☆, Chapter 148 Princess Jinling
"Open the city gates quickly! It's Princess Jinling!"
"And the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and the Eighth Prince!"
The city gates swung open, and Zhao Yunjing stood to one side, leading his horse. Princess Jinling rode out, then suddenly turned back, staring at Zhao Yunjing from left to right, up to down, and said in a crisp voice, "I know you! You are Zhao Yunjing! My father and sixteenth brother wrote to me about you! Isn't that right?!"
The beautiful young girl wore a red riding outfit, and the white ponies beneath her were as white as snow, without a single blemish, which made her skin look even whiter than snow, pure, noble and incomparably noble. At this moment, she tilted her head to reveal the posture of a young girl, which added a touch of cuteness to her nobility.
The people along the road were stunned, and many eligible men couldn't help but compose poems on the spot to praise her.
Zhao Yunjing simply cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Greetings, Princess."
Princess Jinling was delighted: "You know me too? That's good! I'll go pick up my father first, and then we'll chat again! Giddy up!"
Beautiful and elegant yet without any affectation, with a straightforward personality—who wouldn't like a girl like that?
The large group of people left the city, and soon they all entered the city. Zhao Yunjing kept his head down and remained silent, hiding in the crowd with his horse, making no sense of his presence.
Suddenly, someone tapped me on the shoulder: "Excuse me, brother, is there any gold on the ground to pick up?"
Zhao Yunjing turned around in surprise, only to see a dark-skinned young man. He was taken aback for a moment: "A... Jiao?"
The dark-skinned boy was none other than Zhou Mujiao.
In the past two years, she has grown to almost 1.7 meters tall. She is slender and looks youthful when she wears a men's long gown with a belt. Because her appearance is too delicate, it is inconvenient for her to walk around. So she made up a dark foundation and applied it on her body.
It was during the height of the autumn heatwave, and she followed the imperial procession from a distance, going up and down the mountain with them. She didn't take any special sun protection measures, so she ended up getting a tan without even bothering with foundation.
Zhou Mujiao blinked: "May I ask, sir, is there something on my face?"
Zhao Yunjing struggled to conceal his surprise and cupped his hands in greeting: "Young brother, you look very much like one of my relatives, so I mistook you for someone else. Young brother, we hit it off immediately. It's getting dark, why don't we go into the city together?"
"It is my great honor to be able to travel with the renowned Young Master Zhao. Brother Zhao, please."
"Young Master Zhou, please."
The two ignored the two horses and entered the city side by side, then went into the inn that had been arranged in advance.
The best private room in the inn is usually empty, but today it is occupied by two young gentlemen. One is gentle and elegant with a very handsome smile, while the other is a head shorter and has darker skin, but he is also very good-looking. When the two stand together, neither of them overshadows the other; rather, they complement each other perfectly.
When the two came out after washing up, the moon had already risen, its light as clear as water. A cool night breeze blew by. The two sat across from each other at a table, smiling at one another. The atmosphere was very warm and cozy. The waiter, who was serving the food and drinks, was a little embarrassed to knock on the door: "Gentlemen, the food and drinks are here!"
Zhou Mujiao looked away: "Brother Zhao, I've heard that Yue Dong Lou's braised pork knuckle is the best in Beijing. We must try it today."
The waiter poured wine for the two men attentively, then chimed in, "Yes, Young Master Zhao, if you come to the capital and don't try our braised pork knuckle, it's as if you haven't come at all. And this wine is exclusive to Yue Dong Lou. Even nobles in the palace have to give us a heads-up half a month in advance if they want it."
"You should definitely try it."
The waiter glanced at the two men and said with a smile, "You two gentlemen are students who have come to the capital to take the imperial examination, right? You look very learned. I wish you both the best of luck in achieving top honors and making it into the first rank. Ideally, you would even become the top scholar or the third-ranked scholar!"
Thank you for your kind words.
"Oh, by the way, our Yue Dong Lou also has a specialty dish, which is braised beef brisket. Our manager said that tonight we will serve all the specialty dishes to you two to try, and the cost will be covered by our manager. We just hope to make a good connection and hope that you two will come to our restaurant again when you achieve success in the future."
The dishes were served one after another, their aromas filling the air. The innkeeper came up and toasted the two of them with a glass of wine before immediately leaving with his men, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.
The predecessor of Yue Dong Lou was a nearly bankrupt inn. Two years ago, someone suddenly took over it and spent another two years revitalizing it, turning it into one of the most prestigious inns in the capital. Everyone in the capital knows where Yue Dong Lou is, but no one knows who the owner of Yue Dong Lou is.
People speculated that the inn was run by a nobleman from the palace, perhaps the most esteemed one's private property, or the property of a prince or nobleman. The innkeeper had thought so too, but after seeing the two young men in the private room tonight, he felt as if he had already met the mysterious owner.
"You and Boss Tang also own this Yue Dong Lou restaurant?"
"Good Luck Building is across the street."
"Is that Uncle Jiang?"
He gave it to me two years ago.
"Uncle Jiang is a good man. Since he gave it to you, you should make good use of it."
Zhou Mujiao raised an eyebrow: "It's been over a month since we last met, and this is all you want to tell me?"
"no."
The moment Zhao Yunjing had that thought, before he could even say it, his face turned red. He was just glad that it was nighttime and he was backlit, so the person opposite him couldn't see his face.
"Then tell me."
"Ah Jiao, I...miss you so much."
Zhou Mujiao smiled and said, "Young Master Zhao is very busy taking the Emperor up and down the mountain every day. I'm afraid he doesn't have time to think about me, does he?"
"You knew all along?"
Just the thought that Zhou Mujiao was watching and observing his every move made Zhao Yunjing feel as sweet as if he had eaten honey, and even a little tipsy.
Was it because he drank most of a glass of wine in one go?
The two ate and drank under the moonlight, sharing stories of their journey. They would occasionally exchange smiles. Time flew by, and as they arrived at their destination, it seemed as if the passage of time had been deliberately slowed, as if the passage was too quiet to disturb them.
"Zhao Yunjing!"
Tian Wenzhang, sweating profusely from running, nearly exploded when he entered and saw the table laden with delicious food and wine: "Zhao Yunjing! I've been looking for you for hours, and you've been hiding here enjoying yourself! Zhao Yunjing! I advise you not to be so arrogant!"
"Lord Tian, you've had a long day. If you don't mind, how about we sit down and have a drink together?"
Tian Wenzhang wanted to eat and drink, but reality wouldn't allow it!
“We can drink wine anytime, but commoners who can enter the palace are extremely rare. Zhao Yunjing, you must have had incredibly lucky ancestors!” Tian Wenzhang said indignantly. “The Emperor has summoned you to the palace! And bring your companions with you!”
At this point, Lord Tian noticed Zhou Mujiao across from him. Seeing that she was a handsome young man with dark skin, he was taken aback: "You, a man?"
"A woman."
Zhao Yunjing put down his wine cup and pulled Zhou Mujiao up with one hand: "Let me introduce you to Lord Tian. This is my fiancée, Miss Zhou Mujiao."
Lord Tian's expression changed, but he quickly suppressed it and urged them to set off immediately. Zhou Mujiao, however, was in no hurry. She first went back to her room to change back into women's clothing and then leisurely boarded the carriage.
Lord Tian remained silent the entire way. When the carriage arrived at the palace gate, the two of them got out and whispered, "Be careful."
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