The most dissolute couple in the capital

Huguo Temple, the bamboo path behind the mountain.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and a thin layer of dew still clung to the bluestone slabs. The Second Prince, Li Han, dressed in a moon-white robe, stood with his hands behind his back in the pavilion at the end of the bamboo forest, his posture as upright as a pine tree, his brows and eyes displaying his usual gentle and composed demeanor.

The eunuch beside him whispered, "Your Highness, Miss Wang's carriage has entered the mountain gate and will arrive at the Guanyin Hall in about an incense stick's time."

Li Han nodded slightly: "I have come to Huguo Temple today to pray for my mother's well-being by copying scriptures."

The eunuch understood immediately: "Yes, this servant has made arrangements. The scripture copying room on the east side of the Guanyin Hall is separated from the incense offering area on the west side where Miss Wang is located by a flower wall. As long as Miss Wang's maid leads the way..."

"There's no need to inform Mother."

The eunuch was taken aback, then lowered his head: "This servant understands."

"As for rumors..." He flicked his sleeves, turned and walked down the mountain. "Rumors, if they spread loud enough, can make falsehoods seem true. If Father hears all the officials saying that I have feelings for the royal family, then bestowing a marriage upon me would be a natural progression."

Everything went as Li Han had predicted.

Many noble families were visiting Huguo Temple that day. Some people "coincidentally" caught a glimpse of the Second Prince's carriage parked near the Guanyin Hall, while others "coincidentally" saw the eldest daughter of the Wang family of Taiyuan come out of the hall with slightly flushed cheeks and hurried steps.

Does it matter whether the two actually met or not?

Importantly, that afternoon, the news spread like wildfire throughout half of Chang'an.

"The Second Prince unexpectedly met Miss Wang at Huguo Temple. The two stood facing each other in front of the Buddha, their eyes met, and the scene was... tsk tsk."

"I heard that the Second Prince even personally handed over a string of Buddhist prayer beads!"

"It wasn't a Buddhist rosary, it was a handkerchief! Miss Wang tripped, and the Second Prince helped her up!"

In just two days, the version has been upgraded from "chance encounter" to "private engagement".

Even folk tales wouldn't dare to make it up like this.

-

The Empress Dowager's bedroom.

"Bang!"

A fine official kiln blue and white porcelain cup was smashed hard onto the gold brick floor, shards of porcelain scattering all over the ground.

"He's lost his mind!" Consort De trembled with rage, her usually well-maintained face now contorted with fury.

The trusted maidservant below knelt on the ground, not daring to utter a sound: "Your Highness, please calm down. It's all over the place now, saying that the Second Prince and the daughter of the Wang family of Taiyuan fell in love at first sight at Huguo Temple, and that... that His Majesty intends to bestow a marriage upon them."

"A marriage decree? I, the mother, am not dead yet!" Consort De was furious.

She had long coveted her own niece and was just waiting for the right moment to request a marriage alliance, thus binding the Lu family's power to the Second Prince and strengthening their ties through marriage, thus paving the way for the Lu family to produce the next Empress.

But now, Li Han is secretly going to seduce the Wang family of Taiyuan without her knowledge!

"What does he think the Wang family of Taiyuan is? He's resorting to such despicable means to get rid of my and the Lu family's control!" Consort De gritted her teeth, a ruthless glint in her eyes.

Since my son is disobedient, I have no choice but to give him a good talking-to.

"Go and convey my message." Consort De coldly glanced at her confidante. "Isn't that girl from the Wang family returning to the city today? Have our men ambush her there. Startle her carriage! We don't need to kill her, but we must make her lose face in public, preferably seriously injured. I want to see how a disgraced, frightened woman can still be the Second Prince's Consort of Da Ning!"

Outside the palace, a eunuch quietly stepped back from the base of the wall and turned lightly into another palace path.

-

Two days later, in Chang'an, at the Cui family's villa.

Inside the pavilion in the middle of the lake, the stove was burning brightly, and the light gauze curtains blocked out the winter chill.

Cui Qingyi is here today to attend her cousin Cui Lingyi's tea party. Before leaving, Li Chengjing insisted on dragging her to try the newly blended calming incense, rubbing it on her wrist for a long time, which has resulted in her exuding a lazy, sweet fragrance all over her body.

