【The Flower Prince 4】

"Imperial edict
has arrived..."
A sharp voice rang out in the courtyard of the Zhang family, one of the eight great families of the Celestial Empire. The entire Zhang family erupted in chaos. It had been a long time since an imperial edict had reached them. Because of the Zhang family's exalted status in the Celestial Empire, the emperor of that era didn't treat the Zhang family head as an equal, although the Yu family maintained imperial dignity in official matters. But even the current Divine Emperor had to defer to the eight great families! This eunuch was far too arrogant.
However, the current head of the Zhang family and the Zhang family's retired emperor, the only surviving elder, Huang Dan, both came out of the Zhang residence to greet the eunuch who delivered the edict.
This eunuch was Xiao Guizi, a close attendant of the emperor. He had originally intended to embarrass the Zhang family. After all, he now carried an imperial edict, and this matter concerned the Zhang family's vital interests. Furthermore, with the support of the Li family, the pressure from the eight great families on the Yu family had lessened considerably. He, as a servant, was seizing this opportune moment to flaunt his power at the Zhang family's residence.
Upon seeing Zhang Qi, the patriarch of the Zhang family, and Huang Dan, the family's ancestor, who came out to greet him, he was immediately stunned. Why such a grand procession? Could they have really frightened me? Impossible.
With a heart full of trepidation, Xiao Guizi entered the Zhang residence.
After exchanging polite pleasantries with Zhang Qi for a while, he began to read the imperial edict.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Zhang Qian'er, daughter of the Zhang family, is in the prime of her youth. I am delighted with her and hereby bestow upon her in marriage the Fifth Prince, Yu Tianyuan, and grant her ten thousand taels of gold and one hundred bolts of brocade…
So be it!" This
was followed by shouts of "Long live the Emperor!"
After everyone rose, the Zhang family patriarch, Zhang Qi, looked troubled and said to Xiao Guizi, "This…
Eunuch Zhang, um…" Xiao Guizi felt a sudden jolt in his heart. He knew this matter wouldn't be easy, and now the problem had arisen. He feigned a glare at Zhang Qi, pretending to be anxious, and said, "What is it? Lord Zhang, this is…"
Zhang Qi was truly grateful at this moment. This "Eunuch Zhang" was so cooperative! He pretended to be heartbroken, his old eyes seemingly about to pop out of their sockets, and said in a bitter voice, "Eunuch Zhang, I have failed His Majesty's great favor! This old minister deserves to die!"
Then he burst into tears. Xiao Guizi quickly asked, "What happened?" "Lord Zhang, please take care! Tell us what happened."
Zhang Qi knew the time was right and finally revealed the reason: "Last night, my younger brother Zhang Jin came back and told me the good news of the Emperor's bestowal of marriage. The whole family was overjoyed! But, my girl, oh! That's right, Qian'er, it's all my fault for spoiling her too much since she was little. She actually refused and even made a scene at home. In the end, I hardened my heart and locked her up, but... but when I woke up this morning, I found that she had run away from home, relying on the martial arts she had learned since childhood."
In fact, this was all a play arranged by the Zhang family. After Zhang Jin returned last night, he told him about what happened in court. After all, he was acting in the interests of the Zhang family, so no one said anything to him. But the patriarch Zhang Qi and the Zhang family patriarch who loved Zhang Qian'er the most were not happy. Wasn't this pushing their precious daughter into a fire pit? But Zhang Jin had already agreed in court, so this was the only way to make a move—running away from the marriage. Last night, Zhang Qi explained the pros and cons to Zhang Qian'er, then sent her to one of the Zhang family's residences to settle her in, stalling for time. The plan was to wait until the Emperor couldn't find her, then the Zhang family, along with several other aristocratic families, would pressure the Emperor to annul the marriage. This led to this morning's scene.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Guizi knew things were going badly. He immediately bid farewell to Zhang Qi and rushed back to the palace. Yu Qingtian was currently discussing the marriage with Li Huai'en when Xiao Guizi ran in. Not seeing Li Huai'en, he shouted, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Zhang Qian'er has run away from her wedding..."
Li Huai'en was delighted; it was good news. However, knowing the Emperor would be furious, he quickly excused himself.
