After a night of sweet slumber, Shu Fuyan awoke from his dreams. He looked up, but there was no sign of Xiao Yi; clearly, the man had already departed.
Although he did not see the person he was pining for the moment he opened his eyes, Shu Fuyan was not disappointed.
He had confidence in himself, Xiao Yi would be his sooner or later, and him crawling into the covers was only a matter of time.
After simple grooming and breakfast, Shu Fuyan left Shenzhu Residence.
At the Spring Banquet, the Crown Prince had intentionally incited Shu Fuyan to seize military power from Xiao Yi’s hands for his own use. Shu Fuyan had clearly refused, but the Crown Prince would not give up and had shamelessly pursued him.
Shu Fuyan was helpless; since the Crown Prince was forcing him, there was no need for him to be polite.
Crossing Vermilion Bird Avenue, someone was already waiting outside Luoshui Heavenly Gate early on to receive him.
Shu Fuyan followed the person upstairs, pushed open several doors, and entered a private room. The room was small but had a unique charm.
The man pushed aside the scroll on the wall, twisted a secret mechanism, and another door appeared.
“Young Master Shu, please.” The man stepped aside, signaling for Shu Fuyan to walk in front.
Shu Fuyan stopped before the secret door, watched the man calmly, and spoke in a gentle tone: “Aren’t you coming in?”
Fear showed in the man’s eyes, and he declined: “The noble one gave orders—only Young Master Shu is to enter.”
Having said this, the man left quickly.
Outside the door, an iron lock rattled, followed by a rustling sound; clearly, someone had locked it from the outside.
Shu Fuyan walked toward the darkness; he wanted to see exactly how the Crown Prince intended to deal with him.
Walking along the secret passage, fortunately, there was nothing foul hidden in the dark. In just half an hour, Shu Fuyan emerged from the secret passage.
Unlike the entrance at Luoshui Heaven, which looked like an ordinary teahouse from the outside—bustling with people and high turnover, free of messy affairs—Shu Fuyan realized upon exiting the passage that he had actually entered the Red Pavilion.
Inside the Red Pavilion, lanterns were hung everywhere, draped in red silk, and the giggles of women were bewitching and alluring.
Pushing open the door, he was met with crowds of beautiful girls twisting their waists.
Shu Fuyan was glad he was wearing a veil hat, concealing the boundless spring scenery before him.
Most women who entered the Red Pavilion were forced by circumstances, having to submit to others, selling smiles to please guests.
Shu Fuyan felt sympathy for this, but it was merely sympathy.
For those trapped in chaos, staying alive was the most important thing.
Shu Fuyan lowered his veil hat and quickly left the crowded area.
Shen Liting had been guarding outside the door for a long time, but during the moment he dozed off, Shu Fuyan had brushed past him.
Shen Liting stepped forward, reaching out to catch Shu Fuyan.
A hearty laugh rang out from behind, and a weight pressed onto Shu Fuyan’s shoulder.
“Young Master Shu, follow me; His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has been waiting a long time.”
Shu Fuyan looked back and was not surprised to see that the person was Shen Liting: “Let’s go.”
The two walked side by side toward the rear wing of the Red Pavilion.
The further in they went, the quieter the sounds of male-female carousing downstairs became. Gradually, the floor they were on was basically empty, with only the servants responsible for cleaning busy at work.
Arriving before a sandalwood door, Shen Liting propped up a slender wooden pole and lowered the large red lantern hanging at the doorway.
“Go in.” Shen Liting opened the door and urged Shu Fuyan to enter.
“Come, beauty, come here quickly and let me kiss you.”
The Crown Prince was chasing after a beauty, stumbling in his drunkenness.
There were five or six people in the room, and besides the Crown Prince, they were all scantily clad women.
The room was heavy with the smell of alcohol, and the scent of cosmetics gave one a headache.
“Beauty, don’t run!” The Crown Prince lunged, and the beauty escaped his embrace, pointing giggling toward the doorway: “Your Highness, there are outsiders here.”
