Watching the wine continuously spill over the rim of the cup as Lu Yunqi poured, Murong Jie finally cleared his throat to remind him.
Startled, Lu Yunqi quickly set the wine flask aside and cleared his throat, saying, "Tsk, she really is quite beautiful, isn't she? But… not as beautiful as you, hahahaha!"
With that, he pinched Murong Jie's chin, leaned in, and planted another kiss on his lips.
Fortunately, no one was paying attention to them at that moment—all eyes were fixed on the incomparably gorgeous Xie Lianyi.
Murong Jie, for once, actually reacted, shoving him away and saying, "Young Marquis Lu should focus on watching the beauty dance!"
Lu Yunqi cheerfully sidled back over and asked, "Oho, jealous? Don't be! You're the true consort of this young marquis—those outside are nothing but low-class entertainers. Besides, what do I have to do with this Xie Lianyi? I suspect she'll become Second Prince's prize by tonight."
Indeed, Prince Cheng's wine cup had already fallen to the floor, rolling off the steps onto the luxurious gold-threaded carpet.
As for the Third Prince watching from the side, his eyes were practically popping out of his head.
And the Eldest Prince—his expression was somewhat subtle, a mix of admiration and thoughtful contemplation.
The corner of Lu Yunqi's lips curled up as he whispered to Murong Jie, "What do you think—whose arms will this Lady Xie end up in tonight?"
Murong Jie poured Lu Yunqi a cup of wine and said, "What does the young marquis think?"
Lu Yunqi chuckled and pointed at the three princes. "Those three are going to fight tooth and nail over her! Ah, heroes have always stumbled over beautiful women. And besides, it's in the Murong bloodline—lustful to the bone, yet each one thinks himself a devoted romantic."
Back then, the old emperor refused to let the Queen of the Yue clan leave, believing he was taking responsibility for her. Little did he know that the king and queen were deeply devoted to each other—even after the queen was violated, the king never abandoned her.
The old emperor seized the Yue clan queen by force, then slaughtered the entire Yue tribe to cover up the affair. But Lady Rui, in defiance of death, exposed this shameful history before all the civil and military officials, leaving the dog emperor with an infamous legacy.
Now, with such a beauty before them, one wonders whether these three legitimate princes will fall out with one another?
Murong Jie's expression remained indifferent, but his gaze swept toward Lu Yunqi as he said, "Whatever the young marquis says, then so it is."
Lu Yunqi chuckled inwardly, thinking, You sure know how to play it cool. I bet you're even more eager than I am to watch this drama unfold.
He propped his elbow on Murong Jie's shoulder and tilted his chin up. "We're not leaving tonight—we're staying to watch the show! Come on, come on, keep this young master company for a few more drinks."
Fine wine paired with the Noctilucent Cup—Lu Yunqi was soon tipsy, and by the time the drum-and-dance performance ended, most of the guests were thoroughly drunk.
As for what happened later in the banquet, everyone's memories were hazy. All they remembered was that Lady Xie Lianyi's dance captivated the entire capital, enchanting every civil and military official of the Great Xia Dynasty.
Especially the three legitimate princes—the most honored princes of Great Xia. Aside from the eldest, Murong Feng, the other two were still unmarried.
To win the disciple of the Poetry Immortal would be tantamount to gaining the support of all the scholars under heaven.
What's more, after her dance, Lady Xie Lianyi composed a poem to celebrate Prince Cheng's birthday. Though not a grand masterpiece, it was nonetheless an exquisite piece of refined verse.
Lu Yunqi thought to himself, This must be what they call the top star of Great Xia—one look and it feels like a thousand years.
After the banquet, Prince Cheng, showing good sense, arranged for the drunken nobles to depart, but set aside an elegant little courtyard for Lu Yunqi to rest in.
The moment Lu Yunqi entered the courtyard, however, he was wide awake. He tugged at Murong Jie and whispered, "Come on—while it's dark, let's take a stroll around Prince Cheng's estate."
It was late spring turning to early summer, and the estate was bursting with blooming flowers. Though one couldn't see much at night, Lu Yunqi holding Murong Jie's hand somehow carried the charm of young lovers strolling through a park in the evening.
Murong Jie, his hand held in Lu Yunqi's, showed no change in expression, but inwardly he felt a bit awkward. He asked Lu Yunqi, "Where are you taking me?"
Lu Yunqi replied, "Just wandering around—grabbing some gossip, watching some drama. On a dark, windy night like this, who knows what surprises we might stumble upon."
They say a jinxed mouth is the most accurate. No sooner had Lu Yunqi spoken than a loud splash echoed from the distance, followed by a few servants' screams that quickly died out.
The moment Lu Yunqi heard the commotion, he grabbed Murong Jie and darted over, hiding behind a rockery to watch the excitement.
What he saw made him gasp. Xie Lianyi was desperately dragging a man out of the water. The man's figure looked rather familiar. Lu Yunqi squinted, then lowered his voice. "Oho, isn't that the Third Prince? Looks like this kid got to her first?"
Third Prince Murong Yu, sheltered by his two older brothers, was the most favored yet the most useless of the three.
But his fiefdom was also the best—the Empress doted on him most, and the Emperor held him in the palm of his hand.
His eldest and second brothers both deferred to him, and knowing full well he would never become emperor, he contentedly played the role of a wealthy idler, planning to retreat to his own fiefdom in the future and live a life of ease and comfort without a care.