Yu Qingtian waved for Li Huai'en to leave. His face was veiled in a bluish aura, giving him a somewhat ferocious look. But Yu Qingtian wasn't truly angry; he felt more helpless, helpless at the extent to which the royal family had been bullied. Originally, according to his plan, after Tianyuan married Li Yuerou, he would have the ability to protect himself. He would then give him several tests, and if Tianyuan could pass them all on, he could then safely pass the throne to him. However, unexpected changes in the court, and the addition of the Zhang family to the plan, meant that Tianyuan's power would be even greater. But who knew that Zhang Jin's slip of the tongue in court would be so easily dealt with by the Zhang family? Yu Qingtian simply couldn't believe that the Zhang family would let a woman escape. Zhang Qi must have deliberately let his precious daughter go. The Zhang family's blatant disregard for imperial authority filled Yu Qingtian with both anger and deep helplessness.
Now, the situation was beyond saving. The royal family had to maintain its dignity and couldn't allow a powerful family to continue acting so arrogantly. He had to capture Zhang Qian'er, but this time not to force her into marriage, but…
Yu Qingtian thought to himself: Zhang family, you will pay a heavy price for your actions.
After returning to the Li residence, Li Huaien summoned Li Yuerou and carefully recounted what he had overheard that day. Finally, Li Huaien instructed, "Immediately activate the Li family's intelligence network. Find Zhang Qian'er first, then kill her."
Li Yuerou casually agreed, but inwardly her anxiety intensified. Finding Zhang Qian'er? Was it really that easy? Don't forget, the imperial family was also searching for her. Thinking this, Li Yuerou hurriedly left the Li residence and went to the *** Pavilion. She gave the order: mobilize all available manpower; they must find Zhang Qian'er.
The intelligence I saw was about this matter, which should have been the worst news I could hope for. But my intelligence also contained information about Zhang Qian'er's whereabouts. A man named Zhang Xi inadvertently saw Zhang Qian'er enter a mansion. Coincidentally, he had seen Zhang Qian'er before while working for the Zhang family, and Zhang Xi happened to pass by that mansion on his way home, just as Zhang Qian'er was being taken there. And this Zhang Xi was the informant in Ying'er's intelligence network.
I excitedly picked up Ying'er, shouting, "Ying'er, you're truly my lucky star! Gathering this kind of intelligence is beyond my wildest dreams!"
Ying'er, breathless from my embrace, playfully complained, "Put me down..."
I realized I'd gotten a little carried away and quickly put the lovely girl down. She said, "This intelligence network doesn't have a name yet! Let's give it one!"
After a moment's thought, I said, "Let's name it after Ying'er, let's call it the Shadow Group!"
I was overjoyed to hear about Zhang Qian'er. I knew what marrying Zhang Qian'er meant. The Zhang family's immense power was something I craved. Moreover, the Zhang family supported my eldest brother. Marrying Zhang Qian'er would be like stealing my eldest brother's woman; at least the Zhang family wouldn't be my enemy anymore. I'd have a lifeline.
Now that I knew Zhang Qian'er's whereabouts, with my Soul Devouring Technique now almost at its highest level, controlling a woman would be a piece of cake.
I left the palace and went straight to the North District. Zhang Xi's house was there. That was also my destination.
I met Zhang Xi first, who introduced himself as the intelligence chief of the North District. He actually believed me so easily. Luckily, he was just an outsider to the Shadow Group and didn't know their secrets. Otherwise, leaking the Shadow Group's secrets would have been a serious matter.
I gave him a large sum of money, found out Zhang Qian'er's current address, and then left.
Zhang Qian'er currently lives on a very secluded street in the North District, directly opposite an inn. Two large stone lions guard the tightly closed door. I walked to a wall, turned around to check that no one was around. I gathered my inner energy and lightly leaped up.
A melodious zither tune entered my ears, like a lament, like sorrow and longing, containing profound emotions.
I followed the sound and found myself in a garden. In the center was a small pavilion, and a woman in white sat beside it; the zither music was coming from there.
Hearing my footsteps, she turned around.
A face of unparalleled beauty came into view.
Her delicate eyebrows were long and slender, gently stirring the hearts of countless men. Her large eyes seemed to contain the wisdom of the entire world. Now she was staring at me, making me feel nervous. Her smooth, jade-like oval face and red, cherry-red lips made her a truly peerless beauty, a woman of unparalleled grace and charm.
Just as I was captivated by the melodious music and her beautiful face, a heavenly voice rang out from her lips: "You are..."
I snapped back to reality. Seeing the beauty's greeting, I immediately replied, "I am Tianyuan, a scholar on my way to the capital for the imperial examinations. Passing by your esteemed residence, I inadvertently heard your celestial music, which filled me with admiration. Therefore, I couldn't help but come to see you. I hope you will forgive my intrusion." I couldn't help but admire my own storytelling skills, lightly omitting the fact that I had climbed over the wall. In truth, when I saw her, I had already guessed her identity. Besides Zhang Qian'er, a renowned beauty in the capital, who else could possess such beauty?
