The carriage drove to the end of the long street and stopped.
Hong Hao helped Song Ran get out of the carriage. Song Ran turned around and wanted to help Wei Yu, but her hand stopped in mid-air. Wei Yu herself jumped down from the other side.
Song Ran naturally didn't want to go with her. But she brought the person out. If something happens to the princess of Wei, how will Chen Guo explain to Wei. If she hadn't figured out her identity before, she could have excused herself by saying she didn't know, but she just revealed that she was a princess.
Song Ran felt a little regretful. In my heart, I blamed my mouth for speaking faster than my brain.
Wei Yu followed her all the way, making Song Ran extremely uncomfortable. Later, I lost interest and simply found a seat on the second floor of the restaurant to sit down.
During the banquet in the evening, she didn't take a few bites. She thought Wei Yu should do the same.
Looking down from the second floor of the restaurant, the entire long street is packed with people, shoulder to shoulder.
Not far away, on the high platform in the center, a juggler was breathing out flames. There were many onlookers and the crowd was buzzing. Waves of cheers also attracted their attention.
Opposite the restaurant was the tailor shop. At this moment, there happened to be a little doll holding a candied haws standing at the door, just like Arnold was greeting her at the door.
The second time Arnold and Liu Yunqi met was also during the Lantern Festival. She pulled Liu Yunqi's sleeve and ran towards Arnold at the door of the store. She looked excitedly at the two candy figures of different shapes in her hands, and after much hesitation, she handed one of them over.
She's not greedy, she's just confused about which one to choose.
Wei Yu noticed that Song Ran's thoughts were wandering across from her, and she deliberately coughed a few times.
"Don't mind, princess. It's been a long time since I've been back to the capital. It's inevitable that I'll see something that reminds me of my old friend."
Song Ran thought that she couldn't change the problem of being too nostalgic. These days after returning to the capital, she always thinks about the people and things in the past.
Maybe it's because my old friend is too good.
It's also possible that many people are no longer here, making her miss things even more.
"I heard that the princess returned to Beijing not only because of the Empress Dowager's birthday, but also because Emperor Chen betrothed you to the prince just now?"
At this time, the waiter came over to serve the food. Without raising her head, Song Ran gently pushed a few dishes of Chen Guo's famous delicacies in front of Wei Yu, and then slowly said: "The third princess is well-informed."
"What about Mu Ling?"
The appearance of this name was like a hemp rope binding her heart. Her heart was like a knife, and she was miserable. She also wanted to indulge for a while and let herself do whatever she wanted. But she can't.
"If the two countries are friendly for a long time, he and I will be close friends. If the two countries are at war, then he and I can only be mutual enemies."
Song Ran's voice was very cold, biting to the bone, like the cold wind in February, crushing the snow on the ground with each foot. She buried her head and picked up the food in the bowl calmly.
The night breeze, accompanied by the singing of the fireworks tower, passed through her blurred eyes.
"But he wouldn't think so."
Wei Yu looked even duller than Song Ran. She looked out the window with blurred eyes. Song Ran followed his gaze and looked over.
A blue-black robe wrapped around his muscular body. On the opposite corner of the street, a handsome man with a sideways face was playing with the gadgets for sale at a stall.
Song Ran looked up at the bright stars and laughed to herself.
Her eyes suddenly dimmed, and the darkness swallowed up the light in her eyes. She lowered her eyelashes and murmured in a low voice: "I can't control him, but I can control myself. Princess, please rest assured that with his status, there will be no other possibility in this life."
"What about marriage? In fact, this time my father asked us to bring a beautiful girl to present to Emperor Chen." Wei Yu's every sentence seemed to be eager to get the answer.
Wei Yu felt that every answer from Song Ran was raising the hope in her heart, but she was afraid that it would be extinguished by her next sentence.
She has known and admired Mu Ling since she was a child. Emperor Wei wanted to marry the Mu family several times, but Mu Ling cleverly resolved them all. Emperor Wei was always kind and would not take the initiative to force Mu Ling to marry his daughter. In the end, I could only advise her to let go.
But how could Wei Yu be so willing? Could it be that just a few acquaintances with Princess Chen had offset the affection that had stayed with her for more than ten years?
She was really panicked when she knew that Mu Ling was sent by Emperor Wei to the State of Chen to pay her birthday.
She was afraid that Mu Ling would meet Song Ran, and she was afraid that Mu Ling would do something impulsive when she heard about Song Ran's marriage offer.
Yes, Mu Ling has always been calm, but only when facing Song Ran.
Last time he wanted to go to Tan's house to steal his bride, but what about this time?
"Sending me to Wei for marriage would be equivalent to handing over the military power of Nanjun. Our Emperor is not that stupid."
Song Ran saw through Wei Yu's thoughts.
She reached out to hold Wei Yu's hand and said with a smile: "Princess, don't worry."
There was some commotion in the crowd not far downstairs. It seemed like a thin, bookish young man was chasing a barefoot, ragged boy.
"Catch the thief, catch the thief."
As the young man ran, he grabbed the people around him with both hands and looked behind him from time to time.
"Ouch." The boy accidentally bumped into a strong chest.