“That’s right, Your Highness, if you don’t chase him away, are you going to let us sisters serve you both together?” The other women crowded around in agreement.
The Crown Prince’s gaze sharpened, and he shouted mindlessly: “Let me see who dares to steal my beauty.”
The Crown Prince’s drunken steps were unsteady; he swept his long arms and caught a purple-clad woman with a pretty face, clutching her waist and kissing her fiercely: “Hmph, beauty, you smell so good; I like you.”
Shu Fuyan had been there for quite some time, but the Crown Prince ignored him, only concerned with finding pleasure with the women.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, Shu has come to attend the banquet.” Shu Fuyan kept his status in mind at all times and bowed to the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince did not respond, left and right in the arms of beauties. His head was spinning; together with the beauty, he rolled around on the soft rug spread out on the floor.
“Drink, come, let’s keep drinking.”
The Crown Prince raised a gold and jade wine pot inlaid with gemstones, shouting loudly that he would not stop until he was drunk.
Shu Fuyan watched coldly; the floor was chaotic, filled with discarded thin garments. Alcohol dripped down, and the pungent smell of liquor lingered in the air, refusing to dissipate.
Shu Fuyan scanned the surroundings and only then discovered that incense was burning in the room. The scent was strange; it was not the sandalwood favored by scholar-officials and powerful nobles, but rather seemed to be the “enchantment incense” specially made by the Red Pavilion to lure guests.
“Since Your Highness is not convenient for seeing Shu, why don’t we meet another day? May Your Highness enjoy yourself; Shu will take his leave.”
Shu Fuyan pushed the door to leave, but suddenly, an explosive roar erupted from inside.
“Stop him!”
Shen Liting’s ears were sharp, and he used a strike of palm power to push the door shut.
Shu Fuyan retreated repeatedly, and suddenly his lower back was supported by someone. Looking back, he saw the purple-clad woman smiling brilliantly at him, her long fingers slightly curled: “Young master, come and play.”
Shu Fuyan’s heart leaped, his whole body uncomfortable, and he quickly retreated far away from them.
The Crown Prince rubbed his eyes, his head lying on the purple-clad woman’s lap, and said boredly: “Young Master Shu, don’t be in such a hurry to leave; I still have important matters to entrust to you.”
The Crown Prince crooked his finger, and a woman immediately stepped forward, tossing a stack of memorials.
On them were written the names of several high-ranking court officials, some belonging to King Ji’s faction and others to King Yu’s.
The memorials stated that all the listed individuals had committed serious crimes—corruption and bending the law, private deduction of tax silver and military pay, favoritism and malpractice in the imperial examinations, and the buying and selling of official positions while neglecting duty.
If any one of these were singled out, the old Emperor would surely be furious enough to execute their entire clan.
And among them, King Ji’s faction had the highest number of people implicated. The Crown Prince brought out the memorials to show his power, nothing more than to force King Ji to yield and give up the struggle for power.
Shu Fuyan flipped through the memorials and looked at them a few more times, confirming that the memorials were authentic; the Crown Prince had not lied to him.
“What does Your Highness mean by this?” Shu Fuyan pushed the memorials back.
The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes, his lust unconcealed, kissing the wrist of the beauty pinching grapes, emitting a wild sound of wet smacking.
“Shu Fuyan, are you really not understanding, or are you playing dumb?” The Crown Prince was annoyed.
Shu Fuyan played the fool: “Shu does not know.” The floor-length curtain effectively blocked the Crown Prince’s line of sight, making it impossible for anyone to fathom him.
The Crown Prince suppressed his anger, biting the beauty’s chin resentfully. The beauty cried out in pain, and the grape fell to the ground, crushed into smithereens by the Crown Prince’s stinky toes. Grape juice stained the toenails, purple water rippling, truly sickening.
“What a killjoy, get out, all of you.” The Crown Prince flicked his sleeve and ruthlessly pushed the beauty away.
The beauty timidly picked up her clothes and left in an orderly fashion.
Only the Crown Prince and Shu Fuyan remained in the room.
