Demoness, where are you Fleeing to?
Chapter 392 - 322: Don’t Bully Qianqian_2

Chapter 392: Chapter 322: Don’t Bully Qianqian_2

Li Xuan blinked, then took the copied script into his hands: "Please convey my thanks to His Highness for his generous gift."

Xi Huaien bowed deeply once more: "This is my own expression of gratitude. If Earl Jingan hadn’t enlightened me, I don’t know what would have happened to me --"

While these two were talking, Zhang Yue and Peng Fulai had already exited Chengtian gate.

Zhang Yue looked back regretfully: "Why is that guy so misdirected? The girls in the brothels are so much better."

"You are not a fish, so how can you know the joy of a fish?" Peng Fulai shook his head: "I’m just worried that he’ll capsize one day, and then it will affect innocent bystanders. Just thinking about Princess Changle, Heavenly Master Xue, and Xiaowei Jiang, it gives me nightmares every day."

At that moment, Peng Fulai’s brows furrowed as he looked forward where a group of fully armored knights were rushing towards them. The man leading them stared at Zhang Yue.

"Are you Li Xuan?"

Zhang Yue’s expression turned stern, he became cautious and asked coldly, "Who are you all? What are you trying to do outside the Chengtian Gate? I am Li Xuan’s—"

He wanted to say ’I am Li Xuan’s brother’, but before he could finish, white fog shot towards them from the other side.

Zhang Yue and Peng Fulai were alert immediately. But before they had a chance to react, their vision went dark and they started to lose consciousness.

Zhang Yue’s resistance was slightly stronger. Before he was completely under, he vaguely heard people discussing beside him.

"It should be him, right? He’s at the fifth house level, tall and handsome-- "

"You have to be careful! This is a distinguished guest of the duke. Even the said Li Xuan who had killed Li Zhetian, even if he is only at the fifth house level, he is not to be underestimated."

Then Zhang Yue couldn’t hear anything else, and his vision went completely dark.

Back inside Chengtian Gate, Li Xuan had just finished sending off Xi Huaien. He watched the eunuch’s retreating figure and said thoughtfully: "Yan Zhenqing’s Proclamation Scroll? This crown prince is very interesting."

"How so?" Luo Yan inquired, not understanding: "I know Yan Zhenqing was a renowned scholar and calligrapher of Tang Dynasty, so what is interesting about it?"

Then she saw Li Xuan unfolding the copy of the proclamation and placing it before her.

At first glance, Luo Yan saw ’Decree: The Crown Prince is at the root of the country, and the teacher is its mentor. If you want to secure the root, you must first start with the faculty. Who can guide if not the loyal and virtuous ones? Yan Zhenqing, Shangshu of the Ministry of Official Personnel, Lu Guoduke, and the National Duke of Lu County was appointed as the Ritual Envoy.

He leads and practices virtue, heads the four branches of learning; his moral conduct is exemplary in the four branches, his immense contribution to learning sets the standard for future generations--’

The rest of the long-winded text continued until it ends with ’he may be allowed to act as the Shaoshi of the Crown Prince, continue as the Ritual Envoy, as well as keep his official rank and hereditary title.’

Yue Qianqian explained: "This is the Proclamation Scroll that Yan Zhenqing wrote when he was made the Shaoshi of the Crown Prince. Kou Pingzhong was the prime minister of the former Zhao Empire, credited for supporting and preserving the position of the crown prince."

"I see." Luo Yan understood. "This is to win you over, right?"

"That seems to be the idea." Li Xuan put the scroll away without hesitation, thinking that the Proclamation Scroll was imposing and would make a good replacement for the folded fan.

The folding fan inscribed with "The Song of Integrity" was good, but it was the same as the original copy. Besides, scholars used folding fans to show off, so it would be a waste to keep it in the battle armor’s box.

Anxious, he rushed outside Chengtian Gate next. By the time he reached there, he couldn’t see Zhang Yue or Peng Fulai. He shook his head, thinking the two of them certainly had some perverse streak.

Then he stopped thinking about it and headed towards the eastern gate of Chang’an.

Li Xuan had heard that within Beijing, the best restaurants were concentrated in the larger Shiyong Lane, smaller Shiyong Lane, and Nanxun Lane areas which were also the residences for high-ranking officials and court nobles.

The estate bestowed to him, Earl Jingan’s mansion, was also located in Nanxun Lane. This area was close to the Zhanshi Government, the Hanlin Academy, and the six ministries Yamens, making it a favourite gathering place for literati.

