In recent months, the Song family in the south has kept a low profile, with few battles. People across the land speculate that the Song family is secretly building up their strength, observing the conflict from the sidelines, and using the opportunity to recuperate and consolidate their forces. As a result, things have been very peaceful lately. Even Liu Jin, who is stationed next to the Song family, has not been able to find out any news about Song Zixing. When he did manage to probe with a small group of infantry, the only one defending the city was General Xu Zhen.
Xu Zhen, after being recruited by Song Zixing, was highly valued by Song. Xu Zhen was a fierce general; when he was stationed in Guangdong, Liu Jin couldn't gain any advantage, and now, in their rematch, Liu Jin still failed to gain any advantage. Moreover, Liu Jin's original intention was only to test the waters, and with winter approaching and food supplies running low, he didn't take any further action after several attempts until spring.
When spring arrived and flowers bloomed, Liu Jin finally learned that the reason Song Zixing hadn't personally come to war was because his father, Song Chen, was a soldier. Song Zixing had stayed in Hangzhou to take care of his father, but Song Chen hadn't survived the winter and had died. From then on, Song Zixing took over the entire Song family business, becoming the true head of the family, commanding 300,000 troops, and firmly establishing himself in the south.
Song Zixing was a talented young man with a good family background, but he had never married. When spring arrived, someone brought up the matter, and seemingly overnight, Song Zixing became the topic of conversation in the boudoirs of young women in love.
Even Song Zixing's portrait spread throughout the land overnight. Although it couldn't compare to the portrait that Fang Ruoxi had been so eager to acquire for a fortune back then, it far surpassed Song Zixing in terms of quantity.
After taking the title of Marquis of Changping, it was winter, and Gongzi Yi stationed himself in the prefecture.
When portraits of Song Zixing began to be sold on the streets of Changping County, Hua Wuduo was dumbfounded as he looked at the various Song Zixing figures on the streets. He naturally recalled how, back in Jiangnan, those well-bred young ladies, who were usually known for their demureness, would squeal uncontrollably and even show signs of fainting when Song Zixing was mentioned, and his mood calmed down considerably.
In a good mood, she bought a portrait that looked similar but didn't quite capture the essence of the subject and took it home. She specifically sought out Wu Yi, showed it to him, and proudly pointed at the portrait, saying to him, "Look, this is the man universally acknowledged as the most worthy of marriage in the world. This man originally liked me."
Wu Yi picked it up and examined it carefully. He then tore the portrait to shreds and pointed to the scraps on the ground, saying, "This person is gone."
She smiled broadly.
Wu Yi frowned, deep in thought, as if pondering a very important question. She leaned closer and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
He asked in great confusion, "Strange, I am obviously countless times more handsome than him, so why won't anyone sell my portrait?"
Her eye twitched.
"People's aesthetic sense is getting worse and worse these days." After thinking for a long time, he finally came to this conclusion with regret.
Even the corner of her mouth twitched.
He looked at her and said confidently, "I can tell from your expression that I'm the most handsome in your eyes, so your taste is definitely commendable."
Her entire face was twitching.
He stroked her head affectionately, like petting a puppy, and said with a teasing smile, "Alright, if you keep whipping me, I'll laugh."
Upon hearing this, her gaze suddenly changed, and she reached out and pinched his cheeks, subjecting him to a brutal beating. He dodged left and right until he fled in a disheveled state to the camp before she stopped.
As soon as he stepped out of the tent, he saw a small patrol of soldiers walking towards him. He straightened his expression and strode away, but a faint, sunny smile lingered on his lips and brows, though he himself did not notice it.
Recently, an advisor suggested to Prince Liu Yi of Jin that Song Zixing, with his powerful army, harbored ambitions. Given that the Liu family now faces the Liang King to the north and Prince Wu Yi of Cheng to the west, it would be unwise to turn against the Song family, who wield significant military power. Instead, the Liu family could utilize the Song family's influence to restrain Wu Yi or Wu Qi, and it would be best to eliminate Wu Yi, this major threat, first.
Upon hearing this, the Prince of Jin asked, "What brilliant plan do you have?"
The strategist said, "We should allow Lord Liu Yu to form a marriage alliance with Song Zixing."
After careful consideration, the King of Jin agreed.
When the envoy went to Jiangnan to discuss the matter, the Youth Palace flatly refused. Song Zixing not only rejected him decisively and without any room for negotiation, but his advisors and generals also humiliated the envoy. The envoy was furious and, upon returning, exaggerated the story to the Prince of Jin. The Prince of Jin was immediately enraged, cursing Song Zixing as nothing more than a dissolute and shameless brat who let prostitutes in public. He then submitted a memorial to the court, listing many of the Song family's shortcomings and accusing Song Zixing of plotting rebellion.
Song Zixing immediately said that the king was young, and the Liu family, his relatives by marriage, were interfering in politics and openly slandering the feudal lords. He could not bear the humiliation and wanted to send troops to eliminate the Liu family. Under the pretext of "cleansing the emperor's inner circle," he actually rebelled.
