Chapter 8 Chapter 8 You are a girl! Buying this kind of book to do...
The Yongyi Marquis Mansion has been in chaos these days.
Ever since that night's snake scene, the realgar and wormwood smoke everywhere has been incredibly choking. But Yang Qiu had released so many snakes that day, enough to fill a sack, that the servants in the mansion kept spooking the snakes, sending them scurrying about in all directions, making it impossible to catch them all.
On this day, when Nie Xiangyi was about to go out, he saw several Jianghu magicians, holding copper bells in their hands and wearing copper coins on their waists, walking back and forth in the mansion.
Puzzled, she asked Hanxu, "What are these people doing here?"
"Mrs. Jiang said the snake incident that day was strange. It had just passed the Waking of Insects, so how could there be so many snakes, and why were they all in her yard? She was worried that something unclean might have come into contact with her, so she asked someone to come and take a look."
"Unclean thing?" Nie Xiangyi sneered disdainfully, "I think she was scared out of her mind."
After saying that, he went out with Hanxu.
It was spring, the breeze was gentle, and the streets of the capital were bustling with activity. People were thronging everywhere, and the houses and shops were bustling.
Nie Xiangyi stopped in front of a busy shop, which was bustling with people coming and going.
"Is this the largest bookstore in the capital?"
She looked up and saw the rosewood plaque with the shop's sign engraved in official script - Wen Zhao Bookstore.
As he stepped in, Nie Xiangyi discovered that there was another world inside.
Wenzhao Bookstore has two floors. The ground floor faces the street. A wide variety of books are neatly arranged by category in an orderly manner.
Going up the octagonal staircase, the second floor is a storytelling hall. Storytellers spit and beat the cloud board to tell the popular books and stories.
"Miss, do you want to buy a book or listen to a book?" The shop assistant came forward with a smile and was very attentive.
"Buy books."
Nie Xiangyi wanted to cater to his interests. Every time she saw Xie Zhi, he was holding a scroll in his hands, so she thought he must like reading.
"What books do you want to buy? I'm sure this little shop can find them for you."
Nie Xiangyi had read very little, so how could she possibly understand ancient books? So, she generously placed a silver ingot on the counter and said, "I want the hardest-to-find book!"
Xie Zhi was a prince, and with the guidance of the palace tutor, he had naturally read many good books. If she was going to give him a gift, she had to give him the most special one!
"The hardest book to buy?" The clerk chewed over her words, his expression suddenly becoming strange.
He looked her up and down for a moment, then chuckled twice, "Some girls, some."
As he spoke, he took the money from the counter and bent down to search the lowest shelf. As he searched, he said confidently, "Miss, you have come to the right place! This kind of book is only sold here. If you ask in other bookstores, they will definitely not have it!"
After hearing what he said and watching the clerk's actions, Nie Xiangyi thought that this book must be very rare, as it was hidden so deep and at the bottom of the bookshelf.
She leaned forward expectantly, watching the guy's actions.
"Shopkeeper! Did you receive the rare copy I asked you to collect last time?"
Before the clerk could find the book, a sudden intrusion interrupted his actions.
Nie Xiangyi looked in the direction of the voice, and the moment their eyes met, they both exclaimed in surprise, "It's you!"
"It's Mr. Wang Wulang." The clerk hurriedly stood up to greet him, smiling apologetically. "Got it, got it. Our shopkeeper had to work hard to get this rare copy of the Zhaoming Wenlu."
The person in front of him was Wang Wulang Wang Hezhang, whom she had met once at the welcoming banquet for Nie Xiangyi's return to Beijing.
Wang Hezhang was the youngest son of the Minister of Rites, and was a great favorite at home. He was dressed in a long robe of dark blue Japanese satin, with a lustrous purple jade tied around his waist.
He was tall and slender, with a naturally handsome face and fair skin like a woman's. His outfit today only accentuated his youthful, delicate and handsome appearance.
Wang Hezhang paused in his tracks when he saw Nie Xiangyi, his eyes widening in surprise. His already pale complexion flushed from his cheeks to his ears.
"You! Why are you here?!"
He still remembered the last time at the Nie Mansion, when Miss Nie had openly said to him in front of everyone, blinking and looking at him, "This young man is quite handsome."
From then on, he was laughed at by his fellow clansmen for a long time, saying that he, the son of the Minister of Rites, was actually molested by a girl.
Seeing him startled, Nie Xiangyi just glanced at him and said as a matter of course, "I'm here to buy books."
This cold look made Wang Hezhang inexplicably annoyed. So he stiffened his neck and said to her, "What kind of books can you buy?"
Everyone knows that Nie Xiangyi is a notorious unlearned person in the capital, and he can't even perform the Feihua Order.
