Chapter 19 Rumors? That eunuch hasn't killed Zhao Liangxu yet...
When Zhao Liangxu returned, Zhu Mu was surprised and asked her what happened. Zhao Liangxu made up an excuse that she had accidentally tripped and fallen.
If she told the truth, Zhumu would definitely wear a worried expression again.
It's just a pity that she hadn't seen enough of the epiphyllum.
The next day, Zhao Liangxu was told that she was free to leave the mansion.
Before going to court, Anhe deliberately woke her up and told her the news, leaving her with a meaningful remark.
"Take your time to explore the capital and broaden your horizons."
After saying that, he walked away, ignoring Zhao Liangxu's hostile gaze.
She was sleeping soundly when Anhe woke her up.
Although An He's expression seemed perfectly normal, Zhao Liangxu was certain.
He absolutely did it on purpose.
It's all for revenge for yesterday.
As for that meaningful remark, needless to say.
It was just a hint that she should wander around the capital and try to hook up with some potential suitors.
For example, the original owner's elder brother, Zhao Chengxin, the eldest son of the Northern Zhou emperor who fled after the fall of the Northern Zhou.
If Zhao Chengxin knew that his younger sister, who had been a hostage in Southern Zhou for six years, was not only alive but also swaggering around the capital and had become a favorite who could freely enter and leave the palace, he would definitely not be able to contain himself.
After all, Zhao Chengxin was the eldest son of the emperor and the rightful heir to the next emperor of Northern Zhou.
He was once so illustrious and noble, but now he can only live a life of hiding.
How could he not think about restoring his country?
How much convenience could his sister, who had free access to the palace, bring him?
It is obvious.
Zhao Liangxu had intended to take a nap, but the thought that if she slept until the afternoon again would probably make it hard for her to sleep at night made her want to go out for a stroll.
She didn't want to go through what happened last night again.
She chose to take a short nap, and after less than two hours, she got up to get ready and wash up.
She also wanted to see what the capital city was really like.
Zhao Liangxu told Zhu Mu to take some money, and the two of them left An Mansion.
When she arrived at the entrance of the An residence, she ran into an acquaintance.
On her first night at the An residence, the guard Luo Fan escorted her to Anhe's room.
It was quite unusual for him to be dressed as a servant and guard the gate of the An residence.
He should be a guard, how did he become a doorman?
Zhao Liangxu only thought about it in her mind and didn't intend to go up to the person and ask.
As soon as Luo Fan saw Zhao Liangxu, he took the initiative to greet her.
"Greetings, Princess Zhao."
Since the other person had spoken to her first, Zhao Liangxu couldn't pretend she hadn't seen him, so she politely nodded in response.
After thinking for a moment, he asked again, "What is this?"
Luo Fan gave a wry smile: "It's because I was misled by others. His Highness made me take a beating and punished me by making me a gatekeeper for a month."
This Anhe is really quite strange.
She had never heard of punishing people like this before.
But when I think of his usual strange and eccentric manner, I feel that this is a trick he used because of his twisted mentality.
If we're talking about psychological distortion, Zhao Liangxu even felt that he hadn't punished him enough, since he was allowed to live.
After thinking it over, Zhao Liangxu concluded that An He wasn't entirely the type to kill people at the drop of a hat.
The punishment was just severe.
Zhao Liangxu glanced at Luo Fan, who was grimacing as he pulled at his wound, and her thoughts changed again.
The punishment was exceptionally severe.
She didn't say anything more to Luo Fan, and walked towards the bustling crowd with the bamboo and wood.
The street where the An family residence was located was unusually quiet, unlike the bustling capital city.
Once you step off this street, the deserted scene changes dramatically, and more and more people begin to appear.
Zhao Liangxu strolled around with Zhu Mu at will, examining anything new and interesting that caught her eye, but after looking at so much, she didn't buy much.
She felt these things were just for fun, and once she bought them, she wouldn't know where to put them.
The streets became increasingly crowded as noon approached, with some blocks even teeming with people, creating a lively atmosphere.
Zhao Liangxu noticed that there were both men and women on the street, but at this time there was no saying that women should stay at home.
Most common women and men were no different; they all made a living in the capital.
It's just that women dressed so expensively like her are rare.
Or rather, it's rare to see someone strolling around outside with their maid like that.
There were many noblewomen in the capital who went out, but most of them traveled by carriage, which took them to the agreed teahouse. They rarely walked the streets as swaggeringly as Zhao Liangxu.
Although these two are not isolated cases, they are still considered special cases.
It often attracts sidelong glances from those around him, including some uncomfortable looks.
Zhao Liangxu whispered to Zhumu, "We made a mistake. We should have borrowed a carriage from Anfu."
Not only were she being stared at, but her legs were also starting to ache.
Zhu Mu was also in a predicament. She didn't often follow the original Zhao Liangxu around, in other words, she didn't know much about these things. She did go out to buy things and do chores in a maid's outfit before, but she wasn't particularly conspicuous.
The two found a teahouse nearby and rested on the second floor.
Storytelling is an essential part of teahouses, and just then, the storyteller started talking about Anhe, so Zhao Liangxu pricked up her ears to listen.
"Speaking of that current Ninth Prince, he was truly powerful and lawless. Just because he was favored by His Majesty, he reprimanded the Minister and refuted the General in the court. He really showed off his power."
Is it possible to arrange Anhe like this in the capital?
That makes sense; no matter how powerful he is, he can't control the people in the teahouse who love to listen to and spread gossip.
