In fact, at this moment, everyone on the street had their eyes on him.
Moreover, besides those obvious onlookers, there were many more people watching him in secret.
But all these gazes were sly glances.
The gaze he felt was direct.
Few people would actually look at him.
This feeling was indescribable; looking around revealed nothing.
Perhaps, he had become overly suspicious lately.
Lu Yunqi withdrew his gaze.
Jiang, the hundred-man commander, was still listening intently, but after only a few words, Lu Yunqi fell silent, urging his horse forward instead.
The noble's dealings were complicated, and with the wedding approaching, he had more on his mind.
He didn't ask any further, simply following behind Lu Yunqi.
The morning light was bright, the street bustling once again as if in the blink of an eye people had sprung from the ground, crowding together, chatting and laughing about the recent excitement and commotion.
Miss Jun was leaning against the wall, silently watching the lively scene for a good while before she snapped back to reality and stepped out.
Her mind was in a bit of turmoil; she wanted to think but restrained herself from doing so, leaving her expression somewhat vacant.
She moved through the crowd until someone stood in front of her, blocking her path.
"Miss Jun?" a male voice said.
Miss Jun looked up to see the young man standing before her.
"Noble Son Ning," she said.
Seeing the familiar face that she lifted and hearing the familiar voice, Ning Yunzhao only felt his vision blur.
It was really her!
He wasn't dreaming, was he? Ning Yunzhao wondered.
............….
Ning Yunzhao had barely slept last night, repeatedly reading the letters from Yangcheng, thinking about many things, yet also thinking about nothing at all, not even knowing why he couldn't sleep.
It was like when he was a child and heard that the family had arranged to go out for a hike and play in the water the next day, too excited to sleep, eagerly awaiting the next day, imagining what to play and where.
Of course, this was entirely different from that.
Perhaps it was because the story was too fascinating.
He had read many books and encountered some odd tales, but he had never seen anything like Miss Jun's story, and the protagonist of the story was an acquaintance of his own.
Of course, "acquaintance" might not be the right term.
But at the very least, he could say they knew each other.
Events occurring to oneself or to those one knows always provoke more excitement than those concerning others.
Since he couldn't sleep anyway, he simply called his companions to get up early for breakfast, not expecting to witness the Jinyiwei arresting the Duke of Chengguo's heir at the teahouse.
Of course, he didn't care about such spectacles.
The Jinyiwei couldn't really do anything to the Duke of Chengguo's heir, at most intimidating him.
Before a suitable, reliable general could take over Duke of Chengguo's military duties, the emperor wouldn't provoke the Duke.
After all, it hadn't been that long since the capital had been at risk of being breached.
Naturally, the emperor was deeply worried about the Duke of Chengguo consolidating power and gaining prestige in the northern lands for many years.
Especially since the officials from the northern lands had been obeying and even currying favor with the Duke of Chengguo, like when the Duke wished for stricter curfews, not only did Hebei Road comply, but Shanxi and Henan Roads also joined in the fervor.
Therefore, more and more memorials denouncing the Duke were submitted, serving as warnings and threats.
However, now was not the time for an open falling out, as everything must prioritize the well-being of the nation's people.
As expected, shortly after the standoff, the emperor sent people to mediate the situation.
"If you ask me, they should never have indulged him like this in the first place. Since when does a General take his wife and children with him to his post?"
"Home and country together, it's inevitable that arrogance follows."
"They must keep the Duke of Chengguo's heir in the capital this time."
"Since the Duke of Chengguo has sent his heir back, he must have intended this."
"At least he still upholds the Confucian values of loyalty to the kingdom and filial piety."
The Jinyiwei and government soldiers dispersed, and the street became bustling again, with the companions' discussions rising in tandem. Ning Yunzhao sipped his tea while looking out.
"That's why the Grand Ancestor advocated civil governance over military, keeping a tight rein on military generals because he knew once a general gains too much power, they become difficult to control," he mentioned casually. "And who knew this better than the Grand Ancestor?"
The Grand Ancestor himself had been a military general when he seized power.
His companions coughed awkwardly.
"Such talk is not permissible," one quickly said.
If this were to get out, wouldn't it imply that the Duke of Chengguo harbored rebellious thoughts?
Ning Yunzhao chuckled.
"That's not what I meant," he said. "I was just saying..."
He was interrupted mid-sentence as he suddenly stood up, abandoning his tea on the table and turning his astonished gaze toward the street outside the window.
"How did she get here?" he exclaimed.
His companions, who had been waiting for him to continue, were perplexed.
"Who's here?" they asked.
By then, Ning Yunzhao had already disappeared; the door was ajar, and the sound of footsteps echoed down the stairway, fading away.
................
Ning Yunzhao stared at the girl before him, and the memories he thought were becoming blurry instantly sharpened into clarity.
The face was still the same face, the expression was still that expression.
The sunlight draped over her, casting a gauzy veil, making her seem both real and surreal.
People bustled around them, talking, laughing, and the sounds of carts and horses made their way through the noise.
This couldn't be a dream.
But with a thousand miles between Yangcheng and the capital, how had she appeared so suddenly?
"This is such a coincidence," Miss Jun said.
Yes, it really was quite the coincidence.
Ning Yunzhao smiled again, wanting to say something but feeling as if nothing was quite right to say.
This was too sudden; he hadn't even had time to think of what to say.
"Yes, quite the coincidence," he said. "You, why are you here?"
As he asked the question, voices emerged from behind him.
"And who might this be?"
Ning Yunzhao was taken aback, turning to see that at some point his companions had followed and were standing behind him, curiously sizing up Miss Jun.
He felt slightly embarrassed, then laughed at himself for feeling so.
What was there to be embarrassed about? Wasn't this woman worth introducing to others?
"She's my fellow towns-person," he stated plainly.
His companions looked on with bemused expressions, glancing between him and her.
"A fellow towns-person, eh?" they said, drawing out the words.
Ning Yunzhao frowned slightly, then turned to Miss Jun.
Miss Jun had already offered a slight smile, courteously curtsying to the group of young men.
"My surname is Jun; I am from Yangcheng," she said.
She was gracefully composed, her demeanor serene, her smile sincere, showing not the slightest discomfort or sense of offense at being scrutinized and questioned in such a manner.
Everything she did was just as he had seen when they first met; she had never changed, she was still herself, not the fiancée known from others' rumors and descriptions, but the Miss Jun he had encountered by chance at the Lantern Festival.
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