Chapter 2: Ancient Travel Blogger’s third update just passed…

Just after three o'clock in the morning, the window of the princess's bedroom slid open silently.

Song Youning was dressed in black coarse cloth and had her hair tied up in the most fashionable waiter style in Bianjing.

With a wooden waiter's sign of "Zuixianlou" kindly provided by the princess herself on his waist, he climbed out of the window with ease.

(She vowed: If I get caught again, I will take Li Funing’s last name!!!)

The banana leaves in the palace rustled in the wind, and she crouched down and slid to the west wall.

The entrance to the cave that I had spotted during the day was now covered by some weeds. When I pushed aside the weeds, I startled two sleeping tabby cats.

"I'm sorry, Mimi,"

She stroked the cat's head and took out a few gold bars from her bulging bag and placed them in front of the cat.

"Can you help me keep watch?..."

"This princess left in a hurry and didn't bring much with her. When I'm done, I'll come back and give you a roast chicken for each cat! How do you think?"

"No, two. This is a deposit."

He placed the gold ingot in front of the cat, then climbed up the wall skillfully. It seemed that he was a repeat offender, leaving Li Funing behind the locust tree feeling ashamed.

"It seems like next time I come back, I'll have to feed her some more walnuts to nourish her brain... Whose cat is good enough to eat roast chicken?"

Song Youning jumped off the wall nimbly, brushed off the dirt on his clothes, and turned into Zuixianlou, the largest restaurant in Bianjing, as if he was familiar with the place.

It is also the hidden nest of the famous storybook "Dagan Fengwuzhi" in Dagan.

Seeing her coming, Xiao Liuzi immediately lowered his voice and said, "Princess, have you brought today's manuscript? It's a new chapter of the Dagan Fengwulu."

"No, no, no."

She smiled mysteriously and took out a stack of papers from her bag: the first chapter of "Secret Plan for a Spring Tour in Jiangnan", and the authentic recipe for West Lake Vinegar Fish.

Xiao Liuzi in front of him frowned and immediately became deflated.

He said angrily, "No, Princess, how long have you stopped writing "The Record of the Scenery of Dagan"? Why are you writing something else now? Can you still write properly?"

"Don't panic, don't panic. Just wait for me... I'll give it to you once I finish writing 'Secret Strategies for a Spring Tour in Jiangnan'. Don't worry..."

After saying that, he calmly picked up a lychee from the table, and walked down the stairs in a nonchalant manner, seeing Xiao Liuzi's disappointed expression.

Speaking of Zuixianlou, although it appears to be the largest restaurant in Bianjing (it's just big), in fact, few people come here at all.

The few copper coins I earn every day are not as good as the bun shop next door...

It's so deserted that even the stray dogs on the roadside don't want to come here. They would rather wait at the door of the bun shop early in the morning to eat the bun skins... than hang out here...

However, although Zuixianlou has been making losses every year, it has managed to remain standing and can be regarded as a rare gem in the Bianjing restaurant industry.

Occupying the most expensive land in Bianjing, building the largest building in Bianjing, and housing the most luxurious facilities in Bianjing...

Every day, I only earn money from a few poor beggars on the street... sometimes I even have to pay them...

Because of his outrageous actions, he has always dominated the list of "Da Gan Feng Wu Lu" unsolved mysteries. The second one is: What is the identity of the owner of Zuixianlou that can be so "inhumane"?

Some people say that it was bought by a powerful prince specifically to show off.

Some people also say that it was this wealthy man who was as rich as a country... He spent all his money on his beloved and bought it as a gift for Bai Yueguang.

It is said that although Bai Yueguang is a woman, she is keen on opening a restaurant. In order to please the beauty, he spent a huge amount of money to buy this restaurant for her.

However, Bai Yueguang had no talent for business. Not only did she lose all her money, but she also dumped him and chose a handsome young man as her son-in-law.

The Qian family was so angry that they never got involved in the restaurant business again...

The rumor was quite convincing. If Song Youning wasn't the boss herself, she would have actually believed it...

