After my father was sent to marry into the princess's household, I became the darling of the en

Rong Jingli's gaze swept across the crowd and landed on Shen Jingque.

Shen Jingque was still holding half a string of candied hawthorns in her hand, with some sugar powder on her cheeks. When she saw him looking over, she shyly hid the candied hawthorns behind her back.

A lighthearted look appeared in Rong Jing's eyes, and he nodded slightly to her: "Miss Shen."

Shen Jingque gave a half-bow: "Young Master Rong."

The next instant, the boy brushed past me, and a strange fragrance wafted past my nose.

It has a slightly bitter herbal flavor and a touch of menthol coolness.

It smells wonderful.

When she turned around again, the young master Rong and his entourage had already entered the private room.

The shopkeeper personally led Xiao Changqi and his party into room number two of the Heavenly tier.

The room was filled with warm incense, and a carved low couch was placed by the window. Seasonal fresh fruits were laid out on the table, and the charcoal fire in the bronze stove was burning brightly. Outside the window, the streetlights cast a continuous shadow.

Indeed, wealth and luxury are dazzling.

Shen Jingque sat down, put the candied hawthorn aside, and moved closer to Xiao Changqi.

"Second brother, who is that young master Rong just now?"

Xiao Changqi took a sip of tea and looked at her with a half-smile.

"Are you... having a teenage crush?"

Shen Jingque looked horrified: "What nonsense are you talking about?! I'm only twelve years old!"

Even if it's puppy love, it's still too early!

Xiao Changqi slapped his forehead: "Hey, it's because you're so precocious that I always forget you're a twelve-year-old girl."

He first called over the waiter and ordered all the restaurant's signature dishes, then personally poured tea for Shen Yan before slowly speaking.

"His name is Rong Jing. He was sent as a hostage by the Great Yan to our Great Yong. He entered the capital at the age of eight, so it has been many years since then."

Shen Jingque nearly choked on her tea: "A hostage?"

Xiao Changqi glanced at her sideways: "Otherwise what?"

Shen Jingque put down her teacup, rested her hands on the edge of the table, and looked completely puzzled.

"I thought the hostages lived in the most remote courtyards in the palace, where it was drafty in winter and rainy in summer, and they ate cold food every day. Even the palace maids who passed by would kick them a couple of times."

Xiao Changqi stared at her for a moment, his face full of unspeakable displeasure: "Stop looking at those messy sketchbooks."

He poured himself another cup of tea and continued, "The Great Yong Kingdom is powerful. Although there have been some frictions on the border in recent years, it has generally maintained relations according to the alliance. The Great Yan sending a hostage is a set of rules left over from the peace negotiations between the two countries."

Shen Jingque asked thoughtfully, "So he's doing well in the capital?"

Xiao Changqi chuckled: "Not bad at all."

He picked up the candied dates on the table and rubbed them between his fingertips.

"He was granted a residence outside the palace, and was escorted when he came and went. He was still rewarded by the palace during festivals. Apart from not being able to leave the capital at will, his food, clothing and other necessities were more extravagant than those of many noble sons in the capital."

Shen Jingque blinked: "So, all those people who were surrounding him just now were there to curry favor?"

Xiao Changqi popped a candied date into his mouth and mumbled, "Half of it is to curry favor with him, and the other half is to do business with him."

Shen Jingque immediately perked up: "He's also in business?"

Xiao Changqi snapped his fan shut and tapped it on the edge of the table.

"That's what makes this young master Rong so remarkable."

"He was young when he first arrived, and the palace bestowed upon him many gifts. But he could only live off his wealth; it was not a long-term solution."

"Later, he took advantage of the Great Yan merchant caravan's route into the capital to trade in leather goods, jade, and spices. He also partnered with several shops in the capital, and over the years, he made a fortune."

Shen Jingque listened attentively: "Isn't the imperial court afraid that he'll use his business to expand and secretly cause trouble? Is no one keeping an eye on him?"

Xiao Changqi rested the fan ribs on his shoulder and tilted his head to look at her.

"Your mind works fast."

"Of course we keep an eye on him, but he always pays his taxes in full every year, and he never hesitates to donate money for disaster relief. Several princes in the palace often go through his connections if they want to acquire any rare items."

Shen Yan placed the peeled shrimp into Shen Jingque's bowl: "Young Master Rong is meticulous in his actions and has a good reputation in the capital."

Xiao Changqi nodded: "Moreover, this man is very generous and never haggles over money. Which of the young masters in the capital wouldn't want to be sworn brothers with this God of Wealth?"

Shen Jingque picked up a shrimp, her eyes becoming even stranger: "Trying to treat a hostage like a god of wealth? That's a bit of a reversal of the natural order."

Xiao Changqi scoffed, "You think it's all like in the plays, where you have to hide in a corner, grit your teeth, and wait ten years to come back for revenge?"

Shen Jingque remained silent, focusing on eating the shrimp.

She really thought so.

I thought this kind of character was either a sinister villain whose mind was twisted after years of humiliation, or a vengeful chess player who was patiently lying in wait for an opportunity to strike.

But when they met at the top of the stairs just now, Rong Jing didn't have a gloomy aura about him. Instead, he looked like a wealthy idler who had come to the capital to enjoy the scenery.

Shen Jingque held the bowl, racking her brain for a long time over the original plot of the book.

Rong Jing.

She must have seen this name before.

The waiter knocked on the door and entered, followed by several maids who filed in and laid out a table full of steaming dishes.

The honey-roasted pigeon was glistening with oil, the mutton hot pot was bubbling, and the sweet aroma of osmanthus-flavored lotus root wafted up, pulling half of Shen Jingque's thoughts away from the aroma.

Xiao Changqi picked up a pigeon leg and put it in her bowl.

"What are you thinking about? Your eyes are practically popping out of the pot."

Shen Jingque snapped out of her reverie: "I was wondering if someone like Young Master Rong would ever return to Great Yan in the future."

Xiao Changqi used serving chopsticks to put a slice of candied lotus root on her plate: "Logically speaking, as long as the alliance between the two countries is not voided, he should stay in the capital."

"However, there's no such thing as an ironclad alliance in this world; who can say for sure?"

As Shen Jingque chewed on the pigeon leg, the jumbled threads in her mind suddenly connected.

It was him.

Later in the original book, a year before Xiao Jingchen seized the throne, there was internal strife in the Great Yan court, and a member of the royal family who had been a hostage in the Dayong Kingdom for many years quietly returned to the country.

He broke through three passes, executed powerful ministers, killed his brothers, and finally ascended the throne as emperor.

The book describes this person only briefly, saying that his name is Rong Jing, that he is unpredictable and his methods are hard to fathom.

At the time, she was completely focused on cursing Xiao Jingchen as the worst of scumbags and didn't take this minor character seriously at all.

Shen Jingque slowly put the pigeon leg back into the bowl.

The future new emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty was just greeting her at the bottom of the stairs.

This world is too small.

When Xiao Changqi saw that she had stopped eating, he waved his hand in front of her eyes.

"What's wrong? Not to your liking?"

Shen Jingque immediately picked up the pigeon leg again and took a big bite.

"Perfect match, very perfect match."

Xiao Changqi asked suspiciously, "Then why did you look so absent-minded just now?"

As Shen Jingque chewed on the meat, she mumbled a sigh, "I just feel that the capital city is truly a place where hidden talents abound."