In the second year of Jinghe, the Jing Kingdom welcomed the hottest summer in the long and impatient cicadas.
This year's summer seemed to be hotter than before. Zeng Zuimo had just finished a bowl of mung bean smoothie and was holding an ice pack in her hand, but she still couldn't help feeling annoyed.
Of course, this annoyance had nothing to do with the weather.
She paced in the room and looked at Wan Ruoqing, who was packing clothes by the bed, and asked, "Why are you leaving so soon? Can't you not go?"
"No, Mr. Sun has already gone there. It must be very difficult for them to start over there …" Wan Ruoqing said softly, but her hands didn't slow down.
"Even you are leaving. What about me?" Zeng Zuimo dropped the ice pack and asked.
Wan Ruoqing looked back at her and said, "Why don't you go to the capital with us?"
"I …" Zeng Zuimo opened her mouth. She really didn't want to mention the place that had brought her endless nightmares. She said angrily, "Go, all of you go. You are all heartless. Just leave me here alone!"
Wan Ruoqing finally put down the work in her hands. Looking at Zeng Zuimo running out, she shook her head helplessly.
She had to go to the capital. In terms of familiarity with the operation of the brothel, even Mr. Sun couldn't compare to her. Now that they had started over in the capital, it would definitely be more difficult. She would feel a little guilty if she was left alone at home.
However, once she left, Zeng Zuimo would have no friends here. She couldn't even eat three meals a day by herself. Thinking of her, Wan Ruoqing felt a little worried.
She shook her head and walked out the door. Standing in the corridor, she looked in a certain direction … They had already set off half a month ago. Now, they must have already arrived in the capital.
…
…
This year, the summer in the capital was really hot. If it didn't rain soon, it would probably usher in another disaster year.
The words "disaster year" were nothing for the rich, but for most civilians, it was the boundary between life and death.
Over the past few years, disasters had occurred frequently. Even Jingdou had encountered a drought that had not been seen in decades. The people at the bottom of society were already discussing whether or not the current Emperor had lost his virtue and incurred the displeasure of Heaven.
Li Xuan was dressed ordinarily as he walked on the street. The scorching sun above his head made his inner shirt wet not long after he walked. He was somewhat envious of the idlers who only wore short sleeves and wandered on the street. The hidden ice that the palace had distributed had long been used up. The Emperor did not go to the Summer Palace to avoid the heat, so the imperial concubines could only endure the heat in the Imperial Palace. This caused the demand for hidden ice to increase greatly. Now, even the Empress could only get a small piece every day.
"Young Master, do you want to come in and play …"
Even the voices of the girls standing at the door of the brothel were a little weak. Li Xuan looked at their miserable faces that were washed with sweat. They were like monsters. He didn't even want to go in and listen to the music.
"Demoness, eat my staff!" A brat with bare buttocks and holding a wooden staff that was half the height of a person pointed at the girls at the door of the brothel and shouted.
When the girls saw a child who was no more than seven or eight years old, they immediately trembled with laughter. They pointed at a small toy that was swinging in a certain part of his body and said, "Hehe, little brother, your staff is still too small. You should come back when you grow up!"
If an adult man had said those words, they might have lightly scoffed and pulled him into the brothel to do some indescribable things. However, the other party was a child who didn't even have hair. He could only be used to relieve their boredom when they were sleepy.
"Bah, shameless!"
A middle-aged woman next to the brat spat at the door of the brothel. She pulled the brat over and slapped his butt a few times. She said, "In the future, stay away from this place. Otherwise, I won't even let you go to the brothel!"
A few red marks appeared on his butt. The brat was about to cry, but he was scared by the woman's last sentence and swallowed his tears back.
Not letting him go to the brothel was something that was countless times scarier than a spanking.
"Evil spirits, I'll deal with you when I grow up!" The brat wiped his tears and put the wooden staff on his shoulder. As he followed his mother home, he silently said in his heart.
Li Xuan felt that the brat's words were somewhat familiar, as if he had heard them somewhere before. However, he couldn't remember where he had heard them before. He just thought that they were the dirty words he had heard when he went to the brothel and listened to the music.
"Hey, what's going on in front?" Li Xuan looked up and saw that there was a huge crowd in front of him. There were a few queues that stretched from the shop to the street. Li Xuan asked curiously.
A man behind him immediately walked up and returned after a while. He said, "Your Highness, this shop is selling something called green bean smoothie. However, I don't know why there are so many people buying it."
"Green bean smoothie?" He had never heard of this name before. Li Xuan revealed a look of interest and said, "Let's go take a look."
A moment later, the guard who had spent a tael of silver to enter the VIP passage quickly came out again. This time, there were a few more bowls in his hands.
Li Xuan casually took one. It was cold to the touch. He tasted it with a wooden spoon and immediately felt a refreshing coolness. He said in surprise, "Even the palace doesn't have any ice in storage. Who is the owner of this shop? How can he be so extravagant!"
This green bean smoothie must have been made with ice, but the price was so low. It must be known that ice was hard to find in the capital, so how could someone sell it at such a low price?
He quickly finished the smoothie in the bowl and immediately felt his body become much more relaxed. Li Xuan raised his head and saw the signboard of the shop. The words "Ruyi Workshop" were impressively imprinted in his eyes!
Pa!
The bowl in his hand fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
"He's back!" Seeing the crown prince's excited expression, the guards were all stunned.
…
…
"I was too impulsive that day."
"Impulsive?"
"… I was wrong."
"What did you do wrong?"
"— —"
"Hesitating and not admitting your mistake is good enough. I don't accept it. Let's do it again!"
…
…
"Don't go too far!" Miss.Liu narrowed her eyes and looked at Li Yi. The atmosphere was a little tense.
Li Yi widened his eyes and looked back at her, unwilling to be outdone. It was just staring at each other. Who was afraid of who!
If she didn't learn her lesson this time, she would still foolishly fight with her life on the line when she knew she couldn't win.
"It's been the time for a joss stick to burn …"
Xiao Huan rubbed her sore eyes. The son-in-law and Second Miss had been staring at each other for the time for a joss stick to burn. Their eyes … Wouldn't their eyes be sore?
Li Yi's eyes were really sore. He was very regretful. He shouldn't have stared so wide just now.
"That's all for today. Truce!"
The iced grape wine on the table was almost done. He rubbed his eyes and was about to reach out his hand when he saw a flash in front of him. The wine pot on the table was gone.
Miss.Liu snorted coldly and only left him a cold back.
It was noon on the third day of the sixth month of the second year of Jing He. Most people in the capital were still complaining because of the hot weather. Li Yi's iced grape wine was snatched away by Miss.Liu. Jing Di had just taken a panacea and was about to take a short rest. Prince Jin pulled Yong Ning's little face and laughed proudly. There was a big banquet in the Shu King's Mansion. People sang and danced. Qin Yu, who had been grounded for two months, walked out of the Qin Mansion …
It was also at this time that the crown prince angrily stepped into the gate of the viscount's mansion.
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