Chapter 926 Scandal Princess
Red Dust Inn, first floor lobby.
The air between the tables fell silent for a moment.
Passengers returning from outside witnessed this scene and were somewhat puzzled.
The scholar in the long robe, who was about to retort, was also stunned for a moment, and swallowed back the words that were about to come out of his throat.
The group exchanged surprised glances.
In the corner by the window, Ouyang Rong continued feeding her without stopping, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings. Miao Si, who had sobered up considerably, was quite satisfied. Taking advantage of everyone's attention being focused on the gossip in the capital, she ate heartily and thoroughly enjoyed her meal.
Madam Yu was happily cracking melon seeds. Taoyuan Town was too far from Luoyang and too close to Yunmeng. They were considered common people and would most likely never be able to go there in their lifetime.
As a mere woman, she treated these stories of Luoyang's splendor as mere storytelling to pass the time during her leisure time... much like the girls in Ouyang Rong's previous life who enjoyed eating and watching dramas.
The merchant surnamed Zhou finished speaking with a calm expression.
The merchant surnamed Cheng beside him looked somewhat surprised, clearly also hearing about it for the first time.
"Princess Anle...? Is that true?"
The merchant surnamed Zhou nodded:
“I just came back from Qiantang. My colleagues there are well-informed. It happened not long ago. Brother Cheng should hear about it when you go back.”
The scholar in the long robe immediately changed his expression and tried to make amends:
"I see. I've been in Taoyuan Town recently, so my news has been a bit slow. If what you say is true, then the situation is quite interesting."
He smiled faintly and paused.
Everyone saw him with a mysterious expression, wave his sleeve, and say in a cryptic tone:
"She was granted the title of Princess Anle, along with a golden book and the special privilege of establishing her own residence. This is almost the same treatment as her aunt, Princess Changle, the daughter of the current emperor. With such noble and illustrious status, I ask you, shouldn't her father and brothers, the Prince of Xunyang and his heir, also be reassigned?"
The merchant surnamed Zhou shook his head:
"I'm not sure about that."
He paused, then added:
"However, by now, the news should have spread throughout the world, and everyone knows the beauty of the new princess. I see that the scholars in Qiantang are discussing it in the streets. The scholars of Luoyang have always been the trendsetter for scholars all over the world."
"This Princess Anle was already highly sought after by the scholars of Luoyang before she was even officially appointed. She was a hot commodity. Now that she has been granted the title of Princess Anle, it is like adding fuel to the fire."
"Because according to the tradition of this dynasty, the legitimate princess has a very high status in the court. She is closest to the emperor and is favored by the emperor. Sometimes she can even speak on behalf of the emperor. For example, Princess Chang Le had great power in the Great Zhou court and remained unshaken."
"Because Princess Chang Le favored talented scholars, many scholars in the capital who were unable to take the imperial examinations or had repeatedly failed all wanted to get through the powerful princess's connections. Even those who were confident of passing the examinations would politely present their visiting cards before the spring and autumn examinations, hoping to try their luck. If Princess Chang Le took a liking to them and they could present their talents, tsk tsk..."
"In fact, this trend has formed an unwritten rule of the 'shortcut to Zhongnan Mountain.' If one can gain the favor of Princess Chang Le, one's future career will be smooth sailing. With her recommendation, passing the imperial examination is extremely easy..."
The people inside the restaurant looked at each other in bewilderment.
Apart from the long-robed scholars who sighed and nodded, everyone else was clearly hearing about it for the first time.
The merchant surnamed Zhou said with a sigh:
"Now, in addition to Princess Chang Le, there is now Princess An Le, who is able to establish her own residence and is also favored by the emperor... She is clearly the next Princess Chang Le, inheriting the same illustrious power as her aunt. This means that there is another opportunity for certain 'shortcuts'."
"In addition, the rumors spread like wildfire, making her increasingly ethereal and beautiful, such as the number one beauty in Luoyang... Now, I don't know how many scholars in Luoyang admire and fawn over her, hoping to win the favor of this newly crowned princess."
"This enthusiasm has spread from the scholars of Luoyang to the scholars of the whole country. As long as you are a scholar, there is no one who is not concerned about official career and the imperial examination... I heard about it from the scholars of Qiantang on this trip back. They are all talking about this on the streets."
The scholar in the long robe seemed to empathize, and sighed:
"Of course, and if I remember correctly, this Princess Anle is still in her prime and unmarried, right? It's not far from choosing a consort... I really didn't expect the process of bestowing her title and establishing her own residence to be so fast. Didn't the Xunyang Prince's family just return to the capital at the beginning of this year? They've only just met, and the Emperor already takes such a liking to this granddaughter?"
The merchant surnamed Cheng poured himself a cup of wine and suddenly said:
"I overheard a rumor, but I don't know if it's true or not."
