The picture in Fang Shan's mind was very beautiful. Wei Sushen was hugging the Princess of Yuexiu Kingdom on his left, and hugging himself with his right arm, while enjoying the service of two beauties.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but lick his lips with the tip of his tongue. The prince would surely enjoy having the soft and fragrant beauty in his arms.
On the other side, Wei Sushen was still staring at the guqin, when he suddenly felt a cool breeze penetrate his neck and instantly spread throughout his body. He looked up and met Fang Shan's unfathomable gaze.
Frowning, the Queen Mother spoke just before he did, "The princess has just arrived. If you have time, you can show her around."
Wei Sushen nodded, then continued to look at the guqin.
The Queen Mother now gets a headache reflexively whenever she sees the zither, and asks the nanny beside her to take it away.
"Wait a minute." Wei Sushen waved his hand, stopping the nanny's movements, and said to the young eunuch who followed him, "Take him back."
Mammy was at a loss for what to do. She could only look at the Queen Mother, who asked curiously, "What do you want with a broken zither?"
While the Queen Mother was asking the question, she actually had the answer in her heart: know shame and then be brave.
Wei Sushen said seriously, "Since I have played it, it is a zither in this palace, whether in life or death."
The empress dowager's kind smile froze for a moment. She couldn't think of what to say and watched the young eunuch wrap up the zither.
Wei Sushen remained calm, stroking the qin through the cloth, his gaze etched with fascination. To an uninformed observer, they would have mistaken him for someone who truly understood and loved the qin.
Fang Shan shook his head, accidentally catching a glimpse of the blush on the face of the Princess of Yuexiu Kingdom, and couldn't help revealing a bit of surprise in his eyes. At this moment, he ignored his position and leaned over to ask curiously, "Princess, don't you think the prince's behavior is strange?"
"What do you know?" Princess Yuexiu said, her admiration undisguised. "If you like something, you should keep it with you."
Fang Shan raised his eyebrows, thinking of what Chen Yan said, that there were many witch doctors in Yuexiu, and their methods were relatively inferior, whether on the battlefield or in daily life. For them, robbing by force was normal.
The prince just fits the aesthetic taste of the Princess of Yuexiu.
Wei Sushen then said to the Queen Mother, "After Mingyue is repaired, my grandson will go boating on the lake, playing the zither while enjoying the scenery. The princess and Miss Chen can also come."
The Princess of Yuexiu smiled and nodded, while Fang Shan forced a smile and said, "How could this be so fortunate of yours truly?"
Wei Sushen: "You do."
“…”
The Queen Mother looked at Fang Shan's expression and couldn't help but feel distressed. The girl's face was already pale, and after hearing the prince's words, it turned even paler, showing that she was truly afraid of the prince's music. In fact, it wasn't just him who was afraid; the Queen Mother herself was also frightened.
He continued talking with the two women for a while, during which time Wei Sushen stood up and left first. Fang Shan glanced at him and saw that he had not gone far when a young eunuch hurriedly ran up to Wei Sushen, who then changed direction and headed towards the imperial study.
·
In the imperial study, the palace maids had just cut a few branches of flowers and put them in a vase, adding a touch of spring to the originally deserted and quiet imperial study.
When Wei Sushen entered, Emperor Chengyuan was staring at the flower branch, scissors away from the excess, leaving only a single, beautiful flower. Turning back, the first thing Emperor Chengyuan looked at was his hands. It was hard to believe that such beautiful hands could produce such an unpleasant melody.
"What do you think of the Princess of Yuexiu?" Emperor Chengyuan asked very directly.
Wei Sushen: "I retain my original opinion."
Emperor Chengyuan recalled: "What do you think?"
"The waist isn't soft enough, the smile isn't pretty enough."
The corner of Emperor Chengyuan's mouth twitched. Chen Liuliu was quite flexible and could easily lift a stone pillar and walk around.
Despite thinking about it, he still asked, "What about the girl from the Chen family?"
Wei Sushen used two words to describe it: "Dangerous."
Emperor Chengyuan couldn't help but smile, thinking that he was frightened by Chen Liuliu splitting the stone pillar with his bare hands. Little did he know that Wei Sushen was defining Fang Shan completely from the bottom of his heart.
