65 The Prince’s Mansion (1/2)
Chapter 65: The Prince’s Mansion
Translator: Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The poetry contest at Crown Prince Jing's mansion and the Crown Prince's Poetry Competition were two of the hottest social events in the capital. They were held monthly, come rain or shine. Countless poor scholars and starving poets tried their hardest to get in, hoping to set the world ablaze with a single line of poetry and find a way of getting ahead in life.
The crown prince was well-renowned as a wordsmith, and although Crown Prince Jing was the little brother of the Emperor, he was determined to be a rich and idle prince, and so he had little in the way of influence. In contrast, those who had clear goals naturally flocked to the side of the crown prince.
If one could gain the praise of Crown Prince Jing, it was a good way to build a reputation. So at each competition, many guests would gather at the prince's mansion, not far from Shixin Gate. Some came carried in on palanquins, some sat atop carriages, and some walked, but the butler at the gate treated all with equal favor, and after checking their name cards, he would respectfully let them enter.
Fan Xian sat on a palanquin with an unsightly look on his face, alternating between green and deathly pale. From time to time he would cover his mouth, trying to suppress the urge to vomit.
He had chosen the palanquin because it felt appropriate for such a grand literary occasion, and had invited his sister to attend with him. He had spent his whole life by the sea in Danzhou, and the swaying of boats had never made him feel seasick, but this palanquin was making him feel quite queasy. Feeling uneasy, he drew open the curtain on the palanquin. ”How much further?” he asked Teng Zijing meekly.
Teng Zijing stifled a smile. ”Just past the next crossing,” he replied.
Fan Xian grunted in acknowledgement and sat back. His fingers were splayed forth like orchids, and he placed his thumbs and ring fingers together, allowing the zhenqi to slowly release, rinsing out his internal organs and slightly relieving his nausea, but in the end he couldn't stop feeling dizzy.
His eyebrows furrowed as he dealt with both the doubt in his mind and his physical discomfort. His stay in the mansion over the past few days showed him made him feel as though his father had very different ways of thinking, and there were many things that he could not explain. Like, why did he care so much about his illegitimate child? Was it simply out of his father's love for his mother?
He turned his head to look outside the palanquin, separating the thin green curtain and looking at the figures of people on horseback. He knew that although Teng Zijing was fond of him, he was his father's man, and he could not place his faith in him entirely. He sighed. He felt he had to find subordinates he could trust, people like the ghost-like Wu Zhu, people he could order around as he pleased.
Fan Xian very much wanted to know what his mother had done in the capital, and how his father knew her, and... how she had died. This was not borne simply out of pure curiosity and parental affection; he felt that knowing his past was the only way he could control both his present and his future.
Inside the prince's mansion, in front of the gate leading into a garden, a group of scholars bowed humbly to a young man. They could never have imagined that the person welcoming them at the gate at today's poetry contest was Crown Prince Jing himself.
Two small palanquins with green curtains slowly made their way past. Crown Prince Jing gave a slightly impatient salute to the scholars, who seemed overwhelmed by his presence, and moved along to welcome the palanquin. At that moment, the scholars realized that they had committed some kind of faux pas, but did not dare let their emotions show upon their faces. They continued to smile boastfully, and confidently cupped their hands in a salute, ushered to the rear garden by the butler.
The servants at the gate going to the prince's mansion were somewhat curious about who this guest could be for the crown prince himself to greet them at the gate.