Chapter 557 The Princess Always Pretends to Be an Innocent Rabbit, the Prince Vows to Learn from His Beloved [Bonus Chapter 3/5, Requesting Monthly Tickets!]
"What? The poems 'On Chrysanthemums' and 'On Teachers' were submitted at the suggestion of the little princess and her eldest son?"
"That's right. Guo'er really likes Tanlang's poem 'On Chrysanthemums'. She named it the best poem in the Chrysanthemum Poetry Society to date and is preparing to make Tanlang famous. She has sent someone to copy it and send it to Luoyang for everyone to read and appreciate."
"Da Lang also took out his favorite 'On Teachers,' which Tan Lang had given him in Longcheng. He copied a batch of copies and sent them to the capital along with 'On Chrysanthemums,' delivering them to the Master, Prince Xiang, and Chang Le..."
The inner courtyard and back garden of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.
A joyous family banquet is underway. At the outdoor banquet, a table is decorated with exquisite gold and silver utensils: a cluster of plates, vases of flowers, fruit dishes, wine pots, wine cups... and the bowls, chopsticks and dishes are all made of silver.
The crowd gathered around the table, their attention mostly focused on Li Xian, who was dressed in a black silk python robe. When he mentioned something, Xie Lingjiang asked curiously, and Li Xian answered with a smile.
In front of Zhen Shuyuan and other outsiders, the demure and gentle Li Guo'er paused slightly as she picked up her bowl and food, correcting them:
"I didn't say I really liked it. I just helped recommend someone to go to the capital out of courtesy. I was just doing a favor."
"Alright, alright, Guo'er is just helping out."
Li Xian looked at the young girl with doting eyes and changed his mind to indulge her. Zhen Shuyuan couldn't help but take another look at the little princess's face, which was not veiled today, and thought to herself:
Wow, everyone in this royal family seems to have such good looks. The men are handsome and the women are beautiful, especially this young princess from her secluded chambers. She looks so well-educated, virtuous, and obedient, she's no less beautiful than Wanwan... I wonder which lucky man will be born into such a family. Her family background is the best in the world, there are few who can surpass her...
No one knew the woman's delicate thoughts.
"That's just how it is."
Li Guo'er snorted, as if she had inadvertently noticed Zhen Shuyuan's gaze. She smiled softly and continued to lower her head, taking small bites of a cabbage like a little white rabbit.
Such refined and ladylike table manners caught Zhen Shuyuan's eye.
Ouyang Rong didn't notice the little interaction between Zhen Shuyuan and Li Guo'er. After listening to Li Xian and his junior sister's pleasant conversation and praise, he remained calm.
Zhen Shuyuan and Yan Liulang, who were standing to the side, were overjoyed for Ouyang Rong and their faces were beaming with happiness.
Yan Liulang said with admiration:
"Besides the recommendation from the eldest son and the princess, the magistrate is also remarkable. He is exceptionally talented and his literary skills are outstanding. Gold will always shine. The magistrate was admitted to the Xiuwen Academy with just two poems and essays."
Wei Mei said reproachfully, "Tanlang is just too modest."
"Haha, what you say is absolutely right, Madam," Li Xian laughed heartily.
Wei Mei didn't even glance at him.
Ouyang Rong, Yan Liulang, and the others couldn't help but glance at Li Xian's face a few more times, but quickly turned their attention back to the food.
Li Guo'er and Xie Lingjiang, as if it were a common occurrence, ate their food in small bites, their attention seemingly focused on something else.
Only Li Dalang chuckled foolishly, unaware of the atmosphere at the dinner table.
Zhen Shuyuan, who was visiting for the first time, glanced at the bruises and red marks on Li Xian's face and couldn't help but speak up:
"Is Your Highness alright? Should we apply medicine to your face?"
Li Xian shook his head like a rattle drum, waving his hand nonchalantly:
"It's alright, it's alright. Mei Niang has already treated my wounds. Mei Niang is the best." He said, his face full of gratitude.
Zhen Shuyuan asked with a worried expression, "Your Highness, how did you get injured? The wound is on your face."
"To my shame, the grape trellis in the yard collapsed. I was taking a walk after dinner last night and got a few bruises on my face... Please forgive me, Madam Zhen."
"A grape trellis?" Zhen Shuyuan murmured to herself curiously.
Wei Mei lowered her eyes and placed a piece of food on Li Xian's plate, giving him a faint instruction:
"Qilang, be careful next time. Don't wander around there when you have nothing to do. I've told you so many times, but you never listen."
