The boat was swaying a bit, something only people who hadn't been on a boat much before could feel. Walking felt light and unstable. Yi Ning had no choice but to hold Luo Shenyuan's hand and walk behind her.
The houseboat he bought was beautifully furnished, separated by a screen and furnished with a low table and a Zhang velvet rug. On the low table sat a set of ice-cracked tea sets. A long table beside it held a paulownia zither, and a porcelain vase beside it held a few lotus buds.
The small pleasure boat actually has everything.
Luo Shenyuan's guard bowed and said, "Sir, I've already told the restaurant owner that no one will come to disturb you. I'll bring some people to guard outside..."
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard someone outside the pleasure boat laughing, "Why, I'm not a human!"
Luo Shenyuan frowned when he heard the voice and said to Yi Ning, "You sit down, I'll deal with him."
Yi Ning was a little curious after hearing this. Since Luo Shenyuan wasn't angry, it must be someone he knew. However, this voice sounded very unfamiliar. She probably hadn't seen it before.
Luo Shenyuan stood up and walked out, and the curtain was lowered. Yi Ning spread out the teacups one by one and prepared to make tea. Then she heard someone outside say, "Won't you invite me in for a cup of tea?"
Luo Shenyuan's voice said, "It's not convenient. Isn't Brother Yang going to the teacher today?"
"Lord Luo, you're just being stingy. You can't even give me a cup of tea." The man continued, "Or are you keeping a mistress in your mansion? I heard your family might be arranging a marriage for you..."
"What's with the story of a beautiful girl hidden in a golden house? The one inside is my sister..."
Before he could finish his words, Yi Ning saw the curtain suddenly parted. A young man's face appeared. Yi Ning remained calm and asked, "Are you my brother's friend?"
Luo Shenyuan patted his shoulder from behind and brought him in anyway, explaining to Yi Ning, "This is Yang Ling, a fellow Jinshi with me, and currently a Censor of the Ministry of Revenue."
...It was Yang Ling!
Hearing the name, Yi Ning couldn't help but take another look at the man. He wore a formal Hangzhou silk robe and a Liangguan (a traditional Chinese crown), and smiled kindly. If there was anything unique about his appearance, it might be the slightly downturned nose. Was this the Yang Ling who was later beaten to death at the Meridian Gate?
With a living person standing in front of her, Yi Ning really couldn't imagine what his future would be like.
This person was definitely a celebrity, so Yi Ning asked him to sit down and said, "Since you are my brother's friend, please have some tea with us."
Yang Ling said, "No, I really have to go to my teacher later." He was quite polite when he saw Yi Ning, and said to her with a bow, "I apologize for offending Miss Luo just now."
Yi Ning waved her hand to indicate that it was nothing serious, then smiled and said, "Master Yang, there's really no need to rush. You'll always have time for a cup of tea."
Yang Ling had no choice but to sit down, feeling a little embarrassed. "I was just teasing your brother, I didn't expect you to be his sister. Is Miss Luo also living in the capital now?"
Yi Ning poured him some tea and said leisurely, "My last name is Wei."
Yang Ling was stunned by her words. Luo Shenyuan's sister wasn't his biological sister...? He was indeed a smart man, and he immediately realized it. There were only a handful of wealthy families with the surname Wei in the capital... and the most famous one was, Duke of Ying, Wei Ling!
Luo Shenyuan actually brought the young lady from the Duke of Yingguo’s mansion with him. They had talked about it a few days ago!
Yang Ling didn't know what to say for a moment. Seeing Luo Shenyuan sipping his tea calmly, he said, "Since you're going to see the teacher, take a message. I've already submitted the memorial regarding the floods in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The specific measures will depend on the local county annals, which show how flood control has been carried out over the years. I don't have any advice here..."
The flood problem should be more accurately referred to the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of Works. Although Yang Ling was an inspector at the Ministry of Revenue, he did ask about it. The two of them went outside and talked about how Yining was drinking tea and had no one to talk to... He brought himself out, but he went to talk to someone else?
She had not seen the scenery outside the pleasure boat yet, so she asked the maid serving in the boat to open the window, which faced a pleasure boat.
Under the clear sky, the lake shimmered, and once no one spoke, the surroundings were tranquil. Luo Yining heard the sound of a pipa. She came to her senses and saw a woman on the opposite boat, leaning against the wall, playing the pipa. Her fingers moved delicately, her gaze gazing out across the river. When Yining saw her face, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
The woman holding the pipa also saw her, put away the strings, bent down and said, "Excuse me, young lady."
Yi Ning leaned against the window frame and said with a smile, "What's the big deal? You played 'Long Gate's Lament' beautifully."
"It's just a small skill, just to make a living." The woman smiled implicitly.
A little girl who had just grown her hair ran out and said something to her. The girl listened attentively and then said to Yining, "My name is Lianfu. If you want to listen to music, you can come to Shiyuefang to find me. I have to go back now." Looking at the guards outside the pleasure boat, it was clear that the young lady was not an ordinary person. She had seen many dignitaries and could still tell.
Yining nodded and watched the woman leave gracefully.
She looked at the incense burner in the corner of the pleasure boat and suddenly remembered where she had seen that face.
That face... clearly bears some resemblance to her face in her previous life.
Yining was slightly stunned when he thought of this.
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