"I called you here because I have an important matter for you to do." Emperor Chengyuan's smile faded, and he pushed the vase aside. His tone was less benevolent than that of a father, and more solemn than that of a superior. "I had intended to ask you to do this a year ago, but unfortunately you were not steady enough then."
Wei Sushen stood quietly to the side, appearing to be listening attentively. Emperor Chengyuan didn't consider how much truth was mixed into this well-behaved state. He said seriously, "No emperor's throne is absolutely stable. What is the most important thing to maintain a stable seat?"
Wei Sushen thought for a moment: "Military power and the hearts of the people."
Emperor Chengyuan curled his lips in satisfaction: "Not bad, but we still need to have our own information channels."
Wei Sushen raised his eyebrows slightly, with a hint of interest in his eyes.
Emperor Chengyuan: "I dare to hand over some military power to Chen Yan. Trust is one aspect, but it cannot be said to be absolute trust."
This is easy to understand. In the royal family, even the gap between father and son cannot be said to be completely free of rifts, let alone between a general who holds a large army and an emperor who wants to consolidate his royal power.
"But blindly guarding against checks and balances can easily backfire," Emperor Chengyuan said slowly. "A comprehensive information channel can largely resolve some of the problems."
Wei Sushen: "You want to give it to me?"
"You wish."
“…”
Emperor Chengyuan said helplessly: "There is no free lunch in the world. If you want to get it, you must prove that you are qualified to have it."
Wei Sushen: "Father's intention is..."
"Build a force of your own," Emperor Chengyuan said. "It doesn't have to be too powerful, but you must not exploit your status as Crown Prince."
They were all smart people, and Wei Sushen understood immediately: "One month."
Emperor Chengyuan: "You still have five months." He looked at him meaningfully and said: "Concubine Li's due date is still five months away."
Wei Sushen nodded slightly and walked out.
After he left, Emperor Chengyuan looked at the other person in the imperial study. The chief eunuch who had been accompanying Emperor Chengyuan pretended not to hear anything.
Emperor Chengyuan sneered: "I know you are not yet to the point of being blind, let alone deaf."
The eunuch was speaking pleasant, polite words, but Emperor Chengyuan interrupted his compliments and said calmly, "A proper sense of crisis can make the Crown Prince even better."
The eunuch said cautiously, "Your Majesty is very prudent, but Your Highness is young after all. Isn't such a short time a bit..."
Emperor Chengyuan glanced at him and the eunuch quickly shut up.
"It's normal if he can't do it well." Emperor Chengyuan said slowly, "He is still young. If he can't do it well, I can teach him slowly."
Eunuch: "Then Concubine Li..." He subconsciously continued the conversation and then realized that he had spoken out of turn. He quickly knelt down and begged for mercy: "Your servant spoke too much!"
Emperor Chengyuan did not get angry as expected. He tapped his fingers casually on the table and said, "It will take another ten years for Concubine Li's child to grow up. I don't have the energy to take care of her anymore."
The eunuch looked respectful and agreed with Emperor Chengyuan, but he was sneering in his heart: To put it bluntly, it's just double standards.
·
As expected, when Wei Sushen arrived at the Eastern Palace, he saw Fang Shan, who had been waiting outside for a long time. He was holding a small medicine box, standing under a green tree to avoid the scorching sun. The scent of his cosmetics was completely gone, and only the faint smell of medicine drifted on the wind could be smelled.
Wei Sushen suddenly smiled without even realizing it. The system was very good at paying attention to details. No one would associate the person in front of them with the delicate Chen Liuliu.
Fang Shan politely bowed and said, "I am here to take your pulse."
Seeing his pretense, Wei Sushen said "Come in" and walked into the hall first.
Fang Shan followed behind him with his hands hanging down, as if he was afraid of the prince's power.
"Your desire to perform should be put to rest." Wei Sushen poured two cups of tea and looked at him with a hint of amusement: "Was the flower viewing banquet interesting?"
Fang Shan took the tea he handed over and drank it all in one gulp, while looking confused: "What's not interesting?"
Wei Sushen laughed out loud, a smile that really reached his eyes. He was probably sighing at Fang Shan's stubbornness. It was obvious that his vest was so loose that only a layer of fig leaf was left, but he still didn't forget to cover it up.
