Chapter 105 If the world is at peace - Rong Dan's storyline: Sweet
As dawn breaks and the sky begins to lighten, wisps of smoke slowly emerge, spreading out in a hazy mist.
The vast plains and mountains are covered with a blanket of white snow, and the snowfield is filled with all kinds of snow lions, interspersed with scattered red paper firecrackers.
On the seventh day of the New Year festival in Shanshan City, the entire small kingdom was incredibly quiet and peaceful.
After the rooster crowed three times, people gradually got up in the morning.
The King of Shanshan had his servants prepare breakfast in an orderly manner by lighting fires.
The old nanny finished tidying up and came out from the backyard, only to be met by a maid. "Are the young ladies awake yet?"
The maid replied, "Not yet, they already called for it."
The old nanny looked at the quiet inner room, which didn't seem like anyone was about to get up. "I'll go and urge them again, otherwise these two little devils will sleep until noon again."
The old woman walked around the courtyard and went to the door of the house to knock.
Several knocks echoed dully in the room.
The charcoal fire in the fireplace inside the room had burned out, leaving only a few embers that flickered intermittently.
A slight chill crept into the room, overshadowing the warmth of the charcoal fire.
Shan Chenjun pulled the blanket up tighter, wrapped himself up, covered his ears, snuggled up the soft, squishy person in his arms, and continued to sleep.
The little girl, once again being used as a pillow and tightly wrapped around herself, felt a bit suffocated.
Yu Wanyin unconsciously hummed twice, and only after fiddling with her arms did she get a chance to catch her breath.
The knocking sounded again.
Yu Wanyin woke up first.
Hearing a muffled voice outside the door, "Are the girls up yet?"
"Today we must accompany the general to Yuanchuan to pay a visit and deliver the tribute we paid this spring. We cannot be late."
This is her fourth year back in Shanshan.
Four years ago, her aunt went to Shang'an to pick her up and take her home. The journey was smooth.
The land was peaceful and prosperous. Yuanchuan, where Shanshan and Dali meet, was guarded by General Rong Zhi. She had frequent contact with her uncle Gu Hong, who was also guarding the city, and they paid tribute to him every spring. They were very close friends.
This year, it was agreed that during the Spring Festival, tribute would be presented, and the envoys would be escorted into the country after the tribute was handed over.
They gathered with their families for a banquet.
The old woman's voice was loud.
Shan Chenjun replied in a hoarse voice, "Understood."
She sighed helplessly, turned her head and saw her little sister, who was as soft as a marshmallow, blinking at her.
Yu Wanyin asked her, "Sister, shouldn't we get up?"
"Mmm," Shan Chenjun responded, then buried himself back under the covers.
In this weather, anyone who dares to get out of bed is a warrior.
Besides, there was this little thing in her blanket.
Who can get out?
For some reason, Yu Wanyin's older sister kept saying she was getting up, but then pulled her back into bed.
Shan Chenjun muttered, "It's too cold, I can't get up."
"Yaoyao, stay with me a little longer."
The old woman outside finally couldn't resist, pushed open the door to add charcoal to the fire, and continued to urge, "Sleeping in the carriage later is the same."
"It's not like I'm the one calling you now. If I don't see you in a quarter of an hour, Madam will come to urge you."
The old woman chattered for a while outside the bed curtains, then brought in the hot water for morning washing and went out.
Shan Chenjun stayed out of the cold air for a while before getting up with Yu Wanyin in the morning.
After they got up and tidied up, Shan Yun indeed entered the room to see how their preparations were going.
She brought over two fox fur cloaks, saying, "The snow has melted outside these past few days, and it's cold, so wear more layers when you go out."
Shan Yun handed the cloak to Shan Chenjun, then turned and pulled Yu Wanyin over, squatting down to drape the red cloak over her shoulders. "When we go out later, stay close to your aunt and don't run around, okay?"
Yu Wanyin nodded.
Shan Chenjun doesn't like to wear overly complicated clothes when he goes out, as they make it inconvenient for him to move around.
She showed no intention of putting it on for the time being, but simply sat to the side, leisurely watching Shan Yun begin to dress up Yu Wanyin.
Shan Yun is passionate about dressing up her children.
Unfortunately, Shan Chenjun rarely gave her such an opportunity.
Ever since bringing Yu Wanyin back, Shan Yun's hobby has been satisfied.
Unfortunately, Yao Yao was an obedient person, and whatever Shan Yun dressed her in or gave her accessories, she would say they looked good.
