The lunch was simple. The princess took off her veil, revealing a slightly serious but dignified and elegant face. The scholarly atmosphere was a bit different from that of the oriental Yingzhou, which made Zhang Quan's heart beat faster and faster.
She gently picked up the teacup and sipped the tea, while the maid beside her presented her with small and exquisite food like flowing water.
Lunch was held in the small courtyard where Princess Ning Xiaolan rested, and the cooks were all Princess Ning Xiaolan's personal maids.
Ning Xiaolan's every move was so perfect, elegant, decent, generous, natural and smooth, without the slightest affectation. This was an elegant posture that Zhang Quan had never seen before, an elegance that came from the soul.
Compared with Ning Xiaolan, Zhang Quan felt that the women he met in the east of Yingzhou were always a bit "wild". The elegance of oriental women was more like stiff body postures.
But Zhang Quan also knew that it was not appropriate to look at a girl directly, so he just observed her with his peripheral vision during meals, and he could not taste the food.
Zhang Yuan and Xiang Bowen did not speak. Since the woman in front of them was a princess, she should not be a demon or an evil person, so the identity issue could be put aside for now.
What's more, this princess actually came from Ningguo on the western coast of Yingzhou, which was somewhat consistent with the direction of everyone.
After a while, lunch was finally over, and the maid next to her brought over a silver, fist-sized cup filled with clear spring water that exuded a fresh fragrance.
Zhang Quan was a little absent-minded. He took the cup and drank it in one gulp.
The maid next to her was stunned...
Ning Fangfang, the number one maid, was horrified and stammered: "Mr. Zhang, you..."
Princess Ning Xiaolan waved her hand and drank the water in the cup. The maids beside her turned pale.
Zhang Quan was no fool. Seeing this strange scene, he immediately became embarrassed. "This...did I do something wrong..."
"Don't take it seriously, sir. It's just a little joke." Princess Ning Xiaolan smiled slightly, and another maid came up with a smaller golden basin about seven inches in size.
Princess Ning Xiaolan washed her hands in a golden basin first, and a maid beside her carefully dried them with a towel. Although she had magic, Ning Xiaolan did not use any magic at all.
This time, Zhang Quan learned his lesson and watched Ning Xiaolan demonstrate before taking action. But even so, Zhang Quan could still see from the eyes of the maids around him a kind of contempt of the superiors for the barbarians. And, a faint anger!
Zhang Quan admitted his mistake generously, "Thank you for your hospitality. Please forgive me if there is anything inappropriate."
"It's okay." Ning Xiaolan smiled, giving people warmth, tolerance and trust. "In fact, it's all red tape, some self-decoration that is not very useful, just making people laugh. Mr. Zhang..."
"Princess, please call me Zhang Quan. Calling me sir makes me sound too old."
Ning Xiaolan smiled but said nothing. "Well, I'll call you Master Zhang. Master Zhang said before that you are going to travel to the west this time? How about letting Xiaolan be Master Zhang's guide?"
"Princess, no!" The maid Ning Fangfang next to her became nervous.
Zhang Quan was a little confused when he saw this. Although it was a little inappropriate for the princess to lead the way, there was no need to make such a fuss, right? But despite his confusion, Zhang Quan could only decline. "How dare I trouble the princess. We..."