Childhood sweethearts
They set out on the road before daybreak, and Bai Miaoke, who was already in a bad mood after waking up, took out all of her grumpiness on the unlucky young leader of the Eagle Claw Gang. This time, not only his jaw was broken, but also his wrist and arm were dislocated, and he had to be carried by Xiao Heng miserably.
In order to hurry, Lu Yu planned the route mainly based on small paths and shortcuts, but the south is different from the north, with countless rivers and lakes of all sizes.
Their route perfectly avoided the waterway, so they arrived in Huzhou extremely smoothly on the second day.
Huzhou was the fief of King Xiang, and the scene after entering the city was different. There were rows of shops of all sizes. Even though it was already dark when they arrived, the streets were still bustling. Even in the capital, the lights would only be so bright during the New Year and temple fairs.
"What kind of person is this King Xiang?" Bai Miaoke couldn't help but be curious and turned to ask Lu Yu.
"Prince Xiang is the youngest prince of the late emperor. He is the son of the late emperor's favorite Consort Chu. His mother's family is prominent, and he was a son born in old age, so he was very much loved by the late emperor. He is a person who enjoys pleasure."
"After the death of the previous emperor, His Majesty gave him Huzhou as his fiefdom and let him leave the capital because he was young and had no ambition to seize the throne."
"In the past, I only heard that Huzhou was rich in resources and that the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. After seeing it today, I'm afraid it is far more than that." Even Lu Yu couldn't help but sigh.
"Yes, my Bai family's shop is doing better business here." Bai Miaoke said as she raised her hand and pointed to a restaurant on the street.
"Come on, I'll treat you to dinner." Bai Miaoke said as she walked inside.
Immediately, a waiter came forward and said, "Miss, we have no seats left in our store."
"What's that if there's no seat?" Bai Miaoke asked, pointing at an empty table.
"I'm really sorry, but a distinguished guest has reserved the whole place today." The waiter nodded and bowed to apologize.
"Which distinguished guest?" Bai Miaoke was a little curious.
"That's not something I can know. Why don't you come back tomorrow and I'll reserve a seat for you in advance." The waiter just wanted to send these people away quickly.
"I want to see your boss." Bai Miaoke didn't make things difficult for him and simply put forward her request.
“Ah, this…”
"Hurry up, I'm a friend of your shopkeeper."
"Okay, wait a moment."
Less than a cup of tea later, the restaurant owner came out with a fat belly and small steps. There was a hint of impatience on his face, but he immediately put on a smile when he saw the person standing at the door.
"Young Master!"
"Why are you here?" The shopkeeper quickened his pace and soon came to the front.
"Please find me a private room." Bai Miaoke didn't bother to be polite with him.
"Okay, come with me." After saying that, he naturally pushed Lu Yu aside and stood next to Bai Miaoke to chat.
"Young Master, why didn't you say hello in advance when you came? Let the people below neglect you."
"What distinguished guest has come to your restaurant? Are you going to stop doing business?" Bai Miaoke has always disliked the behavior of dignitaries booking out the entire restaurant, so the Bai family's restaurant in the capital would not be booked out even if royal relatives came.
"Oh, that's right. It's the King Xiang who has come today, and he's upstairs right now." The shopkeeper said in a low voice.
"Who is he with?" Lu Yu, who had been following Bai Miaoke silently, suddenly spoke.
The owner of the Bai family shop would go to the capital every two years to report expenses and receive rewards, so he had met Bai Miaoke, but he had never had the opportunity to meet the prime minister. Naturally, he did not recognize his identity and looked at Bai Miaoke hesitantly.
Seeing Bai Miaoke nod, he whispered, "I heard that he was a high-ranking official from the capital."
"Where is it? Take me to see it." Bai Miaoke exchanged glances with Lu Yu.
Although the shopkeeper was quite hesitant, after thinking about the generous treatment offered by the Bai family, he gritted his teeth and agreed, and took the two of them into a private room in the corner of the second floor.
"Thank you, boss. There is nothing for you to do here. Please take good care of my friend." Bai Miaoke smiled and ordered the visitor to leave. In order to prevent the rookie from causing trouble, Xiao Heng watched him in the backyard on the first floor.
The shopkeeper nodded and left.
Bai Miaoke looked around the room, and before she could say anything, she saw Lu Yu walk up to an antique display cabinet and stand still.
He was as skilled at eavesdropping as possible, and he looked like a gentleman.
Seeing this, Bai Miaoke smiled secretly, slowed down her pace and stood next to him, imitating him by holding her hands and straightening her back, looking like a lady from a noble family.
The two of them just stood there upright, like the golden boy and jade girl in a Bodhisattva temple. No one would be able to tell that they were eavesdropping.
"I don't understand what you said, nor do I care." King Xiang's voice still had some of the immaturity of a young man.
"If the State of Zhao invades, will Your Highness Prince Xiang just sit back and do nothing?" The other man was obviously much calmer.
The sound of wine glasses breaking was heard, accompanied by the King Xiang's voice, which was no longer friendly but filled with anger.
"You are so brave! Aren't you afraid that I will tell my brother?"
"Your Majesty, please calm down. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a contribution. Do you want to stay in this small island city for the rest of your life?"
"You've got the wrong person. There's nothing wrong here!"
"As the brother of the prince and grandson of the emperor, don't you have any resentment in your heart?" the man continued to seduce.
"What did he promise you? He asked you to be his lobbyist." King Xiang's voice suddenly became louder, and he was obviously very angry.
"How could I harm you as our friend of many years? Troubled times are coming, what is more important than staying alive?" The other person softened his voice and spoke in a low voice as if he was admitting his mistake.
