The next day, Xiao Yue sent someone disguised as a coachman to take Qin Zhao and his family into the city.
The capital city had extremely strict checks on the people coming in and out, and there were imperial guards guarding the city gates, creating a solemn atmosphere.
Early in the morning, people had already lined up in a long queue at the city gate, waiting to be inspected before entering the city.
The carriage moved forward slowly, and Jing Li seemed to be sitting still, occasionally lifting the curtain to look out. Qin Zhao watched him for a while, and when he tried to hold back from lifting the curtain again, he said slowly: "Don't look, are you afraid that others won't notice you?"
“…” Jing Li withdrew his hand in disappointment.
Qin Zhao said: "We are going to Beijing to take the exam. They will not make things difficult for the candidates and their families."
"That's what I'm worried about." Jing Li looked away and asked in a low voice, "Are you sure I can't recognize you?"
This is the capital city, where Qin Zhao grew up. How could he be recognized by others
Qin Zhao asked back: "If the current emperor changed into civilian clothes and stood in front of you now, would you recognize him?"
Jing Li shook his head.
"That's right."
Facts proved that Jing Li's worries were indeed unnecessary.
After checking Qin Zhao's identity documents, the guard at the city gate asked him a few more questions about why he came to Beijing, how he came to Beijing, and what the people around him were like to him. Qin Zhao answered all the questions and was allowed to pass.
The whole process went smoothly without any problems.
It’s that simple. So what if Qin Zhao was once the regent? How many of these ordinary people have seen his true face
You know, during the years when he was in power, he often disguised himself secretly and went to the gambling houses to have fun.
Never been recognized.
There were many people entering the city in the morning, so Qin Zhao and his friends set out early. When they arrived at the mansion prepared for them by Gu Changzhou, it was almost noon.
No one lived in that house, only a few servants were left to look after it.
"You are Mr. Qin, right? I've been waiting for you for a long time." The clerk took the initiative to explain, "I received a letter from Mr. Gu half a month ago, asking me to wait for you here, but how come I'm so late?"
Qin Zhao replied: "It rained last night in the mountains and the roads were slippery, so I rested outside the city for the night."
The clerk nodded without thinking, "Yes, it rains a lot in Beijing this season, so you should remember to bring an umbrella with you when you go out."
As he said this, he led Qin Zhao and his party into the house.
This mansion is very different from the place where Qin Zhao lived in Jiangling. It is considered the most ordinary type of residence in the capital, and its geographical location is also excellent.
This was naturally Qin Zhao’s main request.
As a scholar preparing for an imperial examination, if he lived in a place that was too nice, he would be suspected. In fact, sending him to the capital in the name of the master of the Gu family and lending him a place to live was already a bit high-profile.
“… Go east and there is a market two streets away. Mr. Qin can go there if he wants to buy daily necessities. Go north and you will reach the inner city. However, there is a curfew in the city. Mr. Qin, don’t go too far and make sure to go home before dark.” The waiter introduced the situation in the capital to him.
Qin Zhao grew up in the capital and was very familiar with the place. He only asked one more question when he mentioned the curfew: "Has the security in the city become stricter recently?"
The capital is the capital of our dynasty, and the night market is extremely prosperous. There is absolutely no reason to go home after dark.
"You know, the emperor is ill, and the city has been heavily guarded for the past two months, causing panic among the people. Didn't you see more guards at the city gate when you entered the city?"
The waiter looked around and lowered his voice: "He hasn't been to court for several months. Who would believe him if he said he had a cold?"
Making irresponsible comments about the imperial court was originally a serious crime, but as the law holds everyone responsible, such rumors have always been banned.
Qin Zhao became interested and asked, "If it's not a cold, what else could it be?"
"There are all kinds of rumors," the waiter said. "Some say the emperor has a strange disease, some say he was murdered, and some even say it's the work of evil spirits!"
Qin Zhao frowned, and instinctively felt that it was strange: "Evil ghost?"
"Of course it's the regent." The waiter said seriously, "Who knew that the regent had killed countless people and was so cruel. The emperor ordered him to be executed, and didn't even leave a tablet for him. No one dared to let him enter the ancestral temple. People say that he has become an evil ghost and is back to seek revenge on the emperor!"
Qin Zhao: “…”
Jing Li: “…”
Qin Zhao rubbed his eyebrows helplessly.
He knew that he shouldn't believe the rumors.
But he never expected that after so many years, the people of the capital still regarded him as a scourge.
The clerk didn't pay much attention to his reaction and continued, "Master Gu left a carriage for you to travel in, which is parked in the backyard. I have cleaned the house and bought the necessary things. I live nearby, so please let me know if I have any instructions."
Qin Zhao said: "Okay, thank you very much."
After the waiter introduced the situation inside and outside the mansion to them, he did not stay any longer. Qin Zhao escorted the man out the door and watched him leave, but he did not take his eyes off him for a long time.
Jing Li and Ah Qi were working together to unload the luggage from the car.
He is still not used to treating Ah Qi as a servant. In his heart, Ah Qi is more like a helper rather than a slave.
Ah Qi carried a batch of luggage into the yard first. Jing Li looked up and saw Qin Zhao still standing there. He turned his head and looked in the direction Qin Zhao was looking.
The capital city is worthy of being the capital of the dynasty; its prosperity and wealth are beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
They were not in the core urban area now. All they could see were towering roofs and white walls. In the distance, a tall and majestic attic could be vaguely seen.
"That's the Zhaixing Tower." Qin Zhao said, "It's the highest place in the entire imperial city. Every time there's a victory or some major happy event, His Majesty will hold a banquet in the Zhaixing Tower."
