The procession moved forward at a leisurely pace, accompanied by the sounds of gongs and drums, horses' hooves, and the occasional shout from an official of the Ministry of Rites: "Prince Yong is touring the world on behalf of the Emperor. All people shall retreat and perform the three kowtows and nine prostrations."
If there are people by the roadside, the procession will proceed slowly, and officials from the Ministry of Rites will ask the passersby to kowtow three times and bow nine times, while officials will read aloud the imperial edict of Emperor Mingde.
Sitting in the carriage, Zhao Shu saw this scene and asked Prince Yong, "Father, even though Ajun has read a few books, she doesn't quite understand the Emperor's decree. How can the common people understand it?"
Prince Yong gestured for her to look again, smiling without saying a word. Zhao Shu pouted and looked again, and found that after the officials of the Secretariat finished reading the imperial edict, they stepped aside. A man in plain clothes began to explain. This man was wearing a gray linen robe and was not in official robes. He looked to be in his thirties and had a refined and courteous demeanor.
Who is this person?
"Seventh Master Huo, Huo Chengqiu, was one of the Four Young Masters back then." Prince Yong spoke of Huo Chengqiu with great admiration. This inspection tour of the country was made so smooth thanks to Huo Chengqiu's skillful maneuvering. In the past, he had no experience in handling affairs and was seriously lacking. Without Huo Chengqiu, those local officials would have gone to great lengths to rip him off.
Zhao Shu was puzzled. She had never heard of any legend about the Four Young Masters, so she asked, "The Four Young Masters? Are they the Four Young Masters of Bianzhou?"
"No, they are the Four Young Masters of Mingde." Father and daughter had a lot to say to each other, so they just talked about whatever came to mind. Prince Yong looked back on the past ten years and realized that he had not fulfilled his responsibilities as a father. He wanted to make up for it this time. He said, "Back then, there was Seventh Master Huo of Bianzhou, Third Master Xiao of Laizhou, Scholar Luo of Yangguan, and Young Master Jiang of Yiguang. They were collectively known as the Four Young Masters of Mingde."
When he spoke of Young Master Yiguangjiang, he turned his head away and looked at the snow-capped mountains in the distance, not wanting Zhao Shu to see the sorrow and pain in his eyes.
"Young Master Yiguang Jiang? Are you talking about my uncle?" Zhao Shu quickly grasped the key point. "I've never heard of my uncle being so famous."
Prince Yong let out a soft breath. Having narrowly escaped death, he had come to a realization: there were some things Zhao Shu needed to know, such as what kind of person her mother was.
He suppressed the surging longing in his heart and forced a smile. "No, Young Master Yiguang Jiang is your mother. Originally, there was only the Third Young Master Mingde. Later, your mother met the Third Young Master Mingde by chance in Taiyuan, competed with him, and they drew. He was then known as one of the Four Young Masters of Mingde."
Zhao Shu had only seen her mother in a portrait, and she looked very much like Jiang Yue. However, she firmly believed that her mother was more likable and charming than Jiang Yue.
Perhaps because she had never experienced maternal love, or perhaps because she was now quite old, she spoke of her mother with much more composure. It wasn't that she didn't miss her, but rather that she could now calmly admire her.
"I didn't expect Mother to be so amazing. Oh, right, Father, could Luo Shusheng be Luo Hu?" She suddenly remembered that she had just sent Xiao Guozi to look for Luo Hu.
Prince Yong asked in surprise, "How do you know about Luo Hu?"
"Ah Jun wants to open a shop, and then rented a courtyard to train his employees. It just so happens that the original owner of the courtyard was Luo Hu. Could it really be him?" If it is, then we've struck gold. I just hope that Luo Hu is still alive and that he is not dead.
“His name is indeed Luo…” He was interrupted before he could finish speaking. Huo Chengchuo led a disheveled man over and stood a few feet away from the carriage, saying, “Your Highness, Brother Luo wishes to see the Princess. Is that alright?”
Zhao Shu peeked out and saw that the man next to Huo Cheng was dressed in tattered clothes and shoes, his hair was messy, and his face was dirty as if he hadn't washed it in a long time. The only thing that seemed to be his eyes was bright when he looked at her.
