Young Master..."
When mentioning Zhao Luojing, Caixue still felt a bit sad.
Actually, Zhao Luojing, the second young master of the Zhao family, was also a very outstanding person.
Back then, Lady Zhao was pregnant with triplets. Although she had tried very hard to nourish herself during pregnancy, giving birth to three children at once would naturally result in some with congenital deficiencies.
Zhao Luojing, the second young master, was the one with the weakest body among the three children.
By the time Zhao Luojing was ten years old, he was so ill that he couldn't even get out of bed.
After Caixue entered the mansion, her impression of Zhao Luojing was a pale and sickly young man.
Although Zhao Luojing was in poor health, he showed extremely high business talent from a young age, so he was highly regarded by the master at a very young age. And he never put on the airs of a master. He always spoke gently and treated everyone kindly.
At that time, besides Zhao Luoning, the person Caixue admired most was Zhao Luojing.
Of course, Caixue also knew that Zhao Luojing had always been a knot in Zhao Luoning's heart.
Since they were triplets, her younger brother had been in poor health since childhood, while she herself was healthy. So Zhao Luoning always felt that it was she who had taken away the nutrients in the womb from her younger brother, which led to his lack of nutrition at birth. Therefore, she had always doted on Zhao Luojing very much since childhood.
It was a pity that Zhao Luojing still didn't survive his 11th birthday.
At that time, the Zhao family was in a troubled time. The concubine of the Zhao family was in full favor, and the eldest branch had to hold up the facade. Otherwise, they would be completely suppressed by the concubine.
Zhao Luojing saw this situation and was very anxious. On his deathbed, he left a last word, hoping that his eldest sister would live on in his place.
It was a very absurd idea, but it became the only way out for the eldest branch.
"Alright, it's all in the past. Don't mention it anymore."
Zhao Luoning spoke up, interrupting Caixue's memories. She took the parcel from Caixue's hand. Every gesture of hers now was just like a young man.
This even made Caixue have a momentary trance, as if the second young master of the past had come back.
It was no wonder that Caixue would have such an illusion.
Zhao Luoning and Zhao Luojing were siblings born in the same pregnancy. They looked extremely similar. Not only her, but even their biological father, Master Zhao, had been kept in the dark all these years and hadn't recognized the difference.
Moreover, Zhao Luoning not only looked like Zhao Luojing, but also locked herself in the room for several months to practice Zhao Luojing's gestures in order to pass off as him.
So once she put on this men's outfit, she was Zhao Luojing!
After saying goodbye to Caixue, Zhao Luoning got on the carriage. The carriage headed down the mountain and galloped towards the Zhao family mansion.
As soon as Zhao Luoning got off the horse, the gatekeeper was overjoyed to see the second young master of the Zhao family coming back. He quickly helped them dismount and then went to invite the master and the mistress.
Everyone gathered in the main hall. Seeing Zhao Luoning coming back, they all seemed to see a savior.
"What on earth happened?"
Zhao Luoning didn't even have time to take a sip of tea before asking about the situation.
The elders of the Zhao family were all sitting in the hall. Zhao Luoning looked around. Her mother was already in floods of tears. Her father was sitting in the chair, puffing on his pipe. The concubine had a cold face and didn't say a word. It was an unusual silence.
"Concubine?"
Judging from the current situation, only the concubine could give a complete account of what had happened. Although their relationship had never been good, she had no choice but to turn to the concubine.
"It's all your elder brother. He was reported on the spot for selling fake tea. Now he has been arrested by the officers and soldiers."
"Where did those fake teas that elder brother sold come from?"
Caixue had checked those inferior teas that were taken back. They were not produced by the Zhao family's tea house.
Even the inferior teas produced by the Zhao family's tea house were much better than the ordinary teas on the market. This was also the reason why the teas of the Zhao family's tea house could always maintain the leading position in the tea industry.
However, the teas that elder brother sold as high - grade teas were simply the rough teas that no one cared about on the market.
Zhao Luoning's sharp eyes swept across everyone.
Her mother had stopped crying. It seemed that she wanted to say something, but in the end, seeing her father's expression, she didn't dare to say it.
Her father was holding the pipe in his mouth but didn't puff on it anymore. His eyes were looking elsewhere. It was not known what he was thinking.
The concubine pretended to be drinking water, but the water in the cup was almost shaking out.
It was the same old drama again. After all these years, weren't they tired of it?
Fortunately, she had never expected them to tell the truth.
Since they didn't take the opportunity to tell the truth, then don't blame her for being merciless.
Zhao Luoning stood up and threw several account books on the table beside the concubine.
"Do you think I'm blind and deaf just because I'm recuperating in the mountains? Concubine, I remember that your natal family also sells tea, right?"
Suddenly being named, the second mistress of the Zhao family shivered.
"So what if we sell tea?"
"Over the years, the Zhao family has been thriving, and the Ji family's tea house has been catching up rapidly. Has your natal family's Ping'an Tea House still made a profit under the squeeze of these two big families?"
"What... What do you want to say?"
"Nothing. I just accidentally got the account books of your natal family's Ping'an Tea House. I hope the concubine can explain to me why the always - loss - making Ping'an Tea House suddenly made a profit of more than 100,000 taels of silver last month!"
Zhao Luoning, in the guise of Zhao Luojing, was in full - blown and aggressive mode.
It scared the second mistress of the Zhao family to take several steps back.