Everyone looked over, and the scholar in the long robe asked on their behalf, "What rumors are you spreading?"
"I heard that these little princesses bear a striking resemblance to the emperor in his youth, so the bond between them is bound to be stronger, and there is a special affection between them across generations."
"Is that so?"
The wealthy businessman surnamed Zhou's expression immediately turned serious, and after a moment, he slowly nodded:
"...I see, I understand now. I was wondering why the reputation of being the most beautiful woman in Luoyang and the most beautiful woman in the royal family was so exaggerated. Even if Princess Anle was extremely beautiful and like a fairy, it was still a bit too much. After all, Princess Changle was also there. Such praise was a bit offensive. But what Brother Cheng said makes perfect sense."
"She looks just like the Emperor in his youth. No matter what her appearance is like, this little princess must be the most beautiful in the capital. Even Princess Chang Le has to admit that she is beautiful. Several other famous women of this dynasty have to give way. No amount of praise is too much... It turns out that no one in the capital is a lustful and hot-blooded fool. They all know the truth but pretend not to."
Upon hearing this, the scholar in the long robe couldn't help but offer a word of praise:
“Brother, your words are absolutely right, absolutely right, truly insightful.”
The merchant surnamed Zhou waved his hand: "You flatter me, I just realized it myself."
He paused, seemingly enjoying the conversation, then remembered something and spoke up;
“Princess Anle is unmarried, but I’ve heard some rumors in Qiantang… I wonder if it’s related to Jiangzhou, where the Xunyang Prince’s family once lived. Like Qiantang, it’s in Jiangnan, so they’re close by and can dig up old news quickly…”
He seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
The scholar in the long robe couldn't help but urge, "When will it be?"
The merchant surnamed Cheng and the other guests also turned their gazes toward them.
The merchant surnamed Zhou hesitated for a moment, then said:
"This is what the scholars of Qiantang have been saying in private, apparently it came from the scholars of Jiangxi, where Xunyang City is located... I heard that before she came to the capital and rose to prominence, when Princess Anle lived in seclusion in Xunyang with her father and brothers, she had some private dealings with Ouyang Lianghan, who was then the Prefect of Jiangzhou and is now the Governor of Jiangzhou. There have been some rumors that she admires and favors him..."
Everyone was taken aback by his words, and the scholar in the long robe subconsciously asked:
"Are you talking about Ouyang Lianghan, the renowned and upright gentleman?"
"That's right, it should be him. Strong evidence is that Ouyang Lianghan once wrote a poem called 'The Song of the Pipa.' When it first reached the capital, the young princess, who had just arrived in the capital and had not yet been officially appointed or established herself, strongly recommended it. At the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet at Princess Chang Le's residence, she even personally selected this poem as the best Mid-Autumn Festival poem."
"This matter caused quite a stir in Luoyang at the time. Leaving aside the quality of the poem, one can imagine how simple the relationship could be with such unwavering appreciation and recommendation. In addition, the princess's family had not yet risen to prominence at that time, and the princess was still young, just beginning to experience romantic feelings, which naturally made it easy for feelings to develop."
"But Ouyang Lianghan was renowned for his integrity and had become the local official, young yet wielding immense power and full of vigor... Sometimes, a young girl's first crush is just a matter of a glance or two..."
The atmosphere was somewhat quiet.
The onlookers in the lobby immediately understood, and some nodded with a clear understanding, feeling that this made a lot of sense.
At the corner table, Ouyang Rong stopped picking at his food, suddenly reached out to open the window, and pushed it open a crack, as if to peek outside.
Fine raindrops fell on my face; the rain had subsided considerably.
Inside the sleeve, Miaosi was lying sprawled out, gently rubbing her bulging belly as she digested her food. Upon hearing the words outside, she covered her mouth with both hands, trying to suppress her laughter.
After listening to the merchant surnamed Zhou's long speech, the scholar in the long robe felt a little embarrassed. He had been in charge of the conversation in the hall, but now someone was stealing his thunder.
But what can you do when someone else is better informed than him, and it's highly likely that it wasn't intentional?
The scholar in the long robe clasped his hands in a fist salute to the two well-informed merchants:
"I have learned a great deal. You two are truly insightful individuals. Is there anything else you would like to instruct me on?"
The merchant surnamed Cheng, being more composed and level-headed, sensed the scholar in the long robe's somewhat displeased mood and immediately returned the greeting with clasped hands.
"I dare not presume to offer guidance. Apart from these matters, my knowledge and that of Brother Zhou are roughly the same as yours..."
