Spring arrives and the land smiles

Chapter Twelve: Entering the Urn

Finally, after everyone had finished eating, Qingyan, feeling dizzy from hunger, groped her way to the kitchen to fill her stomach. However, she searched everywhere but couldn't find a single grain of rice, or even any fruits or vegetables that could be eaten raw. Helpless, she had no choice but to retreat back to the woodshed.

Are all the servants in this compound born in the year of the rat? They can eat their fill like a hurricane, leaving nothing behind. I'm truly amazed. Qingyan shook her head, rubbing her ravenous stomach. Looking at the round bamboo hat on the wall, it increasingly resembled a sesame seed cake. The tiny gaps formed by the bamboo strips woven into the hat really did look like fragrant sesame seeds on a sesame seed cake, making her mouth water. So, that talk of drawing a cake to satisfy hunger was indeed a lie; there's no limit to how hungry you can get. Helplessly, Qingyan leaned against the pile of hay, closing her eyes to try and soothe the discomfort in her stomach.

"Hiding in the woodshed?" The mocking voice floated down, and the speaker couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth, his tone a mixture of disdain and disbelief. "Let's see how long she can hide."

Although it was a royal palace where princes stayed, the woodshed, a place frequented only by servants, was naturally not in very good condition. Lan Zhen squinted, pondering how long this delicate princess could endure it. Hungry, cold, and tired, she probably wouldn't be able to bear it for long: "Cao Da, how about we make a bet!"

"Is Your Highness going to gamble on that eldest princess of the Great Qi?" Cao Da was more perceptive than his brother Cao Yu. Seeing that the prince was in high spirits, he took over the conversation. "After observing her for a long time, she is not as delicate and precious as I imagined."

"Oh?" Lan Zhen smiled slightly, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes. "I bet she can only hold out for another hour at most." He paused, took a sip of fragrant tea, and looked at Cao Da standing behind him. "If you win," Lan Zhen's eyes flashed, "I will allow you to marry Cui Ling from Di Xiang Lou. Don't wait until the listing is up before you regret it; my Zhao Wang Mansion can't afford to lose face like that."

"Your Highness!" Cao Da was filled with disbelief and surprise, and his speech became incoherent. He immediately knelt behind Lan Zhen in excitement, "Your Highness thanks me for your kindness."

"Get up. As the eldest brother, you are like a father to me. This matter requires Cao Yu's consent. Go and talk to him first." Lan Zhen did not turn around, but waved his hand behind him. After hearing Cao Da's reply, he got up and went to the desk.

Holding the ebony paperweight with a ruyi-shaped relief in his hand, Lan Zhen's gaze lingered on the material. Ebony, also known as submerged wood, is a precious tree species that has been carbonized after being buried underground for thousands of years. It is mostly found in Sichuan and is resistant to decay and insects. Therefore, in terms of both craftsmanship and material, this paperweight is truly a rare and exquisite piece among wooden paperweights.

Unfolding a long scroll, one can see that this type of Jiajiang paper is Lan Zhen's favorite. Although it is not as firm and clean as jade, nor as thin and smooth as Chengxintang paper, the paper is delicate and the ink is rich in five colors, which is very suitable for his writing style.

He casually wielded his brush and wrote a bold and colorful character "卿" on the paper, but hesitated when he put down the last stroke, ruining the majestic appearance of the character and turning it into a lame general. Although it had only one flaw, it was enough to be fatal.

You are a beautiful woman, but the weakness of a beautiful woman is precisely this elegant young man. Shen Qingyan, it's just that you were born into the royal family, and your fate is destined to be full of twists and turns. If you are lucky this time, it will be your good fortune.

Lan Zhen let out a barely audible sigh, but her heart sank a little, and hesitation crept into her mind again.

The feeling of being both cold and hungry was indeed unbearable. Qingyan had been curled up for several hours, waiting for nightfall. The days in winter were getting shorter, and by the time dinner was over, it was completely dark. Looking out from the window of the woodshed, the lights in each room were bright, but the courtyard was dimly lit. By the moonlight and the candlelight spilling from the rooms, Qingyan could vaguely make out the way she came, so she left the woodshed and headed straight for the kitchen.

