Chapter 631: Satisfying

He Lingchuan's smile also widened bit by bit: "That is exactly what I wish for." He was equally full of curiosity about Fang Canran. "I will go call the Crown Prince to join us."

Fang Canran waved his hand: "I already invited him just now. His Highness has matters to attend to tonight, so he politely declined."

Upon hearing this, He Lingchuan dropped the matter, and the two abandoned the boat to go ashore.

Seeing that he was about to go out, two Tongxin Guards followed behind.

Fang Canran laughed: "Young Master He has quite the entourage."

He Lingchuan shook his head: "Being watched all the time, I can't even play with peace of mind when I go out; it takes away much of the fun."

He turned his head and said to the two: "Manager Fang and I are going out to find some amusement; it is very safe. Why don't you two rest here? I will have the cook roast some lamb ribs for you to drink with."

The two looked at each other, and not insisting, they stopped their steps.

The cook at Pianxiang Manor truly made roasting lamb a specialty. In the past few days, Fu Shanyue had always been eating roasted lamb and drinking honey wine with this He Lingchuan. That fragrance would drift over in waves; they couldn't help but smell it even if they didn't want to, and it was quite maddening.

Besides, what danger could there be when he went out to socialize with the Golden Horn family? He Lingchuan was a man of his word; he found a servant to go to the back kitchen to order wine and dishes, and only then did he walk toward the entrance with Fang Canran.

It would be inconvenient if these two fellows followed him tonight.

In fact, he keenly felt that the Tongxin Guards had become much more lax in tailing him recently—they would watch if they felt like it, and follow if they felt like it, unlike the previous days when they chased behind his butt.

Aside from Fu Shanyue protesting every other day about the Tongxin Guards causing inconvenience to his life, and linking it to the strange flash of the Tianluo Star, He Lingchuan vaguely understood the reason.

The Heavenly Palace and the Demon Emperor were already too lazy to bother with them; with the superiors lazy and the subordinates slack, there was no need for the Tongxin Guards to be so dedicated.

The carriage was parked at the entrance of Pianxiang Manor, and after loading the two, it headed toward Yuexiang Manor.

……

Going out, they encountered the evening rush hour of Lingxu City, and the road was congested.

By the time the two arrived at Yuexiang Manor, the night sky was already hung with bright stars.

This place was named for its proximity to Yuexiang Lake; the manor was built by the water, exclusively capturing half of the lake view. By the water, ancient willows hung low, evening osmanthus sent forth fragrance, mandarin ducks played in the water on the lake surface, herds of small deer grazed on the grass, and the carefully selected water lilies were actually still in full bloom to this day, their colors as tender as a young girl's rosy face.

Standing by the water admiring the scarlet and gold leaves, one only felt the crispness of late autumn. Of course, non-guests of the manor could not enjoy the meticulous landscaping here. Because once outside the scope of Yuexiang Manor, the decay of late autumn could not be hidden by the lakeside.

He Lingchuan had eaten wine at various large restaurants on Tianjie several times; they were truly bustling with traffic and filled with guests, with very prosperous business. But Yuexiang Manor did not follow this route; it focused on privacy. The vast manor only opened seven flower courtyards, each courtyard drawing lake water into the courtyard, each with a different theme, all able to hear the deer calling, and only entertaining one table of guests.

The distance between the courtyards was very far, separated by flowers, trees, and gardens. Even if the distinguished guests shouted and made noise to their heart's content, it would not affect others.

The core was just two words: Private enjoyment.

Whether it was business negotiations, meeting friends to confide in each other, or doing anything else here, it was particularly classy.

The only drawback was that it was expensive.

Of course, as a guest invited by the host, He Lingchuan did not need to worry about the price of the dishes tonight.

Fang Canran led He Lingchuan into the Fuqu Courtyard. The huge lotus flowers in the pond were in full bloom, different from the varieties outside, and after nightfall, the fluorescent spores placed in the lotus hearts lit up, turning into beautiful lanterns, possessing a hazy and shy beauty in the night.

