After returning to the Nanjing Embassy, Zhao Mian handed over the task of deciphering the jade brick texture to Zhou Huairang.
Zhou Huairang's face turned red with excitement and he almost cried for joy.
You know, the last time he was so favored by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was five years ago. His Royal Highness couldn't stand the Second Prince's noise and pestering, so when the Second Prince came to see him, he lied that he was out and sent himself to receive him. Then he was forced to chat with the chatty Second Prince for two hours, until his mouth was foaming and his throat was hoarse. He didn't want to say a word for two days.
After five years, he finally got to do something useful for His Highness. Oh my God—
Zhou Huairang immersed himself in ancient books, lived in seclusion, neglected sleep and food, and had no time to serve His Highness.
There is one less naive person by Zhao Mian's side, and one more Wei Zhenfeng.
With the previous experience, the two were worried that the other party had discovered the clues of the Xixia treasure but deliberately concealed it and acted without their knowledge. Instead of being suspicious, it is better to keep the other party under your own eyes, not only to monitor the other party's every move, but also to... feast your eyes.
Therefore, Prince Beiyuan moved into the Nanjing Embassy with peace of mind, and his room was right next to the Nanjing Crown Prince's study. Anyone who wanted to go to the study to discuss matters with the Crown Prince had to greet Prince Beiyuan twice, once when entering and once when leaving.
But the prince acquiesced to this. After all, surveillance was mutual, and Nan Jing knew exactly which of the Beiyuan envoys had asked to see the young prince, how long they had talked, and what their expressions were like.
After An Yuan Hou said "Young Prince is fine" six times in one day, he finally exploded: "Bei Yuan, this kid, is watching our prince too closely."
Rong Tang said calmly: "It has quite the style of Xiao Xiang."
An Yuanhou was confused: "What? I can't see any similarities between the young prince and Prime Minister Xiao."
Rong Tang said: "I'm only talking about the point of looking closely at people."
Anyuan Hou was a veteran of two dynasties in Nanjing. He had heard about some of the old events that happened in the palace twenty years ago. Seeing that there were no outsiders around, he lowered his voice and said, "Master Rong, it has been a long time since you have seen the emperor."
Rong Tang hummed, "It's been a long time."
Marquis Anyuan is a typical Nanjing military general. He is rough yet meticulous, with a bold temperament and a meticulous mind.
A man must be brave but not without strategy. This is the kind of military officer who would be valued by Prime Minister Xiao and sent to be by the prince's side.
Marquis Anyuan knew his place and smiled, "Who isn't? The last time I saw His Majesty was during his birthday celebration last year. I don't know how His Majesty has maintained himself, but he still looks the same as he did a dozen years ago."
Rong Tang smiled slightly, and the coldness around him faded a little: "That's good."
That day, Wei Zhenfeng saw Rong Tang, An Yuanhou and others enter Zhao Mian's study and stay there for half a day. It was a long time, definitely not just a casual chat or greeting.
Wei Zhenfeng stared at the tightly closed door, absentmindedly savoring the Dianchunzhi that only the wealthy and powerful in Nanjing could enjoy.
What conspiracy are these people from Nanjing plotting that they don't want him to know.
It was not until the evening that the door of Zhao Mian's study was opened again. Shen Buci walked out and said to Wei Zhenfeng, "Your Highness, His Highness wants to see you."
Wei Zhenfeng sneered: "Finally you remembered me?"
He walked into the study and immediately saw the seal of Gu Ruzhang on the table, which he had used to exchange for the antidote for the male and female poison. Zhao Mian sat behind the table, surrounded by ministers, looking rich and proud.
In front of outsiders, Wei Zhenfeng bowed politely: "Your Highness."
Zhao Mian nodded as a return gesture: "I invited Your Majesty here today to tell you that I intend to use Gu Ruzhang's seal to lure out the Xixia remnants lurking in the Eastern Tomb to see if I can find other clues about the Xixia treasures."
Wei Zhenfeng asked: "What does your highness plan to do?"
