noffsinger Chapter 80 Invite Him to Dinner
Chapter 80 Invite Him to Dinner
The sun was already setting.
Jiang Zhi stared blankly at the letter in his hand.
This was delivered by Bai Xiaotang's men this morning, and it contained detailed information about the two young masters of the Min family.
Min is now on his way to take the imperial examination in Yanjing.
In his past life, he eventually became Gu Yuan's protégé.
As for Min, he thought...
After the Min family was wiped out, six-year-old Min Xiang was abducted but escaped. Two years ago, she entered the Yanjing Imperial Palace, but offended the Imperial Concubine and was demoted to serve in the Yeting Palace. Every day, she does cleaning and hard labor in the Yun Shen Ting of the Imperial Palace. She is now thirteen years old.
Jiang Zhi lowered her eyelids.
Could it be that Min wanted to enter officialdom in order to rescue his younger brother?
But the slaves in the inner palace didn't get out easily.
After all, some of them were punished by being sent to the Yeting (a type of inner palace) because they had made mistakes.
If we can find a way to rescue Min Youxiang and take control of his slave status, then Min Youxiang will be easier to subdue.
Lu Nianqiu stood by the window, looking at Jiang Zhi who was lost in thought. "Zhi Zhi, what are you thinking about?"
Jiang Zhi, who had just come to her senses, put away the letter in her hand and said, "I wasn't thinking about anything."
"Um, Zhizhi, is there anything else?" Lu Nianqiu asked.
Seeing that she seemed hesitant to speak, Jiang Zhi asked curiously, "Cousin, is something the matter?"
"No, it's just that it's getting late. Shouldn't Zhizhi be heading back to the manor?" Lu Nianqiu smiled. "His Highness Prince Liang has been waiting outside for quite some time."
Jiang Zhi was slightly taken aback and blurted out, "What's he doing here?"
Lu Nianqiu was puzzled, "Shouldn't you be happy that His Highness the Prince of Liang has come to take you back to your residence?"
Lu Nianqiu found it a bit strange. Although she didn't like the Prince of Liang at first, they were already married, so it was perfectly normal for her husband to come and take her home.
Jiang Zhi hadn't expected the happiness she had imagined.
She and Gu Liang weren't that close yet, and besides, they had a three-point agreement between them.
However, she seems to have come up with a solution to the problem.
Jiang Zhi arrived at the side hall where guests were being received, and saw Gu Liang sitting alone, holding a medicine manual in her hand.
A rare sight indeed.
The afterglow fell on him, his slender fingers turned a page, his fingertips lingering at the end of the page. At this moment, he was unusually quiet.
He seemed to sense someone's arrival and looked up at the person.
In that one glance, the familiar Liang King was back.
Jiang Zhi stepped into the side hall under his gaze.
"Your Highness, what brings you here?"
Gu Liang closed the book. "I passed by Junkang Hall on my way out of the palace and have something to tell you."
"What's the matter?"
"Prince Xuan was sentenced to death, and his concubines also met the same fate of being torn apart by five horses." There was a hint of smugness in his tone.
Upon hearing this, a smile appeared at the corners of her eyes and brows.
In her past life, she unintentionally learned from Gu Yuan about Gu Yu's embezzlement of military funds.
Later, when Lu Nianqiu was bullied by Xuan Wang's concubine, she complained to her and revealed that Gu Yu had embezzled military funds.
At first, Lu Nianqiu was unaware of the situation and only thought that the concubines' food, clothing and daily necessities were extremely extravagant. Later, he overheard their conversation and then realized the truth.
He deserves his current fate.
"You know what happened," Gu Liang said, arms crossed. "It's good that you're aware of it."
Jiang Zhi saw that Gu Liang was about to leave and called out to him.
"Your Highness," she followed him, "would you mind having dinner out tonight?"
Gu Liang turned to look at her.
Jiang Zhi's face was full of sincerity.
"You brought money?" Gu Liang raised an eyebrow.
Jiang Zhi went out alone today and came to his own shop, so he really didn't need any money.
Jiang Zhi touched his purse and smiled, "Of course I brought it with me when I'm out and about."
She would often carry two silver notes in her bosom, just in case, since she wasn't always able to predict everything.
The night is getting darker.
Chunzhuolou was packed to capacity.
The waiter informed Jiang Zhi, who turned away in disappointment, "Your Highness, we are late today. Let's go somewhere else."
Gu Liang lowered her eyes.
He walked to the counter, tapped the table, and the shopkeeper, who was calculating with an abacus, looked up.
Jiang Zhi leaned closer to hear what they were saying, but before she could hear anything, the waiter led them to the fourth floor.
Each floor here is divided into elegant rooms, and the interior is filled with a refined atmosphere.
