In order to formally appoint Song Jiaren as the director, the Queen of Wusun summoned all the ministers and their families to hold a dinner in the palace. There was a fire burning between the seats, and animal skins were used to surround the seats to block the wind and keep them warm. The futons were also covered with cotton mats. A stove was warming hot wine on the small table, and there were several plates of exquisite side dishes next to it. Under the dim light, the queen arrived late, followed by a thin man in exquisite and luxurious clothes.
Biyun sat next to Song Jiaren, accompanied by a young man. He took a sip of warm wine and whispered to her, "This man above is the king's husband. He was once the most handsome man in the Wusun Kingdom. He was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and songs. He was also handsome, intelligent, and generous. In recent years, he has helped the queen expand her harem and is a role model for men."
Song Jiaren never understood the aesthetic of the Wusun people, so she said nothing and just sat quietly watching the performance.
But it really opened her eyes. The men performing were all sons of officials. They wore clothes made of gauze in the cold weather. They had light and charming figures and colorful veils on their faces. Several princesses of the queen took a fancy to some of them and asked the queen for rewards on the spot. No one cared about the man's wishes or not.
In the eyes of people in Wusun Kingdom, this is the most normal thing.
Song Jiaren felt uncomfortable. This was tantamount to treating a man like an animal and humiliating him at will.
She couldn't stay any longer after watching half of the show, so she used the excuse of being drunk to go back to the palace to rest. She missed the Crown Prince a little. After counting carefully, it had only been a few days since they last saw each other, but everything that happened on the road of exile and in the camp seemed like something from her previous life.
"When will it come?" Song Jiaren was indeed a little tipsy, and she muttered while lying in the soft quilt.
Suddenly, I heard approaching footsteps. They were different from Biyun's and those of the male servants. They landed without any delay, and each step was quite rhythmic, like stepping on a drum.
Accompanied by a cool and refreshing breath, the footsteps stopped in front of her.
"Drunk?"
Song Jiaren raised her head slowly and saw the male servant with his face covered with a pink veil. She was slightly stunned. His voice and breath really sounded like that of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
Whenever she thought of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, she felt a little uncomfortable. Why hadn't he come to rescue her? After so many days, he must have discovered that she had disappeared and must still be thinking of a way.
However, hearing a voice that sounds so much like His Royal Highness's can help ease my mood.
She raised her head and looked at the waiter and asked, "What's your name?"
The waiter seemed stunned for a moment and asked, "How much have you drunk? You can't even recognize me?"
“…Your Highness?” Song Jiaren struggled to sit up, tightly grasping the sleeve of the person in front of her, as if she wanted to confirm before she could feel at ease. She pulled off the pink veil covering her face and said, “It’s really you…” He actually came to save her dressed like this. No wonder she didn’t recognize him. This was too difficult for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
Gu Zhen's face darkened. The door handle of the Wusun Palace was too strict, and it was like an iron wall. There was really no other way to get in except to disguise himself as a male servant. The pink on his body and face made him want to give up for a while, but after seeing the unbearable pink short jacket and pink veil on Shi Tou, he had a contrast and forced himself to get in while twisting his waist and hips.
Just for this drunken cat-like heartless woman who couldn't recognize him in a few days, but when he saw her tearful eyes and thinner face, he felt that it was all worth it.
"Sit down first. I sneaked in disguised as a palace servant. I can't take you out yet. The palace is heavily guarded. It looks simple, but in reality, there are guards everywhere. Not even a bird can fly out or in. Wait until I think of a way, and then I can take you out."
Song Jiaren sat obediently on the couch, mostly sober, and said nervously in a low voice, "Don't worry, you have to be careful. The men in Wusun are different from ours, you have to be careful." Especially the masculinity of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, he probably had to hide it, otherwise it would be discovered just by his walking posture.
Gu Zhen glanced at her and said, "Don't worry."
The next day, Song Jiaren woke up and washed up. Then she remembered that she seemed to have dreamed that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince dressed up as a male servant to save her after getting drunk last night. Thinking about his dress, she couldn't help shaking her head. Dreams are just dreams, not real at all. How could His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wear a pink veil and a pink short jacket? If he came, he would probably throw a declaration of war to the Wusun Kingdom, and then lead his soldiers to attack openly.
It was not until she saw a burly pink waiter that she felt that it might not be a dream, because his back looked like stone.
She began to seriously consider the possibility that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had already arrived. As long as Biyun didn't find out, there would be no big problem.
But how should they escape?
Biyun walked in from outside the palace. "The Queen said she wants to see you."
Song Jiaren bit her finger silently in her heart. What was the matter with seeing her at this time? It must be about the hot pot restaurant and instant noodles. Since the Crown Prince came to rescue her, she must not hand over the hot pot and instant noodles recipes to others, otherwise the Queen might abandon her.
The conference room was about the same size as the warm room. The queen and her husband were sitting on the couch drinking tea. They looked very happy to see her and helped her sit down.
