Shen Pingjin was even more certain that the two of them knew something. She waved her hand impatiently, "You two tell me. My heart can handle a lot."
Nian'an spoke up, "Your Highness, this is what happened. Yesterday, your heartfelt words to the Regent in front of the Emperor were overheard and spread as a rumor, causing the whole capital to go crazy with gossip!"
Nian Ning glanced at Shen Pingjin cautiously, then continued, "They say that Your Highness has gone mad, that you've abandoned the brilliant and gentle Crown Prince and are determined to marry a Regent who has affairs with many young ladies in the capital... The key point is that even the Emperor himself asked you if you regretted it, and you actually defied him in public, still saying you wanted to marry the Regent."
Nian'an hesitated, "They also said that you, Miss, are ungrateful..."
After listening to her, Shen Pingjin calmly rose from the soft couch and asked softly, "Are you finished talking?"
Nian'an nodded like a chick pecking at rice, "Reporting to Your Highness, we have finished speaking."
Nian'an and Nian Ning, who had expected their young mistress... no, the princess, to have her eyes redden because of these words, were now watching Shen Pingjin slowly pick up the tea on the table and take a leisurely sip.
Nian'an was a little worried, "Your Highness, are you... overly sad?"
Shen Pingjin glanced at the two of them, then took out a ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) from the cabinet, saying casually, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and help me get dressed. I'll take you somewhere later."
Nian An and Nian Ning: ?
Nian An and Nian Ning hurriedly replied, "This servant obeys!"
The two maids, who had served Shen Pingjin since childhood, simply mixed and matched a few pieces of jewelry, yet they made Shen Pingjin look graceful and elegant, with each step like a lotus blossom, serene and otherworldly.
When Shen Pingjin left the mansion, the two followed behind with blank expressions. It wasn't until the carriage slowly drove past and stopped at Zuixianglou, the most popular restaurant in the capital, that Nian'an and Nianning's expressions gradually became shocked.
Nian'an and Nian Ning had been shocked countless times since Shen Pingjin got married. They had followed Shen Pingjin since childhood and knew that Shen Pingjin truly loved the Crown Prince, was willing to make sacrifices, and was gentle in nature. So when they learned that Shen Pingjin resolutely and without regret married the Regent, they were shocked.
At the same time, he was shocked to see his young mistress remain unfazed when she heard the rumors from the capital.
Because they had seen their young mistress shed tears for the Crown Prince before.
But they really didn't expect that their young lady would dare to come to Zuixianglou at such a critical time!
What does Zuixianglou mean? Zuixianglou means a large flow of people, and that it contains many people from different social classes, discussing a lot of gossip!
The recent affair between Shen Pingjin and the Crown Prince has been making headlines and has become a source of amusement for many.
Shen Pingjin got off the carriage and saw that the two looked dazed. She sighed and said, "You two, why don't you hurry up and follow us?"
Nian An and Nian Ning were still deeply shocked when they saw Chen Pingjin walking forward. Only then did they come to their senses and say, "We're here!"
Zuixianglou truly lives up to its reputation as the most famous restaurant in the capital of Dongyue Kingdom. The gilded plaque outside the building bears the inscription personally written by the late emperor. The main gate is wide open, the staircase is long and straight, two lions guard the entrance, spring water gurgles down the stone carvings, and various scentless flowers are brightly colored and exquisitely arranged.
It was midday, and many high-ranking officials and nobles arrived at Zuixianglou in their carriages, just to have a meal.
Shen Pingjin quickly arrived at Zuixiang Tower. Following her memories from her previous life, she took out the fish-shaped token that Yan Jue had given her the day before and handed it to the servant at the door. Sure enough, she was able to enter smoothly.
Chen Pingjin breathed a sigh of relief. Normally, one needs to make an appointment in advance to enter Zuixianglou, but if one has a fish token indicating their identity, one can enter at any time.
Nian An and Nian Ning exchanged a glance, then were shocked again.
Little did the servant who had just received the fish-shaped tally be more shocked, for he had just seen that the tally was engraved with... the Regent's Palace?
The young lady had an extraordinary bearing and was dressed in noble clothes. The servant couldn't help but swallow hard. It seemed that the only person who could possess the Regent's Talisman and Fish Talisman was the Regent's wife, who had just married into the family a few days ago.
Thinking of this, the servant couldn't help but feel nervous for the regent's wife.
Shen Pingjin had no idea what the servant was thinking. At this moment, she had already led Shen Xiang to the second floor of Zuixiang Tower.
The aroma of food wafted for miles around, making everyone's mouths water. The tables were spaced reasonably far apart, and the first floor was almost full. Even the second floor, where Chen Pingjin was currently, was nearly full of people.
Just then, a sharp-eyed waiter arrived. He walked up to Chen Pingjin and the others with a smile and asked, "Ladies, are you here for a meal?"
Shen Pingjin nodded. "Yes, do you still have any seats available?"
This put the waiter in a difficult position. "Miss, as you know, our Drunken Fragrance Pavilion requires advance reservations. If you don't have a reservation, you'll need to show me..."
Shen Pingjin understood, took the fish-shaped token from her waist, and handed it over. "Can you arrange seats for us now?"
The words "Regent's Palace" on the fish-shaped tally were so obvious that the waiter was stunned for a moment, then quickly nodded and bowed, apologizing, "It was my fault for being blind. Please come in, young lady."
In the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, there were naturally vacant seats reserved for high-ranking officials and nobles. Chen Pingjin followed the waiter to her seat and then, based on her memories from her previous life, began to recite her order: "I would like to order stir-fried gardenia, squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, Xi Shi playing with the moon, braised beef, and for pastries, I would like jujube paste cake, plum blossom sesame cake, and rose pastry. As for Nian An and Nian Ning..."
Shen Pingjin seemed to be thinking, "I remember you two like to eat osmanthus cake and sweet and sour lotus root, so please each have one of these."
Upon hearing this, the waiter immediately knew that this young lady must be a regular at Zuixianglou, and he rubbed his hands together, "Alright!"
Nian An and Nian Ning, who were sitting in chairs, had been in a state of shock ever since they entered Zui Xiang Lou. Princess, how did the Princess know which dish they liked?
Besides, this was their first time visiting Zuixianglou.
Shen Pingjin looked at the two people who were dumbfounded and asked in confusion, "Why aren't you two saying anything?"
Nian'an shook her head. "Your Highness, it's not that I'm not saying anything. I'm just a little confused. This is our first time at Zuixianglou. How do you know so many of the dishes, and even what Nian Ning and I like to eat?"
Well… Shen Pingjin gestured for them to be quiet, “It’s a secret.”
Nian An and Nian Ning: ...
Just then, two elegantly dressed women skipped past the table. Chen Pingjin, with her sharp ears, seemed to hear them gossiping. The word she emphasized most clearly seemed to be... the Regent's Consort.
Is this about talking about oneself?
Shen Pingjin frowned slightly, while Nian An and Nian Ning beside her seemed to have heard it as well, and even heard it more thoroughly than Shen Pingjin.
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