Mo Sang – CH 087

Chapter 87. The Princess

Not long after Qian-Shan left, Hei Ma rushed in again, this time much faster than before, like an arrow released from a bow.

“Boss! Boss! Princess! Princess!”

Li Sangrou barely suppressed the urge to slap Hei Ma and stepped over it to greet her.

Princess Ninghe, dressed in ordinary noblewoman’s attire, her veil over her hat already pulled back, stood at the entrance of Shunfeng Express Shop, curiously looking around.

“Is this the incredibly tall pole Second Brother mentioned? It really is tall; I saw it as soon as I stepped out of Donghua Gate.” Princess Ninghe stood at the foot of the unusually tall pole, straining to look up.

“Second Brother?” Li Sangrou asked in surprise.

“Yes, Second Brother came specifically to see it and said your shop’s storefront is so small you could hang it on top of that pole.” Princess Ninghe laughed before she finished speaking; her Second Brother had also been laughing as he spoke.

Princess Ninghe glanced at the shop’s facade, then strained to look up at the pole. “It really is! That one’s so small, and this one’s so tall.”

“The shop’s facade is small, but the back is spacious, and the view is beautiful. Shall we go in and take a look?” Li Sangrou smiled and gestured to Princess Ninghe.

Although her shop was small, it was quite busy. Carriages were always parked in front, and people were constantly coming and going. Now, some people were already craning their necks to see what was going on.

“Alright,” Princess Ninghe replied with a smile. She walked to the shop’s entrance, first peeking inside and curiously looking around. Then, she carefully stepped over the threshold, stood inside, and examined everything closely before crossing the shop and entering the courtyard flanked by stables. She exclaimed softly, “Wow! The facade is so small, but the inside is so big! It’s really interesting!”

“It smells bad here. Let’s hurry over,” Li Sangrou said with a smile, gesturing to Princess Ninghe.

“It’s alright, I do not mind the smell of horses. I like horses, and I like riding them,” Princess Ninghe said, taking a step to the side and reaching out to stroke a small, glossy black packhorse.

Li Sangrou smiled at Princess Ninghe, saying nothing more, and followed her steps, watching her walk and stroke the horses as they slowly left the courtyard.

“Zhihe said we could see you from the southeast corner tower, and it really is true.

The scenery here is quite nice. What’s that over there? What kind of flowers are those? They are quite elegant.” Princess Ninghe looked around, noticing the vegetable garden in the distance.

“That’s a vegetable garden. Those are bok choy flowers. The bok choy has grown old and flowered; we are keeping them for seeds. Please sit down.” Li Sangrou picked out a new chair and placed it next to Princess Ninghe, then opened the stove to boil water.

“This place is really nice. Is that the Court of Judicial Review prison over there? And over there?” Princess Ninghe looked left and right.

“That’s an empty warehouse of the Imperial Workshop. I rented it from Master Wen; it will be used as a warehouse too.”

Li Sangrou spoke to Princess Ninghe as she unfolded a piece of snow-white summer cloth and laid it on the white wooden table. Then she arranged the teapot and teacups and picked a cockscomb flower from beside the vegetable garden, placing it in a small vase.

“This place is wonderful; the scenery is beautiful, and it’s so peaceful.” Princess Ninghe looked around, sat down, and looked at Li Sangrou, who was squatting beside the stove, listening intently to the sound of the copper kettle from the tea table Li Sangrou had just set out.

“Second Brother is very particular about the water he uses. He uses water that’s been boiled twice. Is that also boiled twice?” Princess Ninghe watched Li Sangrou pick up the teapot and concentrate on pouring water into it.

Princess Ninghe leaned forward slightly, inhaling the aroma of the tea released by the boiling water. “This tea is really good. Is it this year’s spring tea? It’s so refreshing.”

“This is last year’s autumn tea. This year’s spring tea is still too expensive. Let’s drink it in a month,” Li Sangrou said to Princess Ninghe as she brewed the tea.

“My Elder Brother said you are very wealthy, and you still complain about the price?” Princess Ninghe laughed.

“Not very wealthy, just a little bit.

Even if I were wealthy, I’d still complain about the price. Drinking spring tea at this price is too expensive. In another month, the price of spring tea will be at most one-tenth of what it is now. We will drink it then.” Li Sangrou finished brewing the tea, poured a cup, and pushed it towards Princess Ninghe.

