It wasn't evening yet, just afternoon, but the West Market was already bustling. Merchants came and went in a flurry of activity, and most of the people here were ordinary folks.
Lu Yunxi asked, "Is this your first time here?"
Gu Liyue curiously lifted the carriage curtain and looked around. "When I was very young, I once went to a fair. It was crowded with people. I don't remember the details clearly, but it seems somewhat similar to today," she said.
She smiled somewhat shyly. "But this is the capital. I was born in a small town. There could hardly be so many people there."
After waiting for a while and not getting a response from Lu Yunxi, Gu Liyue looked over curiously and saw that Lu Yunxi was staring intently outside without blinking.
Gu Liyue looked out as well and saw a middle - aged man wearing coarse cloth clothes, carrying a shoulder pole. There was a basket on one end of the pole, presumably filled with things he had just bought. On the other end of the pole, there was a little girl about two years old sitting in the basket. The girl had two buns on her head, tied with red strings. Just like her rosy cheeks, she was extremely cute.
The man put down the pole, picked up a water bag beside him, and carefully fed his daughter water. There was a loving smile on his face. After she finished drinking, he even wiped her mouth with his sleeve.
The little girl, in turn, looked up at the man and gave him a sweet smile.
Gu Liyue noticed that Lu Yunxi's eyes were completely red and teary, as if she was trying hard not to let the tears fall. She reached out, lowered the carriage curtain, and took Lu Yunxi's hand. "It's just the ordinary life of the people. There's nothing special to see," she said.
Lu Yunxi burst into tears immediately. After a long while, she choked out, "When I was born, there was a war with Zhoushan. I was a premature baby. My mother gave birth to me but didn't even take a look. She just stuffed me into my step - mother's arms... My step - mother had no milk. With the war raging everywhere, she carried me around, hiding here and there. Her autumn clothes were thin, so she stuffed me inside them. When there was no food, she chewed bran buns and fed them to me. It was like this that she raised me."
Gu Liyue looked at her in surprise. She only knew before that Lu Yunxi was a princess and that she was separated from her parents, but she didn't know these things.
Lu Yunxi continued, "Do you know? Everyone is praising my parents. The battle with Zhoushan lasted for seventeen months. My father guarded the border and didn't rest for eight days and nights. After my mother gave birth to me, she only drank a bowl of brown sugar water and then picked up her saber and went to the battlefield... That battle cost me three elder brothers, my grandfather, two uncles, and my cousin. I'm the only descendant left in the Qingling Prince's Mansion."
"They all say that my parents have sacrificed so much for the country and the people. They stood on the city wall. Everyone else could retreat, but they couldn't."
Gu Liyue's eyes also turned red. She didn't understand that kind of patriotism, but it was precisely this great love that made her deeply admire them.
Tears rolled down Lu Yunxi's cheeks. "My step - mother brought me back to the capital. She held me in her arms all the way in the carriage and said that she was grateful to God that I was born a girl and the daughter of the Qingling Prince. In this way, I didn't have to go to the battlefield and could live a peaceful life. She was more like my real mother, so caring and considerate. But she always said that the people I should admire the most in my life were my parents."
"But Liyue, do you know how much I wish I could swap lives with that little girl just now? I want my parents to accompany me. Even if they had no power or influence, they would have no responsibilities either. They could take me to the fair, buy me flowers, and they..."
Gu Liyue looked at the sobbing Lu Yunxi and could only hold her hand tightly. After a long while, she said hoarsely, "Do you miss them?"
"I do..." Lu Yunxi choked. "I dream about them all the time. In fact, I don't really remember what they look like. But in my mind, there are always images of those two heroic people... In fact, I should be proud of them. I am proud in my heart. I have such parents who are admired by thousands of people."
The two of them were silent for a long time. Lu Yunxi was thinking about her relatives, while Gu Liyue was filled with emotions. In the eyes of outsiders, Lu Yunxi's parents were such heroes, and Lu Yunxi should be proud of them. But as a young child, who didn't long for the company of their family?
But without a country, where could there be a family? The Qingling Prince was right. As members of the royal family, they enjoyed the greatest honor and preferential treatment, but they also had more important responsibilities to bear.
Lu Yunxi's emotions soon dissipated. She pulled Gu Liyue out of the carriage and walked along the shops on the street, buying all kinds of things along the way. For the time being, she put aside her worries.
The street vendors were very different from those Gu Liyue had seen since coming to the capital. The shops were simple, but there was a wide variety of goods and they were cheap. Lu Yunxi was in seventh heaven. She had never imagined that a piece of mutton - fat jade could buy an entire shop.
They also ate all kinds of snacks.
However, as soon as each snack was served, the maids would be busy checking and tasting it. After all these procedures, the hot snacks would turn cold, and even when reheated, they didn't taste as good. Moreover, even so, they were only allowed to take one bite of each snack and were not allowed to eat more.
Gu Liyue said helplessly, "I didn't have much to eat in Yangxin Town before. Later, when I was in the Feng and Jiang families, I always had to be careful not to eat too much. Even when I went out, I only went to places like Mingzheng Street. There weren't so many interesting snacks. Now that I've seen them, I still can't eat to my heart's content."
Lu Yunxi laughed heartily. "I'm only so troublesome when I'm out with you. On weekdays, when I sneak out alone, no one restricts me. I can eat whatever I want."
Her maid was anxious and blushed. "Princess, you mustn't be so reckless in the future. How many times have you eaten something bad and then vomited and had diarrhea after returning to the palace? The Empress Dowager and the Emperor were so worried. Have you forgotten?"
Lu Yunxi didn't care. She pulled Gu Liyue and whispered, "Next time I get the chance, I'll sneak you out. Let's have fun together."
Tangyuan also became anxious.
Gu Liyue just shook her head. "I'm afraid it won't work. After what happened to me before, my elder brothers replaced many of my servants, guards, and maids. Now, except for Tangyuan and Danju, all the people around me are quite good at kung fu. How could I have the chance to be sneaked out by you?"
Lu Yunxi pouted. "How boring."
She pulled Gu Liyue towards the restaurant in front. There were several large restaurants in the West Market. The food was delicious and the place was clean. The two of them happily went upstairs and saw Qi Manyan standing in the corridor.
Lu Yunxi rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're here too?"
Qi Manyan's face was a bit pale. She lowered her eyes and bowed. "May the princess be well. Hello, Miss Gu."
Gu Liyue returned the greeting. According to Lu Yunxi's instructions, she was about to go to the private room. She smiled apologetically at Qi Manyan. "Sorry. The princess is used to being naughty on weekdays. Please don't mind."