After changing to fresh horses, the road to the capital was wide and smooth. A Le didn’t even need to hold the reins to control her horse, holding a paper package in one hand while picking snacks from it with the other.
“Chief Zhang prepared all these capital snacks,” A Le said. “It’s been so long since I’ve had them—I really miss them.”
Chu Zhao laughed. “It hasn’t been that long, has it?”
Or rather, they had only been in the capital for two years.
Chu Zhao looked ahead. The city was veiled in the lush green of willow trees and vibrant blossoms. As they drew closer to the capital, she felt a stirring of excitement.
Was this the thrill of returning home?
Her father was no longer here, and Yunzhong Commandery’s Luocheng felt distant. In truth, a decade had passed since she last saw Yunzhong Commandery, and it had become unfamiliar.
But could the capital truly be called her home? It seemed irrelevant now—one place was much like another.
“Let’s go,” Chu Zhao said, flicking her whip to urge her horse forward. No matter what, the capital was her destination now.
A Le hurriedly clutched her paper package and spurred her horse, not forgetting to remind Ding Dachui behind her, “Stay close to me. It’s your first time entering the capital—you’re not familiar with the roads.”
Ding Dachui was dressed in ordinary robes, posing as a household servant, as were the former bandits he led.
At the relay station, aside from changing horses, the Dragon Guard Army continued their advance scouting and vigilance as before. Meanwhile, Ding Dachui and his men had shed their armor and changed into plain clothing, acting as attendants to Chu Zhao.
Ding Dachui and his companions were indeed somewhat nervous. Never mind that they would soon enter the Imperial Palace—even the journey itself was overwhelming. Crowds were everywhere, and the streets and markets—and they hadn’t even reached the capital yet.
“Stop gawking,” Ding Dachui scolded his companions as he watched A Le catch up to Chu Zhao with her paper package. “Don’t act like you’ve never seen the world.”
One of his companions chuckled. “Well, we haven’t seen much of the world. Who’d have thought we’d ever come to the capital?”
Originally, they hadn’t even dared to leave the mountains. Ding Dachui took a deep breath and looked ahead. “Since the unimaginable has come true, we all need to stay sharp and not let this tremendous fortune slip through our fingers.”
His companions immediately straightened their backs and responded in unison.
Their loud, synchronized shout startled passersby on the road, who cast curious glances their way before dismissing them—clearly, they were just country folk.
Ding Dachui, already tense, signaled for them to rein in their enthusiasm and avoid drawing attention. They quickened their pace, dispersing around Chu Zhao in a tight, protective formation.
…
…
The capital’s streets were bustling with activity. Although the locals were accustomed to it, today felt different.
“What’s going on?” two men grumbled as they stepped out of a tavern. “Why is even the second floor fully occupied today?”
The shop assistant followed them out, smiling apologetically. “Sorry, sorry, it’s just an unlucky day.”
Hearing this, a few men who were about to enter paused.
“What?” they demanded, glaring. “Are the private rooms here all full too?”
The men who had just exited replied irritably, “Exactly, they’re full as well.”
The shop assistant added with a smile, “Sirs, there are still a few tables in the common area.”
The group of men responded in unison, displeased, “Who wants to sit in the common area?”
The shop assistant smirked faintly. “If you don’t take the common seats now, they’ll be gone soon too.”
Even the shop assistants were acting arrogantly today. The men huffed in annoyance.
“Let’s go. Cuifeng Tower up ahead is much better than this place,” one of them said.
But the three men who had just arrived smiled wryly. “Friend, Cuifeng Tower is full too. That’s why we came here.”"Not just those two establishments," another man chimed in, gesturing toward the bustling main street lined with restaurants and teahouses. "We've checked all the remaining ones too—none have private rooms overlooking the street available. If we want to eat, we'll have to settle for seats in the main hall."
"How strange," the first two men wondered aloud. "Did every wealthy person in the capital decide to dine out today?"
After all, the best view-oriented private rooms in these restaurants and teahouses didn't come cheap.
"I asked at one place," a man shared, "and was told a group of young ladies had reserved them all. Apparently, they're celebrating someone."
Another man recalled, "I heard that too—seems it's for Miss Chu."
At the mention of Miss Chu, everyone now knew who was meant, though the Empress wasn't in the capital.
"Besides the Empress, the Chu family has another young lady," the first man remarked with a slight curl of his lip.
And she was currently in the spotlight—having personally captured Xiao Xun and riding in the imperial procession alongside the Emperor during the victory parade. What woman in the realm had ever received such an honor?
Miss Chu Tang had rapidly gained fame in the capital, bestowed with the title of Intelligent and Astute Princess. The Chu estate had hosted countless banquets, one of which was rumored to have been an all-night revelry attended solely by women—something unheard of.
Even in the heyday of the powerful Imperial Relatives like the Yang and Zhao Families, their women had never carried on like this.
"Flourishing at home isn't enough for them; now they're taking over the restaurants and teahouses," the men grumbled, both exasperated and impressed. They were witnessing firsthand how unstoppable young women could be when they set their minds to it.
Resigned, the group was pondering where else to find a dining spot when a commotion erupted up ahead.
"Quick, come look! It's Wanqingniang from the Springwater Residence!"
