Daqing Reborn Prince, Intercepting Si Lili at the Beginning - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Si Lili’s Boat Moved! A Surprise Reward for Preempting Her!

After Li Hongcheng delivered Li Chengyuan’s poem, he led him back into the Zui Xian Ju.

This place indeed had its unique features. Aside from the various flower boats, there were also women skilled in all kinds of arts.

For example, Fan Yin Rao—a woman known as Wen Ruohan—excelled in ancient zither music. It was said that even the Ministry of Rites would consult her for sacrificial rituals.

Then there was Yu Jiang Weixun—Du Ernian—who specialized in ancient methods of brewing wine, producing a remarkably exquisite taste.

Old Huang loved drinking the most, so Li Chengyuan stopped here for a while to taste the brewed wine. The flavor was indeed exceptional, and Old Huang drank with great enjoyment.

After that, they encountered Qiu Yi Dangyang—Meng Xiaoyun—a woman skilled in tou hu (pitch-pot), a game of throwing arrows into a pot. She was even more skilled at captivating people, though her looks were somewhat lacking, so Li Chengyuan wasn’t interested.

As they strolled for a while longer, someone suddenly shouted, “Si Lili’s boat is moving!”

Li Chengyuan and Li Hongcheng exchanged glances and immediately understood. With a shared sense of purpose, they walked toward the riverbank, with Old Huang following closely behind.

Upon reaching the riverside, Li Chengyuan witnessed a scene that made him click his tongue in wonder.

All around the riverbank, people were crowded, cheering loudly at Si Lili’s flower boat. The frenzy reminded Li Chengyuan of modern-day obsessive fans (nao can fen).

One had to admit, that Zui Xian Ju had its methods. To cultivate such a large fanbase in ancient times, there was surely a sophisticated marketing strategy in place.

Noticing Li Chengyuan’s slight daze, Li Hongcheng explained, “Your Highness, Si Lili’s flower boat has never moved before, and she has never entertained a guest. She’s said to still be pure!”

“Really?” Li Chengyuan smiled faintly.

Untouched, that’s good. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be as interested.

In truth, Li Chengyuan’s primary reason for coming here was to preempt the reward. The secondary reason was to personally assess Si Lili’s capabilities, as she was a spy from Northern Qi and had close ties to the young emperor of that country. Gaining control over her could offer great benefits to Li Chengyuan.

As for anything else, he didn’t feel the need to force it—he would let things take their course.

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Soon, Si Lili’s flower boat approached the shore.

Dressed in a black gauzy dress, Si Lili, under the guidance of two maids holding lanterns, gracefully disembarked. After crossing the bridge, she walked elegantly toward Li Chengyuan and the others.

At first glance, Si Lili’s eyes were immediately drawn to Li Chengyuan, and she couldn’t seem to look away.

It couldn’t be helped—among the crowd, Li Chengyuan’s appearance and aura were the most outstanding. After all, he was the child of Emperor Qing and the beautiful Ye Qingmei, so his looks were similar to Fan Xian’s, though even more handsome. Growing up in the palace had provided him with superior living conditions, further refining his appearance and bearing.

Especially his skin—it was flawless, fair, and smooth. Combined with the noble temperament cultivated over the years as a prince, he couldn’t go unnoticed in a crowd.

Si Lili instantly recognized Li Chengyuan, so she walked directly toward him, asking, “Might I ask if that poem was written by you, sir?”

Li Chengyuan nodded. “Indeed.”

With the confirmation, Si Lili marveled, reciting the poem aloud: “‘The flowers fall, the green apricots are small.

When the swallows fly, green waters surround homes.

The willow catkins on the branch blow thin and few.

Where on earth is there not fragrant grass?

Inside the walls, swings fly. Outside the walls, people pass.

Outside, travelers; inside, a woman smiles.

The laughter fades, and the voice turns silent.

The affectionate one is troubled by the indifferent.’

What a brilliant Die Lian Hua! Your talent, sir, is truly astonishing. Not only is the poem excellent, but the calligraphy… and the man… are even better!”

Si Lili’s voice was not low, so the people nearby all heard her recitation. As soon as her words fell, the crowd erupted.

“What a phrase, ‘Where on earth is there not fragrant grass!’ That one line alone makes this poem worthy of passing down through the ages!”

“I think the line, ‘The affectionate one is troubled by the indifferent,’ is even more moving!”

“Who is this young man? Not only is he so handsome, but he also has such extraordinary talent. My God, isn’t this the very image of the elegant gentleman in my dreams?”

“I’d love to converse with him! Such talent—how have I never heard of him before?”

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The area instantly became lively, with people even starting to push forward toward them.

With her rich experience, Si Lili knew the situation was about to get out of hand. She quickly said to Li Chengyuan, “Sir, please follow me!”

After speaking, she grabbed Li Chengyuan and hurriedly led him away.

Li Chengyuan quickly turned back and instructed Li Hongcheng, “Hongcheng, take care of Old Huang for me. Make sure he eats and enjoys himself!”

“Don’t worry, Your High… Brother Three!” Li Hongcheng nearly misspoke in his haste.

Meanwhile, Jian Jiu Huang was deeply moved, smiling widely. The fact that Li Chengyuan still remembered him in such a moment showed how highly valued he was in the prince’s heart. His Highness was truly kind to others.

Old Huang sighed with emotion and then, in an instant, excitedly asked Li Hongcheng, “Young Master, shall we go too?”

“Huh? Oh! Sure!” Li Hongcheng smiled slightly and led Old Huang back to Zui Xian Ju.

Li Hongcheng was a frequent visitor here, and arranging for Jian Jiu Huang was a simple task. With just a word from him, Old Huang would be guaranteed a night of unparalleled enjoyment.

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On the other side, Li Chengyuan and Si Lili were returning to their boat. At the same time, a notification sounded in Li Chengyuan’s mind.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for preempting Si Lili’s “Flower Boat’s First Movement” achievement. Reward: Special Constitution—Immunity to All Poisons, Immunity to All Diseases!]

Hmm?

Li Chengyuan paused for a moment in surprise.

I haven’t even boarded the boat yet, and I’ve already received a reward for preempting.

This is a pleasant surprise!

Moreover, the reward was incredibly generous!

Immunity to all poisons! Immunity to all diseases!

These two buffs were incredibly important in the world of Qing Yu Nian (Celebrating the Years). Fan Xian, for instance, was a master of poisons and always carried a variety of toxic substances with him, capable of poisoning even ninth-rank experts.

Without these buffs, Li Chengyuan would have to be extremely cautious with everything he ate in the future, constantly fearing someone might poison him.

But now, there was no need for that!

With these two buffs, no poison in this world could harm him. From now on, the only thing he needed to care about when eating was whether the food was clean; nothing else mattered.

If he wasn’t a clean freak, he wouldn’t even need to worry about cleanliness, thanks to the immunity to all diseases.

No matter how dirty the food was, it wouldn’t make him sick!

This reward truly alleviated a major concern of his!

With his spirits lifted, Li Chengyuan even found Si Lili more pleasing to the eye. Although she was a spy, he had to admit she was stunningly beautiful. Especially with that aura of seductive allure—desire seemed to emanate from her very bones.

Li Chengyuan couldn’t help but feel some anticipation for the events of the night.

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Footnotes:

1. nNaocan fen(脑残粉): Internet slang referring to overly obsessive or irrational fTou
2. tou hu(投壶): An ancient Chinese game where players try to throw arrows into a narrow-necked pot.