Chapter 1202: This is Fengluo, the capital of Kang Kingdom [Seeking monthly votes]
The court official was helpless in the face of this.
She wanted to jump up and down to warn her lord about his frivolous behavior, but feared revealing her identity would bring more unnecessary trouble. She stood in the crowd, both anxious and angry—using the pretext of asking for water to trick respectable women into giving her water was truly not something a ruler would do; she was acting like a libertine wandering the streets. Fortunately, her lord was usually engrossed in state affairs, otherwise, someone of her caliber would have attracted countless romantic entanglements! How would history record her private life?
The court attendant's face was as long as a donkey's.
The proprietress covered her mouth and laughed, scolding, "You rascal, it's a good thing you're a girl. If you were a man, you'd steal everyone's soul!"
Shen Tang laughed and said, "I don't like hearing that."
She looked around and saw only a few outstanding faces.
Despite the Imperial Diarist's neatly trimmed beard and handsome, refined features—he was quite good-looking even with his beard shaved—Chen Tang wouldn't dare tease him, even if she had ten times the courage. Who knew what the Imperial Diarist might write in his daily records…
At that moment, he caught a glimpse of the young man standing to one side.
She smiled faintly, her youthful face brimming with a captivating charm: "How can a bowl of water quench my thirst? Since my wife is so stingy with this bowl, why not let this dashing young man do it for me and share a sip?"
Ji Moqiu, who had been quietly watching His Highness's antics, was surprised to be dragged into it. His face froze for a moment, but the commoners reacted much faster. They all noticed Shen Tang's mischievous and cunning nature; teasing the landlady wasn't enough, she'd now dragged a handsome young man into it too. However, Shen Tang's teasing was worlds apart from the lewd actions of thugs; far from being annoying, it was pleasing to the eye. The capital, Fengluo, had no shortage of such youthful spirit, and they immediately cheered, helping Shen Tang get what he wanted.
The proprietress laughed until her stomach hurt.
"My darling! He was just asking me for water, and then he turned around and fell for that handsome young man. He's such a charming and amorous man!"
While secretly kicking the thug, Shen Tang glanced at Ji Moqiu with a smile, seemingly waiting for the high priest's reaction. She hadn't intended to cause too much trouble, but unexpectedly, the high priest didn't resist at all and turned to buy two bowls of water from the proprietress. One bowl was the one she had asked for earlier, and the other was the one Shen Tang had just asked for.
With his hands steadied, he brought the bowl to Shen Tang's lips.
Now it was Shen Tang's turn to lose her smile, the curve of her smile seeming to freeze for a moment. She could joke with the proprietress largely because the proprietress had a fiery and outgoing personality; she was a well-known "thirsty beauty" on this street, and many repeat customers came for that.
She's beautiful, has a fiery personality, and speaks with a touch of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry).
However, Jimo Qiu is different.
If he had a personality like Gong Xichou, Shen Tang wouldn't hesitate to tease him or even be sarcastic, but he wasn't. Gong Xichou also mentioned that his brother's situation was special; while he was Gong Xichou's elder brother in terms of seniority, his actual biological age was six years younger than Shen Tang's. Looking at Ji Moqiu, Shen Tang couldn't help but recall that small village more than ten years ago, when Ji Moqiu was just a tiny, somewhat introverted child, and she had even fed him candy...
Should I flirt with him?
Shen Tang felt something was off.
If Gong Xichou found out, wouldn't he come and fight to the death?
Shen Tang's mind raced, but she hadn't removed the bowl from her lips.
The commoners, who had been egging him on, became even more enthusiastic. Some even kindly mocked Shen Tang for being all bark and no bite, saying that she was so natural when asking the thirsty beauty for water, but why did she chicken out when the object of her affections changed to a handsome young man? A question arose from the crowd: "Is it not working out?"
Shen Tang was furious when she heard this.
"What do you mean 'can't'? Who can't do it?"
He drank a bowl of water with the air of someone going to a meeting alone.
This time, however, the movement was a bit too forceful, and the water in the bowl accidentally spilled out. A trickle of liquid flowed down the corner of her mouth, along her slightly taut neck, and into the crimson lapels of her clothes, blurring the color slightly. Shen Tang leaned back, and the empty bowl she was holding in her mouth spun in the air with the force of the movement before landing steadily in her palm.
"Look, it's empty!"
The common people laughed and joked, "This is water, not wine."
Shen Tang was starting to lose her composure.
In situations like this, she would usually choose to overturn the table and kick people out.
"Get out of the way, all of you! Don't interfere with this great hero taking the villain to the yamen and bringing him to justice!" With that, the poor villain received another kick from her. Shen Tang lifted the villain, who was screaming like a pig being slaughtered, with one hand, and the few thugs fled in a flash.
The attendant in the crowd hurriedly followed.
The wonton stall owner grabbed his arms with both hands and shouted hoarsely, "You old scoundrel, you haven't paid for the wontons yet!"
The Imperial Diarist: "..."