Yao Yao is indeed beautiful.
At her young age, her delicate and gentle beauty was already evident, and her eyebrows and eyes were still round and youthful.
One can vaguely see how stunningly beautiful she will be in the future.
It's just that it's a bit eye-catching, and when I go out, I'm likely to attract some unruly young masters and noblemen.
But it's okay, she can fight for Yao Yao.
Therefore, Shan Chenjun has always believed that dressing in a neat and simple manner is reasonable.
Shan Yun initially wanted to refute her, but later she went along with it.
Yu Wanyin went out and rode with Shan Chenjun to Yuanchuan.
Shanshan is not far from Yuanchuan; it's just past the city walls and border.
The envoys and tributes were at the front of the procession.
They were at the back of the queue.
The governor of Yuanchuan County and the military commander knew they were coming and waited on the city wall to welcome them.
The troops were arranged in neat formation to receive the envoys upon their entry.
The prefect and the garrison commander Rong Zhi both had serious expressions.
Behind Rong Zhi, a young man with strong features and a sharp physique stood silently.
A long wind on the city wall blew open the cloak behind him.
He lowered his eyes, rested his hand on his sword, and watched the procession enter the city.
As Yu Wanyin sat in the carriage, she heard the dense and heavy drumbeats and horn sounds resounding across the plains and frontier, stirring her heart and soul.
She reached out and lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, and saw a dense array of soldiers in the distance, their swords and spears standing tall, which still filled her with fear.
Yu Wanyin carefully lowered the curtain.
Envoys and tribute items had to be inspected one by one before they could enter the city.
After about half an hour, Yu Wanyin's carriage finally arrived at the city gate.
The attendants reminded them, "We need to disembark from the carriage and enter the city."
Shan Chenjun agreed, packed his things, got off the carriage first, and then waited by the carriage to pick up Yu Wanyin.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Yu Wanyin leaned out to take her elder sister's arm.
However, the carriage was still a bit too high for her age, and she hesitated for a moment about how to get down.
Shan Chenjun held her arm, coaxing her with a smile as always, "Please, sister."
The little girl's voice was as soft as a sticky rice cake, "Big sister is the best, please."
Shan Chenjun laughed even more heartily and casually lifted the person down from the front of the carriage.
On the snow-covered plains, that splash of red was a dazzling bright color.
This also attracted the attention of everyone on the city wall.
Rong Zhi asked, "Who are these people...?"
The lieutenant reported, "They are General Gu Hong's family members."
Rong Zhi nodded knowingly, turned around and went down the city wall, "Let's go and greet them."
He instructed the boy behind him, "Keep an eye on things here for a while."
"Mm," Rong Si replied, standing still.
One by one, the soldiers around him left the city wall. His companions stepped forward and followed his gaze to see several figures below.
The attendant found it strange, "A little girl has also come."
Rong Si watched for a while, then calmly looked away, "So delicate, she even wants to be carried after getting out of the car."
The attendant knew that Major General Rong disliked people who were delicate and clingy.
He was also puzzled, "Although today is a banquet, this border region is not a place for leisurely sightseeing. Why would General Gu Hong bring such a young girl here?"
A border banquet sounds like a harmonious affair.
But it's not that simple; this isn't a private matter, it's a public one.
Matters involving relations between the two countries are always serious and solemn.
Therefore, it is rare to see someone taking care of such a young child.
Soon, Rong Zhi descended the city wall and met with Gu Hong and his group. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he led them into the city.
After watching the last part of the procession enter the city, Rong Si signaled to close the city gates and then went down the city wall to inspect the area.
This wasn't Yu Wanyin's first time visiting Yuanchuan; she had passed through here on her way back to Shanshan.
However, that trip was rushed, and I left quickly. Now, Yuanchuan still seems to be a rather lively small town.
Yu Wanyin followed behind her elder sister, silently looking around.
Two streets away, the market was filled with the faint sounds of vendors calling out their wares; it seemed that today was the day the Central Plains market opened.
There are many interesting things at the market that will make your ears itch.
After walking for a while, Gu Hong heard these sounds and turned to Rong Zhi, saying, "Speaking of which, my niece also came back from the Central Plains."
“Even in Shanshan, she still thinks about the Central Plains. I brought her here today specifically. Would it be convenient for them to go sightseeing?”
Yu Wanyin's eyes lit up, and she turned to look at her uncle and the unfamiliar general.
"Of course." Rong Zhi sent two men with him, "You two are familiar with the market here, take the two young ladies there for a stroll."
