The sun rises in the east.
The morning sun shines into the luxurious mansion, while the chaos in the front yard continues:
"Ugh~ What is that...?"
"There's a ghost..."
Inside the guest room, the Old Divine Physician Sun had finished treating the injuries and left, while the two maids waited outside.
Ye Xingge had finished dressing in her greyish-white brocade robe and was tidying herself up in front of the mirror when footsteps and voices came from outside the door again:
"Master."
"Everyone, go down and check on Yueyao..."
Upon seeing Ye Xingge went to the door and opened it to check.
Squeak~
Outside the door, Lady of Anyang stood with her maidservant. She was still wearing a silver-white dress. She was not tall, but she was plump and well-proportioned. The dress was also well-designed, and her waist and hips were accentuated by the dress, revealing her inherent elegance and grace.
And Guo Taiming's face also wore a gentle, warm smile:
"Not bad, these clothes fit quite well."
Ye Xingge had heard of Lady of Anyang's father's story of preferring death to dishonor, and she held him in high esteem.
"Greetings, Lady of Anyang. These clothes are far too precious..."
An Yurou's goal for this trip was clear: to win a man's heart through his stomach. She walked into the house with a beaming smile.
"It fits perfectly, no need to be so polite. Young Master Ye has been traveling for several days and must not have eaten or slept well. I just had the cook prepare a few dishes, I don't know if they will suit your taste."
As they were talking, Da Xiyue, with her beautiful face and the moon-like features, carried a tray into the house and placed various exquisite dishes on the round table.
Ye Xingge felt somewhat undeserving of such hospitality, and glanced briefly at the dishes:
" Jiangzhou vinegar fish, Wensi tofu, salted duck... Lady of Anyang has gone to great lengths. I am but a humble man and do not deserve such hospitality."
Xiyue, who was arranging the dishes with her delicate, flawless buttocks sticking out, said in surprise upon hearing the voice:
"These are all dishes from Jiangzhou. Has Young Master Ye seen them before?"
My family runs a guesthouse; I used to run one myself.
"Yeah?"
An Yurou looked surprised. She sat down at the table, picked up her chopsticks, and placed a piece of fish in her bowl.
"The head chef of this household is from the south. He used to be the head chef at Myriad Phenomena Tower. I ate there once and found the food quite good, so I hired him. I wonder how his cooking compares to Young Master Ye's."
" Myriad Phenomena Tower..."
Upon hearing the prestigious signboard, Ye Xingge became more serious. Ignoring the peacock that was right next to him, he picked up his chopsticks and savored the vinegar fish.
Xiyue and Lady of Anyang both had big, bright eyes, eagerly waiting for Ye Xingge to be amazed by his beauty!
After all, before Nine Sabers Chen Dahai) came here, in order to make his identity believable, he specially studied in the Imperial Kitchen of the Later Zhou Dynasty for a year and then trained in the kitchen of Myriad Phenomena Tower.
Coupled with her already superb knife skills, her culinary skills were only slightly inferior to those of the imperial chefs. Since her arrival, all the maids in the manor have gained several pounds, which speaks volumes about her abilities.
As a small shopkeeper from another county, Ye Xingge's resume clearly shows he's never enjoyed the luxuries of the capital. One bite of this, and surely he'll be completely captivated, right?
But clearly, they underestimated how much effort Ye Xingge had put in to save the inn's business!
Ye Xingge took a bite and carefully savored the fish with his lips and teeth. He could see that the fish was fresh and tender without falling apart, and the ratio of vinegar to sugar was well-balanced. It was sour but not pungent, and sweet but not cloying. It was indeed of a high standard.
However, Jiangzhou vinegar fish is very particular. It is best to use a fresh grass carp weighing about 1.5 jin (750g), which should be kept in clean water for one or two days beforehand to remove the muddy taste and tighten the meat.
This dish used the right fish, but it was clearly made hastily without any prior preparation.
