Chapter 722: No Seeds to Spit Out [Thank You! Again! 41K Words Owed]

Several days after the Yu and Sheng families' wedding festivities,

On the sixth day of the sixth month,

At the precise hour of Mao (6:00 a. m.),

Though early, the sun had already risen for some time.

Quyuanjie,

Yongyi Marquis's Mansion,

In the riding grounds, Xu Zaijing stood beside a flatbed cart, having just finished his training and removed his armor, wiping sweat from his forehead and cheeks with a damp towel.

The cool towel brought him a sigh of relief.

After wiping his face, Xu Zaijing handed the towel to Hua Xiang behind him, then casually picked up a peach with green leaves from the cart and said, "This fruit looks fresh enough."

Nearby, A Lan laughed and said, "Young Master, this was just delivered to the mansion while you and Qingyun were sparring—it was picked this morning."

Xu Zaijing nodded with a smile and said, "How thoughtful."

After speaking, Xu Zaijing glanced at the other basket on the cart besides the fruit, then turned and left the riding grounds to wash up.

After having breakfast in his mother's courtyard,

Xu Zaijing rode out of the Marquis's Mansion with his elder brother.

Unlike usual,

Today, after leaving Quyuanjie, the two brothers did not head south toward the Sheng household, but instead rode north, followed by a cart.

On the road northward,

Many passersby and common folk walked in the same direction as the Xu family's procession.

Only after exiting the inner city,

And arriving outside the old Suansuan Gate beyond the Long River bridge, did the Xu family's procession halt beneath the shade of trees by the roadside.

While waiting,

Citizens from within the city flowed out like a river.

After waiting a while, fanning himself,

Xu Zaijing, mounted on his small Liliju, waved his hand toward the Long River bridge.

Soon,

Chang Bai, Qi Heng, and the other classmates from the Sheng Academy rode up behind a carriage, heading this way.

As they drew near,

Xu Zaijing and his brother bowed respectfully to Zhuang Xuejiu, who had lifted the carriage curtain.

Zhuang Xuejiu nodded in greeting, and the group merged into the crowd, heading north.

Today, the sixth day of the sixth month,

Was Cui Fujun's birthday.

This Fujun had been a magistrate of the previous dynasty, upright and beloved by the people, famed for solving strange cases—he was said to adjudicate earthly matters by day and underworld affairs by night, possessing divine qualities, and died in office; local folk built a temple for him, and in the previous dynasty he was posthumously enfeoffed as Ling Sheng Hu Guo Marquis.

This dynasty continued the veneration and elevated him to Hu Guo Duke; Cui Fujun's worship flourished in Da Zhou, and his stature among the people resembled that of Bao Qingtian in later eras, yet even higher, given his title as Protector of the Nation.

The Song emperor later known as "Wanyan Gou" was said to have been protected by this Fujun during the legend of the "Mud Horse Crossing the River."

Following the northward-flowing crowd, fifteen li beyond the city lay the Cui Fujun Shrine.

At this moment, the shrine's surroundings were packed with people.

When Xu Zaijing and the others dismounted and approached Zhuang Xuejiu's carriage, the scholar was stepping down from the carriage stool.

Seeing the students gathered close, Zhuang Xuejiu smiled and nodded, then led them toward the Cui Fujun Shrine.

Behind Xu Zaijing and the others, the servants and maids carried not only fruit baskets but also bamboo baskets filled with toona sinensis—another item Xu Zaijing had seen on his own cart.

Reasons for offering toona sinensis to this Fujun varied among the people.

After accompanying the scholar in presenting the fruit and toona sinensis, they returned to the shrine's outer grounds more than half an hour later.

Zhuang Xuejiu then advised Xu Zaijing and the others on loyalty to the sovereign, love for the nation, and the duty to be upright, fair, and paternal toward the people when serving as officials.

These students of Zhuang Xuejiu came from families of dukes, marquises, or officials—even if they failed the imperial exams, they could still inherit official posts through patronage.

He spoke for a long while.

When he finished,

Zhuang Xuejiu stood beside his carriage, fanning himself as he smiled at his students and said, "Today, the Grand Chancellors in court are on leave; you need not return with me to the Sheng household—go your own ways."

Hearing this, Xu Zaijing and the others exchanged delighted glances and bowed in unison, replying, "Yes, sir."

Their voices rang out loudly, drawing glances from nearby commoners.

After Zhuang Xuejiu boarded his carriage,

Gu Tingye grabbed Chang Bai, who was about to mount his horse and return to Jiyin Alley with the scholar, and said, "Chang Bai, even when you have free time, you always lock yourself up in the Sheng household—we rarely get to drink together."

"Today's your chance—don't try to run off again."

After Gu Tingye spoke,

Xu Zaijing and the others nodded in agreement.

Chang Bai struggled slightly, looking at Gu Tingye's firm grip on his sleeve and the surrounding circle of Xu Zaijing and Qi Heng, then sighed and said, "I won't run—let go."