Mu Ling held the boy's shoulder with one hand and snatched the purse from his hand with the other. The young man struggled in pain and tried to slip away from Mu Ling's side. However, there is a huge disparity in strength between the two.
When the thin young master ran up to them panting, Mu Ling had already completely grasped the young man's hands in his palms.
He faced the young man towards the thin young man, held the purse in one hand and said, "Master, is this your purse?"
"It belongs to me—it belongs to me."
Song Ran stood upstairs and saw it clearly. This is not a young master, this is clearly her courageous Princess Zhaohua.
Song Ran's mood hit rock bottom as soon as she discovered Zhaohua's identity. She originally wanted to avoid Mu Ling, but she just reassured Wei Yu.
At this moment, she had to go downstairs.
Song Ran stood up to leave, but Wei Yu held her hand down.
Wei Yu raised her head and looked sincerely. Song Ran knew that she didn't want Mu Ling to see Song Ran.
Song Ran sighed and said, "Third Princess, that young master is my friend. I must go there. I will explain it to you then."
When Song Ran passed by, the area was surrounded by officers and soldiers.
On such lively days, the government always sends some officers and soldiers to guard the place all night long. It may be that there was too much commotion when the thief was caught just now, which attracted the officers and soldiers.
She wanted to identify herself and get in. His arm was grabbed by the person behind him.
She thought it was Wei Yu. When he turned around, he saw Liu Yunqi.
Is the banquet over?
What about Chen Chaobai?
Song Ran looked behind Liu Yunqi unconsciously. Liu Yunqi also knew what Song Ran was looking at and said, "Your Majesty is still drinking with you. I found a reason and left immediately."
"Oh." Song Ran thought of Wei Yu again and looked around her. She was gone.
Hongqu pointed forward and said, "Princess, the third princess has entered the front."
Then Wei Yu's clear voice came from behind: "Brother, what's going on?"
The leading officers and soldiers looked up and down at Wei Yu, who was wearing Wei costumes, with no intention of letting her in.
Liu Yunqi pulled Song Ran behind him, walked a few steps forward, and said to the leading officers and soldiers: "Exit, Grand Scholar Liu Yunqi, today I have received the special envoy from Wei State on the order of the emperor."
Liu Yunqi raised his head and glanced at Mu Ling inside, then turned to look at Wei Yu, and continued: "The person who caught the thief inside is General Mu Da of Wei State."
Only then did Song Ran understand that these officers and soldiers had not gathered here to catch thieves, but that Mu Ling was wearing clothes not from the Chen Kingdom. They were afraid that spies would take the opportunity to sneak in.
The leading officer and soldier immediately greeted everyone with a smile and said, "It turns out to be Mr. Liu, please."
Liu Yunqi led Song Ran and Wei Yu into a circle surrounded by soldiers.
When Zhaohua saw Song Ran, he cried and threw himself into her arms without caring about anything else. She called Song Ran's name aggrievedly: "Sister Ran, sister Ran."
Song Ran patted Zhaohua on the back and comforted him carefully.
Song Ran felt a light staring at him. She knew Mu Ling was looking at him.
Wei Yu looked at Song Ran in confusion, then looked back at Mu Ling, who looked pale. Mu Ling's eyes were as bright as a torch, and she looked at Song Ran with burning eyes.
"Princess, who is this young master?" Wei Yu asked.
"The third princess can disguise herself as a man, and we, the princesses of the Chen Kingdom, can naturally do the same." Song Ran took the handkerchief from Hongqu's hand, turned Zhaohua's head to the side, covered the person behind her, and wiped away the tears on her face. Wipe off gently.
Then he continued: "This is Princess Zhaohua of our Chen Kingdom."
After saying that, Song Ran looked at the aggrieved princess with a chuckle: "My princess, does anyone in the palace know about your coming out this time?"
"I sneaked out. I found someone to pry open the hole where the dog - ahem - we failed to sneak out before."
The man who was still feeling aggrieved was crying, but after saying this, he became proud instead.
Song Ran and Liu Yunqi looked at each other, and both expressed their helplessness: "Everyone in the palace must have been upset by this time."
"You send the princess back to the palace first, and I will handle it here." Liu Yunqi said to Song Ran.
"Wait a minute." Zhaohua shyly walked up to Mu Ling with his pink face, spread out his hands and lowered his head shyly, "Master, can you return this purse to me?"
Mu Ling handed the thief over to the officers and soldiers.
He bowed respectfully to Zhaohua: "General Mu Ling of Wei State has met Princess Chen."
Then he placed the purse into the princess's hands.
Because Zhaohua was short, the men's clothes she found did not fit well, so she could only hold up both sides of the robe with both hands and trotted back to Song Ran.
Song Ran nodded to them and helped Zhaohua back to the palace.
Liu Yunqi did not hand over the little thief to the officers and soldiers. This child is a deserter from the north, and he somehow managed to get into the city.
Liu Yunqi thought that he was still young and had no choice but to steal for food and clothing, so he let him go this time. Before leaving, he gave the child a few coins and asked him to buy food.
For this method of disposal, Liu Yunqi took the initiative to plead guilty to Chen Chaoci the next day.
Chen Chaoci actually praised him for handling things appropriately. He also ordered someone to set up a porridge stall outside the city for three days in the name of Princess Zhaohua to help the deserted people.
