The Beloved Imperial Consort Chapter 183

Deep in self-reflection, Wei Zhen walked through the second gate. Upon arriving at the front courtyard, he ran into Di Wu Yi Zhao.

“Greetings, Mister.”

“Sir Wei, you’re in quite a hurry and looking so serious. Could it be that you’ve just come from Cefei’s place?” Right behind Wei Zhen was the corridor leading to the study. Since he had walked straight ahead without turning, it was likely he was on an errand for that mistress.

“Mister, your insight is remarkable. I am heading to the library to seek out Tao-gong¹.”

“So, Cefei has set her sights on Tao-gong this time?” Di Wu Yi Zhao stroked his beard and smiled. Normally, he had little interest in women’s quarrels, but Cefei kept rolling out one spectacle after another—a feast for the eyes, thoroughly entertaining. Occasionally, he even caught glimpses of something resembling military strategy in her actions, which he found particularly fascinating.

Even His Highness secretly requested the reports while in the study. As he read them, a look of delight often crossed his face. During discussions of state affairs, Di Wu Yi Zhao would sometimes pick up some news, and over time, he too became intrigued.

“Does that one think the previous news still needs polishing? If it’s just for this reason that Tao-gong has been troubled, it seems like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.” Di Wu Yi Zhao thought of old Tao’s foul temper. Persuading him to lend his support – especially when the opponent was merely a little girl— would likely not be an easy task.

Wei Zhen suddenly felt relieved. Even someone as brilliant as the mister couldn’t fully see through Mistress Yao’s actions. Wei Zhen had never been skilled in the art of strategy to begin with, so suffering the occasional setback was nothing to be ashamed of.

“No, Mister, you’ve guessed wrong this time. Mistress Yao has come up with a new idea and has specifically sent this humble one to seek Tao-gong’s review and evaluation.”

“Oh? Seeking Tao-gong’s critique- it must be poetry or an essay. If Cefei went out of her way to send it over, it’s worth a look…” Di Wu Yi Zhao lightly tapped his forehead with his feather fan, his demeanor as nonchalant as ever. “Let’s go, then. I’ll join you and take a look. If that one is making her move through the literary circle, could it be that she has a new trick up her sleeve?” With that, he urged Wei Zhen repeatedly, more impatient than Wei Zhen himself, and strode offahead with long strides.

Well, when Mister’s playful side surfaced, he was, surprisingly, about three parts similar to that mistress.

Wei Zhen smoothed out the wrinkles on his outer robe, where Di Wu Yi Zhao had patted his shoulder and then followed closely behind, though somewhat helplessly.

All the renowned scholars – at least those he had the fortune to meet – were really as Mistress had said: ‘Those of exceptional intelligence always have peculiar hobbies.’

For instance… Tao-gong, Tao the Great Scholar, before him – completely drunk, with his chest bare, belly exposed, leaving one to wonder whether he was even conscious.

“Wei, kiddo, you’re a rare guest. Hmm? And why have you brought that old rascal Di Wu along?” With his eyes clouded by drunkenness, Tao-gong staggered to his feet, but in a moment of carelessness, he collapsed back into the recliner.

“This old man won’t argue with a drunkard like you. I didn’t come here today for your sake. Commander Wei, why don’t you tell this shameless old coot about your mistress´s request?”

Wei Zhen watched as the two met and immediately began going at each other without a shred of courtesy. Their tone and manners showed none of the grace expected of esteemed scholars. He couldn’t help but question how the man he had once accompanied His Highness to visit-traveling such a long distance to Yuquan- could have fallen into such a drunken wreck. This content belongs to thehlifestyle.com, if you see this translation elsewhere, it’s been stolen!

The ‘Nan Tao’ of that day, who had prided himself on his talent, exuded poise and serenity and was renowned throughout the forty-one provinces of Great Wei – how could his true self turn out to be like this?

No matter how much he lamented, it could not surpass the importance of the task entrusted to him by his mistress. Wei Zhen took out two sheets of xuan paper from his sleeve and respectfully presented them to Tao-gong.

“A humble request for Tao-gong’s review and evaluation.”

Just as Di Wu Yi Zhao was about to step closer for a better look, he was shoved aside with one hand by the drunken man who suddenly lashed out, and even the papers were stuffed back into Wei Zhen’s hands.

“Read it out loud, Wei, kiddo. This old man’s eyes are terribly blurry, so bear with me.” Though his words asked for understanding, his manners were downright rude.

