Chapter 92 - 91: Divination

Chapter 92: Chapter 91: Divination

Beyond the palace gates, the Imperial City continued far into the distance, its streets illuminated by rows of lanterns hanging beneath shop eaves and along the upper floors of buildings.

The main avenue was wide enough for several carriages to pass side by side, though pedestrians filled much of the space between them.

Buildings of different sizes stood closely together along the road, from modest shops with wooden signboards to multi-storied with carved balconies and tiled roofs.

Farther away, the silhouettes of larger pavilions rose above the rooftops, their lights still visible against the darkening sky.

Merchants called to passing customers.

Restaurant workers carried trays between tables.

From time to time, the occasional carriage rolled past with its wheels rattling over the stone paving.

The smell of freshly prepared food drifted from the roadside stalls, mixing with the faint fragrance of incense from a nearby shop.

At an intersection farther ahead, a small crowd had gathered around a street performer, while several children hurried past their parents.

Zhao Linger looked around with interest as she followed her sister into the crowd.

She found herself turning toward every new thing that caught her attention.

Zhao Xinya, continued at a comfortable pace, occasionally glancing back to make sure her younger sister was keeping up.

They began with a shop selling hair ornaments and accessories. Zhao Xinya had intended only to browse, but Zhao Linger soon drew her attention to a pair of silver hairpins displayed beneath a glass cover.

One was shaped like a plum blossom, while the other had a small jade bead hanging from its end.

"Which one looks better?" Zhao Linger asked, holding the two designs up for comparison.

"The plum blossom suits you."

"You answered too quickly. Did you even look at the other one?"

"I did. The plum blossom suits you."

Zhao Linger considered arguing, but after another glance at the hairpins, she reluctantly admitted that her sister might be right.

She purchased the plum blossom hairpin, then spent several moments negotiating with the shopkeeper over a small embroidered pouch.

The shopkeeper almost cried to how cheap this princess can be and in the end, he lost the battle of saliva, and had to give in.

In the end, the shopkeeper had to watch the two princesses left in triumph with a defeated heart.

Zhao Linger glanced over her shoulder at him before turning toward her sister.

"I think he likes us."

Zhao Xinya looked at her incredulously. "You negotiated the price of that pouch until he nearly gave it to you for free."

"He could have refused."

"He looked as though he wanted to, but the way you smiled made him felt rather troubled."

"In the end, men will always be like that... "

She twirled, her hands behind her back as her eyes glistened under the lantern’s lights, "Charmed by my beauty... "

"Yeahhhh... "

"Sure... "

Zhao Xinya shook her head, unable to argue with whatever logic her sister was using. Behind them, Chen Rui maintained his usual position, his expression stiff as ever, but the faint movement from the corner of his mouth suggested something else.

Their next stop was a considerably more elegant establishment, it stood on the corner of a wider street with polished wooden doors and ornate lanterns.

Over the sighboard, the shop’s name was displayed there. The display windows on the side had these crafted jewelry, jade ornaments, and beautiful accessories.

Zhao Xinya seemed more interested in this shop than the previous one. First, she examine the jewelry, asking about the quality, and about the artisans that crafted them.

On the other side, Zhao Linger wandered between the ddisplayes until she found a delicate silver bracelet decorated with tiny flowers.

She tried it on, and held out her wrist in front of her sister, "How does it look one me?"

Zhao Xinya glanced over from observing another jewelry, "It’s pretty..."

"That’s it?"

"I mean, very pretty."

Zhao Linger immediately turned toward the shopkeeper, which was a man in his fifties, "Sir, do you have a mirror that I take a look from?"

The shopkeeper hurriedly produced one, and she spent the next several moments admiring the bracelet from multiple angles.

Zhao Xinya watched with amusement, and when Zhao Linger began comparing with the hairpain she purchased just now, Zhao Xinya couldn’t help but rolled her eyes.

In the end, Zhao Linger bought it, though not before asking whether the shop offered a discount for purchasing multiple items.

When the shopkeeper politely explained that the prices were already fixed, she gave the bracelet one last wistful look before paying.

Their next stop was a food stall at the corner of the street, where the smell of grilled meat had attracted an already huge crowd.