Upon learning this, Hua Wuduo couldn't help but recall how, in a fit of anger in Jiangling, she had falsely accused Song Zixing of wearing a bib. Even then, Song Zixing had stood up for her reputation, tacitly admitting to the affair, disregarding the stain that would forever remain on his record. She remembered how, back in Luoyang, soldiers had mocked her for the same thing, and now the Prince of Jin was bringing it up again to humiliate her, yet he hadn't refuted it. Hua Wuduo also thought of his words to her before leaving Jiangnan that year, and her heart sank. If she had ever wronged anyone, it was probably Song Zixing; she had truly wronged him.
At noon, Gongzi Yi came into the room to call her for lunch. When he came in, he saw her sitting by the bed in a daze, holding an unopened letter. He said out of the blue, "Being too outstanding naturally attracts trouble. You'll have plenty of worries in the future."
"What's troubling me?" Hua Wuduo asked, not understanding what Gongzi Yi was referring to.
Gongzi Yi said, "Do you know? The bored Wenyu (Gongzi Yu) brother recently compiled a book called 'The Beauty and the Country,' and you are ranked first in it."
"So what?" Hua Wuduo raised an eyebrow, showing no joy whatsoever.
"Why do you look so unexcited?" Gongzi Yi asked, puzzled.
Hua Wuduo put down the letter, stretched out his hand, revealing his weapon, the Ten-Finger Golden Ring, and said, "If my weapon, the Ten-Finger Golden Ring, can rank first on the weapon ranking list, I will be so happy that I will get drunk for three days."
Gongzi Yi pursed his lips and muttered, "Doesn't act like a woman."
Hua Wuduo, with his keen hearing, naturally heard clearly. He narrowed his eyes and asked, "What did you say?"
Gongzi Yi looked up at the sky through the window and said, "It's already noon, no wonder I'm hungry."
Hua Wuduo glanced at it as well, then rubbed his stomach and said, "Yes, I'm a little hungry too."
Gongzi Yi took her finger: "Come on, let's go have dinner together."
"Okay." Of all things under the heavens, eating is the most important.
“I had them prepare a pot of braised pork today. It smells delicious,” said Gongzi Yi.
Hua Wuduo swallowed hard and went to eat with Gongzi Yi, completely forgetting what had just happened. Her mind was full of braised pork, and she didn't even see the corner of Gongzi Yi's mouth turn up when he turned around.
At noon, Hua Wuduo ate braised pork and said, "This braised pork tastes just like the one made at the elegant wine shop in the capital."
Gongzi Yi, never one to mince words, declared, "That's where I opened it."
"Huh? You own it?" Hua Wudu was quite surprised. No matter how she looked at him, Gongzi Yi didn't seem like a businessman. But as far as she knew, Fengya Pinjiu not only had good wine, but also delicious food. It was very popular in the capital and had a very good business, so its income was naturally very high.
Gongzi Yi feigned nonchalance and said, "I not only own an elegant wine shop, but also an arms store. Oh, right, Xinghua Chunyu in the capital is also one of my properties."
The braised pork that Hua Wuduo had just put in his mouth fell out. When Gongzi Yi saw it, he frowned and said, "What kind of eating manners are these?"
Hua Wuduo, disregarding all else, asked, "Then who is Du Qianqian to you?"
“They were my spies planted in the capital.”
"Isn't she your lover?"
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Yi frowned again. What kind of woman was this, spouting such vulgar words? He curled his lip and said, "Which eye of yours saw me having an affair with her?"
“No…” Hua Wuduo suppressed his surprise and answered honestly, “I just heard…”
“That’s right. She’s my subordinate. Don’t use the word ‘paramour’ to insult the pure friendship between us,” Gongzi Yi said matter-of-factly.
"Oh... so you're still innocent..."
Gongzi Yi was so angry that he put down his chopsticks and shouted, "Of course!"
"I can't see where your innocence lies," she muttered softly, turning her head away.
"Where am I impure?"
You're impure in no way!
"What did you say?!"
"Hey, don't take the braised pork away! I haven't even had a few bites yet..."
"I'll feed it to the dogs."
"No, no!"
"Tell me, am I pure or not?"
"Pure, pure."
"You are pure in every way."
"One should always tell the truth."
"Yes, yes, I'm telling the truth every single word, as truthful as it gets."
"That's more like it. Alright, eat up."
"Just you wait, once I finish eating, you'll be anything but pure," Hua Wuduo thought angrily to himself as he devoured the braised pork.
Gongzi Yi stole a glance at her as she ate meat with gusto, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Recently, a person arrived in Changping County, both expected and unexpected: Fang Zhengyang, the father of Hua Wuduo.
Hua Wuduo was sent away, leaving only Wuyi and Fang Zhengyang in the room.
Hua Wuduo stood on tiptoe and looked into the distance, wondering why her father had suddenly come here.