The Crown Prince stated his business straightforwardly: “Shu Fuyan, I called you here today for this very matter.” The Crown Prince stuffed the memorials back into Shu Fuyan’s embrace: “Find an excuse to hand these memorials to King Ji and tell him I want to make a deal with him.”
“After it’s done, I won’t let you come up short on benefits.”
The Crown Prince’s face was flushed, his eyes bloodshot. He snapped his fingers, thinking himself dashing and unconstrained, lifted a wine cup, and chugged three full glasses.
After finishing, there wasn’t a single drop of wine left in the pot.
The Crown Prince made a drunken, hazy sound, stretched his limbs to the sides, twisted his waist, and kept spinning in place.
The fabric of his robe glistened, the bright red hem swinging in a beautiful arc, and the jade pendant hanging from his waist jingled, dancing along with his ostentatious posture. It was as if he were the most skilled courtesan in the Red Pavilion.
Shu Fuyan simply could not bear to look at him. The Crown Prince was in a state of high excitement, alternating between sober and insane, having already lost normal human reasoning.
Conversing with him was no different from playing the lute to a cow.
“Regarding the memorials, Shu will do his best. As for how King Ji will judge, Shu dares not speculate.”
Shu Fuyan did not care if the Crown Prince had heard him or not; he lifted his leg and pushed the door.
This time, there was no voice from the Crown Prince to stop him, and Shu Fuyan successfully opened the door.
“So fast!” Shen Liting was shocked.
He had thought the Crown Prince would give Shu Fuyan a hard time; he had not expected the Crown Prince to let him leave so early.
Shu Fuyan sneered and reminded him: “The person you should be worrying about is the Crown Prince, not me.”
Shen Liting did not understand and was about to pursue with questions, but Shu Fuyan walked away without giving him any face.
Shen Liting watched Shu Fuyan leave, pondering what he had meant by those words.
“Oh no, something terrible has happened. Where is cousin Crown Prince?”
Lou Guanfeng arrived at the Red Pavilion in a rush.
“Young Master Lou, why are you here?” Shen Liting was astonished, spreading his arms to block Lou Guanfeng, fearful that he would disturb the drunken Crown Prince.
“Oh, you dull blockhead, don’t stop me! Cousin is in danger! Get out of the way.”
What could make Lou Guanfeng, who only knew how to eat, drink, and play, change his expression like that? Shen Liting immediately realized that it really was something terrible.
Shen Liting grabbed him, his gaze icy, and interrogated him: “What happened? Tell me everything you know.”
Lou Guanfeng bit his lip, on the verge of tears.
This matter was of great importance; if the Crown Prince fell from power, his own good days would also be over.
Lou Guanfeng told Shen Liting everything about the rumors circulating in the streets. Shen Liting’s expression darkened, and he entered the room alone to tell the truth to the drunken Crown Prince.
Soon after, hysterical roars and the sound of breaking objects came from inside the room.
Lou Guanfeng heard it and was terrified, thinking to himself: Is cousin Crown Prince okay?
Exiting the Red Pavilion, Shu Fuyan looked back at the plaque: Drunken Flower Pavilion.
Hmm, he would never step into such a place again.
Shu Fuyan carefully clutched the memorials and blended into the crowd.
Shu Fuyan originally thought that the matter of entering the Red Pavilion ended here, not knowing that what awaited him later was a raging storm.
Xiao Yi stopped before Drunken Flower Pavilion; he, who usually did not display his emotions, had lost his composure. An icy aura of snowy mountains condensed around him. Passersby cast several glances at him, wanting to enter Drunken Flower Pavilion but not daring to get close to Xiao Yi.
The procuress in the pavilion saw that guests were not coming in, so she came out clutching her handkerchief to chase people away.
“Hey, hey, hey, don’t get in the way of my business.” The procuress chased Xiao Yi away with a sharp voice.
Xiao Yi raised his eyes coldly, staring deep into the procuress. The procuress was startled, shaken by the bloodthirsty aura on his body, and dared not breathe.
“If you’re not coming in, then don’t.” The procuress said gloomily.