But should she also choose a handsome young man to show off? After all, she is already the richest woman in the world, so what's wrong with keeping a lover?

But in fact, this Zuixianlou is the home of Song Youning, the first "street urchin" in Dagan, who is elusive and one of the two evil spirits of Bianjing.

The person who came to sell the book originally thought that the Bianjing storybook was really boring, so he wanted to write some random life stories anonymously.

Her life was much more interesting than that damn storybook. Who would have thought that this storybook would actually become a hit.

Not only that, she also "set an example" by publishing some information about the "princess"'s whereabouts in the "Dagan Fengwuzhi" from time to time to attract those young and talented people who want to make a breakthrough. She made a lot of money by selling "herself" in an outrageous way.

The most popular unsolved mystery in her "Da Gan Feng Wu Zhi" is: Where can one encounter Princess Youning so as to ascend to heaven and become the next imperial consort and emperor of the Song Dynasty?

Rumor has it that if one can meet Princess Youning and win her favor, he will be able to rise to the top and become the emperor's husband one day.

As a result, in the city of Bianjing, in teahouses, taverns, poetry gatherings and gardens, one could see talented men eagerly waiting, hoping to catch the princess's eye and rise to a successful position.

For a time, "Where is the princess going for an outing today?" and "Which dim sum shop is Her Highness Youning's favorite?" became the hottest topics in the market, even more exciting than the announcement of the imperial examination results. After all, being favored by the princess meant a leap forward in one day, much easier than studying hard for ten years...

The "Dagan Fengwuzhi", which knew the whereabouts of the "princess", naturally became a popular storybook in Bianliang.

Of course, the princess's whereabouts are indeed in the "Dagan Fengwuzhi"... so they didn't lie to them.

It is said that Zuixianlou is Song Youning's base, which is responsible for recording the customs and habits that Song Youning heard during his travels around the country, as well as the love and hatred between talented men and beautiful women.

Back then, she unexpectedly became the most famous storyteller in Dagan with the story of escaping from marriage in the "Dagan Fengwuzhi". She transformed herself from a princess who escaped from marriage to the most popular storyteller in Dagan.

By selling the whereabouts of the "princess", she directly established her status as a master of storytelling.

In order to have a stable place to publish his storybooks, Song Youning used the money he earned from selling the storybooks to purchase Zuixianlou for a large sum of money.

In order to conceal her business from the public, she continued to run a restaurant business on the ground floor of Zuixianlou, while the bookshop was opened underneath Zuixianlou. No one knew about it except a few of her close associates.

At this time, at the bottom of Zuixian Tower, several scholars were busy proofreading manuscripts. When they saw Song Youning coming, they all stood up and saluted: "Mr. Jinzhi!"

(Note: Her pen name is "Mr. Jinzhi")

"How are the latest issue selling?" She opened the account book.

The accountant said excitedly, "We've already printed three reprints! Even caravans from the southern border are placing orders!"

Song Youning nodded with satisfaction, and suddenly glanced at the letters from readers spread out on the table:

"Mr. Jinzhi, your guide to 'Sunrise Viewing Spots on Mount Tai' saved my life! The mountain was so foggy that day, and I only relied on your guidance to avoid falling off the cliff! You are truly a genius."

Song Youning raised the corner of his mouth proudly, nodded complacently, and opened the next letter...

"Mr. Jinzhi, although your story about escaping marriage is very exciting, I discovered that the best route map for escaping marriage in your latest "Dagan Fengwuzhi" is wrong! I was caught by my fiancé as soon as I climbed over the wall!!!"

(Signed: A certain daughter of a wealthy family in Bianjing who wishes to remain anonymous)

Song Youning pursed his lips and opened the next letter.

"Mr. Jinzhi, I followed your escape route and ran to Yanmen Pass, but my fiancé was waiting for me at the city gate holding your latest issue of 'Da Gan Fengwu Lu'!"

He said, "I've memorized the route Mr. Jinzhi wrote! I'm just waiting to catch you!"

