Chapter 62: Farewell Before Departure

  The sun sets in the west, and the red glow almost fills half of the sky. A gentle breeze blows by, rustling the newly sprouted branches and rippling the surface of a pool of spring water. The waiters present dish after dish of exquisite cuisine: crystal dumplings, pure and tender fish, spicy stir-fried beef, crispy and delicate small greens... five dishes and one soup. Each dish looks extremely delicious, making everyone's mouth water.

  The crystal wine and jade cups made a crisp sound, Zi Ruoye personally held her own small wine pot to pour her own plum blossom wine. "Today, let's just say it's for the king's farewell. This plum blossom wine is the last bit left by the king, seeing that the king is reluctant to part with it, you three will accompany me in a cup." The cups were distributed one by one to the three people beside her.

  Her face was as smooth as a peach, still with a hint of redness, obviously just recovering from her emotions. Her bright eyes were full of soft colors, looking at Ziyue Ye with a hint of blame. If it weren't for this person, how would she have slept until this hour? The slender and delicate fingers like jade held up the jade cup, "Yun Ning respects Wang Ye with a cup." She drank it down, but her calm and peaceful voice made Ziyue Ye hear the implication of settling accounts after autumn.

  Dark whispers, Zi Ruo Ye pulled out what he thought was the most natural flattering smile, some dog legs raised their own small wine jug, "Thank you Ning Er."

  Liu Qing's slender fingers, as white as jade, grasped the wine cup with a fierce glint in her eyes, which were filled with worry. Her voice was soft, but laced with anger, "You damned fool, if you don't come back, your Wine Master will never give you another drink for the rest of his life!" Regardless of whether this scoundrel had her in his heart or not, since hearing what she said at noon, his heart could no longer be calm. He tilted his head and drank in the plum blossom wine, the faint scent of plum blossoms lingering on his lips, but unable to suppress the intense bitterness in his throat.

  Not giving her wine? This is really troublesome...

  "This won't do, but you'd better keep that wine buried for now. After all, the older the wine, the more fragrant it becomes." Zi Ruoye didn't say she would come back to fetch it, nor did she say she would definitely return, because even she herself didn't know when she would be back.

  Shangguan Meng looked at the small wine cup in front of her, seeing something she had never seen before. She picked it up and smelled it, with a faint plum blossom fragrance accompanying the wine aroma lingering on the tip of her nose. She stuck out her tongue to taste it, but it was slightly spicy. Her face scrunched up, unsure of what to do next.

  Zi Ruoye suddenly remembered that Shangguan Meng had never drunk before, took his small jade cup, "Meng'er shouldn't drink anymore, let's just use water instead of wine."

  "Forgot about this little guy who doesn't drink at all, just look at his scrunched up face and you can tell he doesn't like it."

  Shangguan Meng shook her head, her small face filled with a determined and unyielding expression. She snatched the small wine cup from her own hand, "Brothers have all toasted to their wives, Meng'er cannot not toast. Wife has promised Meng'er, so wife must come back early." Before Ziyue could speak, she tilted her head and downed the extremely spicy liquor, finishing it off while sticking out her tongue, silently lamenting how such a difficult-to-drink thing existed in this world.

  Looking at Guan Meng's adorable appearance, Zi Ruo Ye smiled lightly, "Meng'er has drunk it, how can I not drink?" With a mischievous wink, the little troublemaker who was still sticking out his tongue, tilted his head and downed the plum blossom wine.

  Just after drinking three mouthfuls, the wine cup was snatched away by Yun Cong. Zi Ruo Ye was stunned and turned her head to look at Yun Cong, only to see Yun Cong directly handing the small wine jug to a servant, with an expression that said she didn't intend to return it. "Cong'er... my wine jug..."

  Yun Cong looked at Zi Ruo Ye with a soft gaze, but her seemingly powerless eyes made Zi Ruo Ye feel dizzy. The pink cherry blossom lips opened lightly, and the words that came out made Zi Ruo Ye's face turn green instantly. "Prince, it was actually your farewell gift, so let Cloud Cong decide on the rules. In that case, Cloud Cong is the host, and for this meal, except for what you just drank, not a single drop of wine will be touched."

  Not a drop of wine touches his lips!

  Zi Ruoye's eyes widened instantly, her face bitter, "Ning'er... how can you drink wine without eating? Just hand over the small wine jug to me."

  Yun Cong picked up the jade chopsticks, clamped a piece of beef and put it on the plate with Zi Ruo Ye, smiling slightly with an unyielding expression. "Your Highness, look at Yun Cong eating without drinking wine, Qing You also didn't drink, let alone Meng Er." The calm statement revealed that except for Zi Ruo Ye, none of them had touched a drop of wine on the table.

