“This is the most famous Wan Hua Lou in the capital. The women in this Wan Hua Lou are all enchantingly beautiful, and the food and wine here are also top-notch…”
Outside the Wan Hua Lou, Ye Xian vividly described the situation of the Wan Hua Lou to Shen Jing.
Shen Jing was surprised and chuckled, teasing, “The Young Lord seems very familiar with this place?”
“Don’t get any wrong ideas!”
Ye Xian looked at Shen Jing earnestly, “I just heard people talk about it.”
“Oh!”
Shen Jing suddenly understood, then gave Ye Xian a smile that all men understood, “So, which lady in this Wan Hua Lou is the best at ‘kung fu’?”
Ye Xian blurted out, “The best at ‘kung fu’ is Lian Qiao, and the most charming is…”
Mid-sentence, Ye Xian abruptly stopped.
Looking at Shen Jing and the smile on his face, Ye Xian immediately felt a little awkward, “It’s all just what I heard people say!”
No sooner had Ye Xian finished speaking than the madam of the Wan Hua Lou rushed over to Ye Xian like a gust of wind, “Oh my, Young Lord, you haven’t been here for quite some days! Lian Qiao and Yu Xiang have both fallen ill with lovesickness for you…”
“Cough, cough…”
Ye Xian coughed twice, his eyes wide as he glared at the madam, “Who are you? You’ve got the wrong person, haven’t you?”
As he spoke, Ye Xian frantically winked at the madam.
The madam paused slightly, then forced a smile, “Yes, yes, look at me, old and blurry-eyed. I thought you were the Young Lord of Yue Country! My apologies, my apologies…”
With that, the madam left sheepishly.
“Hmph, what kind of person! Old and blurry-eyed to the point of not even recognizing people, yet still out here soliciting customers?”
Ye Xian shook his head, then looked at the several guards who followed Shen Jing like the Four Heavenly Kings, “You all agree, right?”
“Yes, yes!”
The four nodded repeatedly.
“Alright, alright! Let’s go!”
Ye Xian said, quickly flipping onto his horse.
Shen Jing laughed heartily and also mounted his horse.
After riding a short distance, Shen Jing proactively asked, “Young Lord, I heard your esteemed father is plagued by illness. Is it serious?”
When speaking of his father’s illness, Ye Xian uncharacteristically showed a serious expression, “It’s an old ailment from the battlefield. Whenever the seasons change or it gets cold, he always suffers from backaches and leg pains…”
Rheumatism!
Shen Jing instantly understood.
Being afflicted with rheumatism can be a bit troublesome.
Moreover, Ye Xiaogong’s rheumatism should be of the more severe kind.
To completely cure it would probably not be easy.
Shen Jing pondered for a moment, then frowned, “Your esteemed father’s condition is quite similar to someone I knew years ago. I still remember the folk remedy he used! That remedy was quite effective for his condition, but I don’t know if it will be useful for your esteemed father’s condition.”
“Really?”
Ye Xian suddenly looked at Shen Jing, “Don’t lie to me!”
“This remedy is certainly real, but I don’t know if it will be useful for your esteemed father’s condition.”
Shen Jing said seriously, “Moreover, that remedy only alleviated his pain, it couldn’t completely cure it…”
For this illness to have good results, it would definitely need to be supplemented with acupuncture and massage.
Although he had learned some medical skills from the scruffy old Daoist, it wasn't a good time to display them in front of them.
Besides, even if he said he knew medical skills, others might not believe him.
He was too lazy to bother explaining to people.
“Being able to alleviate it is enough!”
Ye Xian immediately perked up, “Alright, you tell me that remedy, and I’ll find someone to try it first! If it truly works for my father’s condition, I will definitely reward you handsomely!”
“What reward, no reward.”
Shen Jing laughed heartily, “Prince Wuping is a man who has rendered great service to Great Zhou. If I can help him suffer less from illness, I will be happy.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Xian immediately said boldly, “Just for those words, I’ve decided to be your friend! Come on, I’ll take you to the General’s Mansion for a look!”
“Ah?”
Shen Jing was stunned, “Young Lord, you’re not going to find some general to test the medicine on, are you?”