“Hmm, that’s true, it is quite expensive. You are very shrewd. Third Brother said that you are very good at business.” Princess Ninghe seemed somewhat lost in thought when she mentioned her Third Brother.

“The ‘Third Brother’ you are talking about… is that the Shizi?” Li Sangrou asked deliberately, looking at the stunned Princess Ninghe.

“Yes. Third Brother grew up in the palace with my mother. When I was little, there were only four of us in the palace. My mother said we were four siblings; they were the eldest, second, and third brothers, and I was the youngest. My father said the same thing.

Later, Third Brother went back to King Rui’s residence and was granted the title of Shizi. I asked my Eldest Brother whether to call him Brother Shizi or Third Brother. My Eldest Brother said Third Brother is Third Brother; there’s no such thing as Brother Shizi.

I think so too; Brother Shizi sounds awful,” Princess Ninghe said with a smile.

“I always thought the Shizi was older than your Second Brother; I did not expect him to be the youngest,” Li Sangrou seemed a little surprised.

“Of course, Third Brother is the youngest, but in terms of age, Second Brother and Third Brother are the same age; it’s just that Second Brother was born at the beginning of the year, and Third Brother was born at the end of the year, so he’s only half a year older,” Princess Ninghe explained carefully.

“Master Wen was also born at the beginning of the year. And what about Fourth Master Wen? When is his birthday?” Li Sangrou asked casually.

“Hmm.” Hearing Li Sangrou mention Wen Cheng, Princess Ninghe’s smile faltered slightly. “Zhihe’s birthday is in the eighth month, the sixteenth of the eighth month. They do not celebrate birthdays.” She paused, then looked at Li Sangrou. “Third Brother said that you were the one who celebrated Master Wen’s birthday this year?”

“Yes, it was lively for a whole day and night. I bought every firework I could find; it was a chaotic, very lively affair.” Li Sangrou laughed.

“Master Wen does not like chaotic, lively things.” Princess Ninghe looked at the teacup in front of her.

“I like it. I do not care whether he likes it or not.” Li Sangrou smiled at Princess Ninghe.

Princess Ninghe gasped, taken aback.

“Master Wen is such a considerate person; he’s perfect as a friend. I really like friends like him,” Li Sangrou continued.

“That’s a bit bullying,” Princess Ninghe frowned and then pouted.

“He likes to think of others, and I like others to think of me. Is that not great? It’s a win-win situation,” Li Sangrou said with a smile, looking at Princess Ninghe.

“Oh, you!” Princess Ninghe frowned even more deeply. After a moment, she looked at Li Sangrou and said seriously, “You cannot do that. If someone is considerate of you, you should be even more considerate of them; otherwise, it’s not right.”

Li Sangrou glanced at the earnest Princess Ninghe. “What’s wrong with that? For example, between the two of us, you like to treat people to meals, and I like being treated to meals. That means you treat me, is that not great? You like it, and I like it too.”

“It’s not like that!” Princess Ninghe was amused and exasperated by Li Sangrou. “How can you do that? What kind of nonsense is that?

If someone is considerate of you and treats you to meals, it’s because they are good to you, right? You have to be good to them in return; you have to be considerate of them, and you have to treat them to meals once or twice; otherwise, it’s not right!”

“Has Master Wen ever considered your feelings?” Li Sangrou asked Princess Ninghe with a smile.

“Yes.”

Li Sangrou’s question made Princess Ninghe uncomfortable.

“So you’ve thought about him too?” Li Sangrou looked at Princess Ninghe and asked with a smile.

“Yes.” Princess Ninghe’s “yes” was far less certain than her previous answer.

“So, how have you thought about him? What have you thought about for him?” Li Sangrou continued.

Princess Ninghe pursed her lips and remained silent.

“It’s just the two of us here, so we can chat casually about things we will forget as soon as they are over.

You want to see Master Wen often, right? And Master Wen? Does he also want to see you often?” Li Sangrou looked at Princess Ninghe.

Princess Ninghe’s expression turned slightly sour. She pursed her lips tightly, and after a long while, she managed to say, “I do not know.”

