216: Chapter 216 There's news about Ouyang Wanqing.

Tang Xiaowu felt a warmth on her chest as the warm wooden figure slid directly against her skin, startling her and making her legs feel a bit weak.

"If I give it to you, you just quietly take it."

Chen Shanzhi withdrew his hand, clapped them together with a seasoned look, and said, "If you dare to take it out, I'll come to your dorm every day to block you."

"You..."

Tang Xiaowu bit her red lips, her eyes glistening, but her heart was so sweet it felt like honey was about to overflow.

She softly hummed in affirmation.

Then, the girl, with a somewhat shifty-eyed look, secretly glanced around.

It was right after dinner, and no one was paying attention to this corner of the long corridor.

Tang Xiaowu took a deep breath, her small hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes.

She suddenly took a step forward, her tiptoes lightly rising.

"Pop."

A delicate, musky fragrance like an orchid wafted over, and then Chen Shanzhi felt a soft, warm touch on his lips.

Like a dragonfly touching the water, it was a fleeting touch.

Chen Shanzhi froze in place, his mind going blank for a moment.

By the time he came back to his senses, Tang Xiaowu had already darted away like a startled rabbit.

Covering her flushed pretty face, her skirt fluttering, she quickly ran towards the direction of the Academy's main gate.

"This girl... actually learned to ambush."

Chen Shanzhi lightly touched the corner of his lips with his finger; there seemed to be a faint sweetness lingering there.

He couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

...

Imperial City, First Princes Residence.

Inside the study, the light was somewhat dim.

A faint scent of agarwood permeated the air, yet it couldn't conceal the extreme oppressiveness.

The First Prince sat on a grand armchair, his face gloomy, his hands gripping the armrests tightly, his knuckles turning pale from the effort.

Ever since his Imperial Father's inexplicable imperial decree of marriage was issued some time ago,

betrothing the Prime Minister's daughter, Ouyang Wanqing, to him, the First Prince's expression had not improved.

"Damn it... what is Imperial Father thinking?"

The First Prince cursed in a low voice, slamming his palm on the tea table beside him.

To outsiders, Ouyang Wanqing was the Prime Minister's Young Miss.

Marrying her meant gaining the full support of the Prime Ministers Mansion's immense power, making the position of Crown Prince easily attainable.

But as the person involved, the First Prince knew better than anyone.

The current court, on the surface, was still the domain of Great Jiang, but what about its interior?

More than half of the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers were disciples and former subordinates of Prime Minister Ouyang Mingyuan!

The daily operations of the court, and even the allocation of some important military funds, were now decided solely by the Prime Minister.

Although he, the First Prince, had some supporters in court, they were simply no match for the colossal entity that was the Prime Ministers Mansion.

His Imperial Father's imperial decree was not helping him at all.

Instead, it was pushing him into this abyss!

Once he married Ouyang Wanqing, how would the court and public view him?

Those old loyalist officials would immediately regard him, the First Prince, as a puppet of the Prime Ministers Mansion!

What frightened him even more was that, regarding this imperial decree, he had submitted memorials to the palace multiple times, hoping to meet his Imperial Father and gauge his intentions.

But without exception, all were blocked by that damned Chief Eunuch,

under the pretext of "His Majesty's Dragon body is unwell, not seeing anyone."

How serious was his Imperial Father's illness?

Was he truly going to hand over the Jiang Family's empire to the Ouyang Family?

"Hoo..."

The First Prince exhaled a long breath, rubbing his temples in annoyance.

However, the only thing that brought him a little peace of mind was this:

The imperial decree of marriage clearly stated one sentence:

The marriage between the First Prince and Ouyang Wanqing shall only take place after the marriage of Marquis of Zhenguo's Heir, Chen Shanzhi, and the Murong Family's Young Miss.

"Chen Shanzhi... Murong Zhaoling..."

A thoughtful glint flashed in the First Prince's eyes.

According to reports from his spies sent to Four Seas Academy and Murong Manor, these two would not be able to marry until at least after the Academy Secret Realm opens at the end of the year.

"There's still half a year..."

The First Prince snorted coldly, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes:

"Before the end of the year, this Prince will have enough time to do many things."

Just then, the heavy wooden door of the study was gently knocked.

"Thump, thump."

"Come in." The First Prince suppressed the gloom on his face, his voice returning to its usual authority.

A strategist, dressed in a gray long gown with a goatee,

hurriedly pushed open the door and then closed it tightly behind him.

"Your Highness." The strategist bowed respectfully.

"How are the matters I entrusted to you coming along?" The First Prince stared at him.

Immediately upon receiving the imperial decree of marriage, the First Prince had secretly dispatched people to investigate Ouyang Wanqing's every move at Four Seas Academy recently.

He had to know what this woman, who was destined to become his bedmate, was plotting.

The strategist raised his head, lowering his voice, a strange glint in his eyes:

"Your Highness, our spies sent to Four Seas Academy have just sent back a secret report.

Regarding Ouyang Wanqing... we have news."

The First Prince suddenly straightened his back, his originally gloomy hawk-like eyes instantly lighting up.

He pressed his right hand on the carved armrest of the chair, leaning forward, and impatiently gestured:

"Speak, what did you find out?"

The goatee-wearing strategist took two steps forward, bowing, and spoke in a very low voice:

"Your Highness, your subordinate followed up on Young Miss Ouyang's past activities in the Imperial City and found some very interesting things."

The First Prince picked up his teacup but didn't drink, merely using the lid to skim the tea foam, making a rustling sound:

"Stop beating around the bush, get to the point."

"Yes." The strategist cupped his hands. "This Young Miss Ouyang has been fascinated by poetry since she was a child.

She would attend nine out of ten poetry gatherings held by the talented scholars and beauties in the Imperial City."

The First Prince pursed his lips, snorting disdainfully:

"Women's trivial pursuits, merely feigning refinement. That old fox Prime Minister Ouyang Mingyuan actually let her indulge in it?"

"Your Highness does not know," the strategist shook his head and explained, "Prime Minister Ouyang Mingyuan not only did not object, but subtly condoned it.

A few years ago, Young Miss Ouyang, in order to appreciate poetry, often wore a veil and used an alias to attend those poetry gatherings of self-proclaimed romantic scholars in the Imperial City.

It was precisely because of this that she became very close to one person in that circle."

The First Prince's hand paused, and he raised his eyelids, a cold glint flashing in his eyes:

"Who?"

"The former number one scholar of the Imperial City, First Scholar of the Capital."

The First Prince's gaze instantly darkened, the fingers gripping the teacup tightened slightly, True Essence flashed across his fingertips, and a section of the patterns on the teacup was instantly smoothed away.

"First Scholar of the Capital?" The First Prince narrowed his eyes, his voice carrying a knife-like chill, "Do they have private dealings?"

Although he, the First Prince, was unwilling to marry Ouyang Wanqing, the Emperor's imperial decree of marriage had already been issued, and nominally, this woman would eventually be his.

If this woman were to cuckold him beforehand, then he, the First Prince, would become the biggest joke in the entire Imperial City.