Chapter 68 A Pleasant Sound: "What I meant was, Yaoyao can do whatever she wants..."

Zhao Xu galloped away on his horse, the strong wind cutting his face like blades.

He didn't know where to go, or where else he could go, and just kept his head down, running recklessly.

His mother's tears, the nanny's accusations, and Meng Lingyao's cold and resolute eyes... tore at him repeatedly.

In a daze, he became a trapped beast, tightly bound by vines called "filial piety".

He knew that if he insisted on going north, it would be tantamount to personally stabbing his mother in the heart with the sharp blade of "filial impiety," and completely pushing the heavy responsibility of serving his parents onto his elder brother.

On the other hand, there was Meng Lingyao's cold and sharp prediction: "Do you think you can still return to the Northern Frontier?"

If he really stays in the capital, wouldn't that prove her words true?

Is it really true that he can't even go to the northern border?

After an unknown amount of time, the horse slowed down. Zhao Xu looked up and saw, not far away, a farm owned by the Marquis of Wuxing on the outskirts of the capital. The farm housed many of the wounded soldiers he had brought back from the northern frontier.

He reined in his horse, dismounted, and went inside.

The sun was high in the sky, yet this courtyard was shrouded in shadow.

When Zhao Xu entered, he saw a wounded soldier with a missing arm clumsily chopping firewood with his only remaining hand, taking a long time to chop off a piece.

Several soldiers with broken legs sat in the courtyard, staring blankly into the distance. When they saw Zhao Xu enter, their eyes lit up instantly, and they struggled to salute, calling out "General."

"Please don't stand on ceremony, everyone," Zhao Xu quickly stopped them.

He lifted his robe and sat down on the ground with the wounded soldiers, talking for a while.

As Zhao Xu was leaving, a man with a limp insisted on seeing him to the door. He had once been a valiant scout captain, but now he couldn't even walk without his crutches.

"General, when will you return to the northern frontier?" His voice was rough, with a heavy northern accent. "It's a pity my body is ruined, otherwise... otherwise I really want to go back with you again! To fight alongside my brothers again."

Zhao Xu felt a tightness in his chest, and meeting his earnest gaze, he blurted out, "Soon, I'll bring everyone's share and go back together!"

The soldier awkwardly clasped his hands in thanks, "Thank you, General!"

Zhao Xu returned the greeting solemnly.

He mounted his horse and rode away.

Behind him, two men who looked like managers were whispering to each other as they watched his retreating figure under the eaves.

"...Young master is kind-hearted, but little does he know that supporting these useless people requires not only food but also medical treatment and medicine, costing a fortune every month? This estate is subsidized year after year, and the hole is getting bigger and bigger..."

"Shh! Keep quiet! The Marquis's mansion is so wealthy and powerful, what's a little bit more? Anyway, it'll all be going through the public accounts, and you'll get your share..."

-

In the sweltering summer, the cicadas chirped incessantly.

This vast capital city is like a stage that never stops, where countless new dramas unfold every day. In recent days, a piece of news has been thrown into a deep pool like a stone, pushing the Prince Qing's Mansion, which had disappeared from everyone's sight for a long time, back into the spotlight.

Qi Jin, the heir apparent of Prince Qing, was previously banished to a remote area by the Emperor for his inappropriate words and actions. Princess Suxin, the apple of Prince Qing's eye, spoke disrespectfully in the palace at the beginning of the year, enraging the Emperor, who punished her with a six-month confinement. The Emperor was furious and also reprimanded Prince Qing for failing to properly educate his son, fining him a full year's salary.

From then on, the Prince Qing's mansion lived on thin ice, keeping a low profile and never again displaying its former arrogance and domineering nature.

The county princess's confinement period has now ended, but the emperor has not spoken, Prince Qing does not dare to ask for permission, and no one else dares to provoke the emperor's wrath.

Just then, devastating news arrived from the remote area—Qi Jin had perished in a flash flood.

The official gazette stated that the Crown Prince, while trying to save the flood victims, was swept away by the floodwaters and his body was never recovered. Upon hearing the news, Prince Qing and his wife were devastated, and their hair turned white overnight.

Upon learning of this, the Third Prince went to the palace to request an audience with the Emperor. He stated frankly that Prince Qing had lost his beloved son and now only had one daughter left, who was still under house arrest. He earnestly begged His Majesty to have mercy and lift the county princess's confinement, so as to offer some solace to Prince Qing and his wife in their grief over the loss of their son.

