Liu Mingshi, the esteemed scholar from Daimao Kingdom, hurriedly left the teahouse with two other scholars. They hadn't gone far when they heard a man's scream and the cheers of the crowd.
The man, lying on the ground, was being stepped on by a seemingly thin and weak woman who shouted, "Hand over the old man's money pouch!"
Trembling, the man took out the money pouch from his pocket and was stomped on by the woman twice.
Witnessing such a brutal scene, the three of them took a few steps back and changed their path. However, before they had gone far, they saw several exquisitely dressed young girls walking by, revealing their faces without wearing veils, allowing the men on the street to get a clear view.
"This is truly a decline in moral standards," Liu Mingshi quickly pulled up his sleeve to cover his eyes. The two young scholars behind him blushed, one turning his head away while the other couldn't help but sneak a glance.
"How can women let strange men gaze upon their faces? Such is the state of Great Jin, uncivilized like a primitive land," Liu Mingshi lamented, hastily returning to the embassy with the two young scholars, too infuriated to eat.
After falling asleep at night, he even had a nightmare where he was surrounded and scolded by Great Jin scholars and beaten down by Great Jin women.
Liu Mingshi wiped the sweat off his forehead, panic-stricken, thinking that Great Jin was truly a sinister place.
Hua Liuli also had a night full of dreams. She dreamt of the little Crown Prince standing on the viewing platform in the palace, looking at her with a pitiful expression as if he had suffered countless grievances.
Under such gaze, Hua Liuli couldn't help but approach him and ask, "What do you desire?"
The little Crown Prince remained silent.
"If you want stars, I will pick them for you. If you want the moon, I will fetch it for you."
The little Crown Prince reached out his hand and gently held her fingers, suddenly transforming into a handsome adult Crown Prince. He looked at her tenderly, his beautiful eyes resembling a vast starry sky, "Benwang desires..."
He opened his mouth to say something, but Hua Liuli couldn't hear what he said.
After waking up from the dream, she sat on the bed feeling gloomy, constantly pondering over what the Crown Prince in her dream truly desired. She felt uneasy; it was as though she couldn't fulfill his request, causing discomfort in her heart.
"Junzhu, you woke up so early?" Yurong gently lifted the veil and handed a warm towel to Hua Liuli.
"I had a dream and couldn't fall back asleep."
"What did Junzhu dream about?" Yurong helped her with dressing and shoes.
"Nothing," Hua Liuli shook her head. After freshening up, she sat in front of the bronze mirror and took out a phoenix hairpin from the jewelry box, playing with it for a moment before asking, "This jewelry box, was it sent by the Crown Prince?"
"Yes. When Madam and Junzhu visited the Taoist temple to fulfill the vow, some people saw the Crown Prince accompanying Junzhu, and rumors started circulating in the capital," Yurong thought Hua Liuli had forgotten the origin of the jewelry box, "After the Crown Prince learned about this, he had several boxes of jewelry sent consecutively, this is one of them."
"Oh," Hua Liuli pondered, lost in thought.
Two days later, the Palace Examination officially began.
As the future heir to the throne, the Crown Prince appeared in the grand hall together with Emperor Changlong. These candidates arrived here from different places and had varying backgrounds.
To prevent the candidates from feeling any psychological pressure, Emperor Changlong never walked down to observe how they answered the questions. However, the Crown Prince was different. He casually strolled among the candidates, appearing very relaxed.
After the morning session, the palace provided a unified lunch. Following the usual practice, the dishes were mostly light and tasteless. The nervous candidates couldn't eat much.
"Brother Hua, what a coincidence. These are the dishes you like," Yao Songbo sat next to Hua Changkong, opened the food container, and quietly teased him, "This is a good omen."
Hua Changkong also didn't expect that almost all the food containers sent by the Crown Prince contained dishes he liked, and they weren't excessively greasy.
Some candidates from humble backgrounds lived frugally in order to come to the capital for the imperial examination. If they suddenly ate excessively oily food, it could cause diarrhea and affect their performance in the examination. So, when the palace prepared meals for the candidates, they deliberately avoided greasy foods.
"This is a good omen for all of us," Hua Changkong smiled, "The Crown Prince added dishes specifically for us. Isn't it a good omen?"
"Brother Hua makes sense," The candidates familiar with Hua Changkong smiled and agreed. Most of them came from wealthy families, and for them, being able to participate in the Palace Examination was already a victory. So, their mindset was quite stable.
