Chapter 42: Fellow Villagers Meet Fellow Villagers, Eyes Filled with Tears of Emotion

Early the next morning.

"Ah..." This was goodness knows which yawn Chen Xingmiao had let out, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.

Life in ancient times was simply excruciatingly boring. Without smartphones or computers, there was nothing to do—not even watching television.

What was even more incomprehensible was that even the cannon-fodder minor characters had stopped stirring up trouble. Was this even reasonable?

She sat up, resting her chin in one hand, her eyes gazing emptily ahead.

"Xiao Liu, I'm sick of trudging through this plot. Can't you load a side quest for me?"

[Since the villain is currently absent, doesn't Host want to take a holiday and stroll around the streets?]

Chen Xingmiao raised an eyebrow. That suggestion was not bad at all.

Besides, she would need a good location for doing business in the future, so she might as well take this opportunity to scout out a spot.

With that thought, she strode out of the bedchamber.

Chuntao, seeing this, hurriedly rushed over holding a cloak. "Miss, you're wearing such thin garments again; you'll catch a cold."

As she spoke, she draped the cloak over Chen Xingmiao's shoulders.

Chen Xingmiao grabbed Chuntao's hand and said with a beaming smile, "Come on, I'm taking you shopping!"

"Bu, buy what?"

Chuntao was still bewildered before she was dragged away.

As soon as they reached the bustling street, they saw a crowd packed tightly together not far ahead.

Curious, Chen Xingmiao pulled Chuntao over to investigate. Before she could even see what was going on, she caught sight of Han Xu and that detestable Xiao Zilin.

She truly couldn't understand why Han Xu, the male protagonist, hung out with a scumbag like Xiao Zilin.

She rolled her eyes in annoyance, her desire to rubberneck instantly vanishing, and she prepared to drag Chuntao away.

"Where is my dear sister-in-law rushing off to in such a hurry?"

Xiao Zilin took a stride forward and blocked their path.

"What's the matter? Did your legs heal so fast you forgot the pain?" She sneered, her face filled with disdain.

Choked by these words, Xiao Zilin's face turned alternately pale and flushed, yet he found it difficult to make a scene in front of the surrounding crowd.

Han Xu, seeing this, quickly stepped forward to smooth things over. "Zilin didn't mean anything by it. Please don't be angry, young lady."

Chen Xingmiao let out a cold huff and glanced toward the crowd.

"What is going on here?"

Following her gaze, Han Xu explained, "My imperial younger sister has posted a poetic riddle. A reward of ten thousand taels of gold goes to anyone who can match it. Would the young lady care to try?"

Ten thousand taels of gold?

A thrill went through Chen Xingmiao's heart, but upon second thought, she gave up the idea.

She had long since forgotten almost everything she had learned during her school days. The ancients were erudite and talented; with her meager tricks, she'd better not make a fool of herself.

"Forget it, I..." Before she could finish her sentence, Chuntao's puzzled voice sounded beside her ear.

"What a strange poem. Imperial Court Spirit Wine?"

Hearing Chuntao's words, Chen Xingmiao's heart skipped a beat. Why did the words "Imperial Court Spirit Wine" sound so familiar?

She froze slightly, thinking she might have misheard, and hurriedly stretched her neck, shoving her way to the front of the crowd.

She saw a notice posted with two peculiar verses: one was "Imperial Court Spirit Wine," and the other was "Roosters laying eggs, laying-egg roosters."

Strange, Xiao Liu had never mentioned that there was a second time traveler in this world.

She looked at Han Xu with suspicion and blurted out, "What is your imperial sister's name, and how old is she?"

Taken aback by the sudden question, Han Xu hesitated for a moment before politely replying, "Her name is Han Yao. She is the current seventh princess, just in the bloom of her youth."

Chen Xingmiao remembered reading in a book once that the bloom of youth referred to a thirteen-year-old girl, but this poem... was definitely not something composed by an ancient little girl.

"Crown Prince, if I can match this poem, will you take me to meet the Seventh Princess?"

