Early the next morning, after breakfast, Liu Ming'an and Jiang Ning asked the waiter for a bowl of porridge. When they brought it upstairs, they discovered that the severely injured person was no longer in bed.
"Has he left?" Liu Ming'an looked at the empty room, quite surprised. How could someone so gravely wounded get out of bed?
"He probably has," Jiang Ning guessed it was likely the effect of the spirit spring water that allowed Yuwen Yan to regain mobility. As a prince who had been stabbed three times, he would naturally want to find a way to retaliate.
Jiang Ning's keen eyes spotted something on the table. Upon closer inspection, it was a jade pendant, deep green in color with cloud patterns along the edges and the character "Yan" engraved in small seal script in the center.
"Why did he leave us a jade pendant?" Liu Ming'an picked it up, feeling its smooth and warm texture, clearly an extraordinary piece.
"Perhaps he wanted to let us know he owes us a favor," Jiang Ning speculated. This prince seemed quite considerate.
Liu Ming'an smiled at her words, "We don't even know if we'll ever meet again..."
"If it's meant to be, we'll meet again," Jiang Ning said calmly.
Since they no longer needed to care for the injured man, the two decided to proceed with their original plan to travel to the Capital City.
That afternoon, after lunch, Liu Ming'an and Jiang Ning boarded a carriage bound for the Capital City.
Two days later, the carriage stopped in front of the city gates.
After two months of twists and turns, they had finally made it from Lingshan Town to here.
Jiang Ning looked up at the towering city walls, remembering the tormented soul who had died miserably in a foreign land. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
Nangong Ling, I've come back in your place.
"They say the Capital City is prosperous. I wonder what it's really like," Liu Ming'an, unaware of Jiang Ning's thoughts, excitedly watched the crowds coming and going through the city gates.
"Let's go and see for ourselves," Jiang Ning smiled, pulling herself out of her complex thoughts.
But after taking a few steps, Jiang Ning suddenly remembered something. She stopped and pulled out a veil she hadn't used in a long time from her bundle and put it on.
"Ah Ning, why are you wearing a veil?" Liu Ming'an asked, puzzled.
Jiang Ning was naturally afraid of encountering familiar faces, especially people from the Prime Minister's Mansion. That would make things spiral out of control.
Nangong Ling was already bearing the stigma of eloping with someone. If people saw her with Liu Ming'an, everyone would naturally assume he was the one she had eloped with.
Liu Ming'an had no power or status, just a poor scholar. If Nangong Ling's father became enraged and decided to punish him, even if Jiang Ning had the ability to protect him from physical harm, she couldn't ensure his smooth progress in his official career.
In an era where reputation was everything, there was no other choice.
Jiang Ning didn't care about herself, but she wanted Liu Ming'an to remain pure and upright throughout his life.
Forced to give Liu Ming'an a reason for wearing the veil, Jiang Ning wracked her brains for a moment before sheepishly saying, "I've heard there are many officials and nobles in the Capital City. I'm so... attractive, ahem, what if some rich young master sees me and tries to abduct me? It's better to wear a veil as a precaution."
Liu Ming'an's intuition told him something was off about this reason. After careful thought, he realized Jiang Ning was probably afraid of encountering enemies in the Capital City.
Liu Ming'an sighed inwardly, reached out to adjust Jiang Ning's veil, pulling it up a bit and arranging her hair to cover her smooth forehead, leaving only her eyes visible.
"This is better, no one will be able to see you at all," Liu Ming'an smiled.
If Ah Ning wanted to keep secrets from him, so be it.
The two arrived in the Capital City on the thirteenth day of the first lunar month. There were still three months until the imperial examinations, and after that, there would be the palace examination. All in all, they would need to stay in the Capital City for at least half a year before everything was settled.
Liu Ming'an remembered his promise to Zhou Yi and Zhang Shun. After entering the city, they found an inn to stay for the night. The next day, he took Jiang Ning and asked for directions to Xichun Road, where they found Zhou Yi's family's Jun Yue Restaurant.
Before seeing Jun Yue Restaurant, Liu Ming'an had assumed it would be similar to Fusheng Restaurant, since they were owned by the same family.
When they actually arrived at Jun Yue Restaurant, Liu Ming'an realized the vast difference between the small Lingshan Town and the Capital City. The Jun Yue Restaurant before them was at least three times larger than Fusheng Restaurant.
As soon as they entered the restaurant, a waiter greeted them with a big smile: "Welcome, guests. Are you here for a meal or to stay?"
Liu Ming'an smiled and said, "I'm here to find someone."
The waiter's smile didn't falter as he continued, "May I ask who you're looking for? If I know them, perhaps I can help."
"I'm a friend of Zhou Yi, I'm here to see him."
As soon as Liu Ming'an finished speaking, the waiter looked him up and down, then asked, "Sir, are you Mr. Liu from Lingshan Town?"
Liu Ming'an was surprised and answered, "Yes, that's me."
"Oh my! Mr. Liu, we've been waiting for you! The young master instructed us this morning to inform him immediately when you arrived. Please have a seat here, and I'll go call the young master right away." The waiter said excitedly, and before Liu Ming'an could respond, he had already dashed upstairs.
