Zhou Gu’s cards were evenly matched with Su Rong’s, they had played several rounds and ended up with a draw.
Zhou Gu stuffed the cards into Ye Guixue’s hands, "Brother Ye, your turn."
Ye Guixue took the cards, smiled and looked at the opposite side, "Aren’t you tired, Princess?"
"Not tired, just come at me." Su Rong had also drunk quite a bit today, but she grew up in an environment steeped with brewing, not to say she could handle a thousand cups without getting drunk, but she wouldn’t collapse after a few more drinks.
Cui Yanjin took advantage on the side, "Bring it on, whoever comes up, my cousin-in-law will win against."
"Don’t talk big." Zhang Yun just wanted to win now, "Brother Ye, my private money is counting on you."
Ye Guixue nodded, "I’ll try my best."
He hadn’t drunk much today, his mind was the clearest among those seated.
In three consecutive rounds, Su Rong was only a move short of winning and Cui Yanjin stopped talking on the side.
Zhang Yun was happy, "Brother Ye, I knew it, I can always rely on you."
Zhou Gu snorted lightly, "It was me who passed the cards to him."
"Sure, sure, Zhou Gu, you two are my lucky stars." Zhang Yun looked at the returning private money, grinning from ear to ear.
"Don’t celebrate too early." Su Rong also smiled.
Zhang Yun blinked his eyes. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂
Sure enough, in the next round, the round after that, and the next four or five rounds, Ye Guixue kept losing.
Zhang Yun smacked his lips, "Really?"
Su Rong looked at him, "If you go to Jiangning County and ask around, you’ll know, I’ve been playing this thing ever since I was a child. No one is my match."
Cui Yanjin perked up again, "In the entire Jiangzhou, my cousin-in-law claims to be second, and no one dares to claim to be the first. While you guys were memorizing books and studying hard, my cousin-in-law was playing this every day."
Su Rong stuffed the cards into Cui Yanjin’s hands, and said to everyone with amusement, "Giving you a chance for revenge, my little cousin is loaded, you can win it back from him."
Zhang Yun rubbed his hands with glee and smiled sinisterly at Cui Yanjin, "Cui Yanjin, you’re something, just you wait."
Cui Yanjin exclaimed "awoo" in an act, "Wait then, I’m waiting."
Everyone continued to gather round and play noisily, Su Rong became the one watching from the sidelines, Zhou Gu also didn’t join the fray but instead washed his hands and peeled grapes for Su Rong to eat.
Under the siege of everyone, Cui Yanjin lost everything that Su Rong had won and the sky was nearly bright.
He hung his head dejectedly and tugged at Su Rong’s sleeve, "Cousin-in-law, you didn’t even help me, it’s all gone."
"What does it matter if it’s gone? You are still young, there’s no rush to marry." Su Rong patted his head and yawned, "Alright, let’s call it a night."
Cui Yanjin was unhappy, "It’s all my cousin’s fault."
Zhou Gu flicked his forehead, "What are you blaming me for?"
Cui Yanjin huffed, "You take sides with your brother, not your cousin."
"Didn’t I say, you’re still young." Zhou Gu didn’t bother with Cui Yanjin anymore, he took Su Rong, skilfully hoisted her onto his back, and left.
Cui Yanjin pouted.
Zhang Yun happily patted his shoulder, "Thanks, little brother, if it weren’t for you, my warehouse would have been emptied out today."
Cui Yanjin huffed and turned his head away, walking off.
Everyone knew that the Princess had spent the entire night pulling people into games, so none of the members of the Royal Family came to the Palace to offer New Year’s greetings on the first day of the year.
Su Rong and Zhou Gu slept until evening, and after having dinner, they dragged Zhou Gu and the Nanchu King up to the City Building to set off fireworks.
The Nanchu King, gazing at the splendid panorama filling the sky, sighed with emotion, "I had never imagined before that a festival could be celebrated with such fun."
The previous night he had pulled Ye Xiang, Duke Cui, Xie Yuan, The Old Duke, and a few important officials from the Imperial Court to drink, and they too drank until late into the night. Last year’s celebration had been thrilling, but this year’s was extraordinarily lively.
