“Is doing this really okay for us?”
Clad in a plain-colored brocade robe that perfectly wrapped around his slender waist, with a jade hairpin loosely gathering up his ink-black hair like flowing silk, and a pair of almond-shaped eyes resembling curved crescent moons above slightly upturned, pinkish lips—even without applying any makeup, he remained stunningly, breathtakingly beautiful.
Meng Qing looked at Ji Lingfeng, who was similarly dressed in coarse burlap and linen, feeling somewhat apprehensive.
“Sister-in-law doesn’t understand this, do you? If we didn’t put on some disguise and went out dressed in silks and satins as usual, surrounded by crowds of attendants before and after, how boring would that be? Dressing up like ordinary commoners to go shopping gives you a much fresher and more exciting experience, right?” As Ji Lingfeng spoke, he unclasped the jewelry from his person, blinked mischievously at Meng Qing, and flashed a brilliant smile.
But I was just an ordinary commoner before becoming the Prince’s Consort, so where is this freshness coming from, TvT.
“Alright, let’s set off!”
The two of them did not bring any attendants when they left the manor, and from a distance, they truly looked just like a pair of brothers from an ordinary commoner household out for a stroll. One possessed handsome features and an outstanding disposition, while the other carried an extraordinary demeanor with a tall, straight posture, drawing frequent sideways glances from pedestrians all along the way.
“Lingfeng, where on earth are you taking me?” Meng Qing had been dragged along by Ji Lingfeng for a full half-hour before finally being unable to resist asking.
“We’re almost there, don’t rush, don’t rush.”
Finally, after passing through the fifth alley, rounding the seventh corner, and walking across the fourth lane, Ji Lingfeng brought Meng Qing to a halt in front of a tavern.
“Shengge Brew? What a quaint name.” Meng Qing raised his eyes to look at the tavern’s signboard, his eyes filled with doubt. “If you want to drink wine, finding a nearby tavern would suffice. Why run all the way out here?”
“Sister-in-law wouldn’t know this, but Shengge Brew is the most famous and busiest tavern in our entire capital. Not only are the prices fair and reasonable here, but the flavors of the dishes are also second to none. Commoners, high-ranking officials, nobles, and literary scholars all love to come here and sit for a while. And what’s more” At this point, Ji Lingfeng deliberately paused to build suspense, smiling mysteriously, “you can listen to music and songs here, and the young ladies are every single one of them drop-dead gorgeous.”
Meng Qing: …
So the reason you didn’t bring any attendants was because you were afraid Ji Yanche would find out and punish you, huh.
Meng Qing gave him a helpless look. Since they had already come, they couldn’t just turn back, so he said, “Let’s go inside.”
Walking into the tavern, the two of them found a table by the window and sat down. Soon enough, exquisite dishes were served onto the table one after another: Yulu dumplings, stuffed crab with orange, steamed pork with rice flour, soup-poached meatballs, snow-mist soup… filling nearly the entire table to the brim.
“Uh, isn’t this a bit too…” Meng Qing looked at the table full of food and said with some hesitation.
“Since we’ve come out to play, we should enjoy ourselves properly without worrying about whether we can finish it all. Look at that person over there eating all by himself, actually ordering every single dish on the menu—now that is what you call extravagant, tsk tsk tsk.” As Ji Lingfeng spoke, he pointed with his hand toward someone not too far away, speaking in a voice loud enough just for him to hear.
Shinian, who was just preparing to dig into a massive feast: … Big bro, I didn’t provoke you, okay? Just mind your own business, please.
Meng Qing didn’t care who had ordered so many dishes; he merely wanted to say, “Didn’t we dress up as commoners? Ordering like this doesn’t quite match our identity in terms of financial power, does it?”
“…Hehe, look at my memory, I completely forgot about that part.” Ji Lingfeng scratched his head, offering an embarrassed smile. “Don’t think about it too much, hurry up and taste how it is, see if it suits your palate.”
Meng Qing tasted the dishes on the table, and his eyes instantly lit up with pleasant surprise. The food at this tavern really did taste exceptional, combining color, aroma, and flavor in perfection truly living up to its reputation as the premier tavern in the capital.
“Didn’t you say there would be people singing songs? How come I don’t see any?” They were sitting by the second-floor railing, looking down at the wide stage on the ground floor, which was completely empty at the moment with no one performing music or singing.
“It’s not time yet. Once the hour of Shen arrives, the young maidens will open the show right on schedule. Just wait for it; I guarantee it will leave an unforgettable impression.”
Ah, if Ji Yanche found out that Ji Lingfeng had brought him here to listen to music and look at young women, would he regret giving him leave? Meng Qing thought this to himself, inexplicably finding it somewhat thrilling. His husband was working diligently and earnestly outside to earn money, while he was out here living a life of dissipation and pleasure tsk, what a sin, what a sin.
