Clouds Drunk, Moon Slightly Sleeping

Chapter 74

I blinked a few times and asked, "What bill?"

"You haven't paid for the two bowls of noodles!"

I blinked a few more times and said, "I traded these noodles for steamed buns, why should I pay?"

"But you didn't pay for the steamed buns either!"

"Boss, I traded flatbread for the steamed buns," I said matter-of-factly.

"You didn't pay for that pancake either!" the middle-aged man said, getting a little anxious.

I laughed and said, "I traded steamed buns for the flatbread."

The middle-aged man's face was already a little red, and he stammered, "But...but you didn't pay for the steamed buns either."

I quickly said loudly, "Boss, we didn't eat those buns at all, why are you asking us for money?"

The middle-aged man froze on the spot, and I immediately grabbed the fox and ran away. That damned fox! From beginning to end, he'd acted like he was watching my performance, even needing me to remind him to run away. What kind of person is he? Making me freeload off ordinary people! How embarrassing for a prime minister like me if word gets out! I'll have Night Wind send some silver back later; I can't be exploiting the people.

Clouds Drunk, Moon Slightly Asleep (Revised Edition) Volume Three: If Life Were Only Like Our First Meeting - An Incognito Visit (Part Two)

Chapter word count: 4609 Update time: 08-12-23 14:39

An incognito visit (Part 2)

The fox looked at me with a strange gaze the whole way, which I consciously called "adoration." But despite its admiration, the fox didn't utter a single word of praise for me.

"Is the noodle good?" I glanced at the fox. Of course, no one was chasing after us. Didn't you see that the breakfast stall only had a middle-aged man? Even if he realized what was happening, he wouldn't be stupid enough to abandon his business and chase after a few coins.

"It's passable," the fox managed to utter, still looking at me with that "admiring" gaze.

Sigh, liars get punished. If it was just something to eat, could you really finish a bowl of noodles? And even someone as picky as me, who grew up in the south and doesn't often eat noodles, drank all the soup. I chuckled to myself, stopped in front of the inn, and waved to the fox with a sly grin. The fox gave me a puzzled look, probably thinking something good was going on since my eyes were practically slits from laughing. He reluctantly came over, and I beckoned to him again, indicating I wanted to whisper something. He leaned down slightly, and I whispered mischievously in his ear, "Brother, liars get diarrhea later."

After saying that, I immediately dashed back to my room, then scrambled onto the bed in a few quick movements, grinning like an idiot. Hehe, you know, someone as pampered as Fox might actually get diarrhea from eating these noodles. This kid may have gone to school, but he's never lived in a dormitory. If Fox really gets diarrhea, hahaha, that would be a truly unprecedented embarrassing scene! Just imagining Fox's stunningly beautiful face, her usual languid and elegant demeanor suddenly transformed into a pained expression, frowning, pulling up her pants, frantically searching for the bathroom, made me laugh so hard I collapsed onto the bed.

No, no, I have to go check. If I really see the fox looking so embarrassed, he probably won't dare to flaunt his royal airs in front of me anymore. I walked back to the inn's entrance but didn't see the fox. I went back to my room, chin in hand, staring at the sky, wondering where the fox had gone. Did he really have diarrhea and went to the outhouse? A little while later, the fox returned, followed by Ruochen. I blinked at them a few times in confusion. The fox glanced at me, a smile playing on his lips, and said lightly, "We're leaving. If you want to stay in Hezhou a few more days, go ahead and keep daydreaming."

After saying that, he turned and walked out. My hand slipped, and my chin almost hit the table. I quickly got up and followed him. Seizing the opportunity, I grabbed Ruochen, who was following behind the fox, and pulled him aside to ask in a low, mysterious voice, "Ruochen, did your big brother ask you for antidiarrheal medicine?"

The little brat frowned, shook off my hand, and even pretended to dust off his sleeves, throwing down a "crazy woman" before eagerly following his benefactor again. Honestly, this kid is really unlovable and unappealing, just like a fox. If only Ye Feng were here; even if he wouldn't tell me, I could guess the answer from his expression. Wait, I don't see Ye Feng. Where did little Ye Feng go?

I sat in the carriage waiting for the fox to have diarrhea, but as usual, he sat comfortably against the carriage, even placing his fox leg over the edge next to me, without a trace of anything unusual on his face. Xiao Ye returned not long after, but the fox still showed no unusual reaction. Disappointed and bored, I climbed over and lay on top of him, resting my head on his leg and hugging his waist. This way, I could rest and sleep, and I would know immediately if the fox got out of the carriage with diarrhea.

