Chapter 108
The Eldest Princess thought for a moment, looking puzzled. “Song Lian? Why are you asking about him?”
“I met someone named Song Lian at the border. I heard that he was once quite famous in the capital, a man of great talent and reputation. Since you have connections with so many scholars and distinguished figures in the city, I thought you might have heard of him,” Ming Yu explained carefully. He didn’t want to worry her, so he refrained from mentioning Song Lian’s betrayal and treachery.
The Eldest Princess tilted her head slightly, lost in thought. “So he’s ended up at the border?”
Her tone was familiar, and Ming Yu’s heart leapt with excitement. “Sister, do you know him?”
The Grand Princess paused, a trace of nostalgia flashing in her eyes. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief and coughed lightly before saying, “Well, actually, I don’t know much about him. If you truly want to find out, you should ask the Crown Prince or our Third Brother.”
“Huh? He’s connected to the Crown Prince and Third Brother?” Ming Yu blurted out in surprise.
The Eldest Princess immediately covered his mouth and gestured for silence. “Keep your voice down! You must not spread this around, and don’t think about prying any more from me.”
Ming Yu lowered his eyes. He had intended to get some information from the Eldest Princess, but she had shut him down before he could even try. Since she had made it clear that she wouldn’t say more, he had no choice but to drop the matter.
The Third Prince had never been on good terms with them, so there was no point in asking him. It seemed his only option now was to seek out the Crown Prince.
Just as they were talking, someone arrived at the gathering. The drumbeat had just stopped, and the floating wine cup, carried by the current, came to a halt right in front of Li Tonghe. Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Li Tonghe proudly took out a poem he had prepared in advance and recited it with great satisfaction, earning him rounds of applause.
Li Tonghe was naturally quite pleased with himself, basking in the admiration of others. As someone who exuded scholarly elegance and literary talent, he had no shortage of admirers. He refused to believe that the women present would remain unmoved—especially Shangguan Ling. It was her fortune that he had taken an interest in her, so why did she always greet him with cold indifference? He was determined to see the day when she regretted her attitude toward him.
Among the ladies present, some with literary talent participated in the event, while others, uninterested in composing poetry, simply sat to the side, enjoying tea and refreshments while watching the performances.
Shangguan Ling and her close friends were in high spirits, eagerly discussing plans to compile storybooks, so they did not take part in the activities. Instead, they sat together, chatting and watching the lively scene.
However, Li Tonghe’s intentions were obvious. He had come here to flaunt himself, and with that purpose in mind, he deliberately approached Shangguan Ling and her group. Yet, before he could even get close, he overheard them mentioning General Xie and Duan Wang’s names. It was clear that they were still immersed in the thrilling spectacle they had just witnessed. Each of them was utterly captivated, their faces flushed with excitement. The way they spoke with such enthusiasm—it was as if they were hopelessly lovesick.
In that instant, Li Tonghe’s heart burned with rage. He had witnessed everything at the pitch-pot game earlier—Duan Wang and Xie Yixiu had stolen the spotlight completely, which only fueled his frustration. One was a foolish prince, the other a rough military man from the frontier—what right did they have to shine so brightly and leave these shallow-minded women utterly enthralled?
The more he thought about it, the more indignant he became. Then, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Duan Wang, who was engaged in pleasant conversation with the Eldest Princess, as well as Xie Yixiu, who was seated beside them. A surge of heat rushed through his veins, and he strode forward with large steps, cupping his hands in greeting before addressing the Eldest Princess. “Since this is Duan Wang and General Xie’s first time attending the garden party, and given the festive occasion, why should they sit idly by and be left out? Would it not be better to join in the merriment with everyone else?”
Ming Yu was momentarily stunned. Join in the merriment? He had no idea how to play these refined literary games.
Just as he was about to decline, the Eldest Princess smiled brightly and nodded in agreement. “Indeed! Fourteenth Brother, this seems quite interesting. Since you’ve come to my gathering today, why not relax and enjoy yourself?”
This was Ming Yu’s first time at such an event, and if he spent the entire time simply conversing with the Eldest Princess, it would surely be dull. The young people here would naturally find it easy to bond over shared activities.
