"My greatest passion in life is beautiful women!"
As soon as these words were spoken, laughter erupted among the officials of the Han Dynasty.
"You!"
Wei Zhiyan's face flushed with anger, turning as red as a ripe apple, so lovely that one might be tempted to take a bite.
"I've long heard that His Highness Qin Ying is lecherous and charming, and today I see that it is indeed true!"
Wei Zhiyan quickly regained her composure and said with a provocative smile, "As long as His Highness truly has the ability, I would not mind submitting myself. But I fear you might end up humiliating yourself! If you resort to barking like a dog, you'll bring shame upon your Han ancestors!"
Qin Ying chuckled nonchalantly, "If your mouth were not so poisonous, it would be even more alluring. This flaw, I will help you remedy in the future."
Ignoring Qin Ying's teasing, Wei Zhiyan led the Wei delegation away from Huanzhang Academy.
The great Wei princess arrived smiling but left in a mix of embarrassment and anger, behind her echoing the enduring laughter of the Han.
The first literary contest between Wei and Han concluded with a victory for the Han, and this news spread throughout the land, causing a stir among scholars.
Upon its return to Wei, the news shocked the court, with sounds of shattered cups echoing through the Yangxin Hall of the Wei King's palace.
At the same time, the renowned Saint of Painting, Ling Daoxuan, had set off from the Wei royal palace, heading straight for the Han.
Qin Ying's poetic duel had left the Wei scholar Li Denggao spitting blood in frustration, and this incident sparked conversations among scholars far and wide, earning Qin Ying the title of "Poet Saint."
Scholars flocked to the Han to witness how this fledgling ninth prince would contend with the already famous Saint of Painting.
In no time, excitement filled the capital, with people gathering from all directions.
Yet, Qin Ying, the central figure of this event, showed no sense of impending crisis. After leaving Huanzhang Academy, he returned to his palace and shut himself in for three days.
Qin Ying was confident that his image in the Han Emperor's eyes had changed; he was no longer seen as a foolish and incompetent prince. His powerful remarks had shocked the Wei ministers and shamed the Han officials.
From his memories, he knew that his father, this so-called "cheap old man," had a personality that was unyielding and strong.
Just by daring to challenge Wei, the Han Emperor would surely regard him differently.
...
"Your Highness, it's time to get up."
"You've exhausted yourself; I could not repay this even with my life."
"Fool, why speak of life and death?"
In the fragrant chamber behind the curtain, a man sweetly whispered to a woman, who responded with gentle charm.
After leaving Huanzhang Academy, Qin Ying quickly returned and dove into the gentle embrace of Liu Yunxian.
For three whole days, he truly experienced what it meant to have a ruler who doesn't attend court in the morning.
In the red-draped bed, Liu Yunxian's eyes sparkled, her hair damp and tousled, cascading over her smooth, jade-like back. Each breath she took caused her form to rise and fall, creating an enchanting allure.
Gazing at Liu Yunxian, Qin Ying felt a fiery passion ignite within him. Now that he had been reborn into royalty, he understood why royal families were often so flirtatious. With such an exquisite beauty by his side, who could resist?
Noticing the intense heat in Qin Ying's gaze, Liu Yunxian's cheeks flushed, and she shyly said, "Your Highness, please let me rest; it has been three days…"
Recalling the previous night, she felt a bit scared of Qin Ying's vigor.
Upon hearing her words, the charming expression on Liu Yunxian's face filled Qin Ying with a tremendous sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
He gently brushed her hair aside and enjoyed the view quietly.
Liu Yunxian held his hand and suddenly spoke softly, "Your Highness, aren't you going to see Miss Wu?"
"Miss Wu… Wu Qingqiu?" Qin Ying snapped back to reality upon hearing her mention the name.
From his memories, Qin Ying recalled an absurd incident from his past life involving a woman named Wu Qingqiu, the daughter of a prominent family in Jiangnan. The Wu family was one of the five great noble houses of the Han Dynasty, immensely wealthy and influential.
These noble families provided substantial resources during the founding of the Han Dynasty, and after its establishment, they became the most powerful aristocrats in the empire. Even now, many members held significant positions in the court.
Wu Qingqiu was known for her peculiar habit of playing with an object and claiming that anyone who could decipher it could marry her, regardless of their wealth or age.
Qin Ying had exploited this situation, asserting that someone in the palace could solve the mystery, which led to Wu Qingqiu being tricked into coming to the capital.
Upon discovering the deceit, she despised Qin Ying, being renowned for her chastity and supported by her powerful family, which prevented him from touching her.
Qin Ying, lacking both courage and means, had confined her to Wutong Courtyard instead of letting her go.
Liu Yunxian anxiously urged, "Your Highness, the Wu family has sent your cousin Li Fu to take her away... Do you think we should release Miss Wu?"
Considering the powerful status of the Wu family, Qin Ying realized he couldn't permanently detain Wu Qingqiu in the palace.
"Let's go see her," Qin Ying replied, springing out of bed. He almost fell over as his legs gave way.