Another day of travel. I spent the whole day nestled on the fox's body, letting him feed me when I was hungry and drink when I was thirsty. I didn't verbally thank or praise him for his cooperation and rare service, but in my sleep, I very enthusiastically salivad onto his clothes in return.

I still carefully kept the fly's letter. The fox said that the situation in Wangzhou was good. Those Moon Gazing Soldiers who wanted to be like cicadas catching sparrows had been almost wiped out. However, the gates of Wangzhou were more fortified than expected, so it would take some time to break through the city.

Of course I believe Erlinzi, and judging from Fox, he is unwavering and has never doubted. To become a general at such a young age, he could not have done so solely through family background or personal relationship with Fox.

"Big brother, tell me about Second Brother's battle situation these past few days." I was bored, so I pestered the fox to chat with me.

"You can ask him yourself when he gets back." The fox let my hair down again. Luckily, we were in the carriage, so no one saw me dressed as a man with my hair down, otherwise I might have been mistaken for a transvestite. No, there's no such thing as a transvestite in this era.

"He'd never say a word!" I scoffed, quickly pulling the hair from the fox's hand. Sigh, if Erlinzi comes back and I eagerly ask him about the battle, wanting him to recount his glorious deeds, he'll definitely blush and stammer, ending up with nothing at all.

"If he won't tell, then go to the streets and alleys and listen." The fox looked at me amusedly, then picked up a few strands of my hair and played with them. What a feline! He was treating my hair like a ball of yarn! Oh dear, is a fox a feline? Ugh... But what he said makes sense. Even if Erlinzi doesn't tell, I'm afraid there will be a dozen or so versions of his glorious deeds circulating in the streets.

"Big brother, do you have any news about Xilan?" I looked up at him, partly to see the change in the fox's expression, and partly to avoid him misunderstanding and to make him see my expression. I was innocent and straightforward.

"They've already gone into battle, so there shouldn't be any major problems."

The fox seemed just as calm as I was, showing no signs of anything suspicious. Now that I'm on the battlefield, my injuries should be mostly healed, right? But Xi Lan hasn't replied to my messages at all. Could she be angry that I left without saying goodbye?

"I want to write another letter. No, two letters, one to my second brother too." I looked at the fox expectantly. Actually, if the fox didn't need to send someone to deliver the letter for me, I wouldn't have bothered telling him.

"Mmm." He casually agreed, spreading his fingers and running them through my hair, from the roots to the ends, over and over again, as if he would never tire of it. His whole being, his face, and his eyes exuded a deep tenderness. My heart was filled not only with gratitude but also with happiness. Such a fox was truly rare.

We continued onward for several days. The journey wasn't rushed, but it wasn't slow either. Fox seemed quite interested in my "incognito visit," but he was also probably worried about the state of the nation. Although the war was temporarily over, he had apparently been away for quite a while, and I understood his eagerness to return. So I simply followed him obediently and didn't make a fuss or run around.

However, I still gained a general understanding of the prefectures and counties we passed through. Although I didn't follow Master Kang's example and eliminate corrupt officials and local bullies, I felt particularly happy to see the people living in peace and contentment. I also kept in mind any shortcomings so that I could formulate targeted measures upon returning. Moreover, whether it was intentional on the part of the fox or for other reasons, the people were fully aware of the reasons for this military expedition, so they not only did not oppose it, but were quite supportive of it.

Now, here's the main point I want to make, please allow me to gather my emotions for a moment! *Sobbing* I don't know why, but starting from the night we set off from Hezhou, for the past few days, people at every inn we stayed at were discussing the legendary story of Yun Yue, and it was being talked about everywhere. Yes, yes, you heard me right, and you don't need to doubt it, it wasn't Yun Feng, it was Yun Yue! I was stunned for a long time at first, but after a few days, it really was Yun Yue—Yun Xiang's younger sister, Yun Yue!

While the versions of the story differ slightly in details, the general outline remains the same: With the nation in peril, Yun Xiang's younger sister offers a plan and later volunteers herself. Yun Xiang is sent as an envoy to Han Xing, while his sister persuades Tian Qing. It is said that his sister captivated the entire Tian Qing royal palace with a stunning dance, winning the heart of the Tian Qing king, who adopted her as his goddaughter, named her Xi Yue, and bestowed upon her the title of Princess Xi Yue. She successfully persuades Tian Qing, and Yun Xiang also successfully persuades Han Xing. Han Xing feigns an alliance with Wang Yue, but betrays them at the last minute, joining forces with Long Yao to catch Wang Yue off guard. Furthermore, it is rumored that Yun Yue fought alongside the Tian Qing marshal, and played a crucial role in the Battle of Si Zhou…

The part after the ellipsis is a bit different. Some say that Yun Yue fought bravely against the enemy, while others say that Prince Wang Yue voluntarily surrendered. However, it doesn't mention the abduction of Wangzhou by Yun Yue. Perhaps the time was too short and there wasn't enough time to send the message back to Long Yao. Otherwise, who knows what would have happened.

