Kiyomi Tsuki et son renard

Chapitre 100

The moment Long Ming entered the Tian residence, chaos erupted throughout the entire household, from top to bottom, without exception. Even the kitchen maid, upon hearing of Long Ming's arrival, would send the finest pastries and delicacies to Xi Ri's room, ostensibly for her mistress, but in reality, Xi Ri, with her neck injured, couldn't possibly eat so much; it was clearly a gesture of filial piety towards Long Ming. Long Ming, in his delight, would casually hand out wads of silver. The number of maids preparing tea, initially two fighting amongst themselves, escalated to seven or eight, all vying to get into the room and pour Long Ming a cup of tea. Eventually, Tian Shuang, unable to bear it any longer, assigned numbers to serve tea in turn, thus preventing further bloodshed. Xi Ri called Long Ming a menace for this, while Long Ming jokingly retorted that it was charm. Shameless!

When Young Master Long arrived at the mansion, he was surrounded by far more members of the Tian family and servants than he was on the main road.

Even Madam Tian, Xi Ri's stepmother and the current Consort Shu's mother, was overjoyed by the rare and exquisite jewelry that Long Ming presented to her on his first visit. Many of the gifts Long Ming gave to the Tian family were unheard of in the Central Plains, including a type of lustrous jade called "crystal." Upon receiving it, Madam Tian couldn't resist wearing it immediately, clearly delighted. When the noble ladies of the capital gathered, Madam Tian displayed her crystal necklace, eliciting envy and jealousy from the other ladies, truly enhancing Madam Tian's prestige. Other ladies and young women, including Tian Xiyun, also received extremely valuable jewelry, though unfortunately, Tian Xiyun was injured and suffering from amnesia, temporarily unable to leave her room. However, when Long Ming learned of Tian Xiyun's amnesia, he actually laughed. Xi Ri scolded him for his lack of chivalry, but he chuckled, saying it was amusing, as this was the first time a woman had thrown herself at him only to be left battered and bruised, even suffering amnesia. Xi Ri said, "Have you forgotten that Xiyun looks like your mother? How can you bear to look at her like that?!" Long Ming, however, claimed it was too dark to see clearly at the time. He was clearly talking nonsense.

What puzzled Xi Ri was that her third brother, Ming Lu, seemed completely oblivious to Long Ming's frequent visits. Once, Tian Shuang mentioned that her third brother and Long Ming had met at the door. Xi Ri didn't dare ask what had happened, but after much hesitation, she finally couldn't resist asking. Tian Shuang actually said she hadn't dared to look…

She couldn't understand her third brother before. She noticed he seemed to have changed since that day; he was no longer the aloof and unapproachable figure he once was. Instead, he often showed a gentle and warm smile. Once, her maid accidentally spilled tea on his clothes, and he kindly said it was alright, leaving both the maid and her stunned for a long time. For some reason, seeing Prince Minglu treat people so gently always gave her a very unreal feeling, a faint, indescribable sense of being moved.

Third Brother said that once she recovers from her injury, he will take her to Phoenix Mountain to hunt snow foxes when the first snow falls. They will spend the night on the top of Phoenix Mountain, having barbecue and drinking, listening to the wind and watching the snow. He also said that when winter comes and the river freezes, he will teach her to ice skate, and he has already made ice skates for her.

For a fleeting moment, she felt anticipation.

Long Ming not only bribed the Tian family, but also the Empress Dowager. He'd only ever heard of red foxes from beyond the Great Wall, but they were extremely rare in the capital, even in the palace, no one except the Emperor possessed one. Yet, he sent two shawls made of red fox fur to the palace at once, one to the Empress Dowager and the other to the most favored concubine, Consort Shu. Coupled with his breathtaking beauty, he was like a sharp sword, invincible wherever he went, especially with women, young and old alike! It was said that after summoning Long Ming, the Empress Dowager was utterly astonished! She summoned him to the palace repeatedly. Whether he'd lost his mind or had some ulterior motive, he was bribing so lavishly… Xi Ri had once asked him why he did this, and he said it was to win over his wife, sparing no expense. Xi Ri was too lazy to argue, always feeling that his actions couldn't be that simple.

In no time, all the nobles and princes of the capital knew that a wealthy young master from Jiangnan, known as Young Master Long, had arrived in the capital and was greatly favored by the Empress Dowager, with everyone vying to curry favor with him. Everyone was speculating about the true identity of this Young Master Long, because he was actually the cousin of the Prince of Xi, and by all accounts should be a member of the royal family.

Xi Ri had once pressed Long Ming about her identity, but Long Ming mysteriously replied with a smile: "She will naturally find out in a few days."

Sure enough, a few days later, a banquet was held in the palace, attended by officials of the third rank and above, as well as imperial relatives. Surprisingly, Long Ming was among the invitees. That evening, the Emperor publicly revealed Long Ming's identity, and everyone then learned that Long Ming was actually…

The Emperor said that Long Ming was the heir apparent to the Prince of Zhennan. The Prince of Zhennan was not surnamed Long, but Long Ming explained that he took his grandmother's surname, the reason for which remains unknown.