“I think Master Wen would actually like to see you. After all, you two grew up together, and you are such a cute little sister. Even someone like me likes you.

But every time you see Master Wen, you rush over and cling to him. He’s probably scared and does not want to see you anymore,” Li Sangrou said with a smile.

“You!” Princess Ninghe’s face flushed red at Li Sangrou’s comment about her rushing over and clinging to him.

“Just chatting, do not take it seriously. It’s just the two of us, no outsiders.

Let’s talk about something else. Do you often leave the palace? I see you leave quite easily whenever you want. ” Li Sangrou changed the subject.

“Yes, I can leave whenever I want, but I do not like leaving the palace,” Princess Ninghe said, twisting her head, somewhat embarrassed.

Li Sangrou’s earlier comment about rushing over and clinging to him had hurt her a little.

“Sigh, I think you think Master Wen is good because you have not met outsiders, right? From childhood to adulthood, besides your three older brothers, only Master Wen and Fourth Master Wen have been around you. Comparing the two…”

“No!” Princess Ninghe interrupted Li Sangrou angrily. “How can you think that way, too?”

“Look, even I, a stranger who has only known you for a short time, think about it this way. Why not think about why everyone else thinks this way?” Li Sangrou leaned forward, looking at Princess Ninghe seriously.

“You!”

“Did you not say you should think of others? Then think about why everyone else thinks this way?” Li Sangrou remained serious.

Princess Ninghe pursed her lips tightly and, after a moment, turned her head away.

“It’s just like eating. Like your father and your older brothers, from the moment they were born, they could eat whatever they wanted. Even if they wanted cucumbers in the dead of winter, they could still have them.

If they said their favorite food was something like braised pork, everyone would assume they just liked braised pork. Nobody would think they liked braised pork because it was the only dish they’d ever had, right?

Like Hei Ma, when he was just starting to eat meat, I made braised pork once, and he thought it was the best thing in the world. He slammed his fist on the table and shouted, ‘The boss’s braised pork is the best in the world!’

I spat at him then and said, ‘Wait until you’ve eaten all kinds of lamb, beef, chicken, duck, and fish. If you still think my braised pork is the best, then don’t slam your fist on the table and say that again.’

Now, he’s practically eaten everything, and he still thinks my braised pork is the best. I know then that he really loves my braised pork.”

Li Sangrou picked up her tea and sipped it, chatting casually.

“Are you trying to persuade me?” Princess Ninghe looked at Li Sangrou with some wariness.

“Is this persuading you? Not really. If you think so, then so be it. I am just stating the facts.”

“Let’s talk about Hei Ma. He used to think my braised pork was the best, but I thought that was because that was all he’d ever eaten. So I took him to try all sorts of delicious food, to let him know that my braised pork is not really the best.

Now, although he has not tried them all, he’s eaten quite a bit. He thinks grilled bluefish, stewed mutton, braised pig’s feet, braised goose, old duck soup, and spicy chicken are all delicious, but compared to my braised pork, they are still a bit lacking.

Now, if he slams his fist on the table and says that my braised pork is his favorite, then he really does.

You think so too, right?”

Li Sangrou looked at Princess Ninghe.

“It’s different.” Princess Ninghe’s “different” sounded a little unsure of herself.

Li Sangrou smiled at her without saying anything.

“It’s not that I have not tried different things, but even if I had, I would not be interested in anyone!” Princess Ninghe looked at Li Sangrou.

“Is that not perfect? ​​Just like Hei Ma, he tried everything and found that my braised pork is the best. Is that not great?” Li Sangrou shrugged and smiled.

“How can you talk like that? That’s not how you make comparisons,” Princess Ninghe said, picking up her cup and taking a sip of tea.

Li Sangrou looked at her, smiling as she sipped her tea.

“Then how should I meet them? I do not want to be asked this and that; it’s too embarrassing,” Princess Ninghe pouted.

“I really do not know. Why not ask your Third Brother or your Eldest brother?” Li Sangrou suggested earnestly.

She was a princess; this was something she genuinely did not understand.

Princess Ninghe lowered her eyes, hesitated for a moment, and said softly. “Hmm, I will go ask my Eldest Brother.”