Secondly, the vinegar used is from Wu Ji in Beijing, which has a strong sour taste and a rich aroma of caramel and malt.
However, this dish is meant to be light, so it should be made with Muyang rice vinegar, which has a mild, pleasant sourness that isn't overpowering...
However, the chef's knife skills were indeed impressive; he executed a perfect seven and a half cuts with flawless force, suggesting he might have some martial arts background...
Although the evaluation wasn't high, Ye Xingge understood human nature and, after a moment's reflection, his eyes lit up:
"Excellent skill! The flavor is perfectly balanced between sweet and sour, and the meat is incredibly tender. I've never seen anyone else in Qingxi make this dish to such a high standard."
"Hehe~"
Lady of Anyang was very satisfied with this and even helped serve the food.
" Yueyao is a picky eater and usually eats here, but she's still not as good as the imperial chef. If Young Master Ye likes her food, I'll have Xiyue deliver it to you every day at mealtimes."
No, please don't...
Ye Xingge knew that Lady of Anyang meant well, but he was afraid he couldn't handle eating this every day, so he thought for a moment and replied:
" Lady of Anyang are too kind. I am but a lowly servant in the government office, how could I possibly eat and drink for free all day long? If there is a chance in the future, I will cook a few dishes for Lady of Anyang to try."
"Hehe~ Okay, it's settled then."
An Yurou was very satisfied with the progress, and helped serve the Wensi Tofu, saying:
"I happen to have quite a few vacant houses here. Since you'll be working at the yamen from now on, the rules require you to be on standby near the yamen at all times. How about you live in Peach Blossom Lane? Heaven-Observing Pavilion will pay the rent, and I can earn some money too."
Ye Xingge was studying how the salted duck was doing when he heard the sound and laughed:
"I heard Lord Luo mention it last time, and that's indeed the intention. Then I'll trouble Lady of Anyang."
"Sigh, I'm the landlord. What trouble is there in making money...?"
Lady of Anyang was thinking of a gradual, long-term relationship, waiting until they were more familiar with each other before making any moves. At the moment, they weren't overly intimate; after exchanging a few words, Lord Anyang stood up and said:
"Young Master Ye, please enjoy your meal. If you need anything, just call the maid. I'll go check on what Yueyao is doing."
"Alright, Lady of Anyang, take care."
Ye Xingge felt that Lady of Anyang was indeed approachable. He stood up and watched them leave. Only after the graceful master and servant had left did he breathe a sigh of relief. He raised his left hand, intending to contact Great Beauty.
Unexpectedly, from the corner of the room, a spirited girl in lantern pants suddenly appeared with a "whoosh," peeking through the door while holding up her cloak.
Wow~ This cloak is amazing...
"Holy shit--!"
Ye Xingge was so startled that he jumped up on the spot, hiding the Yellow Strip behind his waist. After a quick look, he realized it was Eldest Miss Shen and said in a trembling voice:
"Miss Shen? When did you arrive?"
Shen Yueyao took off the cloak and folded it neatly:
"I came here with Sister Yurou, and we've been here the whole time. Didn't Young Master Ye notice?"
Ye Xingge wouldn't have paid attention to these things for no reason, but now he witnessed just how penetrating the cloak was to an unsuspecting person:
"Really? I didn't notice that. Hmm... Miss Shen, would you like some?"
"No need, I've already eaten!"
After Shen Yueyao finished speaking, she picked up the " Wind-Traveling Talisman " again, intending to transform into the Lightning Heroine.
However, constantly playing with other people's things clearly doesn't seem like the behavior of a lady from a respectable family. Shen Yueyao pondered for a moment, then looked at Ye Xingge again, hesitating to speak.
Ye Xingge asked in confusion, "Does Miss Shen have any other plans?"
"Um..."
Shen Yueyao actually wanted to ask if Ye Xingge had been sent by her father to pursue her!
But how can a young woman bring up this kind of thing?