Afterwards,

All mounted their horses and headed toward Bianjing.

Because so many citizens had left the city, they deliberately avoided the North Gate, detoured, and entered through the western Jin Yaomen Gate.

It was still morning; the sun blazed from the east, and heading west then south allowed them to ride beneath the shade of trees.

Along the way,

Cicadas sang incessantly,

Beneath the roadside shade, stalls selling fruit and toona sinensis were common.

Business today was excellent.

After entering the city,

They rode along the moat beside the inner city wall for a while, then reached the vicinity of Tianbo Gate in the inner city; continuing east led to Jinglong Gate, where the Emperor had once received Bai Gao's surrender.

The group debated among themselves which proper inn to visit in the city.

Gu Tingye laughed and said, "Third Brother, Chang Bai has never been to Pan Lou—why not go there?"

Hearing this, Qi Heng and Chang Feng exchanged amused glances.

Chang Bai looked puzzled at his brother-in-law, who seemed hesitant.

Seeing Zhaizhang's expression, Gu Tingye shifted focus and asked, "Jing Ge'er, what do you think?"

"Jing Ge'er?" Gu Tingye asked again, then followed Xu Zaijing's gaze forward: "What is it?"

Xu Zaijing shaded his eyes with his folding fan and said, "The group passing in the distance looks somewhat like Zhang Shipan."

Gu Tingye's eyes widened: "That damned Zhang bastard—how dare that convict leave the palace?"

Xu Zaijing squinted and shook his head slightly: "The sunlight was blinding when I saw them—it was only a flash, but it looked similar."

"Who cares—let's go take a look! Yaa!"

Saying this, Gu Tingye spurred his horse forward.

Xu Zaijing lightly kicked his flanks, and the Liliju obediently followed.

Behind them, Zhaizhang, Chang Bai, and the others had no choice but to quicken their pace.

When Xu Zaijing and Gu Tingye reached the vicinity of Jinglong Gate,

They found the continuous stream of citizens exiting the inner city too dense to cut through.

Looking north, the road stretched endlessly with riders, carriages, and pedestrians; colorful banners fluttered, and steam from roadside stalls occasionally obscured the view.

Standing in their stirrups to get a better view, they saw only a sea of backs.

"Jing Ge'er, did you spot him?" Gu Tingye asked.

"No." The glare of sunlight made the figures indistinct even to Xu Zaijing.

Qingyun and Zhi Que behind them also scanned the crowd.

But their eyesight was worse than Gu Tingye's—they saw nothing.

After Chang Bai and the others caught up, they watched a while longer, then turned into the inner city.

This left Gu Tingye and Xu Zaijing lagging behind,

On the way to Pan Lou,

Gu Tingye said, "Jing Ge'er, if it really was them, what would we do if we caught up?"

Xu Zaijing looked at him in confusion and said, "Er Lang, naturally we do as we must—shoot a few arrows at them, and let them return the favor."

At the precise hour of Si (around 10:00 a. m.)

Main street of Pan Lou,

Eastern entrance,

The sun blazed fiercely, scorching.

Beneath Sibaozhai, beside several luxurious carriages, one carriage slowed and stopped.

The sturdy maids standing at the door hurried forward to place the mounting stool beside the vehicle.

A well-dressed young lady lifted the curtain and smiled: "Thank you, Sister Zhu of the Zhu household."

"You're too kind, Fu Yi."

As she spoke, Fu Yi picked up two large food baskets, preparing to step down from the carriage.

Seeing this, the maid reached out to help carry the baskets, and Fu Yi thanked her several times.

Upon entering the first floor, the ambient temperature instantly cooled, easing the frown Fuyi had drawn from the sunlight.

Then, Fuyi smiled as she took the food box from Mrs. Zhu, lifting one in each hand as she ascended to the second floor.

The second floor was even cooler than the first.

Several noble ladies from Bianjing, dressed in vibrant summer attire, laughed and chatted while fanning themselves with round silk fans.

Seeing Fuyi come up the stairs, Chai Zhengzheng rose and smiled: "You've finally arrived."

At the puzzled expressions of the noble ladies on the second floor, Chai Zhengzheng chuckled: "It's the chilled snacks and drinks from the two shops outside Jiusong Gate."

At these words, the noble ladies in the room all brightened—except one, seated among them, who looked slightly bewildered.

Gu Tingyi leaned over beside her and smiled: "Sister Chu Hong, among all the chilled treats in the capital, the two shops outside Jiusong Gate are the most famous and delicious; no other shop can replicate their flavor."

As he spoke,

Fuyi, with help from other maids, had already opened the food box on the table and removed the chilled snacks, each surrounded by ice.

"Miss, this is heduo chilled in cold boiled water." A porcelain bowl was placed before Zhang Wu niang.

Soon after, chilled jelly, vegetarian skewers, and other items were set before each noble lady.

In an instant, the aroma of the food filled the second floor.

Finally, Fuyi lifted from the bottom of the food box a large, colorful porcelain platter.

