As the saying goes, don’t hit a smiling face, let alone someone who has been polite and courteous from the start. Wei Changtian couldn’t force himself to show off in this situation, so he could only reluctantly utter two words.
“No harm done.”
“Thank you, Lord Wei, for your forgiveness. I won’t disturb you two anymore.”
The young noble bowed again, then turned around and walked away, completely cutting off Wei Changtian’s opportunity to show off.
If it were Xiao Feng, he would have probably already finished showing off by now.
Wei Changtian let out a soft sigh, casually asking Ning Yukuo, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
From noble mtl dot come
Ning Yukuo shook her head, then smiled and asked, “Lord Wei, how many lantern riddles have you guessed?”
“Not a single one.”
“Hehehe, Lord Wei probably didn’t even try to guess.”
Ning Yukuo pointed to the lantern riddle in front of her, saying softly, “I’ve thought about this for a long time but couldn’t guess it, Lord Wei, take a look?”
“……”
Not only did I not get to show off, but I also got slapped in the face?!
Wei Changtian was speechless, looking up at the riddle, thinking that maybe he had seen it in his previous life.
For example, a riddle like “No bed on the wedding night”, he still knew a thing or two about it.
Unfortunately, such a lowbrow riddle wouldn’t appear in the current situation, and all that was written on the small paper was—
【Four mountains, creek, and shrimp playing in the water】
“Hiss……”
It was clear that even Ning Yukuo couldn’t guess the answer, so how would Wei Changtian know it? He pretended to think deeply, preparing to make a show.
However, just as he finished his “hiss”, Ning Yukuo suddenly clapped her hands, exclaiming in delight:
“Ah! It’s the ‘Si’ character!”
？？？
Wei Changtian’s eyes widened in shock, and then he heard Ning Yuke analyzing the riddle on his own:
“Four mountains and streams… four ‘mountain’ characters form a ‘field’ character, the shape of ‘虾’ is a hook, and ‘戏水’ is several points of water around the hook… combined, it forms the character ‘思’!”
“The young master solved this lantern riddle in one breath and said he couldn’t even guess it himself!”
Ning Yuke looked over with a smile in his eyes, while Wei Changtian was left stunned.
How did this guy manage to figure it out？？？
Feeling embarrassed for a while, he finally touched his nose and laughed awkwardly:
“Heh, just good luck.”
……
The new moon was like a hook, and the starry river sparkled.
A narrow, winding river flowed slowly, with several small boats carrying red lanterns, and people on board drinking and singing.
An hour later, Wei Changtian and Ning Yuke sat in a quiet room on the second floor of a teahouse, gazing out the window at the lively scene, with a small, not-too-exquisite wooden box beside them.
This was their reward for solving all twenty lantern riddles, a silver-handled wooden comb worth about one or two silver coins.
Ning Yuke seemed to really like this comb.
“Lord Wei, can I have this comb?”
“Of course.”
Wei Changtian nodded, his mind not focused on this at all.
To say the least, the original twenty lantern riddles were solved by Ning Yuke, with Wei Changtian only guessing one by chance……
“Princess, I’ll send you back to the palace after we finish this pot of tea.”
Wei Changtian poured Ning Yuke a cup of tea and spoke softly.
Upon hearing this, the smile in Ning Yuke’s eyes slowly turned into disappointment.
She almost subconsciously murmured:
“Just a little longer would be fine……”
“……”
Wei Changtian didn’t respond, remaining silent for a moment before continuing calmly: “Princess, I’ll personally come to the palace five days later to remove the scar on your face.”
“As for the matter you promised me, I’ll arrange it and have someone secretly notify you later.”
Although Wei Changtian could actually help Ning Yuke remove the scar right now, he was prepared to wait a few more days.
Otherwise, it would seem too easy and might arouse suspicion from others.
“Yes, I’ll follow your instructions.”
Ning Yuke removed her veil, gently picked up her teacup, and was about to take a sip, but Wei Changtian suddenly seemed to remember something and reached out to stop her teacup.
“Wait a moment, Princess.”
He poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and felt the temperature was just right. Only then did Wei Changtian release his hand and nod.
“It’s okay.”
“……”
Ning Yuke was slightly taken aback, then smiled and slowly took a sip of tea.
She drank very slowly, as if reluctant to finish the tea.
The sound of loud laughter and drunkenness came from the small boats outside, and amidst the laughter, Ning Yuke suddenly looked up and asked:
“Lord Wei, if I really die when I take that thing…… will it cause trouble for you?”
“No.”
Wei Changtian shook his head, his tone almost devoid of emotion: “You’ll be going alone, and I’ll have people waiting around.”
“If you get it, just hand it over to the person in charge, and that’s it.”
“And if you unfortunately die in the process, it’s just an accident, and no one will know it has anything to do with me.”
