The hustle and bustle of White Robe Lane was different from that of Red Robe Lane.
The establishments in Red Robe Lane were called brothels, teahouses, or pleasure houses, while the ones here in White Robe Lane were known as "Elegant Singing Pavilions."
White Robe Lane was paved with clean, neatly laid bricks, some even carved with intricate patterns of plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums.
There were no voices calling out to attract customers, nor were there any alluring women leaning over the railings on the second floor to beckon passersby.
Instead, the air was filled with the soothing sounds of zithers and lutes drifting from the buildings and courtyards.
The women's singing voices were melodious and enchanting, stirring the hearts of those who listened.
One could hear their voices but not see their faces, as if they were holding pipas, hiding their appearances.
Chen Ji opened his eyes, and a golden sunflower seed fell heavily into his palm.
He hadn't intentionally waited for the seed to fall before opening his eyes; it was just that he had been knocked down again by the giant halberd-wielding warrior and was still trying to regain his senses...
At that moment, the commotion in front of the embroidered pavilion drew everyone's attention.
It was the arrival of the Chen family's carriage from Luocheng.
A spacious carriage stopped at the entrance, and Chen Wenzong, Chen Wenxiao, and Lin Chaojing stepped out together, chatting and laughing as they approached the table.
Chen Wenzong smiled and asked, "Brother Chaojing, should you go first, or shall I? Just one poem will allow four people to enter. Either of us can handle it."
His tone was confident, as if it were an easy task.
Lin Chaojing smiled modestly and said, "Of course, it should be you, Brother Wenzong. It's been over half a month since you left Donglin Academy, and I haven't had the chance to appreciate your poetry. I've missed it dearly. Have you written anything new recently?"
Chen Wenzong replied with a smile, "Indeed, I have."
The three scholars were elegant and refined.
Although the weather was turning cooler, they had already donned simple yet luxurious fur coats.
Among the various grades of fur, the white fox fur they wore was the most precious.
Liu Quxing, standing nearby, muttered under his breath, "It's not even winter yet, and they're already wearing fur coats. Aren't they afraid of overheating? Why don't they just carry a hand warmer while they're at it?"
In the next moment, however, a coachman behind Chen Wenzong helped him remove his fur coat, and he picked up a brush from the table, quickly writing four poems.
After finishing, he smiled at the two hostesses at the entrance of the pavilion.
"There are three of us, and we don't want to take advantage of Madam Liu. So, we'll exchange one poem each for a seat on the second floor."
One of the hostesses smiled and asked, "Why did you write an extra poem?"
"This one is a special gift for Madam Liu."
The onlookers cheered, praising Chen Wenzong for his refined and scholarly demeanor.
Chen Wenxiao smiled and said, "Brother, with your talent, you're sure to pass the provincial examination with flying colors!"
Chen Wenzong's expression darkened slightly.
"You should work hard too... Never mind, let's not spoil the mood today."
The hostess took the four poems upstairs, and after a short while, she returned to the entrance and said with a smile, "Our lady says that Young Master Wenzong's poems are cleverly written, capturing the essence of all four seasons. Please, the three of you, come upstairs!"
Bai Li, the princess, glanced at Chen Wenzong and then at Chen Ji.
"Your father is too biased."
Chen Ji smiled.
"It's fine. I'm doing quite well now."
The prince sighed.
"Your second brother, Chen Wenxiao, wasn't much better than me when he was at Donglin Academy. I even saw him at a tavern at the foot of the mountain. Now he's putting on airs. People only respect him because of Chen Wenzong."
Bai Li frowned.
"Brother, don't speak ill of others behind their backs!"
"I'm talking about Chen Wenxiao..."
"No one! It's not gentlemanly behavior! If you have a problem with him, you should confront him directly later!"
The prince raised his hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright, I won't say anything more..."
Just then, the hostess announced, "Everyone, there are only a few seats left on the second floor. If you have any poems, please bring them forward."
Hearing this, the prince grew anxious.
He leaned closer to Chen Ji and whispered, "Quick, quick, do you have any more poems?"
Chen Ji thought for a moment.
"Apart from the one earlier, we'll need two more. One golden sunflower seed won't be enough."
Bai Li took out another golden sunflower seed and placed it in his palm, complaining softly, "It's like making a wish to a Bodhisattva. You have to offer incense money."
The prince chuckled.
"Sister, when you offer incense money to a Bodhisattva, they might not respond. But when you give it to Chen Ji, he'll respond immediately. Just treat him like a Bodhisattva."
Chen Ji thought for a moment, then tucked the golden sunflower seed into his sleeve and whispered two lines of poetry to the prince.
Bai Li's eyes sparkled.
