Chapter 313: The Turtle Turned Over
Chapter 313 -177: The Turtle Turned Over
In the Capital City.
Several days had passed, yet there was still no progress on the Champion Marquis case, but the day of the diplomatic marriage with the Turkic princess was drawing nearer.
The Ministry of Revenue was intensely preparing food supplies, weaving machines, and cloth, waiting to send them immediately to the Turkic Grassland as soon as Emperor Jing and Princess Yujia completed the marriage ceremony.
These past few days, Princess Yujia, residing in the guesthouse of Honglu Temple, would secretly slip out every day after the teaching nanny left, to stroll around the Brocade Workshop, have some tea, or chat with Tang Xiaotong.
The glazed tiles of Honglu Temple shimmered with a cool light under the summer sun.
Princess Yujia leaned against the carved window lattice, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the wolf fang pendant around her neck.
This was the necklace her father, the khan, personally put on her during her coming-of-age ceremony.
Here, she could not ride freely, see the eagles soaring in the sky, or smell the fragrance of green grass. All she could do was gaze at the empty courtyard outside the window, idly playing with the wolf fang jade pendant.
The room still had a suffocating scent of sandalwood left by the recently departed teaching nanny, and the rules like “lower your head, not pass the shoulders” and “don’t show your teeth when you smile” felt like invisible chains choking her breath.
“Princess, it’s time for lunch,” the maid Alan softly called from outside with a gilded food tray.
Princess Yujia looked at the exquisite yet unfamiliar and cold imperial food on the tray, and suddenly thought of the bowl of steaming almond tea she tasted yesterday at the Brocade Workshop.
Her lips gently curved as she grabbed the cloak embroidered with a gray wolf beside her.
“No need to prepare, I want to go out for a walk.”
As she passed through the three layers of vermilion lacquered doors, the guards all knelt down in unison.
The closer the marriage ceremony approached, the more Princess Yujia felt she was being watched over, with everything no longer so free.
Her steps suddenly became light as she crossed the final threshold as if breaking free from some restraint.
The bustling life of the street hit her face; the old man selling sugar figures shouting, the crisp sound of abacus beads at the entrance of the silk store, and the sound of a huqin drifting from some alley, yet these carefree sounds brought warmth to Princess Yujia’s eyes.
The blue cloth banner of the Brocade Workshop fluttered gently in the breeze. As soon as Yujia stepped over the threshold, she heard clear laughter from within.
“Mr. Tang, you’ve really put me in a tough spot. The cloud pattern on this brocade requires a loose stitch to appear spirited…”
Before the voice faded, Tang Xiaotong lifted aside the indigo curtain and stepped out, with strands of colorful threads still clinging to his hair tips.
Upon seeing Yujia, a hint of delight flashed in his eyes, and he immediately smiled and cupped his hands.
“An esteemed guest at the door, my humble shop is honored.”
Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting speckled patches of light on Tang Xiaotong’s brow.
Princess Yujia noticed that Tang Xiaotong had changed into a bamboo-green robe today, making him appear as refreshing as a newly sprouted willow branch.
Suddenly, she remembered a Turkic saying—”For a horse, look at its teeth; for a man, look at his eyes.”
The eyes of this Da Jing merchant before her were like the brightest stars in the night sky of the grasslands.
“Yesterday’s almond tea…” As Yujia began to speak, her words took a turn, “Do you have any new cloud brocade?”
Tang Xiaotong knowingly blinked: “It’s a coincidence, I just got a few bolts of snow-blue, embroidered with lifelike koi.”
He led Princess Yujia to the backyard and, as they passed a shelf, casually took down a green porcelain jar.
From a peddler walking alleyways in his early days to a shopkeeper today, Tang Xiaotong faced a variety of customers every day, which made him used to being three parts amiable and friendly.
Most people of Da Jing regarded Princess Yujia as a curiosity, often whispering and pointing behind her back.
Yet Tang Xiaotong always maintained his usual demeanor, chatting with Princess Yujia as naturally and easily as his heart desired.
Because of Tang Xiaotong’s affable nature, Princess Yujia found they particularly connected well with each other.
She naturally considered him her only friend in Da Jing.
Tang Xiaotong knew that Princess Yujia was a diplomatic marriage princess from the Turkic, and Princess Yujia knew that Tang Xiaotong was just an ordinary shopkeeper.
Nevertheless, these two seemingly unrelated individuals, after interacting for a few days, found themselves more and more in sync, drawing closer to that unique feeling between a man and a woman.
Only, neither of them was aware of this yet.
“My brother happened to bring in some almond tea again this morning. It’s best paired with candied fruit. Give it a try.”
In the backyard, a Sigal Crabapple tree in full bloom dropped its pink and white petals onto the stone table, resembling a layer of soft, light gauze.