Zhang Qian'er, upon hearing my praise, showed no joy, merely offering a perfunctory reply: "These are just my fleeting thoughts; they hardly deserve the title of celestial music." She didn't ask where I had come from. Perhaps I had been overlooked, a secret delight welled up within me.
At this moment, I no longer had the will to use the Soul-Devouring Technique. I simply wanted to use my wisdom to make her my rightful wife. Thinking this, I began to plan. Zhang Qian'er had no shortage of suitors and must have heard countless compliments, so I couldn't say too much; it might just annoy her. I needed to have something unique to attract her attention. Since I couldn't praise her, I might as well criticize her a little.
Fentian had lived to such an old age; he was skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, so it wouldn't be too difficult for me to find fault with Zhang Qian'er's music. I carefully recalled the music. I made up my mind and said, "Miss's music is indeed worthy of praise, although there are some flaws. But that doesn't mean anything. Minor imperfections are insignificant." As I spoke, I adopted the air of a master, intending to pique Zhang Qian'er's curiosity.
The beauty paused, surprised by my words. Her brows furrowed slightly, but her eyes lit up. She looked at me expectantly and asked, "Oh! So you say so, young master? Could you perhaps offer me some pointers?"
Hearing her slightly sarcastic question, I didn't mind, at least not outwardly. I honestly replied, "Pointing out points is too much to ask, but discussing is fine." As I spoke, I began to meticulously review Zhang Qian'er's musical performance using the memories left to me by Fentian.
As we talked, Zhang Qian'er joined in, occasionally interjecting with questions. I, too, became engrossed in my conversation, no longer limiting myself to the music but pouring out all my knowledge. I wanted to impress the beauty. The
more I talked, the happier I became, and Zhang Qian'er's gaze softened. From a hint of appreciation to profound admiration, and then to a touch of affection. Just as I was getting into the swing of things... Zhang Qian'er presented me with a major dilemma: "Would you, sir, play a piece for Qian'er?"
I was speechless. With Fen Tian's memories, I was more than capable of being a theoretical master, but asking me to play was asking too much. In the past, I had never put any effort into this, always thinking it was useless. I never expected it to be so appealing in front of a beautiful woman. Thinking of this, I made a solemn vow: when I got back, I would definitely practice this skill properly.
But I should get through this hurdle first. I couldn't let myself lose face in front of a beauty. Just as I was struggling with this dilemma, Zhang Qian'er spoke again: "Does sir disdain playing the zither for a lowly woman like me?" As she spoke, her beautiful eyes filled with tears, which were about to fall.
My heart ached for her, so I steeled myself and decided to go for it. It's just playing a piece, right? With my talent, I could probably learn it now. But first I had to appease this little girl. Just as I was frantically explaining, Zhang Qian'er glared at me and scolded, "Alright, play me a piece first."
I sat down in Zhang Qian'er's seat and familiarized myself with the rhythm. To my surprise, my hands could perfectly follow my thoughts; every movement was incredibly smooth, as if I'd been playing for decades. Suddenly, my confidence soared, and my fingers moved nimbly across the strings.
Although I didn't pour much emotion into the music, it still sounded melodious and serene, captivating Zhang Qian'er.
The tinkling sounds echoed in the courtyard, adding a unique charm. After the piece ended, Zhang Qian'er remained mesmerized by the music for a long time. After waiting a while, Zhang Qian'er finally woke up and started to interrogate me: "You kept making excuses, I didn't expect you to be so sharp. Tell me, were you looking down on me earlier, unwilling to play a song for me?"
I smiled wryly, about to explain, when I looked up and realized the sun had already set. I had chatted with her for so long; it was time to go back.
Zhang Qian'er saw through my thoughts and pulled me towards the courtyard, saying as we walked, "It's getting late, let me invite you to dinner, you wouldn't refuse, would you?"
I couldn't resist her enthusiasm and stayed, secretly pleased that I had made a good impression on the beauty on our first meeting. And it seemed she was even developing feelings for me. In this mansion, only Zhang Qian'er and some servants were present, so it was just the two of us at the table. I wasn't too reserved, just maintaining proper decorum. However, Zhang Qian'er seemed a little nervous, acting very cautiously. From this, I could tell that she seemed to have fallen for me at first sight. I didn't expect myself to be so charming, and I couldn't help but smile narcissistically.
