Chapter 90 Already Acquainted

eething and snorted angrily."Grandpa, don’t be angry. If you get sick, it would be bad. Come on, give me a smile." Lǐ Yún thought that this old man was like a child who needed to be coaxed, so she rea...Chapter 90: Already Acquainted

The words brought the guests' attention back from listening to the music, all of them turning to look at Ye Tianyi.

Ye Tianyi's gaze naturally fell on Yu Zishu as if he had casually asked the question.

Rong Jing's eyes narrowed slightly for a moment before he calmly toyed with his wine cup, swirling the liquor inside.

Yu Zishu was momentarily stunned, waves of surprise surging through him. Suddenly, memories of rumors about Lady Qianyue from Prince Yun and Seventh Prince Tiansheng flooded back into his mind as he scrutinized Ye Tianyi's appearance. He realized something and sighed inwardly but showed no reaction on the surface, smiling at Ye Tianyi with a puzzled expression, asking, "Why does the seventh prince speak of such words"

Ye Tianyi stared at Yu Zishu’s face from every angle, finding none that resembled him. He narrowed his eyes and didn't respond.

The atmosphere seemed to freeze for a moment.

"Yes, Tianyi, why did you say such words What is the 'Communist Manifesto'" The old emperor also looked at Ye Tianyi with confusion.

"Do you really not know about it, Prince Yu" Ye Tianyi ignored the old emperor and continued to look at Yu Zishu.

Yu Zishu shook his head in confusion and smiled, "Seventh prince has made me utterly baffled! I've never heard of such a thing."

Night Tianqin, Night Tiandu, Duke De, Duke Xiao, Prince Yun, Ye Qingran, Leng Shaozhuo, Yun Li, among others, all knew that Ye Tianyi would not casually mention something. Since he had asked the question, there must be a specific purpose behind it. But what was the purpose What is the 'Communist Manifesto'

"Haha, apparently it's a local dialect, quite unique indeed. I thought Prince Yu, being well-versed in both ancient and modern knowledge, would know about it. That’s why I asked." Ye Tianyi suddenly smiled and stopped pressing him further, casually saying: "Since Prince Yu doesn't know about it, let's not worry about it anymore!"

"So it is a local dialect," Yu Zishu also smiled. “I am aware that the Tiansheng territory has many ethnic groups with different languages among smaller ethnicities. It seems Seventh prince refers to one of those incomprehensible languages.”

"Exactly!" Ye Tianyi nodded, "It is indeed an incomprehensible language."

"Though I have read a lot of books, my understanding is not as extensive as Seventh Prince's. There are over ten different dialects in the Tiansheng territory and another dozen in the East Sea—my lack of knowledge about them is quite normal," said Yu Zishu with warmth.

The certain emotion in Ye Tianyi’s eyes faded, “Tianyi has not understood those languages either. Prince Yu speaks truthfully.”

Yu Zishu remained silent. Throughout this exchange, his expression had been completely unremarkable.

This small incident came to an end once again.

The guests were puzzled but unable to understand what was going on and thus did not probe further.

Rong Jing casually swirled the wine in his cup as if he hadn't heard their conversation.

After Princess Liu finished her piece, the banquet hall fell silent. Even the Imperial Garden seemed tranquil.

"Prince Yu, have you ever heard this melody" Ye Tianyi asked again.

"I've heard it once before!" Yu Zishu smiled.

"Oh Prince Yu has actually heard it" Ye Tianyi raised his eyebrow. "Who played the piece Such a rare melody, there are very few who know how to play it."

“There aren't many people who can play it indeed, I believe about several years ago,” said Yu Zishu as if reminiscing. “Princess Liu played it excellently but I think someone else could interpret the meaning of this piece even better.”

"Tianyi thinks that the Sixth Younger Sister has already had a very good conversation, but I wonder who this person is that Prince Jade knows Could it be better than the Sixth Younger Sister’s" Night Tianyi looked directly at Yu Zishu.