Wei Zhen awkwardly took back the xuan paper. This woman’s poetry—if he were to recite it, it would feel completely out of place. What kind of nonsense would that be? Just as he hesitated over whether to brace himself and read it aloud word by word, a hearty laugh suddenly rang out from behind.

“Why not let this one have a look, Sir Wei?” The man who arrived had a pale, clean-shaven face and wore a ribbon headscarf. With wide sleeves fluttering freely with every movement and wooden clogs on his feet, he embodied an air of carefree nonchalance.

Relieved beyond measure, Wei Zhen promptly offered a respectful bow. “Greetings, Qin-gong.” This refined scholar, known for his upright character and noble integrity, displayed a graceful bearing that truly lived up to the people’s high praise. After passing the xuan paper to the other party, Wei Zhen glanced back at two men, who were still pulling faces at each other, showing no hint of courtesy. He could hardly imagine what outsiders would say if they witnessed such a scene.

“《Autumn Reflections》. 《Ascending Mount Qi and Gazing Afar》. ” Qin-gong sat cross-legged on the kang platform. He first mentioned the titles of the two poems, then focused on reading them closely before giving his evaluation: “These can be considered excellent compositions among women.”

“Huh?” The person who had seemed utterly drunk just a moment ago, unable to tell left from right, stopped bickering with Di Wu Yi Zhao. He turned around and looked back at Qin-gong, who had already set the draft aside, brewed tea, and was now savoring it leisurely in solitude.

“Are they truly excellent?” The man who had just claimed his eyes were too blurry suddenly had a pair of eyes that became sharp and crystal clear.

Wei Zhen let out a sigh, holding his forehead. This was the second time…he’s been tricked enough for today.

“The old geezer now knows how to feel anxious, but when I let you take a look first earlier, you didn’t appreciate the gesture.”

Tao-gong snatched the xuan paper from the desk and narrowed his eyes as he mulled over each line, entirely ignoring the sarcastic remarks at his ear.

“It’s passably elegant – but only barely qualifies as a good poem. If we’re talking about rare masterpieces in recent years, something truly refreshing, none surpass《Shanglin》. Unfortunately, the one who wrote it is a wimp-timid and unwilling to show themselves.”

Di Wu Yi Zhao flipped through the final pages, offering only a slight nod without saying a word. He had expected to find something surprising, yet the verses fell so short of expectations. Could today’s visit have been a waste of effort?

He was unlike the other two, who could be considered scholars and placed some value on techniques such as line composition and word choice. Di Wu Yi Zhao excelled in strategy. He saw straight past the flowery words to discern the person behind them. They might appear broad-minded on the surface, but in truth, they were arrogant and hollow. Such a narrow-minded and obstinate nature made it difficult for him to approve.

“Can’t compare.” Di Wu Yi Zhao’s words were unfathomable, but the regretful tone in his voice made it obvious he must have had a better choice in his heart for comparison.

“Truly a pity.” Tao-gong rarely found someone worthy of his admiration, and when he finally did, he discovered that the person was hiding their head but exposing their tail²—entirely unworthy of the brilliance and grandeur of their writing.

“You two are certainly in sync with your sighing. Who is it for?” Qin-gong propped his elbow and waited.

Di Wu Yi Zhao was just about to reply when he saw Tao-gong across from him slam the table and rise to his feet. “A small fry not even worth mentioning.” His voice carried a mix of deep resentment and helplessness, his anger burning fiercely.

A small fry? Di Wu Yi Zhao swallowed the words he was about to say. He, too, had intended to bring up a ‘fry’…though he wasn’t sure if they were referring to the same one. Since the old drunkard had already dismissed them as insignificant, it was better not to argue. That shameless old man had such a foul temper—the more you argued with him, the more entangled things would become.

“Your mistress had you come here to get a review and evaluation, but for what purpose?” Di Wu Yi Zhao couldn’t shake the feeling that something crucial was missing.

Thinking back on Mistress Yao’s nonchalant instructions, Wei Zhen reported truthfully. “Release the exact words of Tao-gong and Xiao-gong’s evaluation of Miss He Lian’s poetry, without altering a single word.”

Xiao-gong? Apart from Wei Zhen, who was already aware of the matter, the other three in the room exchanged puzzled glances.

“Xiao Ye Ting, that useless pretty face – what qualifications does he have to evaluate others?” Tao-gong scoffed in contempt.