Actually, Zhang Qian'er did indeed like me. It wasn't what I thought. My arrival was too coincidental, and my strategy was too perfect.
Originally, the Emperor's bestowal of marriage had left Zhang Qian'er in a bad mood, so she used playing the zither to soothe herself. I appeared just in time when she was feeling down, precisely when she was vulnerable. My arrival gave her a source of emotional support. Coupled with my displayed knowledge and demeanor, everything was captivating to the young woman's heart. And because I was also exceptionally handsome, especially with my captivating eyes constantly fixed on her, all of this explained Zhang Qian'er's attraction to me. However, it was only attraction; to call it love was probably too early.
I had a general idea of Zhang Qian'er's feelings, but I knew that if things continued like this, within a few days, the young woman's heart would unknowingly be tied to me. So I wasn't worried.
Zhang Xi was incredibly lucky today, making a fortune from just one piece of news. Men, once they have money, will inevitably visit brothels for some enjoyment. But Zhang Xi was poor. He'd never seen much of the world, so he decided that tonight, he would definitely have Piaoxue, the most sought-after courtesan at Fengyue Pavilion, the largest brothel in the capital, spend the night with him. Having made up his mind, Zhang Xi puffed out his not-so-broad chest and swaggered towards Fengyue Pavilion. However, he was stopped as soon as he reached the entrance. Why? Because of his appearance—his tattered hemp clothes and even straw sandals. What kind of place was Fengyue Pavilion? Was it a place for someone dressed like him to enter?
This was a rare opportunity for Zhang Xi, and it was stopped right away. He was furious. "Aren't you just looking down on me?" he thought. So, he pulled out the bag Yu Tianyuan had given him. He reached in and pulled out a handful of gold coins. On the mainland, five gold coins could feed a family of five for a month. Zhang Xi regretted it as soon as he took it out. "How could I be so wasteful?" he thought. "How many silver coins do I earn working as a farmhand in the Zhang family for a month? This bag of money is enough for me to live comfortably for the rest of my life. Why did I have to squander it like this?"
Just as Zhang Xi was filled with self-reproach, the pimp spoke up. The same tone prevailed: "Oh! You think you're so great just because you have money. Let me tell you, there are plenty of rich people around here. Even if you have money, you can't get in." The pimp, still not satisfied, added sarcastically, "Maybe this money isn't entirely clean? Look at your appearance. You don't look like a wealthy person at all. You probably stole it somewhere. Are you leaving or not? If you don't leave, I'll report you to the authorities!"
The pimp's subsequent words enraged our Uncle Zhang. Although the money was easy to come by, it was still his own good fortune, how could he let him insult him like that? But seeing the opulent facade of the brothel, he felt somewhat inferior, so his insults took a turn: "I...I earned this money through hard work. How can you...look down on me? Let me tell you, I got this money by exchanging it for Miss Zhang..." He originally meant to say he got the money by exchanging information about Zhang Qian'er, but the words came out differently. Luckily, he stopped himself in time. Even so, this was enough to spark speculation.
Zhang Xi's words were overheard. Who? It was Lü Ni from the Flower Language Sect. She was the well-known proprietress of the Wind and Moon Pavilion, and seeing the commotion at the entrance, she was bound to come and investigate. She happened to arrive just in time for Zhang Xi's words. Zhang Qian'er's matter was a task recently assigned by Li Yuerou, and now that someone was mentioning it, even if it wasn't her, she had to check it out. How could she miss such an important clue?
So, before Zhang Xi could finish speaking, he was taken to the backyard of the Wind and Moon Pavilion. Among the five major demonic sects, the Flower Language Sect was the only one entirely dominated by women, which was closely related to the demonic arts it practiced. Almost every woman in the Flower Language Sect possessed formidable seductive skills. Dealing with men without any skill was a piece of cake. Therefore, once Zhang Xi arrived at the back, he was controlled. His mouth could no longer hold back his secrets, and he confessed everything that had happened that day.
Upon hearing that someone had found Zhang Qian'er, Lü Ni realized it was bad news and quickly informed Li Yuerou.
Li Yuerou, who had been waiting for news, found Lü Ni's message a welcome relief, slightly easing her anxiety. However, hearing that someone had found her "future rival" made her tense. She immediately gathered her men and headed towards Zhang Qian'er's current residence.