It was precisely for this reason that he demanded the best of everything—whatever caught his eye, his two brothers would yield to him, even at their own expense.
Xie Lianyi patted Murong Yu's cheek, calling out in alarm, "Your Highness, Prince Yu, are you all right? Quick—summon the household physician!"
With that, she pressed firmly on the prince's chest. Murong Yu vomited a mouthful of water, then threw himself into Xie Lianyi's arms, sobbing, "I don't want to die, wuwuwu, I don't want to die! Mother, save me! Mother, save me!"
Xie Lianyi slapped him across the face with a sharp crack. "Third Prince, take another look—who am I?"
The slap jolted Murong Yu back to his senses. He stared at her blankly and said, "Miss… Miss Xie?"
"It's me," Xie Lianyi said. "Just now, Your Highness was boating on the lake and accidentally fell in. I happened to pass by, and as it turns out, I can swim, so I pulled you out."
The Third Prince, who had been scared half to death and half-drowned, now gazed at the beauty before him—fresh as a lotus emerging from water—and his eyes went utterly entranced.
He grabbed Xie Lianyi's hand and said, "Miss Xie, thank you for saving my life! Tonight I drank too much and insisted on boating on the lake, even forbidding my attendants from following. Had you not come to my rescue, I fear I would have died here tonight. I must repay your great kindness!"
Xie Lianyi looked at him and couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Oh? And how does Your Highness plan to repay me?"
Murong Yu, whether sincere or not, looked straight into her eyes and declared, "I… I want to marry you! I want Miss Xie to be my Princess Yu!"
Xie Lianyi laughed even harder, rising to her feet. "Third Prince, don't talk nonsense. I'm three years older than you—how could I be your princess?"
Murong Yu stood up and said, "My mother said, 'A wife three years older means gold bricks at the door'! You wait—when I return to the palace, I'll petition Father and Mother to arrange our marriage!"
Just then, another hurried voice rang out: "Third Brother! Third Brother! Are you all right?"
Lu Yunqi, who had been thoroughly enjoying the drama, clicked his tongue. "Perfect timing. Look at your second brother—he's definitely here to steal your third brother's wife."
Murong Yu rose, looking aggrieved. "Second Brother, this lake of yours is far too deep—I nearly drowned! If not for Miss Xie, I'd have died right here!"
"Don't talk nonsense! Third Brother, the heavens protect the virtuous—why speak of death? If you died, how would I explain it to Father and Mother? Someone, prepare hot water at once—don't let the Third Prince and Miss Xie catch a chill."
The servants hurried off to prepare hot water and escorted the Third Prince away.
The Second Prince then bowed to Xie Lianyi and said, "My apologies, miss. It was I who insisted you stay to compose poetry so late, and now you've ended up in the water as well. It's grown so dark—why not stay the night at my residence? If you were to return like this… and catch a chill, I would feel even worse."
Xie Lianyi hesitated, glancing at her soaked clothes, then said, "Very well. Returning like this would indeed be inconvenient. I'll trouble you then."
"No trouble at all. This way, miss. Someone—escort Miss Xie to the Spring-Breeze Courtyard."
Oh ho, the Spring-Breeze Courtyard—that was the Second Prince's own main residence. Keeping a young lady in his private courtyard—what intentions were those?
Once they had walked out of sight, Lu Yunqi grabbed Murong Jie and pulled him along. "Quick, quick—let's go watch the rest of the show!"
Murong Jie had no choice but to let himself be dragged up onto the wall of the Spring-Breeze Courtyard.
Two heads peered over the wall, but the courtyard was pitch black, with only a single lamp flickering like a bean. Lu Yunqi, who had come for the drama, was overcome by the wine and fell asleep right there.
Murong Jie, exasperated, hauled him down from the wall and dragged him back to their lodgings.
He shut the door, and there was Xiao Hei, appearing outside the window.
Murong Jie settled Lu Yunqi in bed, pulled a brocade quilt over him, and stepped out the door.
Under the moonlight, Xiao Hei, clad in night attire, bowed to him. "Master."
Murong Jie asked, "How goes it?"
Xiao Hei replied, "Everything proceeds as we arranged. At this moment, Murong Pei has already entered Miss Xie's room—tonight's matter is sure to succeed. Tomorrow…"
Murong Jie nodded. "Fairy Liuyi's poetry collection has been delivered to her?"
Xiao Hei nodded. "Rest assured, Miss Xie knows it by heart. Only…"
"Only what?"
Xiao Hei hesitated. "Only—what if Miss Xie's identity is exposed?"
Murong Jie sneered. "Don't worry. Fairy Liuyi passed away from illness three years ago, and in the last five years of her life, she remained in Yuezhi. Aside from me, no one can expose her."
Xiao Hei was reassured. "Understood, Master. What should Xiao Hei do next?"
Murong Jie said, "Wait and see."
Xiao Hei asked again, "Should we take this opportunity to kill Lu Yunqi? After all, he's already drunk into a dead dog by now!"
Murong Jie frowned, "No need. I still have use for him."
"Use… use? What use could keeping this useless wastrel be? Master, by keeping him around, aren't you humiliating yourself too much?"
Now everyone in the capital knows that His Highness is humiliated night after night. When one slash of a blade could end it all, why keep him alive?