Days passed by unhurriedly. Jiang Ning and Liu Ming'an had agreed to set out for the Capital City after celebrating the New Year in Qushui City.
The two had already inquired about the routes from Qushui City to the Capital City. There were two options: one was purely by water, taking a boat from the dock, which would take ten days; the other was half by water and half by land, first spending two days on a boat to Jinzhi City, then two days by carriage to enter the Capital City.
Without hesitation, they chose the second route and planned to depart on the eighth day of the new year, as all passenger ships would be out of service before then.
As the new year approached, Qushui City saw several more heavy snowfalls.
When Jiang Ning was in modern times, she often heard people say that the festive atmosphere was fading, that the New Year was becoming less interesting, and that the Spring Festival Gala was getting worse. But back then, she couldn't imagine what celebrating the New Year in ancient times would be like.
Now that she could finally experience it firsthand, Jiang Ning was particularly interested in the New Year celebrations. Most importantly, she was now an ordinary person with someone to spend New Year's Eve with and stay up all night to welcome the new year.
From around the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, the entire Qushui City began to bustle with activity.
Everywhere on the streets, one could see vendors selling candied hawthorns, shadow puppet shows, acrobatic performances, and people playing erhu and singing... Crowds gathered, laughing loudly and engaging in animated discussions in the icy, snowy weather, as if all worries and troubles had been left behind.
"Ning, the waiter said there will be iron flower fireworks by the shore on New Year's Eve. Let's go watch," Liu Ming'an excitedly shared the news he had just learned as he returned to the room.
"Iron flower fireworks? Sounds great!" Jiang Ning's face lit up with a radiant smile, infected by Liu Ming'an's enthusiasm.
The next moment, Liu Ming'an predictably reached out and poked her right cheek.
"You really are..." Jiang Ning chuckled, at a loss for words.
On New Year's Eve, the snow that had been falling for several days finally stopped. The two had a hot pot with lamb for dinner, warming themselves from head to toe. After eating, they put on their cloaks and headed towards the shore.
The streets were brightly lit, with lanterns hanging everywhere. People came and went, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.
When Liu Ming'an, holding Jiang Ning's hand, arrived at the shore, it was already crowded with people.
"Ning, it seems we arrived late," Liu Ming'an said, somewhat disappointed as he looked at the sea of heads before them.
"It's alright, I'll take you somewhere," Jiang Ning replied.
Jiang Ning led Liu Ming'an away from the crowd to a higher ground. Although it was some distance from the shore and there were no other people around, it wouldn't hinder their view of the iron flower fireworks.
It was about 7:45 PM, and the sky had completely darkened. However, most of the people who came to watch the fireworks carried lanterns, illuminating that section of the beach brightly.
After a while, there was a commotion in the crowd. Jiang Ning was too far to see clearly, but she guessed that the person in charge of the fireworks had arrived.
Indeed, moments later, they saw someone in the middle of the crowd wielding something like an iron shovel, swinging their arm.
"Bang!"
In the next instant, thousands of burning iron filings burst into the air like splashing silver beads and dancing golden threads, exploding in the sky, brilliant and dazzling.
"Bravo!" The cheers of the crowd drifted with the wind as Liu Ming'an smiled and embraced Jiang Ning.
The spectacular sparks only lingered in the air for a moment before losing their luster like falling meteors, returning to darkness. However, new sparks continuously rose into the sky, eliciting cheers from the crowd.
Jiang Ning only watched for a while before turning her gaze away, looking up at the face so close to her.
Liu Ming'an was still intently watching the shore, the flickering sparks reflected in his eyes, making them seem filled with the light of countless stars, along with a gentle smile.
"Liu Ming'an," Jiang Ning suddenly called out softly.
"Ning, what'sā"
Just as Liu Ming'an turned his gaze to the person in his arms, Jiang Ning reached out, wrapped her arms around his neck, closed her eyes, and kissed him.
"Bang!"
Another loud noise, but Liu Ming'an couldn't tell if it was the sound of the iron flower fireworks or his own heartbeat.
His Ning, with her arms tightly around his neck, her body pressed close to his, her soft lips meeting his...
Liu Ming'an felt he was going mad.
Jiang Ning could feel Liu Ming'an's momentary hesitation when she first kissed him, but within seconds, one hand cupped the back of her head, and the kiss suddenly intensified.
The sound of exploding iron flowers and the cheers of the crowd continued to reach them, but they were long past caring, both lost in the depth of emotion the other offered.
"Ning... Ning..."
Liu Ming'an murmured incoherently, his lips and teeth seeking, and Jiang Ning yielded completely, offering no resistance.
After the long kiss ended, Liu Ming'an gently pressed his lips to Jiang Ning's and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Ning, marry me."
"Yes!" Jiang Ning responded with a smile, her eyes glistening with a thin layer of moisture, causing Liu Ming'an's Adam's apple to bob involuntarily.
"Ning..." Liu Ming'an pecked Jiang Ning's lips twice more, calling out her name, but not knowing what else to say.
Jiang Ning reached out and stroked Liu Ming'an's face, saying softly, "Let's go back."
Liu Ming'an nodded. No matter how beautiful the scenery, he no longer had the heart to look. Rather than standing here in the cold wind, it was better to return to the inn.
Hand in hand, they made their way back to the inn.
