Chapter 24 "Prologue" The token bears the character "序" (prologue) in bold, silver-hooked strokes...
Meng Lingyao stepped forward to greet her, "Greetings, Sister Zhou."
"What, Sister Zhou? It's only been a few days, and you've become distant with me?" Zhou Xiwen glared at her lightly, grabbed her hand, and glanced at Zhong Dingyao and Zhong Jingshu. "These two have extraordinary bearing; they must be the Commander's son and daughter."
“My cousins, Zhong Dingyao and Zhong Jingshu,” Meng Lingyao introduced them one by one.
Zhou Xiwen nodded in acknowledgment and then warmly invited, "Since we've met by chance, why don't we come aboard and enjoy the fireworks together? Tonight's fireworks were brought from Jiangnan and are different from the usual ones in the capital. They're best viewed from the boat."
Zhong Dingyao had never liked these kinds of occasions. Upon hearing this, he glanced at the street performance stalls in the distance and said, "Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Zhou, but I have already made plans with my younger brother to go see the street performances over there..."
Zhong Jingshu was torn; she wanted to watch the fireworks with the beautiful older women, but she also wanted to go see the acrobatic performance with her brothers. After much deliberation, she finally decided that the fire-eating street performer would win over the fireworks.
Fireworks could be seen just by looking up from the juggling stalls, and there were no signs of someone breaking rocks on their chest or breathing fire from their iron mouth on the boat. Zhong Jingshu made up her mind and said, "Thank you, Sister Zhou. I also made an appointment with my brothers long ago."
Seeing this, Zhou Xiwen did not insist, "In that case, it will be as you two wish."
She tightened her grip on Meng Lingyao's arm. "But Lingyao, you should at least keep this lonely master company, shouldn't you?"
Meng Lingyao smiled and said, "How could I dare to break a promise made to such a beautiful woman?"
"Glib-tongued."
The banks of the Yongfeng River were ablaze with lights. When Meng Lingyao followed Zhou Xiwen aboard the painted boat, there were already seven or eight young ladies enjoying the lanterns and tea. On the more spacious deck, several young men were reciting poems to the moon, though it was unclear whether their eyes were fixed more on the moon or on the ladies in the pavilion.
As soon as she entered, Miss Xu looked up and her eyes lit up. "Lingyao, you've finally arrived. We were just saying that without you on this ship today, it would be like missing the finishing touch to a masterpiece."
Sitting beside her, Zhao Ruxuan curled her lip, her face showing undisguised disdain. She lowered her head and angrily tugged at her sleeve. She had originally thought the light blue palace dress was quite elegant, but compared to this, it inevitably looked dull and lackluster.
"Even without me, the dragon can still soar through the heavens, but without Miss Xu, it would be like losing the auspicious clouds that support the dragon's body." Meng Lingyao seemed oblivious, responding with a smile, "Miss Xu is truly indispensable."
As she spoke, her gaze subtly swept across the scene in the pavilion. She immediately noticed something was amiss; Zhao Ruxuan and Lin Yunshu, who were usually inseparable, were apart today.
Zhao Ruxuan sat close to Xu Xiaoshuang by the window, while Lin Yunshu sat with several other young ladies around a small table. The former didn't glance at the latter even once, while the latter occasionally looked towards the window, her expression slightly somber. The young lady beside her seemed to whisper a few words of comfort, to which she only managed a forced smile.
That's interesting.
Meng Lingyao raised an eyebrow slightly.
To outsiders, Zhao Ruxuan's domineering nature seemed to be tolerated by Lin Yunshu, who always seemed to indulge her spoiled brat tendencies. But Meng Lingyao saw clearly that Lin Yunshu was the one who held the upper hand.
It's not some strange trick. Maintaining a gentle and approachable image requires someone to be on the front lines. Things that are difficult to say aloud need to be said by someone else who is "straightforward." Zhao Ruxuan and Lin Yunshu are such people.
Moreover, she seemed to have heard from Xie Chengyu that Lin Yunshu had feelings for Zhao Ruxuan's brother.
With Lin Yunshu's skill, even if Zhao Ruxuan had immense dissatisfaction, she could appease her. The current situation only suggests one possibility—
Lin Yunshu intentionally distanced herself from Zhao Ruxuan.
She also had to act as if Zhao Ruxuan was throwing another tantrum, and she had no choice but to leave helplessly.
In this way, both appearance and substance are satisfied.
It's unclear whether Lin Yunshu felt Miss Zhao was too spoiled and difficult to manage, or if she had some other plan.
It's a pity Xie Chengyu went to Jinling to visit relatives and didn't return; otherwise, she would definitely have known more.
Several thoughts raced through her mind, but Meng Lingyao remained expressionless and quickly joined in the conversation of the young ladies.
