Ao Luanjing had no knowledge of what Senior Master Ao said to Ao Luanxiao after her leave.
On edge, she waited for two days, and finally got the good news that Sheng Family and Xu Family gave them a permit to join the group for the journey to Chang'an!
Though Senior Master Sheng and Old Marquis Xu's consent was in her expectation, she rejoiced at the glad news. Being eager to go back and prepare for the long-distance journey, she immediately set about packing up her stuff.
She was happy, though, Sheng Weiqiao wasn't. Madam Feng being pregnant and Sheng Lanci being occupied, she went to Sheng Shuihe to let off some steam, "I don't know what's in grandfather's head. Obviously, her target is you. Why did he still say yes?!"
"We're using our own ship for the journey. Considering grandfather's friendship with Senior Master Ao, how could he decently reject his request of letting Ao siblings tag along?" In Sheng Lanci couple's absence, Sh
"You are the one who couldn't wait to marry a girl from one of those prestigious families!" Flushed with shame, Sheng Weiqiao stroke the table furiously and said, "Besides, I want to feel what it's like to become the sister of the very best scholar. However, you haven't even taken the exam of imperial examination. It's only two of us here, and it's okay for you to brag about yourself. If this were to be heard by others, it would make them laugh their teeth off. If you really want to be the scholar with the highest scores and make our family proud of you, you should waste no time and read your books!"Having said that, she stood up and threw a book from the pile of books on the long table carved with golden patterns, "Read it. Don't slack off in your studies!"Then she left angrily.After that, she never visited Sheng Shuihe. Perhaps she was mad at him, or she was afraid that Sheng Shuihe would make similar remarks that she "could not wait to ma
"They have to check those people!" Sheng Weiqiao said, "At the time, we are going to be at sea. Although the ship and the people on the ship belong to us, boatmen and men steering the ship are not known to us! They didn't get close to us. We'd better let my father, Third Uncle and chief stewards check them for fear that some ruffians come onto our ship secretly. That will be worse!"Sheng Weiwu said with a grin, "They are elder brothers of us, so they need to prepare more for the safety of our journey!"Ao Luanjing felt relieved and nodded with a smile, "To make us sit here and have tea and snacks leisurely, they really should work more!"The girls hadn't sat in the restaurant for a long time before servants who took luggage onto the towered ship reported to them: All things were in order, waiting to be checked whether some adjustments should be made.Ao Luanjing knew that she had not many things to take, so it was not surprising t
When the wharf became a small spot in sight, Sheng Weiqiao finally put her arm down disappointedly and shouted Sheng Weiwu to return to the cabin to see their accommodation—although they had already seen the layout when they just boarded the ship, they only glanced at the overall situation hurriedly since the banquet at noon was ready. Now the spoiled sisters would definitely adjust some details to make the room in the boat more comfortable to live in the following days.After hearing her cousin was calling her, Sheng Weiwu shook off Sheng Shuihe's arm apart quickly without any words. Then the two sisters just threw him away and went upstairs holding their own hands together. They discarded him decidedly after they had used him.Xu Baomo and Ao Luanxiao were watching aside, they both pulled a wry face and said jokingly, "Brother Hengshu, you have been discarded after being used!""Now they just throw you away when they don't need you anymore. Y
The change of Gongsun Yingdun's attitude was greatly related to his terrible experience on the ship for almost a month. When he was brought onto the shore, Sheng Shuihe promised to Gongsun Yingjiang and Sheng Weiqiao that he would find Gongsun Yingdun a house or a remote manor with servants for his recovery, and he would bring him to the North as his close aide so that he could promote him when he gained power.It seemed like he would return good for evil with great intention!Sheng Weiqiao trusted him, and Gongsun Yingjiang, the sister who cared about her brother, also agreed on the plan, so that they left Gongsun Yingdun to Sheng Shuihe without asking where he would send him.Actually…Gongsun Yingdun had only lived in the luxurious house for five or six days for his recovery.He was brought to the ship for forced labor after they had made sure that he would not die for his wounds.At first, he tried to
Sheng Weiqiao, Sheng Weiwu, and Gongsun Yingjiang returned to the cabin on the top floor and had a discussion, "The ship will lie at anchor for half a day. Shall we go for a walk along the shore?"Sheng Weiwu was the first to agree, "We have been at sea for two days. There is nothing except seagulls and flying fish! Although the ship is big, I have been tired of it after a few days. The ship seldom lies at anchor in the harbor today. We have never been to Bishui County before. Didn't Xu Baomo say that there are many sights near the dock? Shall we bring a few guards with us and go for a walk? If we saw something funny and delicious, we could take some to our family when we return!""That Young Lord Xu evidently doesn't have good intentions towards auntie. What he said may not be believable!" When Gongsun Yingjiang said this, Sheng Weiqiao and Sheng Weiwu thought that she didn't approve of traveling. But she snickered, "So, if we went to the shore but didn't
Like what Sheng Lu said, Danmo Building wasn't far from the dock.The carriage stopped very soon.As the curtain was lifted, they smelled a bitter fragrance coming in the wind before getting out.And as they stepped out of the carriage, a luxuriant chrysanthemum was seen by the road, light golden and aromatic.Green-tiled, pink-walled, with red railings and well-carved windows, a three-story building was erected nearby, of which under the eave of the first floor hanged a gilded plate reading Danmo Building.With the gate open, people came and went all the time, which composed a bustling scene.Sheng Lu waited until Sheng Weiqiao and the others all came out of the carriage and then showed them in. As the one in charge of Sheng Family's local business, he knew well the staff in Danmo Building.Seeing him, an old man who dressed richly immediately came up to receive him. He said cheerfully, "Mr.
Sheng Lu immediately snapped gaze back from her and made a bow, "Miss, that woman is exactly Master Shi, the best dancer in Danmo Building, who was hired the year before. She's an excellent dancer and is particularly known for the work Green Waist. She's respected as a guest here, so she doesn't perform every day. It was announced that she won't be on stage until the last day of the Chrysanthemum Contest, so I didn't expect an unscheduled show today. Miss, you're lucky!""Green Waist?" Sheng Weiwu chimed in, intrigued, "Does she know the Dance on Tray and Drum? Our domestic geishas are good at it! I wonder who the winner will be if they have a contest?"Sheng Weiqiao thought to herself that though Master Shi wouldn't be here every day, no one could tell if they were just lucky or Sheng Lu had prepared it in advance. He was the one who pulled strings, anyway. She tapped her sister's forehead, "Being seen as a guest here, obviously, she's not a regular dancer
The ambiance of the building was not particularly lively, but it was at least very amiable.The words just silenced the whole building, as if everyone was being splashed with a basin of cold water!“Zhao Taozhuang!” After a short while, they heard a smash from the next room and then an angry voice of a girl, “You said the poem I wrote was hideous. Write a remarkable poem to widen our horizon then and there if you can.”Hearing the voice, Sheng Weiqiao asked Sheng Lu in a low voice, “Is this Zhao Family one of the most influential families in Bishui County? Those girls from prestigious families are at odds with each other, so they suddenly got into bickering?”However, Sheng Lu shook his head and replied, “In this county, no prominent family is named after Zhao.”“That’s strange! When we came up here, and by a cursory glance I assume the more prestigious the guests in, the higher they will be accommodated in this Danmo