“……”
Wei Changtian’s response was cold-blooded enough, but Ning Yukuo listened calmly and simply nodded.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness, I won’t tell anyone about this.”
“……”
This time, it was Wei Changtian’s turn to fall silent.
He looked at Ning Yukuo, who was as gentle as water, hesitated for a moment, and then suddenly said:
“Your Highness, maybe you should reconsider this.”
“There’s no need… If it weren’t for Your Highness saving me that day, I would have died at the assassin’s blade.”
“Since that thing is so important to Your Highness, I should help you with this favor.”
“Besides, Your Highness said I only have a 10% chance of dying… I think I won’t be that unlucky, right?”
Ning Yukuo smiled, her expression very sincere.
She glanced enviously at the rough men drinking on the small boat, then asked in a low voice:
“Can Your Highness grant me another wish?”
“Please speak, Your Highness.”
“Can I… drink with you?”
“……”
Wei Changtian paused for a moment, then shouted loudly towards the outside:
“Little Second, bring wine!”
……
Half an hour later.
At an ordinary teahouse, although there was wine, it wasn’t very good.
Ning Yukuo rarely drank, usually just taking a sip or two, and had never let go and indulged like today.
Perhaps she was thrilled that she could regain her original appearance in five days, or perhaps she was carefree because her life might be short; she drank several pots of inferior wine, and her face had already flushed with two red clouds.
Although Wei Changtian drank more than Ning Yukuo, he was a cultivator, and it was difficult for him to get drunk if he didn’t want to.
“Your Highness, that’s enough.”
After pouring Ning Yukuo her last small cup of wine, Wei Changtian finally spoke up to advise her: “You’re already drunk.”
“I’m not drunk!”
Like all drunk people, Ning Yukuo mumbled and finished the wine in her cup, then pretended to reach for the wine jug again.
“Slap!”
Her delicate hand was caught by a strong, powerful hand, and Wei Changtian shook his head helplessly: “Your Highness, that’s enough.”
“Hmm~”
Ning Yukuo pouted twice, then suddenly acted like a child and coquettishly said: “I want to drink more~”
“No more drinking!”
Wei Changtian sternly shouted, finally scaring Ning Yukuo.
“No drinking, then no drinking… why are you yelling……”
She looked pitiful, her head on the table, her big eyes blinking at Wei Changtian. After a while, she suddenly smiled again.
“Do you like me, Your Highness?”
Normally, Ning Yukuo would rather die than ask such a question, but it was clear she was really drunk now.
Wei Changtian naturally wouldn’t argue with a drunkard, so he casually replied, “I like it, I like it.”
“Then… do you like me more, or do you like Yu Zhu more?”
“You.”
“Prince, don’t deceive me!”
“I’m not deceiving you.”
Wei Changtian glanced at the princess, whose mental age had regressed by at least fifteen years, and sighed, “Princess, let’s go.”
“Where are we going?”
“I’ll send you back to the palace.”
“Oh…”
Ning Yu Ke wobbled her head, struggled to sit up halfway, but suddenly collapsed back onto the table, shouting:
“I won’t leave! I want to hear the prince recite a poem!”
“Recite a poem?”
Wei Changtian was taken aback, thinking, “What’s the point of reciting a poem at this time?”
You’re already drunk, I’m just pretending to be a poet, and there’s no audience anyway. What a waste of effort!
“Maybe next time.”
“No, I want it now!”
Ning Yu Ke was persistent, flailing her long legs in dissatisfaction: “The prince is willing to recite poems for the courtesan, for General Liang, and for Yu Zhu, so why not for me?”
“Besides, I… I’m afraid there won’t be a next time…”
“…”
Upon hearing the last sentence, Wei Changtian’s breathing seemed to pause for a moment, and his heart suddenly felt a pang of discomfort.
He let out a deep sigh, picked up the wine jug, and walked to the window, gazing at the night scenery for a long time without speaking.
The lanterns along the riverbank shone brightly, the water’s surface was calm, reflecting the countless lanterns on the shore.
But beneath this joyful and lively river, there seemed to be a mysterious, unknown world hiding in the shadows.
The drunkards on the small boats shouted even louder, speaking only of boastful words.
These were farmers who had come to the city to sell their grain, enjoying themselves tonight, and would return to their ordinary lives as commoners tomorrow.
And like them, after tonight, when the wine wore off, Ning Yu Ke would also transform back into the wise and knowledgeable Princess Rong’an.
“Prince…”
At some unknown time, a small, drunken face suddenly appeared beside him.
Ning Yu Ke leaned against the windowsill, her body swaying gently, her long hair and white dress blown by the night wind, creating small ripples in the air.
From noble mtl dot come
She looked up at the starry night sky, then at Wei Changtian, who was holding the wine jug, and asked softly:
“Prince, where’s the poem?”
