When Governor Chen Han and the other officials learned that Prince Heng would be coming to Zhejiang in place of Li Boyuan, they hurriedly selected a separate residence for the prince to stay in.
The residence stood beside the water, surrounded by carefully arranged trees and elegant gardens. Its peaceful, winding paths and beautiful scenery gave it the name Listening to the Maples Retreat.
After arriving in Zhejiang, Huan Che did not immediately move into the residence.
He first went to inspect the naval forces. Afterward, he temporarily stayed in the rear quarters of the Governor’s Office.
This made the officials extremely nervous. They could not help wondering whether the prince was dissatisfied with the residence. Otherwise, why would he refuse to stay in such a beautiful place and choose to live in the government office instead?
It was not until today, when the prince finally agreed to move into Listening to the Maples Retreat, that everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Wan Liang was relieved as well. At last, he had an opportunity to present the beautiful women he had carefully prepared to the prince and win his favor.
He had been thinking about this for the entire month. Unfortunately, the guards around Prince Heng were extremely strict. Moreover, he had never expected the prince to stay at the Governor’s Office, so he had failed to make arrangements in advance.
That was why the matter had been delayed.
But now, the time had finally come.
On the evening Huan Che moved into Listening to the Maples Retreat, he finished his meal and went straight to the study.
The books and scrolls that had been brought in for him were neatly arranged on the shelves. He stood in front of the bookcase, glanced over the collection, and took down a volume.
He sat behind the desk and opened it.
But the moment he turned to the first page, his hand stopped.
His mind was too occupied with other matters. He simply could not bring himself to read.
He had selected several books to bring with him before leaving the capital, but perhaps he would have neither the time nor the inclination to read them.
His thoughts returned to the reason for his journey.
After Qian Yongchang had formally accused Yu Sixian, His Majesty had initially been furious. Later, however, some officials responsible for remonstrating with the Emperor had spoken up, suggesting that Yu Sixian might have been framed.
The victory report submitted by Yu Sixian clearly stated that his troops had killed more than two thousand Japanese pirates in the battles at Jiaxing and Pingwang.
That was an astonishing number.
The imperial court had extremely strict rules regarding reports of enemy casualties. For a death to be officially counted as a beheading, the enemy had to be killed during direct combat, with his head taken on the battlefield.
Prisoners who were executed, enemies who burned to death, and those who drowned were not counted. Even enemy soldiers who were killed by firearms and left without intact bodies were excluded from the official number of beheadings.
Therefore, the actual number of enemy casualties was often four or five times, sometimes even ten times, the number recorded in military reports.
In other words, according to Yu Sixian’s victory report, he had killed nearly ten thousand Japanese pirates in that single battle.
At a time when the morale of the imperial navy was already low, this was undoubtedly a tremendous victory that could inspire the entire country.
But how much courage must Yu Sixian have had to dare tell such an outrageous lie before the Emperor?
If the truth were exposed, even his own head would not be enough to answer for it.
His Majesty had initially been furious, but after some thought, he had begun to reconsider the matter.
However, the capital was far away from Jiangnan and Zhejiang. The truth could not be determined through speculation alone. Someone had to be sent there to investigate the situation personally.
His Majesty had originally chosen Li Boyuan as the imperial commissioner, but later changed his mind.
As for the reason behind that decision, it had all started with a joke.
One day, His Majesty had gone to the Crown Prince’s study to inspect the princes’ schoolwork.
After looking over the two pages of calligraphy Huan Che had written, the Emperor somehow turned the conversation toward his marriage.
He said that Huan Che should at least get married before leaving the capital to take up his position in his fiefdom. It was unheard of for a prince to leave for his assigned territory without even having a wife.
At the time, all his brothers had burst into laughter. His Majesty had also said it with a smile, so Huan Che had not taken the matter seriously.
However, the Emperor had apparently meant every word.
A few days later, he summoned Huan Che to the Hall of Heavenly Purity and showed him a list. It contained the names, family backgrounds, and social standings of suitable young women whom Empress Feng had been ordered to select.
Huan Che glanced through it briefly and, as usual, told his father that he had no intention of getting married yet.
The Emperor’s expression suddenly darkened. He stared at him and said, “Don’t think I don’t know what’s going through your mind. Your mind is full of twists and turns, like a honeycomb! Thinking things through is good, but there’s no need to overdo it.”
