“When will the bright moon appear? I raise my cup to ask the azure sky. I know not what year it is tonight in the celestial palace. I wish to ride the wind and return there, yet fear the jade towers and crystal halls—the heights are too cold to endure. Rising to dance, playing with my pure shadow, how could it compare to being in the mortal realm?”
The sound of strings and bamboo instruments accompanied the most popular slow melody of the times, leaving listeners intoxicated and entranced.
The great hall was packed. When Gu Chaobei entered, the matron hurried over and said, “Fourth Young Master, please go upstairs. The hall is full today, but fortunately someone arrived early—you can share a table.”
Though Zuihua Pavilion was the finest pleasure house in the capital, business had never been this good before. Curious, Gu Chaobei turned and went upstairs.
In the center of the hall was a platform where someone sat with their face concealed behind a gauze veil, singing and playing. The voice sounded extremely soft and melodious. Though the face was hidden, the figure was exceptional—no wonder it had attracted so many people.
Going upstairs and entering the private room, there was indeed someone who had arrived early.
“Come sit and watch below—it’s quite interesting.” Crown Prince Ming Xun beckoned to him with a smile.
Gu Chaobei clasped his hands respectfully and sat beside him.
It was rare for the Crown Prince to leave the palace, and he had actually come to Zuihua Pavilion. Gu Chaobei was quite curious—the Crown Prince had never been interested in women, so how had he become interested in these things?
The design of Zuihua Pavilion’s private rooms was also clever. There were only two on the second floor, sealing off the entire corridor. They had floor-to-ceiling paper doors facing the great hall—when opened, one could see the scene below. The Crown Prince had been here for quite a while, watching for quite a while, staring at the woman singing and playing below with considerable interest in his eyes.
“This establishment of yours is quite good.” After listening to one song, the Crown Prince praised it.
Gu Chaobei smiled faintly, also understanding the meaning in his gaze. “If Your Highness likes her, why not take this person back with you?”
“How generous of you. The matron said she’s a new cash cow for your establishment,” the Crown Prince said. “Now that there are no enemies within or without, with only that woman above causing trouble, this Crown Prince is much more relaxed. But relaxed or not, one mustn’t slack off. Leave this person here in your establishment—you protect her well for me.”
“Very well.” Gu Chaobei agreed.
The woman below left the stage, and the matron came up and said, “Please wait patiently, everyone, while Miss Hanlu changes her clothes.”
Miss Hanlu? Gu Chaobei raised his eyebrows. He had never heard of such a person before.
Taking advantage of going to the lavatory, Gu Chaobei called the matron over to ask, “Where did she come from?”
The matron smiled. “You haven’t been here for two days, so you don’t know. This Miss Hanlu sold herself voluntarily, but refuses to show her face. She knows quite a few songs, and I thought she could be bought out eventually, so I taught her to perform on stage. Who knew that not showing her face turned out to be a good thing—so many people are paying top money just to lift that gauze veil of hers. Ah, it’s truly delightful.”
Since she had sold herself, that made things easier. Gu Chaobei nodded. “The master above says to protect her. Handle it as you see fit.”
The matron was startled, her eyes widening. “What good fortune for her—to be noticed as soon as she arrives…”
Waving his hand, Gu Chaobei said nothing more and returned to the private room.
The Crown Prince was somewhat drunk, leaning to one side and watching him enter. “Chaobei, once your father finishes investigating those officials for embezzlement, you’ll be General Yuwen’s right-hand man.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.” Gu Chaobei sat down beside him.
“Why thank me? It’s your own skill,” the Crown Prince said with a smile. “Who would have thought that you, an unlearned and untalented person, could become a lieutenant general at such a young age? A lieutenant general commands military power—you must dig out the military authority from everyone else’s hands so you can advance and retreat together with General Yuwen.”
“Has the Crown Prince had too much to drink?” Gu Chaobei frowned slightly. If he were sober, how could he speak so carelessly about such plans in a place like this?
The Crown Prince laughed softly twice. “Haven’t I had too much to drink? Today I heard gossip in the Empress’s palace saying that Father Emperor’s health is getting worse and worse. If he’s not well, then I’ll be well…”
His heart sinking, Gu Chaobei said with lowered eyes, “Your Highness should be careful with your words.”
“Ah, this Crown Prince forgot—there are some things that cannot be said.” Ming Xun sighed. “Being subordinate to others brings such displeasure. Perhaps only when one stands above all others can one say whatever one wishes.”
Two of the Crown Prince’s close attendants had gone out to keep watch. Tonight, with Ming Xun in this state, it seemed he had been suppressing things for a long time and wanted to vent it all. Well then, let him speak.
“Now I’m the only imperial prince left. Since childhood, the brothers in the palace have died one by one, and now finally only I remain.” Ming Xun smiled. “Chaobei, you don’t know how brutal the fighting inside is. The First Prince ahead of me died not long after birth—I heard he was poisoned to death. I saw the Second Prince. He was several years older than me, yet mysteriously drowned and died in the Imperial Garden. The Third Imperial Brother was most debauched—he died on a woman’s belly. The princesses in the palace, Duanwen and Jingwen, are all living well…”
“And there was the Sixth Imperial Brother—he was killed by your people.” Ming Xun turned to look at him. “This position of mine was also secured for me by you all.”
Gu Chaobei remained silent.
Imperial princes had always been the hardest to keep alive. How unlike the Chancellor’s residence, where all three sons had grown to this age without any incident.
