Chapter 26, Shangyuan
The snow stopped overnight, but the sky remained a vast expanse of white.
The lingering scent of firecrackers and fireworks filled the air, and the once quiet city of Shengjing, which had been silent all winter, finally showed signs of revival.
As dusk approached, Wen Lingzheng stretched her stiff shoulders, put away the account book she had been looking at for a while, changed her clothes, and went out with Yaoguang and the other two to Fanlou as agreed.
It is said that Shengjing is rich and dazzling, and just one glance at Fanlou is enough to see this.
In fact, Fanlou is not a single building, but rather a collection of five three-story buildings at the northern end of Yujie Street.
Scholars described its flying bridges and railings, with light and shadow connecting them, beaded curtains and embroidered lintels, and flickering lamps and candles.
It is evident that it is magnificent and splendid.
Today, Fanlou is bustling with activity, a sight rarely seen since last year.
People came and went in an endless stream, and the doors, beds, and walkways were filled with distinguished guests. Not to mention the private rooms upstairs, which were booked long ago.
Ethereal melodies drifted from the upstairs pavilion, mingling with the bustling voices of the crowd, as if the phrase "large and small pearls falling onto a jade plate" from ancient books had come to life.
As soon as Wen Lingzheng and Yao Guang stepped into the threshold of Fanlou, someone eagerly came forward to greet them, inquire about their whereabouts, and led them the way.
Xiao Shanghua is the most fun-loving and playful person.
She was a regular at Fanlou, and her favorite spot was the elegant pavilion facing the sun in the north building, just so she could stand by the half-open window and enjoy the view of the Bian River.
"Ah Zheng! You've finally arrived, and you've come at just the right time!" Xiao Shanghua opened the door and bumped into Wen Lingzheng, who was about to push the door open.
"What are you doing?" Seeing her hurry out and exchange a few words with Guo Mai, Wen Lingzheng smiled and couldn't help but ask, "What new and interesting things do you want us to try this time?"
You'll find out soon enough!
Xiao Shanghua kept everyone in suspense, then excitedly pulled Wen Lingzheng into the pavilion. "A Ning, A Shao, let's think of a way to punish these two latecomers!"
Pei Ning and Zhao Rushao arrived early, but Chen Lingwen was a little slower than Wen Lingzheng for some reason, and his cheeks were still flushed when he entered the pavilion.
Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to it.
"Hey? What's wrong with Mingzhu? Her face is so red..." Xiao Shanghua pulled Chen Lingwen down to sit and couldn't help but tease her, "Could it be that Gu Sanlang brought you here?"
They were all unmarried girls of similar social standing who had grown up together, so they didn't hold back when teasing each other.
"Huh? Did Gu Sanlang bring the princess here?" Zhao Rushao was always naive. Before Chen Lingwen could answer, she believed Xiao Shanghua's casual nonsense. She put her hands on the windowsill and leaned out to look.
"Today is the Lantern Festival, and there are crowds of people outside. Even if it really is Gu Sanlang, so what? You'll only see his hat at most!" Pei Ning covered her mouth with a handkerchief, but couldn't stop the laughter from spilling out.
Wen Lingzheng couldn't help but laugh, but she still reached out and pulled Zhao Rushao back, "If you look like this and mistake some respectable young man for someone else, Mingzhu will be furious with you!"
Even her ears turned red. Chen Lingwen grabbed Xiao Shanghua, who was standing closest to her, and teased her for a while, "How did you all become so bad! It's all this bad Ah Shang's fault for teaching you all bad things!"
After passing through the entrance, various kinds of food and drinks were placed on the table.
The girls who were laughing and joking just now sat up straight. Only after the door closed did they relax again, and their previously straight backs hunched over.
"Quickly confess honestly!" Xiao Shanghua hadn't forgotten her purpose.
Just as he thought the matter had been diverted and breathed a sigh of relief, Chen Lingwen said helplessly, "Look at her like this, it seems she's not going to let me off the hook today!"
"So, is it Gu Sanlang?" Zhao Rushao quietly moved closer to Chen Lingwen, echoing Xiao Shanghua's words in perfect harmony.
With her lips pursed and head slightly lowered, Chen Lingwen, looking slightly embarrassed, nodded and murmured, "Mmm..."
"So, does that mean you agree?" Pei Ning asked with a grin as she leaned against Wen Lingzheng.
"No way! He agreed to my parents' wishes first when I disagreed! I'm not going to get over this so quickly!" Chen Lingwen retorted quickly, raising her chin slightly, bright and proud.
Zhao Rushao asked in confusion, "Then why did you agree to let him bring you here? For the past six months, my grandmother has kept me at home learning needlework. Could it be that something happened that I don't know about?"
Wen Lingzheng chuckled lightly, "It's just that Gu Sanlang is persistent! He doesn't care even if he has to sit on the sidelines. Today he's a kite, tomorrow a puppet, and he runs to the Grand Princess's residence every day without getting tired of it."
“No wonder my elder brother always says, ‘Constant dripping wears away a stone!’” Zhao Rushao said, pouring himself a full cup of wine. “Hasn’t our precious pearl been worn away by dripping water?”
