Qiao Ruoyun lowered her eyes and wanted to remind Qian Yin that she was already married.
But she was afraid that maybe Qian Yin was just being polite, and then it would be silly for her to say that to him.
She could only begin to eat the meal in embarrassment. After tasting a few dishes, she heard Qian Yin say, “These are the signature dishes of Myriad Taste. This chef used to be your parents’ apprentice, so his craftsmanship is exactly the same as your parents’.”
“After Qiao Jinniang took charge of the restaurant, the craftsmanship had become more refined and the taste was better, but it lacked some of the homely-made taste in the dishes that your parents made.”
Qiao Ruoyun tasted the dishes and said, “I think the dishes Jinniang made are more delicious.”
Qian Yin said, “Her dishes are delicious, but lack the warmth the commoners like. She always uses the best ingredients, so only the rich and noble can afford the dishes she made, but the dishes your parents made are closer to ordinary people.”
“Especially this longevity noodle, it tastes very similar to the one your mother made.”
Qiao Ruoyun tasted the longevity noodles, which she had never tasted before, but she inexplicably shed a tear.
The Duke Mansion treated her very well. Even after her identity was revealed, they still acknowledged her as the Duke’s eldest daughter, causing Qiao Jinniang, who was supposed to be the eldest daughter, to relegate herself to the position of second miss. If she kept missing her biological parents, that would be very ungrateful of her.
But every time she heard Qiao Jinniang talk about how much her adoptive parents loved her, Qiao Ruoyun couldn’t help but think of her biological parents.
This bowl of longevity noodles was the most delicious longevity noodles she had ever eaten.
Qian Yin picked up his handkerchief and gently wiped away the tears for Qiao Ruoyun.
Qiao Ruoyun hurriedly stood up and took two steps back. “Your Highness, I’m sorry, I forgot myself. I’ll take my leave first.”
Seeing that she was avoiding him, Qian Yin didn’t push her, but just let her go. At this moment, she was still Qin Shu’s wife, and he couldn’t confess his feelings for her yet.
When Qiao Ruoyun returned to the courtyard, she saw Fulu and Qiao Lu.
Fulu came over with the birthday gift and said, “Sister, this is my birthday gift for you.”
Qiao Ruoyun said, “Why are you here? Qin Shu…”
Fulu scratched her head and said, “Perhaps I wronged Qin Shu. He thought that charred body found in the ruins was you, and hugged that body every day. In just a few days, he has lost a lot of weight, and today he was crying really sadly and burned you a lot of paper money.”
There was a hint of joy on Qiao Ruoyun’s face, and she said with guilt, “It’s my fault. How can I doubt Ah Shu’s love for me? I’m going to see him.”
For so many years, she hadn’t been able to give birth to a child for Qin Shu, but he had never despised her. Instead, he had always defended her, refusing to take concubines.
Qiao Lu said, “No rush. Even if it’s a dog, one will have some feelings for it after raising it for more than ten years. Even if he is the murderer, he will still be sad after losing you.
“The Crown Prince’s secret guards have arrived in the South. And they found that the men of Prince Huai and the Duke Qin Mansion were secretly looking for the villains who hunted you!
“So Qin Shu is still a suspect. Sister Ruoyun, don’t rush. Let’s return to Chang’an according to our original plan first. After all, the South is not our territory.
“Both Prince Huai and the Xie family are behind this matter. That was why the local government turned a blind eye to what happened that night. So many people died and the Qiao mansion was burnt down, but the local government didn’t take any action, which shows how powerful the Xie family is in the South.
“If they find out that you are still alive, they will only pursue you with more cruel means!”
Qiao Ruoyun looked at Fulu and said, “But didn’t the Princess say that Qin Shu lost a lot of weight?”
“Yeah.” Fulu said, “When ‘your body’ was buried today, he kept holding the charred body in his arms and refused to let go.”
Qiao Lu said to Qiao Ruoyun, “Sister, believe me, even if Qin Shu is innocent, it won’t be late to meet him in Chang’an. After all, it will be safer in Chang’an.”
After Qiao Lu and Fulu left, Qiao Ruoyun ordered the maid to lock up her courtyard. Even if she misunderstood Qian Yin, she was still a married woman, and she should be at a distance from Qian Yin.
“The black-awning boat drifted down the stream around the village, passed the small stone bridge, and flowed into a flower islet. It’s hard to find such a paradise in the world…”
Qiao Ruoyun heard the nursery rhyme coming from the backyard, which was sung in a Southern dialect. She didn’t understand the meaning, but she felt it sounded familiar. It seemed that one of Qiao Jinniang’s maids once sang this nursery rhyme to lull the imperial grandson into sleep.
The Southern dialect sounded very gentle and soothing, and she gradually fell asleep.
…
Chang’an in June was already very hot, so after a few days of discussions, the masters in the imperial palace decided to take a holiday in Luoyang for six months.
Qiao Jinniang had been in the imperial palace for a long time, so she certainly wanted to go outside to get some fresh air. She asked Lu Chen curiously, “Stay in Luoyang for half a year? Why so long?”
Lu Chen said, “This is a rule left over from our ancestors. Chang’an has a large population and is also the capital. Every few years, the groundwater will stink, so every two years, we will go to Luoyang to spend a few months.
“Most of the nobles in Chang’an have properties in Luoyang, so most of them will go with their families.”
Qiao Jinniang understood. “I see, this is my first time to Luoyang. How does Luoyang compare to Chang’an?”
Lu Chen answered Qiao Jinniang, “Luoyang is the sub-capital of Datang, so it is also very prosperous. There are many literati from Qingming Academy there, so there are more novels for sale there. As for the scenery, it is about the same as Chang’an.”
Qiao Jinniang thought about it and then said, “Wait, if the royal family and the nobles all go to Luoyang, won’t the business of Myriad Taste and Tasty Pavilion be much worse?”
“That’s unavoidable, but if you apply to the Ministry of Revenue, the two restaurants should be able to be exempted from this year’s tax.”
Qiao Jinniang thought that it would be too troublesome. After all, the allocation to the East Palace was from taxes. She said, “Can I go to Luoyang a few days in advance? I want to do some market research. Maybe I can open a restaurant and a jewelry store in Luoyang too.”
She didn’t want to let go of such a good opportunity to make money.
Lu Chen chuckled. “I will report to my father tomorrow, asking to take you to Luoyang in advance, but…”
Qiao Jinniang asked, “What’s wrong?”
Lu Chen sighed. “I’m afraid that Emperor Ji is too old to go to Luoyang. If we take Xi’er along, it will delay his studies, but if we leave him in Chang’an, I wonder if you can be at ease?”
Qiao Jinniang was caught in an inner struggle. Xi’er was still so young. She couldn’t leave him in Chang’an alone.
“Can I not go to Luoyang?”
Qiao Jinniang said, “As you said, Luoyang and Chang’an are no different. It will be New Year in half a year. I can’t let Xi’er spend his birthday alone, right?”
Lu Chen sighed and said, “He’s still young, so I think it won’t be a big problem to delay his studies for three months, and we can take the chance to take him to have a look at Qingming Academy.”
Qiao Jinniang said, “We should discuss it with the imperial teacher. If Mr. Ji thinks it will not affect his studies, we will go to Luoyang together. Otherwise, I will stay with Xi’er.”
Lu Chen looked at her and said, “You only have Xi’er in your heart.”
Qiao Jinniang asked, “Don’t you have Xi’er in your heart?”
Lu Chen said, “Of course I do, but I just hope you can think about me more. Xi’er is young, so it won’t be a big problem. I’ll go talk to Mr. Ji!”