After all, the purpose of this garden party was to foster connections among young nobles. Most of the attendees were either children of prestigious families in the capital or exceptionally talented scholars. Ming Yu had the opportunity to expand his social circle, which would certainly be beneficial in the future. It was precisely because of this that gatherings hosted by Princess Anping were so highly sought after, with people flocking to attend.
Ming Yu shook his head with a smile. “Sister, you know me well. I can’t even understand those poetic verses, let alone compose them.”
The Eldest Princess reassured him, “Even if you don’t know poetry, that’s no problem. At worst, if you lose, you just drink. What are you afraid of?”
“Uh…” The Eldest Princess made a solid point—he had no way to argue against it.
So, he turned to Xie Yixiu, silently seeking his opinion. He couldn’t make decisions on Xie Yixiu’s behalf. That man was well-versed in military strategy and discipline, but discussing poetry, philosophy, and the meaning of life? That would be outright unfair.
Xie Yixiu caught Ming Yu’s questioning gaze and responded with a polite bow. “I will follow whatever Wang Ye decides.”
Like hell he could decide! What was there to decide? Ming Yu was about to refuse again when Xie Yixiu suddenly added, “Wang Ye, I noticed that quite a few of those wealthy young gentlemen over there may not necessarily be well-versed in poetry either.”
Ming Yu’s eyes lit up—finally, someone who understood him! Wealthy young gentlemen, wealthy young gentlemen… Perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make some acquaintances.
Everyone who came to this gathering was either wealthy, noble, or exceptionally talented. Each had their own small circles, but coming together was an opportunity in itself. Making the right connections could open doors in the future—why not take advantage of it?
Besides, Ming Yu’s plans required the help of certain individuals. Establishing these connections now would pave the way for the future, and whether it succeeded or not, there was nothing to lose.
With that thought settled, Ming Yu stopped hesitating. He stood up and agreed without resistance.
Seeing them accept, Li Tonghe was overjoyed. Hah! He would love to see these two make fools of themselves.
His father was the Deputy Minister of War and knew the affairs of the court inside out. As the eldest son, Li Tonghe had been groomed from a young age to enter officialdom. He understood the political landscape well. What was Duan Wang? No matter how much favor he received from the Emperor, he was merely a titled prince—he would never reach the throne.
Right now, his father supported the Third Prince, who was both talented and capable, earning the Emperor’s appreciation. He was gaining momentum to challenge the Crown Prince. If the Third Prince ascended, the Li family would rise with him, securing their future prosperity. Naturally, Li Tonghe looked down on an idle prince like Duan Wang.
In truth, Ming Yu’s name had already been tarnished by rumors. Most people in the capital found the mention of him amusing. No one could truly feel any reverence for the so-called “foolish” Fourteenth Prince.
Now that Duan Wang and Xie Yixiu had joined the game, the event had to be restarted. The young ladies, including Shangguan Ling and her friends, also wanted to participate. For them, the stakes weren’t high—losing simply meant performing a small talent showcase.
The game was informal, with everyone sitting freely by the stream, unbound by rank or status. However, most still divided into their own circles, staying within groups they got along with, chatting and playing at ease.
Ming Yu picked a spot and headed straight for it—toward Ma Jinyu’s group. Ma Jinyu was one of the wealthy young men Xie Yixiu had mentioned earlier. At the start of the event, the Eldest Princess had introduced the participants, but while she skimmed over most of the men, she had focused more on the young ladies. Xie Yixiu, however, had made a point to remember the details.
That saved Ming Yu a lot of effort. Ma Jinyu and his friends were already positioned at the outskirts of the gathering. Their families were merchants, rich beyond measure, but still looked down upon by the so-called scholarly elites. In this era, the prevailing belief was that all professions were inferior to studying—the highest status belonged to scholars. Because of this, merchant families would go to great lengths, sparing no cost, just to secure a presence at the Eldest Princess’s gatherings in hopes of making noble connections.
When Ma Jinyu and his friends saw Duan Wang approaching, they were utterly shocked. They never imagined he would come to them. How could they afford to be careless? They quickly stood up and saluted, “Greetings, Wang Ye! General Xie!”