The clarity in Yu Zishu's eyes was like warm water. Just as his appearance suggested, he was naturally of jade quality. He smiled and said, "This person is someone that Seventh Prince and all of you know as well. She’s Miss Qianyue from the Yun王府.

"Little Moon" The old emperor seemed quite surprised, raising his voice a bit higher, "Does Prince Jade know this little Moon"

"Of course I do!" Yu Zishu smiled faintly and met everyone's gazes. Then he changed the subject saying, "However, when I knew her, I didn’t realize that she was Miss Qianyue from Yun王府. This is something I only learned recently."

"Oh How did Prince Jade come to know Little Moon" The old emperor asked in confusion.

"About a few years ago, I think! She chased after a fox and ended up running into Donghai’s territory. I happened to be out hunting at that time and almost hunted down the fox she was chasing. She got angry and argued with me. We then became acquainted. We talked very well, and before we parted ways, she played this piece for me called "Spring River Flower Moon Night."

The old emperor suddenly remembered, "I recall now, there indeed was such an incident. The little girl chased after a fox for three days and nights until it became too exhausted to run anymore. She caught the fox and brought it back. Later on, I don’t know how but she set it free."

"That’s right! I also remember now. Back then, when Moon Sister was holding that little fox and came looking for me, I asked her for it. But no matter what I tried, she wouldn’t give it to me," Night Tianyu immediately said, "I still recall clearly. That was a snow fox with beautiful fur."

"Little Moon chased after the fox for three days and nights and put in so much effort catching it; how could she just hand it over so easily" Night Tianqing took over the conversation, apparently recalling this incident too, "Back then I also remember clearly. She came to show me that little fox. When I praised its beauty, she was delighted and laughed for a long time."

"Second Brother, that’s fake! Little Moon didn’t like you back then and even her smiles were fake!" Night Tianyu reminded Night Tianqing.

The smiling expression on Night Tianqing's face froze slightly, his lips revealing a hint of bitterness which quickly vanished. He joked nonchalantly, "That’s true. It was too bad I didn’t understand at the time, but later on, I realized she wasn’t genuine with me!"

The old emperor chuckled loudly and said, "This Moon girl truly does anything; for years, she’s tricked me as well. Even then, I didn’t discover her true nature."

Duke De nodded with a smile, “Miss Qianyue is different from ordinary women!”

"Indeed! Chasing after a snow fox until it was too exhausted to move anymore is something Miss Qianyue would do without batting an eye!" Duke Xiao also agreed with a laugh.

“Qianyue has always been determined once she sets her mind on something. Over the years, I’ve come to understand this and thus no longer try to interfere or control her.” Yun王爺also joined in.

For a moment, everyone including the old emperor started discussing Miss Qianyue one after another as if they had forgotten about the sixth princess who was playing the zither.

The sixth princess didn’t interrupt and sat quietly by the zither stand. Her eyes alternated between looking at Yu Zishu and Rong Jing, her mind seemingly lost in thought.

"Weakling beauty," Night Qingran, who had been silent until now, suddenly looked at Rong Jing, "I remember you had a snow fox once Was it the one that little girl caught and gave to you"

With this remark, everyone’s eyes, including Night Tianyi’s, turned toward Rong Jing.

Rong Jing paused in his cup of wine, gently setting it down on the table. His jade-like face broke into a faint smile as he said, "That's right!"

Night Tianyu, Night Tianqing, Duke De, and Duke Xiao all widened their eyes.

"Huh When was that exactly" The old emperor looked at Rong Jing in surprise.

“About six or seven years ago,” Rong Jing thought for a moment and replied vaguely.

At the time, you were still recuperating from illness in your residence. Little Moon went to Honor王府” The old emperor continued questioning.

"Because my body had cold poison, I felt icy cold every day, especially during winter when it was even worse; I couldn’t sleep at night. She knew about this and offered to catch an animal for me to keep warm. A few days later, she brought a snow fox to me. It did indeed become much warmer after that," Rong Jing said with a gentle smile.