"Yes." The guard received the order and stepped forward to escort them.
Yu Wanyin was overjoyed. After thanking Shan Chenjun, she and Shan Chenjun went to the market.
The market was bustling with people after the start of the new year.
Each vendor had a display of odd and unusual items.
Vendors enthusiastically hawked their wares, filling the air with the unique aroma of pastries and meals.
Occasionally, you might encounter shops setting off firecrackers to welcome customers, or performing acrobatic acts to attract customers.
Yu Wanyin held a bag of warm roasted chestnuts in her hands and strolled around with her older sister, sharing them.
Soon she set her sights on the snowball hawthorns next to it.
Shan Chenjun stared intently at the snowball hawthorn for a while.
A layer of powdered sugar coated the hawthorn ball inside. She found it novel at first, but it also seemed familiar. "Is this any different from candied hawthorn skewers?"
“Yes, there are.” Yu Wanyin handed one to Shan Chenjun. “Try it.”
Compared to candied hawthorn, Yu Wanyin prefers this one. With enough sugar, the sourness of the hawthorn is greatly reduced.
It can be stored for a long time, so you can eat it slowly.
They were chatting as they walked through the streets when a small stall full of oranges happened to come around the corner.
The stall owner chatted for a few words with an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time. When he came to his senses and saw them, it was too late. He hurriedly shouted, "Watch out!"
The driver frantically swerved to avoid the two people, but crashed directly into the stall next to them!
Exclamations of surprise rose and fell throughout the market!
Yu Wanyin was startled, and the snowball hawthorn in her hand fell to the ground.
The guards on the side reacted first and were about to pull the person away.
Suddenly, a long whip appeared out of nowhere and wrapped itself around the cart!
The cart was suddenly pulled backward by a strong force, instantly stopping its momentum!
The loud neighing of horses and the fierce wind rushed towards us with that force.
The wind blew away Yu Wanyin's cloak and stray hairs, and she stood there, still shaken, meeting the gaze of the boy who had suddenly appeared in the street!
Rong Si rode on horseback, tightening the reins on his long whip. His deep amber eyes reflected the little girl amidst the chaos.
Rong Si paused slightly, his eyes darkening, and stared intently for a while.
As far as the eye can see, there are countless exquisite sculptures standing tall in the snow.
Her bright red cloak made her look like a small red lantern at the turn of the year.
So cute.
However, the little lantern was so frightened that it stood still, not daring to even breathe.
Rong Si's eyebrows twitched slightly, and when he came to his senses, he used brute force to pull away the stall in front of her.
Only the oranges on the stall remained, rolled to the ground by the impact.
They stumbled and fell on the red cloak in scattered fragments.
Yu Wanyin was pulled aside by Shan Chenjun, and a guard stood in front of her to greet Rong Si, "Young Master."
Yu Wanyin came to her senses and vaguely heard some form of address. She secretly glanced over.
Unfortunately, the man was also looking at her.
His gaze was direct; once he stared at you, you felt like you had nowhere to hide.
Yu Wanyin was a little scared.
Shan Chenjun pulled her back and put his cloak and hood back on.
She turned to look at the vendor, "Why aren't you watching where you're going in the market?"
The vendor apologized repeatedly, "I'm so sorry, ladies. I was just unaware and it wasn't intentional."
“Even if it was unintentional, you shouldn’t be so reckless,” Rong Si said, turning his gaze away from the small lantern and rebuking him in a deep voice, “There are many people at the end of the year. What do you plan to do if you hurt someone?”
The guard stepped forward and said, "Miss, please go over there and rest. Let's see if you are injured."
Yu Wanyin nodded and followed them away, glancing a few more times at the snowball hawthorn she had dropped on the ground.
She felt that she was not injured.
However, her Snowball Hawthorn injury appears to be quite serious.
It made her feel a little sorry for him.
Rong Si watched them leave from a distance and then ordered his men to clean up the street.
The vendors were taken away for a lecture, and even after everything was dealt with, Rong Si still hadn't left.
An attendant urged him, "Young Master, we should go back now."
Rong Si pondered for a moment, "That girl looked familiar."
“Her,” the attendant said, glancing at the two people who had left, “isn’t that the cousin from General Gu Hong’s residence?”
"You're the one who said she was spoiled."
Rong Si remained silent for a long time.
Then he pulled on the reins, turned the horse around, and left.
The doctor briefly examined Yu Wanyin's body and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that she was not injured.
Since they are foreign guests, if something were to happen to them, it would affect diplomatic relations.
