Chapter 457: Living Elders of Juaan Pavilion

After crossing the county's main thoroughfare, Yin Qing ordered everyone to dismount from their horses and carriages. He had some servants take the horses and carriages to an inn, then continued on foot towards Tianniu Lane with his essential entourage.

Shortly after they began walking, everyone in the group, from the guards to the attendants, inexplicably started looking around or exchanging glances. Even Princess Changping's expression changed. Noticing Yin Qing showed no particular reaction, she inquired, "My lord, do you smell that? It's a lovely fragrance, truly pleasant..."

Yin Qing smiled and looked towards Tianniu Lane in the distance. "Ping'er, that's the fragrance of the jujube blossoms from Ju'an Pavilion I told you about. This tree doesn't bloom every year, but when it does, its scent wafts across Ning'an County. A line from one of my father's essays says: 'Green and yellow fruit adorn the branches, half the county inhales the floral scent,' and it refers to this."

Sun's Noodle Stall was open as usual on the street outside Tianniu Lane. The young girl, Sun Ya Ya, was not by the stall; even when not attending school, she was practicing calligraphy with Ji Yuan.

Yin Qing approached from a distance with Princess Changping. The plainclothes guards accompanying them positioned themselves either far ahead or close to their sides, always trying to avoid disturbing the pair. Even so, four maids and attendants still followed closely behind them.

The procession was still quite conspicuous to the local residents of Ning'an County. It was even more so for Sun Fu, a seasoned businessman adept at reading people. Seeing the grand entourage from a distance, he immediately knew they were important figures, so he quickly cautioned the four or five customers at his stall.

"Hey, you guys, just eat your noodles. Don't keep staring at those people over there, especially not the women, understood?"

"Huh? Old Man Sun, do you know them?" a chubby young diner looked up into the distance and asked Sun Fu.

While life in Ning'an County was quite good, it was still uncommon for ordinary folk to be chubby; even if they weren't starving, they still had to work. This particular diner was an exception. Being a regular customer, he had made a strong impression on Sun Fu, prompting the old man to offer an extra explanation. "You people haven't seen much of the world; you don't know the dangers out there. While I don't know those individuals, their procession clearly indicates they are high-ranking officials or nobles. If you dare to stare at their women, you might encounter someone with a bad temper who could gouge out your eyeballs!"

"Oh, is it that serious?"

Sun Fu nodded. "Of course. If you can maintain discretion, a glance is fine. But those women from influential families are all captivating; I just worry you fellows won't be able to control your gaze." Sun Fu deliberately exaggerated, hoping to prevent any trouble at his stall.

"Understood, understood!" "Right, right, hurry and eat your noodles."

After exchanging a few more words at the stall, the owner and customers saw Yin Qing and his group drawing near. They stopped discussing the outsiders and shifted their conversation to trivial daily matters.

However, when Yin Qing and his group reached the stall, they didn't simply pass by. Instead, they slowed their pace just outside it, and Yin Qing even bowed respectfully to Sun Fu.

"Hello, Uncle Sun. I'm very glad to see your noodle stall is still operating here."

Yin Qing knew, of course, that the stall owner had changed; the current owner was Sun Fu, the son of the original Old Man Sun. However, Sun Fu didn't recognize Yin Qing. Seeing such a distinguished official bow to him, even though the man seemed to know him, Sun Fu felt a little intimidated.

Sun Fu wiped his hands on his apron and quickly returned the greeting. "May I ask who you are?"

"Oh, I'm Yin Qing, the son of Master Yin from the county school."

Upon hearing this, Sun Fu immediately recognized him. "Oh, oh, oh, you're the son of Yin Wenqu! I hear you've become a high-ranking official at court?"

"Haha, Uncle Sun, you flatter me. By the way, is Master Ji home?"

Sun Fu quickly replied, "Yes, he is."

"Good, please continue with your work."

"Alright!"

Yin Qing turned and walked towards the entrance of Tianniu Lane, which was nearby. Princess Changping also smiled and nodded at Sun Fu before leaving with Yin Qing.

As soon as they departed, the previously silent customers at the stall quickly began questioning Sun Fu about Yin Qing. Some even paid in haste and left to spread the news that Yin Wenqu's son had returned. Meanwhile, as Sun Fu continued chatting, he suddenly slapped his thigh, realizing that Sun Ya Ya was still at Ju'an Pavilion.

Walking through the quiet alleys of Tianniu Lane, Yin Qing felt as though nothing had changed since his childhood. However, most residents, upon seeing the entourage, kept their distance. Although Yin Qing had intended to greet them, he didn't want to startle anyone, so he let them be.

As they approached Ju'an Pavilion, Yin Qing turned to instruct his accompanying personnel. "In a moment, everyone else will wait outside. The Princess, the two chief guards, and I will go in."

"Yes, sir!" the servants behind them responded in unison.

In truth, Yin Qing didn't even want to bring the two chief guards, but he had no choice. Issuing such an order would put them in a difficult position. Although he knew this trip was safe, they were under the Emperor's direct command to protect Princess Changping, and the absolute minimum requirement for dismissing other guards and attendants was that these two had to be present.

From a distance outside Ju'an Pavilion, the large jujube tree, its branches forming a grand canopy, came into view. The floral scent seemed to intensify, a refreshing and pleasant aroma that was never overwhelming.

Soon, the other servants stopped, and the four individuals stood before the pavilion's gate. Almost everyone looked up at the plaque above the pavilion's entrance.

"What beautiful calligraphy! It truly rivals Prime Minister Yin's!" Princess Changping offered a compliment, though Yin Qing felt that while his father's calligraphy was excellent, it was still slightly inferior to Master Ji's.