It would be beneath one's dignity to ask the crown prince to explain the situation in detail. In the absence of Zhou Huairang, Shen Buci took the initiative to take over and became the temporary mouthpiece for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince: "There is a music bureau in Kyoto called 'Lan Yue Xiang'."
Wei Zhenfeng waited for a while, but nothing came of it, so he had to ask himself: "And then?"
Shen Buci continued, "Lan Yue Xiang is where the powerful and wealthy in Kyoto gather."
"… And then?"
"If you have any rare treasures you want to sell, you can hand them over to Lan Yue Xiang for our guests to enjoy. Then Lan Yue Xiang will host the auction and the highest bidder will win."
No matter how Wei Zhenfeng thought about it, he felt that this was just a simple trick to lure the snake out of its hole. Even Zhou Huairang would not be fooled, let alone the Imperial City Division lurking in Dongling.
He said tactfully: "Your Highness, don't you think this fishhook is too straight? Anyone with a discerning eye will know that this is a trap set by Bei Yuan. Anyone who jumps into it is a fool."
"Yes," Zhao Mian said, "So the prince does not need to hide his identity. He can come to Lan Yue Xiang in person and let everyone know that the prince is the young prince of Bei Yuan. He should be arrogant and conceited, and the more attention he can draw, the better."
Wei Zhenfeng vaguely understood what Zhao Mian meant, and said slowly: "Could it be that your Highness's fishing hook is for 'stupid people'?"
"That's right. No matter how straight the hook is, there will always be hungry fish that will snatch the bait. Gu Shaodeng understands this." Zhao Mian smiled slightly, "And as the last member of the Gu family, it's impossible for him not to want to take back his uncle's 'relics'. It depends on how he takes it."
Wei Zhenfeng said with a smile: "Don't worry, Your Highness. Acting is what I am best at. I even suspect that I was an actor in my previous life."
Zhao Mian thought of Wei Zhenfeng's showmanship in killing fish, and said sincerely: "No doubt, you are it."
The twelfth day of every month is the busiest day in Lanyuexiang.
On this day, the wealthy and idle children of the capital gathered in Lanyuexiang, tasting fine wine, looking at beauties, and admiring treasures. Even during the days when the Nanjing army was approaching the border of Dongling, Lanyuexiang was still like a small city that never sleeps, as if to show the world that the capital of Dongling was as prosperous as ever.
In this huge city of Kyoto, if we were to say who had the most distinguished status, it would naturally be Empress Dowager Lu who was in charge of the government. Unfortunately, Empress Dowager Lu was not born in a good family. She was an orphan whose parents died early. Because of her good looks, she was adopted by the Lu family and became the Lu family's adopted son.
Some people also said that Empress Dowager Lu was not an adopted son, but the illegitimate son of the then head of the Lu family. Later, Lu Wang looked more and more like a male beauty who could bring disaster to the country and the people, so the head of the Lu family offered him to the late emperor who preferred men at that time.
As for how Lu Wang went from being a male favorite in the deep palace to becoming the master of Dongling, few people in the world know. But everyone knows that the first thing Queen Mother Lu did after she took power was to wipe out the entire Lu family.
The Lu family, a century-old family in Kyoto, vanished overnight. Hundreds of people in the Lu family, regardless of gender, age or status, were killed by Lu Wang.
The Queen Mother had no maternal family, the Emperor had not yet married, and there was no such thing as an imperial relative in the court, so the most honorable family in the Eastern Mausoleum was still the royal Xie family. Even though Emperor Ling Shao was only an emperor in name only, he was still the true emperor. In the capital, anyone with the surname Xie was more or less related to the royal family.
Xie Liangan is one of them.
Xie Liangan was twenty-eight years old this year. In terms of seniority, he was the cousin of Emperor Ling Shaodi. His father was a prince, and as the only son, he was also a prince. He was handsome and had a deep understanding of the ways of love. He was an old hand at women and was quite popular among the ladies in Lanyuexiang.
