Chapter 176 He's so pitiful
Lanwu waited quietly for almost half an hour, but her fishing rod didn't move at all. On the other hand, Yizhen caught a fish every now and then, but they were all very small and not enough to eat.
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing a complex mix of emotions in each other's eyes.
Is there really a big fish in there?
They quickly became convinced that there really was a big fish in there—there was some commotion on the other side, and someone had caught a fish as long as an arm.
The noise gradually faded away, and Lan Wu focused intently on her fishing rod.
After sitting for almost half an hour, she finally saw her fishing float move. Overjoyed, she grabbed the rod and felt a strong pull. Fortunately, Mu Jin was there to help her.
Although Mu Jin was a woman, her strength was beyond that of ordinary people. She helped Lan Wu hold the fishing rod, and with a tug, she pulled the fishing rod and the fish in the water up.
Yizhen ran over to look and, upon hearing that it was a crucian carp the size of a palm, happily said, "Lanwu, the fish you caught is bigger than mine. I'll have someone cook crucian carp soup for you tonight."
"OK."
As the sun began to set in the west in the afternoon and the sky grew overcast, the palace servants added a cloak to Lan Wu's clothes. Looking into the water cage, there were mostly crucian carp, but the largest of them was only a little bigger than the palm of a hand. Not a single fat fish that the old lady had mentioned was in sight.
Lan Wu had given up hope, and Yi Zhen was also somewhat disheartened.
"No, we'll have someone buy a fish later. It's getting late, we should head back—"
Yi Zhen looked across the lake and said something, but before he could finish, he heard a noise beside him.
She glanced to the side and saw Lan Wu's hand gripping the fishing rod. She clearly hadn't expected the fish that had taken the bait to be so strong. Caught off guard, she reached out and was pulled forward with great force, her whole body bent over.
Yizhen's eyes widened, and she hurried over to help her.
Hibiscus stood protectively by the side, while also reaching out to grab the fishing rod, feeling the pull from underwater.
The three of them didn't say a word, and struggled to pull the fish out of the water by pulling on the fishing rod.
Actually, with Mu Jin there, it wouldn't have been too difficult to pull the fish out, but Mu Jin knew that the Empress had been waiting all afternoon for the big fish to take the bait, so she didn't use her full strength and let the Empress experience the joy of catching the big fish herself.
The water was already splashing, and the fish was getting closer and closer, splashing water droplets that scattered in all directions.
As the fish was pulled completely out of the water, Lan Wu looked at the big fish and couldn't help but smile, her mouth slightly agape.
Yi Zhen reacted even more directly, shaking Lan Wu's shoulder and exclaiming loudly, "How are you so amazing! We'll have fish for dinner tonight!"
Coincidentally, the fish was a plump and delicious grass carp.
The grass carp was still thrashing about when a palace servant stepped forward, caught it, and put it into a water cage, saying that the fish weighed seven pounds.
In the end, she actually caught a big fish. After her initial joy, Lan Wu was a little surprised. She subconsciously looked at the guards and palace servants around her, wondering if someone had put the big fish on her hook.
Just then, I saw someone else coming over.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, someone from across the street is asking if you want to buy fish."
Yi Zhen glanced back and saw a strong young man carrying a cage.
They've all caught big fish, and this one is just enough for them to eat. But the palace servants have worked hard today, so it's fine to buy the fish together.
"Shall we go take a look?" Yizhen asked Lanwu.
Lan Wu was fine with either option, and seeing that she was interested, she went with her to take a look.
The fish in that cage were much better than the ones the two of them had caught; the largest one was almost as big as the one Lan Wu had just caught.
Seeing two young and beautiful women approaching, the young man felt a little embarrassed and didn't dare to look up at them. He only showed them the fish in the cage.
"Take them all," Yi Zhen said, instructing the palace servants to give the man money. Then she turned to get into her carriage and go back.
Before turning her back, she suddenly saw the man furtively raise his eyes and glance at them.
Yi Zhen frowned and followed the man's gaze to see that he was looking at Lan Wu.
Enraged, she stood in front of Lan Wu and scolded, "How dare you! Where are you looking?"
Lan Wu paused for a moment, then realized what was happening and frowned.
The surrounding guards gathered around, and with just a word from their masters, they could beat this reckless man to a pulp.
The man was also frightened and immediately knelt down, repeatedly saying, "Miss, spare my life."
At the foot of the sacred mountain, Yi Zhen had no intention of getting her hands dirty. After giving a warning, she followed Lan Wu into the carriage.
Inside the carriage, Yi Zhen gazed at Lan Wu's beautiful and striking face and couldn't help but sigh, "What a lucky thing for my brother!"
It would have been better if she hadn't brought it up, because once she did, Lan Wu couldn't help but blush. She thought to herself: Who's getting the better deal? Chu Mingheng is young, handsome, and has immense power. No matter how you look at it, she's the one who's getting the better deal.
But Lan Wu naturally wouldn't say these words aloud. She just coughed lightly and said more seriously, "That's right."
Yi Zhen burst out laughing.
Both of them forgot about the unpleasantness from earlier and started thinking about what good wine to pair with the fish that night.
However, Lanwu has a low alcohol tolerance and cannot drink strong liquor, so she only drank three cups of fruit wine at dinner.
Under the moonlight, the two chatted in the courtyard.
Yi Zhen was also a little drunk, but she was still quite conscious. She watched Lan Wu propping her face up and looking at the moon in the sky with a dazed look in her eyes, and she had a funny thought.
So he leaned closer to Lanwu and asked her, "Have you been unhappy lately because you miss your brother? The palace maids around you all say you cried because you missed him so much. You two are so inseparable."
After listening to her words, Lan Wu paused for a moment, her gaze still fixed on the moon in the sky, before nodding heavily: "I miss him."
After she finished speaking, she lowered her eyes slightly and murmured again, "I miss him..."
Chu Mingheng's face flashed through her mind—serious, ruthless, gentle, doting… It felt as if she could reach out and touch his face, yet it was all just a mirage.
She recalled the scene in her dream where Chu Mingheng was wildly hacking around with a sword. He was disheveled, his face was haggard, and he was carrying wine and holding her painting in his arms. He stumbled and ran to Yilan Palace to look for her.
...
"Hey, hey, hey? Why are you crying?" Seeing her tears streaming down her face, Yizhen quickly reached for a handkerchief to wipe them away. "I shouldn't have mentioned my brother, how did I make you cry..."
Lan Wu couldn't hold back her tears once she started crying, especially since she was drunk, which amplified her emotions. Thinking of Chu Mingheng, she reached out and took Yi Zhen's hand, telling her in a tearful voice, "He's so pitiful... Yi Zhen, he's so pitiful..."
Yi Zhen was completely bewildered and looked at Lan Wu with a puzzled expression: "Who's pitiful?"
Could it be referring to her imperial brother?
Haha, he has both power and beauty, what's there to pity about him?
Yi Zhenxin said: What was written in the storybooks was indeed true; women who indulge in love will have their brains damaged.
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