"Your outfit today is quite different from your usual one," a young lady remarked, casting an admiring glance at you.
"Not at all, just ordinary attire." Meng Lingyao lowered her eyes and smiled gently, accepting the tea that Zhou Xiwen had personally poured for her.
She looked down and saw that it was different from ordinary tea. The aroma of frankincense mixed with the fragrance of tea wafted over, along with a hint of exotic spices.
"What is this?" Meng Lingyao asked curiously.
"It's a recipe I learned from the Western Regions." Zhou Xiwen gently placed his fingers on the teacup, his smile reserved. "Brewing tea with milk and adding various spices creates a unique flavor."
Meng Lingyao's heart stirred slightly. The Zhou siblings had always been vying for control of the Western Regions spice business. Zhou Xiwen's presentation of such Western Regions tea at this moment was undoubtedly a hint to everyone.
She took a small sip, deliberately frowning, "It seems a bit too rich; light tea is much more refreshing."
“Really?” Zhou Xiwen’s eyes flickered. “I think it’s just right. Just like doing business, too bland is tasteless, too strong is cloying. It’s hardest to find the right balance.”
As they were talking, footsteps came from outside the cabin. The beaded curtain was lifted slightly, and a young gentleman in a gold-embroidered brocade robe entered with a smile.
When Zhou Yizhi first saw Meng Lingyao, his face showed undisguised joy.
When the young ladies saw him enter, they instinctively straightened their attire, causing a brief commotion in the warm pavilion. Meng Lingyao's smile faded slightly as she turned her head to focus on admiring the river view outside the window.
"Third sister, what a refined taste you have." Zhou Yizhi's gaze swept around the cabin, finally landing on Meng Lingyao's back. He spoke almost with a sigh, "Miss Meng, it's been a long time."
The voice even carried a hint of sorrow.
Meng Lingyao felt a chill. She knew all too well that this person had no sincerity whatsoever, yet he insisted on putting on a show of deep affection in front of others.
With such a great acting ability, why don't you go to the theater in the west of the city and give it a proper performance?
She turned around, feigning ignorance, "Young Master Zhou, what are you saying? We all live in the capital, so we see each other often."
Seeing this, Zhou Xiwen subtly moved to his brother's side and said with a smile, "Brother, you've come at an inopportune time. The other young men are all outside admiring the moon. We young ladies are having a private conversation right now, and you, a man, are here alone..."
"I was being presumptuous." Zhou Yizhi smiled faintly, clapped his hands lightly, and several servants responded by bringing in a brocade box.
"I brought this newly arrived Persian rose perfume as a gift to all the ladies on this auspicious Lantern Festival, to celebrate the occasion together."
The servants opened the box, revealing several small glass bottles. The bottles were like melted gemstones, with blue and green hues interwoven, reflecting a luster like peacock feathers under the lamplight.
The bottle contained a light red liquid, and its fragrance slowly spread. The ladies watched quietly, their eyes filled with admiration.
Meng Lingyao caught a glimpse of the exotic-looking bottle out of the corner of her eye and frowned almost imperceptibly.
“Brother, you’re quite adept at using someone else’s gifts to curry favor.” Zhou Xiwen’s expression changed slightly, then he smiled again. “It makes me seem like I haven’t been very hospitable today. But I remember this perfume wasn’t supposed to arrive until the day after tomorrow, so why is it here today…”
“Third Sister is extremely well-informed,” Zhou Yizhi gently interrupted her. “The caravan arrived ahead of schedule. Would Miss Meng like to try this perfume? It’s said that if you apply it to your wrists, the fragrance will last for three days.”
As he was about to walk towards Meng Lingyao, Zhou Xiwen preemptively grabbed Meng Lingyao's arm and said loudly, "Brother, you don't know, Lingyao has never liked strong fragrances..."
Just then, the pleasure boat suddenly rocked violently. The teacups clattered, and the young ladies gasped in surprise. The maid serving the tea lost her footing, and the teacup flew from her hand, spilling tea right onto Zhou Xiwen's sleeve.
"Miss, I deserve to die!" The maid hurriedly knelt down to beg for forgiveness.
"It's alright." Zhou Xiwen looked at his soaked sleeves and said calmly, "I'll go change. Lingyao, will you come with me?"
Meng Lingyao nodded in agreement.
The pleasure boat has several inner rooms for guests to rest, which are decorated with great elegance. Various kinds of rouge and powder are displayed on the rosewood dressing table, and a full-length bronze mirror is polished to a shine.
As Zhou Xiwen undressed, Meng Lingyao smelled a sweet, fragrant scent, somewhat like vanilla orchid, but even more gentle.
"This fragrance..." she thought for a moment, "Could it be benzoin?"
Zhou Xiwen paused slightly as he tied his belt, glancing at her. "Your nose is quite sensitive."