Wei Sushen: "Miss Chen Liuliu, do we need to have a good talk?"
Fang Shan avoided any meaningless communication other than romantic talk, and no longer denied the use of the fake account. He simply said, "This identity is very convenient."
Wei Sushen raised his eyebrows: "What other use is there for a general's sister besides arousing the emperor's suspicion?"
"There's a lot of room for improvement." Fang Shan said with a smile, "After reaching a higher level, you'll become the Crown Princess."
Wei Sushen uttered a light "huh" and after a moment, he continued, "The Queen Mother meant for me to bring a beautiful woman with me. With you here, the Princess of Yuexiu will be more restrained."
At the end, he talked about how Emperor Chengyuan asked him to form a force.
"This is a good thing." Fang Shan said, "The host can legitimately take control of some of the power."
Wei Sushen: "But there must be a starting point."
Fang Shan suddenly realized, "You haven't decided what to do yet?"
Wei Sushen nodded, finding a good entry point would achieve twice the result with half the effort.
Fang Shan: "The easiest thing to build is an intelligence network." Secret guards and the like still need training, and it can't be accomplished overnight.
Wei Sushen thought the same as him: "It's a pity that the investment in the restaurant is too huge."
Even the crown prince has his share of food, clothing and other expenses. There are many good things in the Eastern Palace, and any one of them is worth a fortune, but pawnshops outside dare not accept them.
Fang Shan: "And there's a brothel."
Wei Sushen knew that he would mention this plan, and his fingers had already touched his eyebrows and pressed hard.
Fang Shan said seriously, "A brothel is a place with high returns. Please don't be too rigid about formalities."
Wei Sushen saw through his thoughts and sneered, "Don't tell me you want to go into battle yourself?"
Fang Shan licked his lips and said, "Of all the professions, I think I have a lot of potential as a brothel owner."
Wei Sushen patted his shoulder, glanced at Fang Shan calmly, and said word by word, "Give up this idea."
Having decided to let him go, Emperor Chengyuan did not restrict the Crown Prince from leaving the palace, but simply instructed him to bring his guards with him. The next day, Fang Shan found an inn just outside the palace gates. When he emerged, he looked neither Doctor Zhang nor Chen Liuliu. Judging from his appearance, he resembled a flamboyantly dressed, masked woman.
Wei Sushen knew immediately that he hadn't given up on his dream of becoming a brothel owner. According to the system's nature, the more it prevented him from doing something, the more he would become more motivated. Thinking it over, and realizing he couldn't keep him under his watch every day, Wei Sushen warned, "Don't overdo it."
Fang Shan nodded obediently at first, then looked at him without blinking: "Let's encourage each other."
After looking at each other, the two went in opposite directions, as if they were going to part ways.
On the bustling street, across from a bustling teahouse and a clothing shop, Wei Sushen stood beneath the eaves, pondering where to start. Fang Shan's figure was no longer visible in the distance, but the distance didn't disrupt their tacit understanding. It was as if Wei Sushen knew Fang Shan would inevitably start his business with the intention of outdoing him.
"Childish." Wei Sushen sneered, and then made up his mind that he must not be worse than the other party.
His eyes wandered around the street and finally locked onto a place. Wei Sushen hesitated for a second, but finally walked in.
…
The day passed quickly.
Wei Sushen hurried back home before curfew. He was already a little exhausted, and as he closed the window, he unexpectedly saw a cicada clinging motionlessly to the bark of a tree. A sudden rumble of thunder in the sky signaled the arrival of a summer downpour. Wei Sushen's eyes flickered, and he pushed open the palace door and walked out.
The eunuch guarding the door quickly stood up to stop him: "Your Highness, it's about to rain, you..."
Wei Sushen waved his hand, signaling him to step aside.
The golden cicada was extremely quiet, not moving at all. Even when someone approached it, it remained unmoved, as if it had been dead for a long time.
Wei Sushen took the cicada down and walked back to his bedroom under the young eunuch's surprised gaze. The heavy carved door blocked out the lightning and thunder outside. Wei Sushen placed the cicada on the table, not worried at all that it would escape.