The scholar in the long robe softened his expression, but the merchant surnamed Zhou suddenly said:
"There is another rumor. I heard that the current emperor is planning to hold a sacrificial ceremony in the Mingtang Hall of Ziwei City in the next two months. Not only are the Li family members, such as the Prince of Xunyang and the Prince of Xiang, required to attend, but also the two princes of the Wei family and the main members of the Wei family. As long as they are in Luoyang, this will be a rare opportunity for the Li and Wei families to gather under the same roof. I wonder why the emperor has made such an arrangement."
Upon hearing this, the scholar in the long robe showed no annoyance this time. Instead, he tilted his head back, stroked his beard, and said with certainty:
"That's right. This sacrificial ceremony at the Mingtang may be the key moment in deciding the true heir to the throne. The sage's move is truly brilliant."
The crowd asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"
The merchants surnamed Zhou and Cheng also looked at him with puzzled expressions, wondering why he was being so mysterious.
The scholar in the long robe was quite pleased with the atmosphere. He lowered his voice and analyzed the situation with an air of authority:
"The bestowal of the title of Princess Anle upon the youngest daughter of the Prince of Xunyang is just the beginning. Now that this has been done, there will naturally be arrangements for her father, brother, the Prince of Xunyang, and the heir apparent."
"The emperor may indeed love Princess Anle, perhaps due to the affection between grandparents and grandchildren. But every action the emperor takes has a deeper meaning; he may be using this well-known favoritism to do something convenient."
The group looked at each other in bewilderment.
The scholar in the long robe boldly offered his conjecture:
"The upcoming Mingtang sacrifice is a crucial juncture. I have a premonition that some important events, or rather, important directional choices, will occur around this juncture."
"This day will be anything but simple; it could very well turn into a raging storm. The Wei family is the most intolerant of the Xunyang Prince's family's promotion. If the Xunyang Prince rises any higher, wouldn't he become a royal heir? How could the Wei Prince and Liang Prince of the Wei family tolerate that? The two families are mortal enemies. The Xunyang Prince's return to the capital has greatly strengthened the Li family's power. The Wei family will not sit idly by; they will definitely launch an attack..."
After speaking confidently, the scholar in the long robe said calmly to the two merchants, Zhou and Cheng:
"You two, just wait and see. The next news from Luodu will surely be about something big that happened around the time of the Mingtang ceremony. It will definitely be a battle between the immortals of the Li and Wei families, a struggle for the imperial succession, a life-or-death struggle. One side might suddenly collapse... How swift is the rise and how swift the fall."
Inside the lobby, many people listened and found it particularly reasonable, nodding in agreement.
There were also merchants like the Zhou and Cheng who exchanged glances, feeling that something was amiss, but couldn't quite put their finger on it. Perhaps it was because the other party's analysis was too smooth and too obvious, but such a reason was not enough for them to stand up and spoil the fun, so they focused on the wine.
As for the smiling Madam Yu, as long as she pays for the drinks, she can chat and show off however she wants, since the Red Dust Inn is in Peach Blossom Town, far from the emperor's reach.
The two merchants raised their cups to the scholar in the long robe at the same time, politely offering him a toast.
The latter was all smiles, drinking heartily until his face was flushed and his neck was red.
Indeed, no man dislikes political commentary.
Thump—!
Squeak—!
Suddenly, a series of strange noises rang out in the lobby, as if someone had pushed a chair away as they stood up, the chair legs scraping against the floor, making a slightly grating sound.
Before Madam Yu and the others in the hall could react and locate the source of the sound, a fierce-looking man had already walked from his seat to the counter and said in a low voice to the new maid:
"Bill, please."
Everyone turned their attention to him and discovered that this was the slightly strange guest who had been sitting alone in the corner by the window.
Everyone was chatting animatedly, even the two merchants next door had joined in, but this roughneck remained focused on his drink, not joining in at all. He ate his food with great relish, as if he were starving.
The food on his table had been completely wiped out; the plates were cleaner than a human face, as if he were a starving ghost reincarnated.
The window next to the table had been opened halfway, revealing the view outside.
Fine raindrops fell incessantly from the eaves, like a poorly made beaded curtain. Pedestrians on the street outside were not carrying umbrellas, and the rain that had fallen all night seemed to have stopped.
The misty rain of Yunmeng is like this, like a girl holding an oil-paper umbrella walking through a rainy alley, coming and going in a hurry.
At the counter, the new maid finished paying and returned the loose change. Ignoring Madam Yu's flirtatious glances and concern, the "fierce man" turned and left. With his hands tucked into his sleeves, he strode out the door without looking back, disappearing into the deep, inky night outside.
The scholars in long robes, as well as the merchants surnamed Zhou and Cheng, paid no attention to these minor details.
The lobby remained filled with laughter and toasts; the atmosphere was one of unwavering merriment, a promise to stay until everyone was thoroughly drunk...
(End of this chapter)
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