  Zi Ruoye opened her mouth, and Yun Cong was right, but not drinking wine for someone who loved wine like their life was simply torture. Looking at Yun Cong's gentle eyes, she finally compromised and said, "Then I won't drink today." She took a regretful glance at the small wine jug in the servant's hand, picked up her chopsticks, and resignedly started eating.

  Shangguan Meng looked at Yun Ning, and in his shining eyes, there was a faint sense of admiration. Although he had been to the Wang Fu for only a month or so, he had almost never seen the mistress without her wine jug by her side. Today, Yun Ning had actually managed to get Ziyue Ye away from the wine jug - how could this not make him admire her?

  Liu Qing's clear and calm eyes wandered between Zi Ruoye and Yun Ning, with a hint of envy, probably only Yun Ning could make that scoundrel stop drinking.

  Seeing the cooperation of Zǐ Ruò Yè, one can guess that this is her way of expressing surrender. But how could he possibly let her off so easily? Not to mention what she did in front of the servants today... and in broad daylight, she almost made him unable to get up. Thinking about it, his face turned pale with a hint of powder, and he gave Zǐ Ruò Yè a reproachful look. More importantly, how could he not know that this person didn't want him to think too much about her trip to Ning City this time?

  Eating and eating

  Zi Ruoye looked at the suddenly quiet air and immediately spoke up, serving Yun Ning some green vegetables and giving Shangguan Meng a ladle of soup, then quickly burying her head to eat.

  "Hmm!"

  Just after eating a few bites, I heard the sound of Liu Qingyou. When I looked up, I saw that Liu Qingyou's clear and cold eyes were full of anger. What was wrong?

  "This young master's! Why don't you give this young master a dish? You won't give this young master a dish? If I go back, I'll smash that jar of wine!" Liu Qingyou said indignantly, with a heart full of joy waiting for her to serve the dishes, but in the end, she was the only one left out. Her heart was instantly filled with disappointment, and although she was sad, she couldn't show a weak attitude, so she could only express it with anger.

  Zi Ruoye hastily handed a piece of turtle meat to Liu Qingyou, she just wanted to avoid suspicion for a moment, after all, Liu Qingyou didn't like her, although they lived in the Wang Mansion, but Zi Ruoye thought that Liu Qingyou would leave soon. But now...

  Looking at the turtle in the bowl, the anger just now miraculously disappeared, and he quietly picked it up and put it in his mouth, with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth when Zi Ruoye couldn't see.

  Shangguan Meng took a bite of rice, glanced at the sky, and her bright eyes gradually dimmed as the grains of rice in the bowl slowly decreased. If she finished this bowl of rice, she would have to go back to her mother and father. She had long since tucked away the small stone, more precious than gold or silver, into a small pouch in her bosom. With her small hand holding a jade hairpin, she picked up grains of rice one by one to eat.

  Zi Ruoye looked at Shang Guan Meng's eating habits, which were as small as a grain of rice, and asked softly, "Meng'er, don't you like today's dishes?"

  Shangguan Meng raised her eyes, shook her head lightly, "No, it's just that if Meng'er finishes eating, she'll have to go back." The soft and sticky voice said with a hint of grievance, looking weak and helpless.

  Gently poking the chubby little face of the baby, "I'm not not coming back, when I come back, Mochi will be white and plump, if Mochi is thin, the wife won't want you."

  "Really! Then I'll work hard to eat!" The wife acknowledged it for the first time! The wife acknowledged that he was her husband! He made an effort to eliminate the rice grains in his bowl, and his mind echoed with the two words "wife" that Ziyue Ye had just called herself.

  Finally, everyone was full and sat in the hall waiting for the carriage of the Grand Preceptor's mansion and the Minister of Justice. Zi Ruoye turned her head to look at Yun Ning, with a flattering tone, "Ning'er, you see... now that dinner is over, can you take out the small wine jug..."

  Clouds gathered, helpless, could only exchange the small wine jug for Zi Ruoye's favor, although this person had always been smiling and joking occasionally not being serious, but now it was still the first time she showed such a flattering expression.

  Zi Ruoye took over the wine jug and started drinking happily.

  Shangguan Meng sat on the chair, her small hands quietly fidgeting with her clothes, watching as she was about to leave, hoping that time would pass a little slower, just a little slower. Mother dear, please come a little slower, a little slower...

  Liu Qingyou was sitting quietly, with a warm mist rising from her teacup, thinking about what Zi Ruoye had said to her today.

  Before long, the servant came to report that the carriage of the Grand Minister's mansion had arrived and was waiting outside. Liu Qingyou put down his teacup, glanced at Zi Ruoye, and quietly left with Xiao Putao. As soon as Liu Qingyou walked out, the servant led in Shangguan Fei.