She twisted her water-snake waist past Xiao Yi, pinched her fingers into an orchid shape: “Walk on by, don’t miss out, come into the pavilion and have a look, fine wine, and fairy-like beauties!”
Xiao Yi could not articulate his own mood, but at the moment he saw Shu Fuyan emerge from the Red Pavilion, something inside him shattered.
“Sure enough, I guessed wrong after all.”
Xiao Yi returned to his manor, lost in soul.
The Imperial Physician Shen Chong had waited at the Marquis of Zhenbei’s manor for several hours; his old bones were falling apart, yet he still had not seen Xiao Yi or the “patient” he spoke of.
The old fellow had had enough; he rolled up his acupuncture needles and prepared to return to the Imperial Palace.
“Don’t do that, Imperial Physician Shen; we agreed to wait a while longer.” The steward did not hesitate to use his body to block Imperial Physician Shen’s path.
Imperial Physician Shen blew his beard and stared, saying in an extremely angry tone: “From midday until dark, can it be that General Xiao is intentionally teasing this old minister?”
The steward was drenched in sweat, nodding and bowing: “Not at all! The General must have been delayed by something. Imperial Physician Shen, what do you think of this? You sit down, and I will go look for him.”
Imperial Physician Shen did not want to just leave; after all, General Xiao was a fierce warrior of the Great Yu, having fought for the country for many years, only to be left with a body full of illness. If it were for the sake of treating Xiao Yi, Shen Chong would have no complaints. But for Xiao Yi to avoid him while trapping him at the Marquis of Zhenbei’s manor, wasn’t this playing a game?
Xiao Yi had just returned to the manor when he encountered the steward and Imperial Physician Shen in a standoff.
“General, you’ve returned!” The steward finally unloaded the heavy stone in his heart, finally having waited for the ancestor.
“General Xiao.” Imperial Physician Shen was full of smiles.
Facing the steward, Imperial Physician Shen was arrogant; facing Xiao Yi, he dared not act presumptuously.
Steward: “…”
“You may go; no need to come again.” Xiao Yi was mentally exhausted and waved his hand to let Imperial Physician Shen return to the palace.
The steward was greatly alarmed; one had to know that Imperial Physician Shen was someone Xiao Yi had specifically invited from the palace, yet he let him go so casually!
Even if Imperial Physician Shen were slow-witted, he could sense that Xiao Yi was in a bad mood.
“General Xiao, I heard your old injuries have yet to heal; may this old minister have a look.” Imperial Physician Shen bowed his waist and pursued to Xiao Yi’s side, inquiring after his well-being.
“No need.” Xiao Yi did not stop, walking straight toward the inner courtyard.
It seemed that the spring cold was heavy, and a drop of cold rain dripped from the eaves. Tap, it dripped onto the bridge of Xiao Yi’s nose, extinguishing the heat in his heart.
“General Xiao, please wait for this old minister.” Shen Chong pursued relentlessly.
It was as if the dissatisfied old man from just a moment ago was not him.
Xiao Yi turned around, his pupils holding countless unspoken words: “Imperial Physician Shen.”
Imperial Physician Shen nodded, signaling for Xiao Yi to continue.
Xiao Yi paused for a while, then said hoarsely: “Tomorrow, would it be possible to come to the Marquis of Zhenbei’s manor one more time?”
Imperial Physician Shen was dumbfounded; wasn’t he right in front of Xiao Yi, medicine kit and all and he wanted him to come again tomorrow?
Imperial Physician Shen: Hmm?
Half a moment later, Xiao Yi remained silent, the two of them at a stalemate.
Imperial Physician Shen covered his face, rubbing the wrinkles on his cheeks with a bitter expression, saying feebly: “This old minister will come again tomorrow.”
Xiao Yi knew that he was making things difficult for others; he beckoned for the steward.
“Take the sea coral from the storehouse and send Imperial Physician Shen back to the palace.”
The steward said “ay,” and immediately went to see to it.
Imperial Physician Shen clicked his tongue; never mind, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda.
Tomorrow, he would just come.