Miao Yi was taken aback. He quickly stood up to welcome her, and chuckled as he walked out the door, "Why didn't you greet me when Madam arrived?"
Yun Zhiqiu led the ladies in a half-kneeling salute before replying with a smile, "I've already informed Zhao Qing. I heard that you're in seclusion, and I don't know when I'll be arriving, so I didn't ask him to disturb you. Looks like Master's temper is a little big today, and he didn't allow Zhao Qing to report! "
Miao Yi chuckled and said, "Madam must be tired from the journey. Why don't you rest first?"
"There's no hurry!" Yun Zhiqiu turned back to the two guards and said, "Thank you for escorting me along the way. Why don't you stay in the phantom market for a few days to rest and allow me to do my part as a host?" These two were the elite imperial bodyguards sent by Kou Manor to escort Yun Zhiqiu. Even though they had made it clear to Miao Yi, Yun Zhiqiu was still Kou Lingxu's adopted daughter in name. Naturally, they wouldn't let anything happen to her on the way here, so it was reasonable for them to send someone to escort her.
"Thank you for your kindness, Seventh Young Mistress. We still have to rush back to report on our mission, so we don't dare to disturb you any longer. Farewell." The two of them cupped their hands and bowed.
Yun Zhiqiu nodded and said, "Since that's the case, I won't force you. I'll thank you again when the two of you are free. Zhaoqing, help me send them off. When you come back, just bring the people outside over. "
"Yes!" Yang Zhaoqing immediately stepped forward and extended his hand to lead the way. "Please!" He led the two away.
However, Miao Yi asked curiously, "There are still people outside. Who are they? Why didn't you just bring it in? "
"The guards don't recognize them and can't verify their identities. I had them wait outside for the time being. It won't be too late to enter after getting your permission." Her next words seemed to be directed at everyone present. Yun Zhiqiu, who had her hands clasped around her abdomen, swept her bright eyes across everyone present, and said in a dignified and calm manner, "Rules are rules, and they cannot be broken. Since it is stipulated that unauthorized people are not allowed to trespass in the headquarters, then the door must be guarded properly. No one is allowed to bring anyone in."
Everyone present felt a chill in their hearts. They could all hear the hidden meaning behind the Madam's words. She was warning everyone to abide by the rules.
Everyone hadn't seen each other for a long time, and it was supposed to be a happy occasion for them to meet again. But in the end, the first thing they did was set an example and put on a show of strength. Miao Yi rubbed his nose. His wife really left him speechless.
Not long after, Yang Zhaoqing led a group of people in with a smile on his face. They were all familiar faces: the Confucian scholar, the cook, the stonemason, the carpenter, Pi Junzi, and so on.
"I heard that Master's' Virtuous Assembly Hall 'was recruiting, so I took a detour on my way here and brought these trusted aides and attendants with me." Yun Zhiqiu turned to look at Xu Tangran. When I was at the door, I heard Sir say that you are in charge of the recruitment of the Virtuous Gathering Hall. Can you help me take a look and see if these people I brought are suitable to join the Virtuous Gathering Hall? "
"Uh …" Xu Tangran was taken aback. He wasn't in a hurry to reply. He first looked at Miao Yi's reaction before hastily replying, "He's suitable, he's suitable. Of course he's suitable. Madam's trusted aide is naturally the most suitable. The Virtuous Assembly Hall will be like adding wings to a tiger!"
Miao Yi was stunned speechless. The scholar, the cook, the stonemason, the carpenter, and the others all stared at him. Some were smiling, some were giggling, and some were cheerful.
Looking at these familiar faces, Miao Yi felt as though he had returned to the time when he was in Flowing Clouds Dune Sea and the time when he was at Tempest Tavern. He couldn't help but sigh. So many years had passed in the blink of an eye, and yet these people's smiles were still the same.
When the Virtuous Assembly Hall was struggling to get off the ground and no one was willing to apply, Yun Zhiqiu suddenly brought these people to join them. Perhaps they weren't that powerful, but their support warmed Miao Yi's heart.
He had been through so many different positions. He had led so many subordinates, but many of them had fallen apart after a while. Miao Yi couldn't help but admit that Yun Zhiqiu was much better at managing people than he was. After all, these people weren't originally from the same group. Some were from the Devil Path, some were from the Boundless Path, some were taken in by Yun Zhiqiu in Flowing Clouds Dune Sea, and so on and so forth. But after following Yun Zhiqiu, no matter what happened to her, they remained loyal to her. Even if they had to go through fire and water.
He had seen it with his own eyes back at Tempest Tavern. Yun Zhiqiu would either beat or scold these people, but not a single one of them complained when they were beaten or scolded. They continued to smile and act subserviently. Miao Yi had to admit that he didn't have that kind of ability. Xu Tangran was an exception.
"Zhaoqing, let's settle them down first," Yun Zhiqiu said.
Yang Zhaoqing accepted the order and left with Lin Pingping and the others.
After everyone had washed up and settled down, Fei Hong, Qian'Er, and Xue'Er left the head mayor's private quarters. As they walked outside, they could vaguely hear the sounds of flirting …
"Sigh! How relaxing. It's been a while. Madam, you've become more capable! "
"Go away! If you're shameless, tell me honestly. Did you go out and fool around when I wasn't around? "
"Am I that kind of person?"
"Yo! You from the Middle Constellation Palace, explain to me what's going on. "
"…"
Inside the loft on the Boundless Purgatory Star, Yang Qing finally relaxed and reclined on a recliner. He took out a starbell in his hand.