"You're still the best with Moon Sister! I always thought that Moon Sister was closest to Brother Seven!" Night Tianyu glanced at Night Tianyi, his tone somewhat deliberately spiteful.

Night Tianyi seemed not to have heard, remaining silent.

The atmosphere froze for a moment.

The old emperor looked at Night Tianyu with a heavy gaze before turning to Rong Jing and smiling, "So what about that snow fox now"

"Later I offended her, and she reclaimed it. They say they set it free," Rong Jing replied without omission.

Night Tianyu laughed, "That's Moon Sister all right. She’s the one who holds grudges the most; no one can offend her."

Rong Jing rubbed his forehead as if somewhat exasperated and indulgent, "Her temper is indeed terrible!"

Night Qingran snapped, "I think that little girl's temper is extremely good. You must have done something unforgivable to make her so angry back then; otherwise she wouldn't release the fox she worked so hard to catch."

"Back then I took in a maid. When Moon Sister found out about it, she said I had someone for warmth and didn’t need the snow fox anymore, so she took it away," Rong Jing recalled with more exasperation. "She wouldn't even let me explain and just threw a tantrum at me. That maid is actually Old Medicine’s adopted daughter. Sigh…"

"So she was jealous!" Night Tianyu laughed loudly, "I didn’t notice back then that the little girl liked you so much! She really kept it hidden well." He looked at Night Tianyi and smiled, "Even Brother Seven didn't find out"

Night Tianyi’s face darkened but he said nothing.

The old emperor's expression also turned serious as he shot a glance at Night Tianyu before changing the topic to Jade Zishu, saying with a smile, "So this is how Prince Jade came to know Moon Sister. This truly was fate."

Jade Zishu had been quietly listening in until now; upon hearing this, he smiled warmly, "Indeed, it was fate. She didn’t mention she was Miss Shallow Moon at the time. We parted ways after many years and only two months ago did I find out that she is indeed the little girl from back then, Miss Shallow Moon of Cloud王府."

"So Prince Jade has only met Moon Sister once" The old emperor’s expression seemed to relax a bit.

Jade Zishu was well aware of what the old emperor meant and nodded with a smile, "Yes. But we hit it off right away despite our brief encounter. I came to Heavenly Saint this time to deal with the marriage contract between my country and Duke Rong’s family from a hundred years ago, as well as to attend her coming-of-age ceremony and to see the grandeur of Heavenly Saint."

The old emperor nodded and smiled, "A hundred years ago, Duke Rong agreed to marry your princess for saving Empress Zhenjing. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been realized in those hundred years. I hope to see this marriage contract fulfilled within my lifetime as a closure. Viscount Jing is both wise and martially skilled; his talent is renowned. Your country’s princess is said to be well-read and proficient in martial arts while also being sensible and virtuous. I’m quite happy about it!"

Rong Jing narrowed his eyes but didn’t speak.

Night Tianyu and Night Tianqin exchanged glances, then worriedly looked at Rong Jing.

Leng Shaozhuo and Yun Li, being mere guests today, naturally said nothing but also showed concern for Rong Jing.

The rest of the people looked at Jade Zishu, waiting for his response. The Eastern Sea’s Crown Prince was merely a prince in name, but he was like an emperor, even more beloved by the people than Emperor Donghai. To obey the order of the crown prince was to obey the emperor's command; in other words, he was already the actual ruler of the Eastern Sea.

"A hundred years ago, my great-aunt was not favored by Duke Rong and only set up this marriage contract out of a momentary impulse. After returning home, she forgot about it, marrying instead the son of the then Prime Minister of Donghai; they were a harmonious couple for a century," Jade Zishu explained with a gentle smile. "Then there was no princess born in our country for two generations. This may be the will of heaven. Only when my father’s generation came did I get an aunt. But she had already found her intended husband and married him early on. Now this marriage contract has come down to our generation. Our father’s generation bore three princesses, but they were all declared as such from birth. So in total there are four princesses."

