After finishing the congee, they found it was still early and sat by the fire to warm themselves.
Zhong Li, afraid of the heat, sat further away, while Lu Wuxie sat by the stove, adding firewood and poking the embers.
"I used to just have Laba congee with my mother, which was also to celebrate her birthday. I only learned the origin of Laba congee when I grew up," Lu Wuxie chatted as he worked.
"Isn't it that Sakyamuni attained enlightenment and became a Buddha on this day, and everyone drinks congee on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month in commemoration?" Zhong Li asked.
Lu Wuxie nodded, his eyes gazing blankly at the firewood in front of him. The blazing fire made his eyes particularly brilliant.
"I almost died on Laba," he murmured.
Zhong Li was startled, looking at him with confusion. How could Lu Wuxie, born with a silver spoon, have such an 'adventure'?
"Why?" she asked.
Lu Wuxie did not answer Zhong Li's question. He poked inside the stove with the fire tongs. "A kind person passed by and gave me a bowl of congee, and I managed to survive that day, but only that day."
"What? So the young lord's fear of the cold is because..."
"Is anyone there? Is anyone here!"
"Guards, bring me good wine and good meat! Damn it, it's so cold today, and I finally found an open inn."
Before Zhong Li could ask Lu Wuxie her question, a clamor erupted from outside the kitchen.
She glanced at Lu Wuxie. If she remembered correctly, there should have been a "Closed" sign hanging on the door of the Jinzhou Inn, so why were people appearing now?
Suddenly, she remembered that they had gone out to find firewood before making the congee. They had probably forgotten to close the door, and she got up with a look of annoyance.
"Let me," Lu Wuxie pulled Zhong Li towards him, pressing her back onto the stool. He picked up the candlestick from the table and prepared to go outside to explain things to the passing travelers.
"Speaking of which, isn't the port of Jinzhou a bit unstable lately?"
"Isn't it? Ever since this cha te grass was discovered by the Jinzhou yamen, the port has been under strict control. But then again, there are policies at the top and countermeasures at the bottom. As long as the money is in place, there's nothing that can't be done."
"I think you should stop. Don't get involved in this mess. It's a small matter if you get caught by the officials of the Southern Yue Kingdom, but if you break the laws of the Southern Yue Kingdom and lose your life, that's a big deal."
...
Before Lu Wuxie could leave the kitchen, he heard several travelers chatting outside. He paused with his hand on the kitchen curtain and turned to look at Zhong Li.
Zhong Li had naturally heard the conversation outside. She glanced at the remaining ingredients in the kitchen, gave him a look, and they began to busy themselves.
"The dishes are here!" Zhong Li emerged from the kitchen wearing an apron. She wiped the tables while arranging the dishes from the tray onto them one by one.
Among the three travelers, the oldest man, with a full beard, said, "Why so slow?"
As he spoke, he seemed extremely hungry and picked up his wooden chopsticks to start eating.
At the same time, Lu Wuxie also came out from inside. He carried a pot of clear wine and placed it on the table where the three men were sitting. "Today is Laba, most shops closed early. My wife and I were preparing to rest, but we didn't expect to meet you three gentlemen, so we reopened and started cooking. We apologize for the late service!"
As he spoke, he pulled Zhong Li, who was standing by, closer and smiled apologetically.
The bearded man glanced up and down at Lu Wuxie. "That's not right. The shopkeeper of this Jinzhou Inn before..."
"I am not the shopkeeper," Lu Wuxie quickly replied. "I am the new waiter here, and my wife is the cook."
Hearing the word "wife," Zhong Li's cheeks couldn't help but blush slightly, even though she was prepared.
"Oh, a waiter. The shopkeeper today..."
"The shopkeeper went home today. Isn't it a festival?" Lu Wuxie glanced at the woman beside him, his grip on her hand tightening slightly, and said with a smile.
"Oh, I see." The bearded man nodded and continued eating.
"Are you three from Yingzhou?" Lu Wuxie asked, looking at the attire of the three men at the table.
The bearded man remained silent.
Lu Wuxie added, "I heard you three speaking the language of the Southern Yue Kingdom. You must have been in the Southern Yue Kingdom for a long time."
The bearded man, as if disliking being disturbed while eating, glanced at Lu Wuxie with obvious impatience.
