◇ Chapter 65 (65) The Prince of Marriage
Some words made him let down his guard, but Lianzhi dropped her pretense and returned to her sassy self in the capital, clamoring for fish. Rongcheng was close to the sea, and the local people loved seafood. He used to love fish the most, but seafood was difficult to transport to the capital, so he only ate more in the year he ascended the throne.
Bai Kang picked a famous restaurant in Rongcheng and packed two fish for him. Helian Zhulan waited in the carriage. Seeing that Bai Kang had taken a long time to return, Lianzhi curled her lips and said, "Rongcheng is so shabby. No wonder your Shangshu Mansion is also shabby. It seems you haven't gotten over the habits of Rongcheng yet."
"When we return to the capital, have the courtyard renovated," Bai Kang said. "Arrange it to your liking."
Lianzhi remained silent. He was indeed starving. Just as Bo Kang had expected, he had eaten very little in the past two months. He was a picky eater, and the food of the Helan tribe was not to his liking. After finally reaching Rongcheng, the food at the post station was okay, but too unrefined to be swallowed.
The food in this restaurant is just okay, barely comparable to what the chef at Shangshu Mansion makes.
Bai Kang took the initiative to grab the chopsticks and feed him. After eating and drinking, Lianzhi lazily nestled in his arms, just like they were traveling in Beijing. When they arrived at the posthouse, Bai Kang asked the servants to pack the carriage first, and then he pulled Lianzhi upstairs.
The new guest room was right next to the previous one. Bai Kang took note and escorted the person outside. He wanted to ask if he could go in, but then he thought about how Lianzhi had finally given him a good look, so he decided to wait a couple of days before asking. He was so hesitant that Lianzhi took the initiative to hook his collar and pull him down: "Brother Kang."
He pointed to the corner of his lips. Bo Kang's nose was filled with the scent of the North Sea Realm's incense. He couldn't think of anything else. Lianzhi stamped her foot, and he said slowly, "Hmm?"
"Kiss me." Lianzhi took the initiative to move closer and kissed him hard on the mouth. Bai Kang's heart was moved, and he pressed him against the door and kissed him.
The staircase was dark, and since it was late, no one was passing by. They didn't need to hide, so they kissed for a while by the door. After the kiss, Lianzhi raised her head, panting, "Brother Kang, my sister and her friends call me Zhuzhu. If you want to change your name, you can."
Bai Kang remembered that he liked his original name very much. Now that he was allowed to change it, he guessed that the people in the Helan tribe were nice to him, otherwise he would not force himself to change to a name he didn't like.
Bai Kang was happy that someone was treating him well. Chen Fenglian wasn't a bad kid before, at most a bit willful and spoiled. But he was still quite confused: "Baby, can you tell me about your relationship with the Helan tribe now?"
When this matter was mentioned, Lianzhi still shook her head: "You will know in a few days."
Anyway, they will meet the princess of the North Sea sooner or later.
Sooner or later, he will have to go to the capital to marry a princess.
Bai Kang knew he couldn't force it, so he didn't ask any more questions. Before leaving, Lianzhi grabbed his sleeve and said softly, "Brother Kang, see you tomorrow morning."
Bai Kang's heart melted, and his voice was soft as a mess: "Okay. See you tomorrow."
He watched with his own eyes as Lianzhi waved goodbye to him with a smile, and then left after entering the room. Just as he was coming downstairs, before Bo Kang left the inn, he heard a whistling sound of wind. He jumped back alertly, and the breeze passed by, revealing a bronze arrow nailed to the wall where he had just stood.
Fortunately, this place is close to the kitchen and not many people come here at this time, otherwise innocent people might be hurt.
Bo Kang's face darkened, realizing something was amiss, and he hurried back to the inn. As he went upstairs, several new bronze arrows appeared where he had been earlier. He looked out the window and saw the familiar foreigner standing behind a tree, glaring at him with resentment.
Only when he realized that Bo Kang had discovered him did he leave quietly.
Why is he still with Lianzhi?
Thinking of the "jealous" remarks made by someone in the Ministry of Rites earlier, Bai Kang suddenly lost his composure. Furthermore, he had a feeling that the relationship between Lianzhi and that person was more than ordinary. It wasn't a simple relationship of surveillance and being monitored.
There seemed to be other, more hidden connections between them.
He wanted to go back and call Lianzhi out to ask her about it. After thinking for a moment, Bai Kang decided to go back.
Two days later, the Helan envoy announced that the princess had rested well enough to proceed with peace talks between the two states. The Helan tribe gave a very official explanation for the princess's disappearance: the city was crowded with people, and the princess had accidentally followed the wrong group, and had only been traveling with the caravan for two days.
There was no mention of why the princess left the Helan tribe.
Bai Kang didn't pursue the matter. Having reconciled with Lianzhi, he'd looked much better these past two days. He and the Helan tribe both had their own explanations, and they had reasons to report it to the court, so they could just let it go. Bai Kang was no longer the passionate young man who'd just entered the officialdom. What did Princess Mu say? We were all just workers.
Before leaving for the posthouse, Bai Kang had even slipped in the Rongcheng specialty sesame cakes Lianzhi had mentioned wanting when they parted the previous night, hoping to watch him finish them. Arriving at the posthouse, the officials from the Ministry of Rites sat on the left side of the brocade banquet, with the center reserved for Bai Kang. Minister Du had already begun chatting with Chunyu Ying.
It had rained the previous night, and water dripped from the eaves of the inn, splashing into the puddles on the steps. Standing downstairs, one could hear the tinkling of bells on the clothing of the people from the North Sea. Bo Kang and Chun Yuying greeted them and asked, "Where's the Prince of the Helan Tribe?"