In the past, when Xie Liangan came to Lanyuexiang, he could sit in the best private room on the top floor at least seven out of ten times. But today, he was told by Madam Zhang, the head of the Jiaofang Department, that the private room had been reserved by a distinguished guest.
Xie Liangan was not angry either, he smiled and joked: "Who else's status can be more favored by my lady than this prince - it can't be my father, right?"
Madam Zhang smiled sweetly: "You will know when you see it later, my lord."
Madam Zhang took Xie Liangan to another private room on the top floor, just opposite the mysterious guest. Xie Liangan couldn't help but look across a few more times, but the door was always closed, and he could only see two guards guarding the door.
Xie Liangan had no choice but to give up. He asked Madam Zhang: "What treasures are worth cherishing today? Can you tell me in advance?"
Madam Zhang made a cup of tea for Xie Liangan and said the same thing: "You will know when you see it later, my lord."
When Xie Liangan took the teacup, he took the lady's delicate hand and said with a smile, "My lady, if you have nothing else to do, why don't you stay and accompany me?"
It was the coldest time of the year, but the Lanyue Room was warm as spring. There was a charcoal basin in the room for heating, tea was kept warm over the charcoal fire, and candied fruits and fruits could be roasted for eating.
Below the stage, the top lady of the Music Bureau was playing the piano alone among a cluster of flowers. The rippling sound of the piano was extremely captivating.
After the song was over, the lights in the Jiaofangsi were brightly lit, and the top lady took her zither and left. A table was placed on the stage. Following a crisp sound of bells, a graceful lady walked to the front of the stage holding an exquisite brocade box. Another aunt who was a little older opened the brocade box and said, "A pair of gold and jade double dragon bracelets playing with pearls—"
"An ancient Xixia Yaoqin—"
"Silver Leaf Jade Bonsai"
After looking at a few treasures, they were all common and vulgar things. Xie Liangan looked at them absent-mindedly and started to flirt with the beautiful woman who was accompanying him.
As their affection grew stronger, Madam Zhang suddenly sat up from Xie Liangan's arms. Xie Liangan lowered his head and asked her, "What's wrong?"
Madam Zhang pointed across with her round fan: "Look, my lord."
Xie Liangan looked in the direction she pointed. He saw that the door of the private room opposite had finally opened. A young man in luxurious clothes was sitting by the railing, with his chin supported by one hand, looking down at the stage, his long eyelashes swept down, and there was a teardrop mole in the middle of each eye.
Next to the young man stood a young man of the same age, who was equally extraordinary in bearing and handsome in appearance, but still two points inferior to the young man.
For a moment, Xie Liangan was stunned.
He prided himself on being a romantic and dashing man, but when he saw the young man for the first time, he felt a little ashamed of himself.
Xie Liangan couldn't help but exclaim: "Whose young man is this? He is so..."
Before he finished asking the question, he already had the answer in his mind.
At the age of seventeen or eighteen, with a pair of symmetrical teardrop moles under his eyes, who else could it be but the young Prince Beiyuan.
With such appearance and demeanor, plus all the rumors about the young man, eight words immediately popped up in Xie Liangan's mind - a child of destiny, unparalleled in the world.
Madam Zhang called him several times before Xie Liangan came to his senses and said, "The person next to him must be Master Xiao Jue from Nanjing."
Although Xie Liang'an had never met the envoys from Beiyuan and Nanjing before, he had heard about the unusual relationship between the young prince of Beiyuan and Lord Xiao.
As for how unusual it was, it was the kind of relationship where they were both infected with a male and female poison and were able to survive without an antidote.
Madam Zhang waved her round fan and said, "This Lord Xiao must be someone who can easily change his appearance."
Xie Liangan asked curiously: "How do you know?"
Madam Zhang smiled and said, "I grew up in the Imperial Music Bureau. What kind of people have I not seen? Sir Xiao's appearance does not match his figure. In my opinion, Sir Xiao's original appearance may not be inferior to that of the young prince."
Not only them, more and more people noticed the figure of the top boy. Most of the famous and powerful people in Kyoto knew each other. Who could resist asking about a strange handsome face who suddenly appeared
This inquiry caused an uproar in the audience.
