Even women who travel through time can become prime ministers and nobles.

Chapter 106 Nothing Gained

Sangluo City was bustling and prosperous. Li Changyu, dressed in a dark, close-fitting outfit, stood tall and straight like a pine tree. For the past few days, he had been responsible for delivering soaps and detergents to the Treasure Pavilion. Thanks to Miss Shi's ingenious ideas, these small cleaning products had sold remarkably well within just ten days. Today, as usual, he came to the Treasure Pavilion, handed over the goods to the manager, and successfully settled the payment.

Thinking of Miss Shi, Li Changyu couldn't help but secretly admire her; she was truly an extraordinary woman. Just then, he suddenly remembered that the people his third uncle had sent had been increasingly busy lately.

It turned out that Miss Zheng's wedding was tomorrow. He instructed his third uncle to make preparations and have people protect the other girls in the villa. Li Changyu knew that Miss Shi would likely accompany him to the wedding banquet tomorrow. However, he hadn't yet decided what role to give Miss Shi.

Third Uncle also learned of Shen Yanchu and the others' whereabouts, and figured that Miss Shi would definitely go there after the wedding banquet. Third Uncle was filled with curiosity about this intelligent and kind woman that the young master had mentioned, and he really wanted to visit her with the young master.

The young master's unusual interest in Miss Shi made Uncle Three also want to meet this woman who was praised for her good character and talent. However, he also knew in his heart that in the eyes of the world, an ordinary woman engaged in commerce was considered too lowly and was indeed not worthy of the young master. But he also felt that Miss Shi was no ordinary woman.

Li Changyu decided to take his third uncle to explore the City Lord's Mansion before returning. The City Lord's Mansion was located in the center of Sangluo City, a bustling area. It covered a vast area and served as both an official's residence and a private residence, with over 500 rooms across six courtyards.

Li Changyu moved with lightning speed, easily dodging the patrolling soldiers and leaping onto the wall with a light touch of his toes. Now, his appearance and voice had changed, and even if he were face to face with those soldiers, they would not recognize him.

Standing on high ground, Li Changyu surveyed the layout of the City Lord's Mansion. Pavilions and towers were arranged in a harmonious and orderly fashion; winding corridors meandered through the landscape. In the gardens, flowers bloomed in profusion, and trees provided ample shade. He carefully observed every detail, silently calculating the potential dangers and opportunities in his mind.

Suddenly, a soft footstep sounded. Li Changyu immediately became alert, and he quickly hid behind a pillar. He saw a woman who looked like a maidservant hurry past, carrying a tray that seemed to hold something important. Li Changyu's heart skipped a beat, and he decided to quietly follow her to investigate.

The maid entered a room, and Li Changyu cautiously approached, listening intently. He could only hear low voices inside, but couldn't make out the content. He frowned, deciding to look for other clues.

After wandering through the city lord's mansion for a long time, Li Changyu noticed something suspicious. Several rooms were heavily guarded, as if they were hiding some important secret. He secretly noted these places down, intending to discuss them with his third uncle when he returned.

Having completed his investigation, Li Changyu quietly left the City Lord's Mansion. He found his third uncle and told him everything he had discovered. His third uncle listened and fell into deep thought. They began to analyze the clues, trying to find the key to their discovery.

"Young Master, I have learned that Zheng Zhao's sister's wedding is likely a prelude to the various sects that have come here!"

Third Uncle stood respectfully to the side. Li Changyu gestured for him to sit down, but Third Uncle immediately refused, as this was unreasonable. However, they hadn't gained anything tonight; it seemed they would have to resort to other means.

"Young Master, you'd better not stay in that courtyard! It's too simple. This old servant has another house that the master has reserved for you, that..."

"Uncle, there's no need to persuade me anymore. My mind is made up." Li Changyu interrupted his uncle's attempts to console him. Although the courtyard was small, he lived a very comfortable life with Miss Shi and the others.

"Third Uncle, I've been away for a while now, I'm going back first." After saying that, he got up to leave, but his third uncle knelt down in front of them.

"Young Master, this old servant understands. If you are unwilling to move, then may this old servant come to you?"

Seeing that the young master was so insistent, the third uncle decided to live with him as well. His words were earnest, and Li Changyu didn't know what to do.

"Third Uncle, the place I'm staying now is too cramped, and there aren't any extra rooms. It's all women here, and you might feel uncomfortable there. Please don't say anything more; my mind is made up. You should focus on preparing for tomorrow's wedding banquet."

Although Li Changyu felt sorry for his third uncle, who was old and had suffered most of his life, he couldn't bear to see him serving him. Moreover, the young lady didn't like servants, and his third uncle was rather old-fashioned and rigid in his adherence to etiquette; he was also afraid that the young lady and his third uncle would disagree.

Li Changyu walked into a clothing store, intending to buy some clothes for Miss Shi. The shop assistant immediately rushed forward and enthusiastically introduced the garments.

"Young master, is there anything you like? Are you buying it for your wife? What is her approximate size?" Li Changyu replied with a smile, "Yes, it's for a young lady. She's about shoulder-length and a little thin."

Upon hearing this, the shop assistant quickly picked out a few pieces of clothing and said, "Young master, what do you think of these? They are all currently popular styles, and the colors are very suitable for a young lady."

Li Changyu looked at it carefully, picked up a light blue and white dress, and said, "This one is nice, let's take it."

The shop assistant smiled and said, "Young master, you have excellent taste. This dress is made of the finest silk and will be very comfortable to wear." Li Changyu paid and left the clothing shop with the dress. He thought about how beautiful the young lady would look in this dress, and his heart was filled with anticipation.

After paying, Li Changyu walked back with the packaged clothes and jewelry. As he walked, he imagined what the girl would look like in the clothes, and his mood involuntarily brightened.

Back home, Miss Shi was busy in the kitchen. Li Changyu quietly walked up behind her and handed her the clothes.

"Guess what gift I brought you?" he whispered.

Miss Shi laughed as she broke free of his hand, turned around, and her face beamed with happiness.

"what?"

Li Changyu smiled mysteriously, opened the package, and presented the light blue and white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) to her.

"Wow! How beautiful!" Miss Shi exclaimed in surprise.

She took the dress, held it up against herself, and her eyes sparkled with joy.

"Thank you, Brother Li."

Seeing her happy expression filled Li Changyu with a sense of satisfaction.

“If you like it, that’s good. Wear it tomorrow and do me a favor by accompanying Mr. Li to his wedding banquet, okay?” he said gently.

Shi Wanxia nodded: "Okay, no problem. I haven't finished making this soap yet, so you go and teach them to read first!"

Shi Wanxia kept stirring the lard in the pot. She now makes soap every day and has saved up quite a bit of money from it. She didn't expect it to sell so well. She'll go check if she can find someone to make more later.

Li Changyu took the clothes to the main hall and saw everyone there, practicing calligraphy with paper and pen. He was very pleased and handed the things to Qin Xin.

"These are Miss Shi's clothes. Put them back in her room. Today I will have you study the Analects. Go and return quickly."

Qin Xin nodded, took the bundle, stood up, and left the main hall.

"Alright, everyone take out the Analects, let's begin today's lesson."