4 First Steps into the Marquis's Estate

Marquis Shiping, Gu Bancheng, was grinning from ear to ear upon hearing that Emperor Hong had bestowed a marriage between Jing Chen and Li Lingli—his mouth was practically crooked from the sheer width of his smile.

The news that the "foolish prince" had won a poetry duel against the Second Prince, renounced Yu Youzhi and Gu Lanxin, and requested the hand of Li Lingli spread throughout the capital. Both Jing Lan and Jing Se were caught completely off guard. The two poems and one lyric Jing Chen had recited were also being copied and studied by countless scholars and socialites.

Back at He Garden, Jing Chen bathed while palace maids helped him dress. His gaze subconsciously drifted past the shoulder of a maid to the other side of the room, where a half-man-tall brass diamond-pattern mirror stood, polished to an extraordinary sheen.

The mirror clearly reflected a stranger. A young man of about twenty, with sword-like brows and star-bright eyes, a straight nose, and exquisitely defined features. His jawline was smooth and refined—truly a peerless youth, as if carved from jade.

Jing Chen asked, "What year and month is it now?"

Boom. The maid’s head buzzed. A fool is a fool—does he not even know the current date? She composed herself, suppressing a smile, and replied respectfully, "In reply to Your Highness, it is the twentieth year of Jinghong, the seventh day of the fourth month."

Jinghong, the twentieth year. Jing Chen pondered carefully. This was not a dynasty he had studied; there was no Tang poetry, Song lyrics, or Yuan drama, nor were there any Li Bai, Du Fu, Xin Qiji, or Su Dongpo... He had transmigrated into a parallel world.

Soon, the packing was finished, and after washing up, the procession set out in a grand manner toward the Prince Xiaoyao Mansion.

Chang'an City was divided into four distinct districts. The Imperial Palace sat in the East City, home to high-ranking officials and nobility. The Great Xia Kingdom’s four dukes, eight marquises, princes, and the Grand Princess all resided there—everyone was either wealthy or powerful.

The South City was the commercial hub, bustling with endless crowds and constant traffic. Shops lined the streets, offering a dazzling array of goods. The cries of peddlers and the clamor of trade created a scene of overwhelming prosperity.

The North City was the poorest and filthiest. Livestock, poultry, and dogs were traded there; the ground was slick with filth, and the air was stiflingly pungent. Yet, it was always packed with people, as the largest slave market was located there.

The Prince Xiaoyao Mansion was situated in the West City, where vegetables, fruits, farming tools, and crops were primarily sold. A prince’s residence required a certain standard. When Jing Chen was still in prison, the Emperor had already issued orders. Meng Guangbai, the Vice Minister of Rites, had been tearing his hair out, his mouth blistered with anxiety. Unable to find a suitable estate in the East City, a subordinate reminded him of this particular mansion. It had once belonged to Qian Duoduo, the most corrupt official of the previous dynasty, whose entire family had been executed.

The Prince Xiaoyao Mansion was, if anything, even more magnificent than the Second Prince’s Qin Wang Mansion. High above the gate hung a plaque inscribed with "Prince Xiaoyao." Ascending the steps, the entrance was grand and the courtyards spacious. Inside, there were four successive courtyards, with four additional ones in each cardinal direction. The grounds were filled with pavilions, rockeries, flowers, and trees, arranged with elegant precision, featuring no fewer than two hundred rooms.

The estate was a masterpiece of craftsmanship, built against a mountain as if it were a natural extension of the landscape. The backyard led directly into the mountain, allowing one to hike right from the gate. Behind the mountain lay Eagle-Beak Peak, overlooking the Changjiang River, which flowed through the city from east to west, serving as Chang'an’s natural moat. There was no need to worry about anyone sneaking into the mansion from behind the mountain.

Jing Chen was very satisfied and began to formulate his plans for making money. After reading the imperial decree, the official from the Ministry of Rites left behind twenty maids, fifty guards, and one thousand taels of household silver before bowing and taking his leave.

***

Jing Chen was just about to sit down for tea when the eunuch Wang Dehai arrived at the mansion. Bowing respectfully, he said, "Your Highness, the Emperor has instructed me to take you to the Marquis Jing'an Mansion to pay your respects and meet the Princess, so that you may visit each other often in the future."

Jing Chen chuckled foolishly. "Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Wang."

"You are too kind, Your Highness. Serving you is my good fortune," Wang Dehai said with a smile.

Jing Chen left the household affairs to his personal attendant, Xiao Liuzi, and boarded the carriage with two guards, heading toward the Marquis Jing'an Mansion. Jing Chen remained silent in the carriage, lost in thought about how to accelerate his moneymaking schemes. To Wang Dehai, however, this appeared to be submissive and foolish behavior.

"Does Your Highness know the history of the Li family?" Wang Dehai asked, breaking the silence.

"This..." Jing Chen gave an awkward laugh, shaking his head to indicate he did not. He truly did not know. Having lived deep within the palace, he lived by the principle of turning a deaf ear to the outside world, knowing almost nothing of what happened beyond the palace walls.