Ji Moqiu handed over the empty bowl that Shen Tang had tossed to him with both hands.
The proprietress still smiled and said, "Thank you, sir."
Ji Moqiu delivered the bowl and chased after Shen Tang in the direction she had left. Shen Tang was clearly much more familiar with every street in the capital city of Fengluo than he was. By the time Ji Moqiu found her after many twists and turns, Shen Tang had already returned empty-handed and was standing in front of a shop.
It's a musical instrument shop.
Judging from the shop's decor, this is a recently opened store. The hall displays all sorts of strange and unusual musical instruments made of various materials, ranging from ancient wood to jade to hard stone. Because of the open-mindedness of Kangguo, coupled with the emergence of theatrical entertainment like mushrooms after rain, vocal music gradually spread from the top down.
Even an ordinary child can play a tune on a piccolo.
Ji Moqiu said, "Your Highness, won't you go in and take a look?"
Shen Tang said with a hint of embarrassment, "I don't have enough money."
Although she is not short of money now, she has been poor for so many years that she has no habit of carrying money when she goes out. As the ruler of a country, she can't possibly run up debts with commoners and then ask the three ministries in the palace to pay them off for her, can she?
She can't bear the shame.
Ji Moqiu tugged at his braid, revealing several large, lustrous pearls rolling in his hand. He smiled and said, "Now I have them."
Shen Tang: "..."
Ji Moqiu: "If that's not enough, we can extend the credit to Feng En's account."
Shen Tang slapped his thigh: "This plan is brilliant!"
Chen Tang entered the store full of enthusiasm, but while browsing, she felt that something was missing, and she left empty-handed. Ji Moqiu, on the other hand, bought a rather unremarkable bili (a type of reed instrument). After testing its sound, she found it wasn't as loud and clear as a typical bili, and Chen Tang felt ripped off. Ji Moqiu said, "It has its own special qualities."
Shen Tang couldn't figure it out no matter how she looked at it.
As dusk settled, the main streets of the capital city lit up with lights, especially densely populated areas, creating a dazzling spectacle reminiscent of a celestial river descending to earth. In the capital city of Fengluo, the crowds at night were even greater than during the day!
Dance troupes frequently perform on the streets.
In a private room on the second floor of the teahouse, Tan Ting was drawn to the lively commotion downstairs. She opened the window and saw more than twenty elegantly dressed men and women dancing and playing music as they slowly moved forward. On both sides, crowds of commoners gathered to watch, bursting into laughter from time to time. The crowd included men and women, young and old, all with beaming smiles and relaxed expressions.
Tan Ting asked in surprise, "What is this?"
Qi Miao's social media posts are far less confrontational than her father's.
She has a good personality and is even more popular. As soon as she returned to the capital, friends asked her to hang out, and even tickets to the hottest new movie, which were hard to get, were readily available. Qi Miao didn't want to neglect her new friends, so after getting their permission, she brought Tan Ting along for a stroll as well.
For Tan Ting, Fengluo after nightfall is a completely new world, and every activity on the street and roadside feels novel.
It felt like entering a bizarre and fantastical otherworld.
Qi Miao and her friends gathered by the window to look outside.
He explained with a smile, "This is because a new play is about to start."
Before the premiere of any new play, there's always a warm-up performance ten to fifteen days in advance. Costume-clad actors will perform several excerpts from the new play, ensuring the most exciting and captivating parts are presented to entice audiences to buy tickets. Besides the city parade performances, there's also interactive entertainment for the audience.
Tan Ting asked, puzzled, "A new play?"
Just as I finished speaking, everything went blurry before my eyes.
A red flower made of red silk flew towards us.
She landed steadily in Tan Ting's arms.
Qi Miao and the others joked, "Meng Yuan is so lucky."
Such interactive events aren't something you can happen to every time. The person who receives the red ribbon can not only interact with the performers but also win front-row tickets to a new play. Tickets for popular new plays are limited and hard to come by. Tan Ting didn't want to go down; he disliked crowded and noisy places. But the person who threw him the red ribbon called him "Beautiful Lady" and asked if he would do him the honor of coming down… This…
Only then did everyone realize that Tan Ting's appearance far surpassed that of the elaborately dressed actors.
Tan Ting: "..."
Although he disliked such a lively and crowded place, he also didn't want to spoil the fun, so he reluctantly climbed out the window and gracefully landed.
The crowd immediately erupted in thunderous applause.
"Excellent footwork!"
The capital city has no shortage of martial artists and wandering knights. Every day, you can see martial artists leaping and bounding across rooftops like monkeys. In addition, Kangguo likes to have martial artists do infrastructure work. As the common people have more contact with them, they gradually change their impression of martial artists as war machines who only use violence to rob and plunder. With less fear, they will occasionally kindly invite them to rest and have a drink in their shops.
When had Tan Ting ever seen such a scene?
I almost slipped.
However, even when a beauty loses her composure, she still possesses a unique kind of beauty.
Tan Ting was initially a little nervous.
Until he saw an unbelievable scene.
