After Chu Qing left the palace, she went to the Secret Investigation Department first, intending to find Hu Hengqiu and ask if he had anything to explain, but he bumped into Xiaobao's guard Xiangzi at the door.

"Master, the young master is at the Yongxingsheng Silver Building." Xiangzi said half of the sentence.

"What are you doing there?" Chu Qing asked.

"Young master wants to make you a gift. I sent it last evening and I went to pick it up today." Xiangzi still said half of the sentence.

"This child is so considerate!" Chu Qing felt warm in her heart. Having such a child who cares about her is something every mother would be proud of.

"master……"

"Ah? Is there anything else?"

"Aren't you going to pick up the young master?"

"Do you want to pick it up? Zhuo Yao didn't follow? I still have some things to do here..."

"Follow me, um... Master, what are you doing? Do you want to treat Shangguan to dinner? We have a new dish at the Blue House!"

"Tell me, what happened?" Chu Qing asked.

Zhuo Yao recruited these boys from nowhere to be Xiaobao's guards. Zhuo Yao had guaranteed their character, so Chu Qing felt more at ease.

But when it comes to what kind of general leads what kind of soldiers, Zhuo Yao's level should not be able to produce soldiers who talk in such roundabout ways.

But right now, this guy is saying something here and there, but what is he foreshadowing?

"Master, ahem, the young master has lost a box of pearls." Xiangzi said while taking a closer look.

Xiangzi knows how valuable pearls are.

It is said that the rarest thing is the most valuable. In Kyoto, a fine jade pendant is not worth a pearl the size of a fingernail.

Someone stole a box of beads from Xiaobao. What a prodigal child he was. Who knew that the adults would not give him a good beating?

Xiangzi has always been worried about Xiaobao, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to beat around the bush like this.

"Where's Xiaobao? Is there anything wrong with Xiaobao?" Chu Qing asked, her voice urgent.

"Master, don't worry, the young master is fine, it's just... ouch!" Xiangzi was kicked by Chu Qing.

"Say! What's wrong with Xiaobao?" Chu Qing shouted.

Seeing that Chu Qing was only worried about Xiaobao and did not mention pearls, Xiangzi spoke sharply: "Yes! Master, the young master brought a box of silver-blue pearls last night and went to the Yongxingsheng Silver Building to have them drilled for you.

It was a New Year’s gift, but they stole the beads and falsely accused the young master of giving them fake beads!”

"Let's go!" Chu Qing said.

"Master, Yong Xingsheng's boss is the governor of Beizhen..." Xiangzi hurriedly explained the matter in detail and suggested: "Do you think you should go with Mr. Hu?"

"Looking for me?" Hu Hengqiu's voice came from behind.

Hu Hengqiu happened to return to the Secret Investigation Department after leaving court, and he saw Chu Qing at the gate.

"Uh... I've met Mr. Hu!" Chu Qing quickly saluted.

"Is something wrong?" Hu Hengqiu asked when he heard Xiangzi mentioning him just now.

"Master Hu! I'm reporting the case! The young master lost a box of pearls and came here to report the case!" Xiangzi bowed and saluted.

This kid! He was hesitant in his words just now, half-hidden and half-hidden, but now he is very sharp! You are afraid of me, but not of my leadership? What kind of logic is this?

"Report the crime?" Hu Hengqiu glanced at Xiangzi and then turned to Chu Qing.

"Uh... no need, sir, don't bother with this little family matter!" Chu Qing hurriedly stopped her. She couldn't trouble the leader without seeing everything in person.

"Master..." Xiangzi was a little anxious.

"Haha, it's time for dinner, how about at the Blue House, I'll treat you!" Hu Hengqiu suggested with a smile.

"Subordinate, please!"

"Where is your son?"

"Sir, our young master is prosperous in Yongxing. Master, let's pick up the young master and go back to the Blue House together?" Xiangzi interrupted again.

"That's fine!" Hu Hengqiu said.

Chu Qing didn't even answer the call.

When Chu Qing and Hu Hengqiu arrived on horseback, they saw the carriages leaving the gate of Yongxingsheng in an orderly manner.

Xiaobao's guard "actively" helped direct: "Come on, come on, turn left, that's right!"

"Don't worry, get out of the car, thank you for your cooperation!"

"Keep going, keep going, no problem, let's get through it!"

Because it was Xiaobao's business, Chu Qing ignored the leader, got off his horse and went directly into the building. When he entered the door, he heard shopkeeper Meng shouting loudly: "Come here! Please come over, boss!"

Shopkeeper Meng was really anxious.

Normally he can't do things like this. Doesn't it make him, the shopkeeper, incompetent? But he can't care about it now. The lady who just left is the daughter of the family of Zhongcheng, the censor, and there is also the wife of the Minister of Civil Affairs upstairs.

My customers were so disturbed by Xiaobao that they became separated. An unprecedented accident in the business happened today.

Chu Qing stood next to Xiaobao without saying a word and looked up and down. The child was not injured and was fine.

"Shopkeeper Meng, what are you busy with!" Hu Hengqiu came in with a smile and greeted him familiarly, as if he didn't see Zhuo Yao almost hanging on Shopkeeper Meng's body.

"Master Hu!" Shopkeeper Meng's heart was pounding, thinking that what was supposed to come didn't come, and why did the thing that shouldn't come come?

"Why did Mr. Hu come in person today? Do you want to show your dignity to Madam?" Shopkeeper Meng hurried forward and received him calmly.

"Hey, no, no, no, everyone in Kyoto knows that my pocket is cleaner than my face. Are you making fun of me?" Hu Hengqiu still looked approachable: "I came here with Mr. Chu to see what's new. Mr. Chu said I would bring it with me.

I came back with a batch of colored pearls and prepared them for you to sell on consignment, so I just wanted to open my eyes."

Is it intentional? Which pot should not be opened? Or the reinforcements brought in by this damn boy? Speaking of which, why hasn’t the boss sent someone here? Shopkeeper Meng’s temples are sweating.

Zhuo Yao had already let go of Shopkeeper Meng and stood behind Xiaobao.

Xiaobao was very embarrassed when he saw Chu Qing: "I'm sorry, mother, I wanted to give you a surprise..."

"Okay! Just don't be scared!" Chu Qing said.

"Mom, are you feeling better?"

"Okay, don't worry. You won't feel uncomfortable anywhere, but you feel relaxed!"

"Mom, look at this string of beads. They are made of clam shell powder."

"The craftsmanship is not very good! At least it is made of abalone shell, which can also produce some color!"

"Mother, you are supporting their fraud!"

"Ah? Do I have one? They just need to put up a sign saying 'imitation pearls' and sell them as they should. It's like buying mid- to low-priced goods."

"Mom, the problem is that they took advantage of my pearls!"

"Well... just let it go. I'll tell the Queen Mother and the Empress later that the pearl has been lost."

In this era, there are too few pearls, counterfeiting of pearls is actually not very popular, and there are no relevant legal provisions.

On the other hand, there are regulations that punish both the merchant and the guarantor for tea, counterfeit currency, dead horse meat passed off as deer meat, etc.

What's more, the pearls Chu Qing planned to pay tribute to the palace were golden pearls, which were really not blue. Now they were just trying to make a tiger skin out of a banner.

Hu Hengqiu looked around at the goods leisurely, and when he met customers who greeted him, regardless of whether they were leaving or staying, he responded enthusiastically: "Are you leaving? Take your time, see you later!"
Chapter completed!