The next morning, when Meng Zhao got up, he saw a slightly haggard face reflected in the bronze mirror, with faint dark circles under his eyes and slightly swollen cheeks.
Seeing his daughter's appearance, Meng Dashan turned to Xu Yunrong and smiled, "It seems that it wasn't just the two of us who didn't sleep well last night; Zhaozhao also had a sleepless night."
Last night, he held the imperial edict in his hands, refusing to let go, as if the treasure would vanish the moment he closed his eyes. They read it over and over again countless times, almost memorizing it perfectly, until the gong sounded several times outside, before finally going to sleep reluctantly.
While applying an ice pack, Meng Zhao chuckled dryly. She was too embarrassed to say that the reason she couldn't sleep was different from theirs. Last night, she had only planned to casually browse through the "forbidden books" confiscated from Shen Qinghe to pass the time, but she never expected that she would be unable to put them down once she started reading.
At first, she thought they were just some poorly made erotic novels or concocted seduction manuals by charlatans. But after reading them carefully, she found that they actually contained a lot of "real stuff," especially the book "Eighteen Ways to Seduce," which left her speechless.
"This position...is it really feasible?" Meng Zhao imagined the two of them in that position. If they actually did it, the woman's back would probably break. She turned the book back with a look of disgust, her fingers trembling slightly as she gripped the pages. "If it were like that, would the man even be able to breathe?" She was a little curious and carefully read the text next to her. She couldn't help but sigh, "Who said the ancients were feudal? They had more tricks up their sleeves than modern people!"
Meng Zhao was terrified one moment and blushed the next. After she finished reading, the vivid pictures and text still lingered in her mind. She rubbed her aching temples, cursing herself for being so weak, and quickly stuffed the things under the bed, planning to burn them later.
***
Chunfeng Tower is located on the most bustling street in the capital. As soon as Meng Zhao's carriage came to a stop, she saw Chen Xiaowu waiting at the door. The two had not seen each other for a long time. She wanted to exchange a few pleasantries, but when she noticed that Chen Xiaowu's eyes were wandering, she wisely kept quiet and followed him upstairs.
As the largest restaurant in the capital, Chunfenglou was naturally decorated in the most luxurious way. Even though it was close to the end of the year, the lobby was still bustling with people and guests. It wasn't until we went up to the third floor that the number of people decreased slightly.
Pushing open the door to the private room, Meng Zhao saw Xiao Youzhi standing by the window. As she approached, she realized that from this angle, she could see all the people coming and going in front of Chunfeng Tower.
Looking at the endless stream of people on the street, Meng Zhao raised an eyebrow and asked, "What brings you here? There are still many things at my Mingxiang Restaurant that I need to oversee."
Xiao Youzhi turned around, leaned against the window frame, and laughed, "Other teahouses get busier as the year draws to a close, but you're preparing to close so early?"
“Sigh, the other teahouses are frequented by men. They don’t have to worry about cleaning and dusting, preparing New Year’s meals, or dealing with social obligations during holidays. Naturally, they have the leisure to come out and drink tea.” She pursed her lips. “But my teahouse is frequented by women. The end of the year is their busiest time, so business is naturally slow. In that case, why let the staff waste their time? They might as well go home for the New Year.”
Xiao Youzhi couldn't help but chuckle: "I can tell from your words that you harbor quite a bit of resentment."
"Indeed!" Meng Zhao pointed to the bustling guests downstairs, "Especially seeing your Chunfeng Tower still packed during the New Year, while you, Young Master Xiao, just sit there counting your silver, while I have to close down, my resentment is almost enough to fill the moat!"
Xiao Youzhi finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, while Meng Zhao rolled her eyes in annoyance: "Alright, let's get down to business. What do you want from me?"
“You haven’t been in the capital for long, so you probably don’t know many people. There’s a gathering at Chunfeng Tower tonight, and I specifically asked you to come and get to know some people. Since you’re so unwilling…” He made a gesture to call someone, “Then I’ll have Chen Xiaowu take you back?”
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhao immediately sat down steadily, even pouring herself a cup of tea: "Dream on! Since we're here, there's no reason for us to leave empty-handed." She took a sip of tea, then suddenly realized, "Wait, if it's an evening gathering, why did you call me here so early?"
Mingxianglou is having a lucky bag event today, which means that if you spend a certain amount, you can buy a package of tea snacks, which is much cheaper than ordering them individually from the shop. You will also receive a random tea leaf as a gift. The purpose is obviously to use up all the ingredients before closing time, so Mingxianglou is doing very well today.
Xiao Youzhi glanced at her sideways: "Don't be ungrateful. There's a lantern festival in Furong Lane today. If you come late, let alone a carriage, even people might not be able to squeeze in." He deliberately put on a stern face, "If I didn't let you come earlier, what would you see?"
"So that's how it is. No wonder there were so many people on the street on my way here." Meng Zhao knew she was in the wrong, so she quickly put on a smiling face: "Yes, yes, it's all my fault. I was blind to Young Master Xiao's kindness." She picked up her teacup and made a gesture of respect. "Thanks to Young Master Xiao for his thoughtfulness. I hope you can give me some introductions later, especially for those in the medicinal herb business. If I can get some good herbs, I will definitely prepare a generous gift to thank you."
It was still early, so Xiao Youzhi took down a white jade chessboard from the multi-treasure pavilion and invited Meng Zhao to play. Meng Zhao saw that his movements were skillful and elegant, and knew that he was a master. He waved his hand repeatedly to decline.
Although she had some knowledge of Go, she knew her skills were mediocre and she didn't want to lose. However, she couldn't resist Xiao Youzhi's persistence and ended up playing with him. Naturally, she lost two games in a row.
Seeing that Xiao Youzhi was about to meticulously count the pieces one by one, Meng Zhao suddenly stood up: "Do you still need to count? Look at this chessboard, how many pieces do I have left?"
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