They didn't dare let the two girls wander around outside any longer and sent them straight to the banquet residence.
General Rong Zhi and his wife entertained them.
Yu Wanyin still longed for her Snowball Hawthorn, but was too embarrassed to say it.
In fact, they had already bought a lot of food, and she might not be able to finish it all in a short time.
Asking for more food would make her seem like a gluttonous little girl.
Yu Wanyin sighed and had no choice but to give up the idea.
Before long, the sound of horses' hooves came from outside the courtyard.
At the entrance of the courtyard, the tall and upright young man walked in from outside, bathed in the warm sunlight of the snowy day.
Yu Wanyin was somewhat surprised to see who had arrived.
Rong Zhi introduced them, "This is my son, Rong Si."
The adults showered him with compliments.
Rong Si put down his horse before entering the house.
Shan Yun gestured to Yu Wanyin, "Yaoyao, call me brother."
Yu Wanyin moved her lips and, following Shan Yun's words, greeted the somewhat fierce-looking older brother, "Hello, brother."
Rong Si gave a brief reply, his gaze lingering on her for a moment before returning to his own.
After everyone took their seats at the banquet, Yu Wanyin was led to her place by the servants and was surprised to find a plate of snowball hawthorns on the table.
She looked around and saw that it was only on her own table.
Yu Wanyin couldn't help but ask the servant, "What is this...?"
"Our master thought you would like something sweet and sour, so he specially prepared this for you." The maid looked at her. "Do you like it, young lady?"
Yu Wanyin nodded, "I like it."
"I'm glad you like it." The maid arranged the pastries and food for her, then got up and left.
Yu Wanyin sat down, picked up a piece, and took a bite.
The sugar coating melted between her lips and teeth. She lifted her eyelids and saw Rong Si, who had just taken his seat across from her.
Yu Wanyin ate one, stood up, took out a small box, and called over a maid.
After exchanging a few words with her, I handed her the box.
After Rong Si sat down, a maid walked to his side and said, "Young Master."
After repeating Yu Wanyin's words, she placed the box in front of him.
Rong Si paused for a moment, then opened the box, and a fragrant, sweet aroma wafted out.
Inside were neatly arranged roasted chestnuts.
They are as well-behaved and obedient as people.
Rong Si raised an eyebrow, finding it amusing.
The banquet lasted a long time, and the children couldn't stay still, so the elders allowed them to play in the courtyard first.
Yu Wanyin had just stepped out of the house and taken two steps when a melodious voice came from behind her, "How did you know it was me?"
Yu Wanyin stopped in her tracks and turned around to see the young man leaning against the wall.
Judging from the looks of it, he had been waiting for her for a long time.
Rong Si straightened up and walked towards her.
He's quite tall, and his presence can be intimidating.
Yu Wanyin pursed her lips, thinking it wasn't hard to guess, "It was prepared for me by my master's family."
She said cautiously, "But you're the only one in your family who saw me drop a bag of snowball hawthorns."
Rong Si's eyebrows twitched slightly.
I thought to myself that this little lantern was quite clever.
Even though she saw right through him, Rong Si still felt uneasy.
Yu Wanyin seemed to want to say something more, "Brother Rong Si..."
That one call of "brother" made Rong Si's ears go numb.
He instinctively retorted, "Don't call me brother yet."
Yu Wanyin was silenced by his fierce tone, thinking that he didn't like it, and didn't dare to say anything more.
But that's not what Rong Si meant.
Rong Si looked at her clearly startled expression, her wet eyes staring at him.
He was extremely inept at these kinds of situations and had little experience interacting with girls. Somehow, he didn't notice that she was frightened by his tone of voice.
Rong Si tried to ease the tension, and after a long pause, he managed to stammer out, "Is there anything else you want?"
Yu Wanyin looked at him, not quite sure what he meant.
"The way to treat guests should be thorough." Rong Si expressed his friendliness simply and directly, "Would you like to go for a walk? I'll take you; there won't be any collisions with vehicles that could hurt you."
Yu Wanyin still wanted to go. She hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Is it okay?"
Rong Si didn't answer her question about whether she could ride a horse, but instead went to bring his own horse over and asked directly, "Can you ride a horse?"
Yu Wanyin looked at the horse, which was much taller than her.
She can ride ponies, but this one is "a bit high."
Rong Si stepped forward, lifted the man onto his horse, and spurred the horse away.
Not long after, Shan Chenjun came out of the banquet hall and stared blankly at the empty courtyard. "Yaoyao?"