After observing it for a moment, he brushed its wings with his hand, finding them very soft. He then placed the cicada in his palm, carefully examining its features. Finally, his gaze settled on its pointed beak, and his voice turned cold: "666."
Fang Shan swore that at this moment he could hear a hint of gnashing teeth in the host's tone. He had no choice but to throw on another disguise and admit, "The host can still recognize me even after I've become like this. It shows that this is true love."
Wei Sushen did not feel proud at all for exposing the system. On the contrary, there was only a fine line between genius and madness. He felt that he had crossed that line and successfully joined the ranks of madmen.
It was nothing special. At that moment, he clearly saw Fang Shan's shadow in Jin Chan. If this continued, he would be able to recognize him even if he turned to ash.
Jin Chan sat cross-legged in a strange position, staring at Wei Sushen: "What kind of work did the host find?"
Wei Sushen was silent: "Restaurant."
Fang Shan: "Are you the boss?"
Wei Sushen nodded: "The boss is a part-time job."
Fang Shan asked tentatively: "Then what is it mainly for..."
What responded to him was silence again. Fang Shan asked several times until his voice became hoarse. When he couldn't help but bend down to drink water, he suddenly heard three cold and desolate words: storyteller.
"Puff--" Fortunately, his current physical state is that of a golden cicada, and not much water can be sprayed out of his small pointed mouth.
Wei Sushen muttered to himself, "I've formed a team of storytellers. They'll surely be of great use in the future."
Fang Shan nodded with a complicated look in his eyes. "Emperor Chengyuan will certainly be pleased." He was the first person in history to develop his talent for chatterboxing to this extent. The two of them stared at each other in silence. After a moment, Fang Shan spoke first, "How do you grasp this profession?"
After all, Wei Sushen is not a talkative person by nature.
Wei Sushen said calmly, "The description of the appearance is 800 words. If you run out of words, add some erotic scenes."
Fang Shan's throat moved: "The government didn't arrest you?"
Wei Sushen: "I gave you a heads up."
Fang Shan pursed his lips, his eyes becoming more complicated: "I'm optimistic about you."
Wei Sushen was exceptionally calm, his expression as if he were a hermit: "I know."
“…”
When it comes to the word "imperial power", even the most ordinary days will be turbulent.
Wei Sushen's career as a storyteller had just begun to take off, and Fang Shan was doing well as a brothel madam. It was at this time that news came that the emperor wanted to summon the envoy of Yuexiu State.
The Yuexiu Kingdom's envoys had been escorting the princess to the capital for some time, but the fact that Emperor Chengyuan had only just formally summoned them sparked speculation. If he were to suggest dissatisfaction with Yuexiu, the envoys were fed and clothed according to royal standards, and the princess even attended a flower-viewing banquet, suggesting she might become a future Crown Princess. Yet, Emperor Chengyuan had simply ignored them, refusing to inquire about Yuexiu Kingdom's progress for some time.
When Fang Shan heard the news, he couldn't figure out Emperor Chengyuan's intention for a moment, so he asked Wei Sushen, "Is this playing hard to get?"
"It's just a combination of kindness and force." Wei Sushen said, "The Yuexiu people are still traitors and seem to want to use this meeting to do something."
Fang Shan raised his eyebrows and said, "How audacious!"
Wei Sushen laughed: "It's not that they want to kill or burn people. According to my guess, it is very likely that they want to indirectly prove their strength."
Fang Shan nodded in understanding. "So that Emperor Chengyuan would be wary and not dare to act rashly?"
Wei Sushen nodded: "This time the envoys are summoned, I'm sure there will be a good show to watch."
Fang Shan pointed at himself and asked, "Is there room for me to appear?" He seemed to be asking, but secretly he was already imagining a new identity.
Wei Sushen interrupted his idea: "You will be there that day too."
While Fang Shan was lost in thought, Wei Sushen spoke up, "The Princess of Yuexiu claims she's new here and isn't feeling well, so she wants to get to know more noble ladies in the capital."
A dark light flashed across Fang Shan's eyes: "You're just as good at lying as I am."
Wei Sushen: "This meeting is not formal. It would be more appropriate to call it a dinner party."
Fang Shan's eyes lit up. "The ministers brought their wives and daughters with them, eating, drinking, and having fun with singing and dancing. Just like the New Year?"