"When the Emperor was still Prince Jing, Marquis Li Jing was his loyal follower. Later, during the Rebellion of the Three Princes, the Emperor was snagged by a tree branch and lost his weapon. The Third Prince was less than three feet away with his blade drawn, and no one else was nearby. At that critical moment, the Marquis, who was twenty yards away, threw his spear and pierced the Third Prince’s heart, saving the Emperor's life," Wang Dehai recounted.

Jing Chen thought to himself: No wonder the old man is willing to spare Li Lingli.

At the Li estate, Lady Li and the other women of the family were enjoying tea and flowers in the garden. A maid hurried in and bowed. "My Lady, people from the palace have arrived—the Seventh Prince and the Grand Eunuch, Wang!"

"Oh?" Lady Li was slightly stunned and quickly gathered everyone to head to the main hall.

"The Seventh Prince? Didn't he die as a child?"
"That was the Eighth Prince..."
"The Seventh Prince is the current Emperor’s foolish one. He had a high fever when he was little that burned his brain... He never attends the palace banquets..."

The women whispered among themselves.

"Ahem!" Lady Li turned and glared at them. "Watch your tongues!" These girls were truly something else. Was it their place to discuss royal matters? The women stuck out their tongues and immediately went silent.

They arrived at the main hall, where everyone curiously scrutinized Jing Chen, wondering, *Is this the foolish prince?* He actually looked quite handsome.

"Greetings to Grand Eunuch Wang, greetings to the Seventh Prince!" Lady Li and the women bowed.

Jing Chen heard them and shook his head internally with a smile. *How much do they look down on me? They even got the order of precedence wrong!* He didn't know if they had done it intentionally or not.

Wang Dehai chuckled but looked toward Jing Chen.

"Rise!"

Jing Chen smiled and gently raised his hand, thinking that Wang Dehai was quite sensible.

"Thank you, Your Highness." The group straightened up.

"Lady Li, congratulations, congratulations!" Wang Dehai immediately offered his felicitations.

Lady Li was delighted and quickly asked, "Grand Eunuch, what is the happy occasion?"

Wang Dehai played coy before asking, "Is the talented lady Li Lingli present?"

Just then, Li Lingli walked in from the entrance and hurriedly bowed. "Lingli greets Grand Eunuch Wang."

Jing Chen scrutinized her carefully: brows like distant hills, eyes like stars, skin like congealed fat, and a graceful figure. She was indeed a great beauty.

Wang Dehai produced the imperial decree and said, "Li Lingli, receive the decree. The Emperor decrees... Li Lingli is hereby bestowed in marriage to the Seventh Prince, Prince Xiaoyao, to be married on an auspicious date..."

Boom! As Wang Dehai’s voice rang out, the minds of everyone in the Li family buzzed. The Emperor had bestowed a marriage upon Li Lingli—to the foolish Seventh Prince!

Li Lingli felt a wave of indignation and grief. She had just escaped one tiger's den only to enter a wolf’s lair. Was there no way to live? By the time Wang Dehai finished reading, no one had yet regained their senses.

"Princess, please accept the decree and offer your thanks!" Wang Dehai looked at Li Lingli with a smile.

Li Lingli lifted her head slightly, stood up abruptly, and said with an angry face, "Please relay to His Majesty that I cannot accept this decree."

Wang Dehai’s expression turned cold, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Bold! Li Lingli, do you intend to defy an imperial decree?"

Li Lingli met his gaze and said proudly, "Yes, I intend to defy the decree."

Wang Dehai sneered, his face frosty, eyes narrowing as he stared at her. "Do you know what the punishment is for defying an imperial decree?"

"Isn't it just death?" Li Lingli cried out indignantly. Her eyes were red, and she held her head high, gritting her teeth. "You may go back now and tell His Majesty that I shall wait here at home. Shall I wait for him to send the poisoned wine or the white silk?"

Defying a decree in public—was she trying to wipe out her whole family?

"Do you think that by defying the decree, all that happens is your own death?" Wang Dehai stared coldly at her. "According to our laws, those who defy an imperial decree face the execution of their three clans!"

*The execution of three clans?* Hearing this, Li Lingli froze, her resolve weakening.

Only then did the rest of the Li family regain their composure. Wang Dehai glanced at Li Lingli and added dismissively, "The blood at the Eastern Palace has yet to dry!"

Li Lingli was stunned, as if struck by lightning. Her sister-in-law, Wei Hongying, grabbed her arm tightly, pleading in a low voice, "Lingli, please, do not be headstrong. If not for yourself, think of your family." She looked toward Lady Li, hoping she would persuade her daughter.

Lady Li’s chest heaved violently; she was clearly furious. Two guards gripped their sword hilts, glaring. The atmosphere became bizarrely tense.

Jing Chen chuckled, breaking the deadlock. Everyone glared at him. Jing Chen took the imperial decree, patted Wang Dehai on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Thank you, Eunuch Wang. You should go back and report to the Emperor. Please put in a good word for us, and I will have a chat with Sister Lingli."

Wang Dehai replied, "Very well, Your Highness. This servant will take his leave." After glancing at Li Lingli once more, he turned and departed.