Just as one of the guards was about to knock, Yin Qing raised a hand to stop him. He then stepped forward and gently knocked on the pavilion's courtyard gate.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

"Master Ji, it's me, Yin Qing!"

A series of light footsteps came from the courtyard, followed by the sound of a wooden bolt being drawn back.

"Creak."

The courtyard gate opened, revealing a small girl in a tiny white scholar's robe, gazing curiously at Yin Qing and Princess Changping.

"Qing'er, you're here? Please come in."

"Master says you should come in!" Sun Ya Ya spoke, then stepped aside, allowing Yin Qing, Princess Changping, and the two chief guards to enter the pavilion's courtyard. Apart from Yin Qing, the other three carefully observed Ji Yuan and the surroundings of Ju'an Pavilion.

The courtyard was very clean, with simple furnishings: a well covered by a stone slab, a stone table with four stone stools, and the large jujube tree whose fragrance permeated half the county. Ji Yuan was seated behind the stone table and now stood to greet everyone.

"This humble commoner, Ji Yuan, greets Her Royal Highness Princess Changping!" Ji Yuan cupped his hands and bowed to Princess Changping, then subtly winked at Sun Ya Ya, who had rejoined him. The girl immediately understood and mimicked his gesture.

"This common girl, Sun Ya Ya, greets Her Royal Highness Princess Changping!"

Ji Yuan nodded, concluded the greeting, and invited them to sit. "Please, everyone, have a seat. I'll prepare some tea for you."

Seeing Yin Qing about to speak, Ji Yuan raised his hand to stop him, then gestured towards the stone table. "Qing'er, please take the Princess and sit over there. According to Ning'an County custom, when a newly married couple visits an elder's home for the first time, the elder must brew sugared tea. This tradition cannot be skipped. I'll go prepare it for you."

For a newly married couple visiting together, drinking sugared tea brewed by an elder symbolizes sweetness and happiness. Since Ji Yuan had put it that way, Yin Qing found it difficult to refuse.

When Ji Yuan emerged with the tea tray, it held four teacups, a teapot, and a small ceramic pot. Ji Yuan personally poured hot tea for Yin Qing and Princess Changping. Then he opened the small ceramic pot and used a small wooden spoon to scoop some crystalline particles into their teacups.

Strangely enough, within Ju'an Pavilion, surrounded by the scent of jujube blossoms, as soon as Ji Yuan opened the ceramic pot, a unique sweet fragrance wafted out. Even just a sniff made all four of them feel wonderfully refreshed.

"Please, help yourselves!" Ji Yuan placed the teacups in front of Yin Qing and Princess Changping, then poured two more cups and offered them to the two guards. "You are not the newlyweds, so you won't be having the sugared tea."

The two guards, being perceptive, quickly thanked him and accepted their teacups. "Thank you, Master!"

Yin Qing, well aware that this sugared tea was far from ordinary, nodded at Yang Ping. He then raised his cup and was the first to taste it. As the sweet liquid flowed down his throat, not only was the aftertaste mellow and rich, but a refreshing energy, accompanied by a warm sensation, permeated his entire body.

Princess Changping's eyes widened at the first taste, then narrowed into crescent moons as the sweet flavor enveloped her. Unconsciously, she finished the entire cup in one gulp. "My lord, this sugared tea from Ning'an County is so delicious! It's more than worthy of being chosen as an imperial tribute!"

Seeing Yang Ping's lingering desire, Yin Qing handed her his cup, from which he had only taken a single sip. "This sugared tea isn't found everywhere, and there isn't enough for imperial tribute. Here, take mine!"

Yang Ping, being intelligent, glanced at Ji Yuan, then at the tea set and the "sugar pot" on the table. The fact that Ji Yuan hadn't refilled her cup after her praise made her understand something immediately. She initially wanted to decline, but between Yin Qing's gentle gaze and her own lingering desire for the sweet tea, Yang Ping accepted the teacup. This time, she took several slow sips, and after savoring the exact flavor, she handed the remaining half-cup back to Yin Qing.

"Hehehehe... Seeing how affectionate you two are, I feel at ease!" Ji Yuan smiled and sat down on the stone stool opposite them, as the two guards chose to remain standing on either side.

Yang Ping looked at one side of the stone table, where writing implements—brush, ink, paper, and inkstone—were laid out. Some papers had characters written on them, mostly the same character repeated many times. While these weren't forming books or essays, the characters themselves were remarkably lively and elegant.

"Is this Master Ji's calligraphy?" Yang Ping asked, and Sun Ya Ya, who had been eyeing the sugar pot, quickly bounced a couple of times.

"No, no, Princess Sister, these are my characters! Master's calligraphy is much more beautiful; mine can't even compare!"

Yang Ping was slightly surprised. Such a young child, and a girl at that, could write such beautiful characters? Yet, the situation certainly didn't seem to be a pretense.

"Ya Ya, that's enough for today. You may go home now and return tomorrow."

Sun Ya Ya was very excited because she had just seen a princess, but as soon as she heard Ji Yuan's words, her little face fell. "Master..."

"Be good and listen."

"Oh... then I'll go home..."

Sun Ya Ya began gathering the writing implements from the table, placing them into a small book box beside the stone table. She then slung the bamboo book box over her back and left the courtyard, glancing back every few steps.

As soon as Sun Ya Ya left, Ji Yuan glanced at the two guards. As if enchanted, the two men moved to the sides, positioning themselves against the left and right courtyard walls. This mildly surprised Yang Ping, but Yin Qing showed no reaction.

Ji Yuan nodded at Yang Ping. "Indeed, you possess a composed and regal demeanor!"