Chapter 31 Second Brother, are you impotent? ...
Chu Yannuo, clutching a wine gourd, wandered aimlessly and dejectedly down the street.
Prince Duan disliked him and was holding a grudge. Although he didn't know what illness Tang Xinuan had, he knew that Tang Xinuan had been on medication ever since she entered the palace, and the imperial physician had to come and diagnose her every day.
Actually, his second brother didn't live in the palace often.
After all, the emperor was still alive, and there were many concubines in the harem. His younger brothers had all come of age and established their own offices, making it inconvenient for them to live in the palace.
There are only two reasons why I've been staying in the palace during this period.
Firstly, to erase Tang Xinuan's traces.
Give her more time to cut ties with the past.
Furthermore, it would make it easier for her to recuperate.
Upon seeing Chu Yannuo today, I was enraged and clenched my fists, ready to rush up and punch him.
"Let me teach him a lesson."
Zhou Chuanxing was more rational than him and stopped him, saying, "Forget it."
Prince Duan observed his second brother's expression; it didn't seem fake. "Are you sure you want to let this bastard go?"
Zhou Chuanxing didn't reply to him, but instructed Li Pixiu, "Find a convenient spot on the second floor."
"Okay," Li Pixiu's temples throbbed.
He had just suspected that the tall man was a guard of Prince Duan, and shoved him aside with his buttocks.
He then saw that Prince Duan was very obedient to him, and suspected that this person was the regent who rarely appeared.
A cold sweat inexplicably broke out on my back.
His smile was so stiff it was almost painful, but he forced himself to remain calm and said, "Please come in, everyone."
Zhou Chuanxing and Prince Duan, accompanied by a personal guard, went upstairs together.
Unexpectedly, he discovered that Princess Chaoli and Chu Yanqing had taken the best seats, so Zhou Chuanxing walked over and sat down next to Chaoli without hesitation.
After a slight hesitation, Prince Duan could only reluctantly sit down next to Chu Yanqing.
"Pour me some tea," he said, glancing at the girl beside him with a forced smile.
Chu Yanqing suppressed his anger, picked up the teapot, and naturally poured the tea for the Regent first before serving it to him.
Prince Duan became increasingly frustrated. "Who are you giving that attitude to!"
Chu Yanqing stood up and bowed, "This humble woman greets Prince Duan, may Prince Duan live a thousand years."
Prince Duan felt increasingly frustrated.
Chu Yanqing then bowed to Zhou Chuan.
Logically, since the Regent is the elder brother, Chu Yanqing should have bowed to him first. She was simply confused by Duan Wang's anger.
However, Zhou Chuanxing did not ask her to bow, saying, "When you're traveling, just be casual."
He was sitting in a spot where he could see Tang Xinuan, whose fair face was beaming with a happy and cheerful smile.
His mood improved considerably afterward.
Chu Yanqing didn't sit back down; she made an excuse to go to the restroom and went downstairs.
Chao Li kept his eyes downcast, his mind filled with doubt.
She had previously suspected that her second brother had a crush on Chu Yanqing, but after these two encounters, she discovered that her third brother also liked her.
Could it be that her two brothers have fallen for the same woman?
This is troublesome.
"Second brother, third brother, I need to use the restroom too."
She needed to find out exactly who Chu Yanqing liked so that she could help them get together.
Zhou Chuanxing shifted his position to make it easier for him to see the little girl.
"Ah Jin," Zhou Chuanxing took a sip of tea, "let's finalize the marriage arrangements as soon as possible."
Prince Duan was momentarily confused; he had been enjoying the commotion when the topic of marriage suddenly came up.
"Second brother, you're not even engaged yet, why should I be in such a hurry?"
Zhou Chuanxing said casually, "Brother, you have no children and I don't like children. You should get married soon and have a child soon."
Prince Duan laughed and said, "Are you kidding me? You don't like children, but that doesn't mean you can't have them. It's just a matter of a few steps. You'll have women when you're pregnant, and maids and nannies to take care of you after the baby is born. If you don't like them, then don't have them."
How could Zhou Chuanxing not like children?
But he hoped the child would be the result of his and the woman he loved's joint efforts.
Actually, it's better not to have children, so you don't have to worry about them.
