As soon as Meng Ruyi heard Song Huai say that he had a surprise for her, she looked at him in surprise, thinking he was going to give her a gift. However, Song Huai just gave a faint smile and said, "You'll have to wait a bit."
What kind of gift? And she had to wait?
Meng Ruyi's curiosity was instantly piqued, and she felt as if a kitten was scratching at her heart.
Forget it. Even if she asked Brother Song, he wouldn't tell her. It was better to just wait for him to say.
In a moment of distraction, Meng Ruyi suddenly remembered the Fifth Princess who had left dejectedly just now. She turned to Song Huai and asked, "Brother Song, is Zheng Yuanqing coming back to the capital?"
Song Huai's hand holding the teacup paused. He looked up at Meng Ruyi and said, "Huh? Why do you suddenly ask about this?"
Although the man's face seemed calm, a storm was silently brewing in his eyes. The gloomy emotions tightly squeezed his heart.
"Today, the Fifth Princess, who is Zheng Yuanqing's younger sister, came to ask me about his situation." Meng Ruyi was looking up at the sky and didn't notice the change in the man in front of her. However, the live comments suddenly popped up excitedly.
[Here it comes! Here it comes! My favorite scene! Brother Song is jealous. Heeheeheehee.]
[Song Huai says it's nothing, but he must be crying inside.]
[Laughing out loud. I can't even imagine Song Huai crying.]
[Yu Yu still hasn't noticed. Hahahahaha. This is so interesting.]
Meng Ruyi: "..."
Thanks. She noticed now.
Feeling both amused and helpless, Meng Ruyi ignored the faint sense of joy in her heart. She looked up at Song Huai and waited for his answer.
"He should be on his way now. If he travels quickly, he can reach the capital before the rainy season."
After Song Huai said this, he secretly let out a sigh of relief.
"By the way," Meng Ruyi suddenly remembered Gu Ling, who was far away. She asked Song Huai, "Gu Ling should be coming back too. Around the end of this month?"
"Brother Song, you must have received his letter too."
Song Huai nodded.
Meng Ruyi had received a letter from Gu Ling a few days ago, saying that he was already on his way and would soon return to the capital.
Their trip to the north was almost a matter of life and death. Gu Ling and General Gu had encountered countless schemes.
Last winter in the northern tribes was extremely cold, so those people started to come in and rob again. Gu Ling and General Gu had fought many battles before finally stabilizing the north a little.
Moreover, with the current unstable situation, Gu Ling and General Gu were naturally eager to rush back.
"Soon," Song Huai's smile faded a little.
The two chatted idly for a while. As the sky gradually darkened, Meng Ruyi suddenly smelled a delicious aroma.
"So fragrant!" she couldn't help but exclaim. Then, she was startled and realized, "Is this the surprise Brother Song was talking about?"
"Seeing that you haven't eaten well on your journey, I found a chef." Song Huai saw the surprise in Meng Ruyi's eyes and gradually relaxed. A smile appeared on his face. "Try it later."
"Brother Song is the best!"
Meng Ruyi exclaimed and glanced at the small kitchen expectantly.
When the dishes were served, Meng Ruyi found that they were all home - cooked dishes, but they looked delicious.
She couldn't stop once she started eating. It was not until she finished that she came back to her senses. She exclaimed to Song Huai, "Delicious! This is so yummy! Where did you find this chef, Brother Song?"
It was hard to find a good chef, especially in such a short time. To find a chef who suited her taste was simply as difficult as reaching the sky.
Song Huai said, "It was a coincidence."
Meng Ruyi didn't believe Song Huai's so - called coincidence. She gave him a look.
"If you want to eat anything, just send someone to the small kitchen," Song Huai said and then stood up. "You've been tired all day. Go to bed early."
"Okay."
...
The next day, Meng Ruyi didn't have any classes, so after getting up, she lay back in bed, daydreamed for a while, and checked the live comments before slowly getting up.
According to the live comments, things had gone smoothly for Mr. Lin and Master Mingjing. The emperor believed what they said, and the imperial guards sent out would soon find the truth and return.
Tang Xiyi's situation was more interesting.
There was a rumor in the capital that the eldest son of the Tang family had a predestined relationship with Buddhism. Master Mingjing came to talk with him about Buddhism and advised him to convert. Unfortunately, the eldest son of the Tang family was too attached to the mortal world and was reluctant to leave. So, he shed tears and refused the master's invitation.
After hearing Master Mingjing tell his dream, the eldest son of the Tang family had an epiphany. He directly asked to see the emperor and donated half of the Tang family's property to benefit the people.
How could the emperor refuse such a generous gift?
The emperor was overjoyed. He accepted the gift and even bestowed a plaque on the Tang family. It was estimated that no one would dare to covet the Tang family for the next few years.
Meng Ruyi found this very funny and almost burst out laughing.
After washing up and going out, she saw Tang Xiyi rushing over in a hurry, with two big dark circles under his eyes.
"...... Cough cough cough," Meng Ruyi cleared her throat and barely managed to hide her smile. She said to Tang Xiyi, "How was your trip, Young Master Tang?"
Hearing this, Tang Xiyi let out a deep sigh, as if he wanted to sigh out all his worries. His face was haggard. He looked at Meng Ruyi and said, "It was smooth."
Then he added, "Maybe it was smooth."
Just thinking about the clan elders who almost picked up the teacups to hit him after hearing his request yesterday, and Master Mingjing who suddenly showed up at his door, Tang Xiyi felt that his hair was about to turn white.
Moreover, there was a rumor in the capital that he was about to become a monk. Even though he had refused Master Mingjing this time, people still believed that he would convert in the future. He wanted to slap himself and couldn't figure out how he had fallen into such a mess.
Fortunately, the crisis was over. Tang Xiyi was so heart - broken that he couldn't sleep. But he still rubbed his eyes and said to Meng Ruyi, "Thank you, Miss Meng, for lending me Jing Zhe. If it weren't for him, I might have a big bump on my head now."
Saying this, Tang Xiyi yawned and turned around. "I'll leave first and go back to rest. If Miss Meng has anything to do, just come and find me."
Although he said so, Meng Ruyi could still see a look of panic on his face. His back even seemed to be fleeing in a hurry.
Tang Xiyi... was really a bit pitiful.
Meng Ruyi laughed a little unkindly. She turned to Jing Zhe and said, "How was it? Was everything okay?"
"It's okay. This time it was very easy," Jing Zhe was wearing a light - gray tight suit. He stood upright and looked at Meng Ruyi gently. "Miss, don't worry. I'll be fine."
"Then go and rest."
Hearing this, Jing Zhe quickly retorted, "No need. It was Young Master Tang who couldn't sleep last night. I slept very well."
Hearing this, Meng Ruyi laughed out loud under Jing Zhe's gaze.
Five days later, Meng Ruyi received a letter saying that Zheng Yuanqing would arrive in the capital in a few days.
After thinking for a while while looking at the letter with Song Huai, Meng Ruyi looked up and said, "It seems that things are really going to get lively."
Almost at the same time, the imperial guards in black rode their horses into the palace under the cover of night, holding several heavy pieces of paper in their hands.