After searching everywhere, Qingyan was completely dumbfounded. The entire kitchen was empty, as if swept away by a whirlwind, not a single grain of rice left. These people from Nanxia Kingdom really were like rats. Qingyan sat down on the floor dejectedly, glancing at the spotless stove. Spotless? Qingyan's mind suddenly cleared. If the complete emptying of lunch was a coincidence, was the complete annihilation of dinner also a coincidence? Qingyan immediately slapped her head. Was this what they called being too clever for one's own good? Since they had already dug a trap for her, they would never let her fall into it without realizing it. Even if there was a momentary lapse in attention, they would have a way to regain control. Today's empty city ploy at lunchtime was to make her appear voluntarily, and then play her for a while.

"You damn transvestite, how dare you use this method to mess with me! I'll make you suffer a terrible death!" Qingyan thought angrily, and without realizing it, she rushed out of the kitchen.

Now that her whereabouts had been exposed, there was no point in hiding anymore. Perhaps there was a pair of eyes watching her right now. Using the light of the night, Qingyan followed the servants and groped her way to Lan Zhen's residence in the courtyard. Seeing that no one was around, Qingyan didn't stand on ceremony and pushed open the door to the room.

In the center of the small hall outside the bedroom stood a round table carved from nanmu wood. On the table was a plate of white jade cake with hibiscus filling the room with a refreshing minty aroma, indicating that the cake had just been made. Qingyan once again felt an unbearable surge of contempt for it. It truly lived up to its name as a transvestite; even the desserts it ate were so feminine.

Faced with such delicious food, Qingyan couldn't care less about anything else. She quickly picked up a piece to satisfy her hunger, and after eating three pieces in a row, her stomach finally felt a little better.

"How does it taste?" A lazy, mellow male voice drifted out, seriously ruining the atmosphere of secretly enjoying the food. Qingyan cursed under her breath, swallowed the white jade cake in her hand in one gulp without any elegance, then licked the two fingers holding the cake with relish, and looked up at the person who came with satisfaction, "Why don't you try it yourself, Your Highness, and you'll know!"

A series of actions made Lan Zhen's eyes widen in astonishment. The dignified princess was behaving like a common street child, lacking manners and even hygiene. Her wolfing down of food was devoid of any elegance, making it hard to reconcile with the high standards of etiquette expected of a crown prince. In the end, she even put the crumbs of cake from the corner of her mouth into her mouth with the index finger she had just licked, and then sucked on them vigorously.

Such a princess is truly rare. She is completely different from the gentle and refined young lady who ate slowly and deliberately this morning. Moreover, her series of movements were so smooth that it seemed as if she had rehearsed them countless times.

The man leaning against the door straightened up and strolled forward leisurely. A wicked and charming smile appeared on his face, which made Qingyan feel a chill in her heart.

"Your Highness is too kind to refuse." Lan Zhen extended his hand to Qing Yan, opening his palm to reveal the rough calluses on his hand caused by years of sword wielding.

Ning Yuan also has hands like that; though the feel isn't great, they're very thick and reliable. So, you damn transvestite, if anything happens to Ning Yuan, you're dead meat.

Qingyan knew the intention behind the action and felt an urge to punch someone. However, she had no choice but to submit to the situation. With a gloomy expression, Qingyan picked up a piece of white jade cake and handed it to Lan Zhen.

He held the white jade cake between his fingers, feeling something was amiss. Even if it was a trap, wasn't it too obvious and too easy? Lan Zhen, however, showed no surprise at his presence in his room, as if he had been waiting for this moment. What trick was he playing now?

Hesitantly, she handed the white jade cake to his palm. Seeing him slowly put it into his mouth, she grabbed a piece and stuffed her mouth full. Seeing that she was having trouble swallowing, the ladyboy put down the half-eaten piece in his hand and poured her a cup of tea.

It was rare for him to be so kind, so Qingyan didn't refuse. She took the teacup and drank a big gulp to relieve the discomfort of choking, but when she met Lan Zhen's eyes, she showed no gratitude whatsoever.

Lan Zhen didn't seem to care. She sat down leisurely, picked up the leftover white jade cake, and tasted it again: "Hmm, it tastes really good."

Gradually, Lan Zhen's bewitching face became blurry in Qing Yan's eyes, and the smile on his lips became less annoying because it was unclear. Her consciousness began to scatter and her gaze became more and more unfocused. Finally, everything went black and Qing Yan's whole body went limp.