"This body is so weak! After just three days of... activities, I can barely stand. It's nothing like my previous robust physique!" Qin Ying thought, shaking his head.
The original body of the ninth prince had never been well-trained, weakened by years of indulgence. This would not do!
Having been reborn as a prince in ancient times, he needed to enjoy life to the fullest. A good physique was essential for such a lifestyle, and he decided to draft a training plan to turn this body into that of a real man.
Meanwhile, in Wutong Courtyard, Li Fu was discussing something with Wu Qingqiu in a stone pavilion.
Li Fu, tall and dressed in white, had a handsome face. Looking at the worried Wu Qingqiu, he said, "Cousin, I've missed you terribly during your time in the palace. That wastrel hasn't done anything to you, has he?"
"Alas!" Wu Qingqiu sighed, shaking her head in silence.
Seeing her expression, Li Fu became anxious. "Has he already...?"
Wu Qingqiu quickly shook her head. "I am the eldest daughter of the Wu family; how could he dare?"
Hearing this, Li Fu felt relieved. "Then what are you so worried about? Are you afraid he won't let you go? You needn't worry; I'm here on the family head's orders, and I assure you he won't dare to keep you."
Wu Qingqiu said softly, "I am troubled because no one in the world can unlock this Eight-Sided Locket. I wonder where my destined partner, the dragon among men, might be."
Li Fu frowned and replied, "That's just nonsense from a fortune teller. I think the Eight-Sided Locket is inherently unsolvable; there's no need for you to concern yourself with it."
Li Fu, the son of Wu Qingqiu's aunt, was well-read and talented. However, he had once tried to unlock the Eight-Sided Locket but failed after hours of effort, unable to open even one side. Thus, he believed no one could decipher it.
"Still, the fortune teller has made three accurate predictions for the Wu family," Wu Qingqiu countered softly. "He has been quite insightful."
"What if the one who can unlock the locket is that ninth prince, Qin Ying? Would you really consider marrying such a waste of a person?" Li Fu said with some disbelief.
For years, he had cherished Wu Qingqiu, but because he couldn't solve the Eight-Sided Locket, she believed he was unworthy of her.
"Waste? Who gave you the audacity to slander the prince?" A loud voice interrupted them, and Qin Ying appeared at the entrance of Wutong Courtyard.
He had been listening for a while and was infuriated that Li Fu dared to insult him, repeatedly calling him a wastrel, a good-for-nothing, and a scoundrel.
"Your Highness!" the maids at the entrance quickly knelt down.
Seeing Qin Ying, Li Fu instinctively shrank back, awkwardly rising from his seat to bow. "Greetings, Ninth Prince."
"Oh? You know I'm a prince now?" Qin Ying replied coldly as he entered the stone pavilion.
Li Fu was sweating; he had been overheard insulting Qin Ying, which was indeed embarrassing. However, he wasn't afraid of the ninth prince since Qin Ying had neither power nor favor in the court. To him, he was just a useless wastrel.
"Cousin, there's no need for such formalities! With scoundrels like this, one should scold them fiercely! Qin Ying is nothing but a scoundrel!" Wu Qingqiu glared at Qin Ying, her beautiful eyes filled with anger.
Rather than feeling angered by her reprimand, Qin Ying carefully examined Wu Qingqiu. Her cold, exquisite face was stunning, and the graceful curve of her neck and her flawless skin accentuated her perfect figure. Most striking were her long, slender legs, standing tall like an unparalleled lotus flower, both cold and graceful, alluring yet untainted.
Noticing the lascivious glint in Qin Ying's eyes, Wu Qingqiu snorted coldly, "Ninth Prince, have you had your fun? It's time for me to go home."
"Qin Ying, I come on the family head's orders; I must take Miss Qingqiu back. Please don't make things difficult for me," Li Fu said with a forced smile.
"Who do you think you are to speak here? Get lost!" Qin Ying shot him a cold glance, disgusted by his two-faced demeanor.
"Qin Ying, if you insult my cousin again, don't blame me for being rude!" Wu Qingqiu shouted.
Encouraged by Wu Qingqiu's defense, Li Fu straightened up, adding sarcastically, "Let the ninth prince insult me; after all, he mixes with all sorts of people and inevitably gets influenced by the lower classes. Isn't that how he tricked my cousin into coming here?"
Qin Ying's eyes widened in disbelief. This scoundrel was emboldened by having a woman back him up, and he was changing his tune.
Li Fu was secretly calculating that perhaps today he could use Qin Ying as a stepping stone to gain Wu Qingqiu's favor.
"Who said I was deceiving anyone?" Qin Ying sneered.
"You claimed that someone in the palace could unlock the Eight-Sided Locket. Yet, my cousin arrived here only to be detained. Isn't that deception?" Li Fu scoffed.
"Of course, there is someone who can unlock it!" Qin Ying declared confidently, pointing to himself. "That person is me! I came here today to unlock the Eight-Sided Locket!"