One princess wanted nothing more than to get out of the carriage and drag Third Young Master Xie into the palace. The other princess restrained her. “Don’t rush. Since he’s come to the capital, he’ll surely visit the Crown Prince and Crown Princess again. There will be plenty of opportunities to see him. Let’s go settle accounts with Third Brother first.”
…
…
The Third Prince was studying and didn’t permit others to disturb him, but the two princesses’ carriages couldn’t be blocked, especially when they returned so triumphantly. The princess personally wielded a whip to strike the palace attendants who tried to stop them.
Moments later, the princesses’ carriages drove out of Longing for Spring Garden again. The palace attendants who had moved aside could hear the two princesses laughing happily in their carriage.
Several scholars entered the hall to see the Third Prince sitting cross-legged on the floor, his expression dark and his eyes full of sinister intent.
“The princesses truly went too far,” one scholar said carefully. “They actually dared to come quarrel with Your Highness.”
They had thought the two princesses, after being scolded, would go cry to the Crown Prince, who would then use it as an excuse to rebuke the Third Prince. At that point, a quarrel between the Third Prince and Crown Prince would serve as a prelude to the Longing for Spring Garden gathering.
But unexpectedly, the two princesses had turned around and come back to quarrel with the Third Prince.
Quarreling with princesses was pointless.
Moreover, it seemed the Third Prince had lost the argument.
The Third Prince patted his knee. “That nephew of Chu Ling’s—I hadn’t planned to do anything to him. He just happened to appear before me, so I used him conveniently. At the Longing for Spring Garden gathering, he would have added some excitement.”
“I truly never expected that before I even did anything, they would slap me in the face first!”
“Excellent, excellent! What a daughter of Chu Ling! How wonderful that this prince’s invitation is worthless!”
He kicked over the table.
“Someone!”
A scholar immediately stepped forward to receive the Third Prince’s instructions.
“Add another challenge to the gathering—” the Third Prince smiled faintly and ominously, “one must surpass the Chu clan woman—”
At this point he paused. He didn’t even know what this Chu clan woman’s name was.
More than half the people in the room didn’t know either. Who would care about such an insignificant person?
Fortunately, when the princess had come to quarrel earlier, a palace attendant had listened and remembered. He stepped forward to report: “Chu Zhao.”
The Third Prince picked up a brush and wrote with a flourish.
“One must surpass the Chu clan woman, Chu Zhao.”
Having written it, he flung it away.
“Take it and post it outside the gate. Since this Miss Chu is so formidable, I’ll grant her fame throughout the realm!”
The scholar received the notice with both hands and acknowledged the order.
This wasn’t making Miss Chu famous at all—this was using Miss Chu as a sacrificial banner!