Seeing that He'er looked good, Qiu Yizhi said, "He'er, it's been a while since Miss Wen left, and I miss her very much... Um... Are you living well here?"
He'er answered, "I've lived here before, and I'm familiar with everything. Sister Wu is also very kind to me, and she never asks me to do any work. I'm a little girl, and I can't be without work, so helping out and doing some things will make me feel more at ease."
Qiu Yizhi listened to her talk for a while, sighed softly, and said: "Before Miss Wen left, she asked me to take good care of you. I thought you can't be a maid all your life, you have to find a family background, don't you think?"
He Er gritted her teeth and nodded, "I'm very happy that you think about me like this, young master."
Qiu Yizi licked his lips and continued, "You were too deeply involved with the Tianzun Sect before. If you stay in the Central Plains, I'm afraid you won't be able to cut through this mess... Now there's a chance to send you out. I wonder if you're willing?"
He Er was stunned when she heard this, and asked hurriedly, "What opportunity is it?" As soon as she said this, she realized that she had spoken too hastily, and hurriedly stopped talking, "It's all up to you, Master..."
"No, no, that's not what I meant." Qiu Yi said, "It's up to me whether to say it or not, and it's up to you whether to agree or not. I never force anyone to do anything. It's your own business, and you have to make the final decision yourself."
He'er has been an orphan since childhood and was adopted and raised by the Tianzun Sect. Although she was raised by the old leader and has a very prestigious status in the eyes of ordinary believers, she has always either listened to the old leader, Wen Honghui, or Wen Lingjiao in her life and has never made her own decisions.
Therefore, when He'er heard Qiu Yizhi's words "make your own decision", her heart was excited, and she felt a sense of accomplishment that she could control her own destiny. This feeling was so comfortable and yet so strange, as if the waves were hitting her fragile heart tightly wrapped in a hard shell.
Finally, two bean-sized tears rolled down from He'er's almond-shaped eyes. Her legs softened involuntarily and she fell to her knees with a plop, sobbing, "Master, I have never heard such words before, and I can't make the decision on my own... It's all... It's all up to you..." As she spoke, she was choked with sobs and couldn't continue.
When Qiu Yizi saw He'er so excited, she suddenly thought that she was the same as He'er. Her every move was controlled by the emperor. Even if she wanted to retire to the mountains and ignore worldly affairs, it became something that she could neither ask for nor hope for.
So he sighed and said, "When people live in this world, fame and fortune are fake, only freedom and happiness are real. You, He'er, have had a life that is both lucky and unfortunate. But today you have a chance to get rid of all the shackles you have had before, so you must seize it!"
While Qiu Yizhi was talking, he saw the old gatekeeper from Lin Shuhan's manor running over and whispering in his ear, "Sir, there's a man named Li Shengjie outside. He said you invited him here. Is that true or not?"
After hearing this, Qiu Yizi raised his lips and said to He'er with a smile: "He'er, get up quickly and wipe your tears. Look, your makeup is all smudged. Go downstairs and fix it. You are free now." After that, he said to the gatekeeper, "Yes, yes. I invited Li Shengjie here. Please welcome him in. He is my honored guest. You can't neglect him."
Qiu Yizi has lived here for a long time, and the farmhands in the manor all know his relationship with Lin Shuhan, so they treat him as half-master and leave after giving their consent.
Li Shengjie was full of youthful vigor. He spoke before he arrived: "Hahaha, brother, although this manor is hard to find, it is truly a good place. The rulers and generals of Fusang wanted to learn the rules of the Han Dynasty, and all of them decorated it according to the Han style. After taking a look at this garden today, I realized that those Japanese people only learned some superficial details, and it is not as grand and solemn as this place. Brother looks carefree, but I didn't expect that he really knows how to enjoy life behind the scenes."
Qiu Yizhi was about to explain, but he saw Lin Shuhan waving a folding fan and walking slowly towards him from a distance, so he smiled and said, "My dear brother, you are wrong. I am a poor guy, and I don't know what I am busy with all day. How can I have the time to buy a manor like this? Look, the owner of the manor is over there!"
Li Shengjie turned his head and saw that it was Lin Shuhan who came, so he saluted him. He had met Lin Shuhan several times and knew that he was a resourceful man, so he was quite impressed by him.
Lin Shuhan and the other man were still standing and talking, so he led them to the pavilion and sat them down. He said, "Your Excellency is really taking over the magpie's nest. This is clearly my farm, why do you meet people and do things here? After all, I am just a humble man, and your Excellency really doesn't take me seriously."
Qiu Yizi knew he was joking, so she also joked: "Today it is my brother Li Shengjie who knocks on the door and asks for an audience. If I don't agree, will you refuse him entry? Li Shengjie has saved us several times in Mingzhou and Jinling. Aren't you too heartless, sir?"
Lin Shuhan smiled and said, "The young captain is of course an exception, but others may not be. If anyone dares to come in without permission in the future, I will personally chase him out with a broom." He changed the subject and said, "I just don't know why the young captain came to my humble abode today?"
Li Shengjie scratched his head and replied, "My brother asked me to come here and told me he had something to tell me, but I don't know what it is yet!"