"I heard that Princess Lu Yao came here more than two months ago to fulfill the marriage contract with Duke Rong" The old emperor asked.

"Your Majesty is mistaken! I came to Heavenly Saint wanting to understand this century-old marriage contract, while Lu Yao wanted to see the land of Heavenly Saint. Thus she accompanied me here. But on our way through River Valley County, a torrential rain hit us; rocks started sliding and we were stuck in River Valley County, unable to move an inch forward. When my uncle Duke Hua fell ill with his old ailment, we hurriedly returned to the Eastern Sea out of concern," Jade Zishu explained calmly.

The old emperor frowned slightly and asked不解地道：“若按玉太子所說，東海國對百年前的這場婚約是什麼意思？難道不是洛瑤公主來履行與榮王府的婚約？”

“自然不是！”玉子書含笑道：“父皇和本宮未曾見過景世子，又怎會輕易將公主下嫁？更何況當年那樁婚事乃太姑姑一時意氣所立，待其回東海後，父皇方知情。後來因兩代無公主出生，此事便擱淺了。上一代原派姑姑前來解決，不想中途出了些差錯，又擱淺了。如今這一代四個公主，父皇才得以派遣本宮來處理此事。”

“Then, according to Prince Jade’s intention, how should this be handled” the old emperor試探地問道。

Yu Zishu glanced at Rong Jing and smiled faintly. "This also depends on what Young Mister Rong Jing thinks!"

"Oh Why does Prince Jade say so Does Donghai Kingdom no longer want to fulfill the engagement with the Honor王府" The old emperor looked at Rong Jing.

Yu Zishu smiled. "Prince Jade and Miss Shallow Moon are mutually fond of each other, and Donghai Kingdom has always upheld noble principles. Naturally, it would not do anything that would harm a good marriage."

"So it’s like this! Then Prince Jade doesn’t need to worry. The moon girl from Cloud王府 has been engaged to the emperor's seventh prince since childhood. The token of engagement was left by the late Cloud Princess Consort." The old emperor relaxed his tone and chuckled, "Rong Jing and Moon Girl are both still in their tender years, neither having reached adulthood; they’re not clear about matters of love and romance. It’s inevitable that they might go astray before a decision is made."

Rong Jing lowered his eyelashes, remaining calm.

Yu Zishu smiled and nodded. "So it’s like this! Please forgive me for my limited knowledge; I didn’t hear about the engagement between the seventh prince and Miss Shallow Moon all along. According to this, we need to seriously discuss this matter. My sister Luo Yao fell in love with Rong Jing at first sight when she saw him last time and wanted to fulfill the marriage contract. However, I thought that Miss Shallow Moon and Rong Jing’s marital緣分 was already determined long ago, and they both liked each other very much. Added to this was their previous爭奪 for the snow fox, so I gave Miss Shallow Moon a document of dismissal."

The old emperor's expression changed slightly. "You gave Moon Girl a document of dismissal"

"Yes, is the Emperor unaware of this" Yu Zishu looked at the old emperor in surprise and smiled when he saw him shake his head. He said, “I thought Miss Shallow Moon would eagerly take out that document of dismissal after coming back to the capital but she didn’t.”

"What kind of a document of dismissal" The old emperor asked.

Yu Zishu smiled and answered, "Of course it’s a document of dismissal between Rong Jing and Donghai Kingdom's princess."

The chair the old emperor was lying on tilted slightly. He glanced at Rong Jing and saw him silent, then he looked towards Ye Tianyi who had an expressionless face. The old emperor dryly laughed and said, "Didn’t Prince Jade just say that Princess Luo Yao fell in love with Young Mister Rong Jing at first sight Did Prince Jade not consider his sister's feelings when giving Moon Girl the document of dismissal"

Yu Zishu smiled and shook his head. “I met Miss Shallow Moon before I recognized her, and since it was hard to reject her request after that, I agreed. At that time, my sister had not yet expressed her feelings for Rong Jing. I only learned this later.” Then he turned the subject and said, "Luo Yao may appear calm on the surface, but in reality she is quite different. Once she wants something or someone, she will be insistent until she gets it. But once she gets what she wants, she no longer likes it anymore. Otherwise, I don’t think she would be suitable for Rong Jing."

