25. The Little Princess, How Ridiculous, How Ridiculous

Dragged downstairs by the young Princess, Xia Lin now sat among the talented scholars and beautiful ladies.

The primary difference between this level and the one above was that it was filled entirely with young people. With such a crowd and no parents in sight, the atmosphere was naturally vibrant and lively. The Pavilion of Prince Teng was vast enough to accommodate this multitude with ease.

Some were drinking, others were leaning back, bobbing their heads to the rhythm of verses they were chanting, and some were gathered in small groups, chatting and laughing. The atmosphere of the prosperous Tang Dynasty seemed to materialize right before his eyes; it was as if the golden, hazy vision of the Tang he had once seen in the film *Legend of the Demon Cat* had suddenly sprung to life. The men were unrestrained and carefree, the women elegant and spirited—a dreamlike scroll of a peak dynasty slowly unfurled before him.

The young Princess looked up, scanning the room, but failed to find her cousin, Princess Xunyang. She asked curiously, "That is strange. I clearly saw my cousin arrive earlier; why has she not appeared yet?"

Hearing this, Xia Lin poured himself a cup of wine, rested his chin on his arm, and stared straight at the bright sky outside. "You are the host today, but sometimes, guests can overstep their bounds."

"You are talking nonsense," the Princess said, patting his arm. "Don't speak such things."

"The first step to upstaging a host is to stand out. Everyone else is already here; if she were hidden among them, she would be just like you, blending into the crowd. Are you dressed beautifully? Of course you are, but there are far too many beautiful girls here. They are competing for attention like flowers in spring, dense and overwhelming. If you want to stand out, you need a strategy."

Xia Lin spoke lazily. The Princess fell into thought; it was easy to see how a charismatic monk could bring a country to ruin—this kind of plausible-sounding nonsense was truly the most lethal. Clearly, the Princess had no resistance to such talk. Even though she trusted her cousin implicitly, her heart began to waver.

Just as they were talking, a loud voice suddenly rang out from below: "Princess Xunyang has arrived!"

That single cry drew the entire room’s attention. The noisy, chaotic scene fell instantly silent.

Xia Lin sat up straight. "Here it comes. The first move: 'A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.'"

As expected, the moment Princess Xunyang appeared, the scene truly resembled a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix. All eyes were fixed upon her. In an instant, she became the center of attention, the unofficial mistress of the event, while the true host sat to the side, peeling boiled edamame and watching the grand entrance as if it were a show.

She was only thirteen, a child who likely hadn't grasped the implications, but to Xia Lin—a man with a heart smaller than a needle's eye—this was infuriating.

He racked his brain, searching his memory of the trashy novel he had written, and realized she was indeed there. She was one of the harem members of the original protagonist, Ye Liangchen. In the original plot, she was supposed to be sent for a political marriage, but through a few whispers in Ye Liangchen’s ear, he had used a clever ruse to have this naive young Princess take her place and head to the northern frontiers instead.

Thinking of this, Xia Lin straightened his posture and slowly rolled up his sleeves.

It had to be said, Princess Xunyang was truly beautiful. At seventeen or eighteen, she had a delicate, palm-sized face, graceful eyebrows, and hair like dark smoke. She wore a noble lotus-purple robe with a dark blue embroidered brocade, a light red skirt patterned with a hundred flowers, a silver-threaded lotus scent pouch at her waist, and two-toned hibiscus shoes.

It was no exaggeration to say that this woman hit the exact bullseye of a straight man's aesthetic. In any era, she would be considered a top-tier beauty. However, Xia Lin had little interest in her. His heart was set on being a man above men, and his only concern was the eldest daughter of the Tang family, Tang Wanqiu. He had been dreaming of her lately; perhaps they were truly fated, for even a single glimpse had left such a deep impression.

As for the young Princess, she was just a lovable little sister. No normal person would harbor malicious thoughts toward a thirteen-year-old; that wouldn't just be perverted—it would be a crime.

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