Chapter 6: Not Enemies, Not Gathering Together

This happened in broad daylight, and she couldn't help but blame herself—why did she go and provoke such a boring person? She had come out today to relax, not to cause trouble

Ling Bo, remember that bullying honest people will incur divine retribution

As Ling Bo had anticipated, Princess Taiping once again entered the Changsheng Palace to persuade the Empress, who eventually relented and allowed Shangguan Wan'er to draft the edict. Of course, the once sovereign Empress still made a concession in the edict, not immediately announcing the abdication in favor of the Crown Prince, but instead appointing him as regent. After a full day had passed, the edict of abdication was finally officially proclaimed to the world, completing this arduous transition of power and marking a satisfactory conclusion to the long-planned coup.

Seeing someone completely unrecognizable, standing there with a face full of apology, suddenly, a phrase that her father used to constantly nag her with floated into her mind

Although she had lived in the palace for three to four years, Ling Bo always enjoyed wandering outside, especially relishing the gossip at taverns, restaurants, and markets. On one hand, there was always some accurate information among the chatter, and on the other hand, she truly enjoyed this leisurely time. In such places, she would never encounter acquaintances that required her to feign politeness.

It was difficult for her to rub her head and open her eyes. Just as she was about to scold, she caught sight of the figure in front of her, and the reprimand that was on the tip of her tongue was instantly swallowed back. This idiot who walked without looking where he was going, how could he resemble that guy she had bumped into while galloping on horseback a few days ago? This was the second time; how could she be so unlucky!

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue was in an uproar. Listening to the tone of the attendant, it seemed that this young man with a dark complexion, dressed in brocade and adorned with gold, was surprisingly not the main figure. Even Ling Bo, who initially intended to amuse herself at others' expense, was taken aback. At that moment, the young man with the dark complexion appeared to be enraged and suddenly reached out a dark hand towards her wrist.

Although others may not be particularly attractive, these words are spoken with great conviction. A few women nearby, who had just been secretly looking down on Ling Bo for her wealthy appearance yet greedy nature, could not help but inwardly applaud at this moment. If such a generous gentleman were a bit more pleasing to the eye, how wonderful that would be

Seeing Ling Bo standing there in silence, he became even more flustered: "If you are angry, you can hit me a couple of times, just consider it an apology from me"

If last time Ling Bo felt that this person was somewhat dull, then at this very moment, she is utterly speechless. The people she usually encounters are all exceptionally shrewd individuals; even among the few foolish ones, they never hesitate when it comes to personal interests related to books. Unlike this one, whose way of apologizing is overly simplistic, to the point of being excessively naive

This was not Ling Bo's first visit to the South Market, yet she still walked slowly, occasionally diving into the crowd to inquire about prices. As a result, she was astonished to discover that prices seemed to have dropped by about 10%, especially the price of rice, which was only 20 coins per dou, a decrease of more than half compared to the previous price of 50 coins per dou. She was not one of those experts in the Ministry of Revenue who could make the abacus beads clatter loudly, but she could still discern certain subtleties.

Second brother, why do you have to undermine me when everything is going well? Would it kill you to say one less word?

Noticing that the young lady still remained silent, he simply took out a brocade pouch from his bosom: "If not, these are the Hezhou South Pearls I just bought; would you like to choose a few to calm your nerves?"

As she was lost in thought, she hurried away, turning two corners, only to find that the crowd around her was growing increasingly dense, almost deafening. While she did enjoy the excitement, she was truly reluctant to squeeze into a place where movement was nearly impossible. In utter helplessness, she had no choice but to change her direction. After walking two blocks and hurriedly turning the corner, she did not expect someone to rush out recklessly ahead, colliding directly with her.

Business is thriving, and the common people are very happy, which indirectly indicates that people are quite dissatisfied with the regressive policies of the Empress in her later years. From this perspective, this change in the heavens can be said to be in line with the public's expectations

Ling Bo turned around and saw a flamboyantly dressed young man standing behind her, accompanied by two burly-looking attendants. This gentleman had dark skin, sharp eyes, a broad nose, and large ears, presenting a visage that would make anyone want to avoid him. Yet, he arrogantly fanned himself with a feather fan, which seemed utterly out of place in the midst of winter. Noticing the unabashedly lecherous glint in his eyes as he kept staring at her, she did not feel anger; instead, she smiled and said, "You claim that I can choose any of these jewels, is that true?"

