After eavesdropping on the conversation between the Marquis of Jing and his wife today, Yi Zhici began to feel rather worried.
"Aci is not a little girl anymore. Several noble ladies came to me today. They were hinting at the matter of her betrothal. I think those young gentlemen all have excellent temperaments and characters..."
"There are quite a few flower banquets every year. Let Aci choose for herself then."
"Aci's sixteenth birthday is coming soon. My lord, you can't indulge her anymore."
"Don't worry. I know what to do."
Although Yi Zhici was a princess by title, she rarely associated with the scions of noble families. On weekdays, she either stayed in the marquis's mansion or hung out with Senior Sister Haitang in the Azure Sea Villa. Now that it was time for her to get married, she still knew very little about the candidates.
Yi Zhici thought that even if her father didn't force her, she should do her duty as a princess and not make things difficult for the Marquis of Jing.
The upcoming flower banquet was the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet. She had to take the initiative to avoid the emperor bringing up the topic of her marriage at the banquet. She didn't want to be betrothed without knowing who the groom - to - be was or what kind of person he was.
With these thoughts in mind, Yi Zhici tiptoed back to her room. She changed into the men's clothing left by Haitang before. After thinking for a while, she glued on a fake beard and then sneaked out of the marquis's mansion.
In the capital, the most famous and crowded places were the Flower Tower and the Fortune - Turning Gambling House, that is, the brothel and the gambling house. Yi Zhici thought that men who often went to these two places must not be good husbands. Frowning, she turned around and headed for the Hall of Gold and Jade.
The Hall of Gold and Jade was the largest auction house in the capital. It had everything one could think of: the sharp swords and weapons that young gentlemen loved, the rouge and powder that young ladies adored, the antiques and famous paintings that officials cherished, the pearls and jewels that ladies were fond of, and even the cultivation pills passed down from the Feather Clan. It was a dazzling array of goods.
It was said that the Hall of Gold and Jade had once auctioned a beauty, a Nine - Yu Star that was extremely rare even among the Feather Clan. To put it simply, it was a dual - cultivation furnace that could greatly increase one's cultivation. This Nine - Yu Star had once fetched an astronomical price, making wealthy merchants and even the royal relatives fight over it.
Since then, the reputation of the Hall of Gold and Jade had been completely established. Its signboard was well - deserved, and the items it auctioned were always genuine, honest to all customers.
Yi Zhici bought a seat in the hall and leaned over to listen to the waiter gesturing and commenting on current affairs. But after listening for a long time, all they talked about was the war in the southern border.
The country Yi Zhici lived in was called the Ancient Moon Kingdom. The southern border was adjacent to the New Wing Kingdom, and together with the Van Gogh Kingdom, the three countries stood like three pillars. However, at present, the Ancient Moon Kingdom was the most powerful, followed by the Van Gogh Kingdom, and the New Wing Kingdom was the weakest. But generally speaking, the gap between them was not very large.
Yi Zhici leaned forward and said, "General Lin has always guarded the southern border, and it has always been peaceful."
The waiter had worked in the auction house for a long time and knew all kinds of gossips from all over the world. But the customers in the auction house were all not ordinary people, and there was no one who was a loyal listener. When he saw Yi Zhici asking, he quickly replied, "General Lin's sword, the Green Blade, is truly invincible. But a few days ago, the emperor ordered General Lin's family to return to the capital. Just a few days after they left, there was news of unrest in the southern border. It is said that a Nine - Yu Star was discovered, and everyone was fighting over it, so the chaos broke out."
Yi Zhici understood and said, "General Lin's deterrence is really powerful. As long as he is in the southern border, there will be no unrest."
"No one knows what a Nine - Yu Star looks like. How can they be sure it is one?" A man in a smoky - colored robe took over the conversation. "If Nine - Yu Stars were so easy to find, there wouldn't have been such a fierce fight before. Moreover, it just happened to be reported after General Lin left the southern border. Any smart person wouldn't believe it."
The waiter was taken aback and said, "That's what the rumor says. If the gentleman doesn't believe it, that's fine."
Yi Zhici thought for a while and then moved a little closer to the gentleman in the smoky - colored robe. "Sir, you seem so smart and well - informed. Could you tell me something about the scions of noble families in the capital?"
The gentleman squinted his eyes and said, "If you want to know about the noble ladies in the capital, I'm quite familiar with them. But for the noble gentlemen, I only know those who are more famous."
Yi Zhici smiled and said, "I'd like to hear in detail."
"The first one is naturally Qu Wan'er, the youngest daughter of Censor Qu. She is extremely beautiful, so beautiful that she can make the whole country fall for her. Once you see her, you will never forget her and will miss her day and night."
Yi Zhici nodded in agreement. She had seen Qu Wan'er before. She was really stunningly beautiful, with a pair of peach - blossom eyes that were extremely charming.
"The second one is always controversial. Some say it's Qin Ziyi, the eldest daughter of Prefect Qin, and some say it's Princess Yuyang of the Marquis of Jing's family."
Yi Zhici raised her eyebrows. She was actually on this ranking?
The gentleman in the smoky - colored robe smiled and said, "But personally, I prefer Qin Ziyi. Princess Yuyang is flawless in appearance and has an extraordinary bearing. But she is too cute, like a child. Qin Ziyi has more charm."
Yi Zhici was speechless. Was she being praised or disliked... "And the third one..."
"Wait, wait," Yi Zhici interrupted him in time. "I know quite a bit about the noble ladies... I still want to ask about the noble gentlemen."
"Oh," the gentleman in the smoky - colored robe stopped awkwardly. "Speaking of the noble gentlemen, there are also different opinions about the first one. Some say it's the divine doctor Luo Ruyan, and some say it's the Marquis of Jing, Yi Junshi."