Union

Chapter 164, page 163 missed.
Because it was already late afternoon when they descended the mountain, by the time Yunying and the Second Master entered the capital, the sky was hazy and had even turned somewhat dark.

Night was approaching, but just as the Second Master had said, the capital was bustling with activity as the city lights began to twinkle.

Night market stalls have all been set up.

At first glance, the street was filled with vendors selling tiger-skin hats and wolf-skin hats, as well as vendors selling crispy pastries and fried dumplings. Small headscarves and flower garlands and hairpins were prominently displayed, and there were also vendors selling wooden walking sticks and books on current affairs. Surprisingly, there was even a cold drink stall selling iced dumplings...

The various shouts and calls blended together, along with the lights and aromas of food in the market, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere that made Yunying's eyes glaze over.

"It's too late. If we have a broker look at the house at this hour, we won't be able to tell whether it's good or bad. Why don't we go look at it tomorrow?"

Chen Yanzhou's suggestion was exactly what Yun Ying wanted to hear.

Yunying meant the same thing.

Although she had made a lot of money that year, buying a house was a piece of cake for her. But that money was hard-earned, and buying property was a big deal in any era, so it was always better to be cautious.

Yunying readily agreed to the Second Master's suggestion and said, "I'll stay at an inn tonight..."

Chen Yanzhou's movements suddenly stopped.

After a moment, he ruffled Yunying's hair and said through gritted teeth, "Fine, if you say we'll stay at an inn, then we'll stay at an inn."

Second Master and Yunying quickly settled down at an inn.

This inn is located on Zhuque Street, in a prime location. In addition, each courtyard of the inn is decorated with great charm, which has led to high demand and high prices.

But none of this was in Second Master's consideration. What he was thinking now was that it was absolutely not right to just let Yunying live here by herself.

The capital is full of nobles and high-ranking officials, and naturally, their families are not lacking in纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy and powerful families who are spoiled and dissolute). Yunying's appearance is too outstanding; if she were left alone to sleep, who knows what kind of trouble she would cause.

After considering all this, the second master made a decisive decision: "I'll stay here with you tonight."

"No!" Yunying reflexively refused, but quickly realized that darkness was ever-present, no matter where one went. Even though the capital was under the emperor's nose and relatively safer, it was still only relative. For her own safety, it would be best if the Second Master let her stay the night.

But the Second Master has only just divorced her. If he were to live in the same courtyard with her like this, rumors would probably spread everywhere before dawn.

To be honest, Yunying was quite bothered by this.

But after much deliberation, her own safety prevailed. Yunying finally relented and said, "Alright, you can move in with me."

Seeing her unwilling expression, the Second Master was so angry he laughed. He knew exactly what she was afraid of, but it was precisely because he knew all too well that he was even angrier.

How unwilling she is to be associated with him!

What an ungrateful little brat!

The two quickly settled in. It was still early, and there was still some time before they were to retire for the night. The Second Master asked Yunying what she wanted and then took her out for a stroll in the streets.

Luxury cars and elegant carriages lined the streets, lanterns swayed in the breeze, and people came and went everywhere, showcasing the prosperity of a flourishing era.

Yunying's eyes widened as she looked around, especially at some of the lanterns that were veritable works of art. She couldn't put them down, examining one after another, and finally decided to buy a lotus lantern.

Holding the lotus lantern, she said to the second master, "The craftsmanship is exquisite."

The second master glanced at it and couldn't help but laugh. "I'll get you two palace lanterns from home later. They were bestowed by the palace and made by the Imperial Workshop."

The Imperial Workshops brought together the most skilled artisans in the entire Great Xia Dynasty, and the lanterns they made were praised by even His Majesty and the Empress Dowager.

Upon hearing this, Yunying couldn't help but feel a sense of longing. Even the Emperor and Empress Dowager praised it; how beautiful must it be?

She really wanted it, but it was a gift from the palace. Was it really a good idea to give it to her?
When the Second Master heard Yunying's naive words, he couldn't help but laugh again. "The palace bestows palace lanterns every year, and our family has accumulated a lot."

These things are valuable, but after the New Year, they're not exactly priceless. Of course, exceptions exist for those with specific commemorative significance; such palace lanterns can be passed down as family heirlooms. But most palace lanterns are just ordinary lanterns; you can give them away as gifts without anyone watching, leaving you with no real choice.

The Second Master told Yunying that the Rongguo Duke's Mansion had two exquisite eight-treasure glass palace lanterns, inlaid with crystals. They were placed in Mother's room, and Mother loved them very much.

