After Transmigrating Into A Love-Brained Scumbag Villain - Chapter 23

[In the third year of Yuanxi, on the fifth day of the fifth month, the inside and outside of Jiankang City were packed with people.

On the glittering, scenic banks of the Qinhuai River, men and women in bright clothing crowded together. Five-colored silk ribbons were wrapped around their arms as they shouted passionately toward the light boats on the Qinhuai River.

On the light boats, young sons of wealthy families were full of vigor, their glory boundless.

Yet on a pleasure boat docked by the riverbank, someone was deeply worried. “If His Highness and the others personally enter the field, what if something happens?”

“Sigh, you know His Highness’s temper too. Those fellows like Xu Zhan deliberately provoked him, and there were others fanning the flames. How could His Highness not personally go out and prove his strength?!”

Yes. Originally, for this flying-boat regatta, the Prince of Yiyang and Xu Zhan only needed to act as commanders of the “two armies,” watch from the side, and wait for the result. Who would have thought that the moment the two met, they would be like sparks landing on dry grass, with the fire rapidly spreading?

Thus, disregarding their own safety, the two personally boarded light boats that could only hold four people, rolled up their sleeves, and prepared to decide victory and defeat.]

During the confrontation, Xu Zhan was knocked into the Qinhuai River by the Prince of Yiyang with an oar.

Xu Zhan, who did not know how to swim, nearly drowned. After being rescued, he burned with fever for several days.

After the fever subsided, he became so weak that he could not get out of bed.

Without his elder brother, Xu Daoji would not have become who he was today, so he valued Xu Zhan greatly.

—

For a very long time afterward, Jiankang City was filled with a tense atmosphere, as if a storm were about to break.

However, the emperor could not be considered a winner either. He had forgotten that in order to suppress the noble clans, the late emperor had no longer casually allowed aristocratic families to serve as “princely tutors.” Or perhaps, under pressure from the situation, he had no choice but to use empty titles to stabilize the noble clans. In short, this move, together with the marriage alliances, strengthened the connection between the noble clans and the imperial princes, causing the later princes’ power to greatly increase.

The emperor had not even been on the throne for two full years. Although he had eliminated powerful ministers such as Xie Mian, that had only succeeded with the support of noble clans such as Xu Daoji’s. His throne was not yet stable, so he could not easily tear all pretense of cordiality with the noble clans.

He also reduced the Prince of Yiyang’s fief by two thousand households, punished him by confining him in his manor to reflect on his mistakes, and then had him marry Xu Zhan’s younger sister as his princess consort. Xu Daoji, meanwhile, became his “princely tutor.”

If the emperor wanted to consolidate his power, he had no choice but to face even greater resistance.

Before he could make a decision, the imperial relatives and in-laws at court had already started quarreling with the noble clans.

And the frequent marriages between the imperial clan and noble clans would inevitably break the firm cooperative relationships among the noble clans themselves.

Although the emperor eventually resolved this crisis, stabilizing the noble clans while preserving his dignity as emperor, the price was that the marriage relationships between imperial relatives and noble clan descendants became complicated and contradictory.

Specifically, in order to compensate Xu Zhan, the emperor betrothed the late emperor’s youngest daughter, his own youngest sister, Grand Princess Yuzhang, to him. Xu Zhan was granted the title of Commandant Consort and the noble title Marquis of Liuyang County.

The noble clans that had once been suppressed by the emperor seized this opportunity to pressure the emperor together.

After that, the emperor became very enthusiastic about arranging marriages between imperial relatives and noble clans. Not only that, but he also took many noble clan daughters as consorts.

With the Prince of Yingchuan’s sensitive and violent temperament, she might very well take all that pressure and apply it violently to the maidservants in order to vent her dissatisfaction.

This move punished the Prince of Yiyang and disgusted the noble clans, yet none of them could say there was anything improper about it.

Xu Zhan was the only son of Xu Daoji’s elder brother. Back then, when Xu Daoji’s elder brother was critically ill, he called Xu Daoji to his side and had him take over the position of General of the Left, as well as all of the Xu clan’s influence. His only request was that Xu Daoji take good care of Xu Zhan.

When something happened to Xu Zhan, Xu Daoji was more anxious than anyone. Although he was leading troops outside the capital, one memorial after another requesting that the emperor uphold justice put enormous pressure on the emperor.

Although it was only nominal, it still carried the title of teacher and elder. If the Prince of Yiyang caused trouble again in the future, Xu Daoji would also have to shoulder the blame.

If the emperor punished the Prince of Yiyang, that meant the noble clans had once again gained the upper hand in their confrontation with the emperor. In the future, if the emperor wanted to suppress the noble clans again, he would encounter even more resistance. But if he refused to punish the Prince of Yiyang and allowed him to continue being arrogant and domineering, it would inevitably chill the hearts of Xu Daoji and the other noble clans. Once the emperor lost the moral high ground, he would not be able to sit on the throne for long.