Lin Sen sat silently in a corner, watching the lively scene of Hua Changkong and his companions, feeling somewhat envious. If he hadn't rejected their invitation back then, he should be sitting with them, chatting and laughing, instead of sitting alone in the corner like he was now.
He looked down on candidates from humble backgrounds, while he also personally rejected invitations from the candidates hailing from high-ranking families. For a moment, Lin Sen felt disheartened, feeling that he had been excluded by these candidates.
The afternoon session of the Palace Examination hadn't ended, yet the Crown Prince brazenly slipped away under Emperor Changlong's angry gaze. He rode his horse out of the palace and indeed found the Hua family waiting at the palace gate.
Apart from the Hua family, there were also several other candidates' families waiting outside. These people were influential figures in the capital, and when they saw the Crown Prince noticing their presence outside the gate, they felt somewhat embarrassed and approached him with flushed faces, bowing respectfully.
"No need for so much ceremony, gentlemen," the Crown Prince smiled, "Benwang is not yet aware of how the young masters from various mansions performed in the examination. You don't need to worry, Daren."
"Thank you, Your Royal Highness," these people expressed their gratitude one after another, but they were astonished in their hearts. The Crown Prince noticed them waiting outside and not only didn't reprimand them but also took the initiative to talk to them about the candidates' situation.
They were unaccustomed to such gentle and considerate behavior from the Crown Prince.
After dealing with these people, the Crown Prince rode his horse toward the Hua family. Before they could even bow, he dismounted and said, "Generals, no need for so much ceremony."
He gestured to Hua Liuli, who understood and mounted her horse and followed behind the Crown Prince for a while before dismounting, "Your Royal Highness, how did my third brother perform?"
The Crown Prince also dismounted from his horse and tossed the reins to the attendant behind him, "Benwang was worried that it would affect the performance of the Third Young Master Hua, so Benwang only glanced at him briefly. Benwang believes that with Third Young Master Hua's talent, there should be no problem securing a place among the top three," He smiled gently, "During lunch, Benwang had a few additional dishes added, and Third Young Master Hua ate most of them, which indicates his confidence in the afternoon examination. So, you don't need to worry."
"Thank you, Your Royal Highness," Hua Liuli instantly felt relieved. She touched her chest and took out a string of beads, "This is for Your Royal Highness."
"What is this?" The Crown Prince reached out and received it. Each bead on the string was made of top-quality jade, and on these small jade beads, various auspicious patterns were delicately carved, making it a rare treasure.
"There is a staff officer in the army whose ancestors were jade craftsmen. Whenever we obtain good materials, we often ask him to carve some items for us," Hua Liuli coughed dryly, "Last year, when I received some good things, I asked him to help carve something to give to my family. The staff officer insisted on carving something for my future partner, so that's how this bead bracelet came about."
Speaking of this, Hua Liuli smiled helplessly, "But I don't have a partner. After thinking it over, I thought that you would definitely look good wearing it, Your Royal Highness. Your Royal Highness has given me so many things, but I don't have many decent gifts to give in return."
"Liuli has already given me a gift," the Crown Prince gently rubbed the jade beads on the bracelet and smiled.
Hua Liuli was puzzled. Did she give him a gift?
In her moment of confusion, the Crown Prince handed the jade beads back to her.
"Your Royal Highness?" Hua Liuli looked at the Crown Prince with confusion, "Don't you like it?"
"Benwang really likes it," the Crown Prince sighed softly, "But this is something intended for your future husband, Liuli. How can Benwang take something meant for someone else?"
"Whether it's a future husband or not, it's just a few jests from the staff officer," Hua Liuli took the bracelet from the Crown Prince's palm, held his arm, and put the bracelet on his wrist, "As long as Your Royal Highness like it, nothing else matters."
Indeed, good-looking people have hands that look good as well. With the jade beads on the Crown Prince's wrist, it seemed to have added a touch of luster.
"The bracelet is for Benwang to wear from here on, Liuli," the Crown Prince looked at Hua Liuli and smiled, "Benwang won't return it in the future."
"Return? There's no logic in returning something that has been given as a gift," Hua Liuli chuckled, "Your Royal Highness, do you think I'm the kind of person who goes back on their word and holds onto things?"
"No," the Crown Prince's smile grew even softer, "It's just my own selfishness."
"It's fine, I won't mind," Hua Liuli touched the horse's head, "Your Royal Highness, recently, I dreamt about you."
The Crown Prince touched the jade bracelet on his wrist, "What did you dream about Benwang?"
