Chapter 36
The high priest opened the altar to pray for blessings. The little princess only showed up once and was carried by the nanny in front of the Bagua formation for a while before being carried back to the Yuluan Palace.
Ling Huanchen had been reading and playing with the child in his room. Seeing Yu Xi return, he asked the nanny to take Qi Xian to the wet nurse. After all, his king had just had a minor upset.
Yu Xi didn't let Ling Huanchen get up. Instead, she sat down beside the couch. She hooked a strand of black hair between her fingers and entwined it with interest. "Today, the high priest reported that an auspicious sign has descended from the southwest, and a wise minister has been born."
Ling Huanchen smiled, "This is good news. Your Majesty should send someone there quickly."
"Well, regardless of whether the hexagram is accurate or not, I'll have someone take a look." He glanced at the person on the couch and suddenly smiled. "Actually, I'd like to take a look myself."
"Your Majesty is leaving the palace?"
Judging from Yu Xi's expression, he should have already considered it.
Ling Huanchen hesitated and asked, "How long will the king be gone, and when will he return?"
Seeing his worried look, Yu Xi laughed and asked, "Will I leave you alone when I leave the palace?"
Ling Huanchen was stunned when he heard this. In his two lives combined, he had lived in the palace for most of his life and had only been out of the palace twice. When he was a child, he was naughty and ran out to save Yu Xi, and he was forced to flee after Yu Xi died.
That time as a child, he had only been outside for one day, visiting the market and eating a string of candied haws. That day had become the happiest time of his previous life. The time he was fleeing was even more daunting. Fearing for his life, coupled with the despair he felt after learning of Yu Xi's death, he hadn't even bothered to see the mountains and rivers outside.
"I'm going too?" he murmured.
Yu Xi raised her hand and pinched his cheek, finally bringing the confused little mermaid back to his senses. "How about it? Do you want to go?"
Ling Huanchen nodded honestly, "I want to go."
"I have sent a message to Xunzhou and we will set off soon." Yu Xi suddenly leaned over and placed a kiss on the place he had just pinched.
A sovereign's tour was a significant event. Yu Xi's order was a secret one, passed directly to the prefect of Xunzhou. Those in the palace only knew he was leaving the palace, but they had no idea where he was going.
Their trip was low-key, their carriage and attire dressed to resemble those of ordinary wealthy merchants. Because of Ling Huanchen's connections, Yu Xi allowed Yun He and Xiao Qi to accompany them. Xiao Qi was overjoyed, and he began packing early. He wasn't packing for himself, but mostly for Ling Huanchen.
Seeing that he casually packed three bags and four wooden boxes with no intention of stopping, Ling Huanchen said helplessly, "We should keep everything simple on this trip. Leave at most two bags and put the rest back." If he remembered correctly, Yu Xi's luggage only had two bags.
Xiao Qi stuck out his tongue, "But aren't we a caravan?"
"We're a fake caravan." Ling Huanchen raised his hand and tapped Xiao Qi's head lightly with the scroll. "We're just pretending. Besides, when you're out and about, even wealthy businessmen should know how to hide their wealth."
Xiao Qi rubbed his forehead and quickly responded to lighten his luggage.
At this time, Ling Huanchen vaguely heard the crying of a child. He turned around and saw the nanny holding Qi Xian coming over.
"The little princess kept crying after drinking milk. I think she must be missing you."
The nanny put Qi Xian on the couch. When the little one saw Ling Huanchen, her crying gradually subsided, and she even stretched out her two little hands to ask for a hug.
Ling Huanchen has never been able to deal with this little girl who loves to act coquettishly. When he saw her reaching out to him, he immediately picked her up.
"Daddy and your father are going out for a while. You have to be good and listen to Mammy, okay?"
Ling Huanchen didn't care whether she could understand or not, and just kept giving her instructions. After he finished speaking, he looked down and met Qi Xian's wide-open eyes, which were full of confusion.
Probably didn't understand.
He looked up and said to the nanny, "If she cries these days, bring her to my room and play with her toys, or put her on the bed. She'll be familiar with the smell here, and she shouldn't cry anymore."
"Yes, I have noted it all down."
The next morning, the luggage was loaded onto carriages. Ling Huanchen and Yu Xi rode in one, with the attendants driving the carriage, and the accompanying guards riding tall horses in front to lead the way.
It took nearly five days to travel from the palace to Xunzhou without stopping, only stopping for a temporary stay at night.
Ling Huanchen always gave off a cool and reserved vibe, quiet and gentle even around those close to him. It was rare to see him excited about anything. And along the way, Ling Huanchen could hardly contain his inner anticipation.
This should be his first time to come to Minjiang in the true sense. He often heard Xiaoqi talk about the lively scenes on the streets of Minjiang. Recalling the village market he had visited briefly, he was looking forward to this trip even more.
No matter how calm he is, he is still a young man who has just turned eighteen, and he will always retain some childishness.
For example, he had already taken advantage of Yu Xi's inattention to secretly lift the car curtain several times to peek at the scenery outside. He thought he had hidden it well, after all, Yu Xi hadn't teased him. But what he didn't know was that these little actions had long been seen by Yu Xi.
Yu Xi was always paying attention to his little mermaid. Seeing his adorable behavior, he rarely saw through it but kept silent, pretending to be blind. After all, this was the first time his little mermaid had been out for so long, and like a child, he was definitely curious about the new things around him.
