Chapter 92 – The top scholar is like a heavenly immortal, you’re not worthy to even hold his shoes!
After wandering around for a while, the prince was once again captivated by the bustling scene of the capital.
“No wonder my father always longed for the capital! If it were me, I’d want to stay in this wealthy and bustling city day and night, and never return to Northen Hebei!” He finally understood why his father wanted to conquer the Central Plains.
He couldn’t help but feel a tinge of ambition growing inside him.
Originally, he had followed Mo Rushuang to the capital to find out who her lover was. But now, whether he found Mo Rushuang’s lover or not, he had decided to spend more time in the capital.
He entered a tea house and ordered a pot of tea and some small dishes to rest his feet. Then he took out some silver coins and called out to the waiter, “Hey, what’s good to do in the capital? What’s good to eat? Tell me…tell me about it all!”
“Thank you, sir!” The waiter gratefully accepted the silver coins and said, “Sir, are you and your companions here for the first time in the capital? If you want to know the best place to visit, it’s definitely…”
The waiter recommended several places in a row, and the prince exclaimed, “If I have time, I’ll definitely go check it out!”
“But if you want to know the best place, it’s Hundred Flowers District!”
“What is Hundred Flowers House? It sounds like a brothel…”
“Well, it is a brothel, but it’s not just any brothel!” The waiter smiled, “It’s where the most beautiful women in the world gather, not only are they stunningly beautiful, they are also incredibly talented and know how to please men. It’s like a paradise for men! If you don’t go take a look, then you’ve wasted your trip to the capital!”
The prince’s eyes lit up, “Since you put it that way, I really have to go take a look!”
Although he was infatuated with Mo Rushuang, as a prince, how could he be just a young and inexperienced man?
As soon as he heard that Hundred Flowers House gathered the most talented and beautiful women in the world, he couldn’t sit still and immediately went to Hundred Flowers District.
Thanks to his generous spending and good looks, he quickly became one of the most esteemed guests at Hundred Flowers House.
The prince was surrounded by a group of beautiful women. “No wonder the quality of women in the capital is higher than anywhere else, not bad, not bad! This is the right place for me!”
At this time, he heard a disdainful laughter from someone nearby, “Hick! Are these women seducing you?”
The prince was immediately dissatisfied, “What do you mean? Aren’t these women beautiful enough?”
“These women are beautiful, but they are empty shells without any internal qualities. Only you young people would think they are attractive! Compared to the former courtesan, they are far inferior!” The person took a sip of wine and sighed.
“Who is this former courtesan you’re referring to?” The prince asked in confusion.
“She was a courtesan at Hundred Flowers House, also known as the Number One Flower in the capital! She had the looks of a goddess and was also a master in art and literature. Many of the daughters of noble families were inferior to her in many ways! Unfortunately, she has already turned her life around, and we can never see her again!” The person sighed.
“Yes, she was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Her smile and frown keep me thinking about her!”
“As long as she played a song, I felt like my heart had found its home!”
“Unfortunately, we can no longer see her!”
“However, seeing her with a good ending, I am also very happy!”
…
Listening to others talking about how beautiful and talented the former courtesan was, the prince was still unconvinced.
Even if she was beautiful, could she compare to my Mo Rushuang?
His Mo Rushuang was amazing, with extraordinary looks and was one of the top beauties in the martial arts world.
How many martial arts heroes were captivated by her beauty and lingered on without leaving?
Even this prince himself was captivated by her!
A former courtesan in a brothel, how could she compare to Mo Rushuang?
The prince didn’t take it seriously and continued to drink and have fun.
As the wine was poured, his poetic mood was aroused, and he waved his fan and said, “Let me recite a poem for you, shall I?”
“Sure, please do, my lord!” The women around him clapped.
“Listen carefully as I recite!” The prince swayed and recited, “The stars fall from the sky, turning into a hundred fairies…”
After reciting the poem, the women around him clapped and praised him, saying, “What a great poem! My lord is truly a talented person!”
“The ladies here are very impressed!”
…
The prince was proud and arrogant. “I have money and talent. I don’t believe I can’t pick up any of you!”
At this moment, the man at the next table sneered, “Pffft! What kind of rubbish poem is this? It’s shallow, lacking nutrition, tasteless, and not even worth looking at when thrown on the ground!”
The prince was unhappy and said with anger, “You said my poem was bad, now you make one for me to see!”
The other shook his head, “I won’t. I don’t want to lose face. Look over there, that’s where the real poetry is!”
The prince turned his head and saw a gorgeous poem.
Alone in the green building, I sit in silence,
The moon a hook, the parasol tree my only alliance.
Locked in clear autumn night, I feel the pain,
Unable to untangle, my heart in chains.
It’s not just a fleeting feeling, but a lingering stain.
The prince was shocked, “This…this is who wrote this poem? So beautiful!”
