Chapter 4: Prince Ying
The night had fallen, and the bustling shops that were full of life during the day had one by one closed their doors. Only the courtyards deep in the alley, on the other hand, lit up with one lamp after another.
A carriage, moving at a calm and unhurried pace, passed through Yongyang Street and stopped at the end of the alley in front of a courtyard glowing with a dim, reddish light.
A servant pulled on the reins and gracefully dismounted. Once the carriage was still, he lifted the curtain made of cloud brocade and said to the two distinguished individuals inside, “Masters, Junmeng Garden has arrived.”
The architecture of Junmeng Garden was unique and its grounds were vast. Outside were garden buildings with red bricks and green tiles, while inside were landscapes with a different character, similar to Huizhou-style architecture.
The main hall was several rooms wide, with a central hall and rooms on both sides. Above was a “skylight,” and right beneath this “skylight” was a copper mirror several hundred feet wide.
Those in the know understood that this copper mirror reflected the changing sky, and through the four seasons, what it showed was the entire city’s romantic and beautiful sights.
Gu Jiuniang noticed the sound of horse hooves at the entrance, so she dismissed the other staff and knelt down at the main gate.
Immediately after, she heard a servant speak,
“Madam, the masters say you may dispense with the formalities.”
The voice was high and thin, neither male nor female, so it was not difficult to guess the status of the person behind him.
Gu Jiuniang’s knees felt slightly weak, and she had to use her hand to lean on a stone step to stand up. She first performed a woman’s salute, then looked up and said, “This servant… this servant has already sealed off the courtyard and arranged the side rooms properly. Please, two masters… you may proceed.”
Even though Gu Jiuniang had met many members of the nobility in her lifetime, she had never expected that the masters of this land would be so stunningly handsome.
Gu Jiuniang realized that her gaze had overstepped its bounds and quickly lowered her head. She knew what not to look at and what not to listen to.
“How is it here? Is Imperial Brother satisfied?” The person who spoke had a dimple at the corner of his mouth and a flippant tone, clearly in the manner of a young man. If not for the dragon-patterned sachet on him, which was proof of his identity, others would surely have thought that the person beside him was the current emperor.
Although the Prince of Ying did not reply, his slight frown showed his displeasure. Clearly, this disreputable place of pleasure did not please him.
Gu Jiuniang’s heart was in her throat as she saw the Prince of Ying’s expression. She knew that the two people in front of her were not the high-ranking officials she usually tried to fool with her charms.
A moment’s carelessness could easily cost her her life.
Eunuch Xu, who was standing to the side, also noticed the tense atmosphere. He quickly put on a smiling face and came forward, saying, “It’s May now, and the weather is hot. This servant has ordered people to prepare cool tea and iced grapes for the masters. May I ask if the masters would…”
“His Majesty said he had an important matter to discuss with this subject. Is this what he meant by an important matter?” The Prince of Ying’s voice was already low, and now, its final note carried a hint of coldness.
As soon as he spoke, Eunuch Xu’s heart immediately sank.
This trip was already absurd.
But since His Majesty had heard that a peerless beauty had appeared among the common folk, he insisted on bringing the Prince of Ying along for this trip.
What should be done now?
The Prince of Ying was clearly angry.
The Emperor and the Prince were born of the same mother and grew up together, their bond deep. But the older palace staff all knew that when the gentle and refined Prince of Ying lost his temper, he was no different from an older brother scolding his younger sibling.
“Does Imperial Brother still remember what our mother entrusted to us before she passed away?” Emperor Jiaxuan suddenly said.
When the late Empress was mentioned, the Prince of Ying’s expression slightly changed.
The Prince of Ying stood motionless beneath the tree, his tall figure stretched even longer by the copper mirror.
The black hair that had been hanging behind him was now lightly brushed by the evening breeze, causing a few loose strands to fall across his cheek. This gave his whole being an indescribable sense of weariness and sorrow.
“For all these years, you’ve stayed away from women. I originally thought it was because the noble ladies in the capital were too boring for your liking, so I specifically found a talented woman from Jiangnan, like Su Jin, and sent her to you. Who knew you would still be unmoved? Now it seems, Imperial Brother, you must have forgotten the words our mother told you!”
The two words “our mother” had always been a sensitive spot for the two brothers.
Before the late Emperor passed away, Empress An voluntarily chose to be buried with him. The late Emperor, deeply moved by her devotion, not only passed the throne directly to her son but also commanded that all the other consorts be buried on the same day as her.
This way, all the other princes except for the Prince of Ying had to travel to their respective fiefs the following year and were not allowed to return to the capital without an imperial edict.
And with the sacrifice of one Empress An, imperial power was concentrated in a way it had never been before.
But Empress An left too early, too early for the Eldest Prince Song Xi to be married, and too early for the Fourth Prince Song Pei to have grown up.
Thinking back to that day, Empress An held the Fourth Prince’s hand and instructed him: “Your brother has such a cold personality. No noble lady will dare to marry him in the future. When you become emperor, you must discipline him well for your mother…”
The surroundings were silent, even the leaves didn’t dare to be lightly blown by the wind.
“Enough,” the Prince of Ying sighed deeply. He closed his eyes, as if he had tacitly agreed to the ridiculousness.
After all, the same tactic had been used too many times, and he was already very clear about his brother’s tricks. If he were to argue any further, he was afraid that the petitions of remonstrance would fill the entire desk tomorrow.
The Prince of Ying turned around, glanced in Gu Jiuniang’s direction, and said helplessly, “You lead the way.”