The platter was piled high with chunks of melon, peaches, apricots, plums, watermelon, and other fruits,

along with some dried fruits and candied treats; beneath them lay a layer of glistening ice.

As soon as it was brought out, the fruit chunks on the platter faintly emitted white, cold mist.

"Wow! Snow Threshold Ice Platter!"

One noble lady exclaimed with delight.

Chai Zhengzheng smiled and gestured for Fuyi to portion the ice platter into smaller porcelain bowls.

Once distributed, Chai Zhengzheng picked up a bowl and placed it beside the noble lady next to Gu Tingyi, smiling: "Sister Chu Hong, try this ice platter. I wonder if you've had it before in Beiliao."

As Chai Zhengzheng spoke to the girl from the Lu Long Zhao family, Fuyi carried a porcelain bowl toward Rong Feiyan.

Before she reached her, Rong Feiyan waved her off with a smile, signaling she need not bring it over.

Fuyi paused, then noticed nothing chilled had been placed before Rong Feiyan; a thought crossed her mind.

She bowed respectfully, then returned to Chai Zhengzheng's side.

After whispering a few words to Chai Zhengzheng, Fuyi turned and descended the stairs again.

After a while, Fuyi returned carrying a fruit basket—cleaned fruit, not chilled.

Handing the basket to Zi Teng, Fuyi whispered to Chai Zhengzheng: "Miss, when I went to buy fruit, I saw Xu Wu's personal attendant Qingyun and Qi Jia Buwei."

Chai Zhengzheng's eyes lit up: "Oh? Did you greet them?"

"I did. Qingyun and Buwei were on horseback, also heading to Jiusong Gate to buy chilled snacks and drinks," Fuyi replied.

Before Chai Zhengzheng could ask, Fuyi continued: "They said they'd just returned from the northern city. Today's academy was off, so they went with classmates to Pan Lou for some fun."

Chai Zhengzheng nodded with a smile: "What a coincidence—you ran into them like this."

After a glance, Chai Zhengzheng walked over to Gu Tingyi and said: "Sister Tingyi, I heard Xu Wu, Gu Er, and my cousin are having fun at Pan Lou."

Chai Zhengzheng bringing things to Qi Heng, though called cousin, felt a bit abrupt.

But Gu Tingyi bringing things to her own brother posed no issue.

Pan Lou,

third-floor private room,

the room held little conversation,

yet the sounds of crunching and slurping—"crunch crunch," "slurp slurp"—never ceased.

Since morning, Xu Zaijing and the others had barely drunk any water.

The sun was fierce, the heat intense.

They were all quite thirsty.

After entering the cool private room, they abandoned decorum and began devouring the watermelon, peaches, and other fruits chilled in cold water.

After a long while,

Gu Tingye tossed his watermelon rind aside, took a cloth from his servant Zhi Que, and wiped his mouth.

"Ah, that's better!"

No sooner had he spoken,

"Burp."

Gu Tingye let out another burp.

Then he glanced at the pile of watermelon rinds before him, compared it to Xu Zaijing's, and asked, puzzled: "Jing Ge, you didn't seem to be eating much—why do you have more rinds than I do?"

Xu Zaijing looked calm, about to speak,

"Burp."

After a moment, Xu Zaijing said: "I don't spit out the seeds."

Hearing this, Gu Tingye gave Xu Zaijing a thumbs-up and laughed: "Jing Ge, you're not afraid the seeds will sprout in your belly?" The others in the room burst into laughter.

On the other side, Chang Feng waited until Zhi Que cleared away Gu Tingye's rinds, then moved over and smiled: "Brother Er, I heard you and Liu Liu went to Madam Ruan's a couple days ago? How was it?"

"Cough."

Gu Tingye cleared his throat, glancing nervously at Zai Zhang and Xu Zaijing.

"Chang Feng, where did you hear such gossip?"

"Brother Er, my servant is friends with Qiao Jiu's attendant—they told me."

"Pfft."

Zai Zhang spat seeds into a porcelain dish beside him and said to Gu Tingye: "Brother Er, you went—you went. It's nothing. I won't go tattle to Aunt Bai."

Gu Tingye smiled and looked at Xu Zaijing.

Xu Zaijing chuckled: "I've been there too. Just don't get too obsessed, Brother Er."

Gu Tingye glared and declared loudly: "Jing Ge, what are you talking about? I'm not obsessed—I'm not Qiao Jiu!"

No sooner had he spoken,

a voice came from outside the private room: Han Niu, Chang Bai's servant.

"Lord Liang Liu and Lord Qiao Jiu have arrived."

Hearing this,

Gu Tingye glanced awkwardly at the others, his eyes pleading.

Outside the room,

Han Niu, holding half a watermelon, grinned as he led the two men inside.

Moments later, Liang Han and Qiao Jiu stepped around the screen and entered the room.

Qiao Jiu smiled at everyone and bowed: "Just now outside my room, I heard someone calling my name—could you tell me which brother was speaking of me?"

(End of Chapter)