(Signed: The Desperate Li Family of Longxi)

Song Youning: “…”

"I see"

Song Youning suddenly had an epiphany. No wonder Li Funing knew where she was. It turned out to be because he had read her "Da Gan Fengwu Lu"! ! ! She even wrote the route herself, so how could she not be caught?

She asked how she was caught by him...she actually sold herself out...

(Next time you run away, you won’t be allowed to appear in the book!!)

It was three hours later that Song Youning completed the changes to the "Elopement Chapter".

She lay on the desk bored, thinking about where to collect materials for the next manuscript, sketching on the desk over and over again.

On the table was the "Map of Da Gan's Territory" with several places circled and drawn on it, while Song Youning circled and crossed out several place names with a red pen.

Finally stopped at...

"Lingnan."

She suddenly slammed the table, and the scholars around her were startled.

"I have decided. Our next stop..."

"Go straight to Lingnan..." Song Youning's eyebrows were curved and he smiled proudly.

"Princess, do you really want to write about Lingnan?"

Chun Tao was worried. "There's a lot of miasma over there, lots of snakes and insects, and I heard there are even barbarians..."

"That's why it's even more worth exploring!"

Song Youning's eyes lit up, "Lychee, longan, betel nut, and the rumored "witchcraft"

People will love to watch it!!!

She quickly wrote the title:

Lingnan Strange Stories: A Fantastic Journey from Eating Lychees to Eating Gu Insects

(Subtitle: Let's see how Mr. Benzi came back alive in the first episode of Dagan)

"Xiao Liu, this time we are going to do something big at Zuixianzhai (Note: Zuixian Pavilion is a restaurant, Zuixianzhai is a bookstore, the princess was too lazy to come up with a name)," Song Youning said loudly.

As soon as the news came out, the bookstore of Da Gan Feng Wu Zhi was in an uproar. We can go out and play with the princess again!!!

Mr. Accountant: "Do you want to print more copies of the Lingnan Special Edition and sell them in advance?"

Painter: "I'll draw a picture of the princess fighting a poisonous insect!"

The woodblock carver: "We're using rosewood this time! It's insect-proof!"

Suddenly, someone raised their hand weakly: "Um... Lingnan vernacular novels often mention 'love poison'. Princess, are you planning to try it?"

The whole audience was silent.

At this time, the backyard of the Li Mansion was particularly quiet, because the Li family had been noble for generations, and the mansion was gorgeous and elegant, with endless pink walls and black tiles, and pavilions and towers scattered around.

Apart from……

There is a row of golden loquat trees planted beside the pond, which looks a bit strange.

Li Funing was reviewing official documents in the courtyard with his eyes downcast when Jingwen walked in with a stack of letters. (Note: Jingwen was Li Funing's servant from childhood to adulthood)

"Sir, this is the latest news from Zuixianzhai." Jingwen handed over the letter in his hand.

He twisted the paper with his fingertips and unfolded it:

Mr. Jinzhi's next stop is Lingnan! Looking forward to "Lingnan Strange Stories: A Fantastic Journey from Lychees to Gu Insects"

(Subtitle: Let’s see how Mr. Benzi comes back alive in the first episode of Dagan)

He frowned slightly: "She is so cool, and she left me alone..."

After a moment's thought, he said, "Jingwen, bandits have been rampant in Lingnan recently. The caravans on the official road just robbed the official salt last month. If we rashly go there..."

He picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote a line of small words in the corner: "Have someone change into caravan clothes and eliminate the caravan."

Jingwen hesitated: "Sir, should I tell you..."

“No need.”

He interrupted Jingwen and held the note close to the candlelight. When the flame burned through the four words "Mr. Jinzhi", a smile flashed in his eyes.

"Since she wants to go to Lingnan, let her go." His voice was full of pampering.

Three days later, Kunning Palace

Song Luoshu leaned on the soft couch, eating grapes tributed from the Western Regions while slowly reading the Yangzhou chapter of "Dagan Fengwuzhi".

"Queen, you must say that our daughter's book is really well written. I will take you to Yangzhou next time..."

