Chapter 10

Today, the weather was bright and the time was early, so it wasn't quite appropriate for Zhao Ji to visit the De Yue Building. Instead, he came to the Yu Hua Pavilion. Zhao Ji had long heard of the Yu Hua Pavilion; some called it the literary holy land of the capital, while others referred to it as the Talent Building. As a man of letters, he had long been interested in visiting.

Listening to the discussions outside, things were initially fine, but when he heard Fang Tengmou's words, Zhao Ji became somewhat angry. He sneered, then signaled Yang Jian to lean in, and said in a low voice, "Yang Jian, issue an edict to Li Boji, appointing him as the judge for this year's Flower Queen Competition!"

Li Gang, also known as Li Boji, was renowned for his integrity and had a high reputation among scholars. With him as the judge, the students would have nothing to say. Zhao Ji did not want people to think he was using his power to pressure others. If he were not the current emperor, could he not win the title with his poetry and music, and with Shishi's singing and dancing?

From Zhao Ji's tone, one could tell how upset he was. Yang Jian quickly bent down to console him, "Your Majesty, why bother to argue with those people?"

"Hmm? Yang Jian, do you also think Shishi can win the title because of me?"

Yang Jian inwardly sighed. Wasn't it obvious? If not for Zhao Ji, no matter how talented Li Shishi was, she could not have won the title repeatedly. After all, Cui Nianu from the Xie Fang Building was no less talented than Li Shishi. Perhaps it wasn't entirely due to Zhao Ji, but his influence was significant. Because the current emperor supported Li Shishi, few talented people dared to submit their works, which objectively affected the fairness of the competition. No one wanted to offend the emperor for a Flower Queen Competition.

Yang Jian knew this in his heart but dared not speak the truth. He frowned, as if somewhat angry, "Your Majesty, your talent is no less than that of Scholar Su. Those people say such things out of jealousy for your talent. Don't take them seriously!"

"Hmph, this time I will have a real competition. Don't say more, draft the edict for Li Boji after we return to the palace!"

"Ah, Your Majesty, rest assured, I will remember." Yang Jian nodded and smiled gently, touching the teacup on the table, which seemed to have cooled. He whispered, "Your Majesty, the tea is cold. Why don't we go for a walk elsewhere? The steward Zhu just delivered a batch of Taihu stones to the Genyue Garden. I heard the largest one is four zhang high!"

Yang Jian's words indeed piqued Zhao Ji's interest. Zhao Ji was a true man of letters, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and had a deep love for rare flowers, peculiar stones, and other exotic items. If he were just a talented person, Zhao Ji would certainly have been remembered for generations. However, as an emperor, he was not suitable. His wide-ranging interests were not the problem; the issue was that he did not realize the impact of his extensive collection of flowers and stones on the people. Because of this, the corruption in the court became rampant.

The Genyue Garden, built to satisfy Zhao Ji's personal interests, was one of his most foolish projects. It not only exhausted the people and wasted resources but also filled the court with a corrupt atmosphere. Many officials profited from the construction of the Genyue Garden.

The Genyue Garden was located between the Jinglong Gate and the Fengqiu Gate, with two mountains arching around it. The garden was filled with rare flowers, peculiar trees, and strange rocks, such as Yunnan karst, Wukang stone, Fujian lychee, longan, and olive, Hainan coconuts, and Hunan bamboo. Despite it being early spring, the garden was already filled with rippling water and lush vegetation.

Just as Zhao Ji quietly left the Yu Hua Pavilion, Zhao Yougong sauntered in. He held a fan in his right hand and led a shaggy Tibetan Mastiff with his left. This Tibetan Mastiff, which Zhao Yougong had bought from a Tibetan merchant, was only three months old but already showed signs of being a fierce beast. It was a good day for a walk with the dog.

The Tibetan Mastiff was named Dazhuang. Zhao Yougong was not a man of letters and could not think of a better name. The guests in the hall were mostly laughing, but when Zhao Yougong entered, they all frowned. Why was the young prince coming to the Yu Hua Pavilion with a dog?

"Hey, brother, please lift your leg, or I won't be responsible if the dog bites you!"

Everyone in the hall felt like laughing. The dog was barely knee-high, and it couldn't possibly bite anyone. They looked down on him, but no one dared to laugh out loud because the dog might not bite, but the young prince would. He not only bit but bit fiercely.

The Tibetan Mastiff was fierce, but not as fierce as the young prince!

Entering the Yu Hua Pavilion, Zhao Yougong walked straight to Fang Tengmou's table. Seeing him approach, Fang Tengmou and his two companions quickly stood up and bowed. "Why is the young prince here today?"

Imitating Fang Tengmou, Zhao Yougong casually bowed and scanned their faces, then smiled crookedly. "I came to see you. I heard you are very good at poetry and can help me with something!"

"Poetry?" Fang Tengmou looked at Bai Hanrui and Hou Yuxin, and all three wore puzzled expressions. The young prince was known for his lack of learning. Why was he interested in poetry today?

"Yes, exactly, poetry. The Flower Queen Competition is coming up. Each of you write a few poems, and I will have Niannu pick the best. If Niannu wins the title, I will reward you handsomely!"

