Chapter 82: Chapter 78: Princess Yi Fen’s Record of Interests

In the capital city, there is a bookstore called Yiren Pavilion.

Unlike ordinary bookstores, this store does not sell the Four Books and Five Classics, nor does it sell poetry or prose. It specializes in selling information about beauties.

As long as they are renowned beauties in Yunyi, you can find them at Yiren Pavilion.

Even some lesser-known beauties can be found in there.

Some people privately made a ranking out of the best-selling beauty information from Yiren Pavilion, and that became the Yunyi Beauty Rankings.

However, there has never been an unrivaled beauty in the hundreds of years of Yunyi’s existence. Most people have different definitions of beauty: some like purity, some like glamour, some like obedience, and some like wildness.

Yiren Pavilion usually publishes a top beauty book, which contains information on the top ten best-selling beauties.

Details like where they live, who their parents are, and what their identities are, are just minor things. The main point is that the book includes the beauties’ interests, and some unknown little secrets about them.

For instance, the only son of Minister Li actually has a fondness for men and especially likes tall ones.

However, such information books cannot be bought by ordinary people.

Until recently, when the long-dormant princess suddenly woke up and made an appearance at the Imperial College, the century-long peace of Yiren Pavilion was finally broken.

Every day, people came to inquire about the princess’s information. And, unlike any other beauty before, those inquiring about the princess included both men and women, with almost equal numbers on both sides. In other words, she was a beauty admired by both genders!!!!

The owner of Yiren Pavilion immediately sensed the scent of wealth. He organized people to gather information about the princess from all corners, pieced it together, and finally published the first Yi Fen Book.

Once it was put on the shelves, it sold out immediately.

This happened three times in a row, each time the same outcome.

The owner of Yiren Pavilion discovered the secret to wealth and immediately put more effort into the princess.

Just today, a piece of information came from the palace that the princess liked watching dances. The owner immediately had people write this news along with the previous news that the princess favored the dancing man from Dongwu Country, Mu Yuan, and released it.

It sold out within the time it takes to burn one stick of incense.

The owner, holding the silver note, laughed with a grin, realizing that the princess’s information was really valuable, no matter how much silver there was, people would buy it in droves.

Moreover, the lower the official position, the worse the family background, the harder it was for one to even buy it!

The owner, in good spirits, hummed a tune and hired more people to investigate every detail of the princess’s life.

On the other side, Song Yan darkened her face after receiving the newly released “Princess Yi Fen’s Interests Records.”

She opened a secret door in her room, where a hidden passageway led down to its end, where someone was held.

If Shen Jingxian were there, she would have realized that this person was none other than Li Yan, the Dongwu Country prince who had disappeared after fleeing with a charge of attempting to assassinate the princess.

“Who is Mu Yuan?”

“Master… I’m so thirsty…”

“Who is Mu Yuan? Don’t make me repeat myself.” Song Yan’s eyes showed indifference as if the person in front of her were just a talking piece of flesh.

Li Yan looked at Song Yan with a hint of trepidation and a trace of infatuation, his former pride as a prince upon arriving in Yunyi completely vanished.

“Mu Yuan is my brother, a child fathered by my father with a lowly woman…”

Shen Jingxian still didn’t know that the plot had drifted far beyond her knowledge.

In the original text, Li Yan also encountered a crisis, but it wasn’t in the imperial palace; it was on the road after leaving the palace when he was ambushed.

Covered in wounds, Li Yan was saved by Song Yan. Song Yan was grateful for Li Yan’s help at the banquet, and Li Yan, already fond of Song Yan, only developed deeper feelings during his recovery, remembering Song Yan fondly even after returning to his country.

After he became the monarch of Dongwu Country, he even gave up the imperial harem of three thousand beauties, voluntarily becoming one of Song Yan’s men.

But now, though Li Yan was still saved by Song Yan, he wasn’t fully saved.

Li Yan still fell in love with Song Yan, but didn’t fully love her.