"Is this the little prince of Beiyuan? No, isn't it said that he is ugly and can make children cry?"
"It is really sad and lamentable that a young prince from a neighboring country can walk around in my Dongling Capital with such a high arrogance and even surpass many young masters from aristocratic families!"
"What's the point of sighing in a place full of fireworks? If you really feel pathetic, you might as well get a tattoo of the four characters 'Serve the Country with Loyalty' and go guard the border."
"Hey, how can you talk like that? If you want to go, why don't you go?"
As luck would have it, the head aunt opened a smaller brocade box at this time, and then said loudly: "The seal of Gu Ruzhang, the last prime minister of Western Xia."
As soon as these words were spoken, the three floors of the Music Bureau fell silent. Everyone looked up, their eyes fixed on the young prince from the neighboring country.
Xie Liangan was also horrified, and whispered to Madam Zhang, "Is this Gu Ruzhang's seal something of the young prince?"
Madam Zhang covered her lips with her round fan and said, "Who else could it be except him?"
"Why would he display such an important thing in front of everyone..." Xie Liangan suddenly had an idea, "Could it be that he wanted to lure the snake out of its hole?"
Although Madam Zhang is a woman, she is not short of information of all sizes, true or false in Lanyuexiang. She has been immersed in it for a long time and can have a say in some things: "It is possible."
Xie Liangan was puzzled: "But this trap is too obvious, will those Xixia people fall for it?"
Madam Zhang smiled and said, "Perhaps the young prince just wanted to tell the world that the seal of Grand Tutor Gu is in his hands. If anyone wants to snatch it, he is always ready to help."
Xie Liangan looked at Madam Zhang's calm and composed face, and thought to himself that in his Dongling, a prostitute was actually much more knowledgeable than all the young men from noble families. How sad it was.
If their Xie family also had a Prince Beiheng, would Dongling still be ranked last among the Three Kingdoms
Thinking of this, Xie Liangan couldn't help but look at the young Prince Beiyuan.
Inadvertently, he discovered that Lord Xiao Jue was standing too close to the charcoal fire, and the steaming clay pot was only one step away from the back of Lord Xiao's hand.
Looking at Lord Xiao's jade-like complexion, Xie Liangan's old habit of being gentle and considerate of women came back. If the back of Lord Xiao's hand was really burned, it would be a pity to leave any scars.
Fortunately, the guard standing behind Lord Xiao seemed to have noticed this and was about to step forward to remind him, but was beaten to the punch by someone else.
But the young prince raised one hand, naturally put his arm around Lord Xiao's waist, and took him a little away from the pottery pot. However, his eyes were not looking at Lord Xiao, but at the stage downstairs from beginning to end.
This sense of careless romance stunned Xie Liangan. For a moment he couldn't tell whether the young prince was doing serious work or having fun at this moment.
In the silence, the head aunt spoke again: "The seal of Gu Ruzhang, the last prime minister of Western Xia."
Everyone looked at each other, no one dared to speak, let alone bid. In the decades since the Jiaofangsi was established, there has never been such a depressing atmosphere.
Finally, a chuckle broke the silence.
The young prince of Beiyuan sat at the highest point, looking down at everyone and sneering, "I thought this was an interesting object, and wanted to invite everyone from Dongling to appreciate it, but I didn't expect to disappoint you."
When he said this, the young prince still had his hand on Lord Xiao's waist, and he looked uninterested: "It's really boring."
After saying that, he let go of her hand, stood up and left.
Soon, the news that the young prince of Beiyuan visited Lanyuexiang and took out Gu Ruzhang's seal in public spread throughout the streets and alleys of Kyoto and became a topic of conversation among the powerful and wealthy.
According to legend, that night in the Lanyue Wharf, the young Prince Beiyuan stunned everyone and attracted everyone's attention. His every move attracted the attention of countless beautiful ladies.
What a pity, the young prince seems to only care about the important matters concerning Beiyuan.
(End of this chapter)