The Crown Prince had just celebrated his capping ceremony at the end of last year. His biological mother is the current Empress Rong, a daughter of the Rong family, which has produced six generations of queens.
It is said that the Empress and the Emperor supported each other since childhood. The Emperor has always highly respected his Empress, who is five years older than him, and takes her along every year for summer retreats and autumn hunts.
The Empress has one son and two daughters. The eldest princess was married off to Mongolia, and the youngest daughter is still quite young.
I knew very little about the Crown Prince. Logically, I shouldn’t have been so impulsive as to ask to attend the banquet, but I truly hated my current life.
I didn’t want to have to rely on Lin Chongtan to help me every time something happened. I also wanted to make my father proud. To make him genuinely happy for me just once.
Even… even if it meant becoming the Crown Prince’s dog.
As long as I could connect with the Prince, people like Yue Feiguang and Wenle Nie wouldn’t dare bully me anymore.
“No,” Lin Chongtan refused me, just as I expected.
I opened my mouth to speak, but Lin Chongtan shook his head gently. “Little Di, I cannot agree to this.”
I shut my mouth, losing all heart to continue my studies. How could I focus? The images from that humiliating picture book were still vivid in my mind. Before leaving the rockery, Yue Feiguang had mocked me: “Go ahead and tattle to your brother, you unweaned little baby.”
Being drawn like that was humiliating enough. If I told Lin Chongtan about it, I… I would have no dignity left at all.
I had to meet the Crown Prince and make him willing to associate with me.
But Lin Chongtan was as stubborn as a mule, refusing to budge no matter how much I begged him over the following days. During those days in class, I felt like everyone was staring at me.
They had probably all seen Yue Feiguang’s picture book and were whispering about me in private.
The more I thought about it, the more miserable I felt, until I actually fell ill.
Liangji discovered I was sick and ran to find Lin Chongtan before I could stop him. Lin Chongtan brought a doctor. After the examination, the doctor took Liangji to get the medicine, leaving only Lin Chongtan and me in the room.
This was the first time Lin Chongtan had ever come to my dormitory.
Before, he had always sent his pageboys to deliver things; he never came himself.
He pulled up a chair and sat by the bed. “I’ve already asked for a leave of absence for you. Just rest well these next few days.”
I was suffering from the illness and spoke weakly. “I don’t want to stay here anymore. I want to go home.”
Here, I was only ever bullied.
“Little Di, don’t talk nonsense. Father worked very hard to send us to the Academy. If you miss home, you can write more letters to Father and Mother. By the way, Mother sent a letter last month; did you reply?”
Lin Chongtan’s words made me freeze. “Mother sent you a letter last month?”
Lin Chongtan seemed to realize he had misspoken and stopped talking, but I already understood. The last time Mother sent me a letter was two and a half months ago. It wasn’t long; she just asked if I had made friends at the Academy and told me to spend my money and not be stingy.
That was the first time I had received a letter from home. I wrote back several thick pages, wanting to describe every single thing I ate at the Academy. At the end of the letter, I subtly suggested she write to me more often.
But Mother never wrote again.
I originally thought it was because Gusu was too far from the capital and sending mail was inconvenient. It turned out that wasn’t the case.
Father had told me not to return to Gusu until I made a name for myself, and now Mother didn’t miss me either. What was the point of going back?
Lin Chongtan tried to fix it. “Actually, Mother told me in the letter to look after you. She worries about you a lot. Little Di, don’t you remember? The inner clothes you wore when you left were made by her own hands.”
His were, too.
And he wasn’t even Mother’s biological son.
I forced my sick body to sit up. “Since Mother told you to look after me, then take me to the banquet.”
Lin Chongtan frowned slightly. “Little Di, I told you, it’s not suitable for you.”
“Why isn’t it suitable? You’re going, other students are going, why can’t I? It’s just a brothel; I can go too.” I knew I was being difficult, but I just couldn’t swallow this pride.
I leaned toward the edge of the bed and grabbed Lin Chongtan’s sleeve. “Second Brother, please take me. I won’t cause trouble. Father also said I should see more of the world, didn’t he? What can I see if I stay in the Academy all day?”
