Smooth Sailing

After sending off the fleet, Lily Evans returned to the Prince of Qin's Manor, feeling completely relaxed.

The plantation was up and running; the hot pot restaurant was thriving, and people seeking to join the franchise came in an endless stream; the ocean fleet set sail with a hold full of goods and children carrying dreams for the future. All the things Lily had been busy with lately were finally settled, and she could finally relax.

From now on, her days were easy—just teaching at the academy and giving Lola some extra tutoring.

Lola now shared the teaching duties with Lily, fifty-fifty, which really helped ease Lily's workload.

After class, Lola even took it upon herself to handle grading. What surprised Lily most was that this usually quiet girl had become unexpectedly close to Martin Wu.

Martin Wu was the class monitor, responsible for collecting and distributing homework each day, and delivering it to Lily’s courtyard.

Lately, Lola had been grading the homework, so the two interacted more and became familiar with each other.

Martin Wu was studious and hardworking, with a quick mind and lots of questions. So, whenever he delivered homework, he’d seize the chance to consult Lola, the teaching assistant.

Lola, for her part, was especially gifted in mathematics and always happy to help Martin Wu, who was a girl disguised as a boy.

So the two were often together—Lola tutoring Martin Wu, and Martin Wu helping Lola grade papers when he had spare time.

As for Lily Evans, she became a bit of a bystander after class, often dozing off and spending most of her free time napping. The daily business of the academy mostly fell to Lola and Martin Wu, which suited Lily just fine. Sometimes she didn’t even show up, letting Lola teach and handle academy affairs in her place.

Life passed in this leisurely, happy way, and in the blink of an eye, three months went by.

By May, the weather grew warmer and the layers of clothing grew fewer.

Lily was now four months pregnant, and her belly was just beginning to show beneath her close-fitting clothes, though she could still hide it under loose garments.

But her belly would only grow, and with lighter clothing in the summer, she wouldn’t be able to hide it much longer.

Fortunately, Lola had become so capable that she could handle everything at the academy on her own.

Just then, good news arrived from both the plantation and overseas.

Lily’s uncle, David Wang, sent word that after months of experiments, they’d finally managed to cultivate the spices successfully. The plants were thriving, and a big harvest was on the horizon.

Meanwhile, letters arrived from overseas—from Edward and Cecilia.

Edward, following Lily’s instructions, continued to sell goods while secretly purchasing arms.

Cecilia wrote about her studies abroad. The children were struggling to fit into local society, learning new knowledge and culture.

Cecilia only mentioned the good news in her letter, glossing over the hardships. But Lily knew that, in this era, studying overseas was no easy feat. These children were carrying out Lily’s mission with extraordinary courage and perseverance.

This made Lily deeply gratified. It was as if she could see the seeds of hope taking root in these children, sprouting tender yet resilient green shoots.

One day, each of them would grow into a towering tree, supporting their own piece of the sky.

While the Prince of Qin's Manor was thriving and everything was going smoothly, things at the Marquis Valor Estate grew increasingly difficult.

At this time, Concubine Lin quietly came to the Prince of Qin's Manor to report to Lily Evans.

"Mistress, the Marquis has fallen ill," Concubine Lin reported.