“Since your older brother is sick, I have to take responsibility for you. I’ll give you two months to bring me the girl you like, and I’ll arrange things for you. Otherwise, I’ll just pick one for you randomly.”
Prince Duan did have someone he loved, but he couldn't marry only one woman.
Chu Yanqing could not accept her husband taking a concubine.
He also couldn't accept another woman becoming his queen.
So he gets a headache whenever he thinks about marriage.
"Second brother, I'm still young. You should worry about your little sister. She's a girl, and we need to find her a good husband..."
He paused here, then asked, "Second Brother, were you injured while fighting in the war? Are you unable to have children?"
Zhou Chuanxing didn't give him a friendly look.
Prince Duan suddenly burst into laughter, "There are already rumors that you like men, if this gets out, you won't be able to..."
Noticing her second brother's dark, iron-like face, she forced back her smile.
Suddenly, she saw Tang Xinuan dressed in men's clothing downstairs, and then she remembered that Chu Yannuo had just passed by the door.
She leaned close to her second brother and whispered, "Second brother, aren't you afraid that Miss Tang will see Prince Chu going back with him?"
Zhou Chuanxing had this confidence: "If you were locked in a cage since childhood, living a dark and hopeless life, you might think that's how people are supposed to live. But one day you discover that the cage is open, you tentatively run out, and then you find that the outside world is so free and so exciting. Would you still go back to the cage?"
Prince Duan replied without hesitation, "I'll fight anyone who tells me to go back."
Zhou Chuanxing praised, "That's right."
Prince Duan admitted that he did not have the same vision as his second brother, a way of thinking that he had never considered before.
No wonder my second brother was so generous in releasing him.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Chu Yanqing and Chao Li returned.
Chu Yanqing originally wanted to stay away from Prince Duan, but Chao Li deliberately pulled her to a chair next to him.
"Yanqing, you do like my third brother, so why are you being so distant with him?" Chao Li whispered.
Chu Yanqing's cheeks were flushed, and she said shyly, "What I want is a lifelong, monogamous relationship, but he can't give me that. It's impossible for us to be together."
Although Chao Li was born into the royal family, was her parents' most beloved daughter, and was also the current emperor's biological younger sister, she was of unparalleled nobility.
But she never thought about being with one person for life.
Women are considered lowly, and which man doesn't have multiple wives and concubines?
Even if she were to marry the prince consort, she wouldn't dare imagine that he would only have her as his woman.
"Will it work?"
Chu Yanqing scoffed, "Why not? I'd rather live alone than marry a promiscuous man. If he can't be with only me, then he shouldn't bother me."
Prince Duan gritted his teeth in hatred, "You've got some nerve!"
Chu Yanqing distanced herself from him, saying, "I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about my future husband."
The thought that she might marry someone else made Prince Duan feel as if a piece of iron was stuck in his chest.
Why would he fall for a domineering and arrogant woman like Chu Yanqing?
Chu Yanqing's behavior inspired Chao Li. She was silent for a moment, then suddenly clenched her small fist. "Yes, why should we women only be able to marry one person, while men can marry several? Either women should marry several people too, or they should only marry one."
She spoke to Zhou Chuanxing across the two people, saying, "Second Brother, I will make my own decision about my marriage. The prince consort absolutely cannot have any other women."
Zhou Chuanxing only has this one younger sister, so naturally he spoils her without any limits.
"Okay, watch carefully, and tell me."
"The Smartest Person Contest is about to begin. We will select the smartest person in the Great Zhou Dynasty here."
All participants, please get ready. If you haven't registered yet, hurry up and register with me.
Anyone who signs up and makes it to the second round will receive two taels of silver.
The winners of the three places were fifty taels of silver, the second place eighty taels, and the first place one hundred taels.
The prize money was sponsored by the county government and Zhao, a wealthy merchant from Da Zhou.
"Now, let us give a warm round of applause to thank the county government and Master Zhao!" Li Pixiu shouted from the stage.
Of course, the county government only did it in name only; the bonus was entirely sponsored by Master Zhao.
Tang Xinuan has already registered, but Xiaoqian is still a little worried. Her young lady has always been called a fool, and she's actually participating in a contest of smart people. What if she loses? Wouldn't she be ridiculed?
