Chapter 78 : Entering the City

"Snap", a large fish was dragged out of the water by a thin cotton thread, struggling with a laborious flick of its tail, then it was caught by a hand and thrown into a bamboo woven basket.

Pei Si Yan counted the fish in the basket and clapped her hands joyfully, ''Light Dye, you're awesome! So many fish, enough for us to eat for a long time!"

"Why don't you take some and let's go into the city together to sell them." Li Qingye collected the cotton thread and said lightly, "Too much for us to eat, it's a pity to throw it away."

"Eh?" Pei Siyan was surprised, after a year of living in seclusion in the bamboo forest, thinking that she had once toured all over the Blue Country, it was inevitable that someone would recognise her, so for the sake of safety and security, it had never been Li Qingye alone who had slightly disguised herself before heading to the nearest county to buy the things she needed for her life, whereas at most she had wandered through the mountains here, and had never gone down the mountain.

Li Qingye stared at her, the corners of her lips raised, ''After staying in the mountains for so long, even though you didn't say it, I can feel that it must have been very boring, right? It's been a year since the incident, let's pay attention, no one will recognise us, it's time to take you for a good time."

"But my legs can't walk properly yet." Pei Si Yan lowered her head and poked her fingers into the soft dirt, "Going down the mountain will be inconvenient. And I'm really scared in case someone recognises us ..."

"Have you forgotten about my disguise?"

"Uh..." Pei Si Yan scratched her hair with her other clean hand, remembering that when she went to the green house to kidnap the second prince's date in the past, it was after Li Qingye's ghostly disguise that she froze and no one recognised them.

Li Qingye sighed: "So for more than two years, you haven't really understood me?"

"No way!" Pei Siyan muttered, her dirty fingers rubbing against Li Qingyan's, "I'm a maharajah with a bad memory ... Could it be that after all this time, you don't even know about this problem of mine?"

Li Qingye laughed, a hand swept Pei Siyan into his arms, washing her muddy paws with water, "It's still early, let's immediately go back and pack up and go to the county town, okay?"

"Good." Pei Si Yan cheered and gave a kiss to Li Qing Dye's cheek.

Li Qingye picked up the basket full of fish, then picked up Pei Si Yan horizontally, put her on the back of the horse first, rode behind her, raised the whip, and spurred the horse away.

Shunde county on a busy street, winter sunshine warmly spread all over the green stone road, traffic, people come and go, both sides of the merchant stalls stand, shouting and selling, just out of the pot of food out of the rolling white smoke, the aroma draws out the passers-by belly of the gluttony.

A man in his thirties dressed as a farmer pushed a wooden wheelchair slowly through the bustling streets, from time to time in front of a stall to stop for a moment. On the wheelchair sat the farmer's wife, a thick cloak wrapped around her body, green silk coiled into a simple bun, not wearing any jewellery, but there is a beautiful colour.

Seems to be due to illness for a long time not come out to walk a walk, wheelchair on the woman in the market in everything exudes curiosity and excitement, but also contains a trace of timidity and worry, eyebrows slightly knit up, until walking a long time, behind the husband's words only gradually relax, will pass by every stall shop collectively good to look at some.

After walking for a while, the two stopped in front of a small stall selling jewellery, away from the light dyeing slightly measured the neatly arranged bead hairpin, from which to choose a pink plum flower hairpin. Although the plum blossom is small, but the workmanship is very fine, that a piece of delicate pink makes the flower look enough to fake, three plum blossoms outside the twining green branches and leaves, a string of white beads hanging down, crystal bright, but also the icing on the cake.

Li Qingyan asked, "Do you like it?"

Pei Si Yan smiled and nodded, "Well, like it."

Li Qingdian paid a few coins and then inserted the hairpin into Pei Si Yan's hair bun.

Pei Si Yan touched the hairpin and happily smiled at Li Qing Dye, holding his hand.

The stall owner on the side saw this scene, smiled from ear to ear and said enviously, ''The two of you are really in love! Bless the two of you for being in love and growing old."

Pei Siyan shyly lowered her head, and Li Qingyan said to the boss, "Thank you."

Continuing to walk forward for quite a while, Pei Si Yan raised her hand to test the temperature on her cheeks, it seemed not to be hot anymore, before she raised her head. Perhaps it was because she hadn't seen outsiders for a long time, when she was with Li Qingye, she never felt constrained or shy, but as soon as she heard someone else's praise, she couldn't help but be shy again.

She turned back to look at Li Qingye, the latter smiled faintly, that smile seemed to contain infinite power, pulling her, holding his hand, not wanting to let go.

"Do you want to come and settle in the city in the future?" Li Qingyan asked, his tone soft, "Life in the mountains is too dull, isn't it?"

"With you by my side, how could it be dull?" Pei Si Yan shook her head, lovingly touching the hairpin again, "A paradise outside of the world, far away from the world, and at ease. As long as I have you by my side, I no longer wish for anything else."

Li Qingyan added, "Or we can go to the south, where the scenery is even more beautiful and pleasant. We can find a quaint town near the water, with small bridges and flowing water, and still get away, ah?" What's more, this place is only two or three days away from the imperial capital, it's just too close ...

Listening to Li Qingyan's words, Pei Si Yan's mind naturally gave birth to a serene scene of a small bridge and flowing water, they strolled hand in hand on the green stone path after the rain, the smile had not receded from their faces, it was that beautiful.

"Good, listen to you."