Finally, a group of people arrived in Xunzhou. Yu Xi did not rush to the prefect's house, but asked his followers to slow down the speed of the carriage so that Ling Huanchen could take a closer look at the street market.
Xunzhou, a prefecture subordinate to Youcheng, enjoyed good weather year-round, its people were prosperous, and its streets bustling with activity. Shops lined both sides of the long street, their cries of hawking incessantly ringing in the ears. Ling Huanchen was momentarily dazzled by the sight, unable to decide where to begin.
Yu Xi led him down from the carriage, immediately drawing the attention of passersby. Both were dressed in ordinary civilian attire, Ling Huanchen in a moon-white gown, as bright as the full moon, while Yu Xi wore a lake-blue brocade robe. Even the simple style made him look elegant.
The two of them couldn't help but attract attention in the crowd. Seeing this, Yu Xi brought Ling Huanchen closer to herself so that no one else could touch him.
The guards did not dare to go too far away, leaving two people to look after the carriage, and the rest followed behind them. However, they could not get too close and disturb the king and his highness, so the guards kept a certain distance but could always find them.
Ling Huanchen suddenly stopped in front of a dough figurine stall and asked, "What is this?"
"Sir, would you like to make a dough figurine for me?" The old man greeted him with a smile when he saw that business was coming.
Yu Xi glanced at Ling Huanchen and said to the old man, "If you want two, just the two of us. The old man can take care of it."
"Okay, please come in."
While the old man was making dough figurines, Ling Huanchen kept his eyes fixed on his left and right until a group of small dough figurines that looked very similar to the two of them were raised in front of him.
"Take it quickly." Yu Xi said softly.
Ling Huanchen took it carefully, fearing that the little figure would be broken.
Yu Xi paid the silver and saw that her little mermaid was still staring at the dough figurine in a daze. Her eyes softened and she asked, "Do you like it?"
Ling Huanchen nodded, then held the dough figurine in his arms.
Yu Xi smiled, took the person's hand and continued to walk forward, "There are a lot of interesting things, I will take you to see them."
Before they reached the next shop, they heard someone shouting loudly nearby.
"Tanghulu! Selling Tanghulu! Organized by the Liangwenqian Yuxi team, please pay attention. One string!"
Ling Huanchen stopped and said, "Tanghulu is also sold here."
"Let's go buy it."
Before Yu Xi could even take a step, Ling Huanchen suddenly let go of his hand and ran towards the candied haws stall. Yu Xi didn't understand what he meant, but worried that he might get bumped into, she hurried to follow him.
Ling Huanchen picked up a string of candied haws and took a bite. The taste was the same as what he had eaten as a child.
"Sir, do you think it's delicious? If so, give me another one."
Ling Huanchen felt around and suddenly said, "I forgot to bring money."
The stall owner was a big and strong man, but he looked honest and simple. After hearing what he said, he handed him another string of candied haws without saying a word.
"I see you're not from here. Everyone forgets things when they're away from home. Here's the candied haws for you. Don't forget to come and take care of your business when you have the chance."
Ling Huanchen blinked and turned around to see Yu Xi standing behind him.
"Take it."
After hearing Yu Xi's words, Ling Huanchen stopped hesitating and accepted the kindness generously.
Yu Xi took the people somewhere else and winked at the guards behind him, and someone would pay the bill for them.
"What's that place in front?" Ling Huanchen asked, pointing to the second-floor attic not far away.
"That's a teahouse, where people drink tea and listen to stories. Want to go and take a look?"
Ling Huanchen was curious about everything, especially teahouses. He liked drinking tea, so he knew it would suit his taste as soon as he heard the name.
They chose a seat on the second floor, ordered a pot of tea and a few snacks, and just in time they caught the storyteller telling a new joke.
The storyteller clapped his hands and stood up from behind his desk. "Today, let's talk about our king's new favorite queen."
Ling Huanchen stopped the teacup he had just picked up. Was this not what he thought it meant?
"Speaking of which, that young princess of the merman tribe was so stunningly beautiful, she was unforgettable. Even our king, who only loved to govern, was tempted by her and from then on, he exclusively favored her in his harem, enjoying revelry every night. As the saying goes, the nights are short, the sun rises high. Of course, it's also because our king is so determined that he insists on attending court every morning."
The storyteller spoke eloquently, his saliva flying everywhere, and the more he talked, the more outrageous it became. Ling Huanchen hurriedly drank some tea to calm himself down, but the tea had the same effect as alcohol, and his ears were suspiciously red.
What's with all the revelry every night and the short nights? They were obviously just chatting under the covers, so innocent.
"Well, the rumor is true, wild boars can climb trees." Yu Xi said helplessly. He wanted to make the rumor come true, but he was always afraid of wronging the little mermaid, so he didn't take action.
Ling Huanchen agreed seriously. He had long felt that the rumor was outrageous.
"Where did such a beauty come from?"
Suddenly, a noisy voice came from the side. Ling Huanchen turned around and saw a man in gorgeous clothes staggering towards him, surrounded by servants. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes were blurred, and there was a disgusting smile on the corner of his mouth. He looked like a drunkard.
The author has something to say:
Yu Xi: There are too many people staring at my wife. (Face falls)
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