Chapter 88 – Inquiry

Chapter 88 - Inquiry

Yuan Ya was indeed busy preparing for a flower appreciation gathering, discussing with his guests which courtesans and theatrical troupes to invite. Hearing that the Second Princess had come to visit, he found it rather unusual. He thought that his sister usually looked down on everyone, but in the past two years, her attitude seemed to have changed, and she now paid more attention to her brother.

However, after being sternly scolded by their father recently over his dalliance with a fox spirit, Yuan Ya dared not act recklessly anymore. He could only try to please this princess sister who was the only child of his stepmother.

Without much thought, Yuan Ya dismissed his guests and went out to greet his sister himself. As Yuan Yixue stepped down from her carriage, she laughed, "Brother, you seem to be enjoying life here. This manor is well-built; no wonder Third Brother spends less time in the palace now. Life outside is surely more enjoyable."

As Yuan Ya showed her to a seat in the flower hall, he asked, "I didn't expect your sudden visit, sister. I haven't had time to tidy up. Is there something you need during this festive season?"

Yuan Yixue smiled and asked, "I've heard that Third Brother is planning a literary gathering in your new garden. The palace can be dull, so I was wondering if I could also come and explore it then."

Yuan Ya was taken aback. "Of course, sister, you're most welcome. But... has Mother Empress agreed? After all, I don't have a queen to oversee things yet..." He didn't continue, knowing that without a queen, the female guests would likely consist of concubines, courtesans, and dancers, not proper ladies. It wouldn't be inappropriate for Third Sister to attend, but it would mean adding more female guests.

He hesitated and suggested, "Or perhaps I could ask Second Sister-in-law to host the event?" He regretfully added, "It's a shame that Eldest Sister isn't here. If she were to organize a flower gathering, it would surely be the liveliest."

Yuan Yixue replied, "Second Sister-in-law has come a long way, so I'll send her an invitation later. I'll also invite some young ladies from the capital's noble families. Then we can compose poetry together, which would be a refined activity. What do you think?"

Yuan Ya inwardly sighed at the missed opportunity. With a legitimate princess and noble ladies attending, he couldn't invite too many courtesans or dancers. However, having a princess participate in a literary gathering was still a refined affair. He understood her subtle hint and offered, "Is there a particular talented scholar that has caught your eye, sister? Should I help you inquire about him?"

Yuan Yixue had been waiting for him to say that. She no longer felt shy and said straightforwardly, "I have feelings for Zheng Tanhua. Please help me, Third Brother."

Yuan Ya couldn't help but laugh. "So it's Zheng Tanhua that you fancy? No wonder. He is indeed outstanding and one of the most sought-after sons-in-law in the capital. I was wondering which fortunate maiden would win his heart. If you're interested, how could anyone else compete with you?"

Yuan Yixue's heart warmed with joy. The coldness she had felt toward her mother and Second Brother earlier dissipated. Indeed, she had to fight for what she wanted. Her mother and Second Brother only cared about power. A good husband should be understanding and caring, not just someone to boost their status. As the emperor's daughter, no matter who ruled, she would remain a princess, and her status wouldn't suffer. But whether her future husband was a good match or not, only she would know.

Her impression of her usually wayward Third Brother improved. Perhaps he was the only one who genuinely cared for her and would consider her interests. She smiled and said, "Thank you for understanding, Third Brother. In that case, I'll rely on you to mediate this matter. I'll send you 1,000 taels of silver later as my contribution to the banquet expenses."

Rarely did Yuan Ya see his proud sister act so humbly toward him. He was delighted and quickly replied, "Why would you need to give me money? These minor expenses are on me. It's uncommon for you to leave the palace today. I remember that one of my guests is from the same hometown as Zheng Changyuan. Let me ask him to gather some information for you."

Yuan Yixue's interest piqued. "Why don't you call him now and ask him in front of me?"

