Eternal Night - Chapter 41
Let's just live like this for the next few years.
Volume Two
My daughter has grown up.
In the spring of the twenty-third year of Yujia, Kyoto was shrouded in an unusual atmosphere.
The teahouses and taverns along the long street leading from Jian'anmen to the Meridian Gate were packed.
"Prince Duan is both a scholar and a warrior, and his strategies are superb. He personally led the elite troops of the Capital Guard, the Xiongqu Army, and the Leopard Cavalry into battle. I've heard that His Highness the Third Prince is brave enough to withstand ten thousand men. The Chen army is bound to be defeated," a scholar said confidently.
Some people scoffed, "Think about how treacherous the terrain of Sanyu Pass is. Eighteen years ago, the Chen army suffered a great defeat because of this terrain when they pressed in, and were defeated by Prince Duan. Now, if they repeat the same mistake and encounter our elite troops and generals again, how can they not be defeated?"
Everyone at the table nodded in agreement.
The war between An and Chen began last winter and has lasted for more than three months. Prince Duan is in command, and the third prince, Yongxiang, is promoted to General Wuxian and accompanies the army. An has deployed three-tenths of its six armies and is holding the strategic pass of Sanyu Pass. The defeat of the Chen army was expected.
Today, the three armies have returned victorious to the capital, and the citizens of the capital have flocked out to catch a glimpse of Prince Duan and the Third Prince.
Amidst the noise, a clear voice called out, "Waiter! Are there any window seats left?!"
The voice, like a nightingale's song, immediately attracted the attention of the guests upstairs. Turning around, they saw a young girl, about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a delicate oval face and a pair of bright, lively eyes. She wore a light green spring dress, which made her skin appear even whiter, like a figure from a painting.
Seeing her wealthy and noble attire, the waiter hesitated, then approached her with a fawning smile and said, "Miss, we're fully booked today..."
The girl pouted and pointed to a corner with her slender hand: "Isn't there an empty table over there?"
The waiter knew she was referring to the empty private room behind the bamboo curtain, and said apologetically, "It was reserved three days ago, probably to see the military might. The military has been in the city for a while, so the guests haven't arrived yet."
The girl snorted, then opened her palm to reveal a gold ingot weighing five taels: "Is this enough for you to pay him the deposit?"
Sweat began to bead on the waiter's forehead. He stared at the gold ingot, swallowed hard, but dared not reach out to take it. The shopkeeper, hearing the commotion, smiled and walked over to the young woman, bowing to her: "Please, young lady. Our shop has been in business for decades, relying entirely on the patronage of our customers. We dare not tarnish our reputation. No matter how much gold you offer, we cannot accept it. Today we have many customers; may I find you a good spot?"
As he spoke, he bowed again to the group of customers by the window. The innkeeper was usually kind and friendly, and the young woman before him was a beautiful lady. Who would make things difficult for such a beauty? They could only hope that she would sit a little longer and that they could catch a few more glances at her. Before long, a table by the window was indeed made available.
"This way, miss!" The shopkeeper and waiter said with a big smile, thinking they had solved a major problem.
The young girl smiled gently and walked straight into the private room behind the bamboo curtain. At that moment, footsteps sounded on the stairs again, and a maid ran up, turned around and looked around, panting as she entered the private room: "Miss, you walked too fast."
The innkeeper was extremely worried because the master and servant were so arrogant. He repeatedly said to the young lady, "Oh dear, miss! What are we going to do when the guests arrive?"
The girl smiled gently: "Don't worry, shopkeeper, he won't make things difficult for you. Just let him..." A blush rose on the girl's face, and she bit her lip and continued, "...just let him sit outside!"
Ayu covered her mouth and laughed, "Don't worry, shopkeeper, with my princess here, there won't be any trouble! Waiter! Please bring a pot of Biluochun tea and a few plates of delicate pastries."
The innkeeper and waiter were startled by Ayu's words. A princess had arrived, but that gentleman... They couldn't help but wipe away a cold sweat. The people in the teahouse also heard it and became even more curious.
"Princess Qiangwei! She is Princess Qiangwei, the beloved daughter of the Marquis of Jing'an!"
"No wonder he wouldn't sit in the main hall!"
"No matter how noble the princess's status is, the guests who have made reservations will be willing to give up their seats."
Someone chuckled, glanced inside, and lowered their voice, saying, "There's going to be a good show later."
His voice was mysterious and soft; before the army even entered the city, everyone strained their ears to hear him continue.
"Don't you know that this princess has everything she wants and is the object of His Highness the Crown Prince's affections?"
The crowd erupted in uproar.
The man smiled mysteriously again: "But the princess has a nemesis!"
"who?"
"Who dares to compete with His Highness the Crown Prince?"
The man, his face beaming with excitement, was about to reveal the secret. Suddenly, there was another sound on the stairs, and four armed guards came up. Everyone's gaze shifted to the top of the stairs. They wondered who this person was, given such a grand entrance.
Upon seeing that it was someone who had come to make a reservation, the innkeeper wiped away a bead of cold sweat and greeted them with a forced smile: "Sir! That...this humble servant..."
The guard followed the shopkeeper's gaze, glanced at the two people behind the bamboo curtain, his lips twitched, whether he was suppressing a laugh or about to explode in anger, he finally sighed and respectfully turned around to call out, "Young Master!"
Everyone craned their necks to look, and saw a young man, about seventeen or eighteen years old, strolling up the stairs. He wore a purple silk robe, his figure was slightly thin, and his face was pale and ashen, but his features were indescribably beautiful, and his every move exuded a captivating and elegant air. A collective gasp escaped their lips. A beautiful princess, and now a dashing young nobleman! They felt they had stumbled upon a truly spectacular sight.
Someone whispered, pointing, "That's the heir apparent of Prince Duan!"
"I've heard that the Prince Duan's son and the Princess look remarkably alike. If she were the Princess, I wonder what an enchanting beauty she would be!" After a long while, someone sighed.
"I heard he's been sick; you can tell just by looking at his complexion."
"The Crown Prince must have come to witness the triumphant return of Prince Duan!"
He had already realized from her words that the princess's nemesis was actually the heir of Prince Duan, and his eyes widened as he waited to see what would happen.
Yongye went upstairs, glanced at everyone's faces, and was about to walk towards the private room when he saw the beautiful figure behind the bamboo curtain. He didn't stop but changed direction and walked to the empty table by the window to sit down.
Four guards stood behind him, blocking everyone's view.
Seeing that he wasn't angry, the shopkeeper personally served him tea and then selected the shop's signature small dish, carefully attending to him from the side.
"You may leave." Yongye knew the shopkeeper was uneasy, fearing he might lose his temper.
The innkeeper bowed and scraped as he withdrew. Wiping his sweat, he thought to himself, "When gods fight, mortals suffer. The princess wanted to take the prince's seat, but luckily the prince was as gentle as rumored; otherwise, this teahouse probably wouldn't be able to stay open."
Rose, who was inside, saw everything that was happening outside. Seeing that Yongye was ignoring her and remained silent about her taking the seat, she stomped her feet in anger and tugged at Ayu, saying, "What should we do? He's ignoring me!"
Ayu's eyes darted around: "Why is the princess in such a hurry? How do you usually treat His Highness the Crown Prince?"