  "Your Highness! My son has been a nuisance to your household." Shangguan Fei walked forward with a smile and said, looking at her own son, but found that Shangguan Meng had been staring at Zi Ruoye all along, and suddenly lamented that men are not reliable.

  "It's nothing, it's nothing." Where did you get the nerve to think that you're being bothered when you didn't show up at my birthday banquet? Zi Ruoye half-closed her eyes and waved her hand repeatedly.

  "The lower official thought that the prince would not think it was a disturbance." Upper Official Fei immediately took over the conversation, instantly changing to a serious expression, "This time in Ning City, please be sure to be careful." She didn't want her own son to become a widower before he even got married.

  Zi Ruoye was taken aback, nodded slightly, and turned her gaze to Shangguan Meng who refused to leave, "Remember to eat the white and chubby ones."

  Shangguan Meng nodded slightly and quickly glanced at Ziyue Ye before running towards the door. If he stayed any longer, he wouldn't want to leave. Shangguan Fei also followed him out.

  After seeing the two off, Ziyue Ye accompanied Yun Ning back to the house slowly. After all the commotion, the sky had already darkened, with only a faint red glow remaining on the horizon as the sun quietly set...

  "Your Highness... what did the Emperor of Ning City ask you to do this time?" After returning inside, Ziyueye remained silent, or else she would pick up her brush and start writing.

  The ink marks on the rice paper spread out, Zi Ruo Ye put down her brush and crumpled up the rice paper into a ball, playing with it in her hand like a small ball. "In Zi Xuan, one of the largest coal-producing towns is Ning City, but this time Ning City's coal production was supposed to arrive in Beijing last month, however, over 100 tons of coal were stolen during transportation, so Zi Yan Ran asked me to investigate who secretly transported the coal and embezzled it.

  "Zi Ruoye took a sip of wine and continued, 'Although Zi Xuan is still quite powerful now, the three-year war has caused him to lose too many men and resources. The tribute from Qing Lan is just a drop in the bucket. If this hundred tons of coal isn't recovered, I'm afraid Zi Xuan's treasury won't last much longer.'"

  Yun Cong's eyes narrowed slightly when he heard that 100 tons of coal had gone missing, it seemed that the situation was indeed very serious. "Although Yun Cong didn't have that much silver, he would still help out when necessary." Having been an assassin for ten years, he certainly had a lot of silver, plus other profits...

  Zi Ruoye shook her head, baring her teeth as she spoke, "Let Zi Yanran figure it out herself, as long as Cong'er's silver is safe. If Zi Yanran comes to me for help, I'll just tell her I'm broke. She thinks that by making me a touring inspector, we're even? Just wait until I get back, and I'll go take all the good wine from within the imperial palace! Not a single drop of tribute wine or fine wine will be left for her!"

  Yun Cong smiled lightly and said with a hint of helplessness in her eyes, "Why do others want silver, but the prince is so fixated on that wine?"

  "I'm not one to revel without wine, am I? That Zi Yanran's wine is worth a lot of money!" Zi Ruoye said with a smile, "Ning'er... this time the king's mansion is counting on you, I'll be going to Ning City and there will inevitably be some small matters, so..." She found an opportunity to blurt out her words, but still felt a bit apprehensive.

  Yun Ning's hand paused, and she let out a soft sigh in her heart. She had thought that she would be able to put it off until evening, but now it was finally said. He didn't want to stay in the mansion, but this was her request. Putting down the teacup, "I agree, Your Highness."

  When Yun Cong finally agreed to stay in the palace, Zi Ruoye let out a soft sigh of relief and smiled, saying "Cong'er, I'll definitely be back soon. I promise that if I don't return soon, I'll...

  As soon as the words were spoken, a hand covered his mouth, and he looked at Yun Cong, who had appeared out of nowhere. His usually gentle eyes held a hint of helplessness, "Yun Cong believes it, Your Highness shouldn't make such an oath." How could he bear the wrath of heaven, if it really came to that, he would take it upon himself to shield him from it. Although he knew that the gods above might not even bother with this person's oath, he still didn't want to hear her say it out loud.

  Mischievously sticking out her tongue, she lightly licked Yun Cong's fingers, scaring Yun Cong to quickly withdraw his hand. "Cong'er doesn't allow it, so I won't swear." In fact, the most insipid thing in this world is an oath; even if she were to make a poisonous vow, what would it matter to make Yun Cong believe?

  Yun's face turned red, the tingling sensation that had just transmitted to his fingertips almost made him shout out loud, but since no one else knew what she had done, he could only glare at her with a reddened face.

  Zi Ruoye walked over, took down the red jade hairpin from Yun Cong's hair, and lightly kissed those soft lips before she could react. In a gentle voice, he said with unreserved affection, "Cong'er... didn't you say this morning that I should take all of these months' worth first?"

  。”

  "Hmm... I still..." This person still had something left unsaid...

