Chapter 9 Chapter 9 I Understand Men
Waves of rain and cloudy skies weave across the sky, making people feel inexplicably depressed.
Liang Hanzhang sat in front of the window early in the morning, holding his chin with his hand and looking at the cold and damp rain. His delicate eyebrows were furrowed, as if he was under a spell, his eyes motionless, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Qiufen stuffed the newly filled hot water bottle into her arms and couldn't help but advise: "My lady, the spring rain is cold. You have just recovered from the cold. You must not be exposed to the wind again. How about I close the window?"
Liang Hanzhang's thoughts were pulled back. He glanced blankly at the maid beside him and nodded absentmindedly.
My brother's illness becomes more serious when it rains. His hands and feet often twitch and are in unbearable pain. I don't know if he can withstand such cold weather today.
Although they had discussed it in the carriage that day, and Li Cheng had clarified that he didn't dislike her, the man remained busy all day and never set foot in the backyard.
She couldn't even get close to the prince, let alone curry his favor and gather intelligence. The lame Taoist had only told her to lurk in the prince's palace to gather intelligence, but he hadn't specified what kind of intelligence he wanted. This left her completely lost, and she spent her days in the courtyard doing nothing.
While he was thinking, he heard hurried footsteps at the door, and then he heard Dongzhi and others greeting him in an orderly manner: "Long live the Princess."
Princess Li Luohua
Liang Hanzhang was startled and quickly turned to look. She saw a handsome woman wearing a black futou and wearing a Hu costume approaching her. She was thin but not frail, and her smiling eyes were exactly like Li Cheng's.
They are indeed blood siblings.
She stood up in a panic, but her body was out of control and she almost tripped and fell to the ground. Li Luohua quickly rushed over to support her and joked, "The emperor's sister-in-law likes Luohua so much that she was so excited when she met him that she couldn't stand still."
Liang Hanzhang bowed solemnly. After Li Fu and Qiufen's advice on etiquette, the awkwardness she had shown when she first entered the Eastern Palace had long since vanished. Although the other party looked kind and humbled her by calling her "imperial sister-in-law," she couldn't take it seriously.
The title of the Crown Princess is the official title of the Crown Princess. How could she, a little Fengyi, dare to confront the eldest princess of a country?
"Mrs. Zhang pays her respects to Her Royal Highness the Princess."
"No need to be so polite," Li Luohua had already helped her up. He looked her up and down with his narrow eyes, which couldn't help but shine, and said in surprise:
"No wonder my royal brother has been pure and unselfish for many years, but he only took you into the East Palace. Looking at your elegant demeanor like a lotus in pure water, even I can't help but want to love you."
There was no way to answer this question, so Liang Hanzhang could only resort to official formalities: "I am a humble woman, fortunately, Your Highness has shown me mercy..."
"Pity, damn! I think he's attracted to you, but he just doesn't want to admit it." Princess Changping took a sip of the tea she offered, lifted her robe, crossed her legs, and said excitedly:
"You don't know the emperor's character. If he doesn't like you, no matter what kind of love poison you have, he can endure it until the chief physician comes, and he will never touch any woman."
Liang Hanzhang: “!”
He was so shocked that his whole body seemed a little stiff, and his lips trembled for a long time without knowing what to say.
The Princess of the Great Jin Dynasty, who was honored with countless honors and favors, could actually say such vulgar words. She did not have the demeanor of the noble ladies she usually saw.
This eldest princess is quite a strange person.
"When the Empress Dowager first entered the Eastern Palace, I wanted to come and visit her, but I heard that you were ill, so I couldn't disturb you. Yesterday, I went to the palace to see my mother, and I had originally planned to go to Changchun Palace for a meal, but Brother Yu was ill, so it was difficult to get away. I had to postpone it until today."
"Thank you for your concern, Princess." Liang Hanzhang was about to stand up and thank her again, but Princess Changping stopped him. "I heard you're only seventeen this year, and I'm only a year older than you. There's no need to go through all this formality."
"I wonder how the prince is doing?" Liang Hanzhang didn't know the real purpose of the princess's visit, and he didn't dare to leave the audience in a cold place, so he quickly continued the topic.
