The steward nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then said to Zhu Yunwen:
"Your Highness, the Minister of Rites has always been proud of his literary talent. This time, he suddenly invited you, and with so many scholars and talented men, things are probably not simple. He might do something to put you in a difficult position..."
Zhu Yunwen didn't care, and simply said something casually:
"Sometimes I really admire the audacity of these civil officials. They clearly don't have much ability, yet they like to do things that provoke people. Oh well, this just gives me an opportunity."
Zhu Yunwen was no fool; he understood that the Minister of Rites had set up this "Hundred Flowers Gathering" as a targeted event against him.
If he truly only wanted to organize such an event, he wouldn't have invited Zhu Yunwen.
Firstly, Zhu Yunwen himself lacked talent and reputation in the field; secondly, Zhu Yunwen could be considered the enemy of all civil officials at present.
This Minister of Rites couldn't possibly be trying to curry favor with Zhu Yunwen.
Then there is only one possibility: this is a trap set for Zhu Yunwen.
Once Zhu Yunwen goes there, he will be entering the game, and he will likely face attacks from the Minister of Rites regarding his literary talent and knowledge.
It is highly likely that they would deliberately make things difficult for Zhu Yuntong, causing him to lose face in front of the literati, thereby provoking dissatisfaction within the literati circle.
After all, to become the future crown prince, one must possess considerable talent and learning.
If one cannot convince others with talent and learning, one will only leave behind a bad reputation, which will have a great impact on Zhu Yunwen.
To put it bluntly, the purpose of inviting Zhu Yuntong this time was to make him appear unlearned in front of scholars and literati, thereby generating huge public opinion and letting the whole world know that this third prince is an ignorant and incompetent person.
How could such a person become the future emperor?
These civil officials had come to realize that it would be very difficult for them to bring down Zhu Yunwen in the imperial court.
So why not try a different approach, starting from another angle? That might just be an opportunity.
However, Zhu Yunwen was not afraid of such things at all. After getting dressed, he rode the horse prepared by his steward and, under the escort of several Imperial Guards, headed towards the famous Hundred Flowers Garden in the capital.
This Hundred Flowers Garden is a rather nice manor, and its owner is said to be quite learned in the capital.
This place is usually provided for literary talents to indulge in their refined pursuits, which is a pleasure in itself.
Upon arriving at the Hundred Flowers Garden, after identifying themselves, they were able to enter with ease.
The garden was very large, but as expected, all kinds of flowers in the garden had withered.
Despite this, the garden's layout and greenery are very beautiful, with small bridges and flowing water, as well as artificial hills and green plants. Although you are in the manor, it feels like you are in a natural paradise!
After walking a few steps, there was a small bridge ahead. Under the bridge was a man-made stream that connected to the Shangjing River outside, so the water was extremely clear.
There are some pavilions on both sides, and the scenery around the pavilions is beautiful.
Various beautiful trees create a very artistic atmosphere in the surrounding area.
Zhu Yunwen was also captivated by the scenery and couldn't help but nod slightly and say:
"This is a really nice place."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a large pavilion under the bridge ahead.
Inside the pavilion sat about thirty relatively young men.
On the other side sat more than twenty very beautiful young women.
These talented men and beautiful women sat facing each other across a corridor.
The men are drinking and chatting happily, or discussing a classic text from a book.
The ladies were arranging flowers in front of them, with plum blossoms being the most numerous.
Every now and then, they would hold the flowers in their hands, cover their mouths and laugh, and chat with the woman next to them about a certain talented man across from them.
Clearly, the actions and expressions of these talented men, holding books and talking eloquently, or frequently expressing their feelings about the poems of some ancient poets, perfectly attracted the attention of these family members.
Zhu Yunwen didn't find this scene funny at all.
He wondered to himself, were those talented scholars really discussing classical poetry?
The idea that men understand men best is just an act.
Otherwise, why would their gazes keep drifting towards the beautiful woman opposite them?
Especially when they noticed a beautiful woman staring at them, their confident and eloquent demeanor only increased.
This scene elicited a disdainful sneer from Zhu Yunwen, who said:
"They're just a bunch of people who seek fame and fortune."
At this moment, someone discovered Zhu Yunwen's presence; he was a man in his late twenties.
He was dressed in white, with a pure white belt around his waist and a flawless jade pendant hanging from it.
In this cold season, he was even holding a fan in his hand. He patted the fan in his hand and walked towards Zhu Yunwen.
He gave Zhu Yunwen a perfunctory bow and said:
"So you are the Third Prince, oh no, you should now be called His Highness the Prince of Wu. It is an honor to have Your Highness arrive as promised."
Zhu Yunwen frowned and looked at the man speaking in front of him, thinking that this did not seem to be the Minister of Rites in the imperial court.
Then the man said, "By the way, Your Highness, my name is Li Sanxia, and I am the son of Li Yuanming, the Minister of Rites. My father is chatting with some elders in the back, so I came to greet Your Highness first."
Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly, without saying anything more.
Li Sanxia smiled again and said:
"Then Your Highness, please take a seat."
As she spoke, she led Zhu Yunwen to the pavilion across the small bridge. Zhu Yunwen's arrival immediately sparked discussion among the talented men and beautiful women present.
However, everyone's gaze toward Zhu Yunwen seemed to be somewhat disdainful and strange.
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