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墨書 Inktalez
Since Zhao Wang Dan ascended to the throne, he has held a Selection in his capital, Handan, every three years. If it weren't for the strong opposition from upright ministers like Lin Xiangru and Zhao She, who argued that it would burden the people and waste resources, it might have become an annual event by now. Even so, the expenses and manpower involved are considerable. Preparations begin six months in advance, and the scale is not inferior to that of a new king's coronation.
What can be done? The king enjoys this; what can you do!?
Counting it up, this year marks the second edition. The only difference from the previous one is that this year, Feudal States have come to participate. According to intelligence reports, apart from Han and Yan, at least five countries have sent Beauty Teams. This even caught the attention of King Zhou She, who made a grand gesture by writing something for King Zhao to display in the palace.
Cai Youdao from the Chu Region remembers that the Selection should be a domestic affair for Zhao. If we talk about grandeur, this edition might be unprecedented among Ancient People. Initially, he was worried that various Feudal States would take advantage of the occasion for other purposes, but he found that their contestants were quite impressive.
Not to mention Zhao's Miss Shi, just looking at the other three candidates is noteworthy. Qi State's elegant Spring Maiden, Wei Kingdom's captivating Xiangxiang, and Chu's petite Yi Yi—each one possesses beauty that could topple nations!
Luzi, having personally attended with a VIP pass, naturally knows that Cai Youdao speaks truthfully. However, seeing him suddenly wear a thoughtful expression is amusing. The saying "beauty brings disaster" has its roots; indeed, countless heroes may bow before such allure. He chuckled and asked, "From your seasoned perspective, which of these four do you think will win this year's Oiran?"
Upon hearing Big Shopkeeper's question, Cai Youdao snapped back to reality. He had indeed been distracted; Luzi's keen observation wouldn't miss that. His face flushed at this thought. "Are you asking for an honest opinion or one with embellishments?"
Luzi nodded. "What do you mean by an honest opinion?"
Cai Youdao stood up to refill Big Shopkeeper's tea and said earnestly, "In an honest assessment, it must be Zhao's Miss Shi. Ji Liao and Ji Daifu are true literary figures; a cultured lady carries an innate grace that cannot be expressed in words but can certainly be felt. This is something inherent; it can only be nurtured later..."
Luzi suddenly realized that Cai Zhanggui could talk quite a bit and waved his hand to signal him to stop. If they were playing Truth or Dare, he would admit that Shishi should indeed take the lead. Nodding in agreement while curious, he asked, "And what if there are embellishments?"
Cai Youdao lifted his teacup to clear his throat and replied, "If there are embellishments involved, Scoundrel would instantly turn gray with worry. I believe Plain King feels much the same right now. The Beauties sent by Qi, Chu, and Wei—who doesn't have a powerful backing!? Wei Kingdom's Xiangxiang is related to... well...”
Luzi seemed unconcerned about Cai Youdao mentioning that person and laughed, "If I’m not mistaken, Xiangxiang should be sent by Wei Wujie. Go on!"
Cai Youdao had heard about Wei Wujie's failed assassination attempt on Luzi in the State of Chu, and he also heard that Wei Wujie had unjustly killed the entire family of Lu Zhi, a loyal minister of Wei Kingdom. It was said that Lu Zhi had some connections with the Big Shopkeeper, but no one dared to investigate this matter. Therefore, when Wei Wujie was mentioned earlier, he stuttered, unsure of how to explain this relationship.
"Wei Wujie!?"
Luzi did not hide the truth and directly stated that this nickname for Wei Wujie was actually given by Li Xin. It seemed that the two had a very unpleasant relationship, but Li Xin had never disclosed the specific reasons for their conflict.
Cai Youdao, unaware of any internal connection between Wu Ji and Toothless, continued from where the Big Shopkeeper left off: "What the Innkeeper said is absolutely correct. That girl Xiangxiang is the top courtesan at Wei Kingdom's Spring Fragrance Pavilion, only selling her skills and not her body..."
"What!?"
"Oh! Scoundrel made a mistake! She only sells her skills and not her body!" Cai Youdao was still pondering Toothless's origins when he realized his slip of the tongue and quickly corrected himself. He had initially planned to keep it vague but now dared not do so. "The backer of Spring Fragrance Pavilion is actually the Wei Family's property, so it has a direct connection to Toothless. Moreover, Toothless's sister married Zhao Kingdom's Plain King, making Toothless Zhao Sheng's brother-in-law. Since there is this connection, it naturally becomes Zhao Sheng's own affair."
Luzi understood that this was a case of keeping the benefits within their own circle and expressed his understanding. "Then what about Mingxiang Pavilion in Chu State and Star Picking Tower in Qi State? What is their connection to that Noble and Minister's family?"
Hearing that the Big Shopkeeper did not want to discuss Wei Kingdom any further, Cai Youdao swallowed his words about the latter topic. After organizing his thoughts slightly, he continued to explain the background of Chu State and Qi State. Mingxiang Pavilion in Chu State did not belong to Chunshen Jun or Huang Xie; it was actually owned by the Li Yuan family. However, Huang Xie held shares in it and profited from it every year. Therefore, saying it belonged to Chunshen Jun was not entirely inaccurate.
It was well known that at this time, King Qi was no longer the same as the former House of Qi. King Qi Kang was the last ruler of Qi State, ending in 379 BC. Afterward, the Tian Family took over, and at this time, King Jian of Qi was originally named Tian Jian. The surname was Guo; they were from the Tian clan. The true Qi State was founded by Jiang Ziya, and the real King Qi was Jiang from the Lu Clan.
The team sent by Qi State for Star Picking Tower was backed by King Jian's powerful support—his Mother Dowager. Speaking of this Empress Dowager, she truly represented one of those women who bravely sought true love in the world. Her original surname was Tai Shi; she was the daughter of Tai Shi Jiao from Ju State. She helped Prince Tian Zhang of Qi State during his hardships and privately pledged her life to him; later, she was crowned Queen when the Tian Family restored their power.
Upon learning this news, Tai Shi Jiao became furious; her daughter’s marriage had already brought shame to the Tai Shi Family with Tian Jian's birth. Now she dared to openly flaunt herself as Empress Dowager? Thus, she severed her father-daughter relationship with what had become King Xiang of Qi Tian Zhang’s Empress Dowager daughter and vowed never to interact with her again.
Regardless of whether this scheming Empress Dowager had family ties or not, she ultimately grasped supreme power in Qi State and governed behind a curtain. Just because her father read too much and ruined his mind did not mean her relatives were unaware of climbing higher branches. As brothers living in Ju County fled to Qi State’s capital Linzi, one representative among them became today’s Prime Minister of Qi Housheng. And this Star Picking Tower team’s backing was none other than Hao Sheng.
Hearing about the heavy background of this building and that pavilion, Luzi's hair instantly turned white. It's truly impressive! What seems to be inconspicuous, like the fleeting moments of life, is actually profound and vast. No wonder the Selection, which should have ended long ago with an obvious result, has been delayed; it turns out the waters here run deep!
Hmph! It seems the Plain King has his work cut out for him! Perhaps even those layers of connections will have to watch their expressions!
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