It was dusk, and the night market was bustling, yet no one noticed the dark figure on the wall. This demonstrated the high quality of the men Li Yuerou had brought.
When Li Yuerou arrived, it was just as I was about to say goodbye to Zhang Qian'er. Li Yuerou didn't recognize me, assuming I was an intelligence agent for the faction Zhang Xi had mentioned, so she didn't hold back. Seeing me leave, she immediately flew towards me on her sword. The other assassins, seeing this, also sprang into action. Ten of them were specifically after Zhang Qian'er.
My keen senses alerted me to Li Yuerou's arrival. Before I could even process what was happening, a large group of men in black charged towards me, the leader wielding a longsword that gleamed coldly. Judging by their aura, they were at least at the Demon Commander level.
I was in front of my fiancée, Zhang Qian'er, and couldn't risk exposing my cultivation of demonic arts by using my Grandmaster-level demonic energy. But my One Qi Technique was too weak. Helpless, I could only rely on the superior lightness skill of the One Qi Sect to pick up Zhang Qian'er and flee without a fight.
Li Yuerou was also extremely surprised. Despite such a significant difference in level, I had managed to escape calmly despite her powerful aura—it was truly remarkable. However, Li Yuerou wouldn't forget her mission for the day because of this small matter. Seeing me carrying Zhang Qian'er and quickly disappearing from her sight, a strong sense of jealousy arose in her heart. She mustered all her strength and charged towards me with lightning speed.
Seeing the assassin's imposing aura, I knew I couldn't hold back any longer. I couldn't just stand by and watch my fiancée be killed. At this moment, I could only pray that Zhang Qian'er wouldn't hold back. Otherwise, I didn't know if I could bear to silence her. Thinking of this, I secretly circulated the Burning Heaven Demon Art.
Just then, something unexpected happened. Just as Li Yuerou reached my side and I was about to unleash my demonic art, a flying sword commonly used by cultivators flew out of my arms. At this moment, this flying sword played an unexpected role; it actually succeeded in its sneak attack.
Actually, calling it a success is a bit of a stretch; it can only be considered as inflicting serious injury on Li Yuerou.
When this silent flying sword reached Li Yuerou's heart, she sensed the danger and released a cloth-like magical artifact to block it. However, although it was blocked, Li Yuerou, caught off guard, was also caught off guard and coughed up blood.
I was momentarily stunned by this series of events. I could tell that the flying sword from earlier was a spiritual weapon, second only to a divine artifact, and extremely rare on the entire continent. However, after thinking about Zhang Qian'er's identity, I understood. As one of the eight great families of Hualong, how could the Zhang family lack spiritual weapons? Countless cultivation sects would be vying for their services. Thinking this way, it wasn't so surprising that Zhang Qian'er knew martial arts.
Taking advantage of the assassin's injury, I picked up Zhang Qian'er and ran. Zhang Qian'er opened her mouth but didn't say anything, simply nestling gently in my arms.
If I knew what Zhang Qian'er was thinking, I wonder what my expression would be.
Originally, Zhang Qian'er wanted to tell me which direction to run in, preferably to the Zhang family, to get reinforcements, and capture the assassins. But seeing my resolute and handsome face, she felt a warmth in her heart and didn't want to think about anything else. She just wanted to lean against this man she had only known for a day, enjoying his broad chest and the mountain-like sense of security he offered.
I was running frantically with Zhang Qian'er in my arms when Li Yuerou silently caught up, unleashing a powerful palm strike that blasted into my back.
Actually, Li Yuerou's injury wasn't serious; after spitting out that mouthful of blood, she was mostly fine, just temporarily short of breath. That's why she watched helplessly as I escaped with Zhang Qian'er in my arms. However, her subordinates were not to be trifled with; some had already secretly followed me. Although my lightness skill was fast, I dared not use demonic arts, so without sufficient internal energy, I wasn't very fast. Furthermore, I wasn't familiar with the terrain of the capital, so it was only a matter of time before Li Yuerou caught up with me.
I had been careless, thinking I had already shaken off the assassins. I hadn't expected the assassin leader's martial arts to be so formidable; she didn't seem to care about her recent injury at all.
Thus, struck by the palm strike, I bravely fainted without even using my full strength, leaving only a lone woman to fight against a large group of assassins.

URL 1:https://www.sexlove5.com/htmlBlog/187111.html

URL 2:/Blog.aspx?id=187111&aspx=1

Previous Page : (The back door my mother opened for me)

Next Page : 【The Flower Prince 3】

增加

comment Open a new window to view comments

Contact Information

【The Flower Prince 4】

comment Open a new window to view comments