bullyxtreme Chapter 21 Arrival at Zhou Kingdom
Chapter 21 Arrival at Zhou Kingdom
After a few days of bumpy ride in the carriage, Qiao Shinian finally couldn't help but feel carsick.
She lay on the side vomiting violently, and began to look visibly haggard.
Finally, the two of them changed to riding horses.
Qiao Shinian has some experience in horse riding, but he also has some resistance.
The memory of being nearly raped by bandits made her really dislike riding horses. If Wen Jiu's life had not been hanging by a thread and he needed her care at that time, she would probably be depressed and unable to get over the memory.
"Miss Qiao, here are some sour fruits. Would you like to eat some?" Lu Ping walked side by side with the two of them, took out the fruits wrapped in a handkerchief from his arms and handed them to Qiao Shinian.
"Thank you, I don't like sour fruits." She put one hand around Wen Jiu and the other hand around him to refuse. Without even looking at Lu Ping's expression, she lowered her head and whispered in Wen Jiu's ear: "I'm telling you, next time I go back, I must bring some motion sickness medicine. I've never gotten motion sickness on the bus to the countryside."
Wen Jiu roughly knew that the bus that Qiao Shinian was talking about was also a means of transportation. He started to divert Qiao Shinian's attention: "Sister, let's do a math problem now."
"Okay, now let's start with the fifth grade math problems." Qiao Shinian became interested. To be honest, as a senior dancer, she was a little vague about the concept of math. The only thing she remembered most clearly in her mind was the multiplication table.
But she had already handed it to Wen Jiu on the way home, and the child could recite it by heart.
"I remember the classic one was about chickens and rabbits in the same cage. Wait a minute, let me do some mental math before I give you a question." Qiao Shinian perked up and began to calculate how many chickens and rabbits were needed and what conditions would be required.
Before he could figure out the conditions, Qiao Shinian couldn't help but start yawning.
After five yawns, Qiao Shinian gave up: "Well, Wen Jiu, I haven't studied math for many years. Can you wait for a while and I'll copy a question for you when I get back? We don't need my computer to calculate how much the bill is, and math is basically useless."
"My current math knowledge can only ensure that I can calculate whether someone has given me less change. The math questions should be asked to Xiaobai." Qiao Shinian said dejectedly with a bitter face: "How about we recite two Tang poems? I have some cultural background in this area."
Wen Jiu said awkwardly: "Sister, I have memorized all the poems you taught me. Can we recite something new?"
"Forget it, let's continue being bored. I'll go back and memorize some new poems." Qiao Shinian bent over and put his head on Wen Jiu's. After a few seconds, he said, "Jiu Jiu, your hair stinks. It's time to wash it."
Wen Jiu's face flushed slightly, and he said unnaturally: "Sister, there is no water in the wilderness."
"It's time for me to wash my hair." Qiao Shinian continued to put his weight on Wen Jiu, "Do you know how to play Gobang? Let's go play Gobang."
"Before leaving, I just learned how to play Go." Wen Jiu knew that Qiao Shinian was very bored at the moment and wanted to find something to pass the time.
Then the two got into the carriage again, and Qiao Shinian began to teach Wen Jiu how to play chess.
Over the next few days, the weather gradually turned cooler, and the two of them slept in the carriage at night. In the morning, they played Gobang and taught Wen Jiu modern Chinese characters. In the afternoon, they rode quickly on horseback.
Just like that, the day before they were to travel back in time, the two finally arrived at the State of Zhou.
Walking from the city gate to the inner city, Qiao Shinian put away her casualness. She took a deep breath and looked at Wen Jiu: "Just like before, I will follow behind you, talk less, and be like a piece of wood. Remember to remind me more often, don't let me act recklessly and offend others."
"Sister, don't be afraid, I'll stand in front of you. I will help you block all risks. As long as I'm alive, you'll be alive too." Before getting off the car, Wen Jiu held Qiao Shinian's hand tightly.
The two of them looked at the strange country with curiosity like newborn babies looking at the world. As a defeated country, Chu Wen Kingdom was prepared to be looked down upon by the Zhou Kingdom. However, as soon as Qiao Shinian arrived at the palace residence, he was stunned.
She really couldn't imagine how such a magnificent imperial palace could have such a shabby and leaky bedroom!