There is also a lantern depicting the Four Beauties in the house. The lantern is inlaid with gold and jade, and uses openwork and relief carving techniques. The painting on it is the work of the late emperor. It is extremely precious and is only taken out and hung under the corridor during the New Year.

The two walked and talked, occasionally running into acquaintances.

Furthermore, because the capital city is a gathering place for the powerful and wealthy, the probability of running into acquaintances is particularly high.

After the initial greeting, they ran into acquaintances one after another. Chen Yanzhou and Yun Ying barely exchanged a few words, as they were constantly being struck up conversations and made small talk by others.

Many of these noble sons were quite dignified and proper. Even when Yunying walked beside the Second Master, they wouldn't give her a second glance, truly embodying integrity and politeness.

But most of them were spoiled young noblemen. Seeing that the Second Master had a beautiful woman by his side, they scrutinized Yunying from head to toe with critical eyes.

At this time, the Second Master would show a warning or displeased expression, and would even stand directly in front of Yun Ying to remind her to pay attention to etiquette.

The sons of noble families quickly showed signs of learning, but after bidding farewell to the two men and leaving the area, they would frequently look back and chatter amongst themselves with their friends.

Honestly, that scene was quite unpleasant.

After wandering around for a while, Yunying was a little tired. She was too lazy to be stared at like a monkey any longer, so she tugged at Second Master's sleeve and said, "Let's go back. I've walked a lot today, and I'm a little tired."

Second Master nodded and pulled her back, saying, "Okay. That's enough for today. You get some rest, and I'll take you somewhere else to play tomorrow."

As they talked, they mentioned some famous tourist attractions in the capital and some interesting stories, and they couldn't help but laugh together.

While the Second Master and Yunying walked away, on the third floor of the nearby restaurant, General Pingxi, Duke Rongguo, and two or three friends were having a banquet.

Gu Wangchen had drunk quite a bit of wine and felt a little hot, so he took his wine cup and went to the window.

The window was pushed open from the inside out, and a blast of cold air rushed in. This cold air perfectly neutralized the heat caused by the fermentation of alcohol in the body, instantly making one feel refreshed.

Gu Wangchen felt the chill wash over him, picked up his wine glass, and took another sip.

The bright moon outside the window is so clear and bright that it seems almost within reach; looking down at the land below, the lights are dazzling and the lanterns are as bright as day, which cannot be described as a prosperous and flourishing era.

As Gu Wangchen gazed upon this magnificent scene, he suddenly felt a bit intoxicated.

Looking down at the young men and women walking side by side, or the young couples with their young daughters and children, his eyes were blank, and suddenly, a wave of grief surged up from the depths of his heart.

"Wang Chen, stop thinking about escaping the drinking and come back to drink. It's rare for us to get together, you have to make up for all the drinks you owe me..." "Old Gu isn't afraid of you. Old Gu has been in the Northwest for one or two decades, and now his drinking capacity is unmatched by the three of us."

"Hey, who do you think you are?"

Inside the room, several grown men were making a ruckus, which quickly brought Gu Wangchen back to his senses.

He calmed his grief, turned around, and prepared to continue drinking with his friends. He had even taken two or three steps forward when something suddenly flashed through his mind. Gu Wangchen froze for a moment, and when he realized what the image was, he hurriedly turned back and rushed to the windowsill.

His gaze was fixed on a young woman who was turning around downstairs. The woman was beautiful, yet possessed a cool and aloof air. Her profile was gentle and refined, and her cherry lips curved into a slight smile…

Gu Wangchen was lost in thought when someone tapped him on the shoulder, snapping him out of his daze. Shu'er, as if provoked by something, burst out of the room and ran down the stairs into the street.

This sudden turn of events alarmed the others in the private room. Rongguo Gong and his two or three friends, unaware of what had happened, immediately stood up and went outside.

The attendants of the group stood guard in the corridor. When asked by the group, they hurriedly replied, "We don't know what happened to General Pingxi. His attendants have already gone out to chase after him."

The Duke of Rong and his companions exchanged glances, then instructed the others, "Go and take a look."

"Yes, master."

The attendants all went downstairs, and since it was inconvenient for the Duke of Rong and his companions to appear together, they all went to the window.

"I wonder what Wangchen saw?"

"There is only one thing in the whole world that can make Wang Chen lose his composure."

"You mean, Wangchen saw someone who looks like his sister-in-law again?"

