Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 418 Whoever pleases me will become immensely wealthy.

The two were already deeply in love and each had their own feelings for the other. As the unspoken understanding between them was revealed, their concerns were dispelled, and their love surged within them. They couldn't wait to pledge their lives to each other immediately.

But now she realized it was evening, and there were still many royal servants pretending not to see or hear outside the pavilion. Despite her reluctance, the county princess forced herself to leave Zhang Dai's embrace, only to find that Zhang Dai's clothes were even more soaked with her tears.

Fortunately, she was preoccupied with other things today and had no interest in makeup, so her pretty face was bare of powder and rouge; otherwise, it would probably have smeared all over Zhang Dai's clothes. Even so, it was clear that the clothes were no longer wearable.

"Sixth Brother, I still prefer to call you Brother Shi. Brother Shi, please follow the servant into the room to change into my brother's new robe. Also, let me go back to my room and tidy myself up a bit. I am really ashamed to see anyone in this state."

The girl lowered her head shyly and said that she had been overwhelmed by a mix of emotions, which made it difficult for her to control herself and caused her to lose her composure for the first time.

Seeing that she had regained her serious demeanor, Zhang Dai took her hand and gently stroked her palm with his fingertips, saying softly with a smile, "I think we should agree on a secret code for sweet nothings so that people know when it is acceptable to be impolite."

"Never..."

The county princess felt an itch in her palm and tried to pull her hand back but couldn't. She looked up at Zhang Dai with a reproachful gaze and softly snorted, "Brother, are you this good at flirting when you're with other women?"

These words chased away most of Zhang Dai's romantic thoughts. He smiled awkwardly and said, "Otherwise, it was just a fling, but now my heart is truly pure. The other day, at the Jade True Immortal Temple, I said that my soul had been taken away. What I said was unnecessary. Fortunately, A-Yu now loves me, which has restored my mind and spirit. From now on, I will cultivate my character and never again indulge in debauchery!"

"Who cares about your social interactions outside? But if there are any issues, they should be clarified beforehand. Since you want me to manage the household, the comings and goings of people in this area will need to be decided by me. This will begin today!"

When the county princess spoke these words, she was radiant with the domineering presence of a mistress of the house, and she no longer had the timid and delicate demeanor she had shown earlier when she claimed to be neither competitive nor jealous. She held Zhang Dai's hand tightly with her fingers and said softly, "I love my brother, and I love myself. It is only because I feel that my brother loves and respects me that I can refrain from being impolite."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai was deeply moved and quickly nodded, saying, "I will remember what you say, my lady, and I will never disobey you. Tomorrow I will bring the household personnel records here for review. Is this perhaps a little impolite?"

"I do not……"

Upon hearing this, the county princess was about to speak a few words of explanation when Zhang Dai leaned down and kissed her red lips. Slightly distracted, she couldn't help but respond awkwardly.

After a while, the two reluctantly parted ways, leaving the waterside pavilion and heading to their respective rooms. At Zhang Dai's place, the servants who had led the way became even more attentive, their words and actions extremely cautious, lest they unintentionally offend him.

Zhang Dai was taller and thinner than the Prince of Hedong, but the difference wasn't significant, and the Prince of Hedong's clothes fit him quite well. Upon entering the Prince of Hedong's dressing room, he gained a new understanding of the immense wealth of these princes of the imperial clan.

The entire row of five large rooms was filled with the King of Hedong's clothing, hats, socks, shoes, belts, ornaments, and so on. There were hundreds of gold, jade, and rhinoceros horn belts alone, made of various materials and in various styles. If each one were sold in the market, it would cost at least several hundred or even a thousand strings of cash!
Zhang Dai was now a moderately wealthy man, able to casually produce tens of thousands of strings of cash. But seeing the vast wealth and reserves of the Prince of Qi's family, he felt increasingly like a poor boy!
Although Prince Qi, as the younger brother of the sage, was politically wary and thus accomplished little, his lifestyle was unparalleled. Zhang Dai had already experienced this several years ago, and the wealth accumulated in his Chang'an residence was no less than that in Luoyang!
Of course, this wealth and status did not come out of thin air. Back then, Prince Qi had risked his life following the emperor in the revolution. Princess Anle and Princess Taiping, who were eliminated, were also top members of the royal family who were once the most favored, and each of them was extremely wealthy, even richer than a country.

Since the sage could not share the throne, he distributed a considerable portion of the captured wealth to the Prince of Qi, the Prince of Xue, and others who had contributed significantly. Combined with other rewards and the management of the royal residence itself, their wealth accumulated over the years to an astonishing level. Moreover, the wealth of the Prince of Qi's family was highly concentrated and not dispersed, making it even more substantial.

Zhang Dai selected a relatively simple Shu brocade robe with floral patterns in the room and changed out of his own clothes.

Although the new robe was more magnificent, the damp, fragrant tear stains on the old robe lingered in his memory even more, and he couldn't bear to throw it away casually. So he asked for another trunk to put the old robe in, intending to take it home and keep it as a treasure later.

He had just stepped out of his room when he heard a commotion of people and horses coming from the front courtyard of the Prince's residence. It was clear that the Prince of Hedong had returned home. So Zhang Dai also went to the front courtyard. He couldn't just visit someone's home without saying hello.

"Zhang Dai, when are you coming home? I was just about to send someone to invite you!"