Originally, relationships among noble clans were also maintained and stabilized through marriage. The so-called “well-matched in status” referred precisely to marriages between noble clans of equal rank.

Wang Yaoshuang could not predict what consequences there would be if His Highness got involved, but His Highness was already feared by the emperor. After this matter, her situation would inevitably become even more difficult.

Thinking of this, Wang Yaoshuang asked, “Did Your Highness agree?”

“More or less!” Zhao Shangrong said somewhat uncertainly.

She did not know whether the “new flying-boat regatta competition method” she proposed could gain the approval of Xu Zhan and the other noble clan youths. If the other side agreed, she would participate. If they did not agree, she could only find some other chance to avenge Wang Yaoshuang for them cursing her as short-lived.

“Is there still room to refuse?” Wang Yaoshuang stared fixedly at His Highness.

At this point, even if Zhao Shangrong was slow, she could hear that the princess consort did not want her to participate in the flying-boat regatta.

“Does the princess consort want me to refuse Eighth Brother? Why?”

She could not help wondering whether the emperor had given the princess consort some instructions, such as not wanting two imperial princes to get too close.

It was not her fault that she always guessed this way. Although the emperor was a wise ruler in the original novel, he also had the common imperial flaw of being suspicious.

Back then, her colleague in charge of proofreading had told her that almost none of his brothers came to a good end. If they did not die at his hands, then they died at his son’s hands… Incidentally, it was said that his son was the male lead of the second book.

The only one who managed to die peacefully was the ninth prince, the Prince of Luling, who ignored the outside world and spent his days drinking heavily.

Zhao Shangrong’s decision to lie flat and become a salted fish prince was also inspired by the Prince of Luling.

Of course, the current Prince of Luling still did not know that his older brothers were all cannon fodder!

Wang Yaoshuang could not reveal the true reason. Her mind turned rapidly. Suddenly, inspiration flashed, and she said, “This concubine… this concubine wants to hold a banquet in the manor on Dragon Boat Festival, inviting relatives and friends to come enjoy themselves, drink, gather flowers, and play the game of fighting herbs.”

Inviting female guests to the prince’s manor for a banquet and outing was something that would have been absolutely impossible in her previous life.

Wang Yaoshuang was betting—betting that His Highness would not oppose outsiders coming to the prince’s manor to play and feast.

Zhao Shangrong gave an “Oh.” This was indeed a very common social activity among women, but…

“If the princess consort wants to hold a banquet, then hold one. This does not conflict with me participating in the flying-boat regatta.”

Faced with His Highness, who still had not understood her meaning, even Wang Yaoshuang’s calm temperament could not help producing a trace of anxiety.

In her urgency, she reached out and grabbed His Highness’s sleeve. Her eyes shimmered as she tried to pour her urgent feelings into that clear world through them.

“This concubine… this concubine wants Your Highness to remain in the manor and accompany this concubine in receiving the guests.”

Zhao Shangrong’s breath caught.

How could the princess consort act coquettishly?

This was too much of a foul!

Beauty muddles the mind, beauty muddles the mind!

Zhao Shangrong warned herself inwardly, but her mouth always moved before her brain could react. “Of course. If the princess consort is holding a banquet, how could I not be present?”

Seeing that she had agreed, Wang Yaoshuang breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. A brilliant smile bloomed across her face like a hundred flowers opening. “Your Highness promised this concubine, so you must not go back on your word.”

“…Mm.” Zhao Shangrong could not withstand the princess consort’s sudden charm. Her gaze became so nervous she had nowhere to place it.

Having achieved her goal, Wang Yaoshuang no longer wanted to maneuver around His Highness and once again resumed her dignified appearance.

“Then this concubine will not delay Your Highness’s proper business and will take her leave first.”

Zhao Shangrong froze. Proper business? She did not have any proper business to handle.

Wang Yaoshuang came gracefully and left leisurely.

For some reason, Zhao Shangrong had the feeling that she had been schemed against.

“It should be an illusion, right?” Zhao Shangrong muttered.

—

Two days later, the Prince of Yiyang ran over excitedly. “It’s done. They agreed.”

Zhao Shangrong had long since thrown this matter to the back of her mind. While drinking the new wine brewed by the kitchen courtyard, she asked, “Who agreed to what?”

“The flying-boat regatta! When Xu Zhan and the others heard Seventh Brother would participate too, they agreed to Seventh Brother’s proposal!” The Prince of Yiyang looked at Zhao Shangrong suspiciously. “Seventh Brother, you wouldn’t go back on your word and change your mind, would you? I already spread the news that you would participate!”

Zhao Shangrong: “…”

She remembered and asked in surprise, “They really agreed?!”