"He was indeed devoted, still thinking about his younger brother and sister-in-law after twenty years. But the dead cannot be brought back to life, and thinking about them now will only cause him grief."

"Don't say that in front of Wang Chen, he can't stand hearing that..."

The group muttered to themselves, and soon they saw Gu Wangchen run out of the restaurant and onto the street.

He seemed to be looking for someone, so he pulled over a group of women dressed in the same color.

But none of them were the ones he was looking for.

Gu Wangchen was utterly humiliated, and the offended girls were furious. Only the timely intervention of his attendants, who apologized and tried to calm him down, prevented Gu Wangchen from escaping.

After searching the streets for a long time, Gu Wangchen was finally brought back by his attendants with heavy steps.

At this moment, his face was deathly pale, and his refined and dignified features were filled with despair.

He had lost one of his boots while running around, and his silk stockings were covered in mud. As his attendants helped him put on new silk stockings and court boots, he seemed oblivious to it all.

Upon seeing this, several friends all frowned and sighed deeply.

They couldn't bear to see Gu Wangchen living such a painful life, so they comforted him, saying, "Your sister-in-law has been gone for almost twenty years, you should try to be more open-minded."

"You still have two sons, and your grandchildren have been born. You're all at the age where you can enjoy your grandchildren. What is there that you can't let go of?"

"You're getting on in years, you should at least take care of yourself..."

Gu Wangchen seemed to have taken these words to heart, yet he also seemed not to have taken them to heart at all.

After a long while, he said, his lips trembling, "I think I saw Yuan'er."

The four people in the private room looked at each other, all of them knowing who Yuan'er was.

Gu Wangchen and his first wife had two sons, named Gu Yuanming and Gu Yuanxi respectively. When his wife became pregnant again, the couple both wanted a daughter. Coincidentally, the imperial physician from the Imperial Hospital examined their pulses and said that this time they might be able to have their wish fulfilled. Gu Wangchen was excited and thought that even the imperial physician said so, so the child in his wife's belly must be the little girl he had been hoping for.

He already had a son, and if he had a daughter, he would have both a son and a daughter. Early on, Gu Wangchen gave the unborn baby the nickname Yuan'er.

The character 媛 (yuàn) sounds the same as 圆 (yuán), which means a fulfilling life.

Unfortunately, how can one's life truly be perfect in every way?
Several friends sighed inwardly and couldn't help but comfort Gu Wangchen again, saying, "Maybe what you saw was really Yuan'er. The child is still alive and well. You should take care of yourself too."

"If you count the time, Yuan'er is eighteen or nineteen this year. She's a young lady now, and who knows, she might already have children around her."

"This capital city isn't that big. As long as Yuan'er is in the capital, you'll see her someday. Take good care of yourself. Yuan'er no longer has a mother, so you, her father, must live a long life so you can support her when the time comes..."

Gu Wangchen shed tears.

He covered his eyes with his hands, shivering all over, and it took him a long time to calm down.

Once he regained his composure, Gu Wangchen pulled his friend along to continue drinking.

Seeing that he didn't want to talk about it, the Rongguo Duke and the others naturally didn't want to rub salt in his wounds.

In fact, they all thought, how could it be such a coincidence that Wang Chen saw Yuan'er?
The girl's chances of survival were slim. In the chaos of war, everyone around her younger siblings had perished. What means could a newborn baby like her possibly have to save her life?

But as I said before, we need to see the person, whether alive or dead. Whether they are alive or dead, we need evidence.

But it's better not to find anyone, at least Wang Chen can still have hope and continue to live in the world.

However, it's unclear whether Ruo Wangchen's habit of mistaking other women for his ill-fated daughter after drinking, and enduring excruciating pain, is a good thing or a bad thing.

None of the Duke of Rong and his companions took the matter to heart.

They had no idea that Wang Chen could recognize Yuan'er at a glance in the vast sea of ​​people and find his daughter.

They assumed Wang Chen was just drunk and seeing things.

Even Gu Wangchen himself, having experienced so many similar scenes, didn't take the matter too seriously.

He had met too many girls who resembled Yuan'er, but every time he would chase after them with all his might, only to return dejected.

The blows that fate dealt him never ended; he endured them, feeling only that they were his retribution.

He never dared to hope that he would find his daughter again in this lifetime. Because finding someone in the vast sea of ​​people is like finding a needle in a haystack—it's just too difficult.

He viewed today's events as a hopeless pursuit. He never imagined that fate might sometimes show him mercy, and that one day his dreams might come true.