You damn transvestite, I knew you weren't that kind of person, you actually gave me a cup of sleeping tea.

That calculating smile was Lan Zhen's signature move after every successful scheme. His strong arms, honed from years of martial arts training, effortlessly pulled Qing Yan into his arms, once again sparing her the pain of close contact with the ground. However, this time Qing Yan would certainly not be grateful to him, because one could tell from the look in her eyes just before she lost consciousness that it was an anger that wanted to tear him apart.

He picked her up and gently placed her on the bed. Lan Zhen's smile never faded. This girl, who was always so fierce in front of him, was now finally quiet, as still as a water lily, gentle and serene. She had let down her guard and was so elegant and charming that it made people feel sorry for her.

Interesting. Such a multifaceted woman is truly fascinating. She can be elegant or playful, graceful or utterly uninhibited. This contradictory combination makes it hard to tell whether she is a lady from a noble family or a country bumpkin. Could it be that the landscape of the Great Qi is so extraordinary that the princesses it raises are also particularly fickle?

"Someone, serve the princess well." After instructing the servants, Lan Zhen walked out of the room with a smile.

Inside the top-tier room of the Ruixian Inn in Quzhou, a man dressed in light armor knelt in the hall.

"Qin Mian, get up." The man sitting at the round table inside the room looked worried and ordered in a deep voice.

The armored man did not move upon hearing this, but lowered his head even further, looking as if he were pleading guilty: "This subordinate has failed in his duty, please punish me, sir."

"Lizhi, get up." The man with a worried expression sighed softly, using the intimate term they used between them. "Now is not the time for questioning. Tell me again about the circumstances of the princess's disappearance."

“Your Highness, let me speak!” Zhui’er, who had been standing tremblingly to the side, finally couldn’t bear to see Qin Mian blame himself and mustered up her courage to speak.

"Speak!" Yunxuan waved his hand, signaling to continue.

In a daze, Qingyan felt her body being violently jolted, but the soft touch beneath her felt like lying on a bed, while the swaying rhythm was just like a carriage. Composing herself, Qingyan rubbed her aching temples with her thumb, let out a soft groan, and tried to recall what had happened.

"She's awake! The princess is awake! Go and inform the prince!" A sharp female voice slammed into Qingyan's ears, causing her to frown in displeasure.

Soon, when Qingyan realized who the prince the woman was talking about was, a face that made her grit her teeth appeared in front of her.

At this moment, the entire convoy had stopped. Lan Zhen lifted the curtain and met Qing Yan's wary black eyes, feeling a strange sense of loss.

"I wonder where Your Highness intends to invite me in this way?" Qingyan sorted out her thoughts and looked around. After seeing Lan Zhen, all her thoughts returned to calm. Since she was already here, she might as well make the best of it. If he wanted to kill her, he would have done it eight hundred years ago. Since her life was not in danger, Qingyan's courage grew.

"Where does the princess wish to go?" Lan Zhen smiled calmly, then nimbly leaped into the carriage.

Although the carriage was not luxurious, it was quite spacious. There were already three people inside, and Qingyan was half-lying down, but it did not feel crowded.

Lan Zhen waved for the maid to get out of the carriage, and the carriage started moving again, seemingly much faster than before.

Qingyan subconsciously moved further into the carriage, trying to find a safe and comfortable position to confront Lan Zhen. Lan Zhen found her wary expression amusing.

Rubbing her still throbbing head, Qingyan straightened up and faced Lan Zhen with a serious expression, saying, "Your Highness, let's not mince words. Why have you gone to such lengths to kidnap me?"

“Princess, your words are quite impolite,” Lan Zhen said nonchalantly. “I would not dare to use the word ‘abduction.’ Princess trespassed into my courtyard. I merely mistook her for an assassin.”

"Since it's a mistake, then it must be a misunderstanding. Please, Your Highness, let me out of the carriage so that this misunderstanding can be cleared up." Qingyan thought that this Prince Zhao was truly a genius at lying through his teeth.

Lan Zhen did not answer directly. With a smile on his lips, he casually lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked out the window meaningfully, saying, "In the middle of nowhere, I really don't feel comfortable letting the princess get out of the carriage like this."