Chapter 349: Chapter 349

Perhaps the mention of "uncle" or something similar had truly struck a nerve with someone, for even by the next morning, just before departure, this lord's expression remained sour.

Early in the morning, his words spoken from bed carried a distinctly sarcastic tone:

"According to reason, my beloved consort didn't rest particularly early last night, yet you still managed to rise this morning?"

"This clearly shows your usual laziness is purely by choice..."

Glancing at the sky outside, An Ning felt utterly speechless inside. Really, was this necessary? To be this petty, holding onto a grudge all night without letting it go - absolutely unbelievable.

Ignoring the meaningful look in his eyes, An Ning directly summoned the palace servants to attend to her.

As for the delicate task of helping someone dress - sorry, but her hands were clumsy and awkward, truly incapable of such fine work.

After roughly an hour, having changed clothes, when An Ning emerged again, she was once more the elegant, graceful young master adorning this mundane world.

Even Liang Jiugong waiting not far away couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth, thinking to himself that thankfully His Majesty had been on the throne for many years and possessed considerable imperial dignity, at least in terms of bearing and majesty he didn't fall short.

It still looked somewhat harmonious.

Despite this, Chief Steward Liang still stealthily shifted his steps, putting some distance between himself and Master Chen nearby.

Walking alongside someone of celestial beauty, unless you're another celestial being yourself, well, ahem~

On the deck, a group of guards had long been waiting in place.

Seeing An Ning's manner and attire, they decisively didn't harbor any suspicion, merely assuming this was another of His Majesty's close ministers.

It was just that his appearance and grace seemed even more remarkable than Imperial Guard Nalan's, making one wonder which family's young master he was.

His Majesty's tastes really haven't changed one bit!

Stealing a glance, the guards couldn't help but think to themselves.

As for Nalan Rongruo at the lead, the moment he saw the newcomer, he momentarily froze, then quickly recovered, immediately clasping his hands and saying in a deep voice:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I have ordered the ceremonial gifts for the journey to be repeatedly inspected, and everything appears normal."

"The surrounding area for several miles is guarded by imperial guards..."

As they spoke, the three quickly arrived at a moored painted pleasure boat.

After delivering a detailed report, on the boat, this Imperial Guard Nalan finally turned his gaze toward An Ning standing slightly behind, first taking a step back before speaking:

"Might I ask how to address this young master?"

"Imperial Guard Nalan need not be so formal. You may simply call me Zi'an later..."

Facing the constant breeze blowing from the riverbank, An Ning casually smiled, her folding fan deftly positioned before her.

Though there were no extra movements, there was an inexplicable air of natural grace and elegance.

Especially at this moment, Imperial Guard Nalan unconsciously recalled that line from Cao Zhi's "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" in his mind:

"Vague as the moon veiled by light clouds, fluttering as the wind whirling back snow."

After a brief pause, Nalan Rongruo finally nodded slightly. Under the sunlight, his light brown pupils faced An Ning's direction, then quickly lowered again:

"Brother Zi'an may simply call me Rongruo!"

Despite saying this, with the continuously rising water waves, An Ning keenly noticed that apart from that initial moment of rather blunt surprise, from that moment onward, the other's gaze had never truly lingered on her, not even for a single second.

One could say he was thoroughly practicing avoidance.

Ah, is this great literary talent really this perceptive?

And here she thought her disguise was at least eighty percent convincing!

Because of this thought, when she spoke again, An Ning's gaze unconsciously lingered on the other for 0.1 seconds longer.

The conclusion was, hmm... he was indeed a rare handsome man, especially with that contradictory temperament combining melancholy and vitality, restraint and free-spiritedness.

Dressed in a blue gown, standing alone, his slightly slender figure and rather elegant appearance quite matched the persona of a great literary talent.

But that was all. Not to mention their statuses in this world, melancholy handsome men really weren't her type.

After just a curious glance, An Ning quickly withdrew her gaze. What she was more curious about right now was:

Logically speaking, including today, she and this Imperial Guard Nalan hadn't met many times, right?

Was his vision too sharp?

Or was it the overly sensitive nature of a great poet at work?

Feeling her hand being suddenly squeezed tightly under the table, after a brief pause, An Ning ultimately didn't call out that "Rongruo."

A moment later, raising her folding fan, An Ning similarly replied gently: "Brother Nalan!"

As if sensing something, Nalan Rongruo merely smiled faintly, then skillfully began introducing the nearby historic sites and beautiful scenery to the two, occasionally mixing in some strange tales.

His voice was unhurried, elegant with threads of clarity.

It must be said, this Imperial Guard Nalan was indeed as learned and talented as rumored, and he was also quite interesting to listen to.

Only the bustling life along both riverbanks, the soft dialect of Jiangnan, soon captured An Ning's limited attention.

Coinciding with the annual Lantern Festival, Suzhou city was particularly lively. Along both riverbanks, not only were merchants coming and going in endless streams, but various acrobatic performances were also too numerous to take in all at once.

From the city's highest Star-Viewing Tower came melodious and graceful qin melodies from time to time, mixed with some Jiangnan folk tunes.

Looking at this liveliness, then thinking of the Forbidden City confined by countless rules and regulations, in that state where living people were almost dead, lying on the soft mat behind her, An Ning couldn't help but heave a long sigh.

To have driven a lazy homebody like her to become - quite impressive indeed!

What a pity, given Emperor Kangxi's cautious nature and concern for his own safety, one could easily guess that places like markets with dense, hard-to-control crowds were probably impossible.

Wandering around here? Don't even think about it!

The risks in restaurants and food - do they not exist?

At most, being able to walk around in designated areas was already quite difficult.

However, even during this rare outing, unlike her simple relaxation, His Majesty also had mostly political purposes.

After the boat docked, a middle-aged man dressed as a prefect quickly came forward with attendants to respectfully await them. Soon the entire party arrived at a garden full of ancient charm.

Pine forests and lawns, bamboo groves and winding waters - it must be said, the Humble Administrator's Garden truly deserved its reputation as one of the famous scenic spots passed down through generations. The pond water alone occupied a full third of the area.

Undulating corridors, reflections in the water waves - just being within it made one feel refreshed and happy.

Walking and stopping along the way, over several days, the party actually visited quite a few places, mostly visiting historic sites, leaving calligraphy and writings, occasionally receiving local literati and scholars, or renowned great Confucian scholars.

Those who could come before the Emperor were mostly truly talented and learned. Among them were even scholars of astronomy and mathematics like Master Mei.

Speaking of which, through several lifetimes, An Ning's attainments in mathematics were barely passable, but when it came to astronomy and celestial phenomena, she really hadn't delved too deeply.

Now she couldn't help but feel somewhat interested.

And the subsequent literary gatherings and poetry meetings - one must say, groups of literati and scholars trading verbal barbs were really quite amusing.

In short, these past few days of travel really weren't too much of a loss.

As for Kangxi beside her, originally thinking that with her usual lazy behavior of never sitting if she could lie down, she probably wouldn't last even one day.

Unexpectedly, throughout the journey, his "delicate and weak" beloved consort hadn't complained of tiredness even once, and often seemed even more enthusiastic than he was.

So much so that after several days, many people were secretly inquiring about the identity of this young master with such excellent demeanor by his side, and those wishing to befriend him were too numerous to count.

Shooting an annoyed glance at someone who had lazily lain back down on the couch, Kangxi was about to pick up the memorials again when, the next moment, noticing the book held in the other's hand, his gaze quickly darkened:

"A-Ning and Rongruo have gotten along quite well recently!"