Ming Yu smiled and nodded, waving them off to indicate they didn’t need to be so formal. But how could they dare be at ease? This was Duan Wang, after all! No matter what the rumors said about him, his noble status was unquestionable.
Fortunately, the game did not require excessive etiquette. Once the formalities were done and everyone settled in, quite some time had already passed.
Shangguan Ling and her friends chose a spot not too far away—close enough to observe clearly. They huddled together, chatting excitedly, occasionally casting glances at Ming Yu’s group. Even Ma Jinyu and the others were not spared from their scrutiny. This made them nervously straighten their clothes and fix their appearances, afraid of making a poor impression and becoming the subject of ridicule.
Ming Yu found it odd. These girls’ behavior was truly baffling. They had been sneaking around earlier, following him and Xie Yixiu, and now they were blatantly staring. He felt a bit uneasy—was it possible that one of them had taken a liking to Xie Yixiu? At this thought, he turned to look at Xie Yixiu. The general sat upright, his gaze steady, seemingly unaffected by the attention. Seeing this, Ming Yu relaxed, though he wasn’t quite sure what he had been worried about in the first place.
It was simply because Ming Yu, in his past life, had never been a fan of celebrities or immersed in fandom culture. He had no idea that these young ladies were nothing more than a group of devoted admirers chasing after their favorite pairings.
With everything in place, the music began, signaling the start of a new round of the game.
Ming Yu, however, had little interest in the game and didn’t pay much attention. Ma Jinyu and his friends were only participating for fun—expecting them to compose poetry would be absurd.
Initially, they were cautious around Ming Yu, mindful of his royal status. But since Ming Yu was approachable and friendly, they quickly warmed up and began chatting freely.
Li Tonghe scoffed. A prince associating with merchants? Hah! Birds of a feather flocked together. So much for Duan Wang—he was nothing special.
“How does Wang Ye know the current grain prices?” Ma Jinyu asked in surprise. Then, realizing that his question might be inappropriate, he furrowed his brows in frustration and corrected himself, “What Wang Ye means is that in recent years, grain prices have been rising year after year, making trade difficult. In times of natural disasters, some regions suffer severe losses, and merchants even have to pay out of their own pockets to provide porridge and aid for disaster victims.”
The Ma family was one of the wealthiest households in the capital, with vast businesses spanning various industries and shops spread across different regions. The garden used for today’s gathering, hosted by the Eldest Princess, was also Ma family’s property, provided by them for the event.
In recent years, natural disasters had indeed occurred frequently, and the court had been providing relief efforts year after year. Merchants, in turn, had to maintain a good reputation and could not afford to be negligent. At the very least, they had to make a show of generosity, but the silver spent was very real.
Ming Yu smiled and said, “Taking from the people and using it for the people—since merchants earn so much from the common folk, it’s only natural to give back at the right time. Running a business isn’t just about making a profit without giving anything in return, is it?”
Ma Jinyu hurriedly nodded in agreement, “Of course, that’s only right. When it comes to disaster relief, the Ma family has never hesitated.”
Ming Yu waved a hand dismissively, “I also do business, so I understand the hardships of merchants.”
Hearing this, Ma Jinyu was deeply moved. “Wang Ye’s business is on an entirely different level from ours. What we do is just small-scale trade, but Wang Ye’s enterprise is grand and far-reaching!”
Who in the business world hadn’t heard of Duan Wang’s trade with the Western Regions? When the first shipment arrived, the rare and exotic goods caused a sensation. Every merchant was envious and tempted.
It was rumored that the second batch had already entered the capital with Wang Ye. Many merchants were eagerly waiting for a chance to acquire even a small piece. The previous batch had been snatched up entirely by nobles and officials; even those with money had no opportunity to purchase anything. If they could get their hands on just one or two items this time, it would be a great honor to boast about.
And now, the person in charge of this entire venture was sitting right before them. How could they not try to establish a connection? If Wang Ye was willing to let just a little slip through his fingers, it would be enough for them to brag about for years.
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