Lu Wuxie pondered for a moment, then stepped forward and refilled their wine cups. "Gentlemen, in a few days it will be my wife's birthday. I want to give her a red coral bracelet. I've heard that this item is only found in Yingzhou, so I asked a few extra questions."
The bearded man looked up at Zhong Li.
Zhong Li reacted quickly, moving closer to Lu Wuxie. She raised her small fist and playfully hit his shoulder. "My dear husband, I told you, there's no more red coral in Jinzhou, and even merchants from Yingzhou can't get it anymore. Yet you're still so unwilling to give up."
Lu Wuxie looked at the woman beside him acting coy, then at the hands still hitting his shoulder, and suppressed the urge to laugh. "But since my wife likes it, your husband..."
"Who says it's not available? I can get it," the bearded man said, slapping the table in annoyance.
Seeing this, Zhong Li seized the opportunity. "But... hasn't the Southern Yue Kingdom already refused to import this red coral? How can you get it, sir?"
"You wouldn't know about this!" the bearded man said mysteriously. "There are rules on the sea. Have you heard of the Beichuan Gang?"
Zhong Li shook her head.
"There's nothing the Beichuan Gang can't get if you want it, but..." the bearded man made a gesture of counting money.
Lu Wuxie, seeing this, quickly opened his purse and placed all the loose silver on the table.
The bearded man looked at it, still hesitant.
Lu Wuxie then put his jade pendant from his waist on the table. "Sir, please be kind. This is all my worldly possessions. Please sell me one."
The bearded man looked at the jade pendant on the table, weighed it in his hand, and casually took something from his waist. "This is my pass to move freely at the port. In two days, the Beichuan Gang's ship will arrive at the port. Take this to exchange for what you want, and don't worry about anything else afterward."
"Ah, thank you, thank you, sir." Lu Wuxie quickly took it and cherished it like a treasure, tucking it into his embrace. Then he took Zhong Li's hand and prepared to leave.
Just as he stepped halfway into the kitchen, he seemed to remember something and asked, "Sir, you said the Beichuan Gang is really that powerful? Can they really get the red coral bracelet?"
The bearded man just wanted to eat his meal in peace, but Lu Wuxie's endless questions had completely angered him. He slammed the table. "The Beichuan Gang, let alone your red coral bracelet, can even get the cha te grass that was strictly investigated a few days ago... Mmph..."
The bearded man realized what he had said, shot Lu Wuxie a glare, and buried his head in his food.
Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie exchanged a smile and entered the kitchen.
At the same time, in Jincheng, the Imperial Palace.
Shen Nong sat in front of her vanity, idly gazing at the stars in the night sky.
"Your Highness, it's cold. Be careful not to catch a chill," Zi Pei walked to Shen Nong's side, placed a hand warmer in her hand, and reminded her cautiously.
Shen Nong took the hand warmer, cupped her chin, and continued to look at the sky, seemingly ignoring Zi Pei's words.
After an unknown amount of time, footsteps echoed from Jinyang Palace. Without turning around, she recognized the scent in the air.
"You've come?" Shen Nong said.
The person behind her paused and bowed in greeting to Shen Nong.
"Do you know? The Emperor hasn't summoned me for almost two months," Shen Nong said lazily.
The person frowned slightly. "Is it with Nangong Xiaodie?"
"Yes, ever since Nangong Xiaodie entered the palace, the harem has become her sole domain. Now that she has given birth to an imperial heir, the Emperor naturally dotes on her," Shen Nong said, her tone indifferent.
The person asked, "Does the Emperor intend to change the heir?"
Shen Nong shook her head. "I don't know."
Then, she casually closed the window in front of her, stood up, and walked to the man's side. "Whether he changes it or not is not important. No matter who he chooses, the one on that position is still Hong'er, isn't he?"
The man smiled and gently pulled Shen Nong into his arms. "Nong Nong, you've suffered for so many years. Just wait a little longer. After we use Lu Wuxie and eliminate Prince Xian, we can be together forever."
Shen Nong seemed to enjoy hearing such words. Nestled in the man's embrace, a smile bloomed on her face.
"By the way, has Xie Yunxi made any moves recently?" the man asked.
Shen Nong snorted upon hearing Xie Yunxi's name. "With the foolish things she's done, the Xie family is already ruined. It serves them right; it has come in handy for me. As for Xie Yunxi herself, I've sent Zi Chu to her side. You know, fools are not suitable to be by your side and mine."