"Speaking of the Ninth Prince, we have to mention the princess who fled from the Northern Zhou. It is said that Princess Zhao was arrogant and domineering back then, and treated all the palace servants harshly. The Ninth Prince got Princess Zhao because of this. It was like a cat seeing a mouse, or a mouse seeing a rice jar. He locked Princess Zhao in his mansion and tormented her."
The storyteller paused, leaving the audience a moment to discuss and imagine, before continuing, "Unexpectedly, even the Emperor has become entangled with a woman. We don't know the specifics, but perhaps it can prove the saying in Southern Zhou, 'Even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman,' except that the protagonist here is not a hero but a eunuch."
It's clear that this storyteller has a knack for accurately grasping what people want to hear, and he directly uses his wildest imagination to explore things they don't know.
This captivated the audience, who listened with rapt attention.
Zhu Mu said indignantly, "This is clearly not true."
Even something that didn't happen can be made to seem like the real thing once it's spread.
At the next table, someone started to elaborate on what the storyteller was saying.
"Brother Chen, you know, Anhe is really causing chaos in the court. I don't know how that Princess Zhao managed to survive without batting an eye."
The man in the blue robe, dressed in luxurious attire, winked and spoke to Chen Qinglie beside him.
"You said that Princess Zhao was already the subject of much gossip that day, and General Zhou also indirectly admitted that Princess Zhao, as a woman, had her virginity taken by someone else, and now she is still living in the eunuch's mansion. I don't know what means she used to keep that eunuch from killing her."
He got more and more excited as he spoke: "I think it's good that the Northern Zhou Dynasty was destroyed. No matter how much the women of the Northern Zhou Dynasty tried to learn from us, they could never learn the gentleness, charm, and chastity of the women of our dynasty. Having already experienced such a thing, she should have committed suicide out of shame and indignation to show her chastity. It is said that all the women of the Northern Zhou Dynasty were tall and strong. Even the Northern Zhou royal family had their etiquette reversed. Princesses could even compete for the right of succession. What a huge joke."
Zhang Changfei spoke with great enthusiasm, while Chen Qinglie, standing to the side, frowned and listened for a long time before saying, "Since we don't know the truth, it's best not to make any wild guesses."
Zhang Changfei said with dissatisfaction: "That's your rigidity. Don't you always agree with the idea of marrying a virtuous wife? Zhao Liangxu was arrogant for a long time. What are you saying on her behalf? Saying a few words to her is what she deserves."
Zhu Mu was furious. She said to Zhao Liangxu, "This is all fabricated, Princess. It's shameless of them to make up stories about you like this!"
Zhao Liangxu was also furious. Just as she was about to make a move, a familiar female voice interrupted, saying, "Young Master Zhang, please watch your mouth. You spread rumors all day long without restraint. I'm afraid you've ruined the atmosphere in the capital. Young Master Zhang, you also study the classics, but I never knew that the classics teach people to be ignorant, talk nonsense, and slander others."
Zhao Liangxu looked up and saw a figure with an unremarkable appearance walking up the stairs, but whose composed demeanor was not to be underestimated.
It was Qiu Cheng, the female official who had treated her illness in the palace at that time.
It's clear that Qiu Cheng knows Zhang Changfei, who spoke ill of her.
Her tone was understated, but every word was sharp: "Young Master Zhang comes from a scholarly family, but I don't know how Vice Minister Zhang raised such a spoiled brat. How come the Imperial Academy accepts just anyone?"
"you!"
Zhang Changfei blushed at the sarcasm and didn't know how to retort for a moment.
Qiu Cheng went up to the second floor and said in an impolite tone, "What do you mean, 'you'? Students of the Imperial Academy can't even speak properly. I have some connections with the Chancellor, so the Imperial Academy should properly discipline you truly ignorant and stupid students."
Chen Qinglie, who was standing to the side, felt that he had also been scolded, so he could only bow and apologize: "I apologize to you on behalf of Changfei. Changfei's tone was a bit too blunt, and he said some things without thinking, which was indeed wrong. Please forgive me, sir."
He didn't know who the woman in front of him was, but he had heard that she had a good relationship with the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, so he knew that she was no nobody.
Taking advantage of this moment, Zhao Liangxu walked over and clapped her hands lightly to applaud Qiu Cheng: "I am very grateful for your straightforward and incisive remarks. Lady Qiu, it is a pleasure to see you again."
Upon hearing this, Chen Qinglie looked towards the source of the sound, and was immediately stunned by what he saw.
Zhao Liangxu wore a light blue jacket and a soft white t-shirt skirt. The only distinguishing features were the dark blue belt at her waist and the dark trim on the hem of her skirt. She wore no jewelry and her overall look was simple and elegant.
As for why she wore light colors, it's because the clothes she usually wears were covered in dust last night.
She had no choice but to wear this.
Chen Qinglie felt that he had never seen such an elegant woman. Although Zhao Liangxu did not look at him, just looking at her smiling profile, Chen Qinglie felt deeply captivated.
Zhao Liangxu noticed Chen Qinglie's somewhat direct gaze. She looked at him, her smile fading, the smile quietly dissolving into her clear, indifferent eyes.
She didn't know much about the people with Zhang Changfei, and she didn't feel any goodwill towards them.
Chen Qinglie quickly lowered his head after being glanced at by Zhao Liangxu, but those light-colored eyes were already deeply imprinted in his mind.
Zhao Liangxu ignored him and turned to catch up with Qiu Cheng.
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