The Springwater Residence was a famed pleasure house in the capital, and Wanqingniang its star courtesan—renowned for both talent and beauty, particularly her exceptional dancing skills. Securing an audience with her was no easy feat.
Especially in broad daylight, and on a public street?
The men instinctively moved to join the rush, then caught themselves, exchanging awkward glances before straightening their postures.
"Let's try another place," they declared in unison, forcing casual laughs as they blended into the street crowd.
The excitement was genuine. Within a few steps, they spotted a lavishly dressed woman.
Adorned in exquisite makeup and moving with enchanting grace, she stood out vividly amid the throng. She was positioned in front of a shop, studying her reflection in a bronze mirror held by a maid, delicately smudging her lip rouge with a fingertip—a flirtatious gesture that stirred murmurs through the onlookers.
The gathering crowd didn't faze Wanqingniang. Shop attendants had already formed a barrier at the entrance, keeping the public at a distance.
This was a goldsmith's shop owned by the prosperous Sheng family, known for their extravagant and indulgent scions.
"Which young Master Sheng splurged a fortune to bring Wanqingniang right to his doorstep?" a curious bystander called out.
"Aren't they afraid Old Master Sheng will break their legs?" another teased mockingly.
While family elders often turned a blind eye to their sons' carousing outside, bringing such antics to the family threshold would surely invite severe punishment.
The shop manager stood by, beaming as he addressed the crowd: "It wasn't any young master who invited her—it was the young ladies of the house."
This sparked even greater uproar among the people.
Had the Sheng family women started frequenting pleasure houses and hiring courtesans too?
"Not at all, not at all," the manager clarified with a wave. "Our young ladies have invited Wanqingniang to perform a dance."
A dance! The crowd buzzed with anticipation, and sure enough, they saw Wanqingniang's attendants setting up a small stage in front of the shop.It's not easy to catch a glimpse of Wanqingniang, and even harder to see her dance.
This was like picking up a fortune right on the street!
The shopfront was packed shoulder to shoulder, yet even with the stage set, Wanqingniang didn't appear immediately.
"Why isn't she dancing yet!" countless voices clamored.
The shopkeeper waved his hands with a smile again: "The auspicious hour hasn't arrived, hasn't arrived."
Since when does dancing require an auspicious hour? The crowd grew both impatient and expectant. Amid this commotion, another uproar erupted not far away.
"Come quick! Four Beauties from the Golden Phoenix Pavilion have arrived at Wang's Pawnshop!"
These words exploded like firecrackers on flat ground, causing a swarm of people to retreat—not far, just diagonally across the street under Wang's Pawnshop sign, where four women were alighting from a carriage.
All four wore identical dresses, identical makeup, each holding a pipa, even their faces looked exactly alike.
Four Beauties wasn't the name of one person—they were quadruplets, pipa performers raised by the Golden Phoenix Pavilion, who had even performed at palace banquets and received rewards from the late emperor.
"What kind of day is this!" the overwhelmed crowd exclaimed, "Has Wang's Pawnshop suddenly struck gold?"
Weren't they already wealthy enough? Taking in and putting out, they skimmed profit at every turn.
The crowd before the Sheng family's shop instantly halved. The shopkeeper's cheerful expression turned into a cold sneer: "The Wangs truly have no shame. Have they run out of ideas? Copying our young lady like this!"
The two establishments had people running back and forth across the street, torn between both attractions, when suddenly another shout arose: "Ink Cherishing Studio—"
The crowd paused in confusion, many blurting out: "Which courtesan has Ink Cherishing Studio invited?"
Even this elegant hall dealing in calligraphy couldn't possibly—
"No no, nothing of the sort."
Outside Ink Cherishing Studio, the shopkeeper and assistants set up tables with brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and decorative screens.
"Today Ink Cherishing Studio hosts an event," the shopkeeper announced, pointing to the writing materials, "inviting everyone to compose celebratory verses for Empress Chu."
Empress Chu? Writing verses for Empress Chu? Seeing no courtesans to watch, and this being yet another literary affair, much of the crowd dispersed. However, scholars gathered, discussing animatedly.
Why would Ink Cherishing Studio want to celebrate the Empress?
There was indeed a connection—back when Empress Chu was still Miss Chu and hosted the Chu Garden Literary Gathering, the collected writings had been sold through Ink Cherishing Studio.
But that was so long ago. Wasn't this tribute to Empress Chu coming rather late?
"Empress Chu stopped the Crown Prince of Zhongshan's rebellion," the studio manager explained. This wasn't flattery but genuine admiration. "She also campaigned in the Border Commandery. Remembering those early days and considering her current achievements, we felt we should compose celebratory verses to honor her accomplishments."
Well, that made sense. Empress Chu had indeed accomplished much worth writing about, and she certainly deserved celebration—
"All who compose verses for Empress Chu will receive discounts based on literary merit, applicable to all books and paintings in our collection."
The entire collection!
Calligraphy and books being precious commodities, this was a rare opportunity to acquire them at discounted prices.
Immediately, four or five scholars stepped forward.
"I'll give it a try!"
But the assistants guarded the writing tables.
"Please wait!" they said. "The auspicious hour hasn't arrived. You may contemplate your verses first."
What kind of auspicious day is this, and what special hour are they all waiting for?
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