No way. Weren’t those noble clan youths supposed to have strong pride and look down on her?

They actually accepted her proposal so easily?

The Prince of Yiyang did not know what Zhao Shangrong was inwardly grumbling about and continued talking to himself. “Of course! I told them that the contest between the water army and water horse is too crude. Deciding victory and defeat purely through force has no fun to it. Besides, those warriors are ultimately our own people. If any one of them gets injured because of the flying-boat regatta, that would be our own loss. True warriors should go to the battlefield and kill enemies. Only then would their injuries be worthwhile.”

Zhao Shangrong said, “Aren’t those the words I said? Did you pay copyright fees for copying my lines?”

Prince of Yiyang: “What line copyright fees? Seventh Brother, hurry and set the detailed rules. We should build the flying boats early and train in advance, so when the time comes, we can catch them off guard!”

Zhao Shangrong had just been about to say something when a female attendant walked in and said, “Your Highness, the princess consort has arrived.”

“Please invite the princess consort in.” Zhao Shangrong paused. “In the future, if the princess consort comes, let her enter directly. There is no need to announce her.”

“Yes.”

The Prince of Yiyang had good hearing. He thought that he had not yet seen the Princess Consort of Yingchuan, who had nearly become a laughingstock in Jiankang. He wondered whether she was very ugly, or whether, as Xu Zhan and the others had said, because she had been frail and sickly since childhood, she looked short-lived.

He craned his neck expectantly.

But he saw a beautiful woman with a high bun, gold dangling hair ornaments, a red wide-sleeved upper robe, and a purple long skirt gracefully walking in. Her bearing was dignified and proper. The jade pendants on her skirt made only soft tinkling sounds, not messy at all, and even rather rhythmic.

Wang Yaoshuang bowed. “This concubine greets Your Highness.”

Then she looked at the Prince of Yiyang. “Eighth Brother.”

The Prince of Yiyang was startled. This was the Princess Consort of Yingchuan from the Wang clan?!

Rumors really misled people!

At this moment, Zhao Shangrong had no attention to spare for the Prince of Yiyang’s reaction. As usual, she made space beside her.

Wang Yaoshuang sat beside her with tacit understanding, looked at the Prince of Yiyang, and asked His Highness, “Just now, this concubine heard ‘flying boats’ and ‘training’ outside the door?”

There was a smile at the corner of her lips, but her eyes stared unblinkingly at His Highness, as if questioning why His Highness had gone back on her word and failed to do what she had promised.

Zhao Shangrong blinked and was just about to explain when the Prince of Yiyang, thinking Wang Yaoshuang did not know about this matter, enthusiastically told Wang Yaoshuang everything about how they were going to compete with the noble clan youths in a flying-boat regatta during Dragon Boat Festival.

Wang Yaoshuang’s smile had already become extremely forced. She almost wanted to bite her molars to pieces. How could His Highness go back on her word?!

Zhao Shangrong saw the emotions brewing in Wang Yaoshuang’s eyes and said, “Princess Consort, listen to my explanation.”

The Prince of Yiyang keenly sensed that something was not right between his elder brother and sister-in-law, so he chose to shut up and watch the show.

Wang Yaoshuang accused, “Your Highness clearly promised this concubine that on Dragon Boat Festival, you would accompany this concubine in the manor to receive guests!”

The Prince of Yiyang became anxious when he heard this.

How could Seventh Brother not participate? If Seventh Brother did not participate, half the fun would be gone!

But this was a conversation between husband and wife, so he could not interrupt. He could only keep making eyes at Zhao Shangrong.

Zhao Shangrong could not even take care of herself right now, so how could she pay attention to him?

She said, “I really will remain in the manor to accompany the princess consort in receiving guests! As for the flying-boat regatta, it will be enough to send private retainers to participate. It is just that on Dragon Boat Festival, I will not be able to personally go watch the competition.”

Wang Yaoshuang was left speechless. His Highness had indeed promised that day to remain in the prince’s manor with her, but she had not said she would not send people to participate in the flying-boat regatta!

Wang Yaoshuang: “…”

Although she knew she had been careless, she was still so angry!

The Prince of Yiyang could not hold back and interjected, “Seventh Sister-in-law, Seventh Brother only needs to provide one dragon boat and a few dozen private retainers. It won’t interfere with him accompanying you to host your banquet and entertain guests.”

Wang Yaoshuang did not particularly want to speak to either of them.

Author’s Note:

Princess Consort: So angry. I don’t want to talk to either of you!

His Highness: I’ve decided to imitate Ninth Brother and spend my days drinking heavily!

Future Ninth Brother: Seventh Brother, although I died peacefully, I drank myself to death in my thirties.

His Highness: …

—

The parts inside 【】 are descriptions from the “original novel.”