Yuan Ya was more than happy to please his sister and immediately summoned the guest. His name was Li Xiucai, a scholar who had failed the imperial examinations multiple times. He had come to the capital for further studies and was skilled in entertaining. Thus, he had joined Third Prince's court and enjoyed his life there.

Upon hearing the prince's summons, Li Xiucai was eager to please. Entering the flower hall, he didn't realize that there was another noble behind the screen. After greeting the prince, he was asked, "I hear that Mr. Li and Mr. Zheng are from the same hometown. Do you know anything about Mr. Zheng's first wife? Were they a loving couple? I've been asked by a friend to inquire about this matter. There's a distinguished young lady interested in marriage."

Li Xiucai chuckled. "No wonder Third Prince is smitten with Zheng Tanhua. He's truly charming and talented, with a wealthy family background. You're asking the right person. Others might not know much. As we're from the same hometown and have some distant relatives, I'm aware of the details."

"The Zheng family is a wealthy maritime trading clan, with a large extended family. Zheng Tanhua's first wife was his mother's cousin, betrothed since childhood. However, she wasn't in the best health and was quite sensitive. Zheng Tanhua, being an exceptional scholar, spent more time studying abroad, leaving his wife less attended to. Apparently, she found it difficult to adapt to the Zheng family's large household and didn't get along well with her sisters-in-law. She was also quite troubled and frail, yet had to manage the family affairs despite her condition. Sadly, she passed away after a few years without bearing any children."

"Yet, Zheng Tanhua and his cousin grew up together since childhood, and they have genuine feelings for each other. Upon seeing his original wife pass away, he was deeply saddened. After mourning for three years, he dedicated himself to the imperial examinations, refusing to remarry. He claimed that he was preoccupied with his official duties, and it would be unfair to burden a good family's daughter. As a result, he has not even taken a concubine or a chambermaid until now."

Yuan Yixue found this even more pleasing to her ears, and her confidence grew. With her status as a princess, no matter how troublesome Zheng's relatives might be, she would not tolerate any ordinary world's nonsense. Although Zheng had been married before, without any children, it was no wonder other prestigious families in the capital viewed him as an ideal son-in-law.

Yuan Ya asked with a smile, "Now that Zheng Tanhua has passed the imperial examination and holds an official position, do his family members still indulge his whims? After all, descendants are of utmost importance."

Li Xiucai replied, "Indeed. But now that Zheng Tanhua is an official with influence, his family dare not pressure him anymore. They rely on him to bring honor to the family. Previously, the Zheng family harbored unrealistic hopes of him becoming a prince's husband, thinking it would make their business even more prosperous. Everyone was supportive at first, but when the Eldest Princess went north, the Zheng family also gave up on that idea. Nowadays, some people even jest that he's a toad dreaming of eating swan meat."

Yuan Ya chuckled. "The Eldest Princess merely appreciates his talent. It's best not to dwell on that matter further."

Li Xiucai hastily said, "We agree. Most likely, it was the Zheng family pushing for it."

Yuan Ya smiled again and asked, "Do you know what he's been up to lately? I've finished renovating my garden and plan to host a flower appreciation gathering. Before sending invitations, I'd like to know what he's currently occupied with."

Li Xiucai laughed. "I heard he was ill and stayed indoors for a while. Recently, however, he seems to have recovered and hosted a literary gathering. I was fortunate enough to attend and met many talented scholars and ladies. It was quite refined. There was one peculiar thing, though. On that day, Zheng Tanhua had a poor scholar by his side, whom he introduced to several prominent scholars, even though they were unrelated. That was rather unusual."

There was a hint of sourness in his tone, which Yuan Ya picked up on. She chuckled and said, "What's so strange about that? From what I've seen, Zheng Tanhua has a generous personality. If that scholar possesses remarkable talent, it's natural for him to recommend him. Such actions are common among scholars."