Huan Che knew what his father was referring to.
However, the Emperor had only guessed part of the reason. There were other things that His Majesty could never have imagined, and Huan Che would never reveal them.
Those secrets might determine whether he lived or died. Even his own father was someone he could not confide in.
His father was a complicated man, and Huan Che’s feelings toward him were equally complicated.
The Emperor watched him with sharp eyes for a long time. Then, out of nowhere, he suggested that Huan Che go to Zhejiang in place of Li Boyuan.
“You can take this opportunity to travel south and clear your mind. However, My patience with your refusal to marry is almost at an end. Once you return to the capital, I will choose a wife for you. You are not allowed to refuse. Do you understand?”
Huan Che considered his words for a moment, then lowered his head and replied, “Yes, Father.”
The Emperor asked whether he understood the main purpose of sending him south.
Huan Che simply answered that he did not.
His Majesty gave him a meaningful look before pointing to a document on his desk, a formal memorial written in praise of the Emperor.
“Do you understand now? If you still claim not to understand, then forget this assignment. You can go straight off and get married!”
“Your son understands.”
“Good. Once you have taken care of everything, Father will find you a beautiful wife.” The Emperor sighed and spoke earnestly. “Your elder brothers have been such disappointments. After all these years, they have only given Me one grandson. You had better do your part when the time comes. I am still waiting to hold My little imperial grandson!”
The lamplight flickered.
Huan Che gathered his thoughts.
What he had told his father was actually the truth. He genuinely had no plans to marry at the moment. As for having children, he had hardly ever considered it.
Remembering that he had to go out again the following day, he closed the book after reading only its first page. He decided to retire early.
But just as he was about to turn around, someone knocked on the door.
Two slender, graceful silhouettes appeared faintly through the partition doors.
Huan Che’s gaze immediately turned cold.
The people outside waited for permission to enter, but none came.
After exchanging a glance, the two women followed Wan Liang’s instructions. They lowered their collars slightly, revealing glimpses of their pale, delicate skin and the curves of their chests.
Then, without waiting for permission, they pushed the door open and entered.
The moment they crossed the threshold, they felt a cool breeze slipping down their necks.
They immediately knelt together.
When they secretly looked up, they saw a tall, elegant figure standing several feet away beneath the moonlight.
The young man wore simple clothes, and his black hair fell neatly around his handsome face. His appearance was almost too beautiful to be real. His expression was cold and distant, as though nothing in the world could catch his interest.
The two women’s cheeks warmed, and their hearts began to race.
They had caught a distant glimpse of the prince earlier that day when he moved into the residence. Even that brief sight had left them overwhelmed.
Women of their background were usually trained and sent to wealthy merchants as concubines. To have the opportunity to serve a prince with such extraordinary looks was a blessing they could hardly have imagined.
Kneeling before him now, they felt almost as though they were worshipping a deity.
They were just about to offer him the hot tea they had brought when the young man walked straight past them.
He swept his sleeve aside and left.
As he passed, the fabric of his robe rustled softly. He deliberately kept his distance, avoiding them so completely that not even a strand of their hair was brushed by his clothes.
For some reason, Wan Liang felt rather uneasy that evening.
He had been paying close attention to the prince’s movements and had learned that Prince Heng had indeed not summoned any women to his chambers.
But it was perfectly normal for a prince to avoid women during his first month here. After all, he had come to handle official business.
However, after remaining celibate for so long, surely even a young man in the prime of his life would find it difficult to resist the charms of Jiangnan beauties, who possessed a unique appeal of their own.
Wan Liang’s only concern was that Prince Heng might be too young and inexperienced to handle the specially trained women. He worried that the prince might become so exhausted that he would be unable to get out of bed the following morning.
After letting his imagination run wild for a while, Wan Liang began thinking about his own affairs.
He did not believe Prince Heng would discover that he had framed Gu Tongfu. Even if the prince did uncover the truth, Wan Liang still doubted he would overturn the case and clear Gu Tongfu’s name.
Although he was only a county magistrate, he had connections with nearly half the officials in Zhejiang.
His patron was the Governor of Zhejiang, and the Governor’s patron was the Grand Secretary of the cabinet.
