The concubine was charming and alluring, and the ruthless prince coaxed her day and night.

Chapter 78 Star Reaching Tower

Looking at Lianye, who was in tears, Zhao Yunzheng had a complicated expression. After a moment, he looked at the waiter and said, "Prepare two more servings of tea to take away."

The waiter immediately went to prepare.

By the time the tea was served, Zhao Yunzheng and Xu Jiaojiao had almost finished drinking.

Unlike the porcelain teacups used in the restaurant, the tea that you can take away is served in a bamboo tube, which is also carved with the image of the shop's grandmother. It is unique and very memorable.

This small shop exudes exquisite charm, making it unforgettable at first glance.

Even Zhao Yunzheng, a member of the royal family who was used to seeing imperial items, couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill and secretly praise him.

Before leaving the tea shop, Zhao Yunzheng asked the waiter to hand over the four takeaway tea drinks to Yingyi and the others.

Seeing that it was getting late, Zhao Yunzheng took Xu Jiaojiao to a private room in Chunxi Tower for a meal after leaving the tea shop.

While waiting for the food to be served, Zhao Yunzheng and Yingyi disappeared for a while. When they returned, only Zhao Yunzheng was there; Yingyi was nowhere to be seen.

Xu Jiaojiao didn't think much of it and started eating on her own.

Because the statue of the Weaver Girl was destroyed, the area in front of Zhengyang Gate was deserted and unusually quiet.

Seeing the desolate streets, Xu Jiaojiao rested her chin on her hand and wondered to herself, "Will the Qixi Festival lantern festival be able to liven up tonight?"

Seeing her in a daze, Zhao Yunzheng put a piece of eight-treasure duck on her plate: "I suppose we won't be able to see the needle-threading Qiqiao performance this afternoon. I'll take you to the opera house to watch a play, and then we'll go to the West Market to see the lantern festival tonight."

Listening to opera...

Listening to opera is fine too!

As long as I can play outside and not go back to that suffocating palace, I'm fine with anything!

Xu Jiaojiao nodded eagerly, "Okay!"

Seeing how playful she was, a hint of a smile and tenderness flashed in Zhao Yunzheng's eyes.

If she weren't a woman confined to the inner quarters, with Xu Jiaojiao's innocent and carefree nature, she would surely have lived a carefree and happy life...

……

Inside the private room of the opera house.

Prince Chen and Xu Jiaojiao listened to opera for an entire afternoon.

Zhao Yunzheng was busy, so he asked Youde to bring him some official documents and then leaned lazily against the soft cushions to review them.

Xu Jiaojiao was getting sleepy while listening to the opera, so she simply curled up and leaned against Prince Chen's lap to doze off.

Zhao Yunzheng, who was reading official documents, felt a weight on his leg. He looked down and saw Xu Jiaojiao's fluffy head resting on his knee. He was momentarily stunned.

She's really bold, daring to sleep with her head on his lap. It seems he's been spoiling this little woman too much.

Despite his thoughts, Zhao Yunzheng made no attempt to hide the doting affection in his eyes.

To keep Xu Jiaojiao from getting cold, he reached out and pulled over the blanket hanging next to the soft couch, gently covering her with it.

Feeling the warmth and softness on her body, Xu Jiaojiao, with her back to Prince Chen, curved her lips into a barely perceptible smile.

As she tested him little by little, Prince Chen's tolerance for her grew higher and higher. Now, even though she was being so presumptuous, Prince Chen not only didn't blame her, but also thoughtfully covered her with a blanket.

She snuggled comfortably against Prince Chen's leg, murmured contentedly, and drifted off to sleep, completely relaxed.

When I woke up, it was already dark.

The theater offers exquisite dinners to guests in private rooms.

Through the window of the private room, Xu Jiaojiao looked out.

The streetlights were still on, but unfortunately there weren't many tourists.

After having a meal, we arrived at the West Market.

The West Market was quite far from Zhengyang Gate, and although it was also affected by the assassination attempt, it still managed to have some festive atmosphere.

Tourists strolled around in twos and threes. Xu Jiaojiao chose her favorite lantern, released a wishing boat, and ate sweet cakes. She was as happy as a child.

