My Years in the Jianghu with the Prince: A Time of Unethical Conduct

Tonight, there is neither wind nor cloud, and the pale moonlight envelops the earth, making it a rare night with a bright moon and few stars.

Because it was a bit stuffy, the wooden window in the side room was half-open.

The person in bed, dressed in thin clothes, was sleeping soundly, covered in sweat, when he was suddenly awakened by a nightmare.

She sat up, panting slightly, and reached out to lift the bed curtains. "Someone come here—"

Her words were abruptly cut off as her mouth was covered, and a figure in black was reflected in her wide-open eyes.

The man in black, holding a rope, suddenly lunged at her neck—

When the group arrived in Yongcheng, the city was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful flowers.

At first glance, everyone had a happy expression on their face, creating a lively and bustling scene.

Because they needed to settle the group of unconscious people, Chu Ling and his entourage attracted a lot of attention as they drove around in carts and wagons.

Fortunately, they disguised themselves as a caravan and spent money to bribe officials, so they entered the city smoothly without attracting much attention along the way.

The streets were packed with people, making it difficult to move, and even the inns in the city were full.

Chu Ling could only let Xuan Feng buy a house to settle the rest of the people first, while he got out of the car and went to the streets with Xie Yan and the others to gather information.

"Why are there so many people?"

Yu Bai followed closely behind, and before he knew it, he was trampled several times by the crowd.

"Oh, aren't you all here to attend the Flower Goddess Festival in Yongcheng?"

An elderly woman selling flowers nearby took a break from her busy schedule and warmly greeted them.

Xie Yan smiled at the old woman and stopped to admire the budding flowers.

"Excuse me, we're just passing through Yongcheng. May I ask what the Flower Goddess Festival is all about?"

"Oh my, why are you calling me 'sister'? I could be your mother!" The old lady laughed happily while holding the flowerpot. Seeing that the group consisted of handsome men and beautiful women, she felt even better.

"Speaking of the Flower Goddess Festival in Yongcheng, it has quite a history."

The group listened attentively as the old woman recounted her story.

Legend has it that when Emperor Taizu was still a general, he passed through this place and fell in love at first sight with a courtesan in a brothel. Despite his family's objections, he married her.

Despite societal norms, the couple married and lived a harmonious and happy life, a story that can be considered a beautiful tale.

However, wars broke out in various places, and the people suffered greatly. Emperor Taizu could not bear to see the people living in such hardship, so he decided to raise an army in rebellion.

He was a brilliant strategist and a brave warrior, and within a few years he led his army to conquer half of the Great Jing's territory.

Because he was busy with military campaigns and could not bring his family with him, Emperor Taizu settled his wife in his hometown of Yongcheng, promising to return to fetch her when he was victorious.

But the good times didn't last long. For reasons unknown, a plague soon broke out in Yongcheng.

That plague was so terrible that many people died before they could even receive treatment.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Taizu led a large army and rushed dozens of miles at night to save his people and wife.

But he was stopped at the city gate, and his generals, fearing that he too had contracted the plague, ordered the city to be sealed off.

Emperor Taizu had no choice but to work day and night, not only collecting all kinds of medicines from various places, but also personally picking herbs and sending them into the city.

The people in the city were all very grateful to him.

Emperor Taizu's wife was also moved by his sincerity. When she was looking at him from atop the city wall, she suddenly shone with golden light and rose into the air.

It turns out that she was originally a fairy of a hundred flowers in heaven who descended to earth to undergo tribulations, and now she is able to return to the ranks of immortals because of a selfless and sincere person.

She held a lotus in her left hand and waved her right, and instantly hundreds of flowers bloomed throughout the city.

After the people ate the flower petals and drank the nectar, they all began to recover, and the city returned to its former peace and tranquility.

However, while Emperor Taizu's wife could stay with him forever, the Flower Fairy had to return to Heaven.

Amidst the Emperor's sorrowful plea to stay, the Fairy of a Hundred Flowers transformed into a flower petal and flew into the sky.

"So later, in order to commemorate the Flower Fairy, we would hold the Flower Goddess Festival every three years on the fifteenth day of the eleventh lunar month."

As the old woman spoke, she took a handkerchief and pressed it against the corner of her moist eyes.

Yu Bai was also very excited, his eyes red and his voice choked with emotion: "It's really touching! I didn't know that the founding emperor had such a tragic love story!"

The others remained unfazed, and Tao Xian even yawned silently.

Xie Yan smiled and picked up a potted plant. "Thank you for telling us all this, sister. I'll take this potted plant."

"Oh!" The old woman quickly composed herself and waved her hand repeatedly at Xie Yan, "No need, no need, young man. It's just a story."

But Xie Yan still bought the flowers.

Seeing that they couldn't refuse, the old lady gave each of them a flower as a token of her hospitality. "The fifteenth of the lunar month is coming up in a few days. It will be even more lively then, and there will be a selection of the 'Flower Goddess' to watch! You should enjoy yourselves here for a while."

The group walked back to their lodgings, and Yu Bai was still immersed in the story they had just heard.

Xie Yan handed the flowerpot to Lu Zizhao, smelled the flowers in her hand, and glanced at Chu Ling sideways, "He's been crying all the way, Your Highness, are you sure you don't want to interrupt him?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Ling's lips curled up slightly, with a hint of mockery: "You don't seem to quite believe this story?"

Xie Yan, with an upright and resolute air, declared firmly, "Because I am an atheist!"

Several people:"……"

Xie Yan cleared her throat. "Because as far as I know, the founding emperor had countless concubines throughout his life, which doesn't seem to suggest he was that affectionate."

Chu Ling smiled, casually tucked his blue eucalyptus flower into Xie Yan's lapel, and took out his paper fan to fan himself a few times.

"That story is partly true and partly false."

Yu Bai suddenly hiccuped and stopped sobbing.

"Emperor Taizu did indeed have a wife from Yongcheng, who was a courtesan in a brothel. At first, the two were very much in love."

Chu Ling paused for a moment, then predictably changed the subject: "Later, when the war first broke out, in order to gain the support of other military generals and merchants, he left his wife in Yongcheng and then married several other men's daughters."

Yu Bai looked a little confused, Lu Zizhao didn't seem to care at all, and Tao Xian snorted lightly.

"Later, as the war drew to a close, Emperor Taizu was only one step away from the throne when a plague suddenly broke out in Yongcheng in the rear. Treating the plague would not only be costly and exhausting for the people, but would also take a great deal of time. So—"

Chu Ling stopped, feigning mystery, and looked at the group. "Guess what happened?"

“I guess,” Xie Yan picked up where he left off, “that they trapped everyone in the city and burned it all down.”

Seeing Chu Ling's approving look, Yu Bai was greatly shocked: "How is that possible? Those are the people of an entire city!!"

Before they could speak, Tao Xian said calmly, "Why not? Can you guarantee that the plague won't spread in the army? Can you guarantee that you won't get infected?"

Chu Ling nodded slightly. "I read this secret in the palace history books when I was young. I think it was probably to cover up the actions of Emperor Taizu that Yongcheng had the legend of the Flower Fairy and the Flower Goddess Festival."

"After all, there's no one left in Yongcheng who can tell the truth."

Yu Bai looked utterly shocked and asked Xie Yan listlessly, "But...but how did you guess that, Young Master Xie?"

Xie Yan touched the corner of her eye, "Because I saw it."

"what?"

"Although many years have passed and many places have been renovated, there are still deep, indelible scorch marks at the foot of the city gate and under some houses."