In other words, they all had the backing of a powerful cabinet minister.
If Prince Heng decided to deal with him, he would inevitably drag many others down with him. This could cause turmoil throughout the Jiangnan officialdom and even disturb the political situation in the capital.
Surely the prince understood these consequences.
Sending beautiful women to Prince Heng was simply Wan Liang’s way of showing goodwill.
Although the prince had been given an unpleasant assignment this time, the fact that the Emperor had entrusted such an important matter to him showed just how highly His Majesty regarded him.
If Prince Heng were willing to say a few good words about Wan Liang in front of the Emperor, perhaps his official career would become even more prosperous.
The more Wan Liang thought about it, the more excited he became.
He was just about to call one of his concubines to keep him company over drinks when a young servant hurried into the room.
The servant was so flustered that he did not even have time to bow properly. Stammering, he reported that the prince had sent people to arrest him.
For a moment, Wan Liang could not understand what was happening.
Then he suddenly thought of Gu Tongfu’s case.
He asked in alarm, “Is His Highness actually holding interrogations in the middle of the night?”
“I… I don’t know. The man leading them kept shouting something about how someone had dared to send such filthy things before His Highness…”
Wan Liang’s eyes widened.
Could this be because of the shouma he had sent?
When Wuwu brought Wan Liang before Huan Che, the magistrate was still insisting that the two women were merely ordinary maids he had sent to serve the prince.
As for their improper behavior, he claimed that it had been entirely their own fault and had nothing to do with him.
Huan Che glanced coldly at Wan Liang, who was kneeling on the floor with his forehead lowered.
“Since you admit that you sent them here, you cannot escape responsibility for their misconduct. It is getting late, and I am tired. You may leave.”
Wan Liang was just beginning to feel relieved, thinking that the prince had made a great fuss over nothing.
But then Huan Che continued, “However, I am not familiar with the customs in Zhejiang and Jiangsu. Tomorrow, I shall ask Governor Chen whether this is how people here show respect to their superiors.”
Wan Liang was horrified.
Was the prince planning to report the matter to Governor Chen?
Wouldn’t Governor Chen tear him apart?
Huan Che waved his hand, signaling Wuwu to drag Wan Liang away as the man continued begging for mercy.
Afterward, he went straight to his bedroom.
The two women who had come to serve tea had already been punished with caning and sold off. Wan Liang had actually arranged for four trained beauties from Yangzhou to serve as maids. Huan Che had ordered him to take the remaining two away as well.
The guard who had allowed the two women to enter without permission had also been punished.
After several days of continuous work, Huan Che was genuinely exhausted. He lay quietly on his bed for a while before closing his eyes.
In a hazy dream, a breathtakingly beautiful face suddenly appeared before him.
The image of a lovely young woman filled his vision.
Cicadas sang softly in the spring night, making the surrounding fields seem even more quiet and vast.
Beneath him lay a young woman as beautiful as a begonia blossom. She seemed shy and frightened, like a startled deer.
Her long eyelashes trembled, and tears shimmered in her eyes. Her soft red lips parted slightly as faint, breathless cries escaped her.
He held her tightly and covered her face, lips, and neck with kisses. His movements grew increasingly passionate, and her soft hands moved restlessly across his back.
When he buried his face against the hollow of her neck, he could see strands of her hair sticking to her damp skin. Faint red marks were scattered among them.
He breathed in her fragrance, mingled with the warmth of their closeness. His mouth grew even drier, and his body burned with desire.
The lamplight swayed, and the wind stirred the window.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes and sat upright, forcing himself fully awake.
He looked around, but there was no young woman, no sound of spring cicadas.
Confused and unsettled, he slipped a hand beneath the covers. His fingers brushed against something damp.
His gaze darkened like a deep, unfathomable pool.
He had always been indifferent to matters of passion and desire. Why, then, had he dreamed of something like this?
And the young woman he had held beneath him, kissing and caressing her in the dream, was someone he had clearly seen just yesterday…
The more Huan Che thought about it, the more unbelievable it seemed.
He tried to calm himself, but the vivid images from the dream kept returning to his mind.
He remembered how the young woman’s black hair had fallen loosely around her. Her delicate body had trembled beneath him, and her face had flushed and paled by turns. Her cries had sounded both distressed and overwhelmed.