"Nothing, just a slight cold. His father is at home taking care of him, so I'm happy to have some free time." She grabbed the Hu pancake on the table and chewed it carefully. Her words were a little unclear because of the food in her mouth:
"I came here today to invite you out for a stroll. I've already asked my brother, the Emperor, for permission. What does the Empress Dowager think?"
Liang Hanzhang really couldn't bear the title of emperor's sister-in-law, and hesitantly suggested: "If the princess doesn't mind, just call me Zhang Niang, which is more polite."
"Zhang Niang is a good name," she said with a bright look in her eyes and a smile on her face: "Then I will call you Zhang Niang from now on, it will seem more intimate."
"Exactly." She looked out at the hazy sunlight and expressed her confusion: "It's still raining now. Would it be inconvenient to go out now?"
More importantly, she was afraid that the princess would catch a cold. Her own health didn't matter, but if the princess became ill, she would be held responsible.
"Don't worry, let's go for a stroll in the carriage, it's not rainy or windy," the princess said excitedly, "I've liked Zhang Niang since the first time I saw her, I wonder if Zhang Niang would do me a favor."
A princess of a certain country married her husband and had a three-year-old child. Liang Hanzhang couldn't believe that she looked so childish and had a very good temper. Perhaps she was of noble status and used to being spoiled by her family.
She waved her hand and smiled, "How could the princess invite you? Zhang Niang is so happy that she can't contain herself, but," her voice gradually lowered, "Zhang Niang's status is low, and I am afraid that she might offend the princess."
"As long as you agree!" Li Luohua was so happy that he reached out to grab her small hand and squeezed it gently to show his affection. "I was born with a strong family background and have a thick skin. How can I be as precious as you say?"
When she was a child, the world was not at peace. She spent several years running around beside the emperor and empress, and had seen all kinds of hardships. Because of this, Princess Changping did not have the traditional noble lady's extravagant temperament.
Before my father ascended the throne, he was also a hereditary duke. However, due to Emperor Li’s tyranny, people’s lives were difficult, and the princes and nobles at that time were no different from common people.
Strictly speaking, how is her background noble compared to Zhang Niang's?
"Princess, haven't you had breakfast yet? Why don't I tell the servants to bring some food? This Hu pancake has been sitting out for so long it's gone cold, and I'm afraid it won't taste good." Seeing the princess eating with gusto, Liang Hanzhang asked.
"No need," Li Luohua took the handkerchief handed to him by the maid, wiped it, rinsed his mouth with tea, and said in dialect: "I just think this Hu Bing looks good and I can't help but want to try it."
"Oh, by the way, my royal brother also likes Hubing very much. My mother's Changchun Palace often prepares it for my royal brother," the princess raised her eyebrows and pretended to reveal the news casually.
Liang Hanzhang was completely bewildered. What did the eldest princess mean? Was she here specifically to set her up with the crown prince? Filled with doubts, Qiufen dragged her into the inner room to change clothes. She was bundled up tightly before she emerged, and the maidservant kept reminding her:
"Although it is early spring now, the spring breeze in the capital is the strongest, especially since it is raining today. If Your Majesty does not take good measures to keep warm when going out, you will definitely catch a cold."
"I know," Liang Hanzhang replied with a smile. Although Qiufen's purpose wasn't purely to be the prince's spy, her current concern was genuine, and she wouldn't reject someone who treated her well for no reason.
Li Luohua also came over and rubbed the light-colored fox fur on her collar with his hand, with a smile on his lips: "Yes, if Zhang Niang catches a cold, my royal brother will definitely not let me go."
Liang Hanzhang laughed and shook his head, wondering how she could compare to the Crown Prince's sister. It was a relief that His Highness didn't blame her; how could a rotten grass dare compete with the bright moon? As for Princess Changping's joke upon entering, he didn't take it to heart.
The carriage stopped at a shop called Taoranju. The princess put her arm around her shoulder and walked in with a familiar manner. The shopkeeper inside knew Li Luohua and hurried over to greet her respectfully.