"Your Highness Thirteenth Prince, I'm terribly sorry that you came in such a hurry, and we haven't prepared your accommodation yet. It has been repaired in an emergency, so I'm sorry to ask you to stay here temporarily." The eunuch who led the way looked to be in his forties or fifties. He stood there, and there was no respect for a prince in his eyes or tone. Instead, there was sarcasm.
However, Qiao Shinian could sense from his tone and the attitude of the people behind him that he was kicking a helpless dog.
"I heard that you just returned to the royal family. This place must be a thousand times better than the shabby hut you slept in all the way."
Qiao Shinian glared at the old eunuch in front of him who looked very mean and wanted to go up and kick him.
Wen Jiu seemed to know that Qiao Shinian couldn't help but taunt her. He pulled Qiao Shinian and squeezed her hand. He took two steps forward and handed her a piece of silver. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for preparing a palace for us. It's very nice here. I'm very satisfied. Please lead the way, eunuch."
"By the way, His Majesty has prepared a welcoming banquet for you this evening, so please be sure to attend." After hearing what Jiu said, the old eunuch swallowed the humiliating words he was about to say.
"Of course, please rest assured, eunuch." Wen Jiu replied, and then showed a gentle smile, "You have been tiring from the journey, so I won't keep you here any longer. I am a little tired and want to rest for a while." After saying that, he stuffed a silver note into the eunuch's pocket.
"We will trouble you to take care of us in the future."
The old eunuch took the banknote and looked at it, smiling: "Your Highness, you are the honorable Thirteenth Prince, an important guest of our Great Zhou, and I will do my best. Since Your Highness is tired, I will not disturb Your Highness to rest."
After he finished speaking, the eunuch looked at the palace maids and eunuchs behind Wen Jiu and said, "Why don't you quickly decorate the palace so that His Highness can have a place to rest first!"
After the old eunuch left, Qiao Shinian grabbed Wen Jiu and asked in a low voice, gritting his teeth: "Fuck, what do they mean by the Zhou Kingdom?! They don't even want to do a face-saving job? How dare they offer such a shabby palace? And that hermaphrodite eunuch, it's simply outrageous!"
"Sister, that eunuch should be one of the best eunuchs in the palace. I guess he should have a say around the emperor. So it's normal for him to be a little arrogant. After all, we are the defeated country. We lost the city and silver. Even the prince had to suppress one of them to be the prince of Zhou Kingdom."
Wen Jiu pulled Qiao Shinian to sit on the bed and looked at the broken doors and windows. He sneered and said, "These doors and windows have new marks. They must have been found somewhere and installed there."
"Never mind for now. Sister, didn't you say you were going to sleep all day when you get there? You should get some sleep first to refresh yourself. Then when you go back to the wedding tomorrow, people won't think you're too sad and look so miserable."
Qiao Shinian kicked off his shoes, lay down and rolled up the quilt, and suddenly remembered: "How much did you give that dog-eyed eunuch just now?"
"Five hundred and forty taels, maybe." Wen Jiu was unsure.
"Hmm!" Qiao Shinian, who had just laid down, sat up immediately. She didn't even bother to put on her shoes, walked up to Wen Jiu and asked condescendingly, "How much? Tell me again?!"
Wen Jiu's momentum weakened, and he said hesitantly: "At first I gave him about 40 taels, and later I gave him a note of 500 taels."
"You! Oh! My God! Wen Jiu, are you crazy?" Qiao Shinian couldn't help it anymore and raised her voice. She quickly lowered her voice and said, "Let that damn eunuch take so much money from us! Do you know that we only have 10,000 taels in total? At your speed, it will be gone in less than 20 days!"
"Sister~" Wen Jiu lowered his head and whispered, "Because he is someone close to the emperor, we can't offend him, so we give him money to avoid disaster. He took our money, so he won't say anything nonsense in front of the emperor."
Qiao Shinian suddenly became discouraged and lay back on the bed, silent and sullen.
"Sister, are you angry?"
Wen Jiu sat beside the bed and asked cautiously.
Qiao Shinian said in a muffled voice: "No, it's just that the eunuch is too irritating. I don't want to give him money at all, but what you did should be right, and I have no reason to be angry. The thought of it makes me even angrier!"
"Okay, don't be angry, go to bed quickly. We have a welcoming banquet tonight, and that's where we really need to be angry. Otherwise, sister, you should not go tonight, or you will be even more angry." Wen Jiu patted Qiao Shinian on the back and coaxed her gently.