"I dreamt that a little version of Your Royal Highness was standing on the viewing platform in the palace, looking extremely adorable and pitiful. I asked Your Royal Highness what you desired, but Your Royal Highness didn't say anything. In the end, I coaxed Your Royal Highness for a long time, and just when Your Royal Highness was finally about to speak, the dream ended," Hua Liuli said, touching her chin curiously, "Your Royal Highness, is there something you desire?"
"When Benwang was young, seeing my brothers with their mothers, Benwang wondered what it would be like if my mother were still alive," the Crown Prince smiled. "But as Benwang grew older, Father Emperor treated me so well that those thoughts gradually faded."
"Is there something Your Royal Highness wants now?"
The Crown Prince looked at Hua Liuli quietly and smiled after a moment, "Yes."
That look, it's that look!
The current Crown Prince seemed to overlap with the Crown Prince in the dream. Although the Crown Prince in the dream looked aggrieved while the one in front of her had a smile on his face, Hua Liuli felt that their gazes were so similar.
"What is it?" she asked.
A gust of wind blew, lifting the corners of the Crown Prince's robe.
He reached out to help Hua Liuli tidy the tassels of her hairpin that were blown astray by the wind, and with a gentle smile, he said, "You'll find out soon enough."
Hua Liuli placed her hand over her chest. This feeling, like being lightly scratched by a cat's claw and then licked, was a bit... strange?
As a fifteen-year-old girl full of vitality, she exuded a vibrant aura from head to toe.
As long as he thought of the possibility of causing her difficulty, of making her frown, he couldn't bear it.
The Crown Prince couldn't help but chuckle and playfully tapped her forehead with his index finger, "Liuli... you're still young."
On the teahouse rooftop, Xie Yao watched this scene expressionlessly, her palms bleeding from the pressure of her nails. She turned her face away with a cold expression and said to her trusted maidservant, "I heard that there's a formidable assassin in the capital known as Wu San?"
The maidservant nodded in agreement.
"Find a way to contact this assassin," Xie Yao's eyes filled with a chilling intent to kill, "I want Hua Liuli's life."
"As long as she is eliminated, any amount of money will do."
Krish728
Author's Note:
Wu San: The assassin industry is dead, don't come looking for me!
Liu Mingshi, the esteemed scholar from Daimao Kingdom, hurriedly left the teahouse with two other scholars. They hadn't gone far when they heard a man's scream and the cheers of the crowd.
The man, lying on the ground, was being stepped on by a seemingly thin and weak woman who shouted, "Hand over the old man's money pouch!"
Trembling, the man took out the money pouch from his pocket and was stomped on by the woman twice.
Witnessing such a brutal scene, the three of them took a few steps back and changed their path. However, before they had gone far, they saw several exquisitely dressed young girls walking by, revealing their faces without wearing veils, allowing the men on the street to get a clear view.
"This is truly a decline in moral standards," Liu Mingshi quickly pulled up his sleeve to cover his eyes. The two young scholars behind him blushed, one turning his head away while the other couldn't help but sneak a glance.
"How can women let strange men gaze upon their faces? Such is the state of Great Jin, uncivilized like a primitive land," Liu Mingshi lamented, hastily returning to the embassy with the two young scholars, too infuriated to eat.
After falling asleep at night, he even had a nightmare where he was surrounded and scolded by Great Jin scholars and beaten down by Great Jin women.
Liu Mingshi wiped the sweat off his forehead, panic-stricken, thinking that Great Jin was truly a sinister place.
Hua Liuli also had a night full of dreams. She dreamt of the little Crown Prince standing on the viewing platform in the palace, looking at her with a pitiful expression as if he had suffered countless grievances.
Under such gaze, Hua Liuli couldn't help but approach him and ask, "What do you desire?"
The little Crown Prince remained silent.
"If you want stars, I will pick them for you. If you want the moon, I will fetch it for you."
The little Crown Prince reached out his hand and gently held her fingers, suddenly transforming into a handsome adult Crown Prince. He looked at her tenderly, his beautiful eyes resembling a vast starry sky, "Benwang desires..."
He opened his mouth to say something, but Hua Liuli couldn't hear what he said.
After waking up from the dream, she sat on the bed feeling gloomy, constantly pondering over what the Crown Prince in her dream truly desired. She felt uneasy; it was as though she couldn't fulfill his request, causing discomfort in her heart.
"Junzhu, you woke up so early?" Yurong gently lifted the veil and handed a warm towel to Hua Liuli.
