Feng Miaojun didn’t notice that she had been labeled a big eater. Cultivators’ blood circulation was extremely fast, their digestive functions powerful, and their appetites far exceeded ordinary people’s. Though she hadn’t yet achieved full success in cultivation, she had already developed the appetite of one. Of course, compared to Mo Tizhun, who could devour half a sheep in one meal, she couldn’t come close to matching her convenient master.
She poured herself a cup of tea and gazed out the window.
Immortal Prospect Tower was excellently situated, with a small lake behind it. Though it couldn’t compare to the vast expanse where the sky met water at White Elephant Lake, it was superior in its weeping willows along the embankment, red lotuses and green leaves in the lake, and small boats bobbing on the waves to collect water chestnuts—altogether a scene of leisure.
Her private room directly faced this beautiful view, with blooming jasmine planted outside the window, sending fragrance with the breeze, intoxicating in its sweetness.
The lotus root powder arrived first, amber-colored and trembling like jelly. One taste revealed the pure sweetness of lotus seeds and osmanthus, seemingly able to drive the summer dryness from one’s lungs.
Next came the eel segments. The great rivers of Jin connected to the ocean, allowing small eels to grow, and this season they were at their most delicious. Each piece was coated in a secret flour mixture and deep-fried. If the cooking time was just right, every bite would be crisp, with only the fragrance of fish and no muddy taste. Moreover, she had requested basil be fried together with it, an herb with an endlessly appealing aroma.
Chen Dachang had rarely tasted such delicacies. He had just put two pieces in his mouth when a man leisurely strolled over and entered Feng Miaojun’s private room, sitting down.
His gaze sharpened as he was about to stand up and question the intruder, but Feng Miaojun had already waved at him. She then smiled and asked the newcomer: “How are the old acquaintances from Tongyang?”
This man had fair skin, long slender eyes, and a neatly trimmed beard under his chin, appearing to be around forty years old. He was tall and thin but didn’t look weak, likely because the light in his eyes was lustrous, showing remarkable intelligence.
He had been studying Feng Miaojun as if comparing something, but upon hearing her words, he was slightly moved and asked a single word: “Feng?”
Feng Miaojun nodded.
The man’s face showed emotion, and he sighed deeply: “Eight years ago, I saw you once by the Mingxi Stream. At that time, azaleas bloomed all over the mountains, so beautiful. Time waits for no one; in the blink of an eye, eight years have passed.”
Feng Miaojun tilted her head and looked at him: “The Mingxi Stream in Wangtai Plain?”
The man smiled and said: “Yes.”
Feng Miaojun pursed her lips: “Azaleas don’t grow near Mingxi.” Azaleas preferred acidic soil, and the Mingxi he mentioned was located in the great grassland of Wangtai, a cold place where the An Xia royal family’s summer palace was situated. There were elms, Chinese tallow trees, and photinias there, but no azaleas. She suspected the area had calcareous soil.
This fellow was testing her subtly. If she had agreed or shown no reaction, he would likely have closed the door and dealt with her.
The man finally smiled, the smile reaching his eyes: “Do you have a token?”
The rest of the dishes were also served, though the stir-fried eggs used Chinese toon instead of ground immortal seedlings. After the waiter withdrew, Feng Miaojun took out her seal and casually stamped it on a flower roll.
The man then slightly bowed in his seat and said gently: “Young Miss, you’ve finally come. I am Lu Chuanying, the owner of Immortal Prospect Tower.” He reached for the flower roll, tore off the imprinted character “Changle,” and ate it.
Only then did Feng Miaojun stand up and close the door of the private room.
Before she could speak, Lu Chuanying said: “I was being cautious earlier; please forgive me, Young Miss. Three months ago, we received news of the An Xia Princess’s arrival in Jin, yet you delayed coming to Immortal Prospect Tower to contact us.”
“That ‘Princess’ is not me,” Feng Miaojun smiled. “Upon my arrival in Jin capital, I attracted unnecessary attention and couldn’t come here directly.”
Lu Chuanying nodded: “Now I understand and am reassured.”
The five dishes Feng Miaojun had ordered upon entering were a code. Given the many diners here, to prevent misidentification, the code included two items not on the regular menu—basil and ground immortal seedlings. Seeing these, Lu Chuanying naturally came to meet her.
Basil was acceptable; it could still be found in local apothecaries. But the term “ground immortal seedlings” was known to very few. Its actual name was wolfberry shoots, the tender leaves of the wolfberry plant.
Feng Miaojun gazed deeply at Lu Chuanying and said: “I heard you’re not from An Xia. Mother told me to call you Uncle Lu.”
The “Mother” she referred to was, of course, the Queen of An Xia. Lu Chuanying’s smile faded slightly: “Indeed, I am from Yan Kingdom, with ancestral roots in Tongyang. My maternal grandfather once served as a Judicial Officer in Yan, and my maternal grandmother was from Jin. While passing through An Xia, I fell gravely ill and was fortunate to receive aid from your… mother, otherwise, I would have been buried in a foreign land.” He paused, seeming somewhat emotional. “At that time, she had not yet married the King of An Xia. We conversed pleasantly and considered each other kindred spirits.”
Feng Miaojun raised her fine eyebrows. In her impression, the Queen of An Xia was a woman of ability, depth, and foresight. Good deeds done many years ago still brought blessings to her daughter. Lu Chuanying’s last sentence seemed to hint at some story; otherwise, with human hearts being fickle, how could the Queen of An Xia entrust her orphaned child to a foreigner she hadn’t seen for years? How could she be certain he would treat and help her daughter well?
Indeed, Lu Chuanying was not the Queen of An Xia’s subordinate, but before Feng Miaojun left Sweet Water Village, Peng Bai had told her unequivocally that Lu Chuanying could be trusted. This man had Jin blood and had been established here for a long time, making his actions less likely to arouse suspicion.
From this, Feng Miaojun understood that the Queen of An Xia truly didn’t want her daughter to attempt to reconquer and restore the country, only wishing for her modest prosperity. Therefore, she didn’t leave Feng Miaojun more substantial aid.
“Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Lu,” Feng Miaojun said sincerely. “I’ve moved here as the third disciple of State Preceptor Mo, and I’ll be troubling you a lot in the future.”
Lu Chuanying stroked his beard: “Peng Bai informed me early on that the Princess had changed her name to Feng Miaojun. These past few months, news of State Preceptor Mo accepting a new disciple spread throughout the capital, and I guessed it was likely you, though it seemed incredible. As a child, you were somewhat…” He smiled. “I’m surprised that State Preceptor Mo would accept you as a disciple.”
What he wanted to say was “somewhat not intelligent,” Feng Miaojun understood. The original owner of this body had beauty in abundance but lacked intelligence; under normal circumstances, she shouldn’t have caught the Great State Preceptor’s eye. Lu Chuanying’s directness made her like him, knowing this man was neither blindly following nor merely acquiescing.
She enjoyed dealing with intelligent people.
“People change as they grow up,” she said, sidestepping the topic. “How are my foster mother and Peng Bai?”
“They finally settled in Luyi, the secondary capital of Yao Kingdom. The Feng business has already opened for trade and is looking to expand to Inzi City, the capital of Yao.”
“Still grain and cloth?”