Lin Chongtan’s brow slowly relaxed. Whether it was my imagination or not, I saw a flicker of mockery in his eyes. Before I could look closer, he returned to his usual self.
“Fine. Since you want to go, I’ll take you. But Little Di, the people at the banquet might not be easy to get along with.”
I was silent for a moment and said, “I know. I’m not afraid.”
The night of the banquet was clear, with moonlight like silver water. I got into the carriage with Lin Chongtan. This was the first time I had left the Academy during a non-break period.
Having rarely seen the capital at night, I heard the voices outside and used my finger to lift a small corner of the curtain to peek out.
Lin Chongtan’s voice rang out.
“There might be drinking later. Don’t drink it all; you can secretly add water to your cup.”
I dropped the curtain and turned to look at him. Today, Lin Chongtan was wearing a three-layered silk robe with an outer silk gown. He was dressed heavily, as if he didn’t fear the heat at all. I, on the other hand, feared the heat and had only planned to wear a thin silk layer, but he forced me to put on an outer robe before leaving.
Actually, the silk clothes I chose were very nice and not impolite to wear out, but since I had begged him to bring me, I had to listen to him.
Fortunately, there was ice in the carriage, and since it was night, the heat had died down a bit.
I nodded and asked, “Second Brother, tell me again who will be at the banquet.”
The guests weren’t always the same. Sometimes the Prince would come, sometimes not. Lin Chongtan didn’t go every time either, and the locations varied.
By the time he finished explaining, the carriage was nearing our destination.
As soon as we entered the red-light district, I seemed to smell something unusual in the air. The scent here was cloyingly sweet, making one’s head spin. I couldn’t help but wonder if Lin Chongtan came here often. When he came here, did he with the girls?
Mother was very strict with us about such things. Before our capping ceremony, we weren’t even allowed to have maids in our rooms for fear of “ruining our health.” In my life, I had very little interaction even with my cousins. I hoped I wouldn’t embarrass myself.
Amidst my wandering thoughts, the carriage stopped.
“Get out.” Lin Chongtan stood up and walked out. I followed closely behind. Above us, on a grand building with green tiles and red pillars, a plaque displayed three bold characters—”Drunk-on-Lap Pavilion.”
Drunk in the lap of a beauty?
Someone came out to greet us. When they saw Lin Chongtan, their smile almost turned into wrinkles. “The young master is here! Please, come inside.”
“Are they here?” Lin Chongtan asked.
“Several of the lords have arrived.” The person suddenly saw me, and their expression turned odd for a second. At that moment, Lin Chongtan took my hand.
“He is my brother.”
“Oh, so it’s the young master’s brother! Please, come in together.” The person looked relieved.
I had never been to such a place. As soon as I entered, I was shocked by the scene. Why were the girls wearing so little? Their forearms were completely exposed.
I didn’t want to look scared, but I couldn’t help walking close to Lin Chongtan. I walked so close that I accidentally stepped on his foot.
“Sorry, Second Brother,” I said quickly.
Lin Chongtan seemed to sigh and shook his head. “It’s fine. Let’s go.”
We went to a private room on the third floor. It was huge, with an inner and outer section separated by a circular bamboo archway. Moonlight streamed through the window, and white jade ice blocks in tea-colored bins around the room gave off a cold mist.
There were already people inside. As soon as I walked in, I heard someone say, “Tansheng, is this your brother?”
“Yes.” Lin Chongtan pulled me out from behind him. “His name is Lin Chun Di.”
The speaker was a young man with “peach blossom eyes” holding a folding fan. “Lin Chun Di? Sounds familiar. I feel like I’ve heard this name somewhere.”
As soon as he said that, I worried that the news of me ranking last in the exams had spread throughout the Academy.
Before I could think clearly, I was surprised to find Yue Feiguang was also there.
Yue Feiguang didn’t seem to expect me either. He walked out from the inner room, his eyes widening when he saw me.