However, at this moment, it was nearing the late-night curfew, and the vast majority of restaurants and pubs were already closed. Li Xuan wandered several streets before finding a finely decorated and elegant pub near the Zhanshi Government, which was still brightly lit at night.

Li Xuan was like a man parched with thirst who had found a sweet rain. He instantly rushed to the top floor and picked a private seat. He then ordered a mountain of food and started to feast heavily.

"What the hell is happening?" Luo Yan was perplexed and asked in confusion, "Why has your appetite suddenly become so huge?"

Li Xuan didn’t say a word. He only showed Luo Yan his arm, which had more golden threads than before. The latter couldn’t help but be surprised, "What on earth is that?"

"It’s the Taotie and the Wuqu Pojun."

Li Xuan spoke using cryptic language and then started devouring a leg of a spiritual turtle ferociously. This pub had a wide variety of exotic delicacies. The meat of this hundred-year-old spiritual turtle was much more nourishing than regular beef and pork.

Luo Yan was taken aback, then gasped in fear. She had heard Li Xuan describe the detailed events of the battle at Xiao Mausoleum and thus knew what the ’Taotie’ and ’Wuqu Pojun’ were.

This was an immortal treasure that Emperor Tai of Jin had expended a significant amount of national resources to create, and had been nurtured in his tomb for more than 260 years.

"Right, such a treasure would not be easily destroyed."

Luo Yan glanced at Li Xuan: "You really got lucky."

Li Xuan did not continue the conversation. He wasn’t completely satiated until the third night watch was sounded in the distance. He then called the waiter: "Check, please! How much does it cost? And by the way, could you pack two roast dragon alligators for me? You still have some here, right?"

He was worried that he might get hungry late at night and decided to prepare in advance.

"Of course we do! If you just wait a moment, we will pack it up for you. Our Shanwei House has all sorts of exotic food you can think of." The waiter said with a bow and a smile, then started calculating with the abacus, "your total comes to four thousand two hundred and twenty-seven teals of patterned silver."

Li Xuan was taken aback, thinking to himself, did he really eat that much?

He touched his Sumi Ring and then his face turned odd. The rewards given to him by the Six Paths Bureau after he killed Li Zhetian were all taken by Leng Yurou to ’sponsor’. Plus, the two hundred thousand teals from the government were still in processing. Even Peng Fulai, his walking wallet, was not with him at this moment—

"Four Thousand two hundred and twenty-seven teals of patterned silver? How did you calculate it? Why is it so expensive?"

The waiter frowned in dissatisfaction. "Guest, our pub is Shanwei House. You can ask around in the capital city. We have always been honest and open with our prices.

Moreover, look around, the Zhanshi Government is to the north of us, and the Yuhezhong Bridge is to the south. Cross the bridge, then there are Six Yamen, Hanlin Academy, Honglu Temple and so on. With such a prime location, a pub with slightly worse craftsmanship couldn’t possibly survive. How could the food here be cheap?"

Li Xuan looked around and thought indeed, a meal at a six-star or seven-star hotel in the future world would probably cost tens of thousands.

After giving it some thought, he turned towards Luo Yan with a pleading look. "Yan, could you lend me some money to pay for the meal? I’ll pay you back later."

Luo Yan was already grumbling inwardly at him. At this moment, she decided to make things difficult. She looked at the Jinshui River outside and said in a playful tone, "You must be joking. I, Luo Yan, am just a small colonel of the Six Paths Bureau. It’s hard enough for me to make ends meet. Where could I get so much money to lend you? Besides, you said you would treat me to a meal as a reward."

Li Xuan gritted his teeth, then turned to Yue Qianqian with a big smile. "Qianqian, do you have any money?"

"I spent all my money buying talismans," Yue Qianqian regretted and felt anxious. After pondering for a bit, she put a ring from her hand on the table: "How about I leave this here as collateral, and we come back to settle the bill once we get the money tomorrow?"

Luo Yan took Qianqian’s ring back and gave Li Xuan a meaningful glance. "Don’t take advantage of Qianqian. Didn’t think of us while you were having fun in the brothel, did you? Call your lover to pay the bill."

Li Xuan was speechless and couldn’t find any words to argue. He thought, are they getting jealous?

At this moment, someone from a group of intellectuals sitting at a nearby table chuckled, "If you can’t afford it, don’t come to Shanwei House. And to ask a woman for money to pay the bill, what a freeloader."

Li Xuan gave that person a cold glance, thinking, I’m happy being a freeloader, what’s it to you?