"Yes, yes, yes, Mei Niang is right." Li Xian nodded vigorously.
Wei Mei ignored him, put down her long, pure silver chopsticks, picked up a pair of short, sandalwood chopsticks, continued eating, and smiled, gesturing to Zhen Shuyuan:
"Madam Zhen, please try this plum blossom soup dumpling. I heard you're from Luling, so I had this specially made for you. It should suit your light taste..."
"Oh, Your Highness, you're too kind."
After exchanging toasts and enjoying their meal, everyone left the table.
In the back garden, Princess Wei Mei pulled Zhen Shuyuan aside to admire the flowers in the vase. Flower arranging was now a popular trend among the noblewomen of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
There was no sign of him, but he most likely slipped back inside to apply an ice pack.
Ouyang Rong, Xie Lingjiang, and the siblings Li Dalang and Li Guo'er went to chat in the nearby waterside pavilion. Yan Liulang grabbed a plate of out-of-season fruit and followed them to be part of the background.
After settling down, Li Dalang looked around, then lowered his hand towards Ouyang Rong and quietly covered his mouth with his hand, saying:
"Father got injured at the dinner table yesterday. Halfway through the meal, he suddenly suggested that we bring over the former concubines and their sons so that the family could have a proper reunion. After all, the Prince's mansion is on the right track now, and we are no longer living in fear like before."
Ouyang Rong nodded and commented, "Not unjust."
"..." Li Dalang.
As the former crown prince, Li Xian naturally had more than one woman. Wei Mei was his legal wife, and he also had several concubines and secondary consorts, as well as two children born out of wedlock.
However, after Li Xian was demoted to Jiangzhou, these concubines either stayed in the Luoyang Palace or returned to their parents' homes to seek refuge, taking their children with them. The ones who truly endured the hardships and trials alongside Li Xian were his first wife, Wei Mei, and his sons, Li Dalang and Li Guo'er.
Even Li Guo'er was born to Wei Mei on the way to her place of exile after Li Xian was deposed and reduced to a commoner. She was hastily wrapped in a tattered cloth, hence the nickname "Guo'er".
The eldest son at least had a few days as the eldest grandson of the emperor, "bullying men and women" in the palace. However, his youngest daughter, Guo'er, suffered from birth. Naturally, the Li Xian couple doted on her, which is why Guo'er developed such a willful and cunning personality.
However, no matter how bitter the exile was, this family could still live a carefree and wealthy life in the remote Longcheng County after things settled down.
In any case, Ouyang Rong showed no remorse or sympathy what some of the old officials and former ministers in Luoyang had shown. Instead, he imagined the deposed crown prince's family suffering and felt full of self-blame. Then, while frowning as he ate the delicacies of Luoyang, he secretly strengthened his resolve to restore the dynasty.
However, what Ouyang Rong found more convincing was that the remote Jiangnan region was indeed gentle and nurturing, and the "Su family" were all kind-hearted, except for Li Guo'er.
Especially Dalang, who is kind and compassionate, has a strong sense of sympathy for the people, and is essentially a blank slate, so he is very malleable and has great potential.
After all, back in the Su family mansion in Longcheng, he was forced by the Li Xian couple and the old-fashioned Mr. Yuan to study in the study, preparing for some kind of competitive job in the future. But Juxian Garden was full of middle-aged women, and he was still a young virgin with a stubble beard in his mid-twenties, unlike those scions of wealthy families who opened a certain door too early before they had even grown up.
Now that Dalang has finally arrived in Jiangzhou, he has escaped the dark little room where he was kept company by his bedside and waited on by his aunt. He is finally a little more relaxed and thought he had finally made it through. However, his parents and sister have forced him to go out for blind dates. He is only allowed to succeed and not fail.
Ouyang Rong felt quite sorry for Li Dalang. After all, not everyone is like him, who, after failing his first blind date, managed to win the revival round and directly win over the approachable, long-legged junior sister.
After hearing about the affairs of Li Xian's concubines, Ouyang Rong looked at the expressions of Li Dalang and Li Guo'er and found that they did not show any vigilance or worry.
That's true; the real legitimate sons and daughters are still them.
Li Dalang was directly chosen by the Empress Dowager in Luoyang, who appointed him as the Prefect of Jiangzhou in advance, which was practically a clear indication that he was designated as the successor of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.
Wei Mei, the legal wife, and her son and daughter's position became increasingly secure, not to mention that Li Xian was henpecked.
It's best not to pry into other people's private family matters, so Ouyang Rong changed the subject:
"According to Liu Lang, from before the New Year to after, Da Lang has been on duty on time every time, and Yuan Changshi has been very impressed with you."