Before Qin Zhao regained his memory, that tall building had appeared in his dreams countless times.
He didn't understand what that meant at the time, but now thinking about it, that was probably what power originally looked like in his mind.
The tower is a hundred feet high, and you can pick the stars with your hands.
"Zhaixing Tower..." Jing Li muttered, "It's not that high, and you dare to name it Zhaixing. The view of the stars from the top of the mountain near Linxi Village is much better than there, and there are not so many houses to spoil the fun."
The little fish cub imitated them and looked up: "Stars... Fish cub wants to look at the stars too!"
The little guy couldn't keep his balance when he tilted his head back and almost fell on his butt. Qin Zhao picked him up in time.
He smiled and said, "You are right. There are many places with better scenery than that place."
Jing Li hummed and changed the subject: "Are you hungry? It may be too late to cook now. I'll go out and buy something to eat. I just saw several restaurants on the road."
"Speaking of which..."
Qin Zhao thought thoughtfully: "There seems to be a restaurant nearby that I like."
"Really?" Jing Li's eyes lit up. "Where is it?"
After lighting a stick of incense, the family came to a noodle shop.
This noodle shop is located at the entrance of a small alley. It has been around for a while. It looks small and shabby from the outside, but its business is quite good. It is lunchtime, the shop is noisy and bustling, and two waiters are busy in the lobby.
"Is this the one you like?" Jing Li was a little surprised.
Qin Zhao seldom showed any unique preference for food, so when he mentioned "like" just now, Jing Li thought it would be a very unique restaurant.
I didn't expect it to be so... ordinary.
"Yes, I've been eating this noodle soup since I was a child." Qin Zhao took Jing Li's hand and walked in.
They found a secluded spot, and soon one of the waiters came to serve tea: "What would you like to eat, gentlemen?"
"Three bowls of mutton noodle soup and four pancakes. Less oil, less spicy and more chopped green onions." Qin Zhao placed the order skillfully.
"Okay." The waiter poured them three cups of tea and said with a smile, "Sir, you seem to be a regular customer?"
"I haven't been here for a while." Qin Zhao asked, "Are you a relative of Boss Zhao?"
"He's my father." The waiter explained, "My father's legs and feet are not well, so he went home to recuperate. In the past few years, my brother and I have been looking after the store. Dear passerby, rest assured, the taste has definitely not changed!"
He had other guests to attend to, so he said this and left with the teapot.
After a while, three bowls of hot mutton noodle soup were served.
The soup base was made from sheep bones, and the clear soup had a little oil floating on it, making it fragrant and rich. Perhaps because Qin Zhao had shown that he was a regular customer, the amount of soup noodles was significantly increased for them.
The weather is a little cool today, and drinking a bowl of hot mutton soup like this can warm you up from head to toe.
But as for the taste…
Perhaps it was because of the high expectations, this noodle soup was not really a delicacy, but rather a bit ordinary. Jing Li looked up at Qin Zhao, who frowned slightly after tasting the soup.
"His father's cooking skills are still better." Qin Zhao said regretfully.
Jingli blinked.
He knew that there must be a lot more delicious food in the capital, and Qin Zhao chose to bring him here first because this place contained his memories.
Qin Zhao was sharing his past with Jing Li.
But I didn’t expect that even such a small roadside noodle shop could not escape the changes of time.
Jing Li felt a little sentimental at the moment.
Only the little fish was there, holding the small wooden bowl that Qin Zhao had specially asked for him, and using a spoon to scoop out the noodles that Ah Qi had helped him crush in the bowl, taking one mouthful after another seriously, his cheeks puffed up.
Qin Zhao and Jing Li stayed in the capital.
The next half month seemed to have returned to the time when Qin Zhao was preparing for the exam in Jiangling Prefecture. He read books every day and took Jingli and Yuzi out for a walk when the weather was good.
It was so quiet that Jing Li found it somewhat difficult to adapt.
It seemed... somewhat different from what he had imagined
"What do you think it is? A conspiracy, a bloody storm?" After hearing Jing Li's thoughts, Qin Zhao said helplessly, "It's better to be safe and sound."
"Of course not..." Jing Li said, "But we live here, and it seems that there is no progress?"
Even if the days were peaceful, Jing Li still felt uneasy. If the matter was not resolved, Qin Zhao would be exposed every day. He really couldn't be as calm as he was.
This emotion is indeed somewhat contradictory.
He hoped that life could continue to be stable and that Qin Zhao would not encounter any trouble or danger. He also hoped that things would become clear soon so that they could be resolved as soon as possible.
Jing Li was so troubled that he couldn't sit still. He decided to stop thinking about it and took the little fish out to buy some.
After October, the weather in the capital became very cold. Qin Zhaosheng fell ill at this critical moment, so he simply reduced the number of times he went out.
But Jingli couldn't sit still.
He was a person who tended to have wild thoughts when he was idle, so he took the initiative to take on most of the housework, including going out to buy groceries.
After half a month, Jing Li had already known the area thoroughly.
The father and son bought what they needed at the market, went to the street corner to buy some cakes, and then walked back with a candied haws in their hands.
The clothes they both wore were made of the same material. On the back of each of their bright red jackets were embroidered two lifelike carps, one big and one small. They looked as if they had been carved from the same mold, which was particularly adorable.
Jing Li was walking towards home with Xiao Yuzai. Before he got close, he saw a figure sneaking into the alley next to his front door.
Jing Li frowned and subconsciously pulled the little fish.
That alleyway... clearly led to his backyard, and it was a dead end.