……………………

As Jinming Pond opened and the city bustled with activity, Shunfeng Express’s second route—the Yangzhou line and the route from Yangzhou to Wuwei—quietly opened amidst stacks of cheap advertisements.

Before the letter service was rolled out, newspapers and evening gossip were distributed throughout the capital and the Huai River region.

Gu Xi entered Ming’an Palace with several letters.

“Look at these; they’ve all written to me.” Gu Xi handed the letters to Gu Jin.

Gu Jin took them, flipped through a few, and smiled, “If Shunfeng could reach those places, it would indeed be much more convenient. They are writing to you because they want to benefit the prefectures under their jurisdiction.

However, Lady Li is right; we must proceed step by step. Expanding too hastily will cause trouble.

Have Shouzhen write a few replies for you. Do not offend anyone on Shunfeng’s behalf. Shouzhen is good at these kinds of replies; do not write them yourself.”

“Yes, the route to Taiyuan Prefecture is supposed to be planned and opened before summer, which is already quite fast.

The Lianghuai and Jingxi-Jingdong routes are now unobstructed. Connecting them to the Taiyuan line will make transmitting information westward and eastward very fast once war breaks out.”

Gu Xi seemed to be in a very good mood.

“Several more memorials requesting the establishment of a crown prince came today,” Gu Jin said, putting down the letter and looking at Gu Xi.

“Still not submitting them? I have not seen them, nor have I heard of them.” Gu Xi frowned.

“Yes.”

“What exactly does the Emperor mean? The enthronement ceremony for the Southern Liang crown prince has been completed. It’s indeed time for the crown prince to be established. There’s only the Second Prince in the palace, no one else, right? What exactly does he mean?” Gu Xi was a little agitated.

“His Majesty’s meaning is still the same: settle down before building a career.” Gu Jin smiled bitterly.

“That means hurry up and settle down! Hurry up and arrange a marriage! Hurry up and pick someone! North of the Yangtze River, he can choose anyone! Can he not just pick one already? What are you all thinking? He’s not getting any younger!” Gu Xi angrily pounded on the armrest of his chair.

“In this marriage, His Majesty has his ideas, Worthy Consort Shen has her ideas, the Marquis of Yongping’s family has their own ideas, and Second Brother is also someone with his own ideas.

Sigh, do not be impatient. This is not something that can be rushed.

I did not want to tell you this; I just do not like seeing you pound on my armrest.

Sigh, you still need to know. Just know it, do not worry about it. I will handle this.” Gu Jin rubbed his temples, looking very troubled.

“Hmm.” Gu Xi reluctantly hummed in agreement.

“By the way, there’s some good news.” Gu Jin looked at him and changed the subject. “Ah Yue came to me and said she wants to see what the young talents of Jianle City are like and asked me for my opinion.”

“She’s had a change of heart?” Gu Xi raised his eyebrows high, then laughed. “That’s really good news!”

“She went to see Lady Li, and I do not know what Lady Li said to her, but after coming back from Lady Li’s place, she came to me and only said a few words.

Do not be too happy yet. Lady Li is always unconventional; who knows what she said to Ah Yue?

Just a short conversation, and Ah Yue came back immediately to tell me this? Thinking about it too much makes me a little uneasy.”

“Lady Li is very cautious. I think it must be good news. What did Ah Yue say?” Gu Xi patted the armrest of her chair happily.

“I told her to get out and about more. From now until the end of the year, there are literary gatherings one after another in Jianle City, sometimes several a day.

All the young talents of Jianle City are at these gatherings.” Gu Jin paused, then looked at Gu Xi and said, “I told her to go find Lady Li and have her accompany her.

I heard Lady Li has been frequently bringing her buddies to these literary gatherings lately, trying to soak up some literary atmosphere. “

Gu Xi laughed at Gu Jin’s words, nodding as she laughed. “The two she often brings are called Mazha and Datou. One’s silly; the other’s dull. They just squat down wherever they go, hands in their sleeves, staring blankly from here to there, never even blinking. It’s quite a sight.”

“There are no silly people around her; they are all cunning.

Go find Lady Li; do not be too formal, just casually ask her about Ah Yue’s matter.

Tell Lady Li that if she feels anything is inappropriate or should be stopped, she should feel free to intervene.”

“Alright!” Gu Xi agreed readily.