Princess Consort

"Come, come, Zixiu, take a seat and have a taste."

Yuan Xi forcibly pressed Cao Ang into a chair.

"Xianyi, if you have something to say, just say it. I have a nagging feeling that you’re planning to trap me."

Faced with Yuan Xi’s enthusiasm, Cao Ang felt a chill run down his spine.

"Oh my, Zixiu, that is quite unfair of you. How could you judge a gentleman’s heart with the mind of a petty man?" Yuan Xi said, feigning heartbreak.

Beside them, Liu Yan watched Yuan Xi’s antics. She covered her small mouth with her hand in surprise, afraid she might burst out laughing; this Yuan Xi was truly mischievous.

Cao Ang thought to himself, *It’s over. My luck is truly wretched. I ran into this fellow the moment I stepped out. How unlucky; I didn't check the almanac today.*

"Uh, heh—heh—is—that—so?"

At this moment, Cao Ang’s smile was even more painful to look at than a grimace.

"By the way, Zixiu, I… I have an urgent matter. I need to visit the latrine. You go ahead and eat and drink." As Yuan Xi spoke, he stood up, ready to leave.

"Wait, I need to go too. I also have an urgent matter."

Seeing Yuan Xi depart, Princess Wannian, Liu Yan, immediately stood up to follow. She was afraid that if she left too late, she wouldn't be able to get away.

"Uh, you two... you need to go to the latrine together?"

Cao Ang furrowed his brows, struck by a dark premonition.

"Haha, nature calls! You know how it is, right?" Yuan Xi looked at Liu Yan and gave her a wink.

"Ah, yes, exactly, that is how it is." Liu Yan’s expression was somewhat unnatural.

"Er, all right then. Just remember to be quick."

In the end, Cao Ang poured himself another cup.

"Waiter, come here for a moment," Yuan Xi called out.

"Yes, patron? What are your instructions? You can tell me here." The waiter stepped a short distance away and asked.

"It’s like this: you see that young master over there? Put today’s bill on his tab," Yuan Xi said, pointing at Cao Ang and instructing the waiter.

"Er, patron, I’m afraid that wouldn't be appropriate." The waiter looked troubled by Yuan Xi’s request.

"How about this? Add fifteen coins to the wine bill today," Yuan Xi said with a smile, then tugged on Liu Yan.

"Yes, that’s right. He is the young master Cao from the capital. You don’t need to worry; he will pay the bill," Liu Yan chimed in, cooperating with Yuan Xi’s mischief.

After saying this, Yuan Xi pulled Liu Yan along, and they scurried away, running with small steps as if they wished they had extra legs, fearing that if Cao Ang figured it out, they would be done for.

Waiter: "Patron, please settle the bill."
Cao Ang: "Huh? What? I settle the bill?"
Waiter: "They said you would be paying for it."
Cao Ang: "Damn it, I knew this Yuan fellow was up to no good."
Waiter: "So, patron, will you be paying?"
Cao Ang: "Hmph, this isn't over. Put it on my tab; I’ll accept it."

It wasn't so much that Yuan Xi trapped Cao Ang as it was a case of one willing to strike and the other willing to be hit. After all, the Yuan family stood behind Yuan Xi, and Cao Ang was no fool.

...

Returning to the scene on Zhuque Avenue, Liu Yan ran to Yuan Xi’s side and suddenly lowered her voice.

She threatened him, "Yuan Xianyi, listen to me. She is my younger brother's fiancée, Lady Tang, the Princess of Hongnong. Do not harbor any improper thoughts."

"Oh? Is that so? So it is the Princess of Hongnong, Lady Tang." Yuan Xi glanced at Lady Tang with a meaningful look.

Little Liu Yan was acting like a mother hen, terrified that Yuan Xi might have designs on Lady Tang. Although he indeed did, he thought to himself that this silly girl had just leaked all of Lady Tang's information; she really was as thoughtless as ever.

Yuan Xi was surprised—not because the young lady recognized him, as his reputation as a talented youth and companion to the Crown Prince made it common to be recognized. He was amazed by the girl’s delicate and charming appearance, and his mind drifted to the historical account of the Princess of Hongnong, Lady Tang, who danced to bid farewell to the deposed Emperor Liu Bian.

How could he not be astonished by the girl before him? Although she had yet to fully bloom into her ultimate beauty, she certainly possessed the potential to be a devastating, city-toppling beauty. She was no less stunning than Gao Yue, and, of course, a bit better than Princess Wannian. Naturally, he didn't dare say that out loud for fear that Liu Yan would devour him.

In history, Lady Tang was the wife of the Han Dynasty's deposed emperor, the Prince of Hongnong. After Emperor Ling of Han passed away and Prince Bian was enthroned, Dong Zhuo deposed him and confined him to a pavilion. Dong Zhuo ordered his official Li Ru to present poison. The Prince said, "This is an attempt to kill me," and refused to drink. Under duress, he held a banquet with Lady Tang and the palace attendants to bid them farewell.

