The peerless and dark princess

After Zuo Yunxin got married, Zuo Ci and Chu Wange took Chu Haolin out for some fun. Although Chu Moxuan and Su Linqing's wedding date was approaching, with the care of her maternal grandfather and uncle and aunt at the Prince of Yan's Mansion, there wouldn't be much of a problem.

"Sister, I finally get to hang out with you. I used to go out with Brother Yuqi and Brother Liyin, but this is the first time with you, and..." Chu Haolin glanced at Zuo Ci beside him, "and my brother-in-law too."

"Lin'er, you should be content. This is the first time your sister and I have ever been out together." Zuo Ci said this, feeling a little aggrieved. How could a couple still not consummate their marriage after a year or two? This was just him, the unfortunate one.

"Ahem~" Chu Wange looked a little embarrassed, thinking that this might have something to do with him. "Hehe, no matter what, now that I'm out, I'll have some fun for a while and return to the capital before Sister Mo Xuan and Doctor Su get married."

"That's great, that means we can have fun for a month." Chu Haolin's eyes lit up after hearing this. He obviously didn't expect to be able to go out and play with his sister for such a long time, even though his brother-in-law Zuo Ci, whom he regarded as a "burden", was with them.

Zuo Ci was equally happy. From the time he and Wange met to the time they became husband and wife, this was their first real trip together. Although his brother-in-law Chu Haolin was a bit of a "third party," Chu Haolin was still under ten years old, so it felt like a couple traveling with a child, which made him feel particularly happy.

"What Lin'er said is exactly what I was thinking. Let's play outside for a while before going back. It's autumn now, and the osmanthus flowers in Guizhou are in full bloom, as well as the red maples..." Zuo Ci thought, in this season, Guizhou is filled with the rich aroma of osmanthus, the wine brewed with osmanthus is mellow and intoxicating, and the local hairpins, jewelry, and special festival costumes are also unique.

"Osmanthus? Guizhou?" Chu Wange couldn't help but think of the renowned modern city of Guishi, known as "the most beautiful mountain and water city in the world." In the Dali Dynasty, where even a trace of it is missing from historical records, Guizhou was also a county town renowned for its osmanthus flowers. Although she had previously known of Guizhou in the Dali Dynasty, she had never considered it in detail. She had never expected that in this otherworldly world, a region similar to her past life existed. She had to see it. Guishi's famous liquor was Sanhua Liquor, also known as "Rui Lu." Its characteristic was its crystal-clear, honey-flavored aroma, a smooth, refreshing, and pleasant taste. How did it become "Osmanthus Liquor" in the Dali Dynasty? Whether it was the same Sanhua Liquor as in Guishi was unknown; after all, she had never had the chance to taste it in her past life.

"Yeah." Zuo Ci was a little surprised, but when he thought about when he first met her, she had just woken up from the beating by Chen Yunfeng and had no idea about the local customs and traditions of various places, it was not surprising. After all, they were all notorious before.

"Suddenly I remembered a line of poetry: Pale and light yellow, its nature is soft. Its feelings are distant, only the fragrance remains. Why need the light green or deep red color, it is the best among flowers." Chu Wange suddenly remembered such a poem, but he didn't remember it very clearly. He just remembered that it was a poem written by Yi An Jushi.

"Who wrote this?" Zuo Ci had never heard such a wonderful poem before. Even the great literary figures mentioned in the past hundred years had never produced a poem with such artistic conception. Could it be that Chu Wange wrote it himself?

"I don't know. I heard about it a long time ago, and I can't remember it." Chu Wange wasn't sure if there were similar poems in this dynasty. Asking her to compose poetry herself, whether in her past life or now, she couldn't do it. However, if she plagiarized well-known lines from Tang and Song poetry in her past life, if there were similar poems in the Dali Dynasty, she would be severely slapped in the face. In any case, before the fall of the Mu family, she was considered a fool in the eyes of everyone. It would be better to say that she memorized it after hearing it from others, so as not to arouse suspicion.

"I thought you wrote it." Seeing that Chu Wange looked as if she had heard someone talk about it before, Zuo Ci no longer doubted that the poem was hers. After all, although she could perceive many things after regaining consciousness, writing poetry required not only talent but also diligence and hard work. I'm afraid Chu Wange will have to spend many years to reach such a master's level. "Then let's set off for Guizhou now."

Chu Haolin, standing aside, said nothing, silently memorizing the poem his elder sister had said: "Pale and light yellow, the body is soft. Love is far away, only the fragrance remains. Why bother with light green and deep red..."

In fact, when Chu Wange heard Zuo Ci mention the distinctive clothing, she wondered if it was Zhuang brocade. And then there was the renowned silver jewelry—all made of solid silver. In previous lives, the craftsmanship of crafting a complete set of pure handmade silver jewelry had almost vanished, making it rare to find a complete set of silver jewelry meticulously crafted by experienced artisans.

On the way, Chu Wange had Zuo Ci search for a local gazetteer of Guizhou and study it carefully. He discovered a striking resemblance between this place and a certain autonomous region from his past life. Take, for example, the Zhuang brocade, the so-called "Osmanthus wine"—actually the Sanhua wine of his past life's Gui City—and the unique folk song festival. If it weren't autumn, she'd have loved to go to Guizhou and sing folk songs there. The lyrics to the song kept coming to her mind: "Folk songs are like the spring river, one side sings and the other side joins in..."

Chu Wange was immersed in her memories. Zuo Ci, who was standing beside her, saw her eyes sparkling and the corners of her mouth smiling. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "Wange, what's so special about this folk song festival that makes you so fascinated?"

Chu Wange came back to her senses, raised her lips slightly, and said, "This folk song festival is incredibly lively. Men, women, young and old all dress up and gather together. Everyone uses folk songs to express the joys and sorrows of life. It's simple yet powerful. Although I haven't experienced it myself, just imagining it makes me think it must be very interesting."

Chu Haolin also came over, opened his eyes wide and asked, "Sister, what are they singing? Is it as beautiful as the one you just recited?"

Chu Wange smiled, patted his head, and said, "It's even more wonderful than what I recited. They sing about mountains and rivers, love, and labor. They are all small details in life, but they are full of strong emotions. When we get to Guizhou, maybe we can still hear some fragments."

Zuo Ci looked at Chu Wange's enthusiastic expression and was also infected by her enthusiasm. He said, "I'm afraid we won't be able to hear folk songs since it's almost October now, but we can really experience the local customs and people of Guizhou. When the time comes, I'll take you to try the local specialties. I heard there's a pastry made with osmanthus flowers that's fragrant, sweet and sticky. You're sure to like it."

Chu Wange's eyes lit up and he said, "Really? Then I'm really looking forward to it."

Along the way, the three of them laughed and talked happily, full of anticipation for this trip to Guizhou. As they got closer and closer to Guizhou, the air was gradually filled with the fragrance of osmanthus flowers, as if welcoming them.

Finally arriving in Guizhou, the sight before them was breathtaking. The streets and alleys were festooned with colorful flags, and people dressed in vibrant clothing wandered through them. Street stalls were filled with a dazzling array of handicrafts, including exquisite Zhuang brocade handkerchiefs, unique silver jewelry, and various osmanthus-inspired specialties.

Chu Wange couldn't wait to pull Zuo Ci and Chu Haolin into the crowd, eager to find out what was going on. They sampled the delicious sweet-sweet osmanthus cake, which melted in their mouths without being greasy, earning her endless praise. Then, they admired the exquisite Zhuang brocade. The vibrant colors and delicate needlework left them in awe of the local craftsmanship.