Chapter 3
The wheels rolled over the bluestone pavement, making a monotonous and regular "gurgling" sound.
Cui Yunshu and her elder sister, Cui Yunxi, sat side by side inside the spacious carriage. The interior walls were decorated with precious brocade, and on a small table in the corner, a bronze incense burner with animal heads silently emitted wisps of blue smoke—the priceless ambergris incense. Outside the carriage was the bustling world of ordinary people, while inside was the refined elegance of a noble family; a carriage curtain separated the two worlds.
Cui Yunshu, however, had no interest in appreciating this elegance.
She slightly lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, watching the street scene rushing past outside the window, her mind replaying the account of today in that strange "book." The Lu family's spring banquet, Crown Prince Tang Jingcheng, and that commoner woman who was about to ignite everything. Every word was like a red-hot iron, searing into her heart.
"What is Fourth Sister looking at?" Cui Yunxi's gentle voice sounded beside her, carrying a hint of barely perceptible concern.
Cui Yunshu lowered the carriage curtain, turned around and met her sister's clear, ancient eyes, and forced a smile: "It's nothing, it's just that I haven't gone out this early in a long time, and everything seems new and exciting."
"You're just a bit lazy," Cui Yunxi said with a faint smile. She reached out her fair hand and gently tidied Cui Yunshu's slightly messy hair. "Today is the Lu family's spring banquet. There will be many people and distractions. You must not be as willful as you used to be."
Her movements were gentle, and her tone was as dignified and composed as ever, as if nothing in this world could make her lose her composure. But Cui Yunshu knew what kind of tragedy was buried beneath this composure.
“My daughter remembers.”
Her mother's words still echoed in her ears: "Your sister Xi is essentially the Crown Princess who took your place."
These words were like a sharp thorn, deeply embedded in Cui Yunshu's heart. If Cui Yunxi hadn't taken the initiative to stand up five years ago, then today she, Cui Yunshu, would be the one going to this "Feast at Hongmen," marrying the crown prince destined to rebel, and ultimately being hung on the city wall to be exposed to the sun.
The debt of gratitude she owed for being forced into a marriage in her place was so heavy that she could hardly breathe.
Therefore, she had to do something. Even if it was futile, even if it came at a price, she had to stop the marriage and pull her sister out of that predetermined tragic fate.
"Sister Xi," Cui Yunshu composed herself, adopting an innocent and charming demeanor, and took Cui Yunxi's arm. "The spring banquet will last all day, so let's not go to the Lu residence first. I heard there's a wonton shop in the East Market with exceptional taste, and it's only open in the morning. Shall we go and try it?"
Upon hearing this, Cui Yunxi frowned slightly, clearly surprised by the suggestion: "The East Market is crowded and noisy, and the food there may not be clean. If you want to eat it, just go back to the mansion and have the cook make it."
“The cooks in the manor can’t cook as well as the food outside,” Cui Yunshu shook her arm, perfectly embodying the charming naiveté of a thirteen-year-old girl. “Good sister, just once, just once. I promise, we’ll go to the Lu manor after we eat, no delays whatsoever.”
Seeing the expectation shining in her younger sister's eyes, Cui Yunxi finally softened. Her fourth younger sister had been well protected by their mother since childhood, and was spoiled and lazy by nature; it was rare to see her so enthusiastic. She nodded gently, replying with a mixture of helplessness and doting affection, "Alright, as you wish."
The carriage, driven by the driver, turned around and headed towards the most famous East Market in the capital.
With each turn of the wheel, Cui Yunshu's heart tightened even more.
She knew she was about to witness firsthand the first crucial moment in the "story in the book." Did that commoner woman, the "protagonist" who ignited the crown prince's scandal, really exist?
The East Market truly lived up to its reputation as the most bustling market in the capital. Even at dawn, it was already teeming with people and bustling with activity. The cries of vendors, the laughter of children, and the clamor of carriages and horses mingled with the aromas of various foods, creating a vibrant and lively scene of everyday life.
The Cui family carriage stopped at the East Market entrance, and Cui Yunshu and Cui Yunxi alighted with the help of their maid, Atao. The two noble ladies from a distinguished family immediately attracted many admiring glances. Cui Yunxi, in particular, wore an elegant, moon-white long dress, her aura as ethereal as a fairy under the moon. Though she wore no makeup, her beauty was unparalleled, seemingly silencing the surrounding noise.
Cui Yunshu had no time to pay attention to these things. Her eyes swept quickly across the rows of shops, searching for her target based on the vague memories in the "book".
"Over there!" Her eyes lit up, and she grabbed Cui Yunxi's hand, quickly walking towards a small alley.
At the alley entrance, a simple stall stood there, a large pot steaming and emitting a rich aroma of bone broth. Behind the stall, a tall, burly man was busily wrapping wontons and greeting customers.
This is the place.
Cui Yunshu's heart skipped a beat, and she pulled her sister to sit down at the only empty wooden table.