The Emperor was moved by this and not only granted permission to lift the confinement of Princess Suxin, but also issued an edict to commend Prince Qing's heir for his selfless act of saving the people, posthumously conferring upon him the title of Loyal and Valiant Heir.

For a time, everyone in the court and the public praised the emperor's benevolence and the third prince's filial piety.

“The Prince of Qing’s heir was once a notorious playboy in the capital,” Meng Lingyao sighed. “He rode wildly in the city, bullied men and women, and did all sorts of outrageous things. Now he has died saving the people, which is truly lamentable.”

"The Prince of Qing's heir is indeed dead, but whether he died saving the people..." Pei Xu paused, then said calmly, "it may not be as the rumors say."

Meng Lingyao suddenly looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She even forgot to wave the fan in her hand. "Is this something... that I should say?"

Pei Xu's expression remained unchanged as he countered, "Will Yaoyao tell anyone?"

Meng Lingyao frowned slightly, a hint of annoyance in her eyes, and looked away. "I... will try not to say it."

She leaned back against the lilac-colored cushions on the carriage, her face half-covered by a silk fan, revealing only her clear eyes. She complained, "Don't tell me these things next time. I don't want to know any secrets of the court. The more you know, the sooner you die. That's what they say in the storybooks."

Pei Xu's eyes flickered slightly, a hint of a smile flashing across them. He hesitated for a moment, then changed the subject, "There is something that I'm sure will make Yao Yao happy."

"oh?"

"On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, Sun Fanghai, who instigated Wang Chaogui," Pei Xu said calmly, as if discussing the weather, "has had all his past illegal acts exposed. He has now been arrested and brought to justice."

Upon hearing this, Meng Lingyao's eyes suddenly lit up, like stars falling into autumn water. "Really?"

“Absolutely true.” Pei Xu nodded.

There were quite a few officials in the court like Sun Fanghai who served as henchmen and accomplices to powerful families. The emperor was not unaware of this, but as the saying goes, "too much purity leaves no fish," and as long as they did not act excessively, allowing them to survive was a way of maintaining balance.

He shifted his tone slightly, carefully choosing his words, and said, "As for Madam Cui..."

Before she could finish speaking, Meng Lingyao raised her hand to interrupt, "Madam Cui is a woman of the inner quarters. Matters concerning women..." She slightly dragged out the last syllable, "...should naturally be handled by women."

Pei Xu paused for a moment, then replied with an "okay," and added, "The Cui family's glory days are numbered."

Meng Lingyao immediately covered her ears, disregarding her fan and tossing it aside, saying, "I already said I don't want to hear it!"

She knew perfectly well that the implication of those words was crystal clear—the Emperor intended to take action against Lady Cui.

Such a colossal clan, spanning hundreds of years, would require a massive, earth-shattering operation if the Emperor were to take action. Just thinking about it gave her a headache, which was why she was unwilling to get involved in such a vortex.

Seeing this, Pei Xu said nothing more. He naturally reached out his hand, his knuckles pausing in mid-air for a moment, and finally, through his sleeve, he restrainedly grasped her wrist. With a slight effort, he pulled her soft hands away from her ears, and then immediately let go, as if brushing away a fallen petal.

His voice was deep. "What I'm trying to say is, Yaoyao can do whatever she wants."

Meng Lingyao looked up, meeting his cool, unwavering gaze. Her agitation vanished instantly, a gentle breeze caressing her heart. She smiled slightly, "That... sounds much better."

The carriage came to a stop under the elegant eaves of the riverside restaurant. The restaurant, built along the river, was two stories high with upturned eaves and carved beams and painted rafters.

Pei Xu got out of the car first, landing silently. Meng Lingyao leaned forward to get out as well, but a hand with distinct knuckles was already steadily offered to her. His hand was dry and warm, and through her thin summer shirt, it held her elbow a few inches away, gently lifting her out of the car.

Meng Lingyao stopped, her light pink gauze summer dress paired with a pale green shawl, standing gracefully beside him. A kingfisher feather hairpin swayed gently with her steps, shimmering with a faint, cool light. Pei Xu, in his immaculate blue robe, resembled a solitary bamboo by the riverbank.

Two figures, one aloof and the other radiant, walked side by side into the building, like a vivid painting, drawing the attention of the diners on the first floor, who whispered among themselves.

Zhao Xu's gaze was fixed on the eye-catching couple, beyond the bustling crowd. Just moments before, he had watched Pei Xu help a woman out of a carriage. He had never imagined that the aloof and distant Pei Shaoqing could also be so tender.

It wasn't until the woman turned her head that he realized she was the one he had been longing for.

