To be precise, he had instigated this matter, but Xie Yanfang didn’t take it seriously.
It was merely casually smearing some color on the Third Prince’s face.
As for Lady Chu—
Everyone faces various hardships in life. It’s not necessarily a bad thing for a young girl to learn some lessons early.
“She admitted defeat,” the elderly servant said, “but only after competing.”
The elderly servant called for Du Qi, who entered carrying a large box. The servant stepped forward to open it, pointing to the numerous booklets inside.
“These are Lady Chu’s calligraphy samples, debate topics, and chess game records.”
At first, no one took it seriously. Occasionally, someone with free time would record the content of Chu Zhao’s competitions, making their narrations more vivid when sharing the stories.
But before long, publishing houses began selling these compilations, with new editions released every three days.
“I’ve looked through them,” the elderly servant said. “Lady Chu has seriously practiced her calligraphy; it’s quite accomplished. She has also genuinely studied the classics, and must have had exceptional tutors.”
This girl was not the incompetent person rumors described.
Xie Yanfang said, “She was never incompetent. Otherwise, how would she dare to compete with my brother in front of everyone at the restaurant?”
He knew what had happened that day but hadn’t spared it a glance. Such spectacles weren’t worth his attention.
However, he had seen the girl as he was leaving.
Although he had never met Lady Chu before, when that girl walked over, he knew it was her.
“I’ve never met Chu Li, but I imagine Chu Li would be just like her,” he said. “Seemingly unremarkable, but wrapped in solitary courage.”
The elderly servant looked at him, waiting for him to say more, perhaps to examine these booklets or comment further on Lady Chu. But Xie Yanfang withdrew his gaze and continued reading the letters on his desk.
“Wei Shan is quite interesting,” he said. “He’s asking me for ten acres of land at the foot of Magpie Mountain.”
Wei Shan was the eldest son of the prestigious Wei family from Han Commandery. Xie Yanfang had asked him what gift he would like for his birthday, and Wei Shan had frankly made his request.
The elderly servant thought for a moment: “I know about this. Magpie Mountain has been privatized by the Wei family to be turned into a hunting ground where others are forbidden to approach. But mountain dwellers have lived at the base since ancient times, and these fields belong to them. However, if they’ve already seized the mountain, what’s stopping them from taking the fields?”
“Reputation,” Xie Yanfang said. “The mountain is government property; taking it is one thing. The fields belong to the common people; seizing them would look bad.”
The elderly servant muttered helplessly: “Why should they care? On the Wei family’s magnificent robe, what’s one more louse?”
Xie Yanfang put down the letter and said, “Let Yanlai go.”
The elderly servant asked, “What reason shall we give?”
Sending a family member out casually might arouse suspicion.
Xie Yanfang smiled faintly: “Tell the Liang family that the reason for refusing the marriage is that Yanlai finds Miss Liang unattractive.”
The elderly servant chuckled: “That’s true.” Then he sighed helplessly: “The Liang family has many sons. How could they stand by while their sister is insulted? Young Master Yanlai’s behavior does warrant him leaving to avoid trouble, but the Third Young Master will need to say more kind words to the Liang family.”
Xie Yanfang said, “As the eldest brother, it’s my duty. He’s not going out to enjoy himself. There happens to be a shipment passing through Han Commandery. Let him be responsible for escorting it, as punishment to redeem himself.”
The elderly servant responded affirmatively, saying: “The weather is dry. I will remind Young Master Yanlai not to be reckless with fire, lest he burn everything down. Losing the goods would be bad enough, but if people are hurt or villages destroyed, it would be a sin upon our Xie family.”
Xie Yanfang murmured in agreement, tossing Wei Shan’s letter into a nearby incense burner, reducing it to ashes.
“Young Master, you should rest soon,” the elderly servant said with concern.
Xie Yanfang nodded: “I’ll rest after reading one more letter. Cai Bo, you go rest. Du Qi can handle the tea and such matters. He’s still young and can endure the late hours.”
The elderly servant complained teasingly: “Young Master must think I’m too old and useless.”
Du Qi stepped forward, pulling him toward the door: “Cai Bo, stop being so smug. The Young Master cherishes you and wants you to live a hundred years to stay by his side.”
Elderly servant Cai Bo laughed heartily. He knew the Third Young Master was showing compassion and concern. The Third Young Master was a gentle person, merciful to those around him.
As for others, the Young Master wasn’t a divine immortal—he had no obligation to have mercy on all living beings.
Cai Bo and Du Qi left, leaving only Xie Yanfang in the room. Under the bright lamplight on his desk, he appeared like one sitting alone in a moon palace. He focused on his work, never once looking at the box placed in the room—
That girl had indeed exceeded his expectations, but that was all. She still wasn’t worthy of his attention.