After laughing for a while, Wen Lingzheng changed the subject and said, "Although the princess is a noble lady, girls are always at a disadvantage. Therefore, it is best to take the initiative in everything, whether it is dealing with the world or being a person. You must not let yourself get too involved."
Pei Ning turned to look at Wen Lingzheng, "What kind of foolish idea did you give this girl this time?"
"I understand!" Chen Lingwen responded to Wen Lingzheng first, then looked at Pei Ning and said, "The easier something is to obtain, the less it will be cherished! I think what A-Zheng said makes a lot of sense."
Pei Ning chuckled softly and shook her head, saying, "It seems my silly brother is probably the first to fall for it! He's still grinning like an idiot, completely oblivious!"
Suddenly remembering something, Zhao Rushao peeked out the door and looked at Chen Lingwen, asking, "Are you coming back with us later?"
"No need." Slightly embarrassed, Chen Lingwen pointed outside and said, "He just went to another pavilion. Yang Songjian invited him, and Changhua's younger brother is there too!"
Everyone in the capital knows that the Duke of Jing has two exceptionally outstanding children.
The eldest son, Xiao Weiyuan, was a prodigy in his youth. He entered the palace as a tutor to the emperor from a young age and has now risen to the rank of fourth-grade official.
The eldest daughter, Xiao Shanghua, was also dignified and elegant, with a graceful smile and a charming frown, making her a model of noble ladies in the capital.
However, few people know that the Duke of Jing's mansion also has a young master named Xiao Weihan, who was raised by his grandmother since childhood to fulfill his filial duty to his father.
Xiao Shanghua was stunned for a moment, then pouted and said, "That brat! He didn't even tell me he was going out to play. Wait till I get back to the manor and teach him a lesson."
"Hey! Stop chatting, come and try this roasted mutton and lamb trotters with bamboo shoots!" Unable to sit still because of the aroma of the food, Zhao Rushao was the first to pick up her chopsticks. "It'll get cold soon!"
"You're such a glutton!" Pei Ning shook her head helplessly.
Everyone laughed and teased Zhao Rushao, but they also picked up their bowls and chopsticks and began to taste the food, praising it highly.
—It must be said that Xiao Shanghua, this gourmet, has her own unique methods when it comes to ordering food.
Halfway through the meal, the girls leaned against the window, wine cups in hand, watching the lanterns.
Along the riverbank, most of the lanterns had already been lit, and the thin snow curtain blurred everything, making the whole scene soft and gentle.
Whether it's enthusiastic merchants hawking their wares, princes and nobles riding leisurely on horseback, or young children running and playing... as the New Year draws to a close, the festive atmosphere is surprisingly strong.
Even the most renowned paintings throughout history would likely struggle to capture even a fraction of their vividness and lifelike quality.
Looking at the scene before her, Wen Lingzheng's once restless heart suddenly calmed down for some reason. So much so that when the cold front hit her face, she just smiled slightly and drank the warm wine in her cup in one gulp.
"Hey, hey, Ah Zheng, drink less!" Pei Ning appeared behind Wen Lingzheng without her noticing and snatched her wine glass away. "If you drink any more, you'll get drunk later."
"Ah Ning! This is the Lantern Festival!" Still feeling unsatisfied, Wen Lingzheng sighed helplessly, accusing Pei Ning, "Just let me have a few more drinks..."
Pei Ning playfully placed her hands on Wen Lingzheng's shoulders and turned her to the left, saying, "Look, there's someone waiting for you! If you drink a few more glasses and get really drunk, you might not be able to go."
The direction Pei Ning pointed to was the only place on the riverbank outside Fanlou that was not yet lit up.
Scattered figures hurried past, and Wen Lingzheng turned to look at Pei Ning, "Was it you who gave him that bad idea again?"
"How can this be called a bad idea!" Pei Ning wiped her nose and teased with a smile, "The wedding is in March, and you two can't see each other for a month before the wedding. I'm just creating an opportunity for you two!"
Looking up at Wen Lingzheng, Pei Ning looked like she was asking for praise.
Recalling how Pei Lin had clumsily created surprises for her, Wen Lingzheng chuckled helplessly. She reached out and tapped Pei Ning's nose, "You two siblings are truly cut from the same mold, looking exactly alike."
As night fell, the once bustling Fanlou Restaurant was filled with singing and dancing. Candles were lit all night, illuminating the entire building as bright as day, and almost everywhere was filled with joy.
—Except for the elegant room on the far left of the third floor of the North Building.
The horse-drawn lantern hanging under the eaves outside the window was spinning rapidly. Yang Songjian stared intently at the flickering image inside, his mind becoming increasingly dazed.
Gu Jianhai: "Brother Qingrang, Miss Zhang is still here!"
Yang Songjian and Gu Jianhai had been friends since childhood. The two had arranged to have a drink at Fanlou, and they even brought along Xiao Weihan, the young master of the Duke of Jing's mansion.
—But unexpectedly, the Zhang family girl also came.