"Why are they only half-lines? It would be so much better if we could write the whole poem. What a pity... Hey, why are you sleeping again?!"
Chen Ji didn't answer her.
He had already returned to the battle on the green mountain.
The prince and Bai Li approached the embroidered pavilion, and someone recognized them.
"It's the prince and Princess Bai Li from the Jing Palace!"
Someone else whispered, "Is that the useless prince the Donglin scholars mentioned?"
"Shh! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"It's fine. The prince is kind-hearted. He won't hold it against you."
The world is a strange place.
The more wicked you are, the less people dare to mess with you.
But if you're a good person, everyone feels free to step on you.
The prince walked up to the table, picked up a brush, and confidently wrote two lines of poetry.
When it came to the third line, he lowered his voice and asked, "Bai Li, what was the third line again?"
"Thousands of birds have flown away..."
Only after Bai Li reminded him did the prince write the third line.
The prince set down the brush and looked up at the two hostesses.
"It's done. But I'm different from the others."
The hostesses had already heard about his identity from the onlookers and smiled as they asked, "May I ask, Your Highness, how are you different?"
The prince puffed out his chest proudly.
"Others need to write a whole poem to get in, but I only need half a line! Take it and show it to Madam Liu!"
The hostess was momentarily stunned but took the paper and hurried upstairs.
"I heard from a scholar who returned from Donglin Academy that this prince is always scolded by his teachers. Every day, he's either hunting wild chickens and rabbits in the mountains or sneaking down to the city to drink. Look at the group around him—they don't look like scholars at all. They're all carrying swords and knives, like country bumpkins."
"Madam Liu will probably let him in because of his status as a prince, right?"
"You don't understand. Once, on the Qinhuai River in Jinling, the Hu family's eldest grandson couldn't produce a poem but still wanted to board a boat. He caused a scene, and guess what happened?"
"What happened?"
"A young master from the Xu family beat him up and threw him into the Qinhuai River! So, if the prince wants to throw his weight around, he's in the wrong place. This Madam Liu is under the protection of the Xu family, who hold the position of Chief Grand Secretary. The Xu family doesn't need to show respect to a mere prince..."
As the crowd continued to gossip, the prince ignored them, waiting for the hostess to return.
He asked curiously, "Miss, what did Madam Liu say?"
The hostess smiled sweetly.
"Our lady says that Your Highness wasn't exaggerating. Your half-line is worth ten lines from others! Please, come upstairs!"
The crowd was shocked.
"The useless prince can write poetry?" The prince narrowed his eyes slightly, scanning the crowd to see who had spoken.
He was a handsome young man, wearing the black gauze hat of a prince and a robe embroidered with silver thread in a subtle dragon pattern.
When he stopped smiling, an air of authority naturally emanated from him, making him seem less like the carefree playboy he once was.
The person who had spoken wasn't foolish.
He had only dared to speak up because the crowd was chaotic.
Seeing the prince's barely concealed anger, he didn't dare to provoke him further and quickly hid in the crowd.
Someone in the crowd shouted, "Show us the poem the prince wrote! Let's see if Madam Liu is just letting him in because of his status!"
The prince remained silent for a moment, then laughed heartily, no longer caring about the criticism.
"Say what you will. I'm going upstairs, and you're not. That must really sting! Time for a drink!"
With a wave of his hand, he exuded the spirit of a carefree wanderer.
He ignored the crowd and turned excitedly to Liang Gou'er.
"Quick, quick, carry Chen Ji upstairs with us for a drink!"
Everyone's eyes turned to Chen Ji.
Why were they carrying someone who was asleep?
"Why are so many people carrying him?"
"Maybe he's disabled and can't walk?"
"How pitiful."
Liang Gou'er and Liang Mao'er carried the bamboo chair forward.
Liu Quxing chuckled.
"Chen Ji is going to become famous in Luocheng."
She Dengke couldn't bear it.
"Wouldn't it be better to leave him at a clinic? At least he wouldn't be called disabled."
Liang Gou'er said nonchalantly, "We're all part of the same brotherhood. How can we drink without him? It would be too lonely for him at the clinic. Let's drink until morning, then carry him up to the drum tower to watch the sunrise. That's the way to do it!"
By now, Chen Ji had died and revived once more, but hearing the chatter around him, he didn't have the courage to open his eyes...
He clenched his teeth and muttered, "Stop talking and just go!"
Liang Gou'er and Liu Quxing burst out laughing.
"So you're awake after all!"
As they entered the embroidered pavilion, the atmosphere inside was serene and elegant.
In the center of the hall was a small pond with a few koi fish swimming lazily.