Liang Hanzhang then realized that Taoranju was the private property of the princess and her husband, primarily used to create a variety of jewelry for the nobles of Chang'an. The princess had no shortage of money but loved to earn it, and this private property was simply a spur-of-the-moment purchase.
Li Luohua waved his hand and said, "Just take whatever Zhang Niang wants. This shop is under my name, so you don't have to worry about spending money."
Liang Hanzhang was almost half-pulled, half-dragged by the other party into the inner room. The golden hairpins in the headdress looked even more noble. The plum blossoms made of gold thread were in full bloom, and there were jewels carved with exquisite patterns, engraved with words such as "many children and good fortune", and lively birds were flapping their wings, ready to fly.
She waved her hand as if facing a formidable enemy and refused: "I'm not good at dressing up, so forget it. Such a good thing would be wasted on me..."
"Oh, you!" Princess Changping was so disappointed with her that she pointed at her head and sighed:
"I heard that the emperor hasn't been to the backyard since he took you into the Eastern Palace. Think about it, even if he has feelings for you, he won't be able to forget about it after so long. If someone new comes in, your situation will be precarious. If you don't dress up carefully to seduce the emperor, your future life will be really difficult! How can you not understand such a simple truth?"
Liang Hanzhang was momentarily stunned. This princess...did she really mean that? Her intuition told her that someone being so unreasonably kind to her must have ulterior motives.
There is an old saying: When you give someone a gift, you must have something in mind.
But, Li Luohua is a princess, what can she ask for? What can she ask for that she can achieve with her low status?
So, what exactly was she trying to do? Liang Hanzhang glanced at her discreetly, only to see the princess, wearing a futou, still enthusiastically selecting jewelry for herself, occasionally holding it up to her head to compare it. On the surface, she seemed a simple-minded person.
Well, why not just believe it for now? She'd been agonizing over how to approach and curry favor with the Crown Prince. Now with the Princess's help, her chances of success were even greater. Thinking of this, Liang Hanzhang curled her lips imperceptibly.
She had to suppress the joy in her heart. She drooped her eyelids and said dejectedly, "But... His Highness never looks at me. I'm worried that doing this will only make His Highness unhappy..."
"Silly girl," the princess rubbed her head and said gently, "Dress up beautifully and go to his study. Based on my understanding of men, he might have sex with you right there in a moment of desperation!"
Liang Hanzhang: “!!”
Did the princess know much about men? Well, she had vaguely heard some gossip. Besides her husband, the princess also kept several concubines. But even men could have three wives and four concubines, and since the princess was of such noble status, it was normal for her to have several lovers.
Liang Hanzhang couldn't express his feelings, but he felt a vague envy of the princess. Being a princess meant having no worries about food and clothing, always having people praising her, and even being able to take any man she liked as her husband.
What a magical day this is!
"You're just too honest, and my brother is a bit of a taciturn person. If you two were together, I really don't know when I'd be able to become an aunt." Li Luohua acted like an elder sister, and Liang Hanzhang couldn't tell if it was an illusion, but he could actually sense a hint of loneliness in her words.
So, what is the conflict between the Crown Prince and the Emperor and Empress? Why does even the Princess react like this?
Soon her doubts were answered.
Li Luohua took her hand and sat her on the armchair beside her, his expression solemn and painful. She said softly, "Zhang Niang, based on my many years of experience, the emperor has you in his heart."
"Today I called you out not only to pick out some jewelry, but also to tell you about my brother's past." She took a breath, her eyes fixed on a point in the distance, as if recounting those long-forgotten past events as a lobbyist.
"Not long after my royal brother was born, the world was in chaos. My father wanted to fight for the supreme throne, so he sent him to the Di Mansion to be raised. The Di family and my father have always had a good relationship, and Mr. Di is a kind, filial, gentle, loyal and good person. During the years when he raised my royal brother, Mr. Di was indeed dedicated and responsible, treating him like his own son."
Di Gong, now known as Di Guogong, was over 80 years old and had been appointed the Prince's Grand Tutor. It was said that he had a close relationship with the Crown Prince. Liang Hanzhang had heard this from someone, but he had never imagined there was such a connection.
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