On the streets of the capital, Tangyuan was stunned by the sight before him. It was far more magnificent and beautiful than the streets of the mountain city, but he also felt a pang of regret that his father and mother couldn't be with him. The thought of this made him lose interest, and he walked down the street somewhat dejectedly, no longer in the mood to stroll. Xuanyu saw him with his head down and said, "What's wrong?! Didn't you want to come out and see the sights? Why are you looking down now? Don't you want to see anymore? Then let's go back!"

"No! No! I just miss my mother and father. I wonder when they will be able to come out."

"Don't worry, the Marquis will be fine. With Prince Wu's help, it should be quick."

"It's all my fault for being useless. If only I could think of a way to rescue them."

"What can you do? Forget about it, I'll take you to eat the best snacks in the capital."

"Snacks? Are they delicious?"

"People in the capital all say that his family's pastries are the best. I haven't tried them, so I don't know."

"Let's go try it, and buy some more to give to Mother."

"good!"

They arrived at a pastry shop called Wuweizhai, where a long line had already formed. The pastries were snapped up as soon as they were made. The two of them stood at a distance and watched for a while, then decided to split up and wait for the next batch of pastries to come out. After a long wait, the next batch finally arrived. Xuan Yu squeezed into the crowd from the left, while Tang Yuan squeezed into the crowd from the right. The two of them struggled through the crowd for a long time before finally emerging with pastries in their hands. Tang Yuan touched her hair, which had been ruffled by the crowd, and she and Xuan Yu smiled at each other, then took a bite of the pastry together.

"Delicious!" Xuan Yu said, taking another bite.

"It's not tasty at all! It's not as good as my mother's." Tangyuan was thrown to Xuanyu with disgust.

"I think it tastes pretty good, why don't you try mine?"

"No, it's definitely not as good as my mother's. You haven't tasted my mother's pastries, they can't compare at all. Forget it, let's go!"

"Where else do you want to go?" Xuan Yu asked Tang Yuan after wrapping up the pastries.

"Are there any other good places to eat and fun places to visit in the capital?"

"I don't know either. I just arrived recently, and then I was sent to the army by the Marquis, so I haven't had a chance to explore."

"Never mind then! Let's go back!"

The two strolled through the streets of the capital. Xuan Yu didn't say anything, just followed beside Tang Yuan. Tang Yuan looked at the pedestrians on the street and missed her parents, Mao Rong, Xiao Ju, and everyone in Lao Zhao Village more and more as she walked. She almost cried again.

"You can't read either, so don't go and join in the fun."

"Let's see what works!"

Passersby were discussing something and pushing forward. Tangyuan curiously stopped a passerby and asked, "Uncle, what are you talking about? What happened up ahead?"

"The imperial court posted a notice, widely recruiting scholars from all over the country."

What would be the purpose of recruiting scholars?

"They say it's a delegation from the Che Kingdom visiting. Every time, the Wu Kingdom suffers a major defeat. This time, they might be trying to turn the tide. I don't know the specifics. Go see for yourself! It's just ahead."

"Okay! Thank you, uncle."

Tangyuan became interested and pulled Xuanyu along with the crowd. When they arrived at the notice board, they saw a large crowd gathered around. The two of them managed to squeeze in, where two soldiers stood on either side. Everyone was pointing and discussing. One of the soldiers said, "The Emperor has issued an edict that an envoy from the Che Kingdom is coming to visit, along with the Che Kingdom's Grand Preceptor. A competition will be held, and the winner will be richly rewarded."

Tangyuan glanced at the notice, finally stopping at the words "generous reward," and stepped forward to ask, "What is a generous reward!?"

Everyone laughed, and the officers explained, "As for the generous reward?! It depends on the Emperor's mood. It might be gold and silver treasures, or it might be a promotion and a higher rank."

"How can we plead for them?"

"Plead for mercy?! Of course!"

Upon hearing this, Tangyuan went up to tear down the notice, but Xuanyu stopped him, saying, "What are you doing?"

"Let's participate in the competition!"

"Where did this brat come from? This notice isn't a toy. Get out of the way," one of the soldiers said, stopping Tangyuan.

After understanding the situation, the onlookers began to advise, "Child, this is an imperial edict; it cannot be torn down casually."

"Yes! Go home quickly."

"Whose child is this! Where are the parents?"

"Can you even read?!"

"I want to participate, Brother Xuanyu, please let me go!" Tangyuan said anxiously.

“This is a competition between two countries, not child’s play, do you understand?” Xuan Yu said.

"I know, that's why I'm even more determined to participate. Brother Xuanyu, let me go, or someone else will snatch me away!" Tangyuan said angrily.

“Whose child are you? How old are you? How dare you challenge the imperial edict? Let me do it!” said a scholar in white robes who walked out of the crowd.

"It's Mr. Fang!"

"Yes! He is one of the distinguished guests of the Tang family. I've heard he's quite powerful."

"Yes! The Tang family is a family of scholars for generations, and has cultivated many talents in the martial kingdom."

"With him involved, we shouldn't lose this time, right?!"

"I didn't expect him to be so talented at such a young age."

"Indeed, he is handsome, and I heard that the Tang family intends to marry their daughter to him."

"Yes, I've heard about it too. Although this youngest daughter can't compare to the eldest sister, she's still a talented woman! Our Wu Kingdom can finally hold its head high this time."

Fang Jue stepped forward, and the two soldiers politely clasped their hands in salute. Tangyuan watched as he tore down the notice, then angrily turned away from Xuan Yu and said, "See, someone else snatched it! How am I supposed to save Father and Mother now!"

"That's an imperial edict; if you fail to complete it, you'll be beheaded," Xuan Yu reminded Tang Yuan.

Tangyuan watched as Fang Jue took the notice and was about to leave with the soldiers. Anxious, she ran up to him and stopped him, saying, "Sir! Wait!"

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