After a few cups of wine, the Prince sang a sorrowful song: "The ways of Heaven are fickle, why is my path so hard? I abandon the throne to retreat to a fief. Forced by treacherous ministers, my life shall not endure. I leave you now to depart into the eternal darkness." He then ordered Lady Tang to dance, and she raised her sleeves and sang: "The high heaven collapses, the earth crumbles. Once an Emperor, now my life is cut short. Our paths of life and death diverge, from here we part. Oh, the loneliness and grief within my heart."

When the song ended, she wept, and all those present sobbed. The Prince said to Lady Tang, "You are a prince's wife; you shall not become the wife of a commoner again. Please take care of yourself! This is our final farewell." The Prince of Hongnong then drank the poison and died at the age of fourteen. Lady Tang returned to Yingchuan. Her father, the Governor of Kuaiji, Tang Mao, wanted to marry her off, but she swore never to consent. When Li Jue sacked Chang'an and raided the east, he captured her and wanted to take her as his wife, but she firmly refused and never yielded. The official Jia Xu learned of this and reported it to Emperor Xian of Han. The Emperor was moved and welcomed her, placing her in a garden. He sent an attendant with the imperial seal to bestow upon her the title of Princess of Hongnong.

Reflecting on this history, Yuan Xi felt a surge of sympathy.

"Tell me, what is going on?" Under Yuan Xi’s stern questioning, he learned that Liu Yan had secretly taken Lady Tang out to play.

"Hmph, why are you being so fierce? You only know how to be mean to me!" Liu Yan pouted.

Yuan Xi looked around, then at Liu Yan and Lady Tang, and said, "It is not peaceful right now. Let us escort Lady Liu and Lady Tang back to the manor."

Lady Tang did not refuse and nodded, "That would be wonderful. I apologize for the trouble."

Liu Yan expressed her dissatisfaction on the side, "Hmph, you jerk, Yuan Xianyi."

"You silly girl," Yuan Xi said, patting Liu Yan’s head.

The two servants had Liu Yan and Lady Tang board the carriage, and then, together with Yuan Xi and Cao Ang, they headed back toward the palace, as it was getting late.

"Princess, Your Highness, we shall part ways here," Yuan Xi said, bidding them farewell after delivering them near the palace gate.

"Hmm!" "Yuan Xi, remember to come find me!" "I know."

After parting, Yuan Xi and Cao Ang returned to find Xu Chu and the others. However, later on, this Princess of Hongnong, Lady Tang, would become the concubine of the Martial Emperor, Yuan Xi, and his personal plaything—a truly sigh-inducing turn of events.

Indeed, the world is fickle, and beauties in troubled times have no freedom of their own.

Upon their return, Yuan Xi, Cao Ang, and the others retrieved their horses. After finding Cao Ang’s attendant, they saw that the thief, Mao, had already been tied up securely, waiting for Cao Ang to deal with him.

"You're asking for a beating! Damn you! You dare steal from me!" Cao Ang’s anger flared. He stepped forward and whipped Mao several times, causing him to wail incessantly.

Yuan Xi’s mind stirred, and he advised, "Zixiu, take him to the廷尉 (Tingwei) office later. If you exercise private justice on the street, aren't you afraid your Uncle Cao will find out?"

"Hmph, if it weren't for Xianyi, see how I’d deal with you!" Cao Ang glared hatefully at Mao and ordered his attendant to lead him behind the carriage.

Yuan Xi and Cao Ang led the thief, Mao, to the east side of the Southern Palace. In the Eastern Han capital of Luoyang, the east side of the Southern Palace was where the government offices were concentrated. The offices of the Situ, Sikong, and Taiwei were all located at the southeast corner of the Southern Palace. It was a restricted government compound, and ordinary people could not enter.

Yuan Xi said to Cao Ang, "Let me escort the prisoner to the Tingwei office. You go tend to your horses and explain the situation to your uncle."

"Very well, many thanks, Xianyi. We shall talk another day." Concerned about his horse, Qingye, and fearing Cao Cao’s reprimand, Cao Ang did not suspect anything. After thanking him, he left with his attendants.

...

Tianjin, also known as Jinmen or Tianjinwei, was part of Bohai Commandery during the Eastern Han Dynasty and was the place where the Yuan family rose to prominence. Yuan Shao recruited soldiers and horses here, and the Martial Emperor, Yuan Xi, was ordered by his father to train troops at Jinmen. Later, after Yuan Shao was defeated and passed away, Yuan Xi held a symbolic burial for the Martial Emperor in Yecheng and constructed seventy-two decoy tombs, one of which was located here. Later, it became a site for the descendants of the Yuan family of the Jin Dynasty to pay homage to their ancestors.