Qin Dynasty: Starting with clinging to Zhao Ji's thigh

Chapter 235 Mysterious Changes

"Hey, have you heard? Some nobleman is actually getting freebies at the Purple Orchid Pavilion without paying!"

"What? There's actually such a thing? Which nobleman is so shameless?"

"Who else could it be but the Crown Prince of Yan who just came to our Korea?"

"Where did you hear this rumor? Crown Prince Yan Dan is so benevolent. I saw him give that flower-selling girl a gold leaf yesterday. How could he be a freeloader?"

“Normally, that wouldn’t happen, but I heard that Prince Yan Dan of Rende’s thing stopped working properly, and he got angry and refused to pay.”

"Hiss! Is this true? If so, then it's somewhat understandable."

"Of course it's true. I wouldn't get anything out of lying to you. This was said by my seventh uncle's third brother's old flame at Zilan Pavilion. How could it be false?"

"What a pity for Crown Prince Yan Dan. Such a virtuous and benevolent person, how come his 'thing' is already failing at such a young age?"

"Hey, don't you know the character of those nobles? Weren't several of those nobles executed the other day known for their virtue? They appeared benevolent on the surface, but who knows how cunning they were behind the scenes? Just listen to them and don't take it too seriously!"

"That's true, otherwise it wouldn't be so useless at such a young age..."

In just one night, the news that Crown Prince Yan Dan of Yan was impotent and that he was a freeloader spread throughout the streets and alleys of Xinzheng.

When Yan Dan learned of this news, he was completely stunned.

Just moments ago, I was envisioning my virtuous reputation spreading throughout the world, when suddenly I was dealt a heavy blow.

This is obviously a rumor, but the problem is that others don't know it!

"Three men can make a tiger," and "many mouths can melt metal." Even if it's a rumor, if many people say it, it'll almost become the truth.

He has no way of proving this to himself.

You can't exactly go out into the street and pull down your pants, can you?

Even so, it won't work. The rumors say it doesn't work, but he still has to prove it works!

Too vicious!

"asshole!"

"Who did this? Has Lord Yanchun's influence extended into the state of Han?"

Yan Dan gritted her teeth and roared angrily, her eyes bloodshot and veins bulging on her face.

He could no longer maintain his usual virtuous and kind demeanor; his hands clenched into fists so tightly they almost bled.

It's not that Yan Dan lacked shrewdness; it's just that...

This familiar feeling is exactly the same as when I was in the State of Yan!

Every time he makes a plan, it is immediately thwarted, and he has accomplished nothing over the years!

However, back in the State of Yan, he had secured this opportunity to go on a diplomatic mission because Lord Yanchun had been keeping a close eye on him and he had signed a pledge to do so.

This was all for the purpose of staying away from the State of Yan and avoiding suppression by Lord Yanchun.

Has he already fled to South Korea, or is he still unable to escape this shadow?

“Your Highness, you overestimate Yan Chun Jun. Perhaps you have offended someone unintentionally, or perhaps the new King of Han is displeased with our behavior yesterday. But right now, our most important task is to dispel the rumors.”

"That's right. The person behind this is utterly despicable. Although these rumors may not cause any real damage, their influence is enormous."

This reputation for being unfit is quite different from Changxin Jun's reputation for being a womanizer.

People who hear about Lord Changxin's situation will at most laugh and say something like, "Lord Changxin is also a kindred spirit," or "Lord Changxin also has weaknesses."

If Yan Dan's reputation gets out, he will be laughed at, and if it gets really serious, it might even affect his position as crown prince!

"How can I refute such a rumor?"

Yan Dan frowned; the person behind this was truly wicked!

He couldn't possibly refute such rumors; he couldn't possibly go out into the street and pull down his pants, could he?

Even doing that isn't enough, since the rumor is that the thing doesn't work anymore... He still has to prove that it still works!

"Zi Lan Xuan!"