Just as they were about to go upstairs, a beautiful maid descended the stairs.
The prince suddenly raised his hand, signaling Liang Gou'er and Liang Mao'er to stop in front of her.
The prince patted Chen Ji.
"Chen Ji, take a look at this young lady. She's quite beautiful."
The maid covered her mouth and giggled.
Chen Ji refused to open his eyes, unwilling to embarrass himself like this, but the prince stubbornly refused to move.
After what felt like an eternity, Chen Ji quickly opened his eyes, then shut them again, gritting his teeth.
"I've seen her. Let's go upstairs."
The prince laughed heartily.
"What's there to be shy about? Don't be so reserved!"
Chen Ji: "..."
You might not treat me like a disabled person, but you're not treating me like a human being either...
The prince walked beside the bamboo chair, teasing him.
"You're usually so calm. Why are you so shy today?"
Chen Ji turned to look at him.
"Were you carried here too?"
"Hahaha."
The group's laughter echoed through the pavilion, lingering in the air.
Chen Ji felt extremely awkward, but after a moment, he couldn't help but laugh too.
He cursed under his breath, "When I recover, I'm going to kill all of you."
......
On a street dozens of feet away, Jin Zhu and a spy disguised as a wealthy merchant were quietly observing the embroidered pavilion.
Jin Zhu whispered, "We need to keep a close eye on this pavilion. Luocheng is in a turbulent state right now, and today isn't an auspicious day. It's suspicious that they chose today to open. And why did Madam Liu, who was doing well in Jinling, suddenly come to Luocheng?"
"Sir, it's common for elegant singing pavilions in various cities to invite famous courtesans from the Qinhuai River in Jinling for their opening ceremonies. After all, everyone knows that the best courtesans are from the Qinhuai River."
Jin Zhu shook his head.
"No, no. We need to keep an eye on all unfamiliar faces appearing in Luocheng during this time. And this prince and princess—Donglin Academy closed a month ago. Even if it took them half a month to return by carriage, where were they and what were they doing during the other half? Investigate that."
"But in Luocheng, wouldn't provoking the Jing Palace be..."
Jin Zhu narrowed his eyes and sneered.
"Without the backing of the Jing Palace, would the Liu family dare to collude with the enemy? Even if they were to rebel, they'd need to find a new master. Without the Jing Prince, could the Liu family sit on the throne themselves? They're not worthy! The Xu, Chen, Qi, Hu, and Yang families would devour them!"
Jin Zhu understood one thing clearly: even if the Liu family succeeded in their rebellion, they couldn't sit on the throne.
They would need to choose someone else to take that seat.
So, who had they chosen? The Prince of Fu, the Prince of Qi, or the Prince of An? These three were all young and lacked the ability to rally the masses.
Only the Jing Prince had the qualifications to be the Liu family's backing.
As they spoke, Jin Zhu watched as Liang Gou'er and Liang Mao'er carried Chen Ji into the embroidered pavilion, with Princess Bai Li helping to hold the chair...
He rubbed his eyes.
"Did I eat something strange? Am I seeing things? Look, are Liang Mao'er and Liang Gou'er carrying Chen Ji?"
The spy replied hoarsely, "It's him."
Jin Zhu was even more shocked.
"This kid holds such a high position in the Jing Palace?! I need to visit him tomorrow and tell him to keep an eye on the prince and princess. We need to find evidence linking the palace to the Jing dynasty!"
......
On the second floor of the embroidered pavilion, the setup was peculiar: all the seats were separated by layers of gauze curtains hanging from the ceiling, creating a sense of isolation.
The prince was puzzled.
"What's the meaning of this? If we're all sitting behind these curtains, how are we supposed to see Madam Liu?"
A maid explained, "This is tonight's game. With the crisp autumn air, our lady has decided to make autumn the theme. Everyone must compose three poems related to autumn. The curtains around the seats have three layers. For each poem you write, one layer will be removed. Only after all three poems are written will you be able to see our lady."
The prince looked around and saw that the three layers of curtains around Chen Wenzong's seat had already been removed.
He had apparently finished all three poems.
In another seat, someone handed a piece of paper out from behind the curtains.
Soon, a maid came to remove the curtains, revealing Liu Mingxian sitting upright inside.
The prince instinctively looked at Chen Ji, but Chen Ji had already fallen asleep again.
He urged, "Bai Li, quick, offer some incense money!"
Princess Bai Li took out three golden sunflower seeds from her pouch and placed them in Chen Ji's palm.
But this time, Chen Ji, lying on the bamboo chair, didn't wake up.
The prince exclaimed softly, "Oh no, even money won't work. He's a true Bodhisattva!"
(End of Chapter)