Long Ming is the heir apparent of the Prince of Zhennan, and will be the future Prince of Zhennan.

The name Prince Zhennan was not unfamiliar to the court, but few had actually seen him. He was an extremely mysterious figure. Some said he wielded immense power, but no one had ever seen him or participated in politics, so this claim was easily disproven and gradually faded from memory. Others said Prince Zhennan was incredibly wealthy, but anyone familiar with his residence found this unbelievable. The scale and grandeur of his residence were inferior even to the residence of a second-rank official in the capital. Still others said Prince Zhennan was exceptionally handsome and possessed superb martial arts skills, but very few had actually seen him.

Although the Prince of Zhennan was a vassal king, he had never appeared in the capital for many years. Even when the other vassal kings came to court to pay homage each year, the Prince of Zhennan always claimed to be ill and did not come. Everyone only knew that the Prince of Zhennan seemed to be in poor health, but no one had ever heard that the Prince of Zhennan had a son. This suddenly appearing Long Ming was not only unbelievably handsome, but also very wealthy, almost confirming all the previous speculations about the Prince of Zhennan, except for his immense power in the court.

It's rumored that the Crown Prince of Zhennan and the Imperial Uncle Tian have been spending a lot of time together these past few days, with the Crown Uncle frequently visiting his residence. Many speculate that the Imperial Uncle intends to marry his third daughter, Tian Xiyun, to the Crown Prince. This rumor has spread like wildfire. However, not long after, another incident occurred. It's said that when the Crown Prince saw the Imperial Uncle's third daughter, Tian Xiyun, she lost her composure and lunged at him. In her panic, the Crown Prince dodged, and Tian Xiyun crashed into a wall and fainted—a truly tragic situation.

The matter became a laughing stock, and the speculative marriage was dropped.

These past few days, the capital has been filled with singing and dancing, and banquets are frequent in various mansions. High-ranking officials and nobles of the capital have been inviting the heir to banquets one after another, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the handsome man's unparalleled charm.

Since he is a handsome man, there is naturally a lot of gossip. Some people chatted over tea and after meals, saying: Ever since the Crown Prince appeared, the young ladies of noble families can no longer tolerate any other men. They are all crazy about the Crown Prince.

This statement isn't entirely accurate; it's somewhat exaggerated. However, it has its reasons and isn't completely nonsense. There are three reasons for this.

First, there was Xue Qiyu, the younger sister of Consort Ning and niece of the Marquis of Huguo. Two days ago, she went to the palace to see her sister, Consort Ning. On her way out, she accidentally stepped on the hem of her skirt and nearly fell. Just then, the passing prince reached out to help her. Unexpectedly, upon seeing the prince, Xue Qiyu was utterly astonished, as if she had suffered a great visual shock, and fainted on the spot. Actually, fainting was nothing serious; she wasn't the first, nor would she be the last. But when Xue Qiyu fainted, not only did her face turn as red as burning coals, but she also nearly died from excessive nosebleeds… Fortunately, she was in the palace, and the imperial physician arrived in time to save her life. The maid, who had been forced to follow behind Long Ming and had to clean up the mess, couldn't help but sigh inwardly. The women of the capital were indeed much more reckless than those of Suzhou; even their fainting was extraordinary. Look at the amount of blood flowing; most people wouldn't bleed like that.

Secondly, recently, dozens of ministers have repeatedly requested the Emperor to bestow their daughters upon the Prince of Zhennan's heir. The Emperor, unable to resist, inquired of the heir's opinion. The heir replied that he already had a sweetheart, though not yet at the point of marriage, she had been personally chosen by the Prince of Zhennan. Upon hearing this, the Emperor, as a second choice, advised him to take a concubine.

Upon hearing this, the prince smiled and raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over the attentive listeners. He then gave a seductive smile, silencing all other sounds. As the crowd paused in slight surprise, the prince suddenly said, "Your Majesty, why not bestow upon me a few handsome men..."

Crash... All that could be heard was the sound of countless hearts shattering all around, except for the now-gone eunuch below...

The prince suddenly laughed loudly, and then added a fatally seductive sentence: "I like handsome men dressed as women the most."

This time, even the eunuch who was standing by anxiously with his heart racing couldn't escape a heartbreak...

Because of the prince's words, it is now fashionable for women to dress as men in the capital.

Seeing women dressed as men everywhere, everyone couldn't help but exclaim that they were all crazy about the prince!

In fact, the widespread popularity of women dressing as men did not entirely originate from Long Ming's joke. Another event also played a significant role in its widespread adoption.

This story begins with the kidnapping of Tian Xiri...

Perhaps because the event left such a deep and shocking impression, or perhaps because it was simply an extremely rare occurrence, the story began to circulate uncontrollably among the people from that day onward. What was originally a simple story, because it was told so many times by so many different people, eventually evolved into numerous versions. After being collected and compiled by writers and poets, it finally became a romantic love legend.