What Qiu Yizi wanted to talk to Li Shengjie about was wanting him to take He'er to Fuso, Japan. However, He'er had gone out to touch up her makeup and was not around, so he didn't know how to bring up the topic.
At this moment, Wu Ruofei personally brought a tea tray with three bowls of freshly brewed tea on it. Nianiao Nana walked into the pavilion and placed the tea bowls in front of the three people.
Wu Ruofei had also been on Li Shengjie's boat, but in order to avoid suspicion, she went to the cabin to rest immediately after boarding. Therefore, this was the first time that Li Shengjie saw Wu Ruofei's appearance at such a close distance, and his eyes were immediately attracted to her.
Seeing Li Shengjie in such an intoxicated state, Qiu Yizhi coughed twice and asked, "Brother, what are you looking at?"
"Oh!" Li Shengjie said as if he had just woken up from a dream, "This young lady is extremely beautiful. I have never seen such a beautiful woman in my life, so I lost my composure. But I wonder if this young lady has a name?"
When Wu Ruofei heard Li Shengjie's praise, she covered her mouth and laughed.
Qiu Yizi answered for her, "This girl's surname is Wu. I am not her, but Mr. Lin's wife. My dear brother is also a hero in Japan, how could you have never seen a stunning beauty?"
Li Shengjie replied: "I have seen some. I have seen them in Japan and here in Han. But those beauties are in no way comparable to Miss Ruofei. Oh, since you are Mr. Lin's wife, then I was really impolite just now. Please forgive me..." As he said that, Li Shengjie stood up and bowed to Lin Shuhan.
Lin Shuhan did not go to help her, and said, "Confucius said: 'To be perfect in beauty is to be perfect in goodness.' Beauty should be praised. The young master is a straightforward person. When he sees a beautiful woman or a beautiful thing, he will praise it to the utmost. It is much better than those hypocritical people who sit upright, talk about morality, but secretly have a lot of thieves and prostitutes in their hearts."
Li Shengjie grew up in Japan, but he had a basic understanding of grammar. Lin Shuhan's words were full of quotations from classics, so even this naturally intelligent young captain could not understand them all. He picked up the teacup and took a sip while savoring the taste.
Unexpectedly, after taking a sip of the tea, Li Shengjie's eyes suddenly lit up. He took another sip and said, "This... How come this tea tastes so good?"
Qiu Yizi also took a sip of tea and said with a smile: "Why? There is no tea in Japan?"
Li Shengjie said, "Yes, there is, but it's not this good. This tea is light and timeless. I'm afraid it must be a top-grade tea in Dahan, right?"
Wu Ruofei said, "This tea... is the new Rain-Predawn Longjing tea from this year. It's a good tea, but it can't be called 'top quality'... It's rare for the young master to praise it so generously."
Lin Shuhan said, "This is not surprising. Tea trees, mulberry trees and other tree species are strictly restricted from leaving the country. Even if someone can secretly dig up a few trees and smuggle them out of the country, they will not be good varieties, and naturally there will be no good tea produced locally. As for the tea in the Han Dynasty, tea farmers sell it to tea merchants, tea merchants sell it to sea merchants, and sea merchants then send it to Japan. The new tea has become old tea. How can it still taste so good?"
Li Shengjie listened attentively and drank half of the tea without realizing it. He then praised: "To be honest, I have always disliked those scholars who quibble over words. I don't think that there is knowledge in everything. Even the tea has such a reason. It is worthwhile to listen to Mr. Lin's teachings today."
Qiu Yizi continued, "Mr. Lin is not someone who teaches others casually. You have benefited a lot from listening to his words."
Li Shengjie nodded and said, "It's a pity that my home is on the sea. I will have to drift out to sea eventually. It would be nice if I could drink one more cup of tea and listen to one more conversation here."
At this point, Qiu Yizhi suddenly remembered the emperor's previous hint and said, "Speaking of which, the emperor seems to be interested in incorporating your Li family's fleet into a formal official navy, and it will be an imperial guard commanded by the emperor himself. At least you can get some imperial food, which is considered a positive result..."
After hearing this, Li Shengjie's expression suddenly became serious, and he asked, "Is it true that the emperor's words cannot be disobeyed, otherwise it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor, and the only way out is to be beheaded?"
Qiu Yizhi was stunned for a moment and replied, "That's true, but the current emperor is not a violent and erratic ruler. As long as you have a point, the emperor may not necessarily change his ways."
Li Shengjie said, "Let me put it this way. I don't want to be incorporated by the court, and I have my reasons. Our Li family's fleet was put together bit by bit by my father, one nail and one piece of wood. How can the emperor just say one word to incorporate it all? Besides, my father is still in Japan. I dare not make such a big decision without his approval. And after this fleet is incorporated, how can my Li family dominate the sea? I'm afraid my father will not agree to such a thing."
Qiu Yizi found all of Li Shengjie's reasons valid, but she knew in her heart that the emperor was deeply impressed by the power of the cannons on Li Shengjie's ship and was determined to incorporate his fleet. Li Shengjie's reasons might not be able to convince the supreme ruler.
But Li Shengjie added: "What's so great about being an emperor? At worst, I can give up my official position and title and continue to be a pirate and smuggler. What's so great about that?"
Li Shengjie said this with such pride that even Qiu Yizi couldn't help but secretly cheer for him.