Li Qingye stopped his steps, walked to Pei Si Yan, squatted down, held her hand, and said, "You must get well quickly so that we can set off on our journey, otherwise I'm worried that your body can't stand the long distance running around."

"Am I that bad?" Pei Si Yan pouted, deliberately pretending to be upset, "Look at me, I'm flushed and looking good, where does it look like I can't stand running? I used to rarely get sick, I can run fast!"

"It's just that it's a long journey and requires a lot of energy."

Pei Si Yan covered Li Qing Dye's mouth and laughed, "Have you forgotten that we won't be separated in this life? Since that's the case, we have plenty of time, why do we have to play like hell to feel the south? We can play all the way there, so won't we not have to expend too much energy?" She rubbed her chin again, thinking of something, "That said, I haven't even had a good time yet, so it's the perfect opportunity to take advantage of this. Why don't we go back and pack up, and leave when the weather warms up in the spring?"

How could Li Qingye bear to reject Pei Si Yan's request and agreed, "Okay, as soon as spring comes along, we'll set off."

Pei Si Yan wanted to give a kiss to Li Qing Dye's forehead, but just as her body leaned forward, she suddenly remembered that they were now in a crowded market, and immediately stopped, her face couldn't help but redden again.

"I'm so hungry, let's find a place to eat something!" She was embarrassed and looked for a topic randomly.

"There's a teahouse in front, the dim sum is especially good, I'll take you there." Li Qingyan stood up and pushed the wheelchair to continue walking forward.

When they entered the teahouse, the shop assistant enthusiastically brought them to a secluded corner away from the request to sit down, and then quickly served them the tea and pastries they had requested. It was not long after lunch time, and there were not many customers in the shop, with only two or three tables of people gathered at the seats by the window, chatting idly.

"Quickly try this sesame cake, it's the one that I brought back to you last time that you found particularly delicious." Li Qingyan said as he pushed a plate of pastries in front of Pei Si Yan.

"Hmm." Pei Si Yan reached out and picked up a piece, at the same time the sound of talking came from the other side of the window, even though the man's voice wasn't loud, in the hall where there were fewer people, with a little bit of attention, one could still hear what he was saying very clearly -

"Hey, have you guys heard? Something big has happened in the Imperial Capital, Lord Wuban has once again angered the Emperor, and the Emperor has removed or relegated several officials surnamed Tantai to remote places one after another."

Li Qingye's heart tightened, instantly raising her eyes to Pei Si Yan.

As if she did not hear what the guests over there were discussing, Pei Si Yan ate the pastries as if nothing had happened and praised, "It's so delicious! Light Dye, remember to pack some to take back."

"Hmm." Li Qingdian's heart was relieved.

"I heard," another person answered, "Since the new Wu Pan took over, the Tantai family has always been in trouble, the Emperor seems to be intent on suppressing them, and now their power is far less powerful than it was when the executed Wu Pan was around. I guess, in less than a year and a half, the Tantai family will be in complete decline!"

The pastries in her hand fell onto the table, Pei Si Yan covered her mouth, her face showing pain.

"Let's leave." Li Qingyan said anxiously, regretting ten thousand times that he shouldn't have brought Pei Si Yan out to play today, who would have expected to hear this kind of news!

"Wait!" Pei Si Yan raised her hand to block.

"Siyan ...," Li Qingye lowered his voice and spoke very quickly, "Don't listen anymore, everything in the Tantai family has nothing to do with us anymore!"

Pei Si Yan just shook her head and did not reply.

Li Qingyan could only stop, hopelessly listening to the conversation over there.

"Tsk tsk, it's true that prosperity comes with decline! Think about it, when Tantai Yan was executed, it was already one of the signs of the Tantai family's decline, but the current Wushan doesn't know where she got the guts to repeatedly offend the Dragon's Might, she's simply looking for death! But I don't know why the current Emperor has changed so much from when he first ascended to the throne, right? We all thought he was going to be a brilliant ruler, but look what he's done now!"

"Shh, keep your voice down, you're looking for death!" The person who spoke raised his head alertly to look around, Pei Si Yan and Li Qing Dye looked as if they didn't know anything, quietly drinking tea and eating pastries, letting the person breathe a long sigh of relief.

"Alas, but you are right. Enlisting labourers to dig canals and collecting treasures and beauties from all over the world, isn't that one thing that's not a labour of love? There are also onerous and harsh taxes that pressurise the average citizen to the point where they can't live! In addition, the appointment of sycophants and the depreciation and punishment of the wise and capable have made the court filthy, and the people's life is even more difficult! That's why I resigned from my official position early, so as to save myself from being made to suffer the fate of a broken body and bones by a treacherous villain."

"Brother Gu, it's really hard for you."

The two people who were speaking looked at the bustling scene outside the window and were silent for a while before they couldn't help but sigh again.

"Fortunately, this place is near the foot of the Son of Heaven, otherwise I don't know what kind of tragic situation it is. I heard that the north is already full of starving people!"

"Alas," the person who spoke lowered his voice to the lowest, "I see, if this continues, someone in the country should rise up in revolt, and those eyeing countries around the Blue Country might also take the opportunity to attack, the Blue Country is in danger!"

The voice talking over there is getting lower and lower, already can't hear very clearly, Pei Si Yan calmly put the pastries in her hands back into the plate, the curtains of her drooping eyes gradually opened, her eyes were covered with a layer of resolute and firm colour.

"Light dye, we ... return to the imperial capital!"