"Young master, let's just watch the show and not get involved."
Tang Xinuan was full of confidence, her little face beaming with a determined smile.
"Wait, when I win first prize, I'll buy you guys candy."
Lian Qiao, following Tang Xinuan's orders, took the ragged man to change his clothes.
The ragged man was still unwilling, saying, "A true man does not eat food offered with contempt; do not humiliate me."
Lian Qiao looked down on his poor and shabby appearance, "You're starving to death, and you're still being pretentious with me."
Ignoring the ragged man's attitude, she grabbed him by the collar and dragged him into the nearby cloth pile.
"Shopkeeper, fetch him a basin of clean water to freshen him up, and then pick out a suitable set of clothes for him."
The ragged man hadn't eaten for several days and was weak all over. He wasn't short, but he was very thin. Lian Qiao was a martial artist, and he wanted to resist, he absolutely couldn't be insulted by a woman, but he really couldn't resist Lian Qiao.
He was pushed and shoved into the stakes, wishing he could disappear into a hole in the ground.
After giving her instructions, Lianqiao took out a silver nugget and threw it on the counter.
The shopkeeper's eyes lit up, and he quickly brought over a basin of water. "Sir, let me help you wash up."
The ragged man was forced to wash his face and then changed into clean clothes.
He wasn't ugly; with a little dressing up, he had the air of a young master from a prestigious family.
She looked at her reflection in the basin and was surprised by her own appearance.
I can hardly believe I've ever looked this handsome.
Lian Qiao sized the man up and said sarcastically, "Weren't you just yelling that you wouldn't comply? If you're so capable, take off your clothes and give them back to me!"
Even a ragged person is not ungrateful.
His ears turned red, and he obediently performed the cupped-hand salute, saying, "Thank you for the clothes, young lady. I will definitely return them to you when I receive the prize money."
Lian Qiao dared not take credit, saying, "It was my young master's idea. If you want to thank someone, thank my young master."
Just now, Li Pixiu came to Tang Xinuan with a registration booklet and asked her to register.
She naturally wouldn't use her real name.
It sounds like a girl's name.
Fortunately, she was clever and came up with a name on the spot: Hanxi.
After Lianqiao and the ragged man returned, they went straight to her side.
The ragged man bowed respectfully and said, "I am Sun Qingzhao, a scholar from Jiangnan. I am grateful to this young master for the gift of my clothes. I will definitely return them to you when I receive the prize money."
Tang Xinuan didn't care about the money, but she wanted to win the award.
She mimicked Sun Qingzhao's manner, politely bowing with her hands clasped. "I am Hanxi, a scholar from the capital. No need for your thanks. Just treat me to a meal when you receive the prize money."
Sun Qingzhao sincerely replied, "As long as I receive the prize money, I will definitely treat you to a meal, young master."
Tang Xinuan smiled, "It's a pity you've run into my opponent; you might not be able to win."
Sun Qingzhao was confident in his talent and said, "Please wait and see, young master."
Li Pixiu recognized Sun Qingzhao as the beggar from earlier and couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "It's true that clothes make the man, and with this makeover, who would recognize him as a beggar just a bowl of tea ago?"
Seeing Tang Xinuan talking to him, he immediately grabbed the registration booklet and squeezed through.
"Sir, please register here."
Sun Qingzhao quickly wrote his name on it.
Tang Xinu glanced at it; the handwriting was quite beautiful.
She then invited Sun Qingzhao to sit next to her.
The Smartest Person Contest is held over two days.
Today is the preliminary round, tomorrow is the final round.
The preliminary round consists of three rounds.
The first round is purely numerical calculation.
Caiyuelou prepared ten sets of questions, each with about twenty-five numbers. Ten people participated in each set. The first person to finish would get ten points, the second person would get nine points, and so on.
Those who make the correct calculations advance to the second round, while those who make the wrong calculations are eliminated.
In the second round, Caiyuelou prepared three problems related to the "chicken and rabbit in the same cage" problem.
The scoring method is the same as in the first round.
The third round involves accounting issues, which are a bit more complicated.
The scoring method remains the same.