At some point, firecrackers began to explode all over the street, announcing the end of the old year and the arrival of the new one.
On the eighth day of the first lunar month, it was time to set out for Jinzhi City.
Since arriving in Qushui City, they had bought many more winter clothes. The winter garments were thick and heavy, making their luggage much more than when they first left Lingshan Town.
"You go check out, I'll finish packing the rest," Jiang Ning said.
They had already neatly folded their clothes, and Jiang Ning was counting their remaining silver. Estimating that they had spent quite a bit at this inn, she handed fifty taels to Liu Ming'an.
Liu Ming'an took the silver and went down to the lobby to find the innkeeper to check out.
The innkeeper responded with a "Certainly," took out the account book, and after a series of rapid calculations on the abacus, said with a broad smile, "Young master, it comes to forty-five taels and seven hundred wen. I've rounded it down for you, just forty-five taels will do."
This price was about what Liu Ming'an and Jiang Ning had budgeted for, considering they had stayed for over two months and hadn't skimped on food.
Liu Ming'an paid and turned to go upstairs when he caught sight of the teapot on the counter, suddenly remembering the cup of sleep-inducing tea.
"Innkeeper, your inn's sleep-inducing tea is very effective. Could I buy some?" Liu Ming'an asked the innkeeper.
The tea had left a deep impression on Liu Ming'an. Drinking it made one drowsy and led to a dreamless sleep until dawn. It was a good thing to have. Although he didn't need it now, it was always good to be prepared.
To his surprise, the innkeeper looked bewildered: "What sleep-inducing tea? We don't have such a thing in our inn."
Liu Ming'an was taken aback: "How can that be? I drank it before. It was said to be water brewed with herbs that have a calming effect, with a slightly bitter taste..."
The innkeeper waved his hand, stating firmly: "Young master must be mistaken. We've never offered such tea in our inn."
"But..."
Liu Ming'an wanted to say more, but the innkeeper added with a smile: "Besides, how could an innkeeper dare to sell such tea to guests? What if the guest slept too deeply after drinking it and lost valuable belongings? We'd have no way to explain ourselves!"
His heart sinking, Liu Ming'an nodded and said nothing more, turning to go upstairs.
The so-called sleep-inducing tea he had on the night they returned from the Yang residence had been brought to him by Jiang Ning!
Liu Ming'an should have realized earlier. He and Jiang Ning had traveled all the way from Lingshan Town to Qushui City to investigate her identity, finally finding Blind Yang. Given Jiang Ning's personality, how could she give up so easily?
Jiang Ning had parted ways with Blind Yang on bad terms that day, then brought him the "sleep-inducing tea" that night to make him sleep deeply. She must have gone back to the Yang residence in the night!
Liu Ming'an returned to the room with a heavy heart. Jiang Ning had already packed everything and handed him a bundle, a faint smile on her lips. "Let's go, time to board the ship."
"Ning, do we have to go to the Capital City now? If it's not urgent, we could actually stay in Qushui City a while longer," Liu Ming'an said casually, though he had a certain suspicion in mind.
Jiang Ning's eyes flickered. If it were just for Liu Ming'an's imperial examination, there would be no rush. Her eagerness to reach the Capital City was, of course, because she wanted to resolve matters as quickly as possible.
"Didn't we agree? We'd settle down early in the Capital City so you could focus on preparing for the imperial examination," Jiang Ning repeated her usual reasoning.
Liu Ming'an knew he had guessed correctly - Jiang Ning had secretly gone to see Blind Yang, and the clues he provided were in the Capital City!
"Alright, let's go then," Liu Ming'an said after a moment. Though he didn't know why Jiang Ning wanted to exclude him from this matter and no longer let him get involved, but... they'd take it one step at a time.
Ning is a clever girl, she won't do anything foolish, Liu Ming'an told himself.
Jinzhi City, as its name suggested, was also an independent city, but under the jurisdiction of the Capital City. If Qushui City was the fortress in the heartland of Great Liang, then Jinzhi City was Great Liang's last line of defense.
When Liu Ming'an and Jiang Ning arrived here, this place, like Qushui City, was still immersed in the New Year's atmosphere.
The two had originally planned to stay in Jinzhi City for one night before heading to the Capital City, but something unexpected happened.
Liu Ming'an got seasick.
Having never been on a boat before, Liu Ming'an started vomiting the day he boarded the passenger ship. After that, he couldn't eat or sleep well, and visibly became weak and haggard. Even though Jiang Ning secretly fed him spirit spring water, it only provided temporary relief. As long as they were still on the boat, Liu Ming'an continued to suffer from severe seasickness.
Fortunately, the boat journey only lasted two days. After disembarking, Jiang Ning quickly found an inn for them to stay, allowing Liu Ming'an to rest properly.
The pair entered Jinzhi City in the afternoon. Liu Ming'an slept until noon the next day, and only after waking up hungry and eating a meal did his spirits return to normal.
Jiang Ning gave Liu Ming'an some more spirit spring water to drink. Seeing him lively and completely recovered, she finally felt relieved.
"Ning, I'm feeling quite energetic now. We don't need to delay our journey. Let's head to the Capital City tomorrow," Liu Ming'an said to Jiang Ning.
Jiang Ning carefully assessed Liu Ming'an's condition and, seeing that he indeed looked spirited, nodded in agreement.