Meng Lingyao casually fiddled with the gilded incense burner on the table. "I heard that last year, the Western Region caravan only obtained three boxes, worth a thousand gold pieces. I only smelled it by chance at a banquet at the Xie family's house."
Zhou Xiwen straightened his clothes, turned around and took out a box of benzoin from his dressing case, handing it to Meng Lingyao. "To tell you the truth, my father agreed to let me take over the spice business on the condition that the profits double within three months. Now we finally have a chance to make progress."
"This is a joyous occasion!" Meng Lingyao toyed with the face powder box and asked, "Why do you look so worried?"
Zhou Xiwen stopped in front of the bronze mirror, gazing at his reflection. His makeup was exquisite, his lips fiery red, but only the drooping corners of his eyes betrayed a hint of weariness. "Outsiders only see our Zhou family's prosperity and glory, but they don't know..."
She suddenly stopped speaking and said with a bitter smile, "We know our own situation. Just like this ship, it looks grand and impressive, but if we make a mistake, it will be doomed."
"Pah, pah," Meng Lingyao interrupted her, scolding, "Good sister, we're on this boat right now. On this beautiful Lantern Festival, we should be talking about something festive."
What Zhou Xiwen said might be true, but it was also the most useless kind of truth. In this vast capital city, which wealthy and powerful family wasn't cautious and prudent, fearing that the slightest mistake would implicate the entire clan? As for ordinary people, they were even more trembling with fear; a few consecutive heavy rains could shatter the precarious balance and leave a family starving.
She thought to herself, but her face showed some concern as she sighed softly, "Xiwen has really worked hard." Suddenly, she changed the subject, "No wonder Young Master Zhou often goes to Ci'an Temple to burn incense. He probably prays to Buddha to complain, so that he can feel more at ease."
Before she could finish speaking, Zhou Xiwen dropped the silver comb from her hand onto the dressing table with a "thud," her face instantly turning deathly pale. She turned to look at Meng Lingyao, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately said nothing.
Meng Lingyao noticed something was wrong, pursed her lips slightly, and said nothing more. Seeing that her hair was a little messy, she said gently, "There's a loose strand of hair here." As she spoke, she raised her hand to tidy up her sideburns.
Just then, the ship rocked violently again. Zhou Xiwen lost his balance and instinctively reached out to grab Meng Lingyao's sleeve.
"bite--"
With a crisp sound, a bronze plaque slipped from Meng Lingyao's sleeve and landed right at their feet.
The character "序" (preface) on the token, written in bold, silver strokes, was particularly striking under the candlelight.
A note from the author:
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Thank you for reading this far, my lovely readers! The next chapter will be available for purchase (VIP chapter). Thank you for supporting the official version!
Actually, the author has another interesting pre-order novel, would you like to check it out and add it to your favorites? [doge emoji with rose in hand]
[The following is the pre-order synopsis]
Shi Ying, who was unloved by her father and mother, transmigrated and became the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Ding'an.
Her whole family doted on her like a precious jewel, except for one thing—
He gets out of breath after walking just a few steps, collapses at the slightest breeze, and can only eat until he's seven-tenths full!
Shi Ying closed her eyes in deep sorrow, struggling to survive each day.
Until that night, amidst thunder and lightning, her seemingly gentle and refined adopted brother broke in through the window, grabbed her chin, his knuckles digging deep into the soft flesh of her cheek, his voice so tender it could melt water—
"Sister, you promised to marry me to bring me good luck, why are you breaking your promise?"
She flinched, trying to hide, but then she heard a "ding-dong" sound—
[System: Health +0.5!]
...Wait, this disease can be treated like this?!
With his sworn brother pressing him relentlessly, Shi Ying had no choice but to retreat to a secluded mountain retreat.
Amidst the falling pear blossoms, I stumbled upon a beautiful woman in flowing white robes, her features exquisitely beautiful.
He raised his hand to pluck a fallen flower from his hair, lowered his eyes and smiled softly, his voice tinged with melancholy—
"You haven't come to see me in a long time."
[System: Health +1!]
...He can too?!
After gaining a significant amount of health points, Shi Ying learned that the beauty was actually the Imperial Advisor of the court, and fled overnight.
On the way back to the capital, the carriage was startled. At the critical moment, a rider in black armor broke through the dust and arrived in an instant—
"Watch out!"
The handsome young general held her waist tightly, and in a dizzying moment, she fell into his strong chest.
[System: Increased contact area detected, health value +5!]
Shi Ying: I have another bold idea.
Whether you're a venomous yandere, a seemingly innocent but actually cunning beauty, or a pure-hearted wolf...
Highly nourishing, all of them are highly nourishing!
A charming female protagonist who accidentally wanders into the imperial family X Men with ulterior motives who end up as dogs
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