“Ning Zhi, go see if Shiyin’s dance is ready. If it is, tell her to come in first. If she’s allowed to sit, then go and call Wu’er and the other top-tier girls to come in together.”
“Won’t Jiuniang let Wu’er come out first?” Ning Zhi asked, puzzled.
Gu Jiuniang replied meaningfully, “I know the girls I’ve raised myself.” Unless she’s pushed to a dead end, she would never offer herself.
The dancers were on the left, and the musicians were on the right.
Lian Shiyin chose a piece with the highest difficulty, “Drunken Sunset,” and under the gaze from above, she twirled eighteen times, gradually lowering her waist with each turn until her most captivating curves were revealed.
When the piece was over, Emperor Jiaxuan raised his wine cup, took a sip, and smiled, “I never expected such outstanding dancing skills among the common folk.”
Upon hearing the words “common folk,” Lian Shiyin was truly surprised. Gu Jiuniang had only told her that the people in this room were of high nobility, but had not specified who.
But… only someone who could say “this place is among the common folk”…
Then wouldn’t that be…
Thinking of this, she quickly knelt down and repeatedly said she didn’t deserve the praise.
Being so astute naturally earned her a red token of favor.
Lian Shiyin was directed to the Prince of Ying’s side.
As soon as she sat down, the corners of her mouth couldn’t stop curving upwards. If she had known about this opportunity beforehand, she would not have wasted a single word on that official named Wu.
Next, a few more dancers entered one after another. After each performance, Gu Jiuniang had the people inside add another pot of good wine.
By the time Tang Wu pushed open the door, there were already two girls serving drinks inside. She lightly swept her gaze over the floor, first performed a bow, and then slowly began to wave the white gauze sleeve on her right side.
Such a stunning beauty couldn’t help but pique the interest of the already tipsy Emperor Jiaxuan again. He placed his folding fan on the table, signaling for her to begin singing.
Tang Wu’s eyes were tightly closed. She knew that success or failure rested on this one chance, and if she lost this one, she could only enter Count Cheng’an’s residence and wait for death.
She lifted her skirt and walked forward.
The sounds of the zither and sheng intertwined, starting softly and growing stronger from behind the screen, then spreading throughout the entire courtyard.
Enchanting, sensuous music softly spilled from her lips. It was a flavor like the last sip of wine for soldiers on the battlefield, exhilarating and with an endless aftertaste…
“Hands like soft sprouts, skin like congealed cream, a neck like a silk worm’s, teeth like gourd seeds”—this must have been written for a beauty like Tang Wu.
Her every frown and smile, her every movement, was a mesmerizing tune that plucked at a man’s heartstrings.
This Junmeng Garden truly lived up to its name; it was a place a lord would want to be.
When Tang Wu finished the song, she slowly opened her eyes and used a silk fan to cover her face, revealing only a pair of bewitching, misty, and alluring eyes.
She looked forward, wanting to see a gentleman who was captivated by her, but unexpectedly, that one glance caused her to lose her rhythm and her composure.
The Prince of Ying sat on the inner side, his deep purple, dark-patterned robe making his temperament appear elegant and noble.
But such a calm and profound demeanor seemed out of place with the entire room filled with the scent of wine and the large red beams.
One could understand this by looking at Lian Shiyin sitting next to him. Lian Shiyin had tried every way to get close to his side, but she was afraid to lift her eyes and look at him, fearing that one more glance would make him feel disgusted.
Tang Wu found it funny.
She was endlessly curious as to why such a handsome and noble gentleman was here.
Tang Wu was momentarily lost in thought, and before she could withdraw her gaze, it drew the Prince of Ying’s attention.
With this eye contact, the young girl on the stage immediately seemed to have her pressure points held, unable to move.
The man’s gaze was just as Yuniang had described: it carried a cluster of fierce fire, a hint of scrutiny, and a touch of interest…
He must have become interested.
Since she had lost her rhythm, the Prince of Ying’s hand also stopped lightly tapping a beat on the armrest. He sat high above, looking down at her. This gaze made her feel a hundred kinds of fear.
Tang Wu bit her lip and moved her gaze from bottom to top. Then, she turned her body, raised her hand to take off the hair ornament on her head, and let her black hair cascade down her back.
She wanted to take a gamble, betting that her beauty would make this noble gentleman lose his composure for a moment.
She walked in front of him, knelt down slowly by his side, and with her back hand, pulled her collar up an inch from her chest. Before anyone could react, she raised the wine cup high, tilted it slightly, and slowly poured the wine into her collarbone.
Carrying wine in her collarbone was the most she could do.
But after a moment, the Prince of Ying still did not move. This situation couldn’t help but make Tang Wu’s hands sweat profusely.
With a soft scoff from Lian Shiyin, her cheeks became redder and redder.
In fact, Tang Wu herself couldn’t explain why she had been so bold today. She didn’t even know who the visitor was, yet she dared to touch the tiger’s whiskers.
Seeing that he was not moving, she had no choice but to reveal her fair, small hand and reach out to hook the person’s palm.
One touch after another, neither light nor heavy.
At this moment, she had completely lost the seductive charm she had before. All that was left was the pleading in her eyes and the sorrow at the corner of her mouth.
Finally, just as she was on the verge of despair, the Prince of Ying leaned forward. He made a fist with his large hand, bracing her waist just as she was about to fall. His warm lips lightly held one side of her collarbone, and he drank all the “wine in the cup.”