“What nonsense!”
Ye Xian laughed heartily, “The General’s Mansion I’m talking about isn’t a general’s residence, it’s a place for cricket fighting!”
As he spoke, Ye Xian explained to Shen Jing.
Those who fought crickets all liked to call their crickets this general or that general.
For example, the prime cricket in Ye Xian’s hand was called General Xuan Jia.
Another example, the cricket Yang Ran had previously bought for two hundred taels of silver was called General Hu Wei.
This was not a trend they started; it had been around for a very long time.
Precisely because of this, they jokingly referred to the cricket fighting arena as the General’s Mansion.
After hearing Ye Xian’s explanation, Shen Jing suddenly understood.
So it was that kind of General’s Mansion!
They certainly knew how to have fun, making him feel like a country bumpkin!
...
Ye Li chatted with Su Yourong for a while, then returned to the palace with Shen Jing’s “masterpiece.”
“Imperial Father, Imperial Father…”
Ye Li, with one hand holding up her skirt and the other holding Shen Jing’s “masterpiece,” rushed into Emperor Zhou’s bedchamber in a flurry.
Emperor Zhou tiredly raised his head and looked at Ye Li with doting eyes, “You naughty girl, you’re not even married yet! Mind your manners!”
Looking at his daughter, Emperor Zhou couldn’t help but think of Yao Jian’s proposal.
Marriage alliance!
How could he bear to use this girl for a marriage alliance!
“Mmm hmm.”
Ye Li, unaware of Emperor Zhou’s thoughts, casually agreed, then excitedly came before Emperor Zhou, “Quickly, look at the ‘man jiang hong’ written by Shen Jing!”
“man jiang hong?”
Emperor Zhou was slightly stunned, then quickly reacted, “That poem by Shen Jing is called ‘man jiang hong’, right?”
“Yes, yes!”
Ye Li nodded repeatedly, quickly unrolling the scroll in her hand before Emperor Zhou.
Emperor Zhou was already interested in the latter half of Shen Jing’s poem, and seeing his daughter so eager, he set aside his complex emotions and examined it carefully.
“Riding long chariots, breaking through the Ba Na Mountain pass…”
Upon seeing this line, Emperor Zhou continuously murmured, “Breaking through the Ba Na Mountain pass…”
Vaguely, Emperor Zhou seemed to see Great Zhou’s soldiers charging through Ba Na Mountain, penetrating deep into Oirat territory.
If such a day truly came, how wonderful that would be!
Alas, with his body, he probably wouldn’t live to see that day!
As he thought, tears suddenly welled up in Emperor Zhou’s eyes.
Ye Li noticed Emperor Zhou’s expression, and her heart suddenly tightened. She asked softly, “Imperial Father, you… you’re not angry with Shen Jing, are you?”
Emperor Zhou snapped back to reality, quickly turned his head to wipe away the tears from his eyes, then, with red eyes, glared at his daughter with a smile, “What are you thinking! Why would I be angry with him?”
“Oh, oh.”
Ye Li felt relieved, “Your daughter thought you were angry because of the words ‘Jin Province’s shame’!”
“If I were angry, I’d be angry with myself, why would I be angry with him?”
Emperor Zhou gently shook his head, quickly finished reading the rest of the content, then revealed a hint of understanding, “It seems Shen Jing doesn’t not want to be an official, but his ambition isn’t in the imperial court!”
Ye Li’s heart twitched, and she tentatively asked, “Imperial Father isn’t thinking of having Shen Jing lead troops into battle, is he? He’s just a scholar with no strength to tie a chicken, he…”
“What’s wrong with having no strength to tie a chicken?”
Emperor Zhou interrupted Ye Li, “There have been many scholar-generals throughout history! As long as he has the ability, why shouldn’t I let him lead troops?”
Shen Jing certainly had ambition!
However, leading troops into battle wasn’t just about ambition!
Hmm, after the Yong Country Delegation’s visit is over, he would have to find an opportunity to test him.
However, the most pressing issue at hand was still Yao Jian’s proposal!
What if Yong Country forcefully demanded a marriage alliance with Great Zhou? What then?
Should he really use the strategy Yao Jian offered?