“I’m thinking that after I ascend the throne, I will definitely only have one son.” The Crown Prince took another drink, turning drunkenly to look down at the great hall.
Hanlu had already changed into another outfit and come up—thin gauze enveloping her body with only a tube top and long skirt underneath. In this licentious pleasure house, it unsurprisingly drew cheers from below.
“This Crown Prince has taken a liking to her.” Ming Xun pointed at Hanlu. “If she’s for sale, sell her to me.”
Gu Chaobei raised his eyebrows and looked again in the direction he pointed.
The style of those clothes—why did it seem somewhat familiar? As if he had seen it somewhere before.
However, since the Crown Prince said he liked her, he would naturally send the person to him. Going out to give a few instructions to the matron, very soon the woman on the platform was brought up.
Gu Chaobei didn’t look at her. He just had the matron send the person into the private room, close the doors and windows, then withdraw.
The Crown Prince had a consort, but she was rigid and dull. This provocative songstress probably seemed more novel to the Crown Prince.
Having heard so much, Gu Chaobei’s mood was also heavy. Returning to the residence, he went straight into the main quarters.
Shen Guiyan was already fast asleep. He didn’t wake her, just lay down beside her and gently drew her into his embrace.
So the Emperor’s health was poor. He wasn’t that old—every day people wished him ten thousand years of life, yet how was it completely useless?
In her sleep, something cold pressed against her. Shen Guiyan shrank back, drowsily opened her eyes to see it was Gu Chaobei, then moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist to transfer the warmth from her body to his.
Then she continued sleeping deeply.
She hadn’t woken at all, yet knew to come embrace him. Gu Chaobei chuckled softly. Today’s accumulated resentment suddenly dissipated. Lying beside her, he fell peacefully asleep.
The next morning, Shen Guiyan stared blankly at the person beside her, completely unable to remember when he had arrived. Gu Chaobei opened his eyes, groaned twice, then closed them again as usual, continuing to laze in bed.
Shen Guiyan was startled, then instinctively reached out to pinch his nose and cover his mouth. Gu Chaobei opened his eyes indignantly. “Can’t you use a different trick?”
“This trick works best. Why change it?” Shen Guiyan raised her eyebrows, smiling as she pulled back the covers. “Doesn’t my lord need to go to the training grounds today?”
“Not going, not going. I’m sick too.” Gu Chaobei pulled the covers back. “Not going anywhere.”
Baoshan came in carrying water and saw her young mistress looking helplessly at the lump bulging under the covers on the bed.
“This…” Baoshan was startled, but walking closer and seeing the Fourth Young Master’s clothes on the floor, she said with amusement, “This is really…”
Yesterday hadn’t they been ignoring each other? How had he ended up in Miss’s bed again in the blink of an eye?
Shen Guiyan reached out to touch his forehead, then touched her own, sighed, and got up to change. “If my lord wants to feign illness, then sleep well. This wife must go out today.”
“Where to?” The voice from under the covers still sounded half-asleep.
“To Luoxia Mountain.” Shen Guiyan lowered her eyes. “The case is closed. Sixi’s family should be buried. This wife bought a burial plot on Luoxia Mountain to bury their whole family together.”
Who was Sixi? Gu Chaobei was quite confused. After lying there for a while, Shen Guiyan had already changed clothes, tidied herself, and was about to go out.
“I’m going too.” With a sudden flip, he sat up, Gu Chaobei with his hair in complete disarray said, “You still haven’t explained to me about what happened at the training grounds that day!”
Explain what? Shen Guiyan raised her eyebrows, watching him get up and carelessly throw his clothes on, then go wash up, his hair stuffed haphazardly into his jade crown before preparing to leave.
Amused, she stopped him. Shen Guiyan reached out to fasten his clothes properly, buckled his belt, then took a comb to arrange his long hair and tuck it properly into the jade crown.
Watching her slender white hands, Gu Chaobei decisively forgot his vow yesterday that men couldn’t bow their heads first, and smiled at her. “My wife is still the best.”
Shen Guiyan pressed her lips together, even more confused about what men were thinking. Yesterday he had ignored her completely, and today he was all smiles again.
However, hurrying to get to Luoxia Mountain, she didn’t ask more. Only after going out and boarding the carriage did she tell Gu Chaobei about Sixi’s matter.
Gu Chaobei said, “You went to make trouble at the General’s residence for their sake?”
Shen Guiyan lowered her eyes. “This wife already knows it was improper. It will never happen again.”
If Yuwen Changqing weren’t such a good person, how could things have gone so smoothly? Before, she had been too naive—it would definitely not happen again in the future. The lesson Her Majesty the Empress taught her had truly made her learn her lesson.
She would just take care of herself from now on.
What Gu Chaobei was thinking about, however, was not this. That calculating Yuwen Changqing was actually so good to Yan’er—was it for his sake, or did he have other intentions?
That pervert was clearly several years older than him, yet had never married. He looked decent too, and was a general besides. Should he perhaps consider making a match for him and finding him a young lady to settle down with? Actually, Princess Duanwen would be quite good, but she had gone to play at her maternal grandfather’s place in Huainan. When she returned, he could make an introduction.
It would also conveniently solve a big problem for him.
It wasn’t that he was petty—really, he was much better than Yuwen Changqing, no need to worry about anything. They were just friends, and he was just helping out.