Where is Yaoyao?
Where has her precious little one gone?
Shan Chenjun walked around the yard three times before he realized that his precious child had been kidnapped by Rong Si and taken to the street.
However, since they were just two young children traveling together, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it.
Apart from Rong Zhi scolding Rong Si for rashly taking the young guest out, everyone saw that Yu Wanyin was quite happy and had no objections.
After all, Gu Hong brought Yu Wanyin here so that she could have some fun back in the Central Plains.
Shan Chenjun was very dissatisfied with Rong Si's act of stealing her sister.
They kidnapped someone out of the blue.
On the way back, Shan Chenjun questioned Yu Wanyin in detail.
Yu Wanyin didn't seem to mind anything. She was holding a new bag of snowball hawthorns, with a pile of other pastries beside her.
While eating, he muttered, "He's probably just hospitable. He doesn't talk much and seems a bit fierce, but he's a very nice person."
Shan Chenjun was skeptical.
As the matter gradually faded away, Shan Chenjun put it out of his mind.
The following year, as usual, Yuanchuan sent an invitation.
What's special is that invitations were specially prepared for Shan Chenjun and Yu Wanyin, inviting them to the banquet.
Yu Wanyin was very happy to hear this, and Shan Chenjun also forgot about his sister being kidnapped earlier.
However, year after year, Shan Chenjun felt that Yu Wanyin and the son of the city's garrison commander were becoming more and more familiar with each other.
At first, it was just a year-end family dinner where we met.
Later, the military would occasionally come to Shanshan to deliver things, letters, military reports, or anything else.
If you don't have an excuse, just tell them you're going that way.
Shan Chenjun couldn't figure out where the route from Yuanchuan to Shanshan was convenient.
Until the year Yu Wanyin came of age.
After he came of age and gained an independent identity, he began to associate with others more and more frequently.
According to the rules of each country, the sons of military families cannot freely enter or leave the country.
Rong Si needed to request permission to enter and leave the capital every time he went in and out.
Permission is required.
The approval process involves multiple levels of reporting, and each step takes time.
This happens at least seven or eight times a year, and sometimes more than ten times.
Shan Chenjun felt something was off. "You say he's hospitable, but is he so hospitable that he's come to our house?"
Yu Wanyin felt uneasy under Shan Chenjun's question, so she bit into a snowball hawthorn and remained silent.
Shan Chenjun leaned closer. "Hospitality, or is there something else you prefer?"
She sometimes wondered how many times Rong Si could come each year, depending on how many trips he could get approved.
Yu Wanyin pretended to drink water, "Perhaps he really has something to do?"
Shan Chenjun squinted at his younger sister, who was just beginning to grow up.
Although it's still a bit awkward.
But having shed its youthful appearance, it is like a lotus emerging from the water, fresh, tender, and exquisite.
More and more men have been coming to their house lately.
Shan Chenjun wasn't stupid; how could he not know why they had come?
Especially this one.
It's been running for more than a year and a half.
Shan Chenjun looked at Yu Wanyin's appearance, sized her up for a moment, and was about to say something more.
Rong Si and Gu Hong's voices came from outside.
The two people inside had no choice but to get up and greet them.
Gu Hong was quite pleased with Rong Si's flattery. "Thanks to you today, I was able to hunt that snow leopard."
As they entered the house, Yu Wanyin and Shan Chenjun stepped aside to let them in.
Gu Hong beckoned to Rong Si, "Quickly, sit down and have some water."
Rong Si sat down as Gu Hong had instructed, and seeing the teacup on the table that was just filled with tea, he assumed it was prepared for him and picked it up directly.
Yu Wanyin was slightly taken aback and subconsciously wanted to stop her, but it was too late.
She swallowed her words, pretended not to know anything, sat in another seat, and looked away.
Yu Wanyin comforted herself, looking slightly embarrassed.
Anyway, nobody knows.
I drank it, so what?
But Rong Si stopped drinking halfway through.
He lowered his eyes and tasted the delicate powdered sugar clinging to the rim of the teacup.
The powdered sugar melts between your lips and teeth, blending with the aroma of tea.
Sweet and mild.
On the table were the snowball hawthorns he had specially brought for someone.
Rong Si realized—
This cup of tea was once used by a young girl who loved to eat snowball hawthorn.
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The background of Rong's storyline is one of peace and prosperity. Yao Yao returns home smoothly from the beginning, and her storyline isn't too long, about two or three chapters per person.
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