That day when he came to Chu Garden, it certainly wasn't truly under Third Prince's orders, but after leaving Chu Garden, he immediately went to see Third Prince.
"The Chu Garden Literary Gathering should come to an end," he said to Third Prince. "I went to see for myself. If this continues, it won't be favorable for you, Third Brother."
Third Prince sneered coldly: "Am I afraid of her? What unfavorable outcome could I possibly fear? If the Crown Prince poses a threat to me, should I be so terrified that I immediately take my own life?"
Xiao Xun smiled bitterly: "Third Brother, don't joke. What I mean is that if this escalates, it could be both good and bad. You need to turn it into something advantageous."
Third Prince glanced at him: "You've always been full of ideas since childhood. Tell me, how do we make it advantageous?"
"Of course by joining in the joy, sharing happiness with all under heaven," Xiao Xun said sincerely. "Third Brother is magnanimous and tolerant, capable of overlooking a young woman's behavior."
Third Prince looked at him coldly: "I am neither magnanimous nor tolerant."
"Then first handle the matter, then teach the young woman a lesson," Xiao Xun said with a laugh, kneeling and moving forward a few steps to approach Third Prince. "Third Brother, His Majesty is still waiting to see your literary gathering. You need to make it lively and joyful so that His Majesty can also be happy."
Third Prince looked at him, his eyes gloomy: "Then you're putting in such effort for my sake just to be happy?"
Xiao Xun smiled bitterly: "Third Brother, to be honest, this matter started because of me. If I hadn't taken an extra look at Young Master Chu's submission that day, none of this would have happened. I came to the capital and caused such trouble - I'll never be truly happy for the rest of my life. So yes, I'm putting in all this effort precisely to achieve some happiness."
Third Prince laughed heartily.
He said: "This matter isn't your fault either. It was the Crown Prince who started it - he incited the princesses to use that young woman to humiliate me."
Xiao Xun said earnestly: "So Third Brother must not fall into his trap."
Third Prince glanced at him: "Alright, I understand. You've come to the capital with difficulty - I can't let you suffer this fright." Then he called for attendants, "Bring the name cards."
Eunuchs brought in the name cards and handed them to Xiao Xun.
Now, as Xiao Xun stepped through the door again, empty-handed, the matter had been settled.
Third Prince still showed no sign of joy. What should have been a perfect literary gathering had been disrupted like this.
"Just wait," he said coldly. "I won't let any of these people off!"
He raised an arrow in his hand, and a pot not far away shattered with the sound.
"Your Highness, since you can tolerate all under heaven, then please invite the Crown Prince's brother-in-law, Young Master Xie the Third, to attend the gathering as well," Xiao Xun suggested.
Third Prince certainly knew of Xie Yanfang's reputation and that he had come to the capital, though he hadn't planned to invite him to the Spring Gazing Garden literary gathering.
The Crown Prince looked down on his literary gathering, and he looked down on the Crown Prince's people.
But now—since he couldn't vent his anger on the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince's lackeys would have to bear it.
"Someone, go deliver my invitation to him," Third Prince said with a room full of malice, sneering. "If he doesn't come, it means he has no respect for me. I'll make him leave the capital and never set foot here again."
Xiao Xun laughed: "Young Master Xie the Third would certainly not be so ungrateful."
The eunuch immediately took the invitation and left, returning in less than half an hour, still holding the invitation—
Third Prince's face turned dark and cold: "He's just the Crown Prince's brother-in-law, not the Crown Prince himself. If I kill him now, the Crown Prince wouldn't make me pay with my life."
The eunuch hurriedly said: "Your Highness, Young Master Xie the Third said something has happened in his family, and he has no face to attend Your Highness's literary gathering."
Something happened?The Third Prince and Xiao Xun were both taken aback. What had happened to the Xie family?
……
……
The Chu Garden Literary Gathering had concluded, and the Chu Garden returned to tranquility, no longer bustling with crowds and lively chatter.
Chu Tang leaned against the railing and sighed softly. "It feels oddly quiet."
As her words faded, the sound of footsteps and laughter approached from behind, accompanied by girls calling out, "Where’s A Zhao?" and "Chu Zhao, come quickly!"