“…”
Wei Changtian hesitated for a moment, raised the wine jug to take a drink.
But the jug was empty, with only two or three drops left.
“Plop!”
He tossed the wine jug far into the river, watching the fleeting water ripples, and finally, Wei Changtian slowly spoke a sentence he thought was the most romantic poem.
This poem was originally meant for Xu Qing Wan, but…
It would be a memorable ending for Ning Yu Ke’s “unforgettable night”.
Small boats, grand dreams, stars…
The sky and water blended together in the vast night, and who knows if the drunkards on the boat would forget that the stars in the water were just reflections, and think they were sailing in the heavenly river.
“Drunk, I don’t know the sky is in the water…”
“A full boat of clear dreams presses down on the starry river…”
“…”
“Pop~”
Tears the size of peas fell gently on the windowsill, then scattered and disappeared.
“Drunk, I don’t know the sky is in the water, a full boat of clear dreams presses down on the starry river…”
Ning Yukuo murmured, repeating it again and again, with tears continuously welling up in her eyes.
“Prince Wei.”
“Princess.”
Suddenly, the two of them called out to each other simultaneously, paused for a moment, and then continued speaking.
From a certain perspective, Wei Changtian and Ning Yukuo did have a mysterious tacit understanding.
However, the meaning of their second half of the sentence was completely different.
“Can we stay for a while longer?”
“We should leave.”
……
……
Half an hour later, a horse-drawn carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the Shunwang Fu gate.
Wei Changtian handed the already sleeping Ning Yukuo over to the stunned gatekeeper, then got into the carriage and left.
In less than the time it took to burn an incense stick, Ning Yukuo was already lying on her own bed, with Ning Yuzhu sitting beside her, looking worried and anxious.
Big sister not staying out overnight was “joy,” but big sister getting drunk was “worried.”
“How’s my sister?”
Seeing the doctor move his fingers away from Ning Yukuo’s wrist, Ning Yuzhu anxiously asked, “Is her body okay?”
Because of Ning Yukuo’s “painless constitution,” she wouldn’t know if she was sick, so the Shunwang Fu had a resident doctor who would give Ning Yukuo a “physical examination” every two or three days.
“According to her pulse, there’s no major issue.”
The doctor with a long beard nodded lightly: “Only her heartbeat is a bit fast. I’ll prepare a hangover soup, and she can take it when she wakes up.”
“Got it.”
Ning Yuzhu responded, watching the doctor leave, then shifted her gaze back to Ning Yukuo.
At this time, several maids were helping the latter change her clothes. As soon as they removed her outer garments, a small wooden box suddenly fell to the ground.
“Huh?”
One of the maids picked up the box, looking up at Ning Yuzhu: “Young mistress, this…”
“Give it to me.”
Ning Yuzhu stretched out her hand to take the box, opened it, and took a look.
Inside was a silver-handled small comb.
The craftsmanship was decent, although it couldn’t compare to the quality of the items in the royal palace, but it was still a high-end product.
However, this comb had something strange about it.
Because it was missing a tooth.
……
At the same time, at the Wei residence.
Wei Changtian had just entered the courtyard when he saw Liang Qin, who was looking anxious and glancing around.
“Brother Changtian, didn’t Princess Rongan come back with you?”
“You’re not homeless, what are you doing coming back with me?”
Wei Changtian laughed and said, “We’ll send her back after we finish watching the lanterns.”
“Oh…”
Liang Qin let out a sigh of relief, but soon furrowed her brow again.
“Brother Changtian, why do you have such a strong smell of alcohol on you? Did you guys drink?”
“Yeah, the princess wanted to drink, so I accompanied her for a few cups.”
“Just… just drinking? Didn’t you do anything else?”
“Liang Qin…”
Wei Changtian laughed helplessly and said, “I feel like you’re becoming more and more like someone else lately.”
Liang Qin had just heard this phrase at dinner, so she immediately knew who Wei Changtian was referring to.
“Are you talking about Little Aunt?”
“Huh? How did you know?”
“Hmph! You’re making fun of me! Brother Changtian, you’re making fun of me too!”
Liang Qin stomped her foot and quickly ran off, saying, “I’m going to practice my sword!”
“…”
Watching Liang Qin’s figure disappear into the backyard, Wei Changtian rubbed his forehead, finally able to return to his own room.
Yao’er had already prepared the bathwater and was now holding a small wooden stool, ready to help him change.
The room was filled with mist, and the atmosphere was hazy.
Outside, the night was calm, with stars twinkling in the sky.
“What’s this, Young Master?”
Yao’er picked up a small wooden stick from the ground, looking puzzled.
Wei Changtian turned his head to take a look, his expression equally perplexed.
“I don’t know, probably a tree branch stuck to my clothes or something.”
“But it doesn’t feel like a tree branch…”
“Whatever, just throw it away.”
“Oh.”