……
……
Deep into the night with the moon high above, Xiao Xun also remained awake. He had been about to sleep when a few words from the scholar drove away his drowsiness.
“You want me to go to Chu Garden?” he asked.
The scholar stroked his beard and said: “Young Master, it’s now being called the Little Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting.”
Xiao Xun was somewhat surprised: “So this matter has grown so big?”
To be precise, he had instigated this matter.
If he hadn’t deliberately drawn attention in front of the Third Prince, the Third Prince wouldn’t have noticed Chu Ke.
His original intention was to protect Chu Ke when he was challenged at the Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting, thus smoothly establishing a connection.
But after Chu Zhao’s commotion at the restaurant, Xiao Xun knew Chu Ke would no longer attend the Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting, so he had abandoned the plan.
He hadn’t expected things to escalate to this extent.
Of course, he knew about the girl’s confrontation with Chu Ke at the restaurant, and he knew the Third Prince would be provoked to anger. The Third Prince was someone who always retaliated against the slightest offense.
But he hadn’t paid further attention to this matter. What did the girl’s humiliation have to do with him?
In his view, the girl’s humiliation was inevitable sooner or later.
Considering her attitude toward him, not everyone in this world had a temper as good as his.
“What do you mean?” Xiao Xun asked the scholar. “You want me to help that girl?”
Before the scholar could respond, he laughed.
“Helping this girl is quite different from helping Chu Ke.”
Chu Zhao was now despised by the Third Prince, whereas if Chu Ke had gone to Wangchun Garden and been challenged by the Third Prince, it would have merely been teasing.
Helping someone who is teased by the Third Prince and helping someone who is despised by the Third Prince are vastly different.
“For the sake of establishing a connection with Chu Li, is Father King willing to offend and anger the Third Prince?”
Xiao Xun sighed lightly, looking out at the deep night beyond the door.
“Although there is now a Crown Prince, the title is just a name. Today it falls on the Second Prince, tomorrow it could fall on the Third Prince.”
After hearing all this, the scholar nodded: “Everything Your Highness says is correct. However, Your Highness, going to Chu Garden doesn’t necessarily mean offending one side; it could please both parties. You could both establish a connection with Chu Li and please the Third Prince.”
Xiao Xun was puzzled. After thinking for a moment, he smiled. Though he was intelligent and obedient, his father still preferred to issue commands through others.
The scholar’s sudden proposal tonight must have come from his father’s order.
He asked the scholar: “What good idea has my father come up with that he didn’t tell me first?”
The scholar didn’t answer directly but continued: “The Third Prince initially intended to humiliate Lady Chu, but now with the nickname ‘Little Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting’ circulating, the Third Prince is furious and can’t back down. So stopping Lady Chu would be helping the Third Prince, and he wouldn’t be angry with the Young Master.”
The girl’s refusal to admit defeat and her fighting stance had indeed made the Third Prince hate her intensely. The Third Prince had been raised on the writings of gentlemen, but he didn’t have a gentleman’s heart.
Xiao Xun glanced to the side, where there was a large box the scholar had brought, filled with compilations of the competitions at Chu Garden. They were popular in the market due to both their affordability and novelty.
Even these booklets were selling well.
The girl would only stop when the Third Prince’s literary meeting began. By then, the entire city would no longer be talking about the Third Prince’s Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting, but about the Chu girl’s Chu Garden Literary Meeting.
The Third Prince had probably already destroyed a room in anger by now.
“Lady Chu is young and stubborn, which isn’t surprising. She was raised by General Chu and could do as she pleased in the border commandery. She’s new to the capital and doesn’t know her limitations. With Chu Li supporting her, she even dared to shout at Liang Siqing’s doorstep. This young girl is at the height of her arrogance, not even taking the Third Prince seriously. But the other members of the Chu family must be having terrible headaches by now.”
Xiao Xun nodded, thinking of Chu Lan. Although he had only seen him once at the city gate, he could see through this person—timid, cowardly, yet concerned with appearances.
“The Chu family is now hoping someone will rescue them from this desperate situation,” the scholar continued. “So, Young Master—”
Xiao Xun interrupted him, smiling as he said: “Uncle Kun, I’m not a child anymore. Just tell me directly what Father wants me to do.”
The scholar’s surname was Ning, given name Kun. He was one of the tutors the Prince of Zhongshan had found for his heir. The young master always respectfully addressed him as Uncle.
Although the young master was of the noblest birth, he was a gentle person who treated those around him with genuine care. As for others, the young master wasn’t the emperor; he couldn’t show mercy to all living beings.
Ning Kun said: “Propose marriage to the Chu girl.”