Yes, who else could it be but her?

Zhao Xu twitched the corner of his mouth.

He had not had a good time these past few days. He did not want to go back to the mansion to face his mother's tearful eyes and silent accusations, nor did he want to step into that seemingly omnipresent web of intrigue. So he simply stayed at an old friend's house and wandered the streets of the capital all day, like a lonely soul with nowhere to go.

At that moment, seeing the couple enter the restaurant, he was so distracted that he involuntarily followed them inside, as if trying to grasp something, or perhaps simply not knowing where to go...

In summer, all the carved wooden windows facing the river are open, and the river breeze carries the fragrance of lotus flowers, making it an excellent place to escape the summer heat in Beijing.

The carved window of the private room was half-open, and the river breeze, carrying the fresh scent of lotus leaves, caressed our faces.

Meng Lingyao put the menu aside and looked at Pei Xu's arm. "Let me see if your wound has healed yet?"

"It's nothing serious," Pei Xu said casually.

"I'll check it myself." She reached out to lift his sleeve. "I won't order food without checking it carefully."

Pei Xu had no choice but to comply, removing the layers of his outer garment and rolling up the sleeves of his snow-white inner robe. The red of the wound had faded, leaving only a faint white mark winding along his arm.

Meng Lingyao examined her carefully for a moment, then nodded in satisfaction, "She's quite obedient."

With her doubts dispelled, she picked up the menu.

Previously, in order to revitalize Juxianglou, she had thoroughly investigated all the restaurants in the capital. Which restaurant that could establish itself under the emperor's nose didn't have a few unique skills?

Riverside Residence is famous for its fish. Taking advantage of its location, it is built by the water, and every morning fishing boats deliver the freshest catch. It is said that from the water to the plate, it takes no more than an hour, so the key to enjoying the fish is its freshness.

"This steamed sea bass is the restaurant's signature dish, and so is this sweet and sour mandarin fish, the sweet and sour flavors are perfectly balanced," Meng Lingyao said, listing the dishes with great familiarity. "And let's add a dish of 'white robe rolling pearls'—that's just boiled live shrimp, served with some seasonal greens..."

Before long, the cups and plates were laid out. The steamed sea bass lived up to its reputation. The moment the chopsticks touched it, the fish meat was as tender as solidified fat. Served with the secret soy sauce, it was sweet and refreshing.

Pei Xu took a sip and said, "The cooking skills, the heat control and seasoning are all top-notch."

Meng Lingyao raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

She put down her chopsticks and looked at the white sails dotting the river. "I've heard that places like Fuzhou and Quanzhou are coastal, and the people there rely on the sea for their livelihood. Many seafood ingredients are completely different from river fish. It's a pity that the capital is too far away, so seafood transported here isn't considered fresh." There was a hint of regret in her voice.

“Indeed,” Pei Xu agreed. “I once went to Rongcheng on official business, and the seafood there is truly exceptional. At dawn, when the fishing boats return to port, the docks are piled high with fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish, all of them incredibly fresh.”

Meng Lingyao's eyes sparkled as she listened, resting her chin on her hand as if the fresh scent of the sea breeze was already wafting to her nose. "How is the scenery in Rongcheng?"

“The waters are beautiful and the mountains are clear, a hidden paradise.” Pei Xu rarely spoke more than a few words. “The harbor of Fuzhou is deep and wide, with a vast expanse of blue waves. Between the streets and alleys, there are swaying coconut trees and banana trees with broad leaves like umbrellas, exuding the charm of the South. It’s just that the summer heat is so intense that it’s like summer all year round, unlike the distinct four seasons in the capital.”

"It sounds so appealing," Meng Lingyao sighed softly, her eyes filled with longing. "If I had the chance, I would really like to see that scenery."

"Yes, I will." Pei Xu gazed at her, his eyes distant.

After finishing their meal, the two got up and left the private room. As soon as they stepped down the stairs, they heard a loud discussion coming from the lobby.

"In my opinion, isn't it absurd for the eldest princess, a woman, to insist on going to the southwest to quell the rebellion?"

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Author's Note: Attentive readers will notice a subtle change in the cover design. The original background was drawn by a friend, and the text was written by me. I spent the whole morning slacking off, but I'm really not good at writing on a tablet, so I wasn't very satisfied. In the end, I found a professional graphic designer. But! My signature in the top left corner is still there [shy]

Also, because I'm going to be on the new book's 1000-word list tomorrow, the update will be delayed until around 11:30 PM. Those of you who go to bed early can sleep in on Saturday and enjoy a couple of chapters!