Wherever the Prince of Hedong went, he was always surrounded by a retinue. When he saw Zhang Dai come out from inside, he was first surprised, but soon he excitedly came up to him, grabbed his arm and said with a smile, "You've done a great thing without making a sound! I heard that you spent a lot of money to buy up all the famous courtesans in Sanqu?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but give a wry smile. "Why don't you ask your sister about this?"
The King of Hedong was unaware that the real buyer was someone else and that it was his family's money that was being spent. When he saw Zhang Dai just smiling and remaining silent, he immediately became displeased: "What, are you afraid that we will take advantage of your friendship and disrupt your business? You can do what you want, but others can't say anything about it?"

"I was only joking with you today, and haven't even investigated your mistakes yet! What were you thinking when you didn't come to see me after that day at the Hibiscus Garden? You just casually glanced at the flowers, too lazy to even look back. Humph, now you've bought up all the gardens and flowerbeds, are you taking advantage of my fear of punishing you!" His tone turned hostile, and the gazes of the servants and attendants around him changed. Some even pointed at Zhang Dai and shouted angrily, "Zhang, you think you've gained the King's favor with your meager talents, yet you dare to be so arrogant! Quickly bow to the King and beg for forgiveness, or we will not spare you!"

The man spoke in a fierce tone, but few people around him responded. Sensing something was amiss, he hurriedly looked around and saw two Daoist maids in Taoist robes holding whisks standing outside the Yongxiang Alley. He panicked and quickly lowered his head, no longer daring to make a loud noise.

"You may all disperse for now, and return to the mansion tomorrow morning to receive further orders!"

Upon seeing this, the Prince of Hedong panicked. He waved his hand to dismiss everyone, but then grabbed Zhang Dai's sleeve, preventing him from leaving.

The crowd in the front courtyard quickly dispersed like birds and beasts. At this moment, Princess Yunyang emerged from the Yongxiang Lane. She was no longer wearing her Taoist robes, but had changed into a brightly colored pomegranate skirt, making her look more charming and lively than before.

"Who was that arrogant braggart just now? He's not allowed to set foot in my house again!"

The county princess approached and frowned as she looked at the Prince of Hedong.

"That won't do! This fellow is a famous chicken trainer in the south of the city, and all the boys from Jia Chang's five neighborhoods want him... Alright, I'll only associate with him outside and won't bring him home anymore. Are you satisfied?"

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Hedong was naturally somewhat displeased, but seeing the county princess's brows furrow even deeper, he lowered his head in frustration and said...

“What am I satisfied with? Don’t you know, brother? This fellow knows the bond between Brother Zhang and my family, yet he dares to speak ill of us on behalf of our master! Your bad reputation is largely due to these unruly scoundrels. If such people were to disappear from our doorstep, even if you are not studious, you would still have a good reputation.”

Seeing that her brother was still somewhat unconvinced, the county princess whispered again, "The Prince of Ruyang and the others are nothing but lecherous men. What have they accomplished? They have only raised a bunch of parrots to sing their praises and boast, which is why they have such a good reputation. If you had put in even a little effort, you wouldn't have such a tarnished reputation."

"What do I need that good reputation for? Isn't sincerity a virtue? I know far too much about the despicable things those followers do in private, and I would never stoop to their level!"

The Prince of Hedong waved his hand impatiently at first, then pushed Zhang Dai forward, saying, "A good reputation makes someone a good person? Zhang Dai is a good person in your eyes, but do you know what he did the other day? Not only did he indulge in debauchery, but he also bought several brothels, enjoying all the courtesans for himself. I would never be so absurd..."

"I bought it!"

Upon hearing this, the Princess of Yunyang blushed slightly, but knowing that the Prince of Hedong had misunderstood Zhang Dai, she still said, "I bought it to give to my brother, but he refused, and I am regretting it now."

"You...you bought it, you're going to give it to him, why?"

Upon hearing this, the King of Hedong was completely bewildered. He looked at his sister and then at Zhang Dai, his mind racing, but he still couldn't understand what was going on.

"It was my abruptness the other day that led me to write a poem to express my feelings, but I did not expect that Ayu and the County Princess were troubled. The County Princess felt that since the King, as her elder brother, had not yet chosen a good match, she should not leave home just because she felt comfortable. Therefore, she politely declined this gift."

Zhang Dai was worried that the Prince of Hedong might run out of memory and crash, so he spoke up to explain.

"What business is it of yours whether I'm married or not! Foolish girl, whoever you love, go find whoever you want. This huge royal mansion, can't it survive without one person?"

The King of Hedong was taken aback when he heard this, but he quickly said in an annoyed tone, and then turned and walked into the hall.

But after taking a few steps, he suddenly turned back, glared at the county princess, and said angrily, "Why do you think I'm going to ruin your marriage! I'm happier than anyone else that my dear sister has found a good match, and you have no reason to worry about it!"
Does leaving home mean severing ties with family and friends? My house has plenty of space; it can accommodate you and Zhang Dai! Not to mention the two of you, even if you have thirty or fifty children, I can raise them all!

What's so great about Zhang Dai? When my sisters grow up and get married, I'll fill their dowries with carts and boats full of gold and silver jewels. I don't believe any good man in the world wouldn't be tempted! I won't interfere with anyone's marriage; I'll even find them the best families in the land! Whoever pleases me, even a beggar can become a tycoon!

(End of this chapter)