Tired from playing, Xu Jiaojiao and Zhao Yunzheng sat down to rest in a pavilion on the bank of the moat.

"Bang bang bang!"

On the other side of the moat, the fireworks display was held as scheduled.

The exclamations of the tourists around her were heard, and Xu Jiaojiao was also staring at the fireworks, her beautiful eyes sparkling.

How beautiful...

Unfortunately, in her previous life she was trapped in the backyard of the royal palace and never had the chance to enjoy fireworks so freely until her death.

One moment, Xu Jiaojiao was all smiles, but the next moment, Zhao Yunzheng sensed a faint sadness emanating from her.

He frowned slightly, walked to Xu Jiaojiao's side, and softly probed, "Jiaojiao, what are you thinking about?"

Xu Jiaojiao snapped out of her reverie and smiled wryly: "I was thinking that fireworks, though beautiful, are fleeting and ephemeral, which is a real pity."

Zhao Yunzheng reached out and put his arm around Xu Jiaojiao's waist, pulling her into his embrace: "Life is but a fleeting few decades, as short as fireworks, but it may not be as dazzling as fireworks. So there's no need to worry too much about things. Just be yourself, cherish the present, and leave no regrets."

Xu Jiaojiao's eyelashes trembled, and suddenly she felt relieved.

Yes, cherish the present and leave no regrets.

What was her regret?

Is it a reluctance to let time slip away, or unfulfilled ambitions?

In that instant, many thoughts raced through Xu Jiaojiao's mind.

She seemed to have vaguely grasped the answer deep within her heart, but upon closer reflection, she couldn't help but fall into confusion, unsure of what she truly wanted...

Xu Jiaojiao turned to look at Prince Chen, smiling sweetly, "Your Highness, I want to eat candied hawthorns..."

Seeing that she was no longer insistent, Zhao Yunzheng nodded slightly: "Okay."

Eating candied hawthorns, I walked along the moat and watched as fewer and fewer tourists appeared.

Xu Jiaojiao knew that she would soon be returning to that dull and dreary palace.

"Crackling..."

Taking a bite of the last candied hawthorn, Xu Jiaojiao let out a soft sigh: "Grandpa, let's go home~"

Zhao Yunzheng knew that Xu Jiaojiao was reluctant to go back, so he stayed by her side and never mentioned returning home.

Seeing that Xu Jiaojiao was reluctant to leave, but still took the initiative to say that she was going back, Zhao Yunzheng felt a pang of pity and secretly admired Jiaojiao's thoughtfulness.

He smiled slightly and asked, "Has Jiaojiao ever seen the night view of Kyoto?"

Xu Jiaojiao was somewhat taken aback, and honestly shook her head: "Never."

She didn't even have the chance to leave the mansion, so how could she possibly have the opportunity to see the night view of Kyoto?

Zhao Yunzheng smiled mysteriously: "We won't go back to the manor tonight. I'll take you somewhere."

Xu Jiaojiao blinked, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion: "Where is Master taking me?"

Zhao Yunzheng did not answer, but took Xu Jiaojiao's hand in his palm and led her forward step by step: "You'll know when we get there."

After walking for a while, Zhao Yunzheng led Xu Jiaojiao to the Zhaixing Tower in the center of Kyoto.

The visible above-ground structure of the Star-Picking Tower is the Star-Observation Tower of the Yan Dynasty, while the hidden underground structure is the massive intelligence agency established by Zhao Yunzheng.

At this hour, there were no outsiders in the Star-Picking Tower except for Zhao Yunzheng's own people.

In addition, Zhao Yunzheng had already made arrangements in advance, so his appearance with Xu Jiaojiao did not cause any disturbance.

He led Xu Jiaojiao up the cloud ladder, and let Yingyi activate the mechanism to send the two of them to the highest star-gazing platform.

This place is called an observatory, but it is actually a small pavilion with a wide view. The observatory is covered with gauze curtains, and all four sides are openwork carved windows that can be pushed open, making it perfect for observing the night sky and for overlooking the entire city of Kyoto...