"Oh" The old emperor squinted his eyes.

Yu Zishu said with a smile, "A man of honor cannot go back on his word once he has given it. Since I have already given Miss Shallow Moon the document of dismissal, I can’t take it back now. Moreover, my sister Luo Yao seems to be interested in Prince Wei of Nanzheng at present. So, I haven’t hurt her feelings. Just as Your Majesty said, she is also still in her tender years and not clear about matters of love; everything is still uncertain and needs time to settle."

The old emperor nodded, "Prince Jade speaks the truth! Everything is still uncertain." With these words, he waved his hand and said with a smile, "Since Prince Jade wants to participate in Moon Girl’s coming-of-age ceremony, there's still more than a month left. It’s not too early for you to stay in the capital for some days. We can discuss this matter slowly without talking about it today. There will certainly be a satisfactory solution."

"Alright!" Yu Zishu readily agreed.

The old emperor then seemed to remember Princess Six and waved her over, "Six, play another tune!"

Princess Six nodded. Suitable music for the banquet flowed from her fingertips; it was one of her most familiar tunes.

This interlude came to an end again.

The guests continued drinking and talking, but their thoughts were各異, and the atmosphere was no longer as lively as before. The only two people who remained calm were Rong Jing, with his elegant and peaceful demeanor, and Prince Jade, whose face always wore a smile and body language was relaxed.

The banquet lasted from the third hour to the fifth hour of the day and finally ended.

After the banquet, the old emperor could no longer hold up and was carried back to Divine Yang Palace by Wenlai for rest. Ye Tianyi seemed unaffected by the wine; he invited Rong Jing and others to the Hall of Deliberation to discuss matters. Meanwhile, he asked Princess Six to send Prince Jade to Honor王府.

Prince Jade wanted to visit Cloud王府 but declined Princess Six’s invitation. However, she had not visited Cloud王府 for a long time and wished to see her sister, so she accompanied Prince Jade together. Upon hearing this, Prince Jade no longer refused and smiled in agreement; the two of them left the palace.

Night Qingran watched as they left and said with a smile, "Prince Jade is truly an extraordinary person; he has charmed Princess Six on first meeting. Perhaps when Prince Jade returns to his country, Princess Six will go along."

"I can't see clearly either!" Night Tianyu hummed slightly and watched the two of them. Yu Zishu maintained a distance of three feet from the Sixth Princess, which was similar to his own relationship with Rong Jing. He even noticed during the banquet that Yu Zishu not only sat closer to Rong Jing but also kept a distance from others. Although he appeared mild and kind, such people were actually quite deep in thought and difficult to get along with. Although the Sixth Princess was very different from her usual self, having changed all her old habits and gotten rid of her arrogance and sense of being a princess, she remained only superficially refined. From the fact that Yu Zishu didn't look at her again after glancing at her in surprise when she started playing "Spring River Moonlit Night," it could be seen that he didn't take her into account at all.

"I can't see clearly either!" Night Tianqiong nodded in agreement.

"The world is unpredictable! How many things can we predict with certainty" Ye Qingran seemed to have just said it offhand. He hooked his arm around Night Tianyu's shoulder and asked casually, "Your wedding will be in a couple of days, right Since you didn't get drunk on the white pear blossoms that day, what good wine did you prepare this time"

"Even if I prepared good wine, it has nothing to do with you!" Night Tianyu opened Ye Qingran's hand.

"Are you still holding a grudge Even little girls don't hold grudges against me anymore. How petty are you" Ye Qingran clung onto Night Tianyu who didn't dodge, and whispered, "That day when you were carrying Zhao Kehan to your bedroom, I saw it happen but didn't stop you. If I had stopped you back then, do you think you could have married a wife Stinky brat, not showing gratitude is one thing, but don't treat my kindness as horse liver and lung!"