"Why is there a chaotic world? Isn't it to satisfy his evil ambitions?" King Xiang hit the nail on the head.
"Hong Zhou, that's not something you and I can decide, just listen to my advice."
"Oh, I have nothing to say to you anymore. Go away. Our relationship is over now."
With the sound of a door slamming loudly, the room returned to silence.
Bai Miaoke and Lu Yu looked at each other in surprise. They didn't expect to hear such a heated argument, as if they had discovered some unspeakable secret.
The two waited quietly for a while. Apart from a heavy sigh, no other sound came from the next room.
Back in the backyard, Bai Miaoke couldn't wait to ask, "Who is that man of King Xiang?"
Lu Yu: “…”
"You mean the man he was talking to?"
"Yes, yes." Bai Miaoke thought to herself that it was about the same.
"From the sound of his voice, it's Yuan Wenshi, the Junior Minister of the Honglu Temple. He was also a poor student who passed the imperial examination and became an official. It was not easy for him to climb to his current position." Lu Yu narrowed his eyes and added, "I heard that he was favored by a noble person during his hard study, but I don't know who this noble person was."
"Who else could it be? It must be Prince Xiang." Bai Miaoke had actually already imagined a tragic drama in her mind, but looking at Lu Yu's serious expression, she was too embarrassed to say it out loud.
"Not necessarily." Lu Yu probably had a plan in mind. He glanced at the greenhorn young gang leader who was tied up next to him, and Bai Miaoke kicked him into the woodshed and locked him up.
There were only three people left in the room, and Lu Yu spoke slowly: "We want to cooperate with King Xiang."
"Do you know King Xiang?" Bai Miaoke asked puzzledly. According to the plan, they were supposed to go to Xu's house in Gusu.
"I've met him a few times, but we don't have much of a relationship, but I bet he will help." Lu Yu seldom does anything without certainty, but in special circumstances he has to give it a try.
"I will write to the Xu family, but there are limits to what they can do. The same is true for the King of Xiang."
After hearing his words, Bai Miaoke nodded, while Xiao Heng, who was sitting next to her, just crossed his arms and said nothing.
"I'm going to negotiate with Prince Xiang, and the Xu family..." Before Lu Yu could finish his words, two voices interrupted him at the same time.
"I'll go." Bai Miaoke and Xiao Heng said almost in unison.
Lu Yu couldn't help but frown, thinking that they are indeed childhood sweethearts, they have such a tacit understanding, haha.
The next moment, Bai Miaoke's reaction made all the unhappiness in his heart disappear.
She said bluntly, "Then go ahead."
Xiao Heng: "You come with me." He originally thought that there might be unknown dangers in Gusu, so he didn't want her to take risks, but he didn't expect that this would indirectly give the two people a chance to be alone.
"I don't need it." Bai Miaoke unconsciously turned her head to look at Lu Yu, who was obviously trying to hold back a laugh. His icy face, which had never changed for years, could no longer hold back his laughter after seeing her little action, and he nodded with a smile.
Watching the interaction between the two, Xiao Heng's face turned dark. In order to avoid being angry to death, it was not a bad idea to stay away. So he took the token given by Lu Yu and set off before dawn the next day.
Bai Miaoke and Lu Yu were not idle either. They secretly handed an invitation to King Xiang and quickly arranged a time and place for the meeting.
What surprised Bai Miaoke even more was that she received a message from Chun Xing at the Bai Family Money House in Huzhou, saying that they had already gone to Gusu.
This meant that the people who had lost contact on the ship that day were still alive, and had arrived in Gusu earlier than them. They might have gained something by now. Bai Miaoke couldn't stay there any longer and wished she could fly to Gusu immediately to see Chun Xing.
However, Lu Yu's appointment with King Xiang was not until the day after tomorrow, and Bai Miaoke was so anxious that she paced around the room.
"How about I tie up the King and bring him to you?" She said boredly while lying on the bed.
Lu Yu was sitting at the table writing something. Hearing this, he said, "No, you go to Gusu first. I'll be there later."
"Then when will you come?" Bai Miaoke was a little worried.
"The King of Xiang has a simple mind and a broad mind, so it should not be difficult to convince him. If all goes well, I can come to find you the day after tomorrow." Lu Yu had already rehearsed it in his mind before giving such a firm answer.
Bai Miaoke hesitated a little, rolled around on the bed twice, and couldn't help but hook her finger at Lu Yu.
"Come here, I have something to tell you."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yu put down his pen, but did not come over directly. Instead, he stood up and walked to the side to wash and dry his hands, then walked slowly to the bedside and looked down at her.
When Bai Miaoke was wiping his hands, she suddenly thought of some tingling memories and her ears turned red. So she simply wrapped her head with the quilt, leaving only her delicate little face the size of a palm exposed.
Lu Yu sat on the bed, took the person and the quilt into his arms, and asked in a low voice: "What's the matter?"
Bai Miaoke blinked her eyes, and the moment she looked into his eyes she felt like she was drowning in them. She felt his warm breath on the side of her neck, and for a moment her brain froze.
How could this man be so bewitching? Bai Miaoke sighed in her heart. Just as she was about to close her eyes to clear her mind of those inappropriate thoughts, she felt the long-lost softness on her lips.
Ever since the last time, Xiao Heng had been keeping an eye on the two of them all the time. It was not until today that they had the chance to be alone together again. It was like a long-awaited rain, and they couldn't stop.
"Wait, wait a moment." Bai Miaoke spoke with difficulty between breaths, her voice indescribably gentle and moving.
Meeting Lu Yu's deep and fiery eyes again, she felt that she had to confess to Lu Yu.
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