All the competitions are primarily for entertainment and will not be too difficult.
Those who pass all three rounds will participate in tomorrow's final.
This was Tang Xinuan's first time participating in such an event, and she was incredibly excited. She clenched her fists, determined to win a prize.
The match began soon.
Tang Xinuan registered late and was placed in the second-to-last group.
Under the direction of Li Pixiu and other staff, all ten members of the first group were in place.
This round was all men.
The woman holding up the sign and announcing the numbers was actually a woman.
She walked gracefully onto the stage in a long, sheer blue dress and held up the sign in her hand.
"All participants, get ready, we're about to call out your numbers!"
Each of the ten participants had a table, a piece of paper, a pen, an abacus, a bell, and a chair.
A partition was placed on the table to prevent people from peeking around.
Besides the lady who announces the numbers, there are two scorekeepers on stage.
At this moment, Caiyue Tower was already packed with people.
The room was too crowded, and the doorway was packed with onlookers.
They craned their necks to peer inside, and some, unable to see anything, simply moved a chair to the doorway and stood on it to look into the house.
"All participants, please get ready. Let me reiterate the competition rules: anyone found plagiarizing or spying will be disqualified."
"Now begin counting," the counter announced, lifting the sign and reading out the numbers on the first page, "15,326."
The sign is large, and the font is large, ensuring that all participants can see it clearly.
As soon as she finished speaking, the ten contestants quickly started working on the abacus beads.
Tang Xinuan was sitting far away and couldn't see the numbers on the sign clearly, but she could hear them clearly.
She didn't know how to use an abacus, so she memorized the numbers. After the numbers on the second page were announced, before the ten contestants had even moved their second beads, she had already calculated the result in her mind.
Zhou Chuanxing sat calmly in the central command tent, but Prince Duan was about to lose his composure.
"Looks like your daughter's in a competition. Why don't you come and take a look?"
Zhou Chuanxing sipped his tea leisurely, his gaze seemingly lingering on the young girl's slender figure.
To be honest, of course I want to get closer.
But he promised the girl to let her make her own way in the world. He had already overstepped his bounds by coming with her. If he went any further, what difference would it make from locking her in a cage?
"The view here is expansive."
Prince Duan looked down on his second brother's pretentious attitude. He secretly wished he could fly over there, but he still pretended to be profound and confident.
"Second brother, how many rounds do you think she can last?"
Zhou Chuanxing replied without hesitation, "Of course we'll take first place."
Prince Duan didn't believe it. "Where do you get your confidence?" He didn't dare to say that Tang Xinuan was stupid, but he was suspicious. "What if she can't pass the first round? It's not easy to coax a little girl when she cries."
Zhou Chuanxing didn't give him a friendly look.
"Shut your stinking mouth, or I'll kick you off the stage if you keep spouting nonsense."
Prince Duan hurriedly moved closer to Chu Yanqing, saying, "Second Brother, please calm down."
Chu Yanqing and Princess Chaoli were both busy watching the contestants downstairs.
Some people move the abacus beads quickly, some slowly, and some can't even keep up with the second number.
Chao Li was so anxious that he wished he could rush over and fix it for them.
"Yanqing, look at that idiot. He only followed one number and didn't hear what the lady who was announcing the numbers said after that."
"And that one, he only followed three numbers. Look at him staring at the abacus beads, he probably wants to take them off and eat them."
"That one is even worse; they didn't even finish dialing the first number."
...
The two people were pointing and gesturing downstairs.
Chu Yanqing was also shrewd; since the Lady Hou was in poor health, she had started helping manage the household affairs two years ago.
After two years of practice, he became extremely proficient at using an abacus.
"I think it would be good if three out of these ten people could get it right, let alone how fast or slow they are."
Chu Yanqing counted the ten participants and said, "If I had known I could use an abacus, I would have participated too."
Chao Li, who was bad at abacuses, said regretfully, "It's a pity I didn't learn it sooner, otherwise we could have signed up together."
Just then, I saw the waiter come over to refill my tea. "Ask your boss if we can still register now?"
The waiter had just finished listening to the second boss's complaint when he said, "There are still three spots missing in the last group. If you want to sign up, Miss, you can still do so."