Huan Che took several moments to steady himself. He drank nearly half a pot of tea, yet his mouth and throat still felt dry.
In the end, he put on his outer robe and left the room to cool himself in the night air.
A young servant on night duty saw him suddenly emerge and hurried forward.
“Your Highness, do you have any orders?”
Huan Che stood silently for a moment before telling him to summon Nayun.
The moment he spoke, he realized that his own voice had become dry and hoarse.
His expression was dark and troubled, and he felt irritated with himself.
It was only an absurd dream. There was no need to dwell on it or search for an explanation.
And yet, he could not deny that the dream had been extremely unusual.
He tried to distract himself by discussing other matters with Nayun. However, when he finally returned to his bedroom, he discovered that he could no longer fall asleep.
He lay in bed, but the images from the dream kept flashing through his mind.
He remembered how the more the young woman struggled and scratched at him, the more passionately he had kissed her. It was as though he had an endless supply of strength, all of which he had poured into her.
Her voice had grown hoarse from crying. After she had grown too tired to scratch or bite him, she had somehow wrapped her arms around him in a daze, clinging to him like a vine winding around a tree.
The sensation had been far too real.
Huan Che was so troubled that he tossed and turned until dawn without managing to fall asleep again.
Therefore, when Gu Yunrong saw him the following morning, she was surprised to notice the dark circles beneath his eyes.
Huan Che usually maintained a regular sleeping schedule. Seeing him looking so exhausted and worn out was quite unusual.
Following Huan Che’s instructions from the previous day, Gu Jiayan and his sister had made an excuse to leave home. Early that morning, they arrived at the back entrance of Listening to the Maples Retreat in a carriage.
Another carriage was already waiting outside the back gate.
Huan Che stood nearby, enjoying the breeze.
When he turned around, Gu Yunrong immediately noticed the dark circles beneath his eyes.
Gu Jiayan was also startled.
Seeing the prince looking so exhausted, he could not help wondering whether the move to his new residence had finally given him the opportunity to indulge himself with women all night.
Huan Che had already decided to travel incognito, so the carriage prepared for him was extremely plain. It looked no different from the Gu family’s carriage.
Perhaps because he had considered that it might be inconvenient for a young girl to travel without a maid, he had allowed Gu Yunrong to bring one servant along.
Thus, she had brought her maid, Qiutang.
When the siblings approached to pay their respects, Gu Yunrong noticed how exhausted Huan Che looked. As she bent forward to greet him, she could not resist sneaking another glance at the dark circles beneath his eyes.
Huan Che’s expression grew slightly serious.
As he walked toward his carriage, he casually said to Nayun, who was directing the servants nearby, “Tell them not to touch anything on My desk. I still have to stay up tonight and continue reviewing the case files by lamplight.”
Nayun froze for a moment.
Your Highness, when exactly did you review the case files last night?
But he quickly understood and immediately responded in a serious tone, “Yes, Your Highness!”
Gu Yunrong finally understood.
So he had stayed up late reviewing the case files.
She felt somewhat relieved and found him a little more agreeable than before.
Several times, she wanted to ask how the investigation was progressing, but in the end, she did not dare.
Then she remembered that he intended to continue reading the case files that night. Seeing how exhausted he already looked, she worried that he would have even less energy by evening.
She wanted to remind him to get some proper rest during the journey, but she had no right to say such a thing. In the end, she pressed her lips together and remained silent.
After visiting the Governor’s Office the previous day, Gu Jiayan had developed some guesses about why Huan Che wanted them to accompany him.
However, he could not understand why the prince had insisted that his younger sister come along as well.
If he had been able to refuse, he would never have allowed her to join them.
Now, looking at the prince, he began to suspect that this seemingly respectable man might not have the best intentions.
He would have to protect his sister carefully.
With that thought in mind, Gu Jiayan discreetly shifted his position, placing himself in front of Gu Yunrong.
He asked in a serious tone, “May I ask where Your Highness intends to go today?”
“To the western part of the city.”
Gu Jiayan turned around and exchanged a glance with Gu Yunrong.
The Xie family lived in the western part of the city…
Before getting into the carriage, Huan Che turned toward the Gu siblings and said, “Once we get off, do not address Me as Your Highness.”