This was a three-story refined residence; the first floor was for drinking and eating, the second floor for tasting tea and playing the zither, and the third floor was the sleeping couch for guests to rest.

The two sat down at the table, and He Lingchuan immediately said: "This place doesn't seem like a new building."

"Yuexiang Manor has a history of two hundred years, originally named Jingliu Manor. Does He Xiao have any impression of this name?"

He Lingchuan naturally shook his head.

He was a newcomer; how would he know the origins of these manors in Lingxu City?

"The first owner who built Jingliu Manor was surnamed Huang, a family that had passed down for two hundred years in Lingxu City, but ultimately declined. This Jingliu Manor was built just as his family was turning from prosperity to decline, so it was sold before it was completely finished." Fang Canran had already ordered the dishes, and a delicate-looking servant brought over a lotus-shaped small square basin, with two golden goblets soaking in the basin, "The temperature is just right. Come! Try the signature here, Fox Lady Wine."

Underneath the square basin, there was also a small stove.

Listening to the cold cicadas in late autumn, warming wine and talking about Lingxu. How many people's interest lay in this? "Is this wine brewed by fox demons?"

"In the beginning, it certainly was." Fang Canran laughed, "It is said that the owner of Jingliu Manor helped the Qingqiu fox demons a great deal, and the latter repaid him with a unique wine-brewing recipe. Later, this wine recipe was passed down along with Jingliu Manor. As for the owner of Jingliu Manor, no one knows."

He Lingchuan said casually: "This kind of thing seems to be countless in Lingxu City?"

"Isn't it? As numerous as crucian carp crossing the river, swimming and swimming, they disappear themselves." Fang Canran said leisurely, "The second owner of Jingliu Manor was a spy sent by another country. They used Jingliu Manor to cover their identities and were active in Lingxu City for several years. After these people were captured, Jingliu Manor was also put up for sale. The Golden Horn family purchased it, renamed it, and renovated it, only then did we have today's Yuexiang Manor."

He Lingchuan was stunned: "This was originally a spy's territory?"

"Isn't it?" Fang Canran poured him wine, "Lingxu City bears the reputation of being the number one city in the world; how many outsiders are jealous and covetous of it?"

He Lingchuan took a light sip; this wine was the color of jade, sweet and soft, smooth down the throat, with a hidden fruity fragrance.

After drinking a few more mouthfuls, he felt his mouth and tongue salivate.

"It really has character."

Just as they entered the door, they had the maid send the fish bucket to the back kitchen. Now, the new cook at Yuexiang Manor also served up his signature dish.

That fat-headed fish was indeed the first to be attended to, made into two ways of eating. The fat fish head was first deep-fried in wide oil, then wet-roasted with chili and side dishes. With one chopstick, the fish skin was half-crispy and half-soft, half-spicy and half-sweet, the taste was the most satisfying.

He Lingchuan really didn't expect that the first time he ate charcoal-grilled big fish head in this world would be in such a classy place. In the past, it was always at roadside stalls, moving a small stool to occupy the sidewalk, and then pairing it with a few bottles of the cheapest beer.

It seemed to be getting windy outside, and the trees were rustling. In this kind of weather, snuggling inside a luxurious house eating grilled fish and drinking good wine was truly extremely comfortable.

The other dozen or so small fish were all fried until dry and crispy, sprinkled with some flavored pepper, one bite per fish, crunchy and crispy.

The kitchen used local ingredients and specially presented a dish of pickled plums.

The hundred-year-old plum trees at Yuexiang Manor had a bumper harvest, picked and pickled with salt, sugar, wine, and preserved plums; adults and children all loved to eat them. He Lingchuan picked one up and put it in his mouth to gnaw; it was sour, crispy, clear, and sweet, truly a good item for relieving greasiness and sobering up.

Fang Canran also ate two pieces of fish meat, and only then did he say clearly: "Regarding the Elixir of Immortality case, how does Brother He think it will be concluded?"

