After leaving the hunting forest, Jin Qiu went to the capital to get some more information. He took care of the most important problem, so what he need to do now is to know the reason why he came to this world and living in this body, and also, if there will be a way to go back to his own world.
But where should he start?
To begin with, can he even talk about something like that to people here? What will happen if the people started to think that he's crazy?
He looked around for a moment and saw a small restaurant. It seems like not much people going there, so perhaps, he could take his time to get some information while enjoying the food or some liquor. The idea of tasting liquor that may have different taste from his world excites him.
He walked through the entrance and looked around for a moment, He see no guest beside him inside.
'Perfect.' He thought before he walked to one of the table and taking a seat there. He took off his hood when someone approached him.
"Welcome." The girl placed the menu on the table. "What would you like to order?"
Jin Qiu took the menu and reading it for a moment. Thankfully, he could read everything just fine. Perhaps it's because the body he's using is someone from this world.
"Horny Toad?" The name caught Jin Qiu's interest. He smiled and looked at the girl standing beside his table. Paused for a moment since he found that the girl doesn't look like the typical servant of a restaurant. She wears a blue dress and her hair tied in a twin tail, using the ribbon of the same color with her clothes. She gives off an unfriendly feeling.
"Do you want to order Horny Toad?" Asked the girl when she noticed that Jin Qiu stared at her.
"Ah, forgive me. I wasn't paying attention before." Jin Qiu replied before he pointed to the menu. "I will have some honey chicken and Horny Toad. Is that drink quite popular here?"
"Well..not much people ordering it because how expensive and how strong the liquor is."
Strong liquor. Back in his world, he has never been able to get drunk no matter how strong the wine that he drink, so he's wondering if Horny Toad would be able to get him drunk.
Jin Qiu nodded his head to the girl; he took out a small bag of gold coins from his sleeve and placed it on the table. Good thing he brought some from his room before he left before. "This money should be enough, right? Bring me a lot of this Horny Toad, I feel like I need to drink a lot today."
The girl just stared at Jin Qiu without saying anything.
Her eyes carefully watching Jin Qiu from top to toe. The man wears simple clothing, but that simple clothing is made of the best silk. His skin was so flawless despite being man, means that the man came from nobility. That's where the problem comes.
There are no nobles who will come to this restaurant except those who have some hidden order, and that is assassination. But of course, anyone who want to order that kind of thing would have already know about what they need to order, and Horny Toad is not that kind of order.
She has her doubt, but it's not like she can do anything about it.
"Then please wait a moment. I will prepare your order in a moment." Said the girl.
She then walked away, bringing the menu with her and leaving Jin Qiu to enjoy the view of the street through the opened window.
The girl walked to the kitchen and was about to give the order when a tall blonde man approached her. He took the order from her hand and stared at it for a moment before he smiled.
"Honey chicken and Horny Toad?" He asked with one of his eyebrow raised. "Did the beautiful man really come here to eat and drink?"
"Do you think he come for something else?" Asked the girl.
"Who knows.." The man shrugged his shoulder and holds the order to the other man in the kitchen. "What do you think, Changming? Surely, you know about the beautiful man, right?"
Xiao Changming walked to the door of the kitchen and peeking for a bit. He looked at the only guest that's waiting the food and drink to be served on his table. "That man is the First Concubine, Jin Qiu." The man commented. He has a very cold expression but one would say that he's quite a beauty. He leaned to the wall with his arms crossed. "He's quite famous, you know. The talented commander of the strong Jin Troop who has fallen in love with the Emperor and entered the palace to become the concubine, but as soon as he entered the palace, the Emperor abandoned him."
"Hoo…what an interesting story. He doesn't look like someone whose heart is broken though." The blonde commented. "He looked so free and strong at the same time. Could it be that the rumors were actually false? Maybe he entered the palace as concubine to do something?"
"I don't think so. I know someone who worked in the palace and that person said Jin Qiu suffered so much. Not only the Emperor ignored him, but the servants and anyone who worked in the palace looked down on him and mistreat him."
Now the three people inside the kitchen turned silent. They looked at the man that is said to be the poor concubine who seek for love but got abandoned instead.
The twin tailed scoffed. "I never like that Emperor to begin with." She commented with a frown on her face. "If it's me, then I would definitely kill him with my own two hands."
The two men looked to each other and let out a sigh.
Xiao Changming moved from the wall. "I will prepare the chicken, why don't you go take the liquor? No matter what kind of background he has, we need to serve him properly since he's a guest."
Without saying anything, the girl walked away from the kitchen. And the blonde who is also the owner of the place, once he saw his subordinates doing their works, chooses to go out and greet the infamous concubine. He didn't have any plan; he just thinks that it would be such a waste to let such a beautiful person all alone like that. He always likes something beautiful after all.
