Lin Jian scowled all the way till their next destination, however, it didn"t dampen the spirit of the other three. They knew that he would only throw a tantrum for a little while. Who told him to talk a bunch of nonsense before?

They saw a lake from afar and Yao Ying knew that this was the place that Xiao Fang had talked about before. It was called Yue Ya Quan, which meaning was Crescent Lake. It could be considered as a natural wonder of the Han Kingdom. Just as its name implied, the lake appeared like a crescent moon and with its crystal clear water, resembled a turquoise or pearl inlaid in the vast desert. Some said it reminded them of the eye of a beautiful woman, lucid, beautiful and amorous. Others said it looked like the mysterious, gentle and seductive lips of a pretty woman, or a slice of a lush, sweet and crystal cantaloupe.

When they saw the place, they were in awe... The golden sand hill and the blue lake cast a beautiful contrast in a harmonious existence. The scenery was beyond beautiful.

Yao Ying asked to Xiao Fang in a whisper, "Can we stay there?" He knew that such a beautiful place usually was reserved only for the royalties. How could they could get in as mere pa.s.serby?

Xiao Fang laughed. "Of course, we can."

"How?" Yao Ying asked while furrowing his eyebrows.

"I have the special pa.s.s... My father is the Left Prime Minister, remember? He made a great contribution once and he was given the special privilege to enjoy this oase for him and his family. All of you are part of my entourage, so it should be fine," Xiao Fang answered confidently.

Knowing that, Yao Ying sighed in relief. They didn"t bother to whisper, after all, it wasn"t a secret that they were going to stay there. They were admiring the view... there were thick reeds swaying gracefully in the breeze at the southern bank of the lake; as well as a group of elegant pavilions and temples dominating the skyline. All of those seemed so surreal and magical...

Xiao Fang explained to them that there were variable scenes of the lake from early sunrise to sunset; such as the soft glow of sunrise and the smooth mirror image at dusk. It was during the latter time that the lake reflected the rosy clouds and golden dunes of the surrounding. In the evening, blue neon light encircled the lake resembling the moon on the ground.

They really wanted to stay there and enjoyed the view to their heart content.

Yao Ling asked Xiao Fang, "Have you heard any news from your father? About what"s happening in the capital?"

Xiao Fang shook her head. "Father would only give me news when something isn"t right there... So, I don"t think that something major happens at the moment. However, the news about Han Xiang"s death will soon reach the capital..."

Yao Ling nodded in understanding. Then, she asked hesitantly to the others, "Can we stay a few days here?" She looked at the place longingly. They wouldn"t be able to find such breathtaking view back at Shu Kingdom and she wanted to explore this place to her heart content.

Yao Ying quickly nodded. "Of course... Don"t you remember that we should treat this trip as a honeymoon trip too?"

Yao Ling nodded happily.

Lin Jian and Xiao Fang relented, besides, they weren"t really in a hurry. Without the chaos from Han Xiang"s death, Xiao Fang"s arrival would be too conspicuous. They didn"t forget how the Han Emperor wanted to use Xiao Fang as a scapegoat by helping Han Xiang run away. They wanted to use the chaos to blend in and go inside the Han Capital.

When they looked at Yao Ying and Yao Ling"s romantic gesture, they knew that they would be fed with dog food the whole time they stayed at the Crescent Lake ah~! They felt a bit jealous, but happy for them at the same time.

They clearly loved each other...

"Come... I"ll bring you in..." Xiao Fang said. She really wanted to rest and take a bath. A few days in the desert made her whole body feel itchy, and the same thing happened to Yao Ling as well. They couldn"t find any place to take a bath in the desert ah~!

There were two guards standing guard and when they saw Xiao Fang"s pa.s.s, they politely let her in. From the Left Prime Minister"s family, the one who loved to come and stay at the Crescent Lake the most was Xiao Fang, so they didn"t feel surprised by her sudden appearance.

There was a small house that was built especially for the Left Prime Minister"s family and everything had been prepared carefully by the servants there. They could directly check themselves in and Xiao Fang was the one who a.s.signed them to their rooms. The house was big enough for all of them. They decided to rest for a little while before heading out together in the evening later.

Yao Ying sighed in relief... Because they stayed there for a few days, he had more times to prepare for the surprise. He would need Xiao Fang"s help once again because this place wasn"t a place where they could come and go easily. He was afraid that he accidentally went inside to other royalties" place, besides, he didn"t really know the custom in Han Kingdom.

When they were going to go out in the evening, Lin Jian asked, "Will we meet another royalty here?" He hoped that wouldn"t happen, after all, it would be too troublesome.

Xiao Fang answered, "People rarely come here unless they want to recuperate or there"s a big event. But well... I will let Han Yi check it out, just in case someone is here before us." Xiao Fang gave Han Yi a signal and the latter quickly went out to find information.

"Are there some places that we aren"t allowed to go?" Yao Ling asked curiously. She kept looking around happily. The building here was made just like the Shu Kingdom"s, however, it was mixed with the Han Kingdom"s characteristic. Thus, it became unique in her eyes.

Xiao Fang nodded. "Yes, there are several houses that are exclusively for the Han Emperor, Empress, Empress Dowager, the princes, and the princess. There are always people guarding there, so you will know the different atmosphere right away. Our place are considered the outer part of the lodging. I will show you later."

"What are we going to do now?" Yao Ling asked excitedly. Her eyes shone with happiness. It seemed like she really liked this place, because it was the first time Yao Ying saw how carefree she was. It seemed like he had chosen a good place to confess --- it would be ingrained in their memories forever...

"We will eat dinner at a pavilion in the middle of the lake..." Xiao Fang explained. "You will love the night view..."

Yao Ling nodded excitedly. "I know I will..." Her reaction made the people around her laugh, making Yao Ling feel embarra.s.sed.

Han Er already knew the head servant here and she already made the necessary arrangement for their dinner. They were brought to "Moon Pavilion" and luxurious foods had been prepared beforehand. They only needed to sit down, enjoy the scenery, and eat. From the "Moon Pavilion", they could see the whole Crescent Lake"s view, including the houses that surrounded it. Just like what Xiao Fang had described, blue neon light encircled the lake resembling the moon on the ground. Their eyes shone when they looked at the wonderful scenery.

Xiao Fang pointed at the opposite side where they stayed and told them, "That"s the forbidden place. No one is allowed to step foot in there, unless they are granted permission by the Emperor, the Empress, or the Empress Dowager... Even the princes and princesses also need to ask for permission to stay there... If they are too lazy to do that, they will stay at the houses around that place because they are also rarely allowed to step in there."

They all looked at the heavily guarded area in curiosity.