Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 194: The Fortune of Princess Qi Has Also Come to an End

Chapter 194: Chapter 194: The Fortune of Princess Qi Has Also Come to an End

Upon hearing the noise, Qi Yu came back to her senses and looked towards the stage.

She had thought all storytelling masters were old men with white beards, but the one today was clad in a blue robe, appearing refined and cultured, around twenty-three or twenty-four years old. One might even mistake him for a young master from a distinguished family.

Qi Yu set down the mostly uneaten sunflower seeds in her hand, picked up a cup of tea, and slowly lifted her eyes to meet his gaze.

"Mr. Zhou, what new and intriguing story do you have for us today?" someone asked, as he focused on blowing on his tea and wasn’t speaking.

Zhou Lanting’s lips curled into a faint smile as he slowly responded, "Patience."

Some who were there for the first time, seeing his demeanor, became impatient and murmured, "This is all pretense; if the story isn’t good, I’ll have you thrown off the stage!"

Zhou Lanting smiled faintly, his slightly narrowed phoenix eyes appearing somewhat menacing, yet his demeanor was so gentle that nobody noticed this look, "If I don’t perform well, I will step down myself, no need for the gentlemen to trouble themselves."

The crowd, hearing this, could only continue waiting.

Finally, after finishing a cup of tea, Zhou Lanting picked up a fan that was lying beside him and performed an opening fan movement with fluid grace and composure.

Everyone was dazzled by his movement except for Shi Zhou, who frowned slightly and said softly to Qi Yu, "He knows martial arts."

Qi Yu paused for a moment but did not say anything.

She had already vaguely guessed that there was something special about this man when he frequently glanced her way; it was better to observe quietly for the moment.

Before Zhou Lanting could speak, someone couldn’t wait and asked, "Sir, will you speak of Miss Su again today?"

The others watched eagerly.

It was said that Miss Su of the Su Family had disappeared, and they, like viewers of a serial drama, definitely wanted to see an ending to satisfy their craving.

However, Zhou Lanting shook his head slightly, "Not about Miss Su today, let’s change the story."

As soon as the words left his mouth, immediately someone expressed their dissatisfaction, clamoring, "Why not continue?"

Zhou Lanting’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, his lips curving into a slow smile, "Naturally, because there’s an even more exciting story today."

His words piqued everyone’s curiosity, as they all looked at him intently.

Most were eager for this new, thrilling tale he mentioned, while a few awaited a flop to drive him off the stage.

A storytelling master relies on eloquence which comes not only from reading and literacy but also from rich life experience. Some people hadn’t even been formally educated but had broad knowledge from encountering various beings and numerous stories, thus they could tell tales impressively.

Consequently, nearly half the crowd viewed this young storytelling master with skepticism and disbelief.

But Zhou Lanting was not annoyed; his voice was clear and soothing, inherently cooling, like willow fluff gently brushing over the heart amidst the warm sunshine of the April spring.

He reined in his smile, his tone indifferent as he began, "Today, I will tell you about an eminent figure from the capital city."

"What? A figure from the capital city?"

"Mr. Zhou is really bold, isn’t he afraid that the wrong person will hear this and get him decapitated?"

"The capital is thousands of miles away, with mountains high and the Emperor far; who knows, just listen and enjoy."

"..."

Zhou Lanting was pleased to hear these remarks; he was not the type to simply throw out a story as soon as he stood up.

He wanted to maximize everyone’s curiosity, making them itch with anticipation before he slowly and unhurriedly disclosed the story.

One could say this was a kind of mischief. He hadn’t been spared from criticism for it, but he reveled in it.

He sipped his tea lightly, his eyes scanning over the audience until they paused slightly at a certain corner before nonchalantly turning back.

After those who were eagerly discussing had quieted down, he slowly began, "I wonder if everyone still remembers when Prince Qi was seriously ill last September?"

Immediately, someone below answered, "How could we forget? At that time, it was rumored that the Prince had already been taken to the Imperial Mausoleum, and the Emperor even found a Princess to be buried with him!"

Zhou Lanting slightly nodded, "Indeed, at that time, Prince Qi had already breathed his last and had entered the Imperial Mausoleum. He was supposed to be buried after forty-nine days, but mysteriously, he came back to life!"

As he said this, he struck the gavel, and that heavy sound seemed to hammer into everyone’s hearts, causing them all to watch him attentively.

While they had heard some news about Prince Qi’s resurrection from death, they were unaware of the details involved.

Now that Zhou Lanting mentioned it, all their doubts surged forward again.

Even Shi Zhou, who couldn’t contain his curiosity, listened with relish, holding his cup of tea for a long while without drinking.

Qi Yu found it amusing and nudged her.

Shi Zhou quickly drank the tea, as if worried about missing anything, and in less than a second, turned her head back to listen.

Qi Yu might have been the calmest person there, as she had been present when the incident occurred.

One could say, she might even know more about that night than Li Mingjue did.

However, what truly intrigued her wasn’t the story itself, but the person Zhou Lanting.

Why had this elegant gentleman turned into a storyteller, daring to reveal the Royal Family’s secrets in broad daylight?

Did he no longer wish to live?

Qi Yu’s doubts deepened.

Zhou Lanting continued, "The resurrection of Prince Qi is mysterious yet not so mysterious, and it all relates to one person!"

It must be said that he knew exactly how to captivate his audience below.

Every time he reached a crucial point, he would stop to pour himself a cup of tea, making everyone anxious yet unable to speak, their eyes intensely fixated on the tea in his hands, hoping he would finish quickly.

Some of the more impatient ones were itching to scratch their heads, wishing they could just pour the tea into Zhou Lanting’s mouth themselves.

Zhou Lanting slowly finished his cup of tea and then said, "This person is the wife of Prince Qi, the daughter of the former Prime Minister Qi Wei, and is also the granddaughter of the old patron of Suiyu Pavilion in Gusu City."

At this point, he paused again, familiarly.

Someone grew impatient and asked, "Was it the Princess who brought the Prince back to life?"

Zhou Lanting smiled, "Yes and no."

"So is it yes or no?" His riddle was very skillful, confusing everyone present.

Yet Zhou Lanting remained unphased, left the riddle unanswered, and continued, "The Princess has been feebleminded and ugly since youth, such a person originally did not match the Prince. However, by a stroke of fate, she received the Emperor’s decree to marry, revived the Prince, and then gained the Prince’s favor. She truly is a person with great fortune."

Everyone nodded in unison.

A feebleminded and ugly concubine became a Princess, isn’t that great fortune?

Only Shi Zhou looked unconvinced, gazing at Qi Yu’s flawless face and feeling that the Mr. Zhou on the stage really knew how to spin tales.

This is called ugly?

Perhaps all the women in the world would wish to be ugly like this.

Qi Yu slightly raised her eyebrows but did not deny it, "He’s not entirely wrong."

Shi Zhou looked confused, but then heard the man on the stage sigh and say, "It’s just a pity that the Princess’s good fortune has come to an end."