Night Tianyu snorted when he heard this, but his tone softened a bit. "Those who disrupt marriages deserve to be struck by lightning from heaven! You've accumulated some merit."

Ye Qingran rolled his eyes, released Night Tianyu, and said indifferently, "Forget it. I estimate that the matchmaker has already severed my marriage ties long ago. Whether or not I accumulate virtue is of no great consequence."

Night Tianyu turned to look at him and saw a shadow of gloom on Ye Qingran's face. He originally wanted to scold him, but suppressed it back instead. His thoughts he had always been clear about. Sadly, there were too many heartbroken people; he wasn't the only one.

Night Tianyi and others didn't speak up as they headed towards the Hall of Councils.

When Yu Zishu left the palace gates, he walked straight to Rong Jing's carriage. Xian Ge hurriedly lifted the curtain for him and respectfully invited him in. After he entered the carriage, the curtains fell, concealing his figure. Xian Ge whipped the reins, and the carriage departed from the palace gate.

Yu Zishu seemed to have forgotten about the Sixth Princess following behind.

The Sixth Princess stood dumbfounded as she watched Rong Jing's carriage leave, her mouth opening but no sound coming out. After a while, she turned away and bit her lips, clenching the handkerchief in her hands tightly, feeling frustrated but unable to vent it.

"Princess..." The Sixth Princess' personal maid had been following behind all along. Seeing that Prince Yu left with Rong Jing's carriage without a second thought, she cautiously asked, "Are you still going to Cloud王府"

"Yes, why wouldn't I go!" The Sixth Princess’ face was stern but her voice gentle. Without looking at her expression, it was hard to tell that she was seething inside. She instructed, "Prepare a carriage! Go to the Cloud王府."

"Yes!" The maid hurriedly ordered the guards by the palace gate.

In no time, a carriage was prepared and the Sixth Princess got in. The carriage left the palace gates towards Cloud王府. At this moment, Rong Jing's carriage with Yu Zishu inside had already vanished from sight.

In Moon Pavilion of Cloud王府, Ye Qianyue originally lay on her bed planning to take a nap when Ling Lian informed her that Prince Yu was here. She jumped off the bed and rushed out without even putting on shoes.

Ling Lian grabbed her and hastily said, "Miss, your shoes, put on your shoes!"

Ye Qianyue hummed in response and quickly pulled on her shoes as she dashed outside.

Ling Lian helplessly followed behind Ye Qianyue. In an instant, she saw her disappear with a light-footed run. She hadn't even had the chance to inform that Prince Yu was coming to Cloud王府 just now when he left the palace... Unfortunately, her mistress didn't give her the opportunity.

Ye Qianyue landed gracefully at the entrance of Cloud王府 and glanced around but saw no one except for the guards on duty. Not even a trace of a carriage or person was there. She frowned involuntarily and turned to look behind.

Ling Lian also landed and whispered to Ye Qianyue, "Miss, I said Prince Yu would come to Cloud王府 but didn't mention he arrived so quickly; he just left the palace gates."

Ye Qianyue glared at Ling Lian in annoyance. "Why didn't you say this earlier"

"You didn't give me a chance to speak, and I was already rushing out," Ling Lian said innocently.

Ye Qianyue waved her hand dismissively. "Forget it! It's not your fault, I was in too much of a hurry." With that, she ordered one of the guards, "Go fetch my horse."

"Yes!" That guard immediately responded and left.

"Miss, are you going to greet Prince Yu" Ling Lian asked.

Cloud Qianyue's expression was relaxed, with a smile as bright as the crescent moon. She called out to the guard who had gone to the stables: "Bring me two horses!"

The guard responded again.

Ling Lian thought that Miss and Prince Yu’s relationship was indeed extraordinary; she had never seen her pay so much attention to anyone besides Young Lord Jing. The distance between the imperial palace and Cloud Manor wasn't far, but even a moment's wait was too long for her.

