327 Island Tour
The harmonious scene was painful to watch for a secret onlooker.
She couldn’t help but imagine that she was in a romantic relationship with Jiang Danhe.
“Are we going to take the carriage after we get off the ship, or are we going to walk to the resort?”
Jiang Danhe held Xiaoguo’s hand as they got off the boat. Although the ground was stable, he was worried about her falling.
!!
“No carriages. We will just walk.”
After Jiang Danhe helped her down, he led her beside him and they walked in close proximity to Shao Zhan. It was not a good idea to have the women folks follow closely behind the emperor. But Jiang Danhe was worried about Xiaoguo being too independent. If she tripped and fell behind the entourage, no one would notice it. It was better for her to walk with him.
“Where is the entrance to the summer resort?”
Xiaoguo asked curiously in a low voice. They had been walking for a while. Along the way, the trees were well-manicured and the roads were clean. If she didn’t know beforehand that the place was a small island, she would have thought that they were in a big park.
“This island is called a summer resort. It doesn’t come with a gate, so getting off the ship is equivalent to entering the place.”
Xiaoguo gasped and said in a low voice, “Then we won’t be sleeping outdoors, will we?”
“What are you thinking about?” Jiang Danhe pinched her cheek in amusement. “There’s a place for us to stay. We’ll be there soon.”
Xiaoguo nodded. As long as they weren’t camping, she was relieved!
“This place is bigger than I imagined, but also smaller than what I thought.” Jiang Danhe said something that sounded confusing. Then, he smiled and looked at her. “I’ll show you around later.”
“Okay.”
Xiaoguo nodded and didn’t say anything else. After all, she was walking by Shao Zhan’s side and was surrounded by ministers. This was already considered an anomaly. Moreover, Jiang Danhe didn’t care about what others were thinking and was holding on to her hand. The two of them were already being very conspicuous and Shao Zhan was turning a blind eye to their behavior. The two of them must try their best to keep a low profile.
Sure enough, they did not have to walk far before an antique-looking house appeared in front of them. It was decorated with blue and vermilion tiles. The carved beams and brightly painted doors were now right in front of them.
Together with Xiaoguo, everyone who was here for the first time couldn’t help but gasp. It was an amazing sight.
The size of the building was very spectacular, and it was surrounded by the natural beauty of nature. Just standing there made one feel refreshed.
There were already people waiting for their arrival. When they saw Shao Zhan and the group, they knelt down and paid their respects. Then, the people in charge began to assign the rooms. Based on the minister’s posts, the rooms were assigned accordingly around the periphery of the Dragon Hall.
Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe were led into a room slightly to the right of the Dragon Hall. Before entering, Xiaoguo took a look at Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoyi’s room. It wasn’t far away, but it was situated on the left side of the main hall. There was no need to say anything about the luxurious hall in the middle. That must be Shao Zhan’s room.
“This place is really not bad!”
As Xiaoguo spoke, she took out a shawl from her bag.
She didn’t feel it when she got off the ship, but now that she had reached the center of the resort, she suddenly felt a little cold. As expected of a summer resort, the temperatures here were completely different from the mainland.
“Do you need a break?”
Jiang Danhe took the shawl and put it on her. As he helped her tidy up her outfit, he asked.
“No need. Didn’t you promise to bring me around? Let’s go.”
Xiaoguo couldn’t wait to go out and take a look. It was so cool. To think that the summer resort was the name of an entire island.
In order to avoid the heat, they had developed an unnamed island into a summer sanctuary. How extravagant.
“Let’s go then.” With that, Jiang Danhe led Xiaoguo out. When they passed by the door, he informed the guards on duty before leaving.
“By the way, don’t you have to accompany the emperor?”
When Xiaoguo saw the guards, she remembered that Jiang Danhe was an official. It didn’t seem appropriate that he was walking around the island instead of accompanying the emperor.
“Don’t worry. My service is only required while traveling. Once we reach the destination, I am free to move around.”