“Ah… ouch, my stomach hurts so much.” Ji Lingfeng’s expression suddenly turned deathly pale, cold sweat beading on his forehead as his hands pressed tightly against his stomach in agonizing pain.
Meng Qing immediately put down his chopsticks, took a quick step forward, and asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Why did your stomach suddenly start hurting?” Seeing how miserable he looked, Meng Qing couldn’t help feeling worried. “You sit right here, I’ll go fetch a physician.”
He made to stand up, but Ji Lingfeng grabbed his arm tightly. “No need, no need for so much trouble. It’s probably just a bad stomachache, I get this all the time. Just stay right here and don’t move around; I’ll run to the outhouse.” With that, he turned and scurried off in a frantic rush.
Watching his flustered, dashing retreat, Meng Qing let out a helpless sigh. Oh well, he would just have to sit here and wait for him.
Though it wasn’t quite dinner time yet, the tavern was already packed to the brim. The shouting calls of the waiters, the heated debates of scholars, the storytelling of the old scholar in the green robe… all intertwined into a lively and bustling atmosphere.
“Have you heard? Ever since that wedding-blessing consort married in, His Highness Prince Ning has truly recovered! He even went to court today.” The voice of a diner at the neighboring table drifted into Meng Qing’s ears.
“Ah, is it really that miraculous? Wasn’t he lying unconscious just two months ago?” Another person responded in astonishment.
“It’s 100% true! My neighbor’s aunt’s brother’s wife’s cousin works in the palace, and he saw it with his own eyes.” That person said with absolute certainty.
Hm? Were they talking about him? This was getting interesting. A spark of curiosity ignited in Meng Qing’s heart as he quietly perked up his ears to listen.
“So wedding blessings really do work! Another day I’ll also go seek a master at the temple to cast a fortune and find someone whose birth characters match mine. Who knows, maybe my son will become the top imperial scholar, hahahaha!” That patron laughed merrily, and Meng Qing couldn’t help curving the corners of his lips in amusement.
“But you tell me, now that the Prince’s illness has fully healed, that bumpkin of a wedding-blessing consort has lost his usefulness. Will Prince Ning still keep him in the manor?” Another patron suddenly lowered his voice to ask.
“I don’t think he will. Leaving aside the fact that he’s from the countryside, short-sighted, and utterly vulgar, just the mere fact that he’s a man and cannot produce heirs means the position of Prince Ning’s Consort won’t fall to him. They’ll probably just hand him a hefty sum of money and pack him off.” That patron waved his hand dismissively while cracking melon seeds.
“That makes some sense, but I don’t think our Prince is the kind of fickle, unfeeling person. Even if he can’t be the Consort, staying behind to serve as a male concubine is certainly an option, hahahaha! After all, whoever manages to latch onto Prince Ning’s Manor secures lifelong wealth and riches; they definitely wouldn’t be willing to leave!” The male companion across from him chuckled along.
“Heh, what you say sounds quite reasonable then. Who do you guess will be the new Prince Ning’s Consort? I bet on the legitimate daughter of the Marquis’s Estate look at her poise, look at her bearing.”
“Oh yeah? Then I’ll bet on the daughter of the Minister of Revenue; she’s a proper, well-bred young lady from a prominent family…”
Even though they lowered their voices significantly toward the end, Meng Qing heard every single word without missing a single detail.
The corners of his lips that had been lifted moments before instantly straightened into a flat line. The heart that had been burning and thumping warmly grew gradually cold, and the boiling, churning blood slowly settled, plunging his entire being as if into an icy abyss.
Meng Qing felt breathing become somewhat difficult, his ears muffled as if covered by a film, turning the bustling clamor of the tavern into a buzzing drone.
So stuffy, so agonizing.
Have a drink of water.
But his hands were shaking.
He couldn’t even hold the cup.
So heartbreaking.
Heartbreaking, heartbreaking, heartbreaking.
Ji Yanche’s life had already returned to its regular track: attending court as usual, handling state affairs, holding discussions, returning to the manor, dining, bathing, and resting.
And what about himself? He was falling apart just because the other person wasn’t by his side, even needing the Fifth Prince to take him out on the streets to relieve his boredom.
His existence seemed to have become redundant, dispensable, and perhaps even troublesome.
Should he leave?
Yet he couldn’t bear to let go.
Stay and become a concubine?
Watch Ji Yanche be all loving and harmonious in mutual affection with someone else?
It felt like his heart was being torn apart.
At this very moment, Meng Qing truly realized that he had long since fallen in love with Ji Yanche.
That incomparably noble, utterly out-of-reach His Highness Prince Ning.