Nie Xiangyi was about to retort, but at this moment, the clerk handed the book to her and lowered his voice, "Miss, this is your book."
When she saw that the book was wrapped in brocade and the shop assistant was mysterious, she couldn't help but feel curious - what kind of book was so precious?
She reached out and flipped it over. "Qiao..."
He had just seen a word when Wang Hezhang beside him quickly grabbed it.
His face became increasingly red, and his slender neck almost turned red. He frowned and glared at Nie Xiangyi, "You're a girl! Why are you buying this kind of book?"
"Girls can't buy it?" Nie Xiangyi suddenly became angry when he heard this, and a rebellious feeling arose in her heart, "You men are allowed to see it? I want to see it!"
She still didn't believe it! What kind of book is so valuable?
As she spoke, she tried to pry Wang Hezhang's hand away, scolding him, "You're from a noble family! Yet you're like those old-fashioned people, looking down on us women!"
"Who! Who looked down on you!"
Nie Xiangyi looked him in the eye, "Then let go and let me see!"
"You!" Wang Hezhang lost his temper after staring at her for a long time, and withdrew his hand as if giving up on himself. "Forget it! I really don't know you..."
What are the principles in my mind?
The victorious Nie Xiangyi just raised her chin towards him proudly, and then opened the book quite complacently.
After a moment of silence...
“Who told you to give me this kind of book!!!”
The book flew out of Nie Xiangyi's hand with a swish. Her cheeks flushed crimson, and her eyes wandered around aimlessly, not knowing where to look.
The waiter frowned in dissatisfaction, bent down to pick up the book, and dusted it off with a distressed look. "If the girl doesn't like it, then that's fine. Why bother throwing it away? There's only one copy left!"
Nie Xiangyi glared at the guy with a red face, "Who told you to give me this kind of book!"
"You said so yourself," the clerk said confidently, "You want a hard-to-find book. There's no book harder to find than this."
The words she had just seen flashed through Nie Xiangyi's mind, and her cheeks became even hotter.
No wonder Wang Hezhang didn’t let him see it just now.
She suddenly thought, what if this book was given to Xie Zhi...
Nie Xiangyi didn't even dare to think about it.
"I want the kind I can give as a gift!"
The clerk thought this could be given as a gift. But seeing Nie Xiangyi's expression, he knew she had strayed from the topic, so he smiled and said, "Miss, you are talking about rare ancient books or something like that. There are some too."
As he spoke, he fetched a wooden ladder and prepared to reach the top shelf. "Two days ago, the shopkeeper took back the 'Zhao Ming Wen Lu' along with a rare copy of the 'Jiu Xing Wen Shuo'."
Just as Nie Xiangyi was about to speak, Wang Hezhang said, "I want that one too."
As he spoke, he glanced at Nie Xiangyi provocatively.
He had been laughed at for so long, and now that he had the chance to use the shackles on Nie Xiangyi, he would not let it go easily.
As expected, Nie Xiangyi immediately put her hands on her hips and glared at him when she heard this, "Do you understand the principle of first come, first served?"
"I reserved this book a long time ago! Who didn't follow the first come, first served rule?"
"You clearly decided on the Zhaoming Wenlu!"
Wang Hezhang snorted complacently, "Hey, tell her. Didn't I say I'd buy any rare copy?"
The guy nodded with an embarrassed look.
"You!" Nie Xiangyi was furious and scolded angrily, "I thought you were handsome, but I never thought you were so petty!"
"What nonsense are you talking about in public!" As soon as these words were spoken, the redness on Wang Hezhang's face that had just faded came back and instantly permeated his skin.
He glared at Nie Xiangyi, but his face was red and he had lost all his aura. "You! How can you, a daughter of a noble marquis, speak like this... so openly! Without even a hint of pride!"
Then, as if giving up on himself, he said helplessly, "Forget it! I can't afford to offend you! I'll just give you the Nine Stars Theory!"
Without even looking at Nie Xiangyi, he turned and told the waiter, "Just help me make a copy."
The waiter nodded hurriedly, "Why don't you two sit down for a while in the book room upstairs? I'll arrange for someone to copy the book for you right away."
Wang Hezhang didn't even turn his head, as if he was afraid to look at Nie Xiangyi, and hurried upstairs, leaving Nie Xiangyi with only a pair of red ears.
Another waiter led Nie Xiangyi upstairs to sit down.
Though separated by elegant screens, the hall was bustling with the sounds of storytelling, cheers, and casual conversation.
After waiting for a while, Nie Xiangyi was listening to the storyteller's wonderful story when she suddenly heard the idle chatter of people sitting next to her.