"I don't know." He Lingchuan said honestly, "I don't know much about everything in Lingxu City—the Royal Court, the Emperor, the Heavenly Gods, and even the Qingyang National Master. Alas! I don't know what result will be gambled out of this case in the end."

"You also left out an important force."

"Oh?" He Lingchuan asked casually, "Which side?"

"The Fanyao Kingdom." Fang Canran said, "If it weren't for the Chiyan Kingdom and the Baoshu Kingdom taking a tough stance and demanding a thorough investigation, this matter might have been settled long ago."

That's right, He Lingchuan sometimes would forget this force behind him.

"The terrifying thing about this case is that after the case is closed, the turmoil is afraid that it won't fade away for a while."

"Indeed." He Lingchuan raised his chin toward the lake water outside the window, "This place looks like good mountains and good water, but in reality, it hides danger. In the days I've been in Lingxu City, I haven't truly enjoyed a day of peace."

Fang Canran laughed loudly: "That is because Young Master He is rushing into dangers and difficulties, not crashing into a mountain of knives. Look at those common people outside, they only aim for two meals of warmth and fullness every day; what dangers can they encounter?"

"Is that so?" He Lingchuan sneered slightly, "Then the servants of the Pan Shan residence were also sweeping floors and cooking to earn money to support their families; why did they suffer an unprovoked disaster?"

Crown Prince Huan wanted to teach him and Fu Shanyue a lesson, but in the end, he vented his anger on the servants and the residence.

The fate of ordinary people is like duckweed; inexplicably, a big wave hits, and they are shattered.

Don't think you can survive by chance just because you are in the Imperial Capital.

The black fish that Fang Canran caught had also been dealt with by this time, and as soon as it was served on the table, it was a fiery red color.

The new chef chose to bake it. The thick fish fillets were all deboned, first wrapped in a layer of starch and quickly baked, then put into a clay pot and slowly braised with fermented black beans.

The soup made from ham was all braised into it.

I don't know what secret seasoning the chef added, but the taste of the fish meat was extremely layered. He Lingchuan recalled it, and there was actually a hint of milky fragrance? The chili looked bright red, but in fact, it wasn't spicy at all, just giving the diner some warmth. What kind of place was Yuexiang Manor? If the distinguished guests were made to eat until their faces were red, tears were streaming, and noses were running, then the classiness would be shattered all over the floor.

Fang Canran asked him: "What do you think of this cook?"

"Not bad." He Lingchuan didn't even lift his head, full of praise, "Truly a rare delicacy!"

In the frontier small town of another world, one could gather the strange flavors of the universe, but he really had never tasted such delicious fish meat.

Fang Canran hurriedly poured him wine: "Then don't be polite, eat more."

He Lingchuan was indeed not polite with him, burying his head in eating fish and drinking wine. In just a quarter of an hour, the big black fish weighing several jin had been eaten seven or eight-tenths.

This fish was truly more delicious the more he ate, and more satisfying the more he ate.

Hmm? Satisfying?

These two words flashed through He Lingchuan's mind; it seemed like something was wrong. But he was already dizzy at this moment, and didn't know if it was because he ate too much fish or drank too much wine, his neck could barely support his head.

With a slap, the chopsticks fell to the ground, and He Lingchuan actually slid under the table.

Fang Canran caught him: "He Xiao? Are you alright?"

He Lingchuan's eyes were half-closed, his pupils dilated.

"Your drinking capacity is too poor." Fang Canran was between laughter and tears, "Can you really not walk anymore?"

He Lingchuan's eyes suddenly opened, and his body straightened: "I have to go, go, to the latrine!"

This reaction was almost the same as a corpse coming back to life. Fang Canran was startled by him, pointed to the back hall and said: "The secret room is in the back, shall I help you?"

In a place like Fuqu Courtyard, they wouldn't place a bucket directly behind a screen like a regular inn, but built a specialized toilet, called a secret room.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 632 =====