"Should I accompany you, young master? You have a really lonely gaze that made me unable to leave you alone."
Jin Qiu looked at the man who just talked to him out of nowhere.
Though the man is wearing hanfu, he has a long blonde hair and soft green eyes, a face as handsome as Ren Zhengsheng.
"Are you perhaps coming from the west?" Jin Qiu guessed.
The man startled at the question and turned silent for a moment before he smiled and taking the empty seat in front Jin Qiu. "How did you know that I come from the west?"
"Isn't it easy? You have a blond hair and those ashen green eyes. Have you seen anyone here with hair and eyes like you? Everyone either have a black hair or brown hair. White is considered as rare, but it's still something that exists in this land. A blond hair? Obviously you are someone who comes from the west."
The man grinned. He was surprised, but also feeling excited. The people here always praise him as some kind of god or something like that because of his appearance, so it's quite refreshing to have someone who sees him normally.
"Yes, I came from the west. My name is Meng Chen now, but back in my place, my name is Severin Fevre." The man introduced himself happily. "What's your name? I think it must be a very beautiful name since you're so beautiful."
"Jin Qiu."
The man blinked for a moment before he started to laugh. "You…" He wipes the tears that coming out as he laughing. "You just said that your name is Jin Qiu? Don't you know that Jin Qiu is the concubine who got abandoned by the Emperor? Don't you feel afraid that people will treat you badly if they know that you're Jin Qiu?"
Hearing that, Jin Qiu now have a slight frown on his face, but it was only for a split second, after that, a soft smile formed on his face.
"It seem like..you've already know about me even before I told you about it, so why bother asking me to introduce myself?"
"If I do that, you will only think of me as some kind of bad person."
"Of course. No one in this world approached another person just out of kindness. It's good to know that you're not as reckless as you looked like, Sir." Jin Qiu moved his gaze away from the blonde and watched the street again.
Watching Jin Qiu doing that, Meng Chen also looked at the street, to him, it's still the same like always. It's filled with people and surely, there are some small crime like pickpocketing there.
"You've entered the palace for a month now, but what everyone heard from outside the palace is how you have been suffering there." Meng Chen started. "Don't you want to leave that place now? You have the family that will definitely give you their support. You are the-"
"Talented commander?" Jin Qiu asked before the man could finish his words. "That's what everyone have been saying after all."
Mysterious, but the more Jin Qiu being mysterious, the more Meng Chen will want to get close to the man. But before he could do that, the girl came with the chickens and drinks that Jin Qiu ordered.
Meng Chen stood up from his seat. "To be honest, I want to know more about you, Master Jin, but I shouldn't disturb someone who's about to enjoy his food and drinks. So I hope we can meet again next time." He said before walking away with the girl who brought the food and drinks.
In silence, Jin Qiu watched the blonde man who just walked away while teasing the girl. He doesn't remember a man like that appear in the novel, but again maybe...he has been thinking too much or he might be forgetting about something.
He shrugged his shoulder and started with the liquor.
He brought the liquor closer to his nose and looked quite satisfied with the sweet scent. He knew that the drinks wouldn't taste that bad, so he started drinking and eating the food.
Without realizing, one hour has been passed.
Jin Qiu slightly felt light headed, but he's not feeling drunk.
He raised his hand, was about to order for more when a hand grabbed his.
"You are the First Concubine of this Empire. Getting drunk inside the palace is one thing, but to get drunk outside the palace- I can't believe that His Majesty told me to watch someone like you."
Jin Qiu doesn't know who is the man who has such a displeasing personality, but he swatted his hand away. He summoned his sword and slashing it towards the man. To his surprise, the sword got blocked by another sword and no matter what kind of movement he tried, he still can't land any hit to the man. And thanks to their fights, several tables and chairs have been destroyed.
"Have you lost your mind?!" The man scolded.
And during the intense fight between the two, another man whose hair is as red as the fire entered the restaurant and started to chuckle. "As expected of Commander Jin."
Jin Qiu paused. He looked at the newly arrived man and put his sword back into the sheath.
After he take a closer look to the two, he fel like he recognize them. They're the character of the novel. The first man who has a long black hair tied to a ponytail and black ribbon around his forehead must be the Emperor's most loyal subordinate, Pan Zhiqiang. And the red haired one surely the Emperor's cousin, as well as the navy commander, Luo Hai.
"Why did you two come here?"
"Sober now?" Pan Zhiqiang asked with annoyed expression. "I don't know why, but His Majesty sends us here to protect you and take you back to the palace. So why don't you come back to the palace now?"
Jin Qiu let out a sigh and taking a seat again. He took an empty cup and poured himself some water.
The liquor from before was strong, but it's not enough to make him drunk. No liquor can make him drunk. "I can go back alone, so you two should go back first, no need to bother with me."