"I had a dream and couldn't fall back asleep."
"What did Junzhu dream about?" Yurong helped her with dressing and shoes.
"Nothing," Hua Liuli shook her head. After freshening up, she sat in front of the bronze mirror and took out a phoenix hairpin from the jewelry box, playing with it for a moment before asking, "This jewelry box, was it sent by the Crown Prince?"
"Yes. When Madam and Junzhu visited the Taoist temple to fulfill the vow, some people saw the Crown Prince accompanying Junzhu, and rumors started circulating in the capital," Yurong thought Hua Liuli had forgotten the origin of the jewelry box, "After the Crown Prince learned about this, he had several boxes of jewelry sent consecutively, this is one of them."
"Oh," Hua Liuli pondered, lost in thought.
Two days later, the Palace Examination officially began.
As the future heir to the throne, the Crown Prince appeared in the grand hall together with Emperor Changlong. These candidates arrived here from different places and had varying backgrounds.
To prevent the candidates from feeling any psychological pressure, Emperor Changlong never walked down to observe how they answered the questions. However, the Crown Prince was different. He casually strolled among the candidates, appearing very relaxed.
After the morning session, the palace provided a unified lunch. Following the usual practice, the dishes were mostly light and tasteless. The nervous candidates couldn't eat much.
"Brother Hua, what a coincidence. These are the dishes you like," Yao Songbo sat next to Hua Changkong, opened the food container, and quietly teased him, "This is a good omen."
Hua Changkong also didn't expect that almost all the food containers sent by the Crown Prince contained dishes he liked, and they weren't excessively greasy.
Some candidates from humble backgrounds lived frugally in order to come to the capital for the imperial examination. If they suddenly ate excessively oily food, it could cause diarrhea and affect their performance in the examination. So, when the palace prepared meals for the candidates, they deliberately avoided greasy foods.
"This is a good omen for all of us," Hua Changkong smiled, "The Crown Prince added dishes specifically for us. Isn't it a good omen?"
"Brother Hua makes sense," The candidates familiar with Hua Changkong smiled and agreed. Most of them came from wealthy families, and for them, being able to participate in the Palace Examination was already a victory. So, their mindset was quite stable.
Lin Sen sat silently in a corner, watching the lively scene of Hua Changkong and his companions, feeling somewhat envious. If he hadn't rejected their invitation back then, he should be sitting with them, chatting and laughing, instead of sitting alone in the corner like he was now.
He looked down on candidates from humble backgrounds, while he also personally rejected invitations from the candidates hailing from high-ranking families. For a moment, Lin Sen felt disheartened, feeling that he had been excluded by these candidates.
The afternoon session of the Palace Examination hadn't ended, yet the Crown Prince brazenly slipped away under Emperor Changlong's angry gaze. He rode his horse out of the palace and indeed found the Hua family waiting at the palace gate.
Apart from the Hua family, there were also several other candidates' families waiting outside. These people were influential figures in the capital, and when they saw the Crown Prince noticing their presence outside the gate, they felt somewhat embarrassed and approached him with flushed faces, bowing respectfully.
"No need for so much ceremony, gentlemen," the Crown Prince smiled, "Benwang is not yet aware of how the young masters from various mansions performed in the examination. You don't need to worry, Daren."
"Thank you, Your Royal Highness," these people expressed their gratitude one after another, but they were astonished in their hearts. The Crown Prince noticed them waiting outside and not only didn't reprimand them but also took the initiative to talk to them about the candidates' situation.
They were unaccustomed to such gentle and considerate behavior from the Crown Prince.
After dealing with these people, the Crown Prince rode his horse toward the Hua family. Before they could even bow, he dismounted and said, "Generals, no need for so much ceremony."
He gestured to Hua Liuli, who understood and mounted her horse and followed behind the Crown Prince for a while before dismounting, "Your Royal Highness, how did my third brother perform?"
The Crown Prince also dismounted from his horse and tossed the reins to the attendant behind him, "Benwang was worried that it would affect the performance of the Third Young Master Hua, so Benwang only glanced at him briefly. Benwang believes that with Third Young Master Hua's talent, there should be no problem securing a place among the top three," He smiled gently, "During lunch, Benwang had a few additional dishes added, and Third Young Master Hua ate most of them, which indicates his confidence in the afternoon examination. So, you don't need to worry."
"Thank you, Your Royal Highness," Hua Liuli instantly felt relieved. She touched her chest and took out a string of beads, "This is for Your Royal Highness."