They orere a few skewers and some freshly steamed buns, eating as much as they could as they continued their walk.

Zhao Linger was pleased with tonight’s outing, though she complained they had ordered too few just now when the last one disappeared from her hand.

By the time they finished eating, the narrow commercial streets had opened into a spacious plaza with paved smooth stones.

Lanterns hung from tall wooden poles around its perimeters, some even floated directly over the sky.

The lights illuminated numerous performers and vendors who had gathered there for the night.

A man stood atop a wooden platform, demonstrating his skill with a pair of long blades, while a short distance away, a group of musicians played lively tunes out of their zithers.

The crowd was lively, the clapping sound came from time to time where on one corner, several childdren chased one after another between the stalls.

Laughter...

Applause...

It was a beautiful night.

Zhao Linger slowed almost immediately, "let’s look around here,"

Already turning toward a group of performers who had begun arranging a new act.

Zhao Xinya followed her gaze before nodding, "As long as you don’t wander off."

"Why is everyone always treating me like a child... "

"You are always a baby to me, my baby little sister... "

Zhao Xinya grinned, and patted Zhao Linger’s head.

She pouted and continued walking ahead. Soon, her attention was caught by a nearby performance before she could think of a suitable reply.

She hurried toward the crowd, leaving behind the rest to follow witha resigned shake of their head.

Zhao Lianyu and Chen Rui remained close behind, always vigilant while keeping sight of the two princesses at all time.

They had only walked a short distance when a voice called out from the side of the path, "Young ladies, would you care to have your fortunes read?"

The voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly through the surrounding noise to catch Zhao Linger’s attention.

There, beside a row of stalls, an old woman sat behind a low wooden table covered witha faded indigo cloth. Unlike the nearby vendors, who had decorated their stalls with bright fabrics and colourful goods.

She had little to attract the eye.

All she had was a small oil lamp beside her, a stack of worn cards, and several smooth, dark stones arranged in a shallow wooden bowl.

The woman was thin, and a bit hunched with deeply wrinkled skin. Her narrow face was framed by wipes of silver hair where most of it had gathered into a loose knot that was secured with a wooden pin.

She wore a faded brown robe, patched at the elbows, and her long, bony fingers rested on the edge of the table, their joints swollen.

A pair of cloudy eyes rested from her drooping eyelids, and from one glance alone, she looked rather ordinary.

She did not call out again. Instead, she watched the approaching group with a patient expression. Zhao Xinya glanced at the table, then at the old woman.

"Divination?" she asked.

The old woman gave a small nod.

"Cards can reveal the shape of one’s fate, while the lines of a palm may offer a glimpse of the road ahead. Of course, not everyone believes in such things."

Zhao Linger leaned forward slightly, her curiosity already piqued by the unusual collection on the table.

"Can you really tell someone’s fortune?"

The old woman smiled, revealing a few remaining teeth.

"That depends on what you mean by tell, young lady. The future is not always a straight road, and even the clearest signs can be difficult to understand. Still, if you are willing to sit for a while, this old woman can tell you what she sees."

Zhao Linger looked at her sister, her eyes bright with interest.

Zhao Xinya, meanwhile, regarded the table with a hint of skepticism. "And how much do you charge?"

The old woman lifted one wrinkled hand and rubbed her thumb against her forefinger.

"Whatever you believe the reading is worth."

Zhao Xinya raised an eyebrow at the answer, while Zhao Linger’s smile widened.

Zhao Linger was the first to respond.

She pulled a small stool closer to the table and sat down, resting her hands on her knees as she examined the cards spread across the faded indigo cloth.

"All right, how does this work? Do I pick a card, or do you read my palm?"

The old woman gave a faint smile. "We shall begin with your elder sister. The older one should go first."

Zhao Linger turned toward Zhao Xinya, looking rather pleased. "See? Even the fortune-teller knows you should take care of your elder sister."

"That is certainly one interpretation."

"Then come on, Sister. Let her read your fortune first."

Zhao Xinya sighed and sat opposite the old woman, extending her hand across the table.

The old woman accepted her palm with both hands and examined it beneath the light of the oil lamp.

After a moment, she selected three cards and placed them face down in a row.

"Turn them over, Your Highness."

Zhao Xinya glanced at her.