Occasionally, martial artists from the Heavenly Patrol Bureau and government official constables would patrol back and forth.

Those who could afford it naturally rode in carriages, after all, the distance from the Prefecture City to Yan Mountain Dragon Gate Crossing was quite considerable.

However, Chen Yuan didn't really need it. He held Zhang Wanshu's hand, his feet seemingly lifted by a gust of wind, floating as if walking on air, moving with great speed.

In no time, they reached their destination.

The nightlife of this era's common people was still very dull; otherwise, they wouldn't have so many children. It's simply because of boredom, so when a lantern festival was held in Lin'an, those restless people intentionally came to enjoy it.

By the time Chen Yuan arrived, thousands of people had already gathered here, a sea of heads as far as the eye could see, filling up the open spaces around the Dragon Gate Crossing.

Vendors were shouting and selling, storytellers were tapping their tables, recounting the mythological stories of the Dragon Gate Crossing. Jugglers performed with over a dozen steel forks atop their heads, moving with tiger-like vigor, blending perfectly with the flowing crowd.

What a scene of human worldly life!

With Zhang Wanshu in tow, Chen Yuan strolled around for a bit more. Suddenly, he froze in place, and through the distance of a hundred meters, he spotted a graceful young noble in the crowd.

The person held a folding fan, with a face as fair as jade and eyebrows like swords, exuding an extraordinary demeanor.

And that was not the most important thing; the most important thing was that Chen Yuan recognized the person's true identity.

The reigning Princess, Sima Ke's elder sister, Pingyang!

She was merely dressed as a man, not altering her Qi. For Chen Yuan, recognizing her was astoundingly easy.

Zhang Wanshu, whose eyes were roaming around, sensed Chen Yuan's hesitation, stopping subconsciously, looked at him curiously and asked:

"What's wrong?"

"The person ahead is the Princess."

Chen Yuan stated.

Zhang Wanshu was momentarily stunned; this statement was like a bolt from the blue for her. She instinctively grabbed Chen Yuan's sleeve, her heart tightening slightly. For some reason, she felt caught in the act.

"No need to panic."

Chen Yuan patted Zhang Wanshu's hand comfortingly.

Across the way, Princess Pingyang seemed to have also 'discovered' Chen Yuan and, with a few attendants, walked directly over, stopping about three feet away and politely greeting:

"Young Master Chen, quite the elegance you have, even taking the time to bring a beauty to a lantern festival."

As she spoke, her gaze lingered on Zhang Wanshu.

Chen Yuan frowned and retorted:

"Young Master Pingyang's elegance is no less."

"What Young Master Chen says is true. The young lady is from the Zhang family, is she not?" Princess Pingyang questioned while scanning Zhang Wanshu with her gaze.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

Zhang Wanshu bowed slightly.

"Today is a good day. They say this year's fish leaping over the Dragon Gate is the grandest in a decade. I didn't want to miss it, and I unexpectedly ran into Young Master Chen. What a coincidence."

Princess Pingyang smiled lightly.

"It is quite the coincidence."

Chen Yuan lowered his gaze, not believing the word.

But the reason?

Could Princess Pingyang really have come for him?

It had clearly been explained before; he... had no interest in marrying into the royal family.

Given Princess Pingyang's aloof personality, such a demeanor seemed unlikely, leaving Chen Yuan somewhat perplexed.

"Why not watch the moon with me, Young Master Chen? Nightfall is approaching, and tonight the moon should be very full," Princess Pingyang invited.

Zhang Wanshu tightened her grip slightly, tugging at Chen Yuan's sleeve.

Chen Yuan looked up and glanced around; indeed, it was a good night, with no clouds in sight. However, joining Princess Pingyang was out of the question. She was a clever woman, and he didn't want to be detected acting strangely, so he declined:

"Wanshu feels a bit self-conscious before Your Highness, so let's forget it. Another day, when there's time, I will watch the moon with Your Highness."

"So be it." Princess Pingyang pondered for a moment, then nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Please continue your walk, Your Highness. I have some matters to attend to, so I won't be accompanying you further."

"Very well."

Princess Pingyang unfolded her fan, fanning herself gently, her gaze cold.

Chen Yuan nodded and, wasting no more time, took Zhang Wanshu and passed by Princess Pingyang, gradually creating a distance and walking away.

"Your Highness."

A guard disguised as a man hesitated slightly.

"Let's go to the Dragon Gate Crossing. It's been years since I've seen the scene of fish leaping over the Dragon Gate," Princess Pingyang said calmly.

Once further away, Zhang Wanshu subconsciously turned back, couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, her palms already sweaty.

There were only rumors between Chen Yuan and Princess Pingyang, with no substantial relationship, but she felt a bit panicked, unexplainably flustered, as if someone had seen through her.

As night gradually fell, lanterns were hung along the Nine Rivers riverbank, and the moonlight began to shine in the dark, like a great white jade disk.

Chen Yuan took Zhang Wanshu to a spot that wasn't too prime and quietly watched the rolling river below, his mind at peace.

"Look, everyone, it's coming, it's coming...."

Suddenly, someone exclaimed, causing onlookers to shift their gaze.

From the other nine rivers, various fishes began climbing up from the rolling river into the main river Jiang He, known as the Dragon Gate Crossing, shimmering under the moonlight.

It was a magnificent spectacle, tens of thousands of fish, especially carp, continued leaping.

As if trying to break their own limits, gazing into the sky.

The moonlight was incredibly bright, illuminating the Nine Rivers with a brilliant glow.

In the deep sediment, a dragon-shaped skeletal structure also began radiating light at the riverbed, releasing strands of Dragon Qi, and involuntarily, started rising.

Chen Yuan noticed the time was about right, reminding Zhang Wanshu:

"I'm going to take care of something, won't be back for a bit, don't worry."

Zhang Wanshu looked up at him, straightened his collar, and smiled:

"Go, be quick but come back soon."

Chen Yuan smiled, surveying the people around, and seeing no one paying attention, he slowly edged to the back of the crowd, then disappeared into the void.

————

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