"Hey! Have you heard? There's a serious snake problem at the Yongyi Marquis's mansion, and they're looking for a snake catcher."
I couldn't see the person through the screen, but I could hear his voice.
"There have been so many jokes in the Yongyi Marquis's Mansion recently, is this the only one?"
"The eldest daughter of his family returned to Beijing a few years ago to discuss marriage. It is said that she behaved frivolously and was ugly, and she almost angered the Marquis to death."
"The Marquis's wife was so kind as to find a nanny for her, and she was said to be an old nanny in the palace. But she actually ran away! It happened just a few days ago, and now it's spread among the noble families."
"They say she's disrespectful to her elders and doesn't get along well with her brothers and friends. She has absolutely no manners at all!"
Wang Hezhang couldn't help but frown when he heard this. He raised his eyes to glance at Nie Xiangyi's expression, but only heard her sneer.
The people's discussion continued, "A girl like this, still coming back to Beijing to discuss marriage? Even if you give me eighty pieces of dowry, I wouldn't dare marry her!"
"That's right! With her character, she won't be able to get married in our tribe."
This made Nie Xiangyi so angry that she sneered repeatedly. How could she tolerate it? Just as she was about to explode, Wang Hezhang spoke first.
"Spreading rumors and gossiping in the streets is not what a gentleman does! I don't think any girl would be interested in such bad behavior."
The discussion stopped abruptly, and suddenly became a whisper, with a teasing tone, "Hey! You are so protective of Miss Nie, could it be that you want to marry her?"
Wang Hezhang's face was almost red as blood. It was unclear whether he was angry because of the argument or annoyed by their words.
But he had been well-educated in etiquette since childhood, so he could not distinguish them.
Nie Xiangyi sneered, "I thought it was some kind of aristocratic family? And you guys are picking on me, Nie Xiangyi? You mediocre people despise the noble, and don't you even take a piss to look at your own poverty?"
"you!"
Everyone was about to argue with her when the waiter came up hurriedly and said, "Sir, the book has been copied."
Nie Xiangyi went downstairs to take the book and glanced at Wang Hezhang, who was still blushing. "Look at you blushing so much. If you can't speak eloquently, don't try to speak up for others."
"You!" Wang Hezhang glared at her angrily, "I'm obviously helping you out of kindness!"
Nie Xiangyi snorted, "I can do it without your help."
The two of them were arguing with each other. As soon as they left Wen Zhao's bookstore, Nie Xiangyi saw from afar a group of Shen Ce Guards in black armor passing by on the street. The orderly footsteps and the sound of the armor shaking were filled with a murderous aura, and everyone gave way to them.
Following the Shen Ce Guards, a carriage moved forward.
Nie Xiangyi's eyes lit up when she saw it. That must be Xie Zhi's carriage!
She clutched the rare copy in her arms, thinking what a coincidence, why not give it to him right now.
Just as he was about to step forward, Wang Hezhang suddenly grabbed his wrist from behind him, "Hey! What are you doing!"
"What do you care?" Nie Xiangyi glared at him.
"They must be carrying out their official duties right now." Wang Hezhang glared back at her seriously. "According to the rules of the Shen Ce Guard, anyone who interferes with official duties will be killed without mercy!"
As he spoke, he wiped his neck with his hand.
"How can it be so exaggerated..."
Wang Hezhang snorted, "I bet if you dare to step forward, the Shen Ce Guards' spears will pierce you through!"
Nie Xiangyi pursed her lips upon hearing this and stopped moving forward.
Ling Zhu was walking beside the carriage, and suddenly he saw a familiar figure of Shu Yan in the crowd, standing side by side with Wang Jia Wu Lang.
He thought of the pearl hairpin he had left on the carriage last night. He hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke through the carriage curtains, "Your Highness. Miss Nie is also here... with the fifth son of the Wang family."
After a moment, Xie Zhi's hand lifted a corner of the curtain.
In front of the bookstore, a lively young woman looked up at the young man before her. The two chatted and laughed, and while they were talking about something, Wang Wulang reached out and took the girl's wrist.
They seem to be on good terms as they travel together like this.
Xie Zhi suddenly remembered that she had once praised Wang Wulang for his handsome appearance.
He suddenly lowered the curtain and said to Ling Zhu in a cold voice, "Is your job very idle now? Do you have to report all the gossips?"
Huh? Ling Zhu was puzzled.
His Highness’s attitude… Could it be that he was mistaken about the pearl hairpin last night?
Indeed, His Highness is such a noble and dignified person, how could he have any feelings for Miss Nie? He must have misjudged her.
After a long time, the cold voice from the sedan chair came again.
"Go to the bookstore and ask what they did today."
The author has something to say:
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Ling Zhu: Your Highness, she bought an x book.
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