From all the signs, it seemed like the Kou Clan's words had been effective. The storm of the Dark Spring Hunt seemed to have passed. According to the analysis of the information he had obtained, there were many things that Yang Qing couldn't figure out about. However, after the incident, no one came looking for trouble with Miao Yi. This was beyond his expectations. It was as though a hand had unknowingly smoothed out all the loopholes. He couldn't tell if something had happened that he didn't know about.
The situation had finally stabilized. Yang Qing breathed a sigh of relief and finally walked out of the west garden.
Although the storm of the Dark Spring Hunt had passed, he had been keeping tabs on the 'Gathering Virtue Hall' that Miao Yi had stirred up through the Dominator's people in the phantom market. Miao Yi hadn't informed him of this decision beforehand, so he couldn't say if Miao Yi had made a mistake or not. Perhaps Miao Yi had some sort of backup plan, so he could only watch silently.
Now, he had made many changes to the way he interacted with Miao Yi. He tried his best to keep his cool when he could. He realized that many things about Miao Yi couldn't be deduced with common sense. For example, during the Dark Spring Hunt this time, none of the things that he predicted would happen happened. He realized that Miao Yi's luck was simply too good. 'Did he get through just like that?'
After waiting for more than half a year, he still hadn't seen any changes in the 'Gathering Virtue Hall'. Only then did he confirm that Miao Yi probably didn't have any backup plans. It was probably something that he had decided on on the spur of the moment.
However, he wasn't in a hurry. He waited and thought of a countermeasure.
Only now did he hear that Yun Zhiqiu had returned to the phantom market's main town manor. He knew that the woman who could calm Miao Yi had returned. Only then did he take out the starbell and contact Yang Zhaoqing to ask about the 'Gathering Virtue Hall'.
After contacting him, he immediately asked, 'How's the recruitment going for the Gathering Virtue Hall?'
Yang Zhaoqing was rather helpless. 'Not a single one at the moment. Not long ago, I was even reprimanded by Milord. Now, Milord has thrown this matter to Xu Tangran to handle. He has given Xu Tangran ten years' time. If there are no results, he will be held accountable. '
Yang Qing: 'Milord still has a good eye. You should leave this matter to Xu Tangran. That guy hasn't spent so many years in the lower echelons of the great world for nothing. He has his ways, and there are many crooked ways. As long as Milord is willing to give him some pressure, he will definitely have a way. It shouldn't be a problem for him to recruit people. The only problem is that the people he recruits are all mixed.'
Yang Zhaoqing was amused when he heard this. He felt that it seemed to be the case. Then, he asked worriedly, 'What should we do? It will be troublesome if we attract the spies of the various families. '
Yang Qing: 'I heard that Madam has brought all the old people from Tempest Tavern?'
Yang Zhaoqing: 'Yes.'
Yang Qing: 'If I'm not mistaken, Madam has probably brought these people here at this time to stuff them into the Gathering Virtue Hall, right?'
Yang Zhaoqing had to give up on this fellow. He was always like a conman, always making accurate guesses. They were all surnamed Yang, so why was there such a big difference between them? ' He replied, 'Yes, Madam has stuffed these people into the Gathering Virtue Hall the moment she arrived.'
Yang Qing: 'Then you don't have to worry. Madam doesn't have anything else to do for the time being. With the identity of Kou Tianwang's adopted daughter, it won't be convenient for her to sell things in the shops. Since she has stuffed all her trusted subordinates into the Gathering Virtue Hall, Madam won't just sit back and do nothing. She will probably take the initiative to handle the affairs of the Gathering Virtue Hall to help Milord. As for attracting spies, it is inevitable. But with Madam personally watching over it, nothing major will happen. Madam has her own way of using people. She might be more suitable than Milord to manage the Gathering Virtue Hall.
The two of them chatted casually for a while before stopping.
As it turned out, Yang Qing was right. A few days later, Yang Zhaoqing noticed that Yun Zhiqiu's attention had shifted to the Gathering Virtue Hall. She would occasionally ask Xu Tangran about his plans for the Gathering Virtue Hall. Xu Tangran's forehead was covered in sweat from the constant barrage of questions.
Truth be told, Xu Tangran felt even more pressured when facing Yun Zhiqiu than facing Miao Yi. First of all, Yun Zhiqiu had a great influence on Miao Yi. She was basically someone who could make decisions on Miao Yi's behalf, and could decide his future as well. Second, he had a good grasp of Miao Yi's temperament, so it was easy for him to deal with him. However, this Head Mayor's Madam always had a faint smile on her face when it came to his flattery. This made Xu Tangran feel very guilty, so he often encouraged his wife, Xue Linglong, to go to Yun Zhiqiu's place to chat.
Now that he saw Xu Tangran leave the hall, Yang Zhaoqing couldn't help but feel amused as he wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.
After leaving the hall, Yun Zhiqiu's bright eyes locked onto Yang Zhaoqing. She teased, "Oh, Lin Pingping is back. Look at how happy our Zhaoqing is. He can even stand by the side and laugh secretly when he has nothing better to do."
Beside her, Qian'Er and Xue'Er pursed their lips and snickered. They were all experienced people, so they understood what she meant.
Yang Zhaoqing immediately greeted her with an awkward expression, "Madam!"
Yun Zhiqiu smiled and said, "Milord is currently in closed-door cultivation. If it's convenient, why don't you tell me what you have to say?"
Yang Zhaoqing pondered for a moment. In the end, he told her about Yang Qing's words. He didn't intend to hide it since it wasn't anything urgent. Initially, he wanted to wait until Miao Yi showed up before telling her. However, since Yun Zhiqiu had asked, he might as well tell her about it.
Yun Zhiqiu fell silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh, as though she was deeply moved. However, as though she suddenly thought of something, her eyes flickered, and she asked, "Did Milord communicate with Yang Qing about the Gathering Virtue Hall?"
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