Yan Liulang really wanted to say, "Who wouldn't Yuan Changshi look at you with new respect? In the Jiangzhou main hall, as long as you show up on time every day, he will admire you as a hero and treat you with special regard."
Yan Liulang began with a sigh:
“My lord, Dalang has truly transformed. His entire demeanor is different; he walks with a powerful stride. When you asked us to renovate the city gate, he even went to inspect and help.”
"Most importantly, I invited him to go to Yunshui Pavilion for drinks... cough cough, anyway, I refused all of them. Mingfu, you don't know, Dalang's decisive and resolute appearance, or as you would say, was quite handsome..."
As he spoke, Yan Liulang's tone became a little melancholy. After all, his friend had changed too quickly and hadn't waited for him. He felt a little empty and uneasy.
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but glance at Li Dalang, who was scratching his head in embarrassment, wondering if the dodging figure he had bumped into at Wei Shaoqi's mourning hall last time was just an illusion.
Li Dalang thoughtfully brought a fruit platter to his sister, then turned around, revealing thick eyebrows and large eyes, and said in a serious voice:
"You flatter me, Liulang. Hey, Tanlang, don't look at me like that. I just suddenly realized that all that tea and stuff is meaningless. A person can't just be a shell; there has to be something else. That's the key to being human..."
Ouyang Rong didn't listen to the whole thing, but nodded and said, "You've improved. You used to only say things after you'd finished drinking tea."
"..." Li Dalang.
He coughed and, in front of everyone, reiterated one point:
"My love, please don't say that. If I were to use the words you used before, I am now a person of pure love, a person whose heart is sealed and love is locked away, who has emerged from the mud unsullied, and has washed away all worldly impurities..."
"Pure...love?"
Everyone stopped eating the fruit platter and turned to look.
Xie Lingjiang, in particular, looked at Li Dalang with a strange expression.
"Big Brother, you're nothing like Chun Ai. You put all your energy into those crooked and evil ways."
Ouyang Rong asked curiously, "What do you mean?"
Ignoring Li Dalang's pleading look, Xie Lingjiang glanced at Ouyang Rong and muttered:
“A few days ago, he came over and asked me about some things we did together before. He was particularly interested in the oil-paper umbrellas that you, my senior brother, gave me. He insisted on taking a look at them, and after looking at them, he even took out a small notebook and wrote them down before leaving in a hurry…”
Li Guo'er also turned her head, somewhat realizing:
“I was wondering why you came to my yard early in the morning to cut bamboo, making so much noise I couldn’t sleep. Cai Shou and the others also complained privately that you stripped all the paper and silk from their fans, leaving only the bare fan ribs…”
Ouyang Rong, Xie Lingjiang, Li Guo'er and the others all turned to look at Li Dalang.
The expert detective Xiao Yan, who was skilled at catching thieves and solving cases, suddenly had her illusions shattered. She touched her chin and looked at her suspicious friend with a wary gaze.
"Young Master, are you following in the footsteps of Magistrate Ming's footsteps, pursuing some young lady? Wait, could it be... umm."
Before he could finish speaking, Li Dalang pounced on him and covered his mouth.
Ouyang Rong said expressionlessly, "You can steal this?"
Li Dalang looked embarrassed: "Just for reference."
Ouyang Rong said unhappily, "Go ask your sister for advice. She knows a lot. This isn't how you fleece people. Isn't this bullying an honest person?"
Li Dalang muttered somewhat aggrievedly:
“I asked my sister for advice, but… but my sister just told me to go out and turn left to learn from you. She said that if I really don’t know how, I should consult you and I’ll definitely master it. My sister said that you are the best at it.”
Ouyang Rong: ?
Under his junior sister's mournful gaze, Ouyang Rong slowly turned his head and looked expressionlessly at the little princess with plum blossom makeup who was eating melons and fruits like a little white rabbit.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone.
Li Guo'er put down the fruit, wiped her fingers with a handkerchief, and casually looked away, gazing at the lake and night view outside the waterside pavilion.
Everyone stared at her, but she gazed at the scenery. A moment later, she spoke, her eyes fixed straight ahead:
"Isn't that right? Why are you looking at me? I also have pure love."
Ouyang Rong: ...
Everyone: ...
————
(PS: I accidentally fell asleep at my desk at 5 AM, sob sob. Here's the third update, 11,000 words delivered. I managed to do it. There will be an extra update tonight. Please give me your guaranteed monthly votes!)
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
