Chapter 46 Going Down to Yangzhou 3
Lower Yangzhou 3
"Master, Madam, we've arrived." Liang Jiugong led the carriage to a stop outside an inn.
The waiter standing at the door quickly took out a small stool and placed it next to the carriage.
They saw a man with an extraordinary appearance get off the carriage.
"Are you here for a meal or to stay overnight, sir?"
"Accommodation," Kangxi said, "one superior room and one medium room, with the best fodder for the horses."
"Hey!" The waiter led the horse to the backyard.
Once they arrived at the guest room, Chen Guanxue carefully looked around.
The room wasn't small; it had everything: a dining table, a dressing table, a screen, a bathtub, a carved bed, and even writing paper and ink on the desk.
"Let's eat first, get a good night's sleep, and then go see what's going on outside."
As soon as I entered the city, I found Yangzhou to be very lively. I heard quite a few performances along the way, which must be because there were acrobatic performances from other places that had come to the city.
Chen Guanxue wasn't eager to join in the fun right now, so she nodded.
After eating, they ordered hot water and soaked in it for a while to wash away their fatigue before Kangxi held her and they fell asleep.
Early the next morning, the sounds of wind and rain began. Raindrops tapped on the green tiles, making a not-so-crisp sound that continued incessantly, lulling people to sleep.
Chen Guanxue groggily opened her eyes because of the sound of rain. Kangxi reached out and patted her shoulder, his voice deep, "It's still early, sleep a little longer."
After a long time, the rain outside gradually stopped, the rustling of leaves in the wind became clearer, and the water dripping from the eaves flowed into the stream behind the inn.
"What time is it?" Chen Guanxue was fully awake at this moment, but because it had rained, she was a little cold and still craved the warmth of the blankets.
"It's just the time for breakfast," Kangxi said.
Upon hearing this, Chen Guanxue got up, the quilt slipped off her snow-white skin, and she immediately put on her plain undergarment.
After getting dressed, Chen Guanxue opened the window and saw that the calm surface of the river had been broken by the drizzle. Farmers were already driving small boats through the waterway, delivering baskets of vegetables to the shore.
Busy yet unusually quiet.
“There’s no scenery like this in the capital. The scenery in Jiangnan is much more beautiful,” Kangxi sighed, standing behind her.
Chen Guanxue smiled and said jokingly, "Once you're free from your burdens, shall we stay here for a while? We'll live by this little river, watching the small boats every morning and the lanterns every evening."
She was joking, but Kangxi was very serious. "When that day comes, why should we live by this little river? We will definitely live in a place with a better view."
However, that day is a long way off.
Seeing her happily heading off to get breakfast, Kangxi felt a pang of emotion.
Dietary styles differ between the North and South, and the imperial chefs in the palace can cook many different dishes. However, people are shaped by their environment, and what they eat in a particular place will be quite different.
Breakfast consisted of several flavors of steamed buns, a famous dish called "hot dried bean curd strips," and braised pork that she had never heard of before.
Judging from its appearance, it seems to be meat jelly that has been cooked, cooled, shaped, and cut into pieces.
The same goes for how it tastes.
However, since it was her first time eating it, and it was served with hot tea, Chen Guanxue found it quite novel and ate two more pieces.
After breakfast, the drizzle continued, so Kangxi held up an umbrella for her. The umbrella was painted with magnolia flowers, the petals as white as snow, which perfectly matched the magnolia flowers blooming in the streets and alleys.
Today, Emperor Kangxi is not here to conduct official business, so he can leisurely stroll around.
However, with the light rain and the fear of getting our shoes and socks wet walking on the cobblestone path, we called a small boat and went along the river.
The small boat has a roof and a stove and teapot inside. The water flow in Yangzhou is gentle, so there is no fear of being scalded by spilled tea.
The tea is Longjing tea grown before the rain, with an irresistible aroma. Enjoying it at this time offers a unique flavor.
The boat was being driven by an elderly man who, while talking with Emperor Kangxi, learned that they were from out of town and enthusiastically recommended several good restaurants.
"Distinguished guests from outside are naturally not as knowledgeable as us locals. They don't know which inns have the best food or which places are crowded. Since we're here to travel, we should enjoy ourselves to the fullest."
The Jiangnan region has always been a top choice for scholars to travel and study. There are many academies here, and scholars who want to pass the imperial examinations are springing up like mushrooms after rain.
Therefore, they have some experience in receiving tourists from other places.
Even if you're just visiting, you can still get some information from the shopkeepers and boatmen.
While agreeing with the boatman, Kangxi pondered where would be a suitable place to go.
Around noon, the rain stopped. After drinking a few cups of tea and listening to many stories, the two went ashore.
Runxi helped Chen Guanxue and followed Kangxi to a street further away from the shore, where they entered a study.
"Take your master upstairs for a seat."
After Kangxi finished speaking, he went into the room filled with bookshelves.
Chen Guanxue didn't know what he was going to do, but there were many people downstairs, so she went upstairs.
The books upstairs are not as numerous as those downstairs, but they are more exquisite. Whether they are ordinary books of poetry or illustrated stories, the paper and printing are more refined.
Instead of sitting idly, she picked up a book and started flipping through it.
A short while later, Emperor Kangxi came up from downstairs with several books in his arms and took her down.
Once outside, the book ended up in Liang Jiugong's arms.
After finding a restaurant, Chen Guanxue asked him what he had been doing earlier.
"There are many scholars in Yangzhou, so I asked them if they were proficient in water management but had no official rank."
Oh, so they went to find professionals.
Chen Guanxue was not surprised. Even if someone who excels in one subject fails to pass the imperial examinations, they will at least become a scholar or a graduate. Furthermore, they are skilled in water management and are likely to gain some fame.
"And what was the result?" Chen Guanxue asked when he didn't speak.
Kangxi blew on his teacup, a smile on his face, "There are one or two, though."
Such a talented person, even if they reveal their identity, may not be able to get information out of you. But if you overhear the news by chance, that's enough.
He didn't continue speaking, and Chen Guanxue didn't ask any further questions.
They ate at the restaurant before returning to the inn.
Because the lunch was to her liking, and she learned that it contained a local ingredient, Runxi cleverly asked someone to buy some.
At dinner time, I asked the kitchen to prepare some dishes.
"Alas, it's a pity I'm only staying in Yangzhou for a short time. I wonder how many delicious foods I'll miss out on," Chen Guanxue sighed.
She's become picky; she's had enough of the food in Beijing and always feels that food outside is fresher.
"How could we miss this opportunity? We'll have someone buy some from Yangzhou later."
When Emperor Kangxi said this, he naturally ordered people to buy some every ten days or half a month.
Chen Guanxue thought about it and agreed.
It wasn't tribute, nor was it a waste of time and money; it was simply taking money from his private coffers.
"Then I want more than just Yangzhou," she said, snuggling into his arms and acting coquettishly.
"Alright, whether it's from Yangzhou or Guangzhou, I'll have someone buy it for you." It's not like he can't afford it.
I don't know if I was just trying to coax her or if I was being serious.
Chen Guanxue fell asleep while thinking about it.
These past few days, they've been wandering the streets and alleys, eating quite a lot of delicious food. Knowing it would be time to meet the Crown Prince, Chen Guanxue also bought a portion for Fushou to take back with him.
"Quickly, come and try these." Chen Guanxue called for someone to bring the food up. Before Fu Shou could even show a happy expression, she herself was already impatient.
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