Perhaps it was better when it was quiet after all. Chu Tang turned to face the approaching girls. "What brings you here so early? Coming for breakfast?"
"Are the pastries from Drunken Immortal Restaurant still being delivered?" Qi Leyun rubbed her stomach. "I’ve grown used to them—suddenly stopping feels strange."
Chu Tang scoffed. "If we only deliver to you, the cost would be too high."
Qi Leyun grabbed her. "You miser! Don’t think I don’t know how much money you’ve made. Treat me now!"
The other girls joined in, laughing and teasing.
"Sister A Tang is treating everyone?" Chu Zhao’s voice came from behind.
Chu Tang extricated herself from the group. "After all this time, has anyone ever seen me treat anyone? I’m always the one freeloading off others."
The girls burst into laughter.
"Then I’ll treat everyone," Chu Zhao said with a smile. "We’ve grown tired of Drunken Immortal Restaurant. Let me take you all to Elegant Interest Pavilion instead."
The girls cheered enthusiastically, while Chu Tang glared at Chu Zhao.
Chu Zhao glanced at her and added, "The expenses will come from my share."
Chu Tang’s expression instantly brightened. "Wonderful! I’ll join too."
The girls laughed again. Everyone knew that Chu Zhao and Chu Tang had earned a considerable sum from the Chu Garden Literary Gathering, so they didn’t hesitate to crowd around Chu Zhao and head out.
Today, Elegant Interest Pavilion was not as bustling as the last time they had visited.
Without Young Master Xie the Third, the atmosphere was different.
However, with Miss Chu Zhao present, a new kind of liveliness emerged.
The shop attendants welcomed them warmly. Miss Chu Zhao reserved half of the third floor. Upon hearing that Chu Zhao was hosting a banquet, other girls already in the restaurant hurried upstairs to seize the opportunity to make her acquaintance.
The third floor was filled with laughter and chatter. The girls played the qin, composed poetry, and practiced calligraphy, even presenting their works to guests on the first and second floors for appreciation.
The guests on the lower floors received fine wine from Chu Zhao as a token of gratitude for their feedback. Far from finding the girls’ behavior annoying, they praised them warmly.
"One can only imagine how lively the Hope Spring Garden Literary Gathering will be."
"It’s a pity we won’t be able to participate."
"Still, I’ve heard that even if we don’t compete, we can still observe."
"Really? Then I can’t miss this excitement."
"In that case, I’ll go toast this young lady of the Chu family now."
Elegant Interest Pavilion grew even more animated, and the streets outside suddenly became crowded as people rushed in one direction. Shopkeepers and patrons alike peered curiously toward the commotion.
Although their current gathering was no longer filled with dull qin music and tedious flattery, Qi Leyun occasionally found her attention drifting to the street scene. Leaning by the window, she was the first to notice the activity outside.
"Look, who could be arriving?" she called out to the others.
Could it be Young Master Xie the Third?
Young Master Xie the Third rarely ventured out. Since arriving in the capital, he had only been seen once—truly a name more famous than his presence.
At the mention of Young Master Xie the Third, the other girls turned to look outside, Chu Zhao included. During this time, A Le had been diligently inquiring about Young Master Xie the Third, but unfortunately, despite gathering much information, upon closer inspection, it seemed to amount to nothing at all—This Young Master Xie the Third enjoys widespread fame, yet no one knows the slightest detail about him personally—what he likes, his daily activities, his strengths, who his friends are—all remain completely unknown.
He is an extremely cautious person, which only strengthens Chu Zhao’s resolve to get to know him.
“Will the Third Young Master also attend the Hope Spring Garden Literary Gathering?”
“Then we’ll be able to compete together.”
The girls chattered and laughed while watching the street, catching sight of a large crowd approaching from afar.
Could it really be Young Master Xie the Third making an appearance?
“No, no.” Some maidservants returned from gathering news, their expressions agitated.
Hearing it wasn’t him, most of the girls withdrew their gazes, though they were puzzled—if it wasn’t Young Master Xie the Third, why were they so worked up?
“But it’s someone from Young Master Xie the Third’s household,” the maidservants exclaimed excitedly, then furrowed their brows, pressing a hand to their chests with anxious concern. “His family has gotten into serious trouble. How worried he must be at this very moment.”
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