lcionline Chapter 209 Going out for a stroll? This inn is no ordinary place!
Chapter 209 Going out for a stroll? This inn is no ordinary place!
Chu Ruohan steadied herself, a faint smile returning to her face, and asked softly, "May I ask which family's daughter Your Highness wishes to marry?"
“He’s an old ox eating young grass,” Aunt Zhao sighed. “The second daughter of the Minister of Works, Su Wan Niang! I heard she’s a woman of both talent and beauty, and she’s two years younger than you.”
“Once the mistress enters the house, I will have to relinquish my position as housekeeper…”
Chu Ruohan had no interest in listening to what she was about to say.
The second daughter of the Minister of Works?
Wasn't it before that Marquis Anyang insisted that Gu Cheng'an marry her?
Gu Cheng'an was expelled from the Marquis of Anyang's home because he refused to marry her.
Come to think of it, she hadn't heard from Gu Cheng'an in a long time. Judging by the timeline of her previous life, he was probably getting tired of Du Ruoling.
Chu Ruohan took a deep breath; now was not the time to think about this.
In his previous life, the Marquis of Anyang colluded with the Ministry of Works. Even without the mines in this life, they are still entangled together.
She felt something was off...
"The thought of having to serve tea to a little girl makes me uncomfortable..."
Aunt Zhao sat in the chair, complaining loudly.
She looked up and saw that Chu Ruohan's gaze was unfocused, fixed on the distance, and she wasn't listening to her at all.
He coughed loudly and raised his voice, "Young Madam, say something!"
Chu Ruohan snapped out of her reverie and asked abruptly, "Have you never thought about leaving the Marquis's mansion?"
Aunt Zhao was stunned, and an incredulous expression appeared on her face.
"Leave the Marquis's mansion?" she repeated in a shrill voice, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world. "Young Madam, what are you saying?"
"I've endured so many years in this Marquis's mansion, and it's only with great difficulty that I now have a decent life. How can I just leave like that?"
Chu Ruohan smiled gently, but a deep meaning flashed in her eyes: "Aunt Zhao, think about it, is life in this Marquis's mansion really as you wish?"
“After the new mistress enters the house, you’ll probably have a lot to suffer. Rather than staying here and having to put up with other people’s opinions and being restricted at every turn, you might as well find a place where you can be free.”
Aunt Zhao's face turned somewhat unpleasant. She frowned deeply and pondered for a long time.
After a long silence, she finally spoke, her voice tinged with helplessness, "What you said is indeed true, but where can I go if I leave the Marquis's mansion? I have no family to return to, and I have no skills to make a living. Wouldn't I starve to death if I went out?"
She sighed heavily, a self-deprecating bitter smile appearing on her face. "Well, now that I'm this fat, I can't compete with them for favor. Wouldn't it be better to just live out my life peacefully in this Marquis's mansion?"
"I'm still waiting for you and the Crown Prince to take care of me in my old age!"
Chu Ruohan looked at Aunt Zhao with gentle eyes and smiled softly, "Alright, I'll take care of you in your old age."
Only then was the concubine satisfied. She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then heard Chu Ruohan say, "It's really boring to stay cooped up in the Marquis's mansion all day. Why don't you go out for a walk?"
Aunt Zhao was taken aback. "Where are you going?"
"Let's go out for drinks..."
The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the Yuanlai Inn.
Chu Ruohan looked up at the inn's sign, a thoughtful expression flashing in her eyes, before walking straight into the inn.
Aunt Zhao followed behind, her plump body swaying from side to side with each step, muttering to herself, "This place looks quite unique. The young mistress really knows how to pick a spot."
As the two entered the inn, the innkeeper immediately greeted them with a beaming smile.
"Esteemed guests, please come in. Are you here for a meal or to stay the night?"
Chu Ruohan said softly, "Let's go upstairs and have a private room by the window."
The waiter quickly replied, "Alright, this way please, you two."
Having said that, he led the way.
Upon reaching the second floor, Chu Ruohan went straight to the window, pushed it open, and a gentle breeze blew in, carrying a slight coolness.
From here, you can see the back door of the inn; the secluded alley is deserted at this moment.
Only a few rays of sunlight filtered through the dappled leaves, scattering across the ground.
Chu Ruohan's gaze lingered on the back door for a long time. Yang Zhaozhao said that it was in this inn that she jumped out of the window and onto the Marquis of Anyang's carriage.
What a coincidence!
Aunt Zhao plopped down in a chair and let out a long sigh. "I haven't left the house for years."
She looked at Chu Ruohan with a big smile on her face, "Since the young mistress is treating, then I won't stand on ceremony."
Chu Ruohan snapped out of her thoughts, turned to look at Aunt Zhao, and smiled, "Order whatever you like, there's plenty of money."
"Okay?"
Aunt Zhao's eyes lit up immediately. Although she had no shortage of food and drink in the Marquis's mansion and lived a life of luxury, she was still very fortunate.
But she was still very happy to be able to get out and relax, and to have someone treat her to a meal.
Most importantly, it was able to blackmail Chu Ruohan.
She reached for the menu on the table, her eyes quickly scanning the dishes, muttering to herself, "This looks good, and this one too, hmm, and a soup..."
Before long, she had ordered a table full of dishes.
"By the way, bring some fine Daughter's Red wine from the jar."
Aunt Zhao waved her hand, her voice filled with undisguised delight.
The waiter nodded hurriedly, saying, "I'll go prepare it right away," and then quickly left.
Seeing Aunt Zhao's high spirits, Chu Ruohan couldn't help but smile.
Before long, the table was filled with food and drinks.
Aunt Zhao picked up her wine cup, took a big gulp, and sighed contentedly, "This wine is really delicious. I haven't felt this good in a long time."
Chu Ruohan looked at Yuling, "Yuling, Chunju, please sit down. You all work hard at the Marquis's residence."
Aunt Zhao nodded, "The young mistress is treating us today, so please don't stand, sit down and eat together!"
Yu Ling was used to it. The Chu family didn't have many rules, and the young lady was allowed to eat with them before she got married.
Aunt Zhao's personal maid, Chunju, seemed a little flustered. "Thank you, young mistress. Thank you, aunt."
After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere in the room became increasingly lively.
Chu Ruohan's gaze was fixed on the window. Several carriages were already parked at the back door of the inn, and those getting off the carriages were mostly officials from the imperial court.
This inn is something else!
Aunt Zhao was enjoying her meal when she caught a glimpse of Chu Ruohan staring out the window, which aroused her suspicion.
She put down her chopsticks, wiped her greasy mouth with a handkerchief, and asked, "Young Madam, what's so interesting about staring outside?"
Chu Ruohan withdrew her gaze, picked up her wine glass and took a sip. "The back entrance of the inn is even more lively than the front."
Looking out the window, Aunt Zhao saw the carriages that were parking one after another.
"What's so strange about that? Ministers in the court always have a few close friends in private. They're afraid the emperor will suspect them of forming cliques, so of course they need to find a secluded place."
Chu Ruohan raised an eyebrow. "How did you know?"
"The Marquis used to dote on me a lot, and we would talk about other things in our private room..."