Chapter 39 Li Yuanzhao's Cousin
Pei Huaijin had just arrived when he was surrounded by a group of young masters from prominent families.
These people had tried to stay far away from Pei Huaijin when he got into trouble.
Now that Pei Huaijin has been promoted and become the head of the Pei family, everyone is eager to curry favor with him, their faces plastered with fawning smiles as they surround him, asking after his well-being.
Pei Huaijin was originally a gentle and kind person, always speaking softly and kindly to everyone. Now, seeing these people who were arrogant at first but obsequious later, he felt extremely ironic.
While he wouldn't give everyone a cold shoulder and embarrass them, he couldn't really warm things up either, and simply nodded in response.
Just then, Li Yuanyou walked over with Cui Jiulang.
Upon seeing Pei Huaijin, Cui Jiulang jokingly said with a smile, "Brother Pei, you're really riding high these days. Don't forget about us old friends!"
Pei Huaijin simply nodded slightly, his tone indifferent, "Greetings to the Second Prince, and greetings to Master Cui."
Cui Jiulang obtained the official position of the eighth-rank official in charge of receiving foreign envoys through hereditary privilege.
Although this position is low-ranking, it is very easy to get promoted.
With the Cui family behind him, even though his official position was not high, he had quite a few people currying favor with him.
He greeted Pei Huaijin so warmly and proactively, but unexpectedly received such a cold attitude in return.
His smile instantly froze, and he felt somewhat displeased.
Li Yuanyou's gaze toward Pei Huaijin carried a hint of scrutiny and displeasure.
He had already encountered Pei Huaijin twice during this period in the palace of the imperial sister.
Isn't this guy surnamed Pei always favored by his third sister?
How come she's now being eyed by her own elder sister?
He usually appears elegant, refined, and untouched by worldly affairs, but unexpectedly, he is a person who is adept at navigating social situations.
"Lord Pei is now a favorite of the Emperor." His words carried a hint of sarcasm.
Pei Huaijin sensed the hostility in his tone, but still remained respectful: "Your Highness flatters me. How could I, a mere subject, dare to call myself a VIP?"
Seeing this, Cui Jiulang chimed in sarcastically, "Your Highness, you're mistaken. Lord Pei's career is thriving; he's far more than just a favorite of the Emperor."
Li Yuanyou snorted coldly and said nothing more, but his gaze swept over Pei Huaijin with obvious dislike.
Seeing the Second Prince's cold attitude towards Pei Huaijin, the young noblemen around him wisely kept quiet, and the lively atmosphere instantly became somewhat awkward.
Pei Huaijin, however, seemed completely unconcerned, maintaining his indifferent demeanor.
At this moment, another voice came, "Cui Jiulang, you can't even pass the imperial examination, how dare you talk about Young Master Pei here?"
Everyone turned to look and saw the Third Princess, Li Yuanshu, standing behind them, glaring at them menacingly.
Cui Jiulang's heart skipped a beat. Although he was Li Yuanshu's nominal cousin, the two had grown up together since childhood.
But he also knew that his cousin was willful and spoiled, just as domineering as Li Yuanzhao.
Moreover, she is currently deeply in love with Pei Huaijin, so how could she easily let him off the hook after he had targeted him like that?
He immediately put on a fawning smile, cupped his hands and said, "Yes, yes, I am naturally no match for Young Master Pei's extensive knowledge and exceptional talent. I was just being nosy."
Li Yuanshu then let him go, her gaze falling on Pei Huaijin. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her tone softened: "Young Master Pei, you've returned from Hedong? Did your trip go smoothly?"
In fact, Pei Huaijin had been back for more than half a month, but she had been in the deep palace and had no chance to see him at all.
Pei Huaijin responded politely to her as always: "I just returned to the capital not long ago, everything is fine, thank you for your concern, Princess."
Cui Jiulang, who had a clear view from the side, chuckled and said, "Your Highness is really biased. Your cousin has been in Zhao County for over a month and has only just returned. Why don't you care about me?"
Li Yuanshu felt a little embarrassed by what was said and gave Cui Jiulang a slight glare.
