Chapter 374: Crown Princess Dream

Chapter 374: The Crown Princess Dream

Ji Yuntang raised an eyebrow, her gaze sweeping between the two of them as she uttered a cryptic remark.

"The falling petals yearn for the flowing stream, but the stream has no heart for them~"

Pei Zhiyi's head was spinning even more after hearing this. She'd never liked studying, even as a kid, and couldn't discern the meaning behind these verses.

As Ji Yuntang walked forward, she immediately chased after her and pressed, "Tangtang, what do those two lines mean?"

What had started as confusion over Luo Sinian's attitude had now been compounded by Ji Yuntang's cryptic words!

Ji Yuntang smiled but didn't spell it out further.

"Zhi Yi, it's not the right time yet. When the time comes, you'll understand!"

Although Ji Yuntang hadn't spent much time with Luo Sinian, she'd heard plenty about him from Luo Junhe and figured she had a pretty good read on him.

Luo Sinian's mother was a merchant's daughter, and merchants had a very low status back then, so he was pretty unremarkable among the princes and princesses.

From childhood to adulthood, Emperor Jingyang had never paid much attention to this son. Luo Sinian's mother, Consort Hui, had shaved her head and entered a nunnery when he was only three years old, leaving Luo Sinian all alone in the palace.

As a result, Luo Sinian grew up starved for affection and highly sensitive.

For all his cold, heartless exterior, it was really just a shield to make himself look tougher.

Deep down, he believed this was the only way to avoid being scorned and pushed around.

Based on Ji Yuntang's understanding of Luo Sinian, she knew he wasn't the sort to take advantage of a woman.

In fact, like Xie Liuzheng, he was dead set against marriage and kids.

But just now, when Pei Zhiyi made her move, Luo Sinian hadn't pushed her away right away.

That meant he had some feelings for Pei Zhiyi.

Pei Zhiyi, however, was a total rookie when it came to romance. Having spent years living in the military camp, she'd grown into a bold, fearless personality, and she couldn't tell that Luo Sinian was into her.

So when she said those words about "not making the Prince of Chen take responsibility," you could practically see Luo Sinian's face darken.

Ji Yuntang let out a long, quiet sigh. Previously, she had only thought that Xie Liuzheng and Luo Qingge's road to romance was full of obstacles.

The two of them were a pair of bickering sweethearts, and it was already a miracle they could sit together and have a meal without fighting.

Now it seemed Luo Sinian's path to winning her heart would be just as long and bumpy.

Pei Zhiyi was unlike Luo Qingge. She'd been to war and had blood on her hands. She was a formidable person by nature, with a temper even fiercer than most men's.

If Luo Sinian wanted to win her over, he probably wouldn't have it any easier than Xie Liuzheng.

Who knows, Luo Sinian might even end up completely whipped by Pei Zhiyi.

What Ji Yuntang didn't expect was that this thought of hers would one day turn out to be spot on.

The cold prince turned into a devoted lapdog for love, and their love story became a legend passed down through the ages.

Ji Yuntang invited the four of them inside, where the charcoal brazier was blazing, and the warmth hit them the moment they walked in.

Luo Qingge shrugged off her cloak and huddled by the brazier to warm her hands. She turned and asked, "Third Sister-in-Law, what are we having today?"

Before Ji Yuntang could answer, Xie Liuzheng eagerly piped up, "How about barbecue? Barbecue in winter, with some warm wine on the side—that's the best combo ever."

Ji Yuntang looked at Luo Sinian and Pei Zhiyi and asked, "Eighth Brother, Zhi Yi, what about you two?"

Luo Sinian said flatly, "I've no objections."

Pei Zhiyi also said, "Me neither. I'll eat anything. Whatever everyone's in the mood for works for me."

"Alright, then it's barbecue today. I'll go prepare the ingredients."

After Ji Yuntang finished speaking, all four of them moved to follow and help, but she shooed them back into the house.

"You're my guests. How could I let my guests help?"

"It's too cold outside. Just wait here. If you get bored, play some mahjong or whatever. I'll be right back."

After leaving, Ji Yuntang entered her space. She caught two big black fish from the farm—one for grilling and one for making soup for Luo Junhe.

Afterward, she hit the supermarket to stock up on barbecue fixings, and once everything was set, she came back out!

When Ji Yuntang returned, she found the four of them weren't in the house. Upon asking, she learned they had gone to the West Courtyard to visit Luo Junhe!

Considering the number of people, Luo Junhe hadn't come out in his wheelchair but had lain back down on the bed.

The four of them took turns checking in on him. Luo Sinian in particular couldn't help but feel a surge of joy and emotion upon seeing that Luo Junhe's condition had improved even further.

Ji Yuntang finished the barbecue and had Tao Zhi go fetch them. She also whipped up a separate meal for Luo Junhe.

As they ate the barbecue, Xie Liuzheng suddenly said to Ji Yuntang, "Sister Yuntang, do you remember I mentioned wanting to open a barbecue restaurant with you?"

Ji Yuntang nodded. "I remember. I told you to go back and convince your parents. Did they agree?"

"They agreed. I've even picked out the location for the restaurant. I'm just waiting for your word, and I'll go buy the deed for that shop."

Ji Yuntang smiled. "No need for you to spend money. The emperor rewarded me with fifty thousand taels of silver notes. That's more than enough to secure a shop."

"However, once the barbecue restaurant opens, I might not be able to manage it. From now on, the business matters will fall on your shoulders."

Xie Liuzheng patted his chest and assured her, "Leave it to me. I won't let you down."

"You just need to provide the recipes for the barbecue and the dipping sauce. Don't worry about the ingredients and staff—I'll handle those. We'll split the profits fifty-fifty."

Ji Yuntang could tell from hearing his plan that Xie Liuzheng had truly prepared himself. She smiled softly.

"Alright, I'll follow your lead. Let's aim to have our barbecue restaurant open before New Year's Eve."

After they finalized their plan, Xie Liuzheng immediately set about making arrangements, only coming to consult Ji Yuntang when he encountered problems he couldn't solve.

Two days later, at noon, Ji Yuntang was in the courtyard writing a menu for the barbecue restaurant when Wang Sheng suddenly came over and said, "Your Highness, I saw Eunuch Zhang heading toward the Marquis of Yongning's residence with an imperial edict!"

Ji Yuntang's brush paused for a moment, then continued writing on the paper. A mocking smile curled at the corner of her lips.

"It seems Ji Qingqing's dream of becoming the Crown Princess is about to come true!"

Ji Yuntang's guess was correct. The imperial edict Eunuch Zhang carried was the betrothal decree that Luo Jingshen had begged for three days before finally obtaining from Emperor Jingyang.

The reason it took three days was that the Empress strongly opposed Luo Jingshen marrying Ji Qingqing.

She felt that Ji Qingqing was pretentious and of questionable character, hardly fit to be the Crown Princess.

But Luo Jingshen refused to listen. He insisted on marrying Ji Qingqing and making her the Crown Princess.

Because mother and son each held their ground, the Empress and Luo Jingshen had their first fierce argument.

Luo Jingshen's face turned red with anger. He threw a massive tantrum in Fengyi Palace, smashing many precious porcelain pieces in his fury.

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