After thinking about it for a moment, Shen Yueyao decided to adopt a lively and youthful demeanor, taking the tassel from her waist and placing it on the table.
"It's only polite to reciprocate; you can borrow this one to play with as well."
With that, he shouted "Wind, come!" and his figure darted away in a flash.
"Hey?"
Ye Xingge looked her over and thought that this girl was probably a reincarnation of a spring spirit. Her personality was completely different from that of Magistrate Shen, and she was more like Uncle Wang's daughter...
Whoever marries her will be incredibly fortunate; they won't have to lift a finger, they can just watch Eldest Miss Shen play the piano...
After pondering this for a moment, Ye Xingge picked up the tassel again to examine it.
The tassel looks like an ornament, with a small gold ball on it.
Ye Xingge initially thought it was a soldier, but after gathering his energy, the golden ball began to buzz in his palm, and the sound of internal gears turning could be faintly heard.
"Hey?"
Ye Xingge looked surprised and opened his palm. The tassel was jumping around in his palm, just like Eldest Miss Shen. It didn't look like a soldier, but a wonderful toy made by mechanical arts.
but...
After observing it for a while, Ye Xingge felt that this "lively and bouncing egg" looked somewhat familiar, so he even tried it out by pressing it against his palm, mistaking it for a massage gun.
The result was an instant tingling sensation in his palm, and his eyes widened in astonishment...
Not long after.
The morning sun shines on both sides of the stone bridge, willow branches sway in the wind, and a few pedestrians stroll along the street.
With a package slung over his shoulder, Ye Xingge followed Chief Steward Hou out through a side door and entered Peach Blossom Lane, which contained more than a dozen small courtyards, all of which were the private property of Lady of Anyang.
The alley was mostly inhabited by military officers from the Heaven-Observing Pavilion. Since they had all gone on a mission to rescue him and had not yet returned, the alley was empty and quiet.
In an effort to win over Ye Xingge, Chief Steward Hou was quite enthusiastic in his words and actions. He was walking ahead, fanning himself, and introducing Ye Xingge:
"This is house number seven, a prime location in the alley, no one else lives nearby. But Young Master Ye should be careful if he stays here..."
Ye Xingge looked up and surveyed the alley:
"Unsafe?"
Hou Chou'er quickly shook his head. " The Heaven-Observing Decree is nearby; no thief dares to approach within three miles. However, Eldest Miss Shen is elusive and likes to walk on the rooftops when she visits. Young Master Ye is a martial artist and highly vigilant; we mustn't rashly attack and injure her..."
"Oh, I understand. I'll definitely pay attention to that in the future..."
After leading Ye Xingge to his residence, Steward Hou did not linger and quickly left with his entourage.
Ye Xingge watched them leave from the doorway, and only closed the door after they had gone far away, looking around.
The house has one courtyard, and although it is not large and square, the workmanship is quite exquisite. The cobblestones paving the middle path are carefully selected in color and shape.
The main house has a study and bedroom on the left and right sides, and a living room in the middle, which is fully equipped with a daybed, a display shelf, tables, chairs and benches, and is spotless.
Ye Xingge was quite satisfied with the environment; having come this far, he could be considered to have established a foothold in the capital.
However, after being busy for several days, I haven't even had a chance to say hello to my parents.
It really wouldn't be appropriate not to go and let them know I'm safe.
Thinking of this, Ye Xingge tidied up a bit more, picked up a large bag of spoils, retrieved his white horse from the Heaven-Observing Pavilion, and headed towards Azure Dragon Ward...
Noon.
Cicadas chirp~~~
The faint chirping of cicadas drifted down from the street. The rather large three-story inn, not yet open for business, had its doors tightly shut, and the interior was eerily quiet.
Ye Gucheng, dressed in a snow-white robe, with his sword and bamboo hat on the table, drank the wine in his bowl one sip after another. The strong liquor burned his heart and lungs, but it could not burn away the loneliness between his brows!