Seeing Zhao Yougong's relaxed and carefree attitude, Fang Tengmou's face twitched. The young prince was truly as ignorant as his reputation suggested. Helping to write a poem was not impossible, but the young prince demanded several poems from each person, treating poetry like cabbages on the street. Bai Hanrui awkwardly smiled and bowed. "Young prince, why don't we think about it for a while?"

"Yes, you need to think about it. I heard you need inspiration to write poetry!" Zhao Yougong stroked his chin, pondering for a moment, then chuckled. "I understand. How about this: the three of you come with me to the Xie Fang Building, and we can think about it there. All expenses will be on me!"

"Ah?" Fang Tengmou was shocked. Although it was considered elegant for talented people to be romantic, no one would want to visit a brothel in broad daylight. Bai Hanrui and Hou Yuxin had similar expressions. "Young prince, there's no need for that..."

"What, you won't give me face?" Zhao Yougong's expression changed. He had been smiling a moment ago, but now he frowned and glared. He shook the dog leash and coldly said, "Dazhuang, bite..."

The Tibetan Mastiff obediently barked a few times and bit Fang Tengmou's trouser leg. Despite its small size, it had a strong grip and did not let go.

It didn't hurt, but having a dog hanging from his trouser leg was embarrassing. Fang Tengmou felt foolish for trying to reason with Zhao Yougong. The young prince was unreasonable. Fang Tengmou's face was awkward, and he wanted to kick the dog away but was afraid of hurting it. Hou Yuxin and Bai Hanrui, fearing Zhao Yougong would cause more trouble, quickly bowed and pleaded, "Young prince, we will go, we will go!"

"Shouldn't you have said that earlier?" Whistling, Dazhuang let go. Zhao Yougong beckoned to the three and swaggered out. Fang Tengmou and his companions wore bitter smiles, embarrassed to be going to a brothel in broad daylight.

As the three talents left with Zhao Yougong, the Yu Hua Pavilion erupted in laughter. This Zhao Yougong was truly as stupid as a pig or a dog. No matter how good the three talents' poems were, could they compare to the current emperor?

In the late Northern Song Dynasty, the status of literati was very high, especially during the Flower Queen Competition. When Wu Mama saw Zhao Yougong, she trembled, but when she saw the three men behind him, she smiled. It seemed the young prince was determined to win Cui Jie'er. The three talents from Jiangnan were usually hard to invite, and if they could write new poems for Cui Jie'er, the competition would be more promising.

Wu Mama, though not well-educated, knew the reputation of the three talents from Jiangnan. The girls often discussed them in their free time. Who didn't like talented men, especially those who were handsome and successful?

"Oh, Master Fang, Master Hou, Master Bai, this humble servant greets you!"

Wu Mama bowed, her hand instinctively touching Fang Tengmou's chest. Even the experienced Fang Tengmou shuddered. Wu Mama was too热情, her eyes sparkling, her lips red, as if she wanted to swallow the handsome Fang Tengmou.

Zhao Yougong felt embarrassed. When had the three talents become more prominent than him? It seemed that not only beautiful and talented women were popular, but also talented and handsome men.

"Cough, can't you say less nonsense? Quickly lead us upstairs. The three masters are here to help Niannu. What are you doing blocking the way?"

Zhao Yougong glared, and Wu Mama's heart skipped a beat. She had been so focused on the three talents that she had forgotten about the young prince. The young prince was not someone to be trifled with. It was good he hadn't acted yet.

"Oh, I was being careless. Please follow me, Niannu is waiting upstairs!"

Waiting? Zhao Yougong was puzzled. Pushing open Cui Niannu's door, he understood. She was indeed waiting! Niannu was kneeling before a zither, and a precious white sandalwood incense was burning on the table. Besides Xiao Tan and Cui Niannu, a man with a closed eye was sitting in the room. The man had a white beard and a wrinkled face, looking well over fifty. Most importantly, his face was as black as iron, and his eyebrows were squeezed together, making him look extremely ugly.

He Zhu? Zhao Yougong's expression was not good. Previously, Li Shishi had been infatuated with the old man Zhou Bangyan, and now Cui Niannu was privately playing the zither for He Zhu, looking so gentle and loving. It was truly enviable.

Hearing a few coughs at the door, Niannu turned her head slightly but did not stop playing. Zhao Yougong's expression was too obvious, and Cui Niannu's lips curled into a meaningful smile.

Giggling, was he jealous? Niannu hoped Zhao Yougong would really be jealous, but she knew it was mostly fake.

"Prince, you are so leisurely!" He Zhu opened his eyes and nodded in greeting. Scholars had a proud spirit, and He Zhu was no exception.

Zhao Yougong sat on a cushion near Cui Niannu, glaring at He Zhu. "If you can come, why can't I?"

The moment Zhao Yougong entered, the room was filled with tension. Niannu's fingers left the zither, and she turned to scold him softly, "Prince, you are so unreasonable. Magistrate He is here to help me!"

Zhao Yougong awkwardly smiled and bowed to He Zhu. Despite his age, He Zhu did not take offense. Everyone knew what kind of person Zhao Yougong was, and it was already good that he apologized.

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