"There will be plenty of time in the future," Zhou Gu added.
The Nanchu King laughed and nodded, "Right."
Indeed, there was plenty of time ahead of them; so much that he was willing to accompany his daughter and son-in-law for a century, then descend to the netherworld with a smile.
After the fifth day of the new year, the Imperial Court resumed the grand court assembly, and the work on the Imperial Court began a new Chapter for the year.
Before long, it was the fifteenth day of the first month. The Palace was adorned with various kinds of palace lanterns. Nanny Zhao and her staff had decorated everything nicely, but Su Rong felt it was better to share the joy with the people. Thus, she and Zhou Gu left the Royal Palace and went to the streets.
The Nanchu King, looking out the window at the palace lanterns, felt nostalgic, "It was during the Lantern Festival that year when I met Zhenmin. The street was ablaze with lanterns that made her look supremely beautiful."
Li He said with empathy, "Your Majesty, you’re thinking of the Princess again."
"Yes, I miss her," the Nanchu King sighed, "I was not fortunate enough to be with her for this lifetime, but I hope, in the next life, we can be together in full."
Li He fell silent.
The Nanchu King continued, "In this lifetime, I often pray to the heavens for compassion."
On the Lantern Festival of the fifteenth, the flower markets were as bright as day. Su Rong, pulling along Zhou Gu, wove through the bustling Marketplace, where crowds had gathered to enjoy the excitement of guessing lantern riddles. They joined in the fun.
Reading and writing had not been Su Rong’s forte, so she was not as quick-witted as Zhou Gu, who had been taught by Grand Tutor Qin. She had her eye on a beautiful Phoenix Lamp but was stumped at the final hurdle and, unable to solve the riddle, tugged at Zhou Gu’s sleeve for help.
Zhou Gu whispered, "Princess, cheating is not good, is it?"
Su Rong glared, "I want this lantern; will you help me or not? If not, you’ll be sleeping in the study tonight."
Zhou Gu inhaled sharply, "I’ll help."
He certainly didn’t want to sleep in the study. Although he wasn’t someone who demanded affection every day of his newlywed life, he still didn’t want to sleep alone.
So Zhou Gu wrote down the answer to the riddle on a piece of paper and handed it to Su Rong. Su Rong opened it and immediately broke into laughter before handing it to the shop owner.
The shop owner took the answer and let out an "Aha" without being upset at losing the Phoenix Lamp. Instead, he broke into a smile, "Miss, you guessed the riddle correctly. Please wait, my young master wants to meet the person who solved this riddle before you can have this Phoenix Lamp."
Su Rong hadn’t expected there to be such a stipulation but readily nodded, "Alright."
Thus, the shop owner took the answer and left.
Shortly afterward, the shop owner returned, his demeanor now very respectful, "Please, the two of you."
Su Rong and Zhou Gu exchanged a glance and followed the shop owner into the shop, up to the second floor, and to the door of a Private Room.
As they arrived, the door to the Private Room was opened from the inside, and a man came out. Su Rong and Zhou Gu’s steps halted abruptly; they both recognized the man; it was Nangong Zheng, who should have been staying in Great Wei with the direct lineage of the Nangong family.
They thought they controlled the entirety of Nanchu, yet they hadn’t been informed when Nangong Zheng had arrived in Nanchu Capital.
Su Rong looked at Nangong Zheng but didn’t change her expression because he appeared in the Nanchu Capital.
Zhou Gu did the same but lifted his eyebrows in surprise.
Nangong Zheng had grown taller compared to the previous year; he had shed his youthful sharpness. Clad in a black light fur coat with subtle patterns, his eyes were calm and peaceful as he spoke indifferently, "I knew that the person capable of solving my riddle would be one of only a handful in the entire world, besides the Crown Prince of Daliang and Second Young Master Ye of Southern Chu, it would only be the world-renowned Xie Yuan, along with the equally famed Grand Tutor Qin, and his personally taught student, Fourth Young Master Zhou."
Crown Prince Yuan Zhao of Great Wei had been excluded from his list.
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