Li Xiucai chuckled. "If he truly had exceptional talent, it would be understandable. Zheng Changyuan is wealthy, but he's not patient with trivial matters and can be somewhat arrogant. It's unusual for him to take on the role of recommending others. People found it strange, assuming that this Rong Juren must possess remarkable talent. However, after reading his writings, they were only average, nothing more than mediocrity. I heard he's a candidate who came to the capital for the exams this year. It's unclear how he connected with Zheng Tanhua, yet Zheng Tanhua took the effort to introduce him to renowned mentors and guide him in preparing for the exams."

Li Xiucai, having received no special favors from Zheng Changyuan in the past, had merely assumed that the wealthy and talented man must be arrogant. He was surprised to learn that Zheng Changyuan would still recommend someone, especially a penniless scholar. This stirred a tinge of resentment within him.

Unexpectedly, a gentle female voice behind a screen suddenly asked, "Rong Juzi? Is that scholar's surname Rong?"

Li Xiucai was taken aback but then felt a renewed sense of hope. He inferred that this must be the esteemed lady whom Zheng Changyuan was concerned about. The fact that she could warrant the Third Prince's attention made Li Xiucai wonder about her noble status. He promptly replied with respect, "Indeed, his surname is Rong, and his name is Rong Mo. Zheng Tanhua has also given him a courtesy name, Yanshi."

The woman chuckled. "If it's something belonging to Rong Mo, then the character 'Yan' must indeed refer to an inkstone. Zheng Tanhua has a clever mind. But how did Rong Mo come to know the third-place winner of the imperial examination?"

Li Xiucai explained, "I've vaguely heard that it was through the recommendation of Marquis Cheng'en's residence."

Marquis Cheng'en? Yuan Ya seemed lost in thought.

The woman didn't ask any more questions, but a palace maid stepped forward and presented him with a gold ingot as a token of gratitude. "Thank you, Mr. Li, for clarifying our doubts. If you come across any intriguing information, please do share it with our young lady."

Upon seeing the ingot of gold, Li Xiucai's eyes gleamed with excitement. He promptly expressed his gratitude, "Many thanks for your gracious gift, Honorable Lady!"

Only after dismissing Li Xiucai did Yuan Ya turn to Yuan Yixue and inquire, "Does Second Sister wish to learn more about Rong Mo's background?"

Yuan Yixue, however, smiled. "Does Third Brother not recall the talented and cunning Concubine Rong by the Crown Prince's side? This Rong Mo is precisely her brother."

Yuan Ya suddenly recalled and said with a smack of his lips, "Oh, it's that Concubine Rong. I remember she was exceptionally beautiful. How did you come to know about her, Sister?"

Of course, Yuan Yixue wouldn't mention that their mother had once considered asking her second brother to court her. Instead, she replied, "Brother has been on an embassy mission to Jingbei before. Haven't you heard about how Concubine Rong fought alongside Eldest Sister? The Marquis Cheng'en's residence is simply trying to curry favor and promote Princess' servants and relatives."

Only then did Yuan Ya understand, "So that's the case. Zheng Changyuan did have a good relationship with Eldest Sister in the past. It seems they're banking on that connection. I vaguely recall that Concubine Rong was a beauty gifted by our mother to the Crown Prince, wasn't she?"

Yuan Yixue smiled slightly. "Back then, it was only her stunning appearance that caught attention. Talking about her fighting on horseback might be an exaggeration. Eldest Sister has many skilled female attendants and soldiers. Given the long campaign, her beauty and participation in battles made her seem extraordinary. Eldest Sister's strategic planning and encouragement might have been aimed at boosting morale and enhancing her reputation among the Jingbei army."

Recalling his unsuccessful embassy mission to Jingbei, Yuan Ya's expression fell slightly. "Even so, she surpasses us idle aristocrats. If what you say is true, it seems this Concubine Rong's brother will be favored for important roles. Perhaps it's worth cultivating a relationship with him."