Liu Ming'an watched the waiter's figure disappear in the blink of an eye and couldn't help but say to Jiang Ning, "This waiter has the same temperament as Brother Zhou, both so energetic and quick."
Jiang Ning smiled and picked up the teapot on the table to pour herself a cup of water. She lifted it to her lips before realizing she was still wearing the veil. Liu Ming'an was still curiously observing the decor of Jun Yue Restaurant, so Jiang Ning placed the cup in front of him and said, "Have some water."
"Little Liu!"
A loud shout suddenly came from behind. Liu Ming'an had just stood up and turned around when someone rushed over and hugged him tightly.
"Haha... Little Liu, you're here! I didn't expect you to come so quickly! This is wonderful!" Zhou Yi was so excited his eyes were dancing with joy as he patted Liu Ming'an's back repeatedly.
The guests in the hall all looked over, and upon realizing it was a scene of long-lost brothers reuniting, they smiled and returned to their meals.
"Brother Zhou, my back is going to be swollen from your patting," Liu Ming'an said helplessly, unable to bear Zhou Yi's "enthusiasm."
"Haha..." Zhou Yi laughed as he released him, suddenly remembering Jiang Ning was still standing nearby. He quickly greeted her, "Sister-in-law, long time no see!"
Hearing this form of address, Jiang Ning's eyes curved into a smile as she replied with a hint of laughter in her voice, "Brother Zhou, it's been a while."
"Come, come, this isn't the place to talk. Let's go up to a private room and chat while we eat..." Zhou Yi said as he tugged on Liu Ming'an's sleeve, heading upstairs. At the same time, he turned back to Jiang Ning and said, "Sister-in-law, please follow us."
Zhou Yi led Liu Ming'an all the way up to a private room on the third floor. He ordered the waiter to bring their signature dishes and spent the time waiting for the food asking about their well-being, acting like a caring older brother concerned about his younger brother and sister-in-law.
When he learned that Liu Ming'an and Jiang Ning were currently staying at another inn in the Capital City, Zhou Yi looked surprised: "Why aren't you staying at my place? We have plenty of rooms, why waste money elsewhere?"
Liu Ming'an said it wasn't convenient and he didn't want to impose, but Zhou Yi immediately flexed his wealth: "What's inconvenient about it? I'm not going to squeeze in with you two, you'll have your own space. My family owns properties in all four districts and eight streets of the Capital City. Where do you want to stay? Take your pick!"
Liu Ming'an had never encountered such a situation and was at a loss for words. He had known that Brother Zhou's family was well-off, but he hadn't realized they were this wealthy.
Jiang Ning remembered something, her eyes flickered, and she spoke up, "Brother Zhou, I'd like to stay on Late Winter Road."
Blind Yang had mentioned that Wei Fangxiong lived on Late Winter Road.
Jiang Ning guessed that Wei Fangxiong was probably just a trafficker, and it was very likely that, like Zhao Qiang and Blind Yang, Nangong Ling was already in that condition when he received her.
But Wei Fangxiong was in the Capital City, and Nangong Ling was also from the Capital City, so he was likely the last link in this trafficking chain. If she could find him and ask who had handed Nangong Ling over to him, Jiang Ning could follow the trail and find the ultimate enemy.
Zhou Yi agreed without hesitation: "Certainly! I have a small house on Late Winter Road. It's quite secluded, perfect for you two to stay. It'll be convenient for Little Liu to focus on preparing for the imperial examinations."
"Thank you, Brother Zhou!" Jiang Ning thanked him sincerely.
During the meal, Liu Ming'an asked about Zhang Shun.
Zhou Yi waved his hand and said, "My cousin is pregnant again. Zhang Shun was worried that the Capital City would be too cold for her pregnancy, so they've gone south to South Qiong, where it's warmer now. If you had come two days earlier, you might have been able to have a meal together and say goodbye."
"That's wonderful news!" Liu Ming'an smiled.
"When he left, he specifically instructed me to take good care of you. He also said he broke his promise and asked me to apologize on his behalf first. He'll apologize to you in person when he returns," Zhou Yi said as he drained a glass of wine in one gulp.
"Brother Zhou, you're being too formal. There's no need for such talk between us," Liu Ming'an said, holding Zhou Yi's hand as he was about to pour more wine.
"Ha! I knew you'd say that. He didn't believe me..." Zhou Yi laughed with a hint of pride.
After the meal, Zhou Yi accompanied them to the inn where they had made reservations. They packed their luggage, checked out, and then headed towards Late Winter Road.
"This is it, Brother Liu and sister-in-law. You'll be living here from now on. It's quiet, and it'll be convenient for me to come over for drinks," Zhou Yi said as he pushed open the door, entered the courtyard, and then handed the key to Liu Ming'an.
The environment was indeed tranquil, with neighbors relatively far apart, making it almost impossible to hear any noise. The courtyard was filled with bamboo, which rustled in the wind.
"Well, you can settle in here. I'll head back now. Actually, when you arrived earlier, I was in the middle of doing the accounts. If my mother comes back and finds out I haven't finished, I'll be in trouble..."
Zhou Yi smiled sheepishly, gave a few more instructions about contacting him if they needed anything, and then took his leave.