Shen Yuan's memories of Jizhou are still from her previous life.
In her previous life, she had passed through Jizhou on her way to the capital. At that time, she was attracted by the prosperity and wealth of Jizhou and stayed there for several days.
Later she learned that Jizhou was the fiefdom of the fifth prince, Xiao Yunfei. When Xiao Yunfei was enfeoffed as the Prince of Jin, Jizhou was granted to him as his fiefdom.
Jizhou is located in the Central Plains. It is the closest city to the capital and has the most fertile land. Originally, it was managed and guarded by officials personally appointed by the Emperor of Jizhou, and it was not a fiefdom that could be granted to the princes.
But the emperor of the Great Yan Kingdom broke this precedent.
Because Xiao Yunfei was Empress Chen's youngest son, and Empress Chen almost died in childbirth when she gave birth to him, she loved this hard-won youngest son very much.
Xiao Yuncheng was designated as the Crown Prince of the Great Yan Kingdom at birth, so Empress Chen gave all her affection to her youngest son, Xiao Yunfei.
Xiao Yunfei, free from the heavy responsibilities of being the crown prince, lived a carefree and unrestrained life.
After Xiao Yunfei was enfeoffed as the Prince of Jin, Empress Chen worried that her youngest son would go to his fiefdom in the future and that she and her son would never be able to see each other again. She cried several times because of this.
The emperor felt sorry for her, and also for his youngest son, so he made an exception and bestowed Jizhou upon Xiao Yunfei as his fief.
It only takes seven or eight days to travel from Jizhou to the capital by carriage. If Empress Chen wants to see Xiao Yunfei, she can have him see her every month by imperial decree.
Recalling all of this, Shen Yuan glanced at Xiao Ling a few times, her heart filled with countless emotions.
Empress Chen's favor was unparalleled in the harem, and her two sons and one daughter were also cherished by the emperor like precious jewels. However, Xiao Ling and Tian Tian were also his children, but they could not even enjoy the honor of princes and princesses, and their lives were even worse than those of ordinary people.
A subtle, persistent pain welled up in Shen Yuan's heart. Looking at Xiao Ling, she felt a pang of sympathy for him.
If everyone could choose their own birth, wouldn't there be far fewer children in the world who are not loved by their parents?
"Are you staring at me because my mask is ugly?"
Noticing Shen Yuan's gaze, Xiao Ling touched the mask he had bought temporarily and turned to look at Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuan withdrew her gaze: "No!"
"What is that?"
"Yes..." Shen Yuan hesitated for a moment, "It's because you're too good-looking!"
Xiao Ling paused, her ears turning slightly red.
"Enough talk, let's hurry on our way!" Shen Yuan nudged Xiao Ling.
After passing the pass, it will take another half a day to reach the main city.
She had to get to the city to find an inn before dark.
"Alright!" Xiao Ling chuckled and pulled the carriage towards the city.
The two soon arrived at Jizhou City, which was much more prosperous than Shen Yuan remembered.
Shen Yuan couldn't help but say, "Xiao Yunfei does have some ability to manage the world. He has governed Jizhou City quite well! Look at the shops and houses in the city, they are all square and orderly. The roads we walk on are also straight and crisscrossed. Every place feels very well-organized!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling gave Shen Yuan a deep look.
That gaze was somewhat profound, and Shen Yuan couldn't understand it.
But she could tell that Xiao Ling was not interested in anything along the way, as if she had no interest in Xiao Yunfei's affairs at all, so she immediately changed the subject.
The two found an inn in the city, handed the carriage over to the waiter, and then entered the inn.
"Shopkeeper, I need two bedrooms!" Shen Yuan said.
The innkeeper said, "I'm sorry, there's only one room left."
It's already dark, and it's hard to find an inn.
Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan turned to look at Xiao Ling, but Xiao Ling didn't react. So Shen Yuan said, "Then let's open one!"
Anyway, they had been traveling together for so long, and they had been resting around a campfire in the wild. She wasn't one to be coy.
Moreover, you can save half of your money by booking a room.
The shopkeeper accepted the money, gave Shen Yuan a key, and had the waiter take Shen Yuan and Xiao Ling upstairs.
After Shen Yuan went upstairs, she asked the waiter to turn on the hot water. She wanted to take a bath, as she hadn't bathed for several days.
After entering the bedroom, Xiao Ling put down his luggage and went out.
Shen Yuan knew that he was afraid of making things inconvenient for her, so he went out to avoid suspicion, so she didn't ask him what he was doing.
After taking a shower, Shen Yuan sat by the stove to dry her hair.
Her hair is thick and long, and it takes almost half an hour to dry each time.
But by the time she dried her hair and even restyled it, Xiao Ling still hadn't returned.
When the waiter came to clear the water, he asked, "Would you like dinner prepared, sir?"
Seeing that Xiao Ling showed no sign of taking it back, Shen Yuan had no choice but to say, "I'd like two bowls of braised noodles, one for now and one for dinner."
"Also, we need a pot of hot water in our room. We'll ask you for it later."
"Alright!" the waiter replied and left.
After finishing her noodles with gravy, Shen Yuan sat down on the bed and repacked her luggage.
After tidying up, Shen Yuan sat by the window waiting for Xiao Ling.
Her room was on the second floor of the inn, in a corner, offering a view of the surrounding streets at night for several days.
Shen Yuan sat by the window, watching the soldiers and night watchmen patrolling the streets, and suddenly felt that there were too many people patrolling.
To be honest, Jizhou is indeed prosperous, but unlike the bustling and lively Jinling City, Jizhou is too quiet.
Moreover, this quietness did not make Shen Yuan feel peaceful; on the contrary, it made her feel somewhat strange.
A nameless unease gradually welled up in Tian's heart.
It wasn't until late 9 PM, when Shen Yuan was already feeling sleepy, that Xiao Ling finally rushed back, looking travel-worn.
Seeing his solemn expression and the somewhat dirty and disheveled clothes, Shen Yuan couldn't help but ask, "Where did you go?"
Xiao Ling: "Just wandering around."
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