Seeing him fueled my hatred, which I turned into courage. I thought that tonight, no matter what, I had to make the Crown Prince notice me—ideally, enough to let me stay close to him.
Just then, a voice came from the inner room.
“Is everyone here? If so, let the banquet begin.”
With just those words, the people in the outer room who had been lounging around stood up and headed inside, including Yue Feiguang. I had never seen Yue Feiguang so obedient, and I began to guess who the voice belonged to.
I looked at Lin Chongtan, and he nodded slightly.
It really was the Crown Prince.
I took a deep breath before heading into the inner room. The inner room was even more elaborate. The beauties on the seven-panel screen were painted with some unknown material—as the light from the glass lamps shifted, they actually seemed to move.
A young girl sat by a “phoenix-head” harp, her head lowered as her delicate hands played the music.
But what caught my attention most was the young man sitting in the center seat wearing a black and gold robe. He had a face that looked remarkably like a woman’s. If it weren’t for the gloominess in his eyes, I might have mistaken his gender.
The young man sat lazily in his chair, playing with prayer beads. When he saw Lin Chongtan enter, his cold face broke into a smile. “Tansheng, sit next to me.”
Lin Chongtan didn’t move immediately. He first introduced me to the young man. “Third Lord, this is my brother, Lin Chun Di.”
Because the Crown Prince was the third son of the Emperor, these people called him “Third Lord” in public.
So, this young man was the Crown Prince. He was nothing like I imagined. I thought the Prince would look very mature and steady.
Because of Lin Chongtan’s introduction, the Prince bothered to glance at me. But for some reason, his expression changed when he saw me. He stared at me at first, then his brow gradually furrowed as if he already disliked me.
I felt panicked and also called him “Third Lord.”
The Prince ignored me, but Yue Feiguang spoke up from the side. “Third Lord, this is that Lin Chun Di—the one who ranked last among the new students.”
“Oh? Tansheng, you ranked first, and your brother also ranked ‘first.’ That’s not easy.” The Prince’s tone was teasing. Lin Chongtan just smiled in response.
Then, Lin Chongtan sat down next to the Prince. A spot that even Yue Feiguang couldn’t sit in.
Yue Feiguang’s father, Prince Yun, was a prince of a different surname. In terms of status, Yue Feiguang was likely lower than the others present. The young masters at the banquet were all people an ordinary family would never see in a lifetime; each had an incredibly distinguished background, like the young man with peach blossom eyes.
He was from the main Rong family—the Prince’s cousin—the most recent top scholar in the imperial exams, currently waiting for an official appointment. The Rong family already held a title, and with him becoming the top scholar, his future was limitless.
Another example was the person sitting next to the Rong cousin, the young heir of the Prince Shen estate, a true member of the royal Jiang family.
Of course, the person who fit in the least was me.
I had thought that when Lin Chongtan was with these nobles, he would have to be humble and submissive. But in reality, he wasn’t. Sitting with the Prince, he didn’t look inferior at all. In fact, I felt Lin Chongtan was even more striking than the Prince.
Not long after the banquet started, young girls in thin, feathery clothes entered one by one and sat beside us. I had never been so close to a woman. As soon as the girl sat down, my whole body froze.
“Young master, let me serve you some wine,” the girl said in a clear voice.
I gave a muffled grunt.
The girl smiled as she poured wine for me. I didn’t dare look at her, so I looked elsewhere and saw a girl sitting next to Lin Chongtan as well. Lin Chongtan was clearly much more composed than me, though his attitude toward the girl wasn’t enthusiastic. He only occasionally turned his head to listen to her, responding only with a nod or a shake of his head.
The girl next to him was much more eager; she even boldly reached out to hold Lin Chongtan’s arm.
Lin Chongtan didn’t pull away, letting her hold him. Seeing this, the girl’s face turned red, but she didn’t let go.
Seeing Lin Chongtan’s behavior, I felt embarrassed by my own, but as soon as the girl next to me reached out, I couldn’t help but hide my hand behind my back.
Whether it was my imagination or not, as soon as I hid my hand, I heard someone laughing.
