FID – Chapter 984

Chapter 984 — Beauty? Truly Beautiful?

By the time the Empress Dowager departed for Xinghua Village, Liu Yusheng and Feng Qingbai had already set off northwest, taking Liu Ya with them.

Since the matter concerned Qinglian’s safety, Grandma and Grandpa Liu had taken on the responsibility of looking after Badou and Hongdou without a word of complaint.

Thinking back to the children’s reaction when they left, Liu Yusheng still felt a pang of disappointment.

The two little ones showed no sign of reluctance, as if they were used to their parents leaving at any moment.

The scene of tearful farewells she had imagined never appeared. Even her grandparents and parents showed no sorrow at parting, instead urging them to leave quickly.

Leaning her head on the man beside her, Liu Yusheng sighed. “I’ve fallen out of favor… truly fallen out of favor…”

The man couldn’t help but smile, lowering his head. “Here, you will never fall out of favor.”

“Feng Qingbai, I only have you now,” Liu Yusheng lamented theatrically, unaware of the gleam of emotion spilling from his long eyes at her words. “But will the Empress Dowager really come to Xinghua Village?”

“She will,” Feng Qingbai replied with a slight lift of his lips. “She’s probably already on her way there.”

“If the Empress Dowager finds out you tricked her, she’ll surely be angry with you.”

“With Badou and Hongdou there, even if she knows, she’ll accept it willingly. Besides, getting her out of the palace for a while is a good thing.”

Liu Yusheng laughed. “That’s true. Otherwise, she rarely even leaves the gates of Yangxin Hall.”

Once at Xinghua Village, the Empress Dowager could spar words with her grandmother and compete over the children every day, which would give her more energy. It was a somewhat mischievous thought, but true.

Without the palace walls to constrain her, the Empress Dowager would be far more relaxed.

“And Xiao Feng’er…” With both the Empress Dowager and Feng Qingbai absent, Xiao Feng’er would be like a runaway wild horse.

A soft sigh came from above. “Why do you have so many things to worry about? Shengsheng, I like it more when you pay attention to me.”

Liu Yusheng looked up innocently: “I do have a lot to worry about, but I’m only with you.”

“…” That was a surprisingly solid excuse.

While the young couple whispered quietly to each other, Liu Ya shrank into a corner of the carriage, sneaking glances at them from time to time.

She had never seen this before: how intimate and natural a married couple could be with each other. It was obviously a bit embarrassing, yet somehow watching it felt very sweet.

They seemed completely unashamed of showing their affection, unafraid of others seeing their closeness, and never hid their feelings for each other.

It wasn’t just the King and his consort; even the master and the eldest brother treated their wives the same way. In every word and action, one could see the love and respect they had for their spouses.

“Master, we will be leaving Yunzou territory ahead and entering Jizhou. Traveling by land, it will take about half a month to reach the Cangzhou dock.”

The sudden voice from outside startled Liu Ya so much that she nearly screamed. She quickly clamped her hand over her mouth to avoid embarrassment.

Instinctively, she peeked through the gap in the carriage curtain. Through the slit, she could vaguely make out the tall figure of the man walking beside the carriage, and she immediately ducked her head.

“Reaching the Cangzhou dock will be around mid-February. That area is in the south, so we can switch from land travel to water travel, which will be faster,” Feng Qingbai quietly explained to her.

Liu Yusheng nodded. In the south, the temperature was higher, and rivers wouldn’t freeze in winter, making boat travel possible.

The two discussed the upcoming route while Liu Ya sat upright at the carriage entrance, hands folded neatly, remaining quiet and unobtrusive, only occasionally glancing outside to sneak a look at the passing scenery.

Outside the carriage, Wei Zi observed the girl’s every reaction with keen interest, finding it quite amusing.

……

On the way to the Cangzhou dock, they passed through many towns, all of which Liu Yusheng had never visited before.

Each place carried its own unique local atmosphere and charm, but pressed for time, they could not linger, which she found regrettable.

The closer they got to Cangzhou, the stronger the southern water-town ambiance became. Peeking through the carriage curtain, she saw greenery sprouting everywhere, misty mountains reflected in hazy waters.

Spring in the south was rainy, and by the time they reached Cangzhou’s main city, a fine drizzle was falling.

The rain was delicate and continuous, covering the sky like a thin veil, washing over the ancient, characterful southern city.

Occasionally, a pedestrian holding an umbrella passed along the streets, but all were in a hurry, leaving the streets quiet.

So when a low-key yet luxurious carriage rolled into the scene, it naturally drew some attention.

From the inns and tea houses lining the street, many people looked toward the carriage. As it slowed, it finally stopped in front of a small inn.

A slender, delicate hand lifted the carriage curtain, revealing a beautiful young woman in a blue gown stepping out first. Her demeanor was timid and gentle, suggesting she was a maid.

This only piqued curiosity further.

If even the maid was so beautiful, what might the people inside the carriage look like?

When that streak of purple appeared in the eyes of the passersby, nearly everyone instinctively narrowed their eyes, stunned by what they saw.

It was a man, clad in a purple brocade robe. Even from a distance, where his features were indistinct, one could still sense the elegance in his every movement, the natural nobility exuding from him, making onlookers feel almost ashamed of themselves.

He was clearly unattainable, yet impossible to look away from.

Soon, an opened paper umbrella blocked the curious gazes around him.

Under the umbrella, the man’s fair, long fingers reached out to hold the slender, delicate hand that had emerged from the carriage. Anyone hoping to see more, to catch a glimpse of the woman who could be treated so tenderly by such a man, was thwarted by that annoying umbrella, which cut off all view.

All that remained for the crowd was the image of them walking away together, hand in hand.

“Manyu, what are you staring at so intently? I’ve been calling you for ages.”

On the second floor of a teahouse across from the inn, the girl in a flowing skirt withdrew her gaze and calmly returned to the circle of young nobles. “Nothing. Weren’t we going to play tea-lottery?”

She paused, feigning casualness. “I just saw a beauty enter the inn across the street. It’s rare to see such a woman in the southern city, so I glanced a few times.”

“A beauty? Really beautiful?” The young noble in brocade sitting across from her perked up immediately, eagerly pressing for more details.

The girl smiled. “Since she’s gone into the inn, she’s probably a traveler passing through, not leaving anytime soon. Beautiful or not, Young Master Zhu can go see for himself.”

“I must see! I absolutely must see! I’ll go meet the beauty across the street soon, hahaha!” Young Master Zhu laughed with excitement.

Among those seated, some exchanged glances with each other, forcing smiles onto their faces, while others joined in with lewd jokes, laughing and chattering in a group.

This little scene, however, went unnoticed by the newcomers entering the inn.

As soon as customers arrived, the innkeeper immediately approached with a smiling face. “Honored guests, will you be staying at the inn?”

Having run the business for years, he had developed a keen eye. Just by the look of their clothing alone, he could tell they weren’t short of money. His expression was extremely warm and welcoming.

After taking the umbrella from them and handing it to Wei Zi, Feng Qingbai led Liu Yusheng inside. “Let’s have a meal first. Bring out the signature dishes of your inn.”

“Yes, of course!” The innkeeper’s smile deepened. “The main hall is noisy with many people. Would you like a private room upstairs? Much quieter.”

After receiving a nod from the man, the innkeeper personally led them upstairs, opening the private room’s windows so that the street scene outside could be fully seen.