Embroidered Phoenix Chronicle

Young Master Liang's surname isn't Liang; it's Gao. The current emperor's most legendary trait is having nine sons: Prince Ren, Prince Yi, Prince Li, Prince Zhi, Prince Xin, Prince Yong, Prince Yi, Prince Zhe, and Prince Hui. Prince Ren was born to the empress, but as a child, a high fever inexplicably burned his leg! The emperor didn't lack sons and didn't need a cripple as crown prince; therefore, the position fell to Prince Yi. Young Master Liang is the fourth son. Liu Lian never expected that a prince would come to this small town, and not a prince in distress, but simply traveling incognito. This shows that not every transmigrator has the protagonist's halo!

The Fourth Prince was on good terms with his third brother, Prince Li. The Crown Prince was weak and incompetent, with a weak background. Although nominally the Empress's son, Prince Li had always plotted to usurp the throne and was actively preparing for it. Prince Zhi's trip out of the capital was to handle some matters for Prince Li, but that didn't stop him from taking care of some personal matters as well. Recruiting Liu Changli was one of his personal tasks: Magistrate Feng, one of Prince Zhi's confidants, strongly recommended Liu Changli. After some investigation, Prince Zhi appreciated Liu's abilities. The only drawback was his connection to the Lin family—a merchant who could marry the eldest grandson of the fourth-rank Huang family, demonstrating his exceptional abilities. It's worth noting that at the time of the marriage, Liu was not only not the richest man, but had also just been embroiled in a lawsuit!

Xiu Luan was the luckiest girl in the county, without a doubt. Her family was the richest in the county, and her husband's family was prominent! Even the county magistrate's daughter only married her third brother—considered a marriage below her station! Rui Qian, no matter how clever, could never become an official—Liang Kingdom didn't allow merchants' sons to pass the provincial and imperial examinations; at most, they could only become Xiucai, exempting them from some land taxes, and he hadn't even passed that yet! Lin Heng, on the other hand, topped the examination at thirteen! Passing the provincial and imperial examinations would be a piece of cake for him; it was a given! He would be granted an official title sooner or later! The only downside was that Master Lin passed away in office, and Old Master Lin, who had retired to the countryside, couldn't bear the blow and fell ill. The once most illustrious family suddenly dimmed!

Xiu Luan fell in love at first sight with Young Master Liang. He—no, Prince Zhi—was captivated by her noble bearing. Lin Heng was also a handsome young man, but Prince Zhi's sophistication and composure overshadowed him. Young girls are often drawn to men more mature than themselves, and Xiu Luan was no exception. The girl, her heart fluttering with spring fever, was troubled. This trouble was different from the annoyance caused by others' jealousy and gossip. This spring melancholy made her both happy and ashamed, both afraid and eager to be known. She felt an inexplicable urge to cry, then laughed, then cried again, sitting listlessly on the swing, her mind in turmoil.

King Zhi also admired Xiu Luan; who wouldn't like such a charming and adorable girl! She looked up at him with unwavering trust, her long eyelashes fluttering. King Zhi was almost intoxicated, struggling to restrain himself from touching her delicate, peach-petal-like face. For the first time, King Zhi was heartbroken over a girl; he wanted to possess her, regardless of whether she was engaged or not!

Liu Changli roughly guessed the identity of the Prince of Zhi—it wasn't hard to deduce from Magistrate Feng's attitude towards him. He also roughly guessed the Prince's intention in trying to win him over—a prince couldn't very well personally handle money! He also saw the Prince's affection for Xiu Luan, and Xiu Luan's affection for him. Master Liu's heart pounded, but he suppressed his joy, remaining calm and composed, not even instructing the kitchen to add a few extra dishes for Young Master Liang! He had to remain composed; he couldn't lower himself!