One of Yan Dan's trusted confidants grasped the key point: "His Highness the Crown Prince just showed his benevolence yesterday, so this rumor shouldn't be believed so easily. It's only because someone mentioned Zilan Pavilion, the largest brothel in Xinzheng, that it's believable..."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go to Zilan Pavilion and confront those women, and make those women prove His Highness the Crown Prince's innocence!"

Yan Dan recruited mostly chivalrous figures from the martial arts world, so there weren't many complicated schemes involved. They immediately got up to start their operation.

"Stop!"

Yan Dan's face turned pale and then red. He had gradually regained his senses and his mind was still quite sharp: "We can't go."

How could he possibly confront women who have fallen into prostitution?

If the women in Zilan Pavilion could honestly prove that he had not visited Zilan Pavilion yesterday, that would be fine. But if they turned around and accused him, wouldn't that make it seem like Crown Prince Yan Dan was using his power to oppress others?

Not only that, he wouldn't pay for his services, and in his anger, he even bullied some prostitutes.

The news spread so quickly, reaching Xinzheng overnight, that it was clear someone was deliberately targeting him behind the scenes, and Zilanxuan was very likely a trap.

“I cannot go to Zilan Pavilion, but you and even the guards outside the post station can testify that I, the Crown Prince, have been at the post station all day yesterday and have never left.”

Yan Dan forced himself to calm down and thought of the only solution: "I will go to see the new King of Han in person. Even if it costs me some money, I will make sure he conducts a public trial. Only in this way can my innocence and reputation be restored."

All of Yan Dan's confidants nodded in unison: "That's right, we can all testify for His Highness the Crown Prince!"

With this arrangement, and by taking a concubine sooner rather than later, the impact might be minimized.

Yan Dan finally sat back down in her chair, managing to calm herself down.

Spread a rumor and break a leg.

Yan Dan was also helpless; these rumors were just too damn malicious!

At this moment, he suddenly understood why Lord Changxin had allowed his reputation for being a womanizer to spread throughout the world without stopping him.

Although it might slightly damage his image, at least this underhanded tactic won't have any effect on him.

"But……"

The Mohist disciple who came to report the news hesitated before speaking.

"Why are you still here?"

Yan Dan frowned again. With such a big event happening, he had no time to cultivate a persona of being courteous and respectful to scholars.

“Your Highness, we disciples of the Mohist school strictly adhere to the teachings of Mozi’s ‘Cultivating Oneself’: ‘Those who lack strong will cannot achieve wisdom, and those who lack integrity in their words cannot accomplish their deeds.’ Please forgive me for not being able to testify for Your Highness…”

Yan Dan was stunned for a moment: "What did you say? What does this have to do with the Mohist teachings on self-cultivation?"

The disciple scratched his head: "But...we all saw His Highness the Crown Prince leave the post station yesterday."

Yan Dan suddenly understood something, as if struck by lightning, her face turning deathly pale.

The person behind this is ruthless; they completely outmaneuvered him.

He never regarded the Mohist disciples as his confidants. Yesterday, he only had the people he had recruited by his side, while all the Mohist disciples outside saw a "Yan Dan" leave the post station.

It's even possible that there really was a "Yan Dan" who went to Zi Lan Xuan.

According to the Mohist philosophy, these Mohist disciples would not testify for him!

Now, Yan Dan was truly in deep trouble.

……

"A thousand changes, an unpredictable black jade unicorn, I never imagined that you, Zi Nu, would still have such a trump card up your sleeve."

In the Purple Orchid Pavilion, Ying Jing looked at the figure in front of him who was almost indistinguishable from Yan Dan, and he was quite amazed.

This is far superior to the Moon Goddess's simple illusion.

Unless someone uses a cheat code to manipulate the power of luck, even Ying Jing would have difficulty distinguishing between the real and the fake.

"Wei Zhuang went to Baiyue some time ago and brought her back. Lin'er's constitution is very special. She ate Baiyue Gu worms mixed with various medicines for three years before her bones were ground down to be as soft as water, and she finally mastered this secret technique."

"Now, she can disguise herself as anyone."

Anyone?

Ying Jing's eyes suddenly lit up. He wondered what the two women in purple felt.