Wei Sushen looked at him deeply and said, "You can describe it as cultural exchange."
After knowing the news in advance, Fang Shan left the palace early to make preparations.
To the General's Mansion, the young lady was a mysterious figure, and even those in the mansion would rarely see her for a long time. Fortunately, most of the people in Chen Yan's mansion were retired veterans, and they kept their mouths shut, so no one discussed the matter.
When Chen Yan saw Fang Shan again, his left eyelid kept twitching. After the flower viewing banquet, he thought that their cooperation relationship had come to an end, but who would have thought that they would meet again.
Fang Shan smiled as gently as the spring breeze. It had rained heavily last night, and the breeze seemed to have blown away the smile between his brows.
Just like Chen Yan’s mood at the moment, as cold as water.
The details of the flower viewing banquet were not leaked. Chen Yan only knew that His Majesty intended to create the illusion of choosing a Crown Princess between Fang Shan and the Princess of Yuexiu Kingdom in order to temporarily stabilize Yuexiu Kingdom.
"His Majesty will not appoint a Crown Princess in the near future. Your goal has been half achieved."
"It's not enough," Fang Shan lowered his head to hide the smile in his eyes: "This is just the beginning."
The two stood in the courtyard in a delicate standoff. Fang Shan doubled down on his strategy: "The Princess of Yuexiu now sees me as her greatest enemy in her quest for the Crown Princess position. If she concentrates on dealing with me, the General might avoid a lot of trouble."
Chen Yan looked at him seriously and said, "But I think you are the trouble itself."
Fang Shan smiled at him, as if she had anticipated Chen Yan's final decision. As he wished, the latter continued to tolerate his status as the general's sister. Between Fang Shan and the potential threat posed by Yuexiu State, Chen Yan chose the former.
Unlike the flower viewing banquet and the reception of the envoys, Fang Shan was to enter the palace with Chen Yan. Although Chen Yan repeatedly told him to dress modestly, after the initial surprise when he saw Fang Shan dressed up, the vein on his forehead could not help but jump.
Putting aside his handsome face, the clothes he wore were extremely exotic and colorful, perfectly outlining the curves of his body.
——This is the clothing of Yuexiu Kingdom.
Chen Yan narrowed his eyes: "Are you sure you want to wear this?"
Fang Shan asked back: "Why not?"
He liked this kind of clothing very much. It was as bright and colorful as the tail feathers of a rooster.
After asking, without waiting for Chen Yan to speak, he chuckled softly and said, "The Princess of Yuexiu and I hit it off right away and became close friends. I wore this dress so that the Princess could relax and not feel restrained."
Chen Yan: "Speak human language."
Fang Shan said solemnly, "She's the ugliest one wearing the same clothes."
“…”
Chen Yan sighed, gave up on saving his distorted values, and walked over to the carriage: "Get in."
In Fang Shan's memory, the meeting with the envoy should have been on a nice day, with both sides in the hall, and the envoys presenting gifts to express peaceful exchanges, but it shouldn't have been... so lively.
The carriage was parked outside the palace gate as usual. Today the palace exuded a festive atmosphere and everyone looked joyful.
Fang Shan followed behind Chen Yan and whispered, "It seems like they want to be friends forever."
Chen Yan: "Although Yuexiu State has shown goodwill before, this is the first time they have sent an envoy."
Fang Shan caught a glimpse of many princes and nobles. If the Princess of Yuexiu Kingdom had not become the Crown Princess, it is very likely that she would have married a prince.
Someone was walking towards them not far away, and Fang Shan guessed that they were going to greet Chen Yan. He lowered his voice and said, "When you introduce me later, remember to include the description of me as the most beautiful woman in the capital."
Chen Yan's expression froze for a moment, but after hearing the voice of "General Chen", he barely returned to normal.
The minister who came over had a good-natured look on his face: "I haven't seen you for a few years. General Chen has become a young hero. I am really envious of him."
Age is a fatal flaw. If he wants to move up further, he will be powerless.
Chen Yan said calmly, "Don't be sad, sir. You are just a hero in your twilight years."
The minister forced a smile and said, "General Chen...you're still good at chatting as always."