"Is this Mr. Luo Hu, the fourth son of the Mingde family?" She said, then stood up, stepped out of the carriage, and stood on the seat of the carriage. Prince Yong also came out and stood behind her.
When Luo Hu saw Zhao Shu come out, he was excited. He only glanced at her before laughing. His face was so dirty that it revealed a set of white teeth, but he didn't look stupid. Instead, he had a carefree air about him.
"Brother Luo, what happened to you?" Prince Yong asked. He recognized Luo Hu as well; the group knew each other.
Luo Hu cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "It's been many years since we last met. Your Highness's demeanor remains as elegant as ever, while I, your elder brother, have grown old. With Brother Jiang no longer here, Your Highness, please take care. Farewell, may we both find peace and happiness wherever we are."
After he finished speaking, he gave Zhao Shu a deep look, waved his hand, and walked away.
Zhao Shu hurriedly lifted her skirt and jumped off the carriage to chase after him. After running a few steps, she turned around and said to Prince Yong, who was about to catch up, "Father, A-Jun will be right back. Don't worry, many people are protecting me."
Duo Zi bowed to Prince Yong and followed Zhao Shu at a respectful distance.
Luo Hu moved quickly and soon left the entourage, arriving at the nearby woods. Zhao Shu chased after him, and he stopped helplessly. "I wonder why the princess is chasing after me?"
Zhao Shu smiled faintly and looked directly at Luo Hu. "I would like to ask you, sir, to help my elder brother, the Crown Prince, to conquer the world and compete with all the heroes. I wonder if you still have confidence in yourself?" She got straight to the point. Luo Hu was a poet with a kind of frivolous romanticism. To put it nicely, she was no match for him. But she was afraid that being cryptic would backfire. So she went straight to the point.
Upon hearing her words, Luo Hu threw his head back and burst into laughter. After laughing, he said, "That's delightful! The princess may not look like Brother Jiang, but her personality is exactly like his, hahaha." After laughing, he shook his head. "Could the princess be the crown prince?"
Zhao Shu was extremely pleased with his words. Having a mother who didn't follow the rules of etiquette made things much easier and prevented people from questioning her. She shook her head and said, "No, but I can recommend him. He is the legitimate son of the Crown Prince and has made great contributions to Dayong. I ask you to help him." She bowed deeply, her attitude sincere.
The Crown Prince has Liu Huan alone; how could that be enough?
Luo Hu smiled faintly. Over the years, it wasn't that he couldn't obtain an official position, but rather that he was deeply disappointed with the current court. On the surface, everything seemed harmonious and prosperous, with the royal family still at the top. However, in reality, powerful families and noble clans were carving up their own territories, and meritorious generals were acting independently. The imperial family and princes were restless and ready to wage war at any moment. In that case, it would be the ordinary people who would suffer. He didn't have a noble background; he came from an ordinary family and knew all too well what war would bring to the people—a catastrophe.
Seeing that he didn't answer, Zhao Shu continued, "Sir, if you're worried that your efforts will all be in vain, why don't you become my teacher? With the Yong Prince's Mansion as your backing, you can fully display your talents and ambitions. If you fail miserably, well..." She smiled, "Has the sir already lost his ambition? Even with the Yong Prince's Mansion as your backing, you dare not gamble with fate?"
Luo Hu laughed and asked Zhao Shu, "The Prince Yong's Mansion as a backer? Does the Princess really think the Prince Yong's Mansion can be a backer?"
"Even if the Prince Yong's family stakes their lives, are you still afraid, sir?" Zhao Shu asked rhetorically, but did not point to his answer. "The entire court recommended my father to tour the country on behalf of the emperor. Would they dare to contradict themselves? My father is now renowned, virtuous, and talented. Tell me, among the princes, who can compare to him? If you look down on my father, then it is as if I had never been here today, never met you. The Four Princes of Mingde are nothing more than that."
The only advantage of being able to tour the world on behalf of the emperor, besides the glory, is that one will be deified, and those who recommend him cannot contradict themselves.
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