After I did it a few times, the girl understood and simply poured wine and served food carefully. I didn’t come here to eat, but I didn’t dare speak to the Crown Prince.
Time passed slowly. A few people went to the outer room to play. Seeing that there were fewer people left, I worked up my courage and took my wine cup to toast the Prince.
But before I could reach him, someone grabbed my wrist and pulled me hard.
Caught off guard, my wine cup spilled on the floor, and I landed right on someone’s lap.
The person who pulled me was Yue Feiguang.
I immediately tried to stand up, but he held me tight, laughing flippantly. “What are you doing here tonight?”
“Let me go!” My face turned red with anger, but I didn’t dare struggle too hard for fear the Prince would think I was impolite.
“I won’t. What are you going to do about it?” Yue Feiguang seemed drunk, talking wildly. He even reached out to pinch my face. After a few pinches, he roughly pushed the girl next to him away and said to me, “You come pour wine for me.”
Madman! I wanted to hit him!
After several failed attempts to push him away, I realized the room had become very quiet. I looked around and saw everyone at the table was staring at me.
No, one person wasn’t looking—Lin Chongtan.
Lin Chongtan was looking down at his wine cup, lost in thought. Beside him, the Prince seemed to find the scene amusing, watching with a light smile.
Yue Feiguang also noticed the Prince’s reaction and said flatteringly, “Third Lord, don’t tell my father this time… he looks like this, how can you blame me?”
The Prince didn’t speak, but the smile on his lips deepened.
Taking this smile as approval, Yue Feiguang forced me to pour wine for him. The Rong young master called for a girl to sing. Under the cover of the harp and the singing, the fact that Yue Feiguang was humiliating me in public was being silently allowed.
I never expected to go through this. Yue Feiguang kept forcing me to pour wine, and I could only do it miserably. To my surprise, after I finished pouring, he drank half a cup and leaned his face toward mine.
As I dodged, I saw the Prince say something to Lin Chongtan, and then the two of them stood up and walked out.
Lin Chongtan actually didn’t care about me at all.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I pushed Yue Feiguang’s face away with all my strength, shoved him hard onto the floor, and ran out.
I rushed out of the private room, but because the building was so large, I didn’t know the way out. I could only stand in a corner near the room.
About seven or eight minutes later, I saw Lin Chongtan come out. He looked around and, seeing me, walked over slowly.
“Why are you standing here?” he asked.
I didn’t want to talk.
Lin Chongtan leaned in slightly. He smelled of alcohol and makeup, just like that other time. I now understood where that makeup scent came from.
“What’s wrong? Unhappy? Didn’t you want to come?”
His words felt like a slap in the face. I was the one who begged to come, and I was the one who deserved to be bullied like this.
After a few moments of silence, Lin Chongtan put his hand on my shoulder. “If you can’t even handle this, don’t come out in the future. Alright, stop crying. Let’s go back.”
In the carriage, I couldn’t hold back my tears. Lin Chongtan sat across from me, quietly pouring tea and handing me a handkerchief. I wiped my tears, sniffed, and looked up at him.
“What did you mean by those words just now?”
“Which words?”
“You said that I couldn’t even handle this. Does that mean they…” I stopped.
Lin Chongtan leaned against the carriage wall. He didn’t deny it, but he didn’t explain it fully either. He only said, “This is the capital, at the foot of the Emperor.”
I was silent for a moment. “Then will you be bullied like me?”
Hearing this, Lin Chongtan actually laughed. I was used to his elegant and gentle manner, so I didn’t expect his laugh tonight to suddenly have a bit of a sharp edge. “They wouldn’t dare.”
They didn’t dare bully Lin Chongtan, but they felt free to insult me.
They all watched like a show as Yue Feiguang held me on his lap.
Having had two cups of wine, the alcohol gave me courage. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. They didn’t dare bully Lin Chongtan, but I did!
I suddenly leaned over and lunged at him. Caught off guard, he was pinned down by me. I pressed him down and intentionally brushed my lips against his face in a flippant way.