Xiaoguo nodded in relief. “That’s good. Shall we bring Zhuang Zhuang along?”
“There’s no need to bring him. Maybe next time. Xiaoyi won’t let him go either.”
When Jiang Danhe said that, Xiaoguo nodded in understanding. This was not an exaggeration. Xiaoyi was indeed very clingy towards Zhuang Zhuang. She had seen them during the journey and Zhuang Zhuang could not even find time to look for her.
The two of them chose a main road and started their island tour.
Along the way, the roads were clean and even. The trees and grass patches looked like they had been carefully manicured. It was completely different from what Xiaoguo had imagined. She thought that the island would be overgrown with weeds and infested with pests.
“This place is so clean. Has anyone cleaned it before we came?”
“The group of people we met when we came in were the palace servants stationed here. They are in charge of maintaining the safety and cleanliness of the island. They are not allowed to leave the island for the rest of their lives.”
After hearing his explanation, Xiaoguo felt a little conflicted. Being made to stay forever on this island, these people were isolated from the world. To live in such a beautiful place where they did not have to worry about their daily meals, she wondered if it was a good thing.
Jiang Danhe glanced at her and said, “These people are actually family members of convicted officials. The current emperor has a compassionate heart and abides by the principle of not executing the families of criminal officials. Therefore, their families were all sent here. Every day, they have to sweep the grounds, clean the rooms, prune the trees, and clear weeds. This is a punishment and also a favor bestowed by the emperor.”
When Xiaoguo heard his explanation, she was instantly enlightened. Although these people were not allowed to leave the island and had to live under surveillance, it was definitely better than execution, exile or being sent to the borders to serve as military prostitutes.
The environment here was beautiful, the work was simple. There was also no need to worry about one’s meals. How could anyone despise the monotonous and boring life? This was already the best ending for the families of the convicted.
They should be feeling grateful instead of blaming the heavens.
After walking for a while, Jiang Danhe stopped and pointed to the uphill area. “Are you curious about why I told you that the island is neither big nor small?”
“I’m curious!”
Xiaoguo nodded frantically. She was dying of curiosity.
“Hold my hand.”
Xiaoguo held his hand tightly and gave him a look that said, “I’m ready!”
Jiang Danhe smiled and suddenly started running with her in tow.
Xiaoguo cried out in fear and followed his footsteps excitedly. They held each other’s hands tightly and picked up speed. Their laughter rang through the clouds. The further they ran, the narrower the path became. Because of Jiang Danhe, Xiaoguo ran very steadily. A joy that she had never felt before radiated from her heart. The more she ran, the more energetic she became.
Jiang Danhe occasionally turned around to look at her. After confirming that there was no problem, he accelerated for the last time and headed straight for the peak.
Xiaoguo came to a stop abruptly. Her breathing was erratic and her heart was beating so fast that she felt like it was about to jump out of her chest. She panted and said, “What are we doing here?”
Jiang Danhe was feeling fine. His breathing was just a little unsteady. “Look down.”
...
Xiaoguo listened to him and looked down. Immediately, a bird’s-eye view of the island appeared in front of her.
“Wow…”
Jiang Danhe laughed at her exclamation. “How is it? Is the island big or small?”
Xiaoguo stopped exclaiming and looked at the island seriously. It was indeed neither big nor small. “It’s medium-sized.”
It was just right.
“Hahahahahaha…” Jiang Danhe suddenly laughed out loud.
Xiaoguo nudged him shyly. “What are you laughing at?”
Wiping away his tears of laughter, Jiang Danhe stretched out his arm and pointed out the route the two of them had just taken.
Earlier on, the two of them were chatting continuously as they walked. They had not expected to travel across a third of the island.
“That’s where we got off the ship. That’s where we are staying. We came from this side just now. When we have time, we can go there and take a look. I heard that there’s a beautiful flower field. And over that side…”
As Xiaoguo listened to Jiang Danhe speak, she stole a glance at him. This guy had actually prepared a dating guide. It seemed that her legs would become slimmer in the next few days.
...
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