More than love, it was submission and dependence.

…

The next day, Shen Jingxian sat next to Song Yan as usual, studying diligently, when Song Yan suddenly leaned towards her, and her dress caught on a nail that inexplicably emerged from the table. Had she used a bit more force, Song Yan would have been disheveled, as if someone intentionally tried to play a trick on her.

Shen Jingxian was startled, fearing that the blame would fall on her, her face full of the words “it’s none of my business.” But Song Yan calmly removed the dress from the nail, using her thumb and forefinger to pull out the pesky nail from the table.

“How could there be such a dangerous thing on the table? Did Your Highness get hurt?”

Song Yan ignored Shen Jingxian’s vigorous head-shaking and began to check if Shen Jingxian was hurt.

Shen Jingxian felt resigned, unable to resist because Song Yan had trained in martial arts and was stronger than her.

In this world where everyone seems to practice martial arts, Shen Jingxian decided that she should learn martial arts as well!

But did the heroine in the original text learn martial arts? It seemed like she didn’t; she remembered that the heroine in the original text studied medicine and was even a fellow disciple with the current medical sage.

Could it be that the plot had changed?

Shen Jingxian was ecstatic.

Her excitement was unconcealed, and when Song Yan finished checking and looked up, she noticed the smile curling at the corners of the princess’s mouth.

Song Yan suddenly felt a bit unsettled. Was the princess that happy just because she was concerned for her?

In a daze, the words the girl had spoken resolutely six years ago at her birthday banquet echoed in her ears once more.

“Because… I like you.”

She suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and, thinking of the information bought from Yiren Pavilion, tentatively asked Shen Jingxian, “Your Highness, are you interested in the men of Dongwu Country?”

Men of Dongwu Country, which ones?

Shen Jingxian pondered for a long time, and only after recalling the words “man” did she remember the male mom, then remembered Mu Yuan’s name, and finally thought of Dongwu Country.

Male mom was from Dongwu Country indeed.

She had recently been obsessed with the dances of the teahouse sisters, and other unimportant people were not as clearly remembered.

Besides, the Emperor had specifically instructed her to stay away from that kind of good-looking man, except Wen Ranchen.

Being an obedient child, she, of course, obediently forgot… Mu Yuan’s name.

However, she did not forget Mu Yuan’s figure and dance. Recalling the dance he performed, Shen Jingxian couldn’t help but recommend it to Song Yan, “He is indeed quite interesting. His dance is very beautiful, and Sister Song Yan, you’ve seen it too.”

Oh, what a pity.

Song Yan, upon hearing this, felt a heavy heart. The princess was truly interested in the dancing man; otherwise, how could she remember the name of someone from Dongwu?

This couldn’t do.

The princess was of noble status; how could a mere dancing man be worthy of her? Moreover, this Mu Yuan was a prince of Dongwu Country. Who knows what intentions he had in seducing the princess?

Song Yan pondered over Shen Jingxian’s words just now, catching onto something, and asked again, “Your Highness, do you like dance?”

“I like watching dance.”

“Would Your Highness be willing to visit Yuanxin Pavilion with this humble woman during the rest day? I’ve heard the performances there are excellent.” Song Yan spoke softly in Shen Jingxian’s ear, like a demon’s whisper.

Shen Jingxian was tempted.

Even though she knew Yuanxin Pavilion was the heroine’s establishment.

An angel on her shoulder said: you can’t go, knowing well that’s the heroine’s place, you, as the big villain, going there is a death wish, isn’t it?

A devil on her shoulder said: you must go, not to mention the performances, but isn’t this a great chance to test Song Yan? These days, Song Yan has been showing concern for you, so why not see if she slips up when it’s just the two of you! After all, in the original story, you die at 18, and it’s not 18 yet! Don’t be afraid!

The devil won.

“Alright! I’ll go!” Shen Jingxian was delighted, and so was Song Yan.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep