On the day before the Buddhist assembly, a young novice from Wan’an Temple came to the county yamen, going door to door to deliver a box of agarwood incense, several vegetarian pastries, and small toys specially prepared for children, warmly inviting each official household to attend the assembly the following day.
From among them, Miss Player picked out a shuttlecock made of goose feathers. Its fluffy plumes had been dyed in seven colors—delicate and charming.
With some time left before the midday meal, she took Taozi to a parasol tree not far from the official residence and began kicking the shuttlecock to exercise.
This spot lay between her home and the County Magistrate’s residence—right along the path the young students took when returning from the county school.
She had barely kicked it a few times when she saw a group of half-grown boys approaching shoulder to shoulder. Among them was Jiang Jingxing.
At just over five, he had already stopped private tutoring and had been sent by Jiang Yan to the county school.
Another difference from the previous life.
Back then, Jiang Jingxing had studied at home with tutors until his first attempt at the exams. Only after failing at fourteen did he begin school life.
As far as she knew, it was not that Jiang Yan had been unwilling to send him earlier.
Cuixi County’s school had strong teachers and high standards. Studying there meant building connections and broadening one’s perspective.
But Jiang Yan had been a marginal figure in the yamen. His family could not expect preferential treatment. Given Jiang Jingxing’s personality, there was no way he could break through isolation and establish himself among his peers.
Better to let him study at home.
But in this life—
There was no such concern.
Jiang Yan rose through his daughter’s favor; Jiang Jingxing gained prominence through his sister’s reputation. The children who once ignored him now competed to curry favor with him for Miss Player’s sake.
After the “child trafficker incident,” he had even made a few close friends.
Among them, the one closest to him was Zhang Kang, the Registrar’s youngest son.
If that dwarf trafficker tried again now to kick him flying—
It would be impossible.
After that incident, Zhang Kang had resolved to follow in his father’s footsteps. In the real world, the Registrar was akin to the county’s chief of security—how could he afford to be weak?
He trained day and night, never slacking. From a scrawny dark boy, he had grown into a sturdy, dark-skinned youth.
Though he could not match Youxi’s natural strength, among children his age, he was second only to one.
The moment Zhang Kang saw Miss Player, his grin spread wide, exposing his gleaming molars.
“Youyou, good morning!”
He jogged forward, picked up the shuttlecock that had fallen some distance away, and returned it to her.
“Thank you, Brother Zhang,” Miss Player replied politely, as she always did with outsiders. “Why are you dismissed so early today?”
“Isn’t there a Buddhist assembly tomorrow?” Zhang Kang said. “This one isn’t for blessings or funerary rites, nor is it tied to any Buddha’s birthday or passing, or any festival. Wan’an Temple is holding a new kind of ceremony that spread here from the Capital—called a ‘Sacred Blessing Assembly.’ The monks will collectively recite scriptures like the Precious Rain Sutra and the Humane King’s Prajñā Sutra to pray for the nation’s longevity and the emperor’s well-being.”
Miss Player nodded.
So—a grand display of flattery.
With knowledge from her previous life, she knew that this type of assembly had first been pioneered by the most authoritative temple in the country—Huguo Temple.
And it had been used brilliantly.
Before this, the imperial family of Great Xi had leaned more toward Daoism. But after these ceremonies began, Buddhism gradually overtook it.
Nothing withstands wear and tear like flattery.
Zhang Kang, unaware of her thoughts, continued, “Our instructor was invited as well. Tomorrow, there’ll be a literary gathering at Wan’an Temple. We’ve been sent home to each write an essay. The teacher will review them there and select the best to be read aloud.”
“I see,” Miss Player said. “Then you should go and prepare.”
Zhang Kang waved his hand. “No rush. I’ll stay and play shuttlecock with you for a bit.”
At that moment, another boy about his age squeezed out from the group, shouting as he came.
“I saw a kind of flower by the roadside—really beautiful! Make way, make way! Don’t crush it—it’s for Youyou!”
The boy, around eleven or twelve, stood out among the others like a crane among chickens. Even without anyone yielding, he pushed forward using his height and build.
By the time he reached her, the bouquet in his hand was still clumped with soil. The stems were tangled, the blossoms crushed from rough handling.
Yet he grinned like a fool, scratching his head, thrusting the flowers forward without saying anything else.
Zhang Kang slapped him immediately.
“Are you blind? There’s a bee in those flowers!”
The boy clutched his head, looking closely.
Sure enough—
Beneath the large petals clung a massive dark red bee, slightly longer than his thumb. Its color was unusual, its appearance far more menacing than an ordinary bee.
“Sorry—I didn’t see it,” the boy said quickly, tossing the bouquet aside.
Before the flowers even hit the ground, the bee lifted into the air, circling a few times in a strange pattern.
Before anyone could guess what it was doing—
A loud, rising buzz came from above.
Miss Player looked up.
A dense swarm of bees formed a visible cloud, black and heavy, descending toward them. Each bee vibrated rapidly, its abdomen raised—aggression unmistakable.
With my Morality this low… even staying within the yamen grounds, I can still trigger an event and run into danger.
Despair filled her.
With only three points in Constitution, her body refused to respond.
Her mind said: Run.
Her legs said: Impossible.
Zhang Kang, closest to her, reacted instantly. He bent down and scooped her into his arms.
From over his shoulder, she saw Youxi crouch and shield Jiang Jingxing, his body like a towering mountain, completely enveloping his young master.
The other children screamed as the swarm circled and tested them with probing dives.
The buzzing grew louder.
Hundreds of bees chased Zhang Kang and Miss Player, clinging to them like a shadow that would not fall away.
“Ah—ah—!”
The leading bees struck Zhang Kang. Sharp pain made him cry out as he broke into a run.
But long legs could not outrun wings.
The swarm quickly encircled them.
Miss Player had no time to shield her face.
Just as the swarm closed in—
A sharp sound tore through the air.
The bees before her vanished in an instant.
She looked up.
A youth had arrived beside them.
His steps were light and fluid, his brows like misty mountains, his eyes clear as spring water. It had to be him who had dispersed the swarm.
The buzzing surged again—
Another wave of bees descended.
The youth wore only an inner garment. With a flick of his outer robe, he cast it outward like a net, scattering the swarm. Then he drew it inward, trapping more than a dozen bees inside.
No matter how they struck and struggled, none escaped the thin cloth that now served as their cage.
In a gentle voice, he said, “This one, Wen Yan, greets Miss.”
Then he rushed into the swarm.
His face was unfamiliar—
But his eyes were not.
He was the young beggar.
How had he suddenly appeared at the yamen?
Miss Player searched quickly and found Lu Wumou beneath the tree.
As expected—
He was there.
He plucked a parasol leaf, brought it to his lips, and blew.
She knew leaves could produce sound through vibration—
But what he played was no melody.
It was a sharp, urgent buzzing.
At once, the swarm halted its attack and turned back toward the tree.
When he stopped, Lu Wumou stroked his white goatee.
“As long as the young masters and ladies remain still—no noise, no aggressive movement—you will be safe.”
Miss Player noticed—
The largest dark red bee flew first to the tree, clinging to a protrusion on the trunk.
The rest followed, clustering layer upon layer into a dense black mass, hanging quietly like a cloth sack.
Wen Yan shook out his robe. The trapped bees were still alive. They flew out and joined the cluster, making it grow even larger.
Soon—
Not a single stray bee remained.
By then, Wen Yan had already treated the injured.
Zhang Kang, fearless as a newborn calf, approached the cluster with curiosity.
“Sir, how did that big bee summon so many others?”
Lu Wumou smiled.
“That is the queen. In spring, when a hive grows large, a new queen emerges. The old queen leaves with part of the swarm to find a new nest. Before they settle, they cluster temporarily on trees or eaves. They would not have attacked you—had the queen not been disturbed.”
“I see,” Zhang Kang said.
Then—
Together with the lightly injured boys, he dragged off the one who had brought the queen bee and beat him.
With nearly everyone injured, they dispersed to their homes, leaving the cluster for the yamen runners to handle.
…
Back at Yinian Hall, Taozi knelt on the ground, recounting the entire incident to Madam Sun without omission.
Madam Sun clutched her chest.
“Have the kitchen prepare a calming decoction.”
Such medicine was always kept ready.
With Miss Player’s tendency to encounter unusual situations, she had grown accustomed to it.
She would not confine the child indoors like a caged bird.
The problem was not going out—
But that she had too few people around her.
Madam Sun looked at Lu Wumou and Wen Yan.
“Who are you?”
Lu Wumou replied, “This old servant was recently purchased by the household. I can read and write a little and currently manage the storeroom. This is my adopted son, Wen. Once he becomes familiar with the household, he will take on errands and gatekeeping duties.”
“How old is he? Has he trained in martial arts?”
“Thirteen,” Wen Yan answered. “Raised in a temple, I learned some techniques from the warrior monks.”
Madam Sun nodded, then asked Lu Wumou, “Are you a beekeeper?”
“I am fond of learning and know a little of many things. I picked up that skill from a village beekeeper. I also do stonework, carpentry, and can use a compass and surveying tools.”
Versatile.
But what impressed her most was his composure.
After a moment, she said, “From now on, the two of you will attend to the young lady. Take good care of her, and I will increase your monthly wages.”
With visible reluctance, she raised five fingers.
“An additional fifty… coins.”
Grandmother, that’s far too little to retain talent.
Fortunately—
These two were not here for money.
When no one else was around, Lu Wumou said to Miss Player, “My son has nowhere to go for now. I ask Miss to take him in for a time. He will not eat for free—he can serve as your guard.”
Miss Player had already seen Wen Yan’s skill.
Capturing an entire swarm alive and moving through it unharmed—
Whatever his rank in the martial world, he far surpassed the yamen runners.
An SR character willing to work for free?
She would never refuse.
She agreed at once.
“And you?” she asked Lu Wumou. “What can you do?”
For a moment, he felt something stir.
It had been years since anyone had asked him that.
There was little in this world he could not handle.
With a faint smile, he said, “Anything Miss requires.”
She brightened.
“I need ten thousand taels of silver. Every single coin must come from my mother. The time limit is six months. The trouble is—she doesn’t have that much right now.”
Lu Wumou paused.
“Is this a test?”
“No.”
Miss Player went inside and brought out a set of clothing.
The design had been completed yesterday. She had selected one and sent it to the embroidery workshop. With rushed production, it had been finished in just a day and a night.
Even held against her body, its elegance and beauty were unmistakable.
“What do you think?”
“It is beautiful,” both replied.
She set it down.
“If my family’s cloth shop produces a steady stream of new designs, earning ten thousand taels won’t be difficult. The real problem is my mother—she rejects commerce and refuses to engage in trade.”
Lu Wumou murmured, “The mind’s prison is the hardest to unlock…”
Miss Player nodded.
“I know how difficult it is to change someone’s beliefs. So don’t bother. You may coerce or compel—ignore her feelings if necessary. As long as she works and earns money, that’s enough. Can you do it?”
Lu Wumou said, “That is manageable. Give me seven days—”
“Too long.”
Having survived the workplace, Miss Player knew exactly how to assign tasks.
This was an SR character—wasting his potential would be a crime.
“I’ll give you three.”
Lu Wumou’s lips twitched.
But faced with her shining, expectant eyes, he found himself unable to argue.
“Understood.”