PNB Chapter 136: If you lose, become my concubine
Chapter 136: If you lose, become my concubine
Fang Xiaoxiao looked at the ten little goldfish and her brain started working at lightning speed.
"No wonder they are the epitome of being rich but stupid. Some good people just like to use money to exploit the poor."
This is the thought.
"Since the Crown Prince is so generous, then this humble woman has no choice but to accept."
"Otherwise, wouldn't that disappoint you, Your Highness? Wenjian, don't you agree?"
She turned to look at her husband beside her, a playful smile playing on her lips.
Zhou Wenjian was taken aback by the sudden question, then smiled and replied.
"Since my wife says so, I will definitely support her decision."
"However, I always felt that things weren't that simple..."
The two whispered to each other.
Pei Zuo, standing at the top of the stairs, just watched the two whispering to each other, not caring what they were saying.
At this moment.
Fang Xiaoxiao looked up at him and slowly spoke.
"I accept this bet!"
These words attracted a large crowd.
"Who is she? How dare she make a bet with the First Prince!"
"I don't know, but it looks kind of familiar."
"You don't even recognize her? She's the owner of Lingxi Pavilion, named Fang Xiaoxiao."
"Fang Xiaoxiao? Isn't that the spendthrift son of the Fang family who was defeated before? He only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun, and eventually squandered the family fortune, almost losing even the ancestral home."
People who knew her started talking about it.
These people were mostly prominent figures, including officials and businessmen, and many of them were guests from Jiangnan Province.
Almost all of them were people who rushed here as soon as they heard that the eldest prince had come to Changle County, hoping to curry favor with the prince.
Pei Zuo glanced at everyone, his expression remaining unchanged, showing no sign of disgust.
Although he disliked these vassals, he did not show any dissatisfaction out of respect for Zhu Wen.
After all, Zhu Wen was his mentor, a business tycoon admired by many.
He was a man who could single-handedly wield immense power in the capital. Although Zhu Wen's influence was not what it used to be, he was still a force to be reckoned with.
Zhu Wen's wealth was spread all over the world, making him the kind of person whose mere presence could cause the imperial court to tremble.
Seeing that everyone was still talking, Pei Zuo raised his hand to interrupt them and said with a smile.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased to have the honor of meeting the author of 'Shuidiao Getou' today. I hope you will not speculate further!"
As he spoke, his expression darkened, and he changed his tone, becoming cold.
"If I hear any more unkind words about Madam Fang, I will not let it go easily, even if Manager Zhu is here."
"Wow!"
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent, not daring to utter a sound.
Goodness, is this what royal aura is like?
Fang Xiaoxiao was filled with emotion and couldn't help but admire the person.
She felt very uncomfortable with what those people had said, but she was too weak to say anything in her own way and dared not refute them.
After all, everyone who comes here is someone important. If she, a mere owner of Lingxi Pavilion, offends even one or two people, she'll probably be in deep trouble!
After thinking it over, she immediately looked at the person beside her.
Zhou Wenjian knew what his wife was thinking and that those people's words were hurting her.
Unfortunately, his current status was too special to stand up for his wife, so he could only sigh inwardly.
"If my Zhou family hadn't been destroyed, I would have made these people pay."
This is the thought.
Zhou Wenjian whispered words of comfort to his wife.
"My lady, please don't take those people's harsh words to heart."
"Hey, I don't care about these things. It's just gossip. Let them talk. It's not like I'm going to lose a piece of my flesh."
After Fang Xiao finished speaking, she immediately raised her head and turned up her voice considerably.
"Your Highness, let's begin. Let's not waste any more time. I have other matters to attend to!"
Actually, there was something I needed to do: I needed the fat cook to help me find someone to build a heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) like those in northern China.
The weather in the south in winter is really annoying; it gets so cold that it's almost unbearable.
Upon hearing this, Pei Zuo turned his head slightly and spoke.
"Then let's get started!"
As soon as he said that, everyone stopped and looked at him.
Some of them were there to laugh at them, while others were looking forward to it.
Some people know Fang Xiaoxiao to some extent, and many of them are well-versed in the poem "Shuidiao Getou".
"Composing a poem in seven steps? I feel that's a bit far-fetched."
"I also think so. After all, throughout history and across the world, there are only a handful of people who can compose a poem in seven steps."
"You mean the Confucian sage?"
Confucian sage!
This name caused a huge stir!
This great master of poetry and painting from the Dayu Dynasty also nurtured a remarkable figure like the Crown Prince.
Unfortunately, the crown prince was too disappointing and actually committed treason, which is truly regrettable.
However, although these people were filled with mixed emotions, none of them dared to say it aloud.
Because the eldest prince was right there, if he spoke out, he would definitely be executed as a rebel, or worse, his entire family would be wiped out.
Pei Zuo coldly surveyed the crowd before descending the stairs.
His expression held a hint of mockery; deep down, he didn't believe Fang Xiaoxiao could compose a poem in seven steps.
As he walked onto the stage, he cleared his throat and spoke softly.
"I ask all of you to witness that if I lose the bet between myself and Lady Fang, these ten goldfish in my hand will belong to her."
"Conversely, if Lady Fang cannot do it, she will also lose and become my concubine!"
"!!!"
As soon as these words came out.
This first sparked a lot of discussion.
"No way, is there really such a good thing in the world? What the First Prince said wasn't a bet with Fang Xiaoxiao at all, it was practically giving her a gift!"
"It's unbelievable that the Crown Prince would take a concubine in such a way. As expected of a member of the royal family, he really knows how to play."
"Shh, keep your voice down. Aren't you afraid of losing your head? How can we commoners criticize royal matters so casually?"
"Gah!!"
The wealthy merchant, who had originally intended to continue his eloquent discussion and critique of the First Prince Pei Zuo, fell silent upon hearing this and shrank back, afraid of being overheard.
Unfortunately, Pei Zuo had already overheard all of this.
He couldn't help but sneer as he glanced at everyone, but didn't lash out on the spot. He just glanced at the guards beside him out of the corner of his eye.
The horse-faced guard nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.
As the Crown Prince's personal bodyguard, he naturally understood the meaning behind what he had just said.
He secretly retreated, gradually moving away from the crowd, and finally disappeared from everyone's sight.
However, at this moment, everyone's attention was focused on Fang Xiaoxiao.
Some people whispered.
"I really envy this woman. She's about to transform from a spendthrift into a prince's consort. If I had known, I would have sent my daughter too. Maybe she could have caught the prince's attention as well."
"Don't even mention you. My granddaughter is just fourteen this year, and she's just as beautiful as Fang Xiaoxiao. Alas, what a pity!"
A wealthy businessman with a full head of silver hair slapped his thigh, looking extremely regretful.