Soon enough, the guard brought over two horses and handed their reins to Cloud Qianyue.

Cloud Qianyue lightly touched her toes against the ground and gracefully landed on one of the horses. She tugged on the horse's reins to prevent Ling Lian from taking hold of another horse and told her, "You don't need to come along. After I pick him up, we'll go find a place for a horse race. Wait at home!"

Without waiting for Ling Lian to speak, she spurred her mount with her legs, and the steed galloped away from Cloud Manor's gate, pulling another horse by its reins along behind it. The two horses trotted off towards the imperial palace.

The pair of horses sped through streets and alleys, evoking a flurry of evasion among passersby. After people had scattered out of their way, they nervously watched as someone rode past at full gallop; upon seeing that it was Cloud Qianyue on horseback, they wondered how long it had been since she last appeared in the city and how long it had been since she raced about so boldly.

Thinking back to those days when she stirred up a commotion throughout the capital, there was even a hint of nostalgia. Nowadays, with her quietly secluding herself at Cloud Manor, things felt rather strange.

As they passed through two streets, Cloud Qianyue saw Rong Jing’s all-black, sandalwood carriage moving slowly ahead. She smiled into the wind and rode up to him.

Xiang Ge was startled when he noticed that not only did Cloud Qianyue come out to greet Prince Yu but she wore a smile on her face that he had never seen before. He felt rather envious for his lord, as Miss Qianyue seemed overly attentive toward Prince Yu. Although he thought this over in his heart, he still pulled back the reins and slowly stopped the carriage, waiting for Cloud Qianyue to approach.

Cloud Qianyue came up to the carriage, pulled on its reins, and slightly turned her body as she reached out to lift the curtain.

Yu Zishu was sitting inside, his eyes closed in meditation. He seemed to sense her arrival; upon hearing the curtain being lifted, he immediately opened his eyes and looked at her. A moment later, a warm smile spread across his lips, “You came to pick me up”

Cloud Qianyue snorted softly, "Why didn't you come find me yesterday After your long journey from the East Sea, it took you until today to remember to visit. How could I not come and meet you What if, seeing how run-down my manor is, you turn around and leave”

Yu Zishu looked at her with a pleasant smile, “Who dares say that Cloud Manor is dilapidated If so, then all houses in the world are no better than straw huts. Miss Qianyue, your charm is great; I couldn't wait to come visit once I arrived in the capital. Unfortunately, there's a jade qilin blocking your gate, and if I don’t smooth things over first, I might be sent back before even greeting you!”

His words had an underlying meaning, expressed very subtly.

Cloud Qianyue burst out laughing, “Are you saying that Rong Jing is the jade qilin at my gate Hmm, it seems so!” She looked at Yu Zishu with a smile and asked, "How much wine did you drink You’re not drunk, are you"

Yu Zishu shook his head with a smile. “I drank quite a bit, but when I saw you, I wasn’t intoxicated anymore!”

"Your journey from the East Sea to Heavenly Saint was exhausting, but after resting at Lord Rong’s place for half a day and all night, did you recover Are you not tired" Cloud Qianyue asked with another smile.

Yu Zishu glanced at the unmounted horse behind her and shook his head in understanding. "I’ve recovered, I’m not tired!"

Cloud Qianyue saw him shake his head and immediately extended a hand towards him. She said with generosity, “If so, let's go racing!”

Yu Zishu placed his hand in hers and nodded with a smile, "Alright!"

Cloud Qianyue held Yu Zishu’s hand, lightly pulling on it to draw him out of the carriage in an instant. She sat gracefully astride the other horse beside her; after a moment she released his hand, urging her mount forward and galloping toward the city gate without another word.

Yu Zishu spurred his horse to follow behind her.followed her; there was only one explanation: he had some kind of business to attend to, likely related to the Eastern Sea Kingdom’s princess."Little Miss, what should we do The south gate is the esse...