As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Fang Shan and was slightly surprised to see him wearing exotic clothing, but quickly said, "I'm afraid that the Princess of Yuexiu Kingdom would be far inferior to you in this outfit."
Fang Shan remembered the minister's appearance and thought he had good taste and would not treat him unfairly in the future.
After exchanging pleasantries, the minister finally ran out of things to talk about and made an excuse to join his colleagues. Chen Yan was a man of few words, a fact Fang Shan had already witnessed. Earlier, this general had even dared to confront Emperor Chengyuan.
Along the way, many people greeted him, and Chen Yan's attitude was extremely aggressive.
On second thought, this is also a way of being an official. Chen Yan does not make friends with any ministers, which to some extent can reassure Emperor Chengyuan.
Fang Shan benefited from his influence and sat very close to the front. The ministers sat mostly on the left, while the right was mostly occupied by princesses and princes.
She twisted her waist slightly, her eyes wandering around, her look shy yet seductive, attracting a lot of attention.
Emperor Chengyuan is not as majestic as before, and is more like a gentle elder.
The palace is full of drama queens. Fang Shan accidentally met Wei Sushen's gaze and was about to twist his waist a few more times when Emperor Chengyuan suddenly spoke up and asked about his attire.
Fang Shan brought out the excuse he had prepared long ago, and Emperor Chengyuan said with a half-smile, "You hit it off right away?"
Fang Shan nodded sincerely, and looked at the Princess of Yuexiu Kingdom with a pretentious look. The latter wanted to tear him into pieces in her heart, but the same smile appeared on her face.
Emperor Chengyuan said: "Since we are friends, there is no need to be so rigid. Let's sit together and chat more, young people."
Fang Shan smiled as usual, walked over and affectionately took the arm of the Princess of Yuexiu Kingdom, with a sweet and innocent look on her face: "It's been a few days since we last met, and you look even prettier."
Princess Yuexiu suppressed the nausea in her stomach and poured him some water herself: "Sister is the most beautiful one."
Emperor Chengyuan sat on the high throne, thinking that he could watch this drama for another five hundred years.
Although everyone had their own ulterior motives, the scene was surprisingly harmonious.
Emperor Chengyuan raised his glass, and everyone stood up immediately: "Cheers to our friends from afar."
The word "friend" was used in a subtle way. Everyone looked at each other and drank the wine in their glasses.
When they sat down again, only the envoy from Yuexiu Kingdom was still standing. He had a handsome face and spoke in a feminine voice: "Your Majesty, if it's just drinking and dancing, it would be boring. How about adding some fun?"
Emperor Chengyuan remained calm and listened to him with a faint smile.
The envoy looked around and said, "I have long heard that the Great Wei is full of talented people, all of whom are both civil and military. If Your Majesty allows, the men of Yuexiu would also like to have a fight and see for themselves."
Emperor Chengyuan put down his wine glass and asked, "Where's the prize?"
The envoy presented a wooden box, inside of which was a fist-sized pearl, gleaming with a warm color, and it was obvious that it was no ordinary object.
Emperor Chengyuan just glanced at it and seemed uninterested.
During the silence, the envoy couldn't help feeling a little nervous.
However, after a short while, Emperor Chengyuan slowly said, "I agree."
The envoy breathed a sigh of relief and turned his head slightly. A thin young man walked out from behind him.
Emperor Chengyuan stared at the young man with great interest: "What are you good at?"
The young man bowed and said, "Strength."
Upon hearing this, more attention was focused on his overly thin figure, which seemed a bit ridiculous.
Faced with the doubts, the young man walked to the side silently, hugged a tree, and with a little force, the tree was uprooted.
Amidst the crowd's exclamations, the envoy bowed once more to Emperor Chengyuan and said, "This child has left Yuexiu for the first time and doesn't know the rules. Please don't be offended, Your Majesty."
"It's just a tree." Emperor Chengyuan waved his hand dismissively. "But if that's all you have, you're probably going to lose."
The envoy frowned, but Emperor Chengyuan didn't give him a chance to speak. He glanced at Chen Yan and said, "My dear Chen."
Chen Yan stood up: "I am here."
Emperor Chengyuan: "Let the envoy witness the unique skill of your Chen family, the ability to crush rocks with one's chest."
“…”
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