Chao Li pointed at Chu Yanqing and said to him, "Hurry up and add our third young lady. Yanqing, I'm cheering you on."
Hearing that someone upstairs wanted to sign up, and was even sitting with Prince Duan, Li Pixiu quickly brought up the registration booklet. "Miss Chu, please sign here."
Chu Yanqing took the brush and, with a flourish, filled in her name.
"Am I going to play in the final round?"
Li Pixiu was even happier to see Prince Duan and the Regent sitting next to her than if he had seen his deceased great-aunt. “You signed up late, so you’re in the last group. But there are advantages to being in the last group. There are only eight of you.”
The fewer people there are, the higher the score.
So, Chu Yanqing does indeed have the advantage. "Okay, I understand."
At this point, the first group had already submitted their papers.
The three couldn't figure out the result and were eliminated.
Seven people calculated the result, but only five got it right, and two more were eliminated.
The scorekeeper recorded the scores for the five contestants who scored correctly, and they temporarily stepped down so the second group could take the stage.
Xiaoqian didn't understand these things, but she observed a pattern from the first group's situation. "Young master, as long as you get it right, you have a chance. Don't rush, take your time. Maybe only one person in your group will get it right. If you take it slow, you'll still get ten points."
Tang Xinuan nodded obediently, "I know."
She stared intently at the number-reporting girl on the stage, her fair and rosy face brimming with curiosity.
The results for the second group came out quickly.
Even fewer contestants got the answers right this time; only three people got all the answers right, so only three people advanced.
The person who scored eight points was the last to calculate the result.
They actually got eight points, which is a huge advantage.
Xiaoqian actually figured out something and spoke up for the people in the first group.
"Young master, the person in the first group who got six points handed in their paper earlier than the person in the second group who got eight points, but they were two points behind. They were at a disadvantage."
Tang Xinuan agreed with her statement: "There's nothing we can do, they're not in the same group."
Xiaoqian complained, "If all the competitions are over like this, many people will definitely suffer losses."
Tang Xinuan didn't think too much about it. "Anyway, someone will always suffer a loss, so I'm not afraid."
Xiaoqian clasped her hands together and prayed to God for protection, "God, please bless our young master's group so that she is the only one who opposes him, then she will get ten points."
Standing behind Tang Xinu, Lian Qiao continued Xiao Qian's words, "In the second round, if only our young master can do it, then we won't need to compete in the third round, and our young master will be number one."
Zisu was amused by the two of them. "Why don't I go talk to the boss and ask him to design a special award for our young master?"
Tang Xinuan has been treated like a little fool since she was a child, and no one believes that she can calculate these complicated numbers.
She didn't know how to distinguish right from wrong, and never thought about proving herself.
Although Xiaoqian and the two guards meant no harm, they represented the impression most people had of her.
She wouldn't have participated in today's game if she hadn't been interested, and her foolish image would have continued.
Sun Qingzhao, the ragged man sitting next to him, kept observing the person counting and all the contestants.
After three rounds of competition, I've gained some experience. "Brother, there's a trick to using this abacus. Don't worry about what she's saying, just keep your eyes on the numbers on the board."
Tang Xinuan didn't know how to use an abacus; she only explained the patterns she had discovered.
“Look at the numbers she’s given out. Each number has one more or one less than the previous one. If I’m not mistaken, this set still has twenty-five numbers, and the result should be nine hundred and eighty-five million, three hundred and twenty-four thousand five hundred and sixty-four.”
Sun Qingzhao was in a daze, thinking he was listening to some kind of myth.
"No way, you've already calculated the result after only giving a dozen or so numbers?"
Tang Xinuan wasn't sure either, "If the pattern doesn't change, this will be the result."
The fourth group finished, and the person who called out the number announced the correct answer, which was exactly the same as Tang Xinuan's prediction.
Sun Qingzhao looked at Tang Xinuan with a complicated expression, "You...you didn't know the questions they set in advance, did you?"
Tang Xinuan showed no displeasure at being suspected; she calmly replied, "I observed the pattern."
Sun Qingzhao simply couldn't believe it.
He must have encountered some mathematical genius who could derive the subsequent calculation results simply by observing three sets of numbers.
That's incredible.
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