"Yes! The princess is now the most famous novelist in Dagan. Her book 'Dagan Fengwuzhi' is especially hard to come by! It's worth a fortune."

Eunuch Guo, who was standing by, peeled the lychees patiently and handed them to the emperor, flattering him at the same time.

Turning to: [Mr. Jinzhi's next stop: Lingnan!!! Looking forward to it:

"Lingnan Yiwenlu: A Fantastic Journey from Eating Lychees to Eating Gu Worms" (Subtitle: See How Mr. Benzi Returns Alive in the First Episode of Dagan)

"Ningning is going to Lingnan?"

Song Luoshu picked up the candied fruit beside him and threw it into his mouth.

The spy standing by bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the princess has already left this morning."

Song Luoshu nodded and turned the page: "How many guards did that girl bring?"

"All the staff of Zuixianzhai, and a coachman."

"oh."

Song Luoshu responded nonchalantly, his gaze still fixed on the page. "I remember there were bandit attacks in Lingnan recently."

Eunuch Guo stole a glance at the emperor's expression and said cautiously, "Yes, it's especially rampant on the official roads... But strangely enough, a few days ago a group of merchants confiscated all of it."

"oh."

Song Luoshu suddenly laughed, "That's not surprising."

He closed the book and tossed it on the table, his face showing a look of delight, as if he were watching a play. "Go, find my set of 'Strange Stories of Lingnan' and wait for Ningning to come back so we can compare them."

(The Holy One understood: There was no need to give any instructions, someone would arrange everything.)

The queen held a round fan in her hand and looked coldly at the emperor who was leisurely flipping through a book.

"Sir, are you so confident that your daughter can go to Lingnan?"

She pressed her fingertips hard to express her dissatisfaction.

"That girl only brought a few people with her. What if they run into bandits again?"

Song Luoshu said without even looking up: "What are you afraid of? Funing will definitely go with us. He can also help me clean up the mess. Lingnan is a remote place and I usually can't control it."

"The official is quite open-minded."

The Queen sneered, "My son-in-law has mobilized three teams of people, replaced all his trusted aides at the post stations along the way, and even prepared three cooks."

"As a father, you're just planning to give me a crappy book?"

Song Luoshu looked innocent: "The Queen is wrong."

"What I gave you is the only copy of Strange Stories from Lingnan!"

"It's priceless! Even when Old Man Li asked me to borrow it, I couldn't bear to give it to him. How could it be a tattered book?"

"Oh."

The Queen pointed out the window with her round fan and said, "When your son-in-law left the capital this morning, he even took the calming incense your daughter used."

"I heard they even hired a chef from Beijing, worried she wouldn't be used to the food."

Song Luoshu blinked, his face flushed with shame: "I...I give you spiritual comfort!"

The queen laughed in anger: "Yes, your son-in-law even went to great lengths to suppress the bandits in order to please your daughter."

"He even sent a pigeon saying he was going to tie the bandit leader up like a dumpling and give it to the princess as material for her travelogue! Only your heartless daughter is so clueless!"

"Every year, wherever he goes, Funing follows him, and wherever he goes, corrupt officials are cleared out. It's actually a good thing for the officials..." The queen rolled her eyes.

(Song Luoshu muttered softly: "Isn't this quite thoughtful...")

Song Youning's carriage drove out of Bian Jing, and he thought it would be a difficult journey.

The result was incredibly smooth!!!

The official road was as smooth as new, with hardly any stones to be seen, as if someone had cleaned it in advance.

Hot water and hot meals were always ready at the post station. The shopkeeper smiled when he saw her and said, "We've saved some for you in the upper room!"

The ferry boat just started to sail, and the captain rubbed his hands: "Your Excellency has arrived at the right time, the last cabin has just been vacated!"

Chun Tao held the fresh fruit and sighed, "How strange! They said there were bandits on the pipeline, but I didn't see anyone along the way. They must have made a mistake."

Song Youning took a bite of the lychee, the sweet juice overflowed his mouth, and he squinted his eyes and looked at the mountains in the distance.

Smiled, didn't say anything...

Someone might have already followed me by now...

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