Chapter 321: Millipedes
Chapter 321: Millipedes
After a night of rain, the air at Lanruo Temple was exceptionally fresh today.
The wind carried subtle, natural fragrances.
The morning light bathed the mountain peaks, refracting softly through the dew, making the entire mountain range appear majestic and sacred.
Stone paths paved with either blue flagstone or smooth, pebbled walkways wound through the temple grounds.
Even on muddy rainy days, pilgrims could traverse these paths with relative ease.
Moreover, the post-rain forest teemed with life—mushrooms sprouted, and other organisms thrived in the moist environment.
With summer approaching and temperatures rising rapidly, the entire mountain exuded vibrant vitality.
After breakfast, Su Su followed her brothers to play in the backyard.
Queen Consort Qi, ever concerned for their safety, naturally accompanied them.
Although Feng Xuanrui was mischievous, his experience in Qingzhou had made him more cautious and level-headed; he no longer dashed about recklessly.
So, would they head straight up the mountain?
Not a chance.
The vast backyard of Lanruo Temple boasted various plantings, offering plenty of play areas for the children.
Feng Xuanrui and Feng Xuanbin soon caught several large, shiny black millipedes.
Su Su, far from being scared, found these creatures fascinating. "There are always so many of these after it rains!" she exclaimed.
They might look intimidating with their shiny black bodies, but they were actually quite interesting, and thankfully, they didn't bite.
The system, observing these creatures, was momentarily stumped as to how to provide an educational explanation.
However, it conceded that they indeed didn't bite; they only chewed on trees.
Thus, they were classified as pests.
But for children's play, they posed no real harm as long as they didn't bite.
The system ultimately fell silent on the matter.
Su Su, oblivious to the system's internal dilemma, was delighted to have some small creatures to play with.
As the three children gathered to play with the shiny black insects, Queen Consort Qi looked on, feeling her vision darken with each passing moment.
Although she might have played with similar creatures as a child, she refused to acknowledge the possibility. No, if she didn't remember it, it simply didn't happen.
However, unable to deny her children's enjoyment, she eventually averted her gaze, choosing to admire the distant mountains instead.
If she couldn't dissuade them, the least she could do was look elsewhere, right?
"Mine is bigger!"
"Mine has the longest antennae!"
"Grab it, grab it, don't let it get away!"
...
The children's voices, interspersed with their handling of the millipedes, reached Queen Consort Qi's ears.
To distract herself, she struck up a casual conversation with Aunt Qiu, asking, "I wonder how He Manor's young lady is doing?"
The last time they had visited Lanruo Temple, someone from He Manor had also paid a visit.
This time, however, their paths didn't cross.
During their previous trip to the Viscount's Manor, the He Manor had sent Ning Shi, the second wife, whom Queen Consort Qi wasn't particularly close with. Thus, she hadn't inquired further at the time.
Now, the memory resurfaced, prompting a sigh from the queen consort.
Aunt Qiu, however, seemed to know everything that went on.
Upon hearing her mistress's question, she contemplated for a moment before quietly replying, "I've heard that she's been working with an elderly physician to treat her illness. They've left the city several times in search of a cure, even traveling as far as Xinzhou. Whether they reached their destination or not is uncertain."
Queen Consort Qi froze upon hearing this, then turned slowly, her eyes wide with disbelief. "They went all the way to Xinzhou? But I thought her health had improved. Why would they go so far?"
Aunt Qiu had no answer to that.
While the He family hadn't kept their efforts to treat the young lady's illness a secret, they hadn't divulged many specifics to the public.
Aunt Qiu had no idea, guessing that the He family must be keeping it a secret.
While Queen Consort Qi was curious, she didn't press the matter further.
Recalling the incident with the young master of the He Manor the other day, Queen Consort Qi asked, "I wonder how that young master from the He Manor is doing now?"
She was also unsure about the effects of the poisonous mandrake on such a young child.
The thought sent a shiver down her spine and served as a warning.
"Children, we must keep a close eye on them!"
Regarding this matter, Aunt Qiu had indeed inquired and managed to find out some information, mostly through Sui Si, who had heard a little about it.
"I heard it's because those people wanted to rescue their comrades involved in a case related to Master He. When they couldn't secure their release, they targeted the young master of He Manor instead. They killed the wet nurse and servants guarding him and hid their bodies in a rarely used storage room, hence the delay in discovering the situation."
"I hope the young master didn't witness the gruesome scene. Let's hope it doesn't traumatize him."
Upon hearing Aunt Qiu's words, Queen Consort Qi gasped in shock. "...They killed them all?"
Aunt Qiu nodded gently. "That's what Sui Si found out. They were all murdered."
Queen Consort Qi's expression turned grim, and she quickly clutched her handkerchief, her anxiety evident as she spoke. "This won't do. We must assign each of these children a servant skilled in martial arts."
But even as she spoke, she felt it wasn't enough. "No, no, that's still not enough. We must also ensure that Qing Shan and the others learn some martial arts. In the face of danger, they can at least hold their ground temporarily until help arrives."
As she finished speaking, Queen Consort Qi's brows furrowed, and she asked, puzzled, "Who are these people? How dare they act so boldly? When we were in Qingzhou, they even dared to kidnap our young masters, and now they've come to the capital and brazenly targeted a noble's young master?"
As for who they were, Aunt Qiu wasn't too sure.
The information she had gathered consisted mostly of hearsay and gossip.
She rarely inquired about matters concerning the court.
Hence, she couldn't offer an explanation for the queen consort's doubts.
Su Su, Feng Xuanrui, and Feng Xuanbin had tired of playing with the water buffaloes.
Within a short while, the children had worn out the water buffaloes, and it wouldn't be long before they reunited with their mothers.
Children's interests were fleeting.
After playing with the water buffaloes, they moved on to catching grasshoppers.
Su Su proudly declared to her brothers, "These are delicious when roasted. They're crispy when you bite into them!"
Su Su had indeed roasted and eaten these insects during her hungry days in the past.
Grasshoppers...
They tasted quite good, although there wasn't much meat on them. They offered more of a crunchy texture, and one ended up chewing on bits.
Nonetheless, they significantly alleviated Su Su's hunger.
Feng Xuanrui had no idea these insects were edible.
Hearing his sister's claim, he examined the grasshopper in his hand with newfound curiosity.
"Can they really be eaten?" he whispered.
Su Su nodded confidently.
Feng Xuanbin was skeptical.
To him, grasshoppers were just insects.
How could insects be food?
But seeing the determined look on his sister's face, he began to waver.
He thought, perhaps they could be eaten? After all, there were so many things in nature, and many of them were edible.
Why not grasshoppers, too?
With these thoughts in mind, Feng Xuanbin quietly swallowed, then nudged Feng Xuanrui with his shoulder. "Sixth brother, why don't we give it a try?"
(End of Chapter)
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