Song Jiaren had something hidden in her heart and felt a little guilty, so she didn't dare to drink the tea given by the Queen. She just moistened her lips and put down the teacup.
Biyun stood beside the Queen, translating between the two languages. She lowered her head and said, "When will the Director hand over the hot pot and instant noodle recipes? The Queen has already found a shop on the street, and it can be opened at any time. Then it will be as prosperous as China."
Song Jiaren pondered for a moment and said, "There's no rush for the hot pot and instant noodle recipes. They can be made in a day. I just have to go and see where the shop is located. I was the one who set it up in China. If it's too remote or inconvenient, it will affect business."
"The Queen said that the director doesn't need to worry about the shop. The shop used to be a restaurant. It's in a busy area with a lot of customers. Moreover, the people of the country are waiting to taste the delicious hot pot and instant noodles. They are looking forward to it." Biyun translated the Queen's words word for word.
Song Jiaren couldn't think of any excuses, so she could only smile awkwardly and nodded, "Then I'll go back and prepare. I'm a little nervous here and can't write."
"Okay, Director, go back and write. I hope you can finish it before dark."
"…good."
Song Jiaren returned home in a daze and sat at the table, thinking hard. Should she really give the recipes for hot pot base and instant noodles to the Wusun Kingdom?
She was the only one in the hall. Suddenly, she heard steady footsteps from behind her. She instantly remembered the Crown Prince whom she had dreamed of last night. She turned around suddenly and saw the Crown Prince with an upright figure, wearing a pink veil, a pink short jacket and a cold face.
She stood up and rushed over to hug him tightly, shaking her head and rubbing it. "Your Highness, you finally came to save me. I woke up in this Wusun country. I can't eat or sleep well. I'm always thinking about how to escape. Hurry and return to Your Highness!"
Gu Zhen was hugged around the waist, looking down at her. "Really? But why didn't you recognize me last night? And you tried to cover it up by saying you were drunk?"
Before this, Gu Zhen had always thought that she was just a different girl in the boudoir, a little bolder and more reckless. However, he did not expect that she could remain calm after being abducted, and she was living well in the Wusun Kingdom. She was appointed as a director and had no worries about food and drink. This was not the courage that an ordinary woman could have. If an ordinary man was kidnapped to a strange country, he would also be in a state of panic. But she was fine, and she continued to eat and drink without any delay.
Song Jiaren slowly retracted her arm and blinked at him, "You don't believe me? I'm eating and drinking so much because I'm conserving my energy. In fact, I just know that you will come to save me, so I want to maintain my strength so as not to drag you down when the time comes."
"So, it's all for me." Gu Zhen looked at her thoughtfully, "But I didn't say I was here to save you."
Song Jiaren was stunned for a moment, then looked up pitifully, her eyes misty with tears as she pretended to wipe her dry eyelids twice. "Then... I can only find a way to escape by myself. I have to return to His Highness no matter what..."
Gu Zhen stopped teasing her, reached out and pinched her cheek, and said, "Okay, stop it. This time, only I and Shitou sneaked in. Too many people will be too conspicuous. Shitou will set fire to the palace tonight. When the palace people come to put out the fire, we can escape. The route has been found out. As long as you follow me closely, you will be fine."
Burn down the Wusun Kingdom palace?
“…Then, shall I wait for your signal at night?” Song Jiaren felt a little unsure. She was not used to relying entirely on others and had no idea of any plan.
Gu Zhen touched her black hair and said soothingly, "Don't worry."
When Biyun came, Song Jiaren was sleeping soundly on the couch and was shaken awake.
"You still have the mind to sleep? Have you finished writing all the recipes that the Queen asked you to write?"
Song Jiaren raised her hand sleepily and pointed at the table where two pictures were placed.
Biyun walked over, picked up the two pieces of paper and looked at them carefully. There was no recipe there. They were just two pictures of hot pot and instant noodles. Although the lines were rough, the paintings were very vivid.
"You drew these two pictures? And what about the recipe? You haven't written a single word yet?"
Song Jiaren said lazily, "There's no rush for the recipe; it'll only take a moment. What do you think of my painting? Wouldn't it be great for a promotional image? Hot pot restaurants in China have paintings like this on their signboards. In the cold winter, it makes passersby hungry when they see it. Doesn't it warm their hearts?"
Biyun also thought that the picture looked delicious. "But you can't disobey the Queen's order. Hurry up and write it. If the Queen sees that you haven't written the recipe and handed it in, she will blame you."
The Queen has been gloomy and moody in recent years. It's hard to say whether she will punish the director, but she will definitely not let her get away with it.
Song Jiaren lay down again and said, "You go back first. I'll write it when I wake up. I'm sure I can give it to the Queen by tonight."
Seeing that her persuasion was fruitless, Biyun could only sigh, throw down the map and leave. She hoped that she could write down the recipe before meeting the queen, otherwise she would not be able to appease the queen.
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