  General's mansion, Li Yu's face was gloomy, it has been more than a month now, Liu Qingyou received her gift but never replied to her letter, waiting is getting annoying. Today in the imperial court, she didn't know why Prime Minister Liu insisted on recommending Zi Ruoye to investigate the coal mine disappearance case. If Zi Ruoye happened to crack the case, wouldn't that make her even more arrogant?!

  "Miss, why are you looking worried again?" The butler asked with some concern as he walked up.

  "Hmm. Still not fond of taking advantage of Liu Qingyou!"

  The housekeeper was taken aback and comfortingly said, "This Liu Qingyou is also the young master of the Prime Minister's mansion, it can't be helped that he has some airs about him. It's only been a month now, Miss shouldn't be too anxious yet. The fact that he accepted the gift shows that he has his heart set on Miss. But from what I see, Miss is worried about more than just this, isn't she?"

  Li Yudian nodded, "No wonder she's been taking care of me for so long as the housekeeper. This time, with the official coal theft, the Emperor actually sent that useless Prince Zi Ruoye. Although I think she can't solve the case, if that person gets lucky, her arrogance will only get worse!" In the imperial court, Zi Ruoye had repeatedly mocked her, although each time her tone was flattering, but the content was real mockery. But she couldn't lose her temper, with this official rank right in front of her, her anger was pent up with nowhere to vent.

  The old steward's eyes flickered with a hint of something, and he walked over to Li Yu's side, speaking in a low voice, "This Prince Wang investigating the case will surely be fraught with difficulties and dangers... it's not certain that he won't lose his life along the way..."

  Li Yu suddenly looked up at the housekeeper, her eyes unclear, but she was considering the housekeeper's words again.

  "Besides, the emperor is far away and how can he take care of everything? The emperor sent Prince Zi Ruoye, perhaps also considering this... After all, the prince is the only woman besides the emperor..." The housekeeper said vaguely, but his eyes shone with a deep light.

  Li Yu was shocked and lowered her voice, "What the butler said is...?"

  The housekeeper couldn't help but laugh out loud, "How can we guess what's on the emperor's mind? But if we do guess correctly?"

  Li Yuxin was shocked and felt a surge of emotions, the more she thought about it, the more she felt that the steward's words made sense. After all, hadn't the emperor been indulging Zi Ruoye for so many years just to keep her from plotting?

  Otherwise, if Zi Ruoye kept leaving messages in the pavilion every day, the royal family's face would have been lost long ago.

  Her eyes narrowed, "It seems that the Emperor can't bear to see Zi Ruo Ye in front of her every day..." After a while, Li Yu said softly, "Then I'll help the Emperor with his troubles." She looked at the housekeeper, who understood and retreated. However, the two did not notice the black shadow flying out from the rooftop.

  "Oh? Is that really so?" Zi Yanran sat in the chair, the news brought back by An Wei made her slightly interested and involuntarily confirmed.

  "What I heard with my own ears." The black shadow said calmly.

  The purple phoenix eyes lightly flashed, "Then so be it." Yoroha, Yoroha, you'd better not resist, or it might get more troublesome.

  Before she knew it, two days had passed and Zi Ruoye was standing in front of the horse carriage, looking at Shangguan Meng who was crying uncontrollably. She hadn't expected this little fellow to come see her off. Early in the morning, he had been waiting outside, and as soon as he saw her coming out, he rushed into her arms without saying a word and burst into tears.

  "Alright, alright, don't cry anymore. I promise you I'll be back. I'm just going to investigate the case and have some fun on the side." Zi Ruoye gently patted the still-sniffling Shangguan Meng, coaxing him as she spoke.

  "The wife doesn't allow you to go out and play, after finishing the case, you must come back directly. Meng'er will miss you." The misty eyes looked at Ziyue Ye, and the big teardrops wetted the clothes that Ziyue Ye wore for convenience on the trip. He didn't sleep all night yesterday and came over early to wait, although he tried his best to control himself, but when he saw his wife, his nose became sour and his tears couldn't be controlled.

  "Alright, alright, I won't play anymore. After I finish the case, I'll come back directly." Zi Ruoye coaxed Shang Guan Meng, looking at Yun Ning who had been standing beside her without making a sound, and said softly, "Ning'er, take care of your body at home too. Although it's starting to warm up now, if you get cold, don't be stingy with the charcoal fire!"

  Yun Cong's eyes reddened slightly as she gazed at Zi Ruo Ye, her heart aching. She nodded gently, "I'll take care of it, Your Highness. Be careful on the road."

  At last, after reluctantly bidding farewell, Ziyue Ye got on the horse carriage... heading towards Ning City.

  Digression

  Ahh... Today is more than half an hour late...

  >

  The fish's laptop got wet... heart-wrenching...