The story is basically consistent with the facts, but in such a detailed and elaborate rumor, it is surprising that it doesn't mention Yun Yue taking office in place of her brother. You mean the instigator knew that the idea of persuading me was mine, and that I was the one who went to Tianqing, as if they knew me inside and out? How come they omitted the part about taking office in place of her brother? Yun Feng was already famous throughout the land for his virtue, and now Yun Yue is being portrayed as the empress dowager saving the world in a chaotic era. If everyone knew that the Yun Prime Minister they loved and respected was the same Yun Yue who was now being touted as a fairy descended to earth to save all living beings, would they support and love her even more fervently, or would they investigate me for impersonating the emperor?

I was initially confused by the source of the rumors, but then I began to seriously doubt the cunning fox who listened to them with a smile without batting an eye. Because the rumors spread and circulated, and were discussed and debated, eventually even reaching the topic of the Emperor's marriage. One group said the Emperor was going to marry a princess from Ye Cang Kingdom for a political alliance—a cause for great joy! Another group said our future Empress should be like Yun Yue, someone who would risk her own life to save the country from peril, and would surely love her people like her own children. Moreover, as the younger sister of Prime Minister Yun, she must be dignified, virtuous, gentle, and beautiful…

If the fox wasn't involved, would he tolerate people pointing fingers at him and making his marriage the subject of gossip? But is there really such a thing as a marriage alliance? That damn fox wouldn't be running off to another country to propose to a princess while I'm working myself to the bone to solve his problems, would he? Ugh, if that's the case, I might as well castrate him.

I wanted to ask him if the marriage proposal was true, but the fox's face showed no sign of anything amiss. Besides, although I had accepted the Phoenix Orchid Jade Pendant, and he had whispered in my ear about the phoenix coronet and embroidered robes, the empress, and the prime minister, he hadn't formally proposed yet. If I asked, wouldn't it seem like I was more eager than him? If he couldn't commit to only me, then even without the marriage proposal, there would be other arrangements like taking a concubine. In short, what I wanted to say was that if the fox understood me, knew what I was thinking, and was willing to spend his life with me, then I wouldn't need to worry about this marriage proposal; that was his problem to solve. He should understand that if he wanted us to be together, he had to resolve these troublesome matters first. If he had a history of romantic entanglements, then even if an imperial decree ordered me to marry him, he could only dream about it. I would definitely stage a spectacular elopement! Even so, I still felt a pang of jealousy. The fox knew I had heard the rumors about his marriage proposal, yet he didn't even bother to explain. Ugh, his conscience must have been eaten by a dog!

Keep going, and you'll soon reach Longzhou.

The closer I got to Longzhou, the more anxious I suddenly felt. This journey back was to return to familiar surroundings, and with the fox by my side, I'd been quite happy these past few days. When I can enjoy life, I never seek trouble or intentionally ruin my mood, so I deliberately avoided thinking about certain things. But now that I was about to return to the Yun family mansion, the worries I'd previously tossed aside resurfaced on their own.

Three people accompanied me when I left, but now I've returned alone. Yun Yao and Yun Hui should be back around the same time, because when I wrote to Xi Lan, I asked her to tell Yun Hui and the others to come home. But Hong'er will never return, and Cui'er, she must be heartbroken. Moreover, Fox agreed to my mission to Tianqing partly because he wanted to take the opportunity to thoroughly investigate the Yun family. He was previously worried that the Yun family was connected to Wang Yue, but now it seems that's not the case. So what is the secret of the Yun family? Fox said that Yun Feng will tell me the secret of the Yun family himself. What will be my fate? Fox and Yun Feng have met; how will this change his attitude towards me?

"Qianqian." The fox looked at me with heartache in his eyes, reached out and put his arm around me. I looked up at him, feeling a little uneasy. He stroked my face with one hand, sighed softly, and said gently, "Don't worry, nothing will happen."

I nodded, feeling somewhat annoyed.

He looked at me and gently pinched my cheek. I rolled my eyes at him, and a big smile immediately appeared on his face. He turned me around and made me sit on his lap with my back to him. While combing my hair, he joked, "It seems that my Qianqian has matured after this trip. She can think things through, is afraid of the unknown, and worries about troubles that she can't solve."