"Oh my, Princess Liang's complexion is getting better and better," a young lady from an official family said enviously. "It must be because His Highness Prince Liang is by her side every day, so she doesn't have to worry about the trivial matters of the inner quarters, right?"

Cui Qingyi didn't even lift her eyelids, slowly picked up her teacup and took a sip: "Governing by doing nothing. Our prince does nothing, and I do nothing either, so life is naturally comfortable."

Good tea.

Cui Lingyi is a good person in every way, except that she is too generous. Even the tea she uses must be the finest pre-Qingming Longjing tea; how much money must that cost?

"Alright, alright, stop with the nonsense. This new face cream from Chenxiang Pavilion is truly excellent. Luckily, His Highness is generous and didn't cut off our supply." Cui Lingyi smiled, trying to smooth things over. Then, she lowered her voice and leaned closer with a gossipy look on her face, "Have you heard about the Huguo Temple incident? The Second Prince and that girl from the Taiyuan Wang family are now engaged!"

"How come I haven't heard of that?" someone nearby immediately chimed in, their eyes shining with excitement. "It's said that the Second Prince not only picked peach blossoms for Miss Wang, but also personally shielded her from the wind, and even 'accidentally' left his jade pendant on Miss Wang's carriage!"

"That's right! Every teahouse and tavern in the capital is talking about it, and even storytellers have turned it into a tale called 'Peach Blossoms Fluttering, Beauty Laughing'!"

The Second Prince Li Han orchestrated this chance encounter simply to entice the Emperor to bestow a marriage upon him and seize the coveted Wang family of Taiyuan. However, given his nature, he would never allow the rumors to spiral out of control and become the almost scandalous gossip they are today. That would only enrage the Emperor, who is extremely concerned with appearances.

Who could be behind this, precisely targeting Li Han's sore spots and fanning the flames?

A young lady covered her face with a round fan, a half-smile on her face: "The other day, the carriage of the second branch of the Wang family encountered bandits in the north of the city. The curtain was torn, and the guards fought with the bandits. Although the young lady of the Wang family was not injured, she was quite frightened."

"Mountain bandits?" Cui Qingyi raised an eyebrow. "What kind of mountain bandits could there be twenty miles outside Chang'an? Are the patrol battalions of the Prefect of the Capital just for show?"

Cui Lingyi sighed, "That's why it's so strange. Some say it was Consort De's doing, trying to ruin the Wang family's daughter's reputation and cause the marriage to fall through. Others say it was someone from the Third Prince's faction in disguise, trying to stir up trouble amidst the chaos."

"In short..." Cui Lingyi spoke directly to Cui Qingyi, lowering her voice, "The bigger this matter gets, the worse it will be for the Second Prince. Think about it, someone who can't even manage his own backyard..."

She didn't finish speaking.

The two locked eyes for a moment, and Cui Qingyi saw a fleeting, profound meaning in her cousin's eyes.

Cui Lingyi... knew that Li Zhao was fueling the fire.

No, perhaps they know more than just that.

Perhaps she herself is part of it all.

This noblewoman, who is about to marry into General Xiao's household, will represent a further step in the Cui family's rapprochement with the imperial family.

Cui Qingyi withdrew her gaze and slowly continued eating pine nuts.

"Cousin," she smiled gently and innocently, "these orchids are so beautiful. Could you have someone send me a couple more? We're looking for some decorative items at home."

Cui Lingyi paused for a moment, then chuckled, "You, I'm talking to you about serious matters."

"I heard it." Cui Qingyi wrapped the pine nut shells in her handkerchief, stretched slightly, and said, "The Second Prince and Consort De are having a falling out, and the Wang family girl got dragged into it. What does that have to do with me? I'm not even a candidate for the Second Prince's consort."

Cui Lingyi hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

Cui Qingyi patted her hand, her tone extremely sincere: "Don't worry, cousin. I'll just watch the excitement; I won't get involved. After all..."

She smiled slightly, her eyes crinkling:

"My lord said, 'You can enjoy watching a play, but never go on stage. Going on stage means memorizing lines, which is too tiring.'"

Cui Lingyi: "..."

Sometimes she really couldn't tell whether her cousin was genuinely carefree or just pretending to be oblivious.