Chapter 308 The Second Prince is really concerned about you
The next day, the dawn broke.
Xiyan and Manluo got up early, washed up, and had breakfast. The Xie brothers had already prepared the carriage outside.
The wheels rolled over the bluestone road and slowly drove towards Jiangdu.
Two handsome and suave princes of Nanzhao, riding tall horses, escorted the carriage on both sides, accompanied by dozens of Nanzhao warriors.
Since they were only a dozen miles away from Jiangdu, Xie Lan specifically instructed them to slow down their pace so that Xiyan and Manluo could enjoy the scenery of Nanzhaojiangdu.
After a night's rest, the two sisters felt much better.
At this moment, they all opened the curtains on both sides and looked out:
The fog outside the car window gradually dissipated, and the unique landscape painting of Southern Zhao slowly unfolded before our eyes.
In the distance, mountains are a shimmering black, and amidst layers of emerald green, winding streams twist like silver ribbons. Occasionally, a bamboo raft, laden with the sounds of fishermen, drifts by, startling a flock of egrets. In the rice paddies lining the riverbanks, farmers, wearing conical hats, bend over to plant rice. Hibiscus blossoms in full bloom on the paddies stain the morning dew crimson, and the air is filled with the fragrance of moist earth and the sweet scent of flowers.
The landscape of Nanzhao looks like a splash-ink painting, full of agility and vitality.
"Tsk tsk, this is a great place to retire!"
An hour later, the team slowly entered Jiangdu City.
The moment the carriage passed through the city gate, the magnificent scene of the Southern Zhao capital came into view:
Unlike the neat markets of Tianqi, the streets here meander and crisscross like flowing water. The buildings with green tiles and white walls are dotted with colorful stained glass windows. Street vendors sell glutinous rice balls wrapped in coconut flakes, and the sounds of jugglers' gongs and children's laughter echo one after another.
The river runs through the city, and melodious southern music floats from the pleasure boats. The lanterns hanging on the bows have not yet been extinguished, emitting a soft glow in the morning light.
Manluo leaned against the car window, gazing at the golden and crispy fried bananas on the roadside stall, smacking her lips.
"It looks really good. I can eat three of them in one meal!"
It was Xiyan, however, who was looking at the walls of the Jiangdu Imperial City, which were getting clearer and clearer as they got closer. The nine phoenixes facing the sun carved on the vermilion city gate were lifelike, and the red gold flags fluttering on the city walls were rustling. Thinking that her identity would be confirmed soon, a wave of heat surged in her heart, and her heart was beating non-stop.
Manluo turned her head and saw Xiyan's white fingertips, tightly grasping the car curtain. Knowing that she was more timid because she was close to home, she smiled and comforted her:
"Girl, no matter where you go, I will always be with you!"
Xiyan felt her eyes slightly warm: "Manluo, the most fortunate thing in my life is to know a good sister like you. We will never be separated in the future."
Manluo slapped her and sniffed:
"Silly girl, why didn't I realize you were so sentimental before? I put on this makeup so carefully, and now you have to reapply it for me if it gets so tearful."
"loquacious."
Xiyan burst into laughter and gently pressed the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.
"How is it? It's more lively here than Tianqi, right?"
Manluo pinched her face and said in an exaggerated tone:
"Once I meet the old emperor, I will stay in the palace and eat delicacies every day, visit the garden, and raise a group of Persian cats..."
Her chattering words were like a spring breeze, blowing away the uneasiness in Xiyan's eyes.
In this world, only Manluo can always make her laugh.
At this moment, the carriage suddenly stopped and a green shadow flashed outside the curtain.
Xie Zhan stared at Manluo with a smile, his eyebrows curved into a beautiful arc, and his bony hands handed over a square bun wrapped in oil paper.
Manluo was slightly startled as she looked at the thin layer of sweat on his forehead and the traces of powdered sugar on his shoulders.
"This is……"
"A snack for the little greedy cat."
Xie Zhan raised his hand and touched her forehead, his tone filled with indelible tenderness.
Manluo opened the oil paper package and saw that golden and crispy fried bananas wrapped in coconut fragrance hit her face, as well as a few snow-white glutinous rice balls rolled with fine red bean paste. These were the snacks she had mentioned casually when she was leaning on the car window just now.
This Second Prince Nan Zhao is really attentive. The car window must have been open, so he must have overheard her conversation with Xiyan.
Manluo felt a tightness in her throat and deliberately curled her lips:
"You must have done this on purpose, trying to feed me into a ball."
Although he said he was disgusted, his fingertips carefully picked up a piece of fried banana, and the crispy skin made a crisp sound between his teeth.
Xie Zhan's eyes followed the crumbs on the corner of her mouth, and the smile in his eyes was about to overflow:
"Even if you're fat, you're still a beauty."
"Smooth talk!"
These words made Manluo's ears burn. She slammed the curtain down and her mumblings were muffled in the car.
A low chuckle came from outside the car window, with the brightness unique to young people.
Xiyan looked at her best friend's red earlobe, and the corners of her lips unconsciously raised:
"The Second Prince really cares about you."
"Oh, are you jealous?"
Manluo grabbed a glutinous rice dumpling and stuffed it into her mouth:
"Who told you to not eat because of morning sickness? Now you're jealous?"
"He clearly saw that you were greedy."
Xiyan's smile did not diminish: "If you get fat, no one else will want you. He is so close to you."
"Well, you dare to make fun of me."
Manluo pounced on her and tickled her: "So you are in the same group with him. But..."
There was a hint of mischief in her eyes, and she lowered her voice:
"If you don't mind your second brother becoming a father and buying the big one and giving the small one away, then I have no objection. Anyway, there is someone to take over, so there is no need for me to kill this little brat in my belly."
"Pah, pah, pah!"
Xi Yan smiled and dodged her greasy hands, spitting softly:
"I've never seen you so shameless!"
The laughter in the carriage, mixed with the sweet aroma of snacks, floated out through the carved window lattices.
The carriage continued to move forward, heading towards the majestic palace. The hustle and bustle outside the window gradually transformed into the warmth of their smiles as they looked at each other...
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