CHAPTER 404: CHAPTER 398: FOURTEENTH PRINCE: MY HEART BELONGS TO YOU

"Buy, buy, buy!"

Facing her two younger brothers’ love for food, Yuan Bao naturally indulged them greatly.

Kids, right? Which one doesn’t love to eat? Which one isn’t greedy for food?

Thinking back to her own unusual childhood, she used to be quite a foodie too. Not to mention, Yuan Shouqian and Yuan Shousun are just normal kids.

"Big sister, what’s that place over there? So many people!"

"It’s so lively, let’s go take a look!"

As they were walking, Yuan Shouqian and Yuan Shousun suddenly pointed at a four-story building ahead.

The building’s name was Fengyue.

Fengyue Building?

Yuan Bao looked at the name of the building; without needing to find out more, she knew it wasn’t a proper place.

"That’s a place for adults, not somewhere kids like us should go!"

Yuan Bao held her two brothers’ hands, with no intention of taking them there to have a look.

The Fengyue Building, with such a name, could it be a good place?

"Miss, there, you’ve got it wrong!"

Just as Yuan Bao finished lecturing her brothers, a pale-faced scholar suddenly appeared beside them and spoke seriously, "This Fengyue Building isn’t about romance; it’s a place for discussing poetry and literature."

"Is that so?"

Yuan Bao cast a sidelong glance at him, "Are you sure it’s just a place for discussing poetry and literature?"

Does he think she’s blind?

On the third floor of Fengyue Building, there were quite a few women dressed flamboyantly. Judging by their looks, none were from respectable families.

"Miss, the Fengyue Building only discusses poetry and literature, I can assure you of that!"

"Then, can you explain what those women on the third floor are doing there?"

Only about poetry and literature?

Who are you trying to fool!

In the eight years in Yanmen County, Yuan Bao had seen a lot.

Even in a place like Yanmen County, which didn’t have a strong cultural atmosphere, those so-called scholars and talents liked to linger in romantic places, let alone in a place like the Capital?

In Yuan Bao’s understanding, wherever these so-called scholars and talents gathered, there were bound to be women of the night.

The funniest thing was a group of people who constantly quoted the saints yet loved organizing beauty contests, writing poems, and spreading their fame through poetry and lyrics.

Thinking of the line, "The merchant girl knows not the grief of a fallen nation, still sings the backyard flowers across the river," Yuan Bao felt no affinity for most of the scholars of this time.

It’s not that Yuan Bao was overgeneralizing, but she hadn’t met a single proper scholar over the years.

Only her little uncle seemed to be a decent person.

However, Yuan Bao thought her little uncle must also have frequented such places in the past. Otherwise, how could he have become acquainted with Ruan through poetry and lyrics?

The easiest way for common scholars and talents to make a name for themselves was through such romantic venues.

"Miss, those women are merely there to amplify the poetic and literary ambiance; as the saying goes, ’red sleeves add fragrance to the night of reading,’ it’s a gentleman’s elegance, surely you wouldn’t even understand this?"

"If you like women, just admit it. Isn’t it embarrassing to veil it in such pretentiousness?"

Yuan Bao cast him another glance and continued, "Also, could you please move out of the way and stop blocking the path!"

Yuan Bao had no good impression of this scholar who initiated the conversation.

"Miss, you’re wrong again!"

"Wrong my foot!"

Seeing that he was still persistent, Yuan Bao directly intervened, lightly slapping the scholar aside.

Then, Yuan Bao took Yuan Shouqian’s hand again, pulling her two brothers along, and left with Nanny Xue and Hu Niuniu.

On the road, Yuan Bao seriously faced her two brothers and said, "You two better listen up, if you dare to go to such places and talk poetry and literature when you grow up, I’ll break your legs!"

"We won’t, we won’t!"

Although Yuan Shouqian and Yuan Shousun didn’t understand the meaning, they obediently promised.

"Big sister, maybe I shouldn’t study anymore; I prefer martial arts!"

After walking a little while, Yuan Shouqian nervously spoke up.

Even though he didn’t understand why his big sister was so angry, he sensed that she seemed to have some natural dislike for scholars.

One had to say, Yuan Shouqian’s feeling was quite correct.

Yuan Bao really didn’t have a good impression of scholars.

At least not many scholars in Daxia had upright character.

They claimed to be the disciples of the saints, yet besides quoting sage words, they didn’t do many decent things.

In the face of pressure from Beili and Great Yin, there was even a group of scholars suggesting Daxia should cultivate virtue politics externally, befriend neighbors, and not always engage in disputes with the two countries, advocating peace over conflict.