Because of this, even the usually bored literati, who lacked subject matter and inspiration, couldn't stay idle. They started writing poems and odes non-stop, turning it into a popular story. Some, even more bored, even adapted the story into a play, which circulated widely among the people.

In no time, everyone from royalty to commoners knew the story and talked about it with great interest.

Because it was adapted into a play, the story spread even more widely, from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred, with embellishments added and rewritten, eventually becoming a classic.

The story is rich and vivid, and everyone who hears it talks about it with great interest. Even if someone says that they were there and witnessed the scene with their own eyes, they will be shot down with envious eyes by everyone. Those who witnessed the scene at the time are not stingy with their words and always boast about how it happened... Under the expectant gaze of everyone, they naturally add their own embellishments.

Meanwhile, Tian Xiri, still recovering from her injuries, was already widely recognized by the people as the most beautiful woman in the world—not because she was the most beautiful, but because she was the most popular. No wonder, she knew how to create hype. Because even disguised as a man, her beauty was undeniable…

That's a digression; let's get back to the main topic.

In the currently popular folk dramas, Tian Xiri and Prince Minglu have been thoroughly romanticized. Their fame among the people is now almost comparable to that of iconic tragic lovers like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, or Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. They are practically household names. Because everyone knows that Tian Xiri will marry Prince Minglu next spring, the people regard them as the embodiment of a happy marriage where lovers are finally united. Dramas adapted from their true story have become must-sees for lovers everywhere, because they firmly believe that true lovers will eventually be together after overcoming countless hardships.

In the play, Ah San and Zhang Guiyi were completely vilified. The once-powerful mountain king was reduced to a clown. For a time, even ungrateful figures like Chen Shimei and the villain Qin Hui could not compare to the extent to which they were reviled and hated by the people.

In the drama, Minglu's kneeling was so moving that even the gods in heaven were touched. Guanyin shed three tears, which turned into three sharp arrows. She sent a deity to earth, who transformed into an incomparably handsome young man. At the critical moment, he flew onto the stage and used the three arrows to shoot at the thief, Ah San, finally rescuing the two star-crossed lovers, Minglu and Xiri, from the crisis.

In other words, those three arrows weren't shot by humans, but by gods. The three archers were really at a disadvantage, because they were hidden in the shadows and weren't discovered by the discerning eyes of the common people, so all the credit was stolen.

And who is that deity? It's none other than the incredibly handsome young man who inexplicably appeared on stage later—Long Ming. Long Ming's unparalleled beauty has led the people to mythologize him as a living deity, and given his recent popularity… I hear he has to wear a mask when he goes out these days. Because a group of old ladies are chasing after him, worshipping him like a god…

These past few days, the little boy following Long Ming has truly suffered. He sympathizes with his young master; thinking about it, it's understandable. If it were a group of young girls chasing after him and bowing down, he could barely tolerate it, but it's a group of old ladies… The young master should just wear a mask and let him handle the rest. So lately, he's not dealing with the crazy, beautiful girls who used to excite him, but a group of old ladies over fifty. Just thinking about it makes him feel deflated, but for his young master, he's willing to risk everything, even if it means offering himself to the old ladies… ah… no, it's about risking his life for his young master… he'd rather die than submit… to the old ladies!

Therefore, everyone had to admit that they were all crazy about the young master! ...Even the old lady was crazy!

This story sounds extremely awkward to anyone who knows the inside story.

But ironically, this version is the most widely circulated one to this day, and can be heard anytime, anywhere. Even a stubborn, unreasonable guy like Fu Jin, who couldn't stand a single harsh word, could only silently endure it in the end. Because even if you shut one mouth, you can't shut ten mouths or a hundred or a thousand mouths. He had no choice but to accept it.

Initially, someone in the imperial court impeached Minglu, saying that his kneeling before bandits damaged the imperial dignity and reputation, and urged the emperor to severely punish Prince Minglu. Upon hearing this, the emperor was furious and almost stripped Minglu of his title. However, after everyone pleaded for him and explained the whole story, and mentioned that the incident had become a popular topic of conversation, the emperor questioned him further and finally relented, only punishing Minglu by deducting half a year's salary as a warning.

Minglu accepted it.

One day, for reasons unknown, the emperor summoned a group of actors to the palace to perform, and the play they were performing was the very same new play about lovers finally getting married.

After reading it, the Emperor was deeply moved by Minglu's affection and immediately rescinded the six months' salary he had intended to deduct. The concubines were all moved to tears, looking at Prince Minglu as if he were a cowherd who had lost his wife and children. The Empress Dowager, who never admitted to being old, sighed that she was too old to bear such a shock and left the scene midway. Tian Xiri was struck dumb, as if he had been hit by lightning. Long Ming frowned deeply and looked at Minglu, only to see Minglu calmly glancing at him, his phoenix eyes unfathomably deep.