The coup was a complete success, followed by the distribution of rewards. The first to be recognized were, of course, Zhang Jian, Zhi Huan, Yan Fan, and the other three individuals. Next were the commanders of the Imperial Guard who contributed the most during the palace siege, including Li Zhan and others. Subsequently, due to successfully obtaining the imperial edict for succession, Princess Taiping was granted the title of "Princess of National Tranquility," a distinction that had never been conferred in history. However, Shangguan Wan'er, the author of the edict, received no other benefits apart from some gold, silver, jewels, and fine silks. Following this, due to the successful acquisition of the succession edict, Princess Taiping was again granted the title of "Princess of National Tranquility," a distinction that had never been conferred in history. Yet, Shangguan Wan'er, the author of the edict, received no other benefits apart from some gold, silver, jewels, and fine silks. Meanwhile, Li Dan, the kind-hearted Prince of Xiang who entered the palace alongside the Grand General of the Imperial Guard, was also granted the title of "Prince of An Guo" and appointed as the Grand Chancellor.

Just as the moment arrived, she swiftly raised her left hand, wielding her sword, and struck heavily at the outstretched claw with the hilt of the sword. Immediately, she gracefully dodged to the side. In the next moment, the young man with the dark face was seen cradling his hand, crying out in pain, and a burst of laughter erupted from the crowd. Taking advantage of the commotion, she crouched down and slipped into the crowd, deftly exiting the jewelry shop.

"Indeed, of course it is true!" The dark-faced young master, who probably had never received any favorable glances from the beauties outside, was now taken aback by the unexpected favor. "As the ancient saying goes, a smile from a beauty is worth a thousand gold pieces. This young lady is such a beauty; I would not hesitate to spend a fortune for her smile!"

One was in a hurry, and the other was not paying attention to the road; the collision was indeed quite severe. Ling Bo felt as if he had crashed into a piece of iron. Not only did his head throb with pain, but he was also pushed back several steps by the immense force of the impact, ultimately losing his balance and sitting down on the ground.

In the bustling South City, throngs of people filled the streets, perhaps because the prince's ascension to the throne truly aligned with the will of the people and the heavens, or perhaps the citizens had been holding back their purchasing desires for too long. In any case, regardless of the shop, there was a surge of crowds, and even the small vendors selling pine flower cakes were thriving in business. It seemed as if the heavens were also sympathetic to the people's sentiments, with the red sun hanging high in the sky, emitting a subtle warmth, while only the eaves still bore the remnants of untouched white snow.

The ominous clouds that had previously enveloped the entire city of Luoyang have now dissipated. Although large numbers of Imperial Guards can still be seen patrolling the streets and there are occasional reports of prominent families and high-ranking officials being investigated and imprisoned, for the ordinary citizens, the initial feeling of being completely unaware was the most terrifying. Now that the truth has come to light, they are instead delighted to watch the spectacle. After all, discussing the scandals of the already raided noble families will not bring any trouble.

She was wandering around a jewelry store, murmuring to herself, when suddenly a voice like singing came from behind her: "A graceful lady is a gentleman's ideal match. Young lady, what have you set your eyes on? Just say the word, and I will immediately buy it for you!"

Unexpectedly, just as the dark-faced young master made his promise, one of his attendants spoke in a rough voice: "Old Seven, you’ve done something foolish again. Don’t forget that we came to the South Market to find the young master! If you fancy any young lady, you can go and snatch her yourself. Don’t even think about me giving you a single penny, let alone a thousand gold pieces!"

Ah, I truly apologize, it's all my fault for not watching where I was going!" Before she could react, the young man hurriedly rushed forward, helping her up with both hands, his face full of embarrassment. "Miss, are you alright? Did you hurt yourself anywhere? By the way, there's a pharmacy nearby; would you like to go in and take a look?"

Old things must be discarded for new ones to come, but who can guarantee that the new will necessarily be better than the old