As soon as Chen Xingmiao finished speaking, Chuntao cautiously tugged at her sleeve.

"Trust me, Chuntao, I really can match it."

A hesitant look crossed Han Xu's face. Although he was the Crown Prince, his younger sister Han Yao had always been eccentric in her ways. Taking Chen Xingmiao to see her required some careful consideration.

At this moment, Xiao Zilin sneered from the side. "Just based on you? You're probably just trying to use this opportunity to cozy up to the royal family and indulge in daydreams."

Ignoring Xiao Zilin's sarcasm, Chen Xingmiao fixed her gaze firmly on Han Xu, her eyes filled with anticipation and resolve.

After pondering for a moment, Han Xu finally nodded. "Since you say you can, then I will trust you. Let's go."

Amidst the gazes of the onlookers, Chen Xingmiao followed Han Xu toward the imperial palace, with Chuntao anxiously trailing behind them.

Along the way, Xiao Zilin remained unrelenting, muttering under his breath, "I'd like to see what tricks you can possibly pull. When you fail to match the poem later, you'll get what's coming to you."

Chen Xingmiao turned a deaf ear, her mind entirely consumed by wondering who on earth this Seventh Princess Han Yao could be.

Upon arriving at the palace, Han Xu led them to a tranquil courtyard. Han Yao was sitting inside a pavilion, resting her chin in one hand while holding a pastry in the other.

"Imperial Brother, why are you here? And who is this?" Han Yao curiously looked Chen Xingmiao up and down.

Chen Xingmiao hastily bowed in salute. "This humble commoner Chen Xingmiao greets the Seventh Princess."

A flash of surprise crossed Han Yao's eyes before she gave a couple of dry coughs. "Chen Xingmiao, is it? You may rise."

Stepping forward, Han Xu smiled and said to Han Yao, "Imperial Sister, she claims she can match the poetic riddle you posted, so I brought her to see you."

Setting down the pastry in her hand, Han Yao looked at Chen Xingmiao with keen interest. "Oh? Then I must hear how you plan to match it."

Chen Xingmiao cleared her throat and recited loudly, "Imperial Court Spirit Wine, one hundred and eighty for a cup. How is this wine? Listen to me brag to you!"

Han Yao was slightly stunned, and then a delighted smile bloomed across her face as she eagerly pursued, "And the next line?"

"Roosters laying eggs, laying-egg roosters, the fighter jet among roosters—Oh yeah!" Chen Xingmiao was brimming with confidence, her voice crisp and resonant, the tail end carrying a playful hint.

"Miss, what on earth are you talking about?"

Chuntao was completely bewildered. Standing nearby, Han Xu had a flash of utter bewilderment cross his usually gentle face; his mouth parted slightly, and for a moment, he was entirely speechless.

Having studied poetry and books since childhood, possessing vast erudition and familiarity with all sorts of verse and classical allusions, his mind instantly went completely blank when faced with Chen Xingmiao's seemingly absurd matching lines.

Xiao Zilin was initially stunned, but then burst into a gloating, triumphant laugh, pointing a finger at Chen Xingmiao as he chuckled, "Sister-in-law, are you just teasing our Crown Prince and Seventh Princess? What is all this mumbo-jumbo..."

"You matched it brilliantly!"

Just as Xiao Zilin's mocking laughter still lingered in the air, Han Yao's crisp voice suddenly rang out. She abruptly stood up and clapped her hands with great force.

Han Yao's exclamation instantly froze the surrounding atmosphere. The sneer on Xiao Zilin's face stiffened instantly, the corners of his mouth still curved upward, but his eyes were filled with sheer disbelief, as if he had just been heavily slapped across the face.

Han Xu also recovered from his initial shock, his eyes full of bewilderment. He simply could not fathom why his imperial sister gave such high praise to these seemingly nonsensical matching lines.

Han Yao stepped forward and clasped Chen Xingmiao's hands. "Fellow compatriot! I've finally found you!"