“Of course, it was written by the newly crowned top scholar, Lin Beifan! He is the top scholar who scored the highest in the exams. He is talented and educated, and his talent is comparable to the heavenly immortals! Since he wrote this poem here, countless scholars have been self-conscious and no longer dare to show off their inferiority in front of him! Besides you, haha!”
“Yes! I was confused when I heard him recite his poetry earlier. This is a definite shame!”
“Haha, you’re killing me!” Other people also laughed, afraid that the world would not be chaotic.
“You guys…” The prince blushed with embarrassment. If he wasn’t in the capital, he would have had these ridiculers arrested and thrown into prison.
The prince said, “What if he’s talented and rich? He’s just a poor scholar!”
The other person snorted, “He’s not poor! He lives in a mansion in the capital, eats dishes from the royal kitchen, drinks wine from the royal winery, wears silk and brocade clothes, and travels in a purple and golden auspicious cloud carriage! I heard that his home is filled with gold, silver, precious jewels, and exotic goods, and several rooms are not enough to store them. His life is more than comfortable! Even other princes, royals, and aristocrats can’t compare to him!”
The prince was angry, “How is that possible? He’s just a scholar. How can he live so well?”
“Why else? Of course, it’s because he is favored by the Empress! I heard that during the morning court today, the newly crowned top scholar was again rewarded with a pile of gold, silver, and precious jewels by the Empress, making the civil and military officials so envious! If you don’t believe it, you can go out and ask. This is a well-known fact!”
The prince was struck again. He couldn’t match the scholar’s talent and was inferior to him in terms of material possessions!
He was even more resentful, but before he could speak, the person beside him spoke for him, “Even if he’s talented and rich, how can he compare to my young lord in looks? My young lord is not only handsome but also a great talent!”
The prince opened his folding fan, raised his head proudly, and was about to accept everyone’s praise.
“He’s not ugly!” The other snorted again, “He’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen in my life, with the most exceptional aura. Anything said about him pales in comparison. I’ll tell you simply, your lord looks good, but in front of him, he’s not even worthy of carrying his shoes!”
The prince: “Fuck!”
What the f*ck! How could he say such things to hit a person’s confidence?! Not even worthy of carrying his shoes? Am I that inferior?
“Do you know why the former courtesan left Hundred Flowers House?”
The other raised their head arrogantly, “It’s because she fell for the top scholar, and was charmed by his beauty and talent. She would rather spend money to redeem herself than stay here!”
“At that time, the top scholar had nothing, just what you call a poor scholar. But she would even pay to be with him. This has become a good story in the capital! I ask you, can you make a courtesan leave with you? Can you?”
The prince was speechless. He realized that he was really unable to do so. If he didn’t reveal his background, no girl would be willing to endure hardships with him. He was shaking with anger.
As a prince, he was completely defeated by a top scholar who came out of nowhere! Besides his background, he seemed to have nothing impressive to show.
But his background could not be revealed now, or else he would be in trouble. He was so frustrated that he hated someone unconsciously!
He drank a few more glasses of wine, unable to bear everyone’s ridicule, and left Hundred Flowers House in embarrassment. He went to another restaurant and sat upstairs, drinking to ease his mood.
At this moment, a luxurious carriage passed by below. The prince envied the carriage, which had a small room-like carriage house with two sweat-blooded horses pulling it. It was more magnificent than the carriage he had in Northern Hebei.
He thought to himself that he must get one when he goes back. Just then, a young man in a brocade robe jumped off the carriage. He had a regal bearing, sword-like eyebrows, and no extra decorations on his body, but looked very outstanding.
The prince was jealous once again, “Waiter, who is this person?”
“He’s the newly crowned top scholar and the director of the Imperial Academy, Lin Beifan!”
“So he’s Lin Beifan!” The prince had to admit that the top scholar in front of him was indeed better looking than him, but only slightly.
At this moment, Lin Beifan reached out and helped a breathtakingly beautiful woman down from the carriage. Seeing the stunning woman, the prince was somewhat moved,
“Waiter, who is that woman?”
“Excuse me, my lord, that’s the top scholar’s wife! She used to be the most famous courtesan in the capital, but she followed the top scholar without hesitation and now stays at home to raise their children. It’s hard to see her now!”
“So she’s Shi Shi, the courtesan!” The prince had to admit that Shi Shi was indeed very beautiful, almost as beautiful as his beloved Rushuang. She had a literary and elegant temperament, very suitable to be a wife.
Unfortunately, this flower was bitten by a pig like Lin Beifan, which was truly despicable!
“Hmph! My Ruoshuang is still more beautiful!”
“In my heart, she is the world’s most beautiful woman, no one can compare!” The prince comforted himself in this way, feeling much better. But just then, Lin Beifan reached out again and took out another stunning woman from the carriage. When the prince saw this woman, he was stunned!