The others in the room were well aware of their long-standing discord and simply turned a deaf ear, refraining from joining the conversation. These two, with entirely opposite personalities, were jointly regarded as the great scholars of the era, being called ‘South Tao, North Xiao’. However, only a few close friends familiar with both knew that these two giants of the literary world were completely different: one upright and rigid, the other carefree and unrestrained. Whenever they crossed paths, it was anything but peaceful—they could hardly stand the sight of each other. The most intense clashes, however, came from their disciples, who fiercely competed and frequently collided over conflicting academic views.

“Cefei managed to obtain the evaluation of two great scholars – does she plan to take advantage of the chaos and turn the situation to her favor by taking an unconventional approach?” Di Wu Yi Zhao suddenly realized – so that’s how it was.

While the other party went to great lengths to stir up the stagnant waters of Shengjing, if He Lian Wei Rui were to suddenly rise to prominence, backed by the ‘full support’ of the two great scholars… such a situation would be nothing short of being crushed under the weight of excessive praise.

This was no exaggeration but a simple fact – the person Mu Xi Yao intends to gain trust of has become clear.

As if the clouds had parted and the sun shone through, Di Wu Yi Zhao broke into a hearty laugh, praising repeatedly, “This trip was well worth it.” Then, he raised his feather fan and departed gracefully.

Di Wu Yi Zhao, having stumbled upon something entertaining, was naturally in high spirits. The complete opposite, however, was a Confucian scholar like Tao-gong, who held scheming and power plays in deep contempt. Upon hearing that His Highness’s Cefei had employed such dishonorable tactics, his expression turned cold, and he immediately drove Wei Zhen out of the door.

“Why vent your anger like this?”Qin-gong, seated behind the desk, plucked the strings with two fingers, the low notes quivering slightly.

“Simply a dislike for Mu’shi.” That was the plain truth.

“His Highness favors her deeply, and surely not without reason.”By coincidence, Qing-gong had overheard Cefeiperforming 《Flowing Goblet》 beyond the wall. Being well-versed in music, he could easily discern the broad-mindedness within the melody.

“What does His Highness’s fondness have to do with Tao Di?” Tao-gong picked up the Qionghua Jade Dew that had been warming on the kang, tilted his head back, and downed it all in one go.

“As conceited about his talent as ever, with a temper just as foul as before.” After a few lighthearted taunts, the two returned to their usual discussions of poetry and music, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Shengjing was very lively today. From morning till night, the news had already shifted several times.

Early in the morning, two rumors caused a stir. While the commotion surrounding the Princess’s household affairs was lively, it didn’t carry as much weight in people’s eyes as the Eighth Highness’s consort selection.

People had initially thought that Miss He Lian had fallen victim to a scheme and that her secure position as Cefei would be difficult to preserve. Yet, in less than two hours, rumors began sprouting everywhere like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. This time, every daughter eligible for selection from the noble families was implicated. Judged by the plethora of hearsay, it seems there was no suitable match for the Eighth Highness in this consort selection.

After rounds of lively and bustling selection, it turned out that all the candidates secretly harbored morally corrupt and unseemly characters, leaving the people of Shengjing feeling deceived. As rumors continued to spread, the daughters of Shengjing’s noble families were now painted as possessing flawed virtues. How was one supposed to believe such claims? Surely, someone with ill intentions was stirring up trouble behind the scenes, aiming to sabotage the Eighth Highness’s marriage prospects.

Just as everyone thought they had uncovered the truth and smugly insisted there was definitely more to the story, a new wave of news caught them off guard, leaving them utterly stunned.

The young lady of the He Lian family unexpectedly rose to prominence at this moment, dazzling everyone with her brilliance. Two of her poems successively received praise from two renowned scholars. While not unparalleled throughout the ages, they were considered a remarkable achievement for a woman. Before long, her literary reputation soared, accompanied by the fleeting yet unforgettable glimpse of her cold and alluring beauty at the Draw Lots banquet hosted for the Sixth Highness’s firstborn son, which was widely acknowledged by others.

Thanks to the ‘support’ extended by the two renowned scholars, He Lian Wei Rui instantly left all the other young ladies far behind. In the city of Shengjing, she alone stood unmatched in her glory, standing proudly above the rest.

Translation notes:

[1] Gong is a respectful term of address for elders or one’s senior.

[2] Hiding head but exposing tail refers to a Chinese idiom that means to give a partial account/half-truths.

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