The parade of this new play had just ended, and before half a quarter of an hour had passed in silence, a short, sharp sound of a bili (a type of reed pipe) rang out. Listening intently, the music was like a flash of white light tearing through the darkness, disappearing in an instant, stirring a tremor deep within the soul, even affecting the literary heart within the Danfu (a dantian, a place in the body). The short prelude was immediately followed by a completely unfamiliar melody.
Mysterious, profound, and ancient, yet with a touch of joy and happiness.
Tan Ting asked in surprise, "Is it another new play?"
Walk to the window and look out—
He spotted Shen Tang in the crowd at a glance.
As Qi Miao stepped forward, she explained, "His Majesty promotes entertainment and fitness. After nightfall, some places are set aside for commoners to relax and enjoy themselves. At first, musicians were appointed to play music, and the people could sing and dance along. Later, more folk musicians joined in..."
As she spoke, she stopped talking.
They clearly recognized their master in the crowd downstairs.
Her mistress's appearance was slightly disguised, making her difficult to recognize unless one knew her well. Even in disguise, she remained capable and efficient, her red-and-white round-necked robe standing out in the crowd. With each step she took, her slender waist was revealed as she moved. The crowd noticed the skilled individual among them and made way for her. Shen Tang raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly, stepping to the beat of the music, gathering her strength, and leaped lightly onto the roof of the carriage carrying the musicians.
There was a large, living person on the roof of the train, yet the carriage didn't even shake.
This shows the extent to which she controlled her power!
The crowd erupted in cheers again.
She moved with incredible agility, her ponytail billowing with each movement, occasionally revealing her bright, beautiful face. Her movements were bold and intense, her steps seemingly light and graceful yet exuding a vibrant, tenacious vitality. Many were mesmerized, and many more were captivated by her beauty.
In this lively atmosphere, I couldn't help but join in.
After Shen Tang had enjoyed herself to the fullest, she snatched the bili (a type of reed pipe) from the musician's hand. Beads of sweat glistened on her forehead as she flashed a bright, flamboyant smile at the musician: "I've heard Gong Xi Chou say that the Gong Xi clan are all skilled in singing and dancing… I've heard them sing, but how about they show off their dancing skills?"
When the bili stopped, the other musicians tacitly changed to a more cheerful tune. Ji Moqiu looked up at Chen Tang. The young man's fair face remained calm, but his eyes were filled with undisguised admiration, eagerness, and obedience: "I shall obey your command."
Ji Moqiu bears a striking resemblance to Gong Xichou, but the two brothers possess completely different temperaments. Perhaps due to their personalities, Gong Xichou is more aggressive than Ji Moqiu, like a poisonous and vividly colored flower, or a brightly colored venomous snake. He can erupt in violence at the slightest provocation, yet he also possesses astonishing perseverance and tenacity in martial arts. He is someone to be admired from afar, not to be trifled with; if you dare to mess with him, he will bite. Ji Moqiu, in comparison, is more gentle and harmless, but it would be a grave mistake to draw conclusions hastily…
Shen Tang had also seen him in his martial armor, in the heat of battle, his crimson martial energy erupting, red tassels flying, blazing like the sun, his killing intent tinged with the corners of his eyes and brows, he was equally formidable. He didn't have as many spikes as Gong Xi Chou, but they would still be sharp to hold.
The young man's bright eyes were fixed on Shen Tang, so clear that they reflected her entire image. The moment their eyes met, a strange thought suddenly occurred to her: this scene was inexplicably familiar, as if, as if she had seen the same scene countless times before.
Shen Tang's dance steps all begin and end at will.
To the rhythm of the music, without any fixed rules, he moved like a gust of wind through the streets and alleys, unpredictable and elusive. In contrast, Ji Moqiu was different. The young man's dance steps were initially somewhat restrained and awkward, and his movements resembled an ancient sacrificial dance of some mysterious ritual.
Each step and each dance seemed to be telling a story.
Shen Tang couldn't understand it, but she just found it interesting.
At first, I could even enjoy it with a smile.
She laughed and laughed, but then she couldn't laugh anymore.
A sharp pain shot through her chest for some unknown reason. She looked down to try and locate the source of the pain, but the illusion vanished. When Shen Tang came to her senses, she immediately saw Ji Moqiu's concerned eyes. Shen Tang asked, "Are you done dancing?"
For some reason, Ji Moqiu seemed to look dejected.
"Not yet, but Your Highness seemed distracted and unwell."
Shen Tang lowered her hand from her chest: "Sigh, I wonder if it's because 'absence' was too strained to operate at the same time... I felt a pain in my chest just now, like I was stabbed with a sword. But saying it was a sword isn't quite right, the sensation wasn't like cold metal... more like, a bit like... a wooden rafter..."
Upon hearing this, Ji Moqiu fell completely silent.
|ω`)
The main storyline focuses on the relationship between the ruler and his subjects, while Tang Mei's romantic relationships are primarily concentrated on her main character (who has no man in her heart and naturally becomes a god during her tribulation).
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