Li Yuanyou, watching from the side, became even more annoyed. Was Pei Huaijin really that popular?
He said to Li Yuanshu in a curt tone, "What are you doing here? What are you doing here?"
Didn't you feel embarrassed enough last time?
The blush on Li Yuanshu's face faded instantly, and her tone turned cold. "Your mother wants to see you. She says she has something important to tell you."
Li Yuanyou frowned. "What is it? The hunt is about to begin. Can't we talk about it later?"
He was waiting for his elder sister to come, wanting to go with her.
Li Yuanshu rolled her eyes at him. "How would I know?"
Li Yuanyou was even more dissatisfied, "Is this how you treat your elder brother?"
Li Yuanshu retorted, sticking her neck out: "It's better than you bowing and scraping to the Empress all day long!"
Since being caught and taught a lesson by Li Yuanzhao last time, she has learned her lesson and no longer dares to call Li Yuanzhao by his name in front of outsiders.
"You!" Li Yuanyou was speechless with anger.
Just then, a man dressed in a purple brocade robe and carrying a gold-plated thousand-ox knife rode up on horseback.
The man had an unruly air about him, and his whole body exuded a ruthless aura honed from years of military service, making him completely different from the pampered young masters of noble families on the field.
The man reined in his horse and stopped it in front of the crowd. His gaze swept over the arguing Li Yuanyou and his sister, and he laughed and called out, "Oh, you two are bickering again?"
These words were clearly disrespectful, but the people present were not surprised.
This person was Shen Guojiu's only son, Shen Churong.
Shen Guojiu was the late Empress's younger brother, so Shen Churong was also Li Yuanzhao's nominal cousin.
As a member of the imperial family, he was also a lieutenant general in the Imperial Guard, and thus had considerable prestige. Therefore, everyone called him "General Shen the Young Master".
When Li Yuanyou saw him, his brows furrowed even deeper, his tone full of sarcasm: "Shen Churong, didn't you embarrass yourself enough last year? You still dare to come hunting this year."
Most of the people present knew that although Shen Churong was the eldest princess's cousin, they had always been at odds.
The reason is simple: he could never beat the Princess in archery every year, which led to his brothers in the Imperial Guard always teasing him, saying that he was "not even as good as a woman."
Last year, during a hunt, he was so eager for quick success that he broke his leg trying to snatch a white wolf, almost becoming a laughingstock in the capital.
Shen Churong dismounted, brushed the dust off his saddle, and said, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. This year at the hunting grounds, I will show you who the real champion is."
Upon seeing this, Cui Jiulang quickly stepped forward and chuckled, "Young General Shen, what a spirit you have! You're sure to win first place this year."
He secretly thought to himself, “It’s strange that Shen Churong is always being crushed by the Princess every year, yet he still insists on competing again.”
At this moment, Li Yuanshu sincerely said, "You must beat her, good luck!"
Li Yuanyou rolled his eyes at his younger sister and sneered, "Shen Churong, you still dare to talk big."
Shen Churong raised an eyebrow: "Am I talking nonsense? If I hadn't accidentally broken my leg last year, how could I have lost?"
“It’s clearly your own skill that’s inferior!” Li Yuanyou refused to back down.
Seeing that the two were about to start arguing again, Cui Jiulang quickly changed the subject, "General Shen, what are you going to gamble on this year?"
Every year before the hunt, Shen Churong would make a grand statement. In recent years, some people have started betting with him on who would win, him or the Princess.
As a result, he has never won over the years.
This time, Cui Jiulang took the initiative to suggest it, and Shen Churong replied without hesitation, "Ten jugs of Jiannan Shaochun."
Everyone was shocked and placed their bets immediately upon hearing this.
This Jiannan Shaochun tea is a famous product; a single pot is worth a fortune, and ten pots are even rarer.
In previous years, Shen Churong only gambled on gold, silver and jade items, but this year's large-scale bet shows that he is very confident in himself.
In no time, everyone in the room took out their stakes and placed bets, creating a very lively scene.
But no one bet on him to win; everyone placed their bets on Princess Li Yuanzhao without hesitation.
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