Coming back to his senses, Yang Songjian glanced at Xiao Weihan, stared at him for a long time, and asked, "When did you get back?"
Feeling uneasy under Yang Songjian's gaze, Xiao Weihan stammered, "I've only been back for a few days!"
Xiao Weihan glanced at his cousin, who was sitting at the table, eating without caring about the stares of others, and sighed helplessly.
"Why are you looking at me like that? This wasn't my idea. It was Madam Gu and my mother who insisted that I bring her here..."
Xiao Weihan moved his chair away from Yang Songjian, afraid that the man might get angry and kick him for no reason. "Since you don't want to get married so quickly... why don't you talk to your mother about it?"
Duke Xiao Xian of Jingguo and Yang Chengru, the father of Yang Songjian, have always been on good terms. Madam Zhang and Madam Gu were childhood friends, so the two families often visited each other.
At the banquet that day, Yang Songjian's mother, Madam Gu, talked to her best friend about her only son's marriage, looking quite troubled.
Madam Zhang wanted to play matchmaker for her daughter, but when she thought of Xiao Shanghua's temper, she knew it was probably hopeless. That's when she thought of her niece from her own family, which led to this matchmaking drama.
Frowning slightly, Gu Jianhai took two steps toward Yang Songjian, "No matter what, the girl is still here! Don't..."
"It's alright, I don't care. Do whatever makes you comfortable."
Gu Jianhai was interrupted by the girl opposite him before he could finish speaking.
He looked up and saw the girl holding a spoon, tasting her soup while talking to them, without even glancing at them.
After finishing the bowl of soup, the Zhang family girl finally raised her head, wiped her lips lightly with a handkerchief, and then finally spared a glance for the three men opposite her.
Her gaze slowly slid across their faces, finally settling on Yang Songjian. "You're Yang Songjian?"
The candlelight was bright and dazzling, but he remained in the shadows, the dim light obscuring his expression. She could only see his dark pupils, like a bottomless abyss.
Yang Songjian: "Yes."
Decisive and efficient, without any hesitation or fuss.
"Very good, remember my name, I am Zhang Jiayi, and I would like to discuss a business deal with you."
Zhang Jiayi's bold words left Xiao Weihan dumbfounded.
He instinctively wanted to interrupt their conversation, but she had already pointed at him and said, "You two, get out."
Stunned, Xiao Weihan exclaimed twice, "Big Cousin, what's wrong...?"
Yang Songjian: "You two go out first! Just don't go too far."
Gu Jianhai didn't expect Yang Songjian to agree to Zhang Jiayi's absurd request, but out of habit, he nodded, pulled Xiao Weihan out of the room, and waited in the corridor.
The music from outside slowly seeped into the attic, and even without seeing it with one's own eyes, one could imagine the graceful dance.
You want to talk business with me?
Yang Songjian lazily raised his eyes to look at Zhang Jiayi, casually toying with the ring on his finger. "Do you know why Weihan brought you here today?"
With a cold laugh, Zhang Jiayi picked up the wine pot beside her and filled the wine cup in front of her. "Of course I know."
Before Yang Songjian could speak, she glanced at him and said with a light smile, "But I also know that you are not willing yet."
"I will not get married." Yang Songjian's gaze turned even colder. "I will speak to my mother, and I won't ruin your reputation."
Zhang Jiayi didn't answer, but looked at Yang Songjian with interest. After a while, she replied, "Do you think your parents would allow you to not get married? Rather than being forced into this situation in the end, you might as well make this deal with me."
Apart from a sudden pause in the hand turning the ring, Yang Songjian remained almost completely unchanged. "Speak."
Seeing that he had agreed, Zhang Jiayi felt much more relieved.
Among the high-ranking families of Shengjing, the Marquis of Dingbei has already received an imperial decree for marriage; the heir of the Duke of Jing is her cousin, and there's no way he would agree to this deal; Zhao Bolin of the Duke of Ning's mansion has an arranged marriage since childhood; and that scoundrel Luo Xu is far too reckless…
Neither of them were her best choice.
Yang Songjian, in terms of both family background and talent, perfectly matched her expectations.
"We will get married."
Meeting Yang Songjian's gaze without flinching, Zhang Jiayi said, "I don't care who you like, as long as you give my wife the respect she deserves, I won't interfere in your private affairs."
She paused, then asked again, "Besides, as the only son of the Yang family, don't you also need a marriage and a child to silence the gossip?"
Perhaps it was the first time Yang Songjian had met such a frank and bold girl, he was slightly taken aback for a moment, and asked in confusion, "But it doesn't seem to do you any good?"
Shaking her head dismissively, Zhang Jiayi smiled and said, "Anyway, it's all beneficial to you, isn't it?"
Yang Songjian: ...
"Don't worry, I don't like you." Zhang Jiayi snorted and got up to walk to the window.
The snow fell in fine flakes, and in the hazy light and shadow, even the bustling voices seemed distant.
Zhang Jiayi remained silent for a long time before softly saying, "All I want is to leave the Zhang family!"
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