"Please wait a moment, my lord. They will be here shortly," Chunyu Ying replied. Bo Kang sighed, disappointed that their time together was now even less. Why should his Lianzhi accompany the princess when she could prepare herself?
Chunyu Ying heard him mumbling to himself and gave him a strange look. Before he and Bo Kang could explain, Da Xi Mi came over with two young men dressed as members of the Northern Sea royal family, and they saluted with their fists pressed to their chests.
Bai Kang immediately returned the greeting. Da Xi Mi said, "From the Heaven of Immortality, I send my greetings to the envoy from Da Ning. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. This is Ashina Yuyao, the second princess of the Yilu tribe. A while ago, the princess got lost, and I'm sorry to have caused you so much trouble."
Bo Kang looked over and saw the girl's face was familiar. She looked at him coldly. Bo Kang was only surprised for a moment, then smiled and saluted.
"This is the fourth prince of the Helan tribe, Helian Zhulan, who is marrying into the Daning clan. Please take good care of our prince from now on."
Da Xi Mi's Mandarin was much better than in the past few days, but Bo Kang felt he didn't quite understand. A young man stood by the window, his red clothes stained almost blood-red by the dim light. He lifted his veil. Wasn't it Lian Zhi, who had been with him these past few days?
Could it be that he was hard of hearing and misheard what Da Xi Mi said?
The officials from the Ministry of Rites behind him had already stood up and saluted them. Bo Kang didn't move, his voice hoarse as he asked again, "Could you please repeat it, Lord Da Xi?"
Da Xi Mi glanced at him and said again: "This is the prince of the Helan tribe, Helian Zhulan, who is about to marry into your Daning."
Marriage?
Marriage!
Wasn't the princess the one being married off to? Why was it Helian Zhulan? If there weren't so many people present, Bai Kang would have rushed over to question her. His throat was dry, and he stared at the figure in a daze. The doctor from the Ministry of Rites asked the question for him: "Why is it a prince being married off?" Could it be that the Helan tribe was deliberately trying to humiliate Daning?
"My Helan tribe has a princess who will succeed to the throne. Do you want the princess of the Helan tribe to marry into Daning?" Da Xi Mi's face turned cold again. She had an extremely imposing aura. Although she was a woman, her stature was similar to that of people from Rongcheng, and she was taller and stronger than the other officials of the Ministry of Rites.
Prince Zhulan seems to be the easier one to talk to.
Chunyu Ying had already begun relaying the details of the trip to the capital and the dowry sent by the Helan tribe. The Yilu princess, as the accompanying envoy, was only waiting to escort Helian Zhulan to the capital. She would return after the ceremony and would not marry into Daning. Bai Kang forced a smile as he listened, his expression too grim. Minister Du, after giving him this reminder, sighed silently.
Suddenly, the wine glass in front of him was filled with milk wine. Bai Kang looked up. Lianzhi was holding the gilded wine bag, lowering her eyebrows and saying, "I will rely on your care from now on."
Bai Kang raised his glass, clinked it lightly with his, and said through gritted teeth, "It seems that Prince Zhulan is very eager for this marriage."
Lianzhi smiled shyly, which made Baikang furious. Just when Da Ximi mentioned leaving the day after tomorrow, Baikang and Lianzhi spoke at the same time.
"Why not wait two more days..."
"With such haste, I'm afraid the princess won't be able to rest well. It's better to wait a few more days."
Anyone with a discerning eye knew that the Helan tribe was in charge of this marriage. After Lianzhi's announcement, the return to Beijing was set for five days later. After the peace talks concluded, the two groups parted ways. Bo Kang didn't follow them upstairs, but instead returned to the residence of the Ministry of Rites officials.
The pancake in my arms had gone cold and had become greasy because I couldn't give it away.
"We'll set off at Chen time five days from now and arrive at Qizhou Post Station at Mao time the following day."
The autumn rain fell suddenly. Rushing back to his lodgings, Bo Kang had already begun methodically planning his next trip. He took a pen and sketched a route on the map.
"Qizhou, Fancheng... Although it's a bit of a detour, it avoids Yanmen Pass. This route is not bad." King Mu circled the word Qizhou. "Qizhou is mountainous. I will send a troop to garrison and ten archers to await your orders."
If His Majesty wants to weaken the power of the Helan tribe, he can only do it on the road. Everyone thinks that the most crucial person is the Daxi envoy, but Bo Kang thinks to himself, that's not right.
They must all be waiting for Helian Zhulan's orders.
After deciding on a route and arranging his personal guards, Bo Kang excused himself and returned to his room. Outside the window, the locust tree was battered by wind and rain, its shadows swaying. The sound of raindrops mingled with the tinkling of golden bells.
The window behind him was opened from the outside, and the strong wind blew out the candle on the table.
Lianzhi squatted on the window, his clothes wet, his movements nimble and silent, his eyes gleaming like a cat hunting in the dark. Lifting his veil, he had a guilty look on his face, looking even more like a kitten that had made a mistake.
Lianzhi clearly felt she was wrong. Bo Kang stared at him for a moment, then suddenly hugged him tightly! Regardless of his own soaking wetness, he closed the window and forcefully carried him to the bed.
"Bo Kang!" Lianzhi was shocked.
Bai Kang stared at him silently. When he wasn't smiling, his expression was extremely serious, with a hint of shocking horror. He had never looked at Helian Zhulan in this way before. He looked down at her, and anyone could see that he was very angry at the moment.
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