Afterwards, she asked her father what had brought him here, and Fang Zhengyang said meaningfully, "I came here partly to discuss some important matters with Prince Cheng, and partly to see you."
"Father saw me, what do you think?" Hua Wuduo asked.
Fang Zhengyang smiled and said, "You look radiant; Father is very relieved."
Hua Wuduo smiled, but the smile was not genuine, because she noticed that her father's smile was very shallow and did not reach his eyes. Her father's visit was definitely not so simple.
Afterwards, she asked Gongzi Yi what his father had said to him, and Gongzi Yi replied, "They discussed a business deal."
"What kind of business?" she pressed.
Gongzi Yi said, "Warhorses."
"Nothing else?"
"Oh? Are there any others?"
Hua Wuduo curled her lip, knowing full well that Gongzi Yi was hiding something, but there was nothing she could do.
Since the arrival of spring, the war has intensified once again. Since the fall of Changping, Liu Jing has been filled with resentment and has always wanted to retake Changping. As soon as spring arrived, he petitioned the court again to lead a large army to the city.
Liu Jing was an extremely difficult person to deal with, possessing both courage and resourcefulness. Once, Wu Yi and Hua Wuduo were privately discussing Liu Jing when Wu Yi suddenly remarked, "That boring Wen Yu has another new work today, sigh..."
Seeing that Gongzi Yi looked dejected, Hua Wuduo became interested and asked, "What new work?"
Gongzi Yi said, "The Chronicles of Handsome Men in the Land."
"Huh?" Hua Wuduo's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he hurriedly urged, "Tell me quickly, who's in first place, and where are you ranked?"
Gongzi Yi sighed, "Wen Yu is blind! She actually ranked me sixth, and what's worse, she ranked Liu Jing and Tang Ye ahead of me! That fox Liu Jing, and that half-dead look on Tang Ye's face, why, why!" He slammed his hand on the table, making the bowls and plates on it bounce around restlessly.
Hua Wuduo tapped the table, pondering, "Yes, Wen Yu is such a scoundrel. It's one thing to join Liu Xiu, but he even tries to curry favor with Liu Jing. He has no professional ethics whatsoever. I despise him."
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Yi seemed to feel a little better, and then heard Hua Wuduo ask, "Who are the people ahead of you in line?"
Gongzi Yi pursed his lips, seemingly extremely reluctant, and answered her: "Wu Qi, Liu Xiu, Song Zixing, Liu Jing, Tang Ye."
"Qi is ranked first?!"
“Of course.” When this was mentioned, Gongzi Yi seemed to be quite pleased. “Wen Yu said in the book that Wu Qi was handsome and gentle as jade when he was young. Whether it was a man or a woman, they would blush when they first saw him. Now that he has experienced life, he is no longer the same as before. It would not be an exaggeration to call him the number one young master in the world.”
Hua Wuduo nodded upon hearing this, saying, "Indeed, in recent years, Qi has become increasingly mature and manly. Even Song Zixing has..." Hua Wuduo stopped talking when Song Zixing was mentioned.
Gongzi Yi glanced at her before saying, "Wen Yu commented that Wu Qi was like a sumptuous and lavish banquet, while Song Zixing seemed rather bland in comparison."
Regardless of the circumstances, Hua Wuduo did not comment on or evaluate Liu Xiu. Afterwards, she secretly found a handwritten copy of Wen Yu's "The Story of Handsome Men in the Country," and after reading it, she discovered the following passage: "After Liu Xiu proclaimed himself king, he quelled the rebellion of the eastern princes. He became increasingly calm and composed, inspiring awe in all who beheld him. Compared to Song Zixing, he was superior not in appearance but in power."
Tang Ye was ranked after Liu Xiu and Song Zixing because his reputation as the "Poison King" was feared by everyone. In recent years, he had followed Liu Xiu and helped Liu Xiu assess the entire eastern region. However, due to his background, he was ranked after Liu Jing.
In "The Chronicles of Handsome Men of the Land," Wen Yu explains that he ranked Prince Cheng, Wu Yi, sixth because of Wu Yi's romantic nature, thus placing him after the other princes. Prince Yi, however, laments that Wen Yu doesn't understand him. Hua Wuduo scoffs at this, secretly thinking, "Romantic is romantic, why pretend to be so profound?"
In turbulent times, there are many busybodies. Back in the Southern Academy, those who often hung out together were all exceptionally talented. Now, in these chaotic times, it's their time to shine. Even someone as oblivious as Gongzi Yu, by being familiar with the backgrounds and personalities of these many outstanding figures, can gain popularity and even be used as a benchmark to compare various aspects of the world's population.
I heard that this "Chronicles of Handsome Men and Beautiful Women" and the previous "Chronicles of Beauty and Beauty" were not printed in large quantities; they are both handwritten copies, and the price is very expensive, costing more than a hundred taels of silver per book. Hua Wuduo secretly thought that Gongzi Yu had struck it rich. These two books must have earned him at least ten thousand or eight thousand taels of silver. He would make him treat him to a meal when he saw him the next day.