Compared to the Prince, Lin Heng was far less impressive—even if he possessed the talent of a top scholar, he would still have to observe three years of mourning, and after passing the provincial and metropolitan examinations, it would take at least ten years. A slight delay would bring him to thirty, and even if he could enter the cabinet and become a prime minister, he would still have to wait for the right qualifications! Who knew what changes might occur in those decades? But the Prince… his perfectly good daughter was going to become a concubine? Master Liu clicked his tongue. If he could get connected with the Prince's household, that would be…

Master Liu and his mother told her everything. The old lady pondered for a long time, "Being a prince's concubine is not so easy! If you don't do it right, you can lose your life!" Master Liu nodded. His daughter was beautiful, but she was not shrewd or skillful. She only knew how to throw tantrums.

"Let's take care of San'er's matter first. We need to think this over carefully, don't rush!" Master Liu nodded, rousing himself to get down to business! A marriage alliance with the county magistrate was no small matter; he was willing to spend countless sums of money to ensure a lively and exciting event!

From the moment the bride's family arrived to help with the bed, the procession, the wedding ceremony, the formal introduction of relatives—all were filled with lively activity. Ruiqian, dizzy and disoriented, let others do as they pleased. The deafening music and the ten-mile-long red bridal procession were irrelevant to him. He didn't understand what these jubilant people were doing, and he simply grinned in response to their congratulations. When he finally sat opposite his bride, he almost felt the urge to run away. Two wedding attendants cheerfully came to drape the bridal curtains, chanting: "Drizzle the curtains to the east, deep curtains surround the red candlelight; the bride and groom come together, the painted hall is filled with spring breezes every day. Drizzle the curtains to the west, the brocade curtains with eight tassels are neatly arranged; lifting them reveals the beautiful face, a perfect couple in the bridal chamber. Drizzle the curtains to the south, the Weaver Girl and the Cowherd are paired, on an auspicious day they meet on the Magpie Bridge, giving birth to twin boys. Drizzle the curtains to the north, a radiant smile graces her brow; in the warm hibiscus-scented curtains, they spend the spring night, Chang'e joyfully meets a guest from the Moon Palace." Inside the bridal chamber, mandarin ducks entwined their necks, playing among the lotus blossoms; from this day forward, they sang of a hundred years of harmonious union, their joy overflowing within the red silk curtains. Miss Feng lowered her head, her rosy face flushed with embarrassment, while Ruiqian's face paled.

The matchmaker placed a pair of wine cups tied with colorful silk ribbons in front of the couple, urging, "Qian-ge'er, the bride is shy, what are you shy about?" Ruiqian mechanically picked up the cup and drank the nuptial wine. The matchmaker clapped her hands, cheerfully announcing the arrangements, and led the maids away, considerately closing the door behind them. Ruiqian's head was buzzing; he stood there blankly, unsure what to do next, with no one to tell him.

He hastily went to bed fully clothed. The next morning, while the bride was getting ready, Ruiqian slipped away to the outer courtyard and summoned his servant. "Xiao De'er, yesterday… how was Seventh Miss? You…" Xiao De'er knew exactly what Ruiqian was thinking. "Young Master, don't think about Seventh Miss anymore, you've already married her!" Ruiqian glared at him. Xiao De'er said helplessly, "Seventh Miss was helping the young lady entertain the other young ladies. She handled things very well; even the steward praised her for bringing honor to our family! Young Master, Seventh Miss is heartless; she doesn't care about you at all. Those girls are overjoyed, like they've eaten a happy dumpling!"

Ruiqian ignored him, turned and walked straight into his elder brother's courtyard. His elder brother and sister-in-law, exhausted from yesterday, hadn't gotten up yet. They were just coming out of their small courtyard when they saw Ruiqian standing there, startled. They hesitated and asked, "Third Young Master, are you looking for your brother-in-law...?"

"Ye Zi, are you alright?" Liu Lian felt slightly awkward—was this kid afraid he'd be upset? He sighed and said softly, "Third Young Master, I'm fine! People's opinions are a fearsome thing, so..."

"Okay, I'll be going now!" Seeing how considerate she was and how she thought of him, Ruiqian's heart almost broke! He limped into his parents' courtyard.