"Shopkeeper, two bowls of wontons, please." She tried to make her voice sound relaxed and natural.
"Alright! Please wait a moment, ladies, it will be ready soon!" The man looked up and responded in a cheerful and loud voice. He was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Although he was dressed in coarse cloth and short clothes, he had regular features, bright eyebrows and sharp eyes. If it weren't for the lingering worry between his brows, he could be considered a handsome man.
Cui Yunshu keenly noticed the trace of sorrow deep in his eyes, and her conviction grew stronger.
She looked around the shop with feigned curiosity and asked, "Shopkeeper, your wontons smell really good. Is it a family recipe passed down through generations?"
The man continued working, smiling as he replied, "Young lady, you flatter me. It's just some rough and clumsy skill to make a living; it's hardly a family heirloom."
"The shop owner is too modest," Cui Yunshu continued to probe indirectly, "With business so good, can you manage all the work by yourself? Don't you have anyone else at home to help out?"
Upon hearing this, the man's smile froze for a moment, though he quickly recovered, but the sorrow in his eyes deepened. He lowered his head, his voice becoming somewhat somber: "It's just me alone, I'm used to it."
Cui Yunshu understood and didn't press the matter further. She knew that the person she was waiting for was probably in that simple inner room.
Cui Yunxi sat quietly to the side. Although she was not used to such a noisy environment, she did not show any impatience. She just watched her younger sister quietly, with a hint of inquiry in her eyes, as if she did not understand why her sister was so curious about a wonton stall owner.
Soon, two steaming bowls of wontons were served. The wonton wrappers were thin, the fillings were generous, and the broth was clear and flavorful—truly a rare delicacy.
Cui Yunshu, however, lost her appetite; her entire focus was on the tightly closed curtain.
Just when she was about to lose patience, the old curtain was finally gently lifted by a delicate hand.
A figure walked out from the inner room.
She was a slender woman wearing a faded white cloth dress and a white veil covering her head, completely obscuring her face.
Cui Yunshu's heart jumped into her throat.
It's here!
The woman walked up to the stall owner and said softly, "Brother, I should go now."
The voice was calm and gentle, like a warm spring breeze, instantly making people feel good.
The stall owner stopped what he was doing, turned around, looked at her with a complicated expression, a mixture of reluctance and worry. In the end, he just sighed deeply, waved his hand, and all his unspoken words turned into a silent urging.
The woman seemed to understand her brother's intentions, and without saying anything more, she turned to leave.
Just as she turned around, about to brush past Cui Yunshu and her group at their table, a gust of wind blew by, lifting a corner of her curtain.
In a fleeting glance, a clean and beautiful face was revealed to the air.
It was a face that could make any man's heart flutter. Her skin was as white as snow, her eyebrows as dark as distant mountains, and her almond-shaped eyes brimming with moisture, carrying a natural air of fragility and vulnerability. Though she wore no makeup, she possessed a captivating charm that surpassed even the most elaborately made-up noblewomen. This face was exactly as described in the "book."
"The plot in the book is absolutely true!"
A sudden shock ran through Cui Yunshu's mind, a chill running from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. The spoon in her hand clattered into the bowl, splashing a few drops of scalding soup, but she was completely unaware.
It's true, it's all true!
If this woman really exists, then the incident at the "Spring Banquet" and Crown Prince Tang Jingcheng's "scumbag" behavior are also real!
In that case, the outcome of the Crown Prince's rebellion three years later, with the entire Cui family being executed, will inevitably come as scheduled!
A strong sense of fear and lingering dread gripped her, turning her face deathly pale instantly.
"Fourth sister, what's wrong?" Cui Yunxi noticed her unusual behavior immediately and asked with concern.
"N-nothing," Cui Yunshu said, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in her heart as she regained her senses. Pointing to the woman's departing figure, she feigned unease and said, "Sister Xi, I...I suddenly feel a bit tight in my chest. There are too many people here. Shall we...shall we pack the wontons to go?"
Her voice trembled slightly, and her face was indeed pale, leaving Cui Yunxi no choice but to believe her.
"Okay." Cui Yunxi didn't ask any more questions and immediately agreed, helping her to stand up.
Cui Yunshu took a deep breath and instructed Atao, "Atao, you stay here and wait for the shopkeeper to pack up. My sister and I will go to the Lu residence first. You can come to the Lu residence to find us later."
After saying that, she didn't linger. She practically half-pulled and half-supported Cui Yunxi as they quickly left the alley that had terrified her.
Once back in the carriage, isolated from the outside noise, Cui Yunshu felt the pressure that had almost suffocated her ease slightly. She leaned back on the soft cushions, closed her eyes, but the image of that exquisitely beautiful face kept replaying in her mind.
The facts are conclusive.
The upcoming Lu family spring banquet will be her only chance.
She had to use this incident to make a big fuss, to make it known to everyone, to make it known to the emperor, and to make it so that there was no room for maneuver in this marriage!
She opened her eyes, a resolute and determined look that seemed beyond her years.
Sister, this time, I must save you.
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