lcionline Chapter 574 The treasure map will fall into the hands of the 5th Prince?
Chapter 574 The treasure map will fall into the hands of the 5th Prince?
Everyone held their breath, afraid that they would miss the result if they looked away for even a moment.
The once bustling scene instantly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Hmm, everyone seems to have quite aspirations.
Pursuing money is also a form of pursuit.
"The winner of this Tongfu Poetry Gathering is..."
"Who is it?"
"Shh!"
"The winner of this Tong family poetry gathering is..." The Tong family patriarch deliberately dragged out his words, whetting everyone's appetite.
Someone in the crowd couldn't help but want to urge them on, but the people next to them quickly stopped them, afraid of interrupting this tense moment.
Just as everyone was growing increasingly impatient, the Tong family patriarch finally spoke slowly:
"The champion is none other than Young Master Ouyang Jue!"
His surname is Ouyang!?
The Ouyang family? The Empress Dowager's maternal family, huh? No wonder, no wonder, the Ouyang family has produced so many scholars.
"Ouyang Jue?"
Jiang Xiaoqi murmured to herself, "If my master were in Beijing, would he recognize me as one of his juniors?"
Last time, my grandmother tried to arrange a marriage between us and the Ouyang family, but for some reason, it fell through.
However, the Jiang family should not have dared to aspire to such a prestigious and wealthy family.
Sometimes, whether two people are compatible or not doesn't really depend on the two individuals themselves, but rather on whether the two families are evenly matched.
Otherwise, many problems will surface after marriage, and even if you don't want to admit it, you can't deny its objective existence.
Jiang Xiaoqi inevitably fell into her own thoughts again. At this moment, Ouyang Jue had already accepted the brocade box handed over by the Tong family patriarch.
Undoubtedly, it contains the treasure map of the former dynasty's princess.
"Congratulations! Young Master Ouyang truly lives up to his reputation as a scion of a family of scholars and poets; his talent in poetry and prose is unparalleled!"
"Truly deserving of the title! Have you read Young Master Ouyang's poems? They make one feel utterly ashamed of their own abilities!"
"Yes, yes, our poems suddenly seem inadequate, it's like showing off our limited skills before an expert."
"Hahaha, I knew I shouldn't have written it. With such excellent works before us, we shouldn't try to pass ourselves off as inferior."
Whether it was genuine praise or insincere flattery, Ouyang Jue accepted it with a smile, showing no sign of being a scion of a noble family.
Just as everyone was congratulating Ouyang Jue, Song Jinyang pushed through the crowd and came up to him.
It has to be said that he was quite competent in being a lackey; wherever the Fifth Prince pointed, Song Jinyang would follow.
"Young Master Ouyang, may I have a word with you in private?"
"Who is your Excellency?"
Ouyang Jue knew, of course, that this person was someone close to the Fifth Prince, but he was a nameless nobody and not worth remembering.
Song Jinyang felt it was normal that the other party didn't recognize him, since he had been staying at the Third Prince's residence since arriving in the capital, and he and his sister rarely appeared in public.
As for what Ouyang Jue was thinking, he naturally had no idea.
"I apologize for my rudeness. I am Song Jinyang, an advisor to the Fifth Prince. My master has something he wishes to discuss with Young Master Ouyang. Please allow me a moment to speak with you."
"Oh? So it's Mr. Song. May I ask what brings the Fifth Prince here?"
Ouyang Jue didn't immediately follow Song Jinyang. So what if he was a prince? Their Ouyang family still had the Empress Dowager!
Song Jinyang smiled good-naturedly, showing none of the impatience he displayed when facing Jiang Xiaoqi.
"The Fifth Prince has seen that Young Master Ouyang has obtained the treasure map of the former dynasty's princess and intends to cooperate with you in the treasure hunt. He hopes that you will give him an opportunity to discuss this in detail."
"A cooperative treasure hunt?"
Ouyang Jue didn't believe a word of this.
A barely perceptible hint of wariness flashed in Ouyang Jue's eyes. Although his Ouyang family had the Empress Dowager's support, this treasure map was, after all, related to the previous dynasty, which was indeed somewhat sensitive.
The Fifth Prince's words are simply an attempt to take the treasure map from him; it's just a matter of what price the other party intends to offer.
If an ordinary student or a poor family obtained this treasure map today, they probably wouldn't be so polite as to ask for help.
It's unlikely they'd forcibly seize it; there are countless ways to make someone willingly hand over the treasure map.
"Yes, Young Master Ouyang, my master is very sincere."
"In that case, I certainly cannot refuse the Fifth Prince's kindness. Lead the way!"
Song Jinyang's smile this time was genuine, after all, this was the task recently assigned by the Fifth Prince.
The Fourth Prince, Zhao Hongsheng, had long since left the waterside pavilion and his whereabouts were unknown. Now, only the Fifth Prince and his subordinates remained in the pavilion.
Surrounded by water on all sides, with only a stone bridge leading to the waterside pavilion, it is indeed a good place to discuss matters, at least one doesn't have to worry about being overheard.
Although completely exposed to others' sight, with no cover whatsoever, one can only see people; trying to hear what they are saying is practically impossible.
A pot of fresh tea was brewed, and the Fifth Prince personally poured a cup for Ouyang Jue.
Ouyang Jue showed no fear. He had met and even played with princes of higher rank than this one, so this one was not as important.
He was just a prince born out of wedlock whose maternal family had little influence. It was only because the Empress Dowager did not allow the Ouyang family to produce another empress that the current situation would not be like this.
The Ouyang family has produced outstanding talents generation after generation, regardless of gender.
The men were granted titles and high positions, and the women entered the palace to become empresses; both were people who upheld the glory of their families.
"Young Master Ouyang, you are truly talented. Unlike my men, who often compose poems and couplets, but when it comes to actually putting in the effort, they all fail one by one."
Unlike Young Master Ouyang, who astonished everyone with his sudden rise to fame. Isn't this the difference between those from humble backgrounds and those from aristocratic families?
The Fifth Prince seemed completely indifferent to the feelings and dignity of his subordinates, praising Ouyang Jue to the extreme while belittling his own men.
"Fifth Prince, you flatter me. It was just a coincidence that the judges liked it."
Whether it was because the judges liked it or because they were giving face to the Ouyang family, the Fifth Prince had no idea. All he knew was that he had obtained the treasure map from the previous dynasty.
After all, it is said that Princess Baoqing of the previous dynasty had the largest dowry of all the princesses, since Princess Baoqing was a legitimate princess, while the other princesses were all born out of wedlock.
If I can get my hands on this treasure, what great things can I not accomplish?
But how can we get this so-called talented man from the Ouyang family to willingly hand over the treasure map?
"What praise is undeserved? I'm just telling the truth."
"I've heard that the treasure map of the former dynasty's princess is priceless. I wonder if Young Master Ouyang intends to find the treasure himself or hand it over to his family?"
Ouyang Jue picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said slowly, "I naturally don't have that ability myself, after all, I only come from a collateral branch."
If we can mobilize the entire family's resources, then naturally we should entrust it to the family.
silence……
Ouyang Jue quietly drank his tea.
The Fifth Prince's expression was inscrutable.
"What the family finds belongs to the family. How much can Young Master Ouyang get for himself?"
"Well, there's nothing I can do about it. After all, I probably can't even find the general location of the treasure on my own."
"If someone can help you, would Young Master Ouyang be willing to go and find them himself?"