Jiang Zhi walked to the window and looked around.
"Does Your Highness come here often?" Jiang Zhi asked casually.
“I’ve been here a few times,” Gu Liang said.
Jiang Zhi blinked. "From this vantage point, Qinghe Street presents a completely different scene."
Jiang Zhi pointed to the location of the Flower Hall, "Your Highness, where is that?"
He blurted out, "Isn't that Huaxiatang?"
Jiang Zhi blinked slowly.
"What is it?" Gu Liang asked. "Have you done something shameful?"
Jiang Zhi withdrew her hand, and she smiled, "I am perfectly upright. It is Your Highness who would ask such a question. Could it be that you have seen something?"
Faced with her question, Gu Liang did not shy away from the question, "I saw a little pink rabbit hopping around."
Jiang Zhi raised an eyebrow. "That's really rare, there's even a pink rabbit."
Gu Liang looked down at the bustling crowd below. "Of course there are. You can see them at a glance."
Street vendors selling sugar paintings and clay figurines set up stalls on both sides of the street.
Children holding their mothers' hands were so captivated by the stalls that they couldn't move on.
A group of children roamed the bustling streets, playing and laughing.
Jiang Zhi looked at them, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily curved upwards.
"You like children?" Gu Liang suddenly asked.
"Hmm?" Jiang Zhi came back to her senses.
Gu Liang tilted her head slightly. "You want a child?"
Jiang Zhi was stunned for a moment before she realized what was happening.
She hesitated for a moment before saying, "I don't want it."
Faced with Gu Liang's questioning gaze, Jiang Zhi thought seriously for a moment, "The child is a wonderful thing to me, but she is too wonderful. If I can't protect her, I would rather she never had one."
Her tone was bitter.
Gu Liang scrutinized her expression. "You want to have a child with me?"
Jiang Zhi smiled and tentatively asked, "And what about His Highness?"
“I thought you were so heartless,” Gu Liang said.
"Then Your Highness still doesn't understand me enough." Jiang Zhi smiled, but his eyes were a little darker than before.
Gu Liang turned his head to the side and looked at her in a nonchalant manner, "Then tell me, what kind of person am I?"
She tilted her head back, her gaze sliding from his high brow bone down to his jawline.
To be honest, Gu Liang is really good-looking.
However, if they were truly entangled in their past life, why didn't he come looking for her in the end?
She didn't even have an impression of him.
She recalled their wedding day. She removed the veil covering her face, and Gu Liang stood in front of her. The two were very close, and she could clearly see the depth in his eyes.
That look in his eyes was so familiar, as if he were telling her that he was willing to help her, and had always been so.
“Your Highness’s mind should not be on matters of love and affection,” Jiang Zhi replied. “Your Highness should have a broader perspective; Yanjing is far too small.”
Gu Liang's eyes turned cold. "You today..."
He paused slightly as the waiter knocked on the door and entered, bringing in steaming hot food.
"Chopstick Spring, Sheepskin Flower Flakes, Water Dumplings, Mandarin Duck Fried Tripe, Four Delicacies Soup."
The waiter set out the food and then placed a small jade bottle on the table. "This is our shop's special brew, 'Ten Continents Spring Colors,' which has just been unsealed from the cellar. It was specially presented to our two distinguished guests by the shopkeeper."
Gu Liang glanced at the table. "Bring a pot of mint drink."
The waiter nodded and left, and soon brought over the mint drink.
At Gu Liang's prompting, the waiter placed the mint drink next to Jiang Zhi.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Zhi's eyebrows curved into a smile.
After the waiter left, she chuckled, "Is Your Highness perhaps worried that I can't hold my liquor?"
"No." Gu Liang looked at her. "I'm afraid that your drinking habits are not good, and if word gets out, it will damage the reputation of the Liang Prince's Mansion."
Jiang Zhi smiled, her smile as bright as spring flowers, "Your Highness is such a kind person."
Gu Liang pursed her lips. This hasn't even started yet, why is she already talking nonsense?
"Your Highness, will you be attending court tomorrow?"
Gu Liang frowned slightly and poured herself a cup of "Ten Continents Spring Colors," which was clear and fragrant.
"What are you planning to do now?" he said.
Jiang Zhi couldn't help but look up and meet his gaze. "What do you mean, 'What do you want to do again'?"
She poured herself a glass of wine as well.
"I want to go to the palace to take a look."
After saying that, she downed her glass in one gulp before Gu Liang could even raise it.
"you,"
"Why?"
"Because I want to know Your Highness a little more." Jiang Zhi leaned closer to Gu Liang after finishing a glass of wine.
A bright smile appeared in her eyes.
He gazed at her rosy lips, a dark glint flashing in his eyes.