While they were waiting for Xie Jiaxun, Manager Liu of the pawnshop returned.
The waiter couldn't wait to step forward and whisper a few words in the shopkeeper's ear. The shopkeeper frowned slightly, but still nodded in agreement.
If this person in front of us can really invite the young city lord, then he must be no ordinary person. How could we, who run a small business, dare to offend such an important figure?
A short while later, Xie Jiaxun and Hu Ke rushed over. Upon seeing Leng Chuchen, Xie Jiaxun quickly clasped his hands in greeting and stepped forward to pay his respects. Leng Chuchen, fearing that he would reveal his name, immediately raised his hand to interrupt him.
“Young City Lord, this jade pendant belongs to Luo Zhiwan. I want to buy it back at twice the price. Can you vouch for me and guarantee that Luo Zhiwan will not come back to redeem it? They won’t believe me.”
Although the man in front of him was his rival in love, he was the Crown Prince, the future emperor, and he couldn't afford to offend him.
If he hadn't met Zhiwan, this young city lord should have bowed and scraped and knelt down to pay his respects to him.
Thinking of this, he immediately nodded and turned to the shopkeeper, saying:
"Manager Liu, this young master is my friend. Do as he says, and I will vouch for him."
Seeing that the young city lord treated this young master with such courtesy, how could Manager Liu dare to be negligent? He immediately drew up a contract, had Xie Jiaxun sign it, and after Li Ping paid two thousand taels of silver, he took the jade pendant and left Liu's pawnshop in a hurry.
Before mounting his horse, he looked at Xie Jiaxun, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said:
"Thank you, young city lord. Until we meet again."
"Your Highness, if you can find Zhiwan, could you please tell her to send me a message when she has time? I... I really want to know how her family is doing."
Leng Chuchen frowned slightly, then nodded.
"Alright, I can pass on that message. Farewell!"
After saying this, the three of them mounted their horses and rode away without looking back.
Watching the three of them walk away, Xie Jiaxun felt a tightness in his chest.
Judging from how much Leng Chuchen cherished that jade pendant, his relationship with Zhiwan must be extraordinary. It seems that with Leng Chuchen around, he will never be able to be with Zhiwan in this lifetime.
Thinking of this, he sighed helplessly, turned around, and left...
After leaving Phoenix City, Leng Chuchen and his two companions headed south, searching for traces of Luo Zhiwan's family in each city.
Now he knows that Luo Zhiwan is the woman he hurt back then, so no matter what, he must find her and spend the rest of his life making amends to her.
More importantly, that woman had already taken up residence in his heart, and he couldn't shake her off.
Now that he knows this woman is the same one he's been looking for, he truly feels that God has been kind to him, and that God has been incredibly kind to him.
Therefore, he was filled with anticipation throughout the journey, constantly imagining the scene when he would see Zhiwan.
He wanted to hold her in his arms, he wanted to carry Yiming on his shoulders, and tell him that he was his father, and that he could call him father anytime.
Oh, and he's also taking them to the palace. If his father, mother, and grandmother knew about this, they would surely be very happy.
Thinking of this, his brow furrowed and his face darkened...
The three people walked slowly along the official road. A gentle breeze blew by, instantly giving them a refreshing feeling.
"Young Master, we've really found them. What should we do? Take them back to the capital? Should we let Yiming be recognized as a member of the family?"
Leng Chuchen glanced coldly at Hu Ke. This guy was like a tapeworm in his stomach, always seeming to be able to guess what he was thinking.
He frowned slightly and shook his head. "Let's find the person first!"
Li Ping, on the other side, said with some concern:
"Last time, because of the Empress Dowager's matter, there was such a big fuss. Miss Luo must be angry. Otherwise, she wouldn't have known that the young master was looking for the owner of the jade pendant, but she still didn't come out to acknowledge him. Moreover, she deliberately pawned the jade pendant. I reckon she won't go back with us."
Hu Ke secretly glared at him, then looked at Leng Chuchen.
“Young master, I’m worried that even if Miss Luo is willing to return to the capital with you, the Empress and the Empress Dowager may not accept her. You… must carefully consider this matter.”
Li Ping nodded again in a very casual manner.
"Yes, that's what I think too. Even if they accept Yiming, they might not accept Miss Luo. This matter is probably going to be difficult to handle!"
Leng Chuchen knew that although what the two of them said was a bit irritating, it was all true.
During the past few days on the road, he had already thought about all the problems, but in the end, he still decided that no matter what, he had to marry Luo Zhiwan. The position of Crown Princess belonged to her alone.
Thinking of this, a gloomy furrow appeared between his brows and eyes.
Only now does he realize that the woman's bad reputation is all his fault.
She raised his child for three years, and he, as the father, only sought momentary pleasure, thus harming this woman for three years.
For three years, she lived amidst the scorn and gossip of others, yet she remained strong and optimistic. This is probably why he had already fallen for her even before he knew she was the woman from three years ago!
Yong'an City
Today marks the tenth day that Luo Zhiwan has been setting up her stall on the street. Because she doesn't charge consultation fees, only sells medicine, and because she is meticulous in her treatment and can cure diseases with her medicine, her reputation has quickly spread in this area, and her business is exceptionally good. Patients line up to see her, filling half the street.
Seeing that her business was booming, the merchants on Caishen Street followed suit and moved their stalls to Yong'an City Main Street. As a result, everyone had some business, and the main street became as lively as a market because of the arrival of the merchants from Caishen Street.
However, this matter quickly attracted the attention of the government.
Inside the government office, Sun Dachuan reported to Prefect Zhuang Guoqiang:
"Lord Zhuang, the people on Caishen Street are getting increasingly outrageous. They've taken over the entire main street, severely impacting the businesses of the locals. I'd like to ask if you could take some men and overturn their stalls."
Zhuang Guoqiang was a slightly overweight man who looked mature and steady. Although he was Sun Dachuan's brother-in-law, Sun Dachuan usually didn't dare to talk to him much, and even treated him as an official, never daring to call him "elder brother".
While listening to Sun Dachuan speak, he kept shaking his neck, which was suffering from a neck injury.
"Hmm, how many days has this been going on? Why are you only reporting this now?"
"It's been more than ten days. I've led my officers to try and persuade them several times, but they won't listen!"
"Was it that father and son who sell meat who started it again?"
"No, this time it's a woman from out of town. She's a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, and ever since she started setting up a stall on the street to give free pulse readings, the other two clinics in Yong'an City have had no business. Yesterday, the owners of those two clinics even came to me to complain. She's blatantly stealing other people's business and is suspected of disrupting the order of the city. I was thinking of trying to persuade them to go back, but they won't listen. I thought I'd come and ask you for your permission. If all else fails, we'll have to take a hard line."
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