"What is this?" The Crown Prince reached out and received it. Each bead on the string was made of top-quality jade, and on these small jade beads, various auspicious patterns were delicately carved, making it a rare treasure.
"There is a staff officer in the army whose ancestors were jade craftsmen. Whenever we obtain good materials, we often ask him to carve some items for us," Hua Liuli coughed dryly, "Last year, when I received some good things, I asked him to help carve something to give to my family. The staff officer insisted on carving something for my future partner, so that's how this bead bracelet came about."
Speaking of this, Hua Liuli smiled helplessly, "But I don't have a partner. After thinking it over, I thought that you would definitely look good wearing it, Your Royal Highness. Your Royal Highness has given me so many things, but I don't have many decent gifts to give in return."
"Liuli has already given me a gift," the Crown Prince gently rubbed the jade beads on the bracelet and smiled.
Hua Liuli was puzzled. Did she give him a gift?
In her moment of confusion, the Crown Prince handed the jade beads back to her.
"Your Royal Highness?" Hua Liuli looked at the Crown Prince with confusion, "Don't you like it?"
"Benwang really likes it," the Crown Prince sighed softly, "But this is something intended for your future husband, Liuli. How can Benwang take something meant for someone else?"
"Whether it's a future husband or not, it's just a few jests from the staff officer," Hua Liuli took the bracelet from the Crown Prince's palm, held his arm, and put the bracelet on his wrist, "As long as Your Royal Highness like it, nothing else matters."
Indeed, good-looking people have hands that look good as well. With the jade beads on the Crown Prince's wrist, it seemed to have added a touch of luster.
"The bracelet is for Benwang to wear from here on, Liuli," the Crown Prince looked at Hua Liuli and smiled, "Benwang won't return it in the future."
"Return? There's no logic in returning something that has been given as a gift," Hua Liuli chuckled, "Your Royal Highness, do you think I'm the kind of person who goes back on their word and holds onto things?"
"No," the Crown Prince's smile grew even softer, "It's just my own selfishness."
"It's fine, I won't mind," Hua Liuli touched the horse's head, "Your Royal Highness, recently, I dreamt about you."
The Crown Prince touched the jade bracelet on his wrist, "What did you dream about Benwang?"
"I dreamt that a little version of Your Royal Highness was standing on the viewing platform in the palace, looking extremely adorable and pitiful. I asked Your Royal Highness what you desired, but Your Royal Highness didn't say anything. In the end, I coaxed Your Royal Highness for a long time, and just when Your Royal Highness was finally about to speak, the dream ended," Hua Liuli said, touching her chin curiously, "Your Royal Highness, is there something you desire?"
"When Benwang was young, seeing my brothers with their mothers, Benwang wondered what it would be like if my mother were still alive," the Crown Prince smiled. "But as Benwang grew older, Father Emperor treated me so well that those thoughts gradually faded."
"Is there something Your Royal Highness wants now?"
The Crown Prince looked at Hua Liuli quietly and smiled after a moment, "Yes."
That look, it's that look!
The current Crown Prince seemed to overlap with the Crown Prince in the dream. Although the Crown Prince in the dream looked aggrieved while the one in front of her had a smile on his face, Hua Liuli felt that their gazes were so similar.
"What is it?" she asked.
A gust of wind blew, lifting the corners of the Crown Prince's robe.
He reached out to help Hua Liuli tidy the tassels of her hairpin that were blown astray by the wind, and with a gentle smile, he said, "You'll find out soon enough."
Hua Liuli placed her hand over her chest. This feeling, like being lightly scratched by a cat's claw and then licked, was a bit... strange?
As a fifteen-year-old girl full of vitality, she exuded a vibrant aura from head to toe.
As long as he thought of the possibility of causing her difficulty, of making her frown, he couldn't bear it.
The Crown Prince couldn't help but chuckle and playfully tapped her forehead with his index finger, "Liuli... you're still young."
On the teahouse rooftop, Xie Yao watched this scene expressionlessly, her palms bleeding from the pressure of her nails. She turned her face away with a cold expression and said to her trusted maidservant, "I heard that there's a formidable assassin in the capital known as Wu San?"
The maidservant nodded in agreement.
"Find a way to contact this assassin," Xie Yao's eyes filled with a chilling intent to kill, "I want Hua Liuli's life."
"As long as she is eliminated, any amount of money will do."
Krish728
Author's Note:
Wu San: The assassin industry is dead, don't come looking for me!
