Abandoned Woman Busy Farming-Chapter 2440 - 2441: Tangfen Poetry Conference

Bai Ruozhu looked somewhat surprised at the visitor; how come they mentioned her name? Even if sending an invitation card, it shouldn’t be sent to her, right? Based on their previous actions, the envoy is Jiang Yichun as the emissary, assisted by Li Jin.

Jiang Yichun also looked doubtfully at the visitor, wondering what the Emperor meant by this.

The messenger spoke Chinese quite well. He noticed the two’s confusion, smiling as he said, "Every year at this time, Kyoto hosts a poetry event for women, attended by the ladies from aristocratic families in Kyoto, and the poems must be composed in Chinese. Hence, His Majesty wishes to invite Bai to be one of the judges. I believe no one is more familiar with Zhongyuan poetry than you."

Bai Ruozhu wasn’t much interested in this kind of poetry event, mostly involving a group of women striving for beauty; while being a judge was alright, she found it rather uninteresting.

"I..." Just as she began to speak, Bai Ruozhu thought of something, shifted her tone, and agreed.

"Thank you for His Majesty’s trust. I shall humbly accept."

The envoy handed over the invitation card and briefly mentioned the time and location before taking his leave.

"Do you think there’s a chance to gather information about Diao Bin?" Jiang Yichun quickly guessed her intent.

Bai Ruozhu nodded, "According to information from spies earlier, the merchant’s wife is a Fusang girl, and his daughter resembles Diao Bin. Given Diao Bin’s age, she is likely to be introduced to society, perhaps even consider marriage proposals. She might attend such a poetry event, and even if she doesn’t, perhaps some clues could be gathered from the Fusang girls."

"Then be careful when the time comes and bring Fo Lanying and Yizi with you." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Such gatherings of ladies generally don’t allow the presence of men, so Jiang Yichun was somewhat uneasy and advised Bai Ruozhu to bring two helpers for safety.

Bai Ruozhu smiled at him, "Don’t worry; the matter with the Shadow Ninja created quite a stir. Recently, they might be too occupied with their own affairs."

...

At the same time, both the Emperor and General Chisong sent people to the Shadow Ninja’s secret gathering place. This area deep within the Mountain is indeed secluded, yet unfortunately, they arrived a step too late. When they reached it, there wasn’t a single figure to be seen; the place had become completely abandoned.

The cave had been burned, leaving everything charred, even the walls were blackened as if precautions were taken not to leave traces.

"They fled pretty quickly; check for traces outside," said the team leader.

On General Chisong’s side, Luzhi was leading the team. Instead of immediately searching outside, he carefully examined the cave again. After all, if the opponents left after setting a fire, the cave might still have some unburned areas.

Indeed, it wasn’t long before someone found some ephemera buried underground. General Chisong asked them to collect it, intending to take it back to the doctor for examination.

Whereas the Emperor’s men couldn’t find any clues and had to return empty-handed, but could basically confirm that this was once a secret Shadow Ninja team, now gone missing.

It seems the night the Shadow Ninja were slain by Bai Ruozhu and her group prompted them to quickly relocate.

Bai Ruozhu and her group quickly received the news from Sa Tian, which was expected yet still somewhat disappointing.

The day to revisit Zhaoti Temple soon arrived. Bai Ruozhu, to avoid exposure, didn’t bring the Mechanical Box but instead took the Brocade Pouch to meet Master Puru.

"Is, is this it?" Puru looked at the item, both excited and nervous, his hands trembling.

"Yes, it was hidden inside a Copper Buddha Statue that melted from the outside. Check what the content says," Bai Ruozhu pointed at the Brocade Pouch.

Master Puru trembled as he opened the Brocade Pouch, growing increasingly solemn as he read its contents. Afraid he might have made a mistake, he carefully re-read it twice before thoroughly confirming it.

He sighed softly, "How could this be connected to the Emperor? This is..."

Clearly, Puru, like Bai Ruozhu, was reluctant to be involved in royal affairs. However, Puru had promised his master, so he wouldn’t truly refrain from acting.

"It seems I have to meet with His Highness," Puru continued.

"Master, you’re still recovering; it’s best not to strain yourself. If possible, find an excuse to invite His Highness over," Bai Ruozhu suggested, then thought for a moment and said, "We won’t be present when the time comes; after all, we are foreigners, and it’s not suitable to interfere too much."

Puru opened his mouth as if to convince her to stay, but considering Bai Ruozhu’s logic, he nodded in agreement.

Bai Ruozhu gave him some medicine for burns before taking her leave.

On the way back, Bai Ruozhu informed Jiang Yichun of Puru’s plans. Jiang Yichun thought for a moment and said, "Whether the second prince ascends the throne or not, we should try to stay out of this matter."

"Alright, tomorrow is the Tangfen Poetry Contest, and I’d rather not worry about other things so as not to miss the chance to find Diao Bin and the others," Bai Ruozhu replied.

On the morning of the second day, Bai Ruozhu put on the official uniform, while Yizi and Fo Lanying appeared beautifully dressed. They were shocked upon seeing Bai Ruozhu, as the official uniform was imposing but not quite visually appealing, resembling men’s wear.

"Ruozhu, you’re not serious, are you? We’re going to a gathering where Fusang’s women will be showcasing their beauty. You’re dressed too sternly," Fo Lanying pursed her lips and said.

Bai Ruozhu laughed, "You young ladies can focus on displaying your beauty. I have three children already; I’ll just back you up."

"This..." Fo Lanying shook her head, but ultimately she allowed Bai Ruozhu to proceed. Little did she know, Bai Ruozhu’s formal official uniform almost became a fashionable attire among women in the Fusang Country in the future.

The trio boarded the horse carriage. Jiang Yichun wanted to escort them but was refused by Bai Ruozhu, as if they were delicate flowers, which underestimated them too much.

The horse carriage headed towards the Tangfen Poetry Contest venue. Considering the poetry contest was named "Tangfen," it evident that the initial Zhongyuan culture was transmitted during the Tang Dynasty. Yet in this weave of time and space, it’s unclear when Tang and Fusang intersected, nor how much time has passed since.

As they approached the venue, more horse carriages appeared on the road, as well as pedestrian ladies dressed in exquisite and beautiful kimonos, walking gracefully.

Soon a guard stopped the horse carriage and uttered a string of Fusang Language, leaving Bai Ruozhu and the others dazed. A lady beside them, dressed in a kimono with attendants, smiled and spoke in Chinese: "The carriage can’t go any further inside; you’ll need to start walking from here."

Bai Ruozhu and the others alighted, thanking the young girl, who looked at them in surprise and asked, "Are you the envoys from Zhongyuan? What is your country called... Danliang Country?"

"Indeed," Bai Ruozhu replied with a smile.

"Then who among you is Bai?" The girl’s eyes lit up, as if seeing an idol she admired.