Ye Yuanshan, dressed as a wealthy man, was rather plump, and together with his younger brother who exuded an air of arrogance, they didn't seem to fit in at all. At this moment, he paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, occasionally peeking out the window.
Liu Ping'er sat on the armchair, holding a round fan, one hand supporting her forehead, watching the two brothers. After enduring for less than three minutes, she raised her hand and slammed it on the table:
"Second brother, have you had enough of this farewell drink? We've been drinking all night. If you're too scared to go, I'll go by myself!"
Seeing this, Ye Gucheng dared not drink any more wine, put down his wine bowl and sighed softly:
"Sister-in-law, Xingge is my own nephew. If he's in danger, how could I, as his second uncle, not risk my life to protect him? But you want me to take my sword and go to the Heaven-Observing Decree to demand his return? That's..."
"You've practiced martial arts your whole life, always boasting about how powerful you are, yet you wouldn't dare ask someone for help?"
"It's not a matter of how powerful I am; Heaven-Observing Decree is the First Rank ranked scholar in the first class..."
"Then you can go find Xingge."
"I don't know where Xingge went, otherwise she would have left long ago..."
"Okay, okay!"
As the biological father, Ye Yuanshan was obviously worried about his son's safety, but he also knew that the problem was definitely not the second son's fault.
Two days ago, Xingge entered the capital. They thought that he would restrain himself a bit in the capital, a place full of hidden talents.
Well, the result was good!
That very night, I heard that a Grand Duke Jupiter had appeared at the Yingtian Ward Opera House, killing more than thirty people and destroying the Return to Origin Cult branch!
They immediately sensed something was wrong and suspected that this might be the work of their rebellious son, Qian.
As expected, the outcome was exactly as predicted.
The shop, which had finally been renovated, hadn't even opened for business yet when the young master sacrificed over thirty people to appease the heavens. Anyone who didn't know better would think it was a branch of a demonic sect.
If travelers from the north and south dare to stay at an inn from now on, they'll be truly seeing a ghost.
Upon hearing the "bad news," Ye Yuanshan was too lazy to even open the inn. He had originally planned to wait for his son to arrive, then throw the keys away and let Ye Xingge run the inn himself, while the three of them returned to Qingxi to continue living off the small inn.
Unexpectedly, this unfilial son has grown up; after finishing his business, he didn't even bother to come over and greet his parents and uncle.
As a father, Ye Yuanshan also had to consider his son's feelings, so he couldn't go to the government office to interfere. Therefore, he waited at the inn.
After a day and a night, instead of seeing their son arrive, they saw the four commanders of the Heaven-Observing Pavilion leading three thousand embroidered-clothes men out in full force!
Upon seeing this situation, Ye Yuanshan's first reaction was:
Oh my god, are they going to call the Later Zhou next...?
After all, he had witnessed the founding of the Great Yan, and he had rarely seen the Four Heavenly Kings go out together.
However, it's impossible that his son orchestrated such a spectacle.
Ye Yuanshan was worried that something might happen in the chaos of war, so he wanted to go and find out what was going on, but everyone from the Heaven-Observing Pavilion had left. Who could he ask?
Liu Ping'er, as a mother, couldn't sit still any longer, so she sent her second son directly to ask the Heaven-Observing Decree for their son.
Ye Yuanshan knew that his second brother had practiced martial arts all his life and might have some hidden sword energy.
But it's impossible for them to hide so well that they can rival the second-best in the world!
Rushing in rashly and inadvertently offending the Heaven-Observing Decree will do no good for his son's future.
Therefore, the three of them could only continue to wait. As noon approached and there was still no movement outside, Ye Yuanshan could no longer sit still. He originally wanted to go with his second brother to inquire about the situation.
Fortunately, the son hadn't forgotten his elders. Just as the three of them were discussing how to visit the Heaven-Observing Pavilion, the familiar sound of horses' hooves finally came from Azure Dragon Street outside:
Hoofbeats, hoofbeats...