"Are you perhaps not listening to what I said before? We are here under the order of His Majesty to protect you and taking you back to the palace. Can you please stop causing problem for us?"
"Protect me? Stop saying it with such nice pretense when all you ordered for is to watch my movement. There's no need for the Emperor to do something like that, since it won't really change anything. I no longer have any need for his love."
Pan Zhiqiang looked angry at what Jin Qiu said, but Luo Hai looked quite amused. How can he not feeling amused? The man who loves the Emperor so much is now saying that he doesn't need the Emperor's love.
"You're coming back with us." Pan Zhiqiang said again. He was about to grab Jin Qiu's hand when several swords appeared around Jin Qiu. He knew that it's Jin Qiu sword qi, the strongest qi after the Emperor. "Are you planning to fight again?"
"Why not? I'm confident that I will be able to win."
"Don't be too confident. I've seen just how weak you are in this one month. I can't even believe that people called you as the great commander while you're nothing but a concubine who-"
Luo Hai raised his hand in front Pan Zhiqiang before the man could say anything more. "That's enough. We came here under the order of His Majesty to escort His Highness the First Concubine, not to have a fight with him." He told the other man before looking at Jin Qiu. "And even though it's true that you no longer have any feelings for His Majesty, you are still the First Concubine. It wouldn't be good if you're seen in a place like this."
Jin Qiu looked at Luo Hai.
The red haired man looked like a playboy but unexpectedly, he says some clever words. In a way, it's not bad. Now he knows which person he should take to his side within the palace.
"Fine, I will go back since Luo Hai sounds very convincing, unlike someone who think he have a higher position than me and tried to order me around. Power will go with time. You need to remember that."
Jin Qiu finished his glass of water and stood up from his seat. He wants to thanks the cook since the chickens is delicious, but since the two warlords are watching him, he will postpone it for later. Not only that, he couldn't see the servant girl or the blonde man from before, so he just placed some more gold coins on the table to pay for the broken tables and chairs before walking out together with Pan Zhiqiang and Luo Hai.
After Jin Qiu left with the two men who just came, Meng Cheng came out from the kitchen and looked at the three through the window. An abandoned concubine that's being watched by the Emperor's most trusted aide. It seems like there are some more interesting things that happened in the palace and he is very curious about it. He doesn't even care that his restaurant was almost destroyed before.
"Changming."
The man who has always been inside the kitchen peeked through the opened curtain.
"Sneak into the palace and get in contact with the concubine." Meng Cheng ordered. "Tell him that if he wants to leave the palace or to take down the Emperor, then there are some people who are willing to give him the support. And make sure that no one sees you when you talk with him."
"Why bother with someone like him?"
Meng Cheng turned around and grinned. "Don't you find him quite fascinating? People said that he's in love with the Emperor but you heard it too before, he no longer love that man. Then what would he feel if it's not love? It must be hate. We should make use of this opportunity."
"Are you crazy, Master? The palace is tightly guarded, if you send Changming there, you only send him to his grave. It's not worth with the task you're giving him to do."
Meng Cheng looked at the girl and let out a sigh. This girl is strong, but her mind is too naïve. Sometimes it made him worried about her future.
"If he managed to come back safely, then you will need to clean the entire place in the morning and evening." Meng Cheng said to the girl. "Of course, I'm confident that I will win. Changming is better than you think and he has been with me for a really long time. So just trust him."
The girl wants to protest, but since Meng Cheng told her to trust, she has no other choice but to do that.
❖
As soon as he reached the palace, Jin Qiu went back to his room, completely ignored the two man that have been following him until the front of his door. Well…the servants shocked face was interesting though.
All those servants were the people who looked down on Jin Qiu and whispering behind his back, thinking that Jin Qiu is even lower than servants because the Emperor ignored him. But before, they clearly surprised because Pan Zhiqiang and Luo Hai are escorting him to his room. He's quite satisfied because Ren Zhengsheng indeed keeping his promise, though it feels weird for some reason.
Jin Qiu took off the hairpin and let his hair down before he throws himself on the bed.
He ate and he drinks, and now he's feeling sleepy.
He planned to get some information from the restaurant, but he got forced to go back before he could learn anything. He will need to think of some other way to get information, and maybe he should try to look for people who know about soul or something like that.
Jin Qiu closed his eyes. He should just get some sleep. Who knows? Maybe he will go back to his own world once he fall asleep?
"You have too much opening. What if someone choose to attack you while you're sleeping like that? I doubt the Emperor will weep for you."
Jin Qiu opened his eyes again and looked to the window.
There stood a man he never knew about and he don't think the man fit in any character description inside the novel. Is the man someone who have some kind of relationship with Jin Qiu? He let out a sigh and sat on the bed. He brushed his hair back.
He really have no time to rest.
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