Wang Kui'an noticed that the veins on the back of the emperor's hand holding the wine cup suddenly bulged, and he immediately understood that the emperor's mood had been affected. He stood aside, not daring to utter a sound.

This drink should have been a joyful occasion, but Zhao Huan felt extremely uncomfortable about it.

The storyteller on stage had finished his story, bowed to the audience, and stepped down. Cheers and applause rang out in the restaurant. Next to appear was a beautiful woman. As soon as she appeared, the whole place fell silent.

Every man drinking was drawn to this.

She wore a loose-fitting brocade robe, her face was like a peach blossom, her skin was like snow, her eyes were bright and charming, and she walked with a graceful and flowing gait. When she reached the center of the stage, she placed the zither in her hands on the table.

She simply sat there, like a secluded orchid in a valley, her five slender fingers gently plucking the strings of the guqin, producing captivating sounds.

No man wouldn't want to take a look at a woman like that, and once he does, no man could easily forget her.

It's as if a poet, on a moonlit night, is drinking merrily in a pavilion in a valley when he catches a glimpse of a graceful and composed woman playing a lonely zither in the moonlight beneath a waterfall, instantly evoking pity in one's heart.

People put down their chopsticks, sipped their drinks, and listened to the ethereal and otherworldly music.

At this moment, Zhao Huan saw a man walk in. He was a young man in his early twenties, dressed in a purple robe, exuding an air of nobility. He walked quickly toward Qian Yu's table.

"Brother Ziqi, I am truly sorry. My father only just learned that you have arrived in Tokyo and was unable to greet you properly. Please forgive him!"

Qian Yu's tone was rather impatient as he sneered, "You have quite the airs. Our Qian family has come to Tokyo, and you don't even bother to ask about it. Well, Tang Xiangong is a favorite of that tyrannical emperor, so how could he possibly take our Qian family seriously!"

Upon hearing Qian Yu's words, Qian Mu felt a chill run down his spine. This guy was drunk and spoke without any restraint, truly treating this place like the Jiangzhe region.

Upon hearing Qian Yu's words, Tang Rui quickly gave him a meaningful look: "Brother Ziqi, you must not speak nonsense. The current emperor is a sage ruler who appears only once in a thousand years!"

Qian Yu wore a sarcastic and mocking expression: "You are all afraid of that tyrannical emperor, but my Qian family is not. If it weren't for the Qian family's great sense of righteousness and their willingness to offer up the southeast back then, how could the Zhao Song dynasty be where it is today!"

“Our southeast is prosperous, and the taxes we pay to the Zhao family every year are at least 20 to 30 million. If our ancestors had not been compassionate and loving towards the people and unwilling to let the people of the southeast suffer from the ravages of war, they would never have submitted to the Zhao family. Now the Zhao family is wicked and is forcing us to abolish corvée labor and reduce taxes. They are sucking our blood and breaking our bones!”

He grew increasingly angry, which made Qian Mu, who was standing to the side, turn pale. The old master's sending Qian Yu had really ruined things. This brat is not worth discussing anything with!

Tang Rui was also sweating profusely. How dare you say such a thing! And in Tokyo no less! You've lived in Hangzhou for so long, do you know nothing about what's happening in the Central Plains?!

Tang Rui immediately felt that this matter was very troublesome. His Tang family was also a prominent family in Jiangnan, and his father was the prime minister of the current dynasty, a favorite of the emperor. The Ministry of Commerce of the Song Dynasty was entrusted to his father.

Right now, we absolutely cannot get involved with that idiot Qian Yu, otherwise the Tang family will follow in the footsteps of the Cai family.

Just as Tang Rui was thinking about how to escape, Qian Yu's voice was so loud that it attracted the attention of many people, and even Hua Xiangrong stopped playing the zither.

Qian Yu was unconcerned and didn't care at all about the strange looks from others.

At that moment, several more well-dressed young people walked in through the door.

"Greetings, Young Master Qian!"

Wang Kuian whispered in Zhao Huan's ear, "The one in the dark blue robe is the youngest son of Jia Yunshan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites; the one in the white robe and purple gown is the son of Lu Shuo, the Right Grand Counselor; and the one in the blue robe over there is the son of Ji Yan, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War; the other two are the sons of Li Xinghe, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, and Liu Yu, the Minister of the Court of Agriculture. They are all famous figures in the capital city of Dongjing."

In the end, Wang Kui'an spoke in a very sarcastic tone.

Hehe, they are all sons of high-ranking officials!

This reminded Zhao Huan of a certain wealthy young master who could command the wind and rain in later generations. Zhao Huan was not a person with a strong hatred for the rich. In his previous life, he could not control how those young masters played, nor did he have the ability to do so. They could crush him with a single finger.

In this life, the emperor has no problem with these young masters going out to drink and romp around, chasing after women, but...

Qian Yu raised his head, ignoring the surprise and murmurs of the others, and continued in that arrogant tone: "It's you! What do you want with me, young master!"

"Young Master Qian, please forgive us. We only rushed over because we heard that you had come to Tokyo!"

The surrounding people looked increasingly astonished. They recognized these young people; they were all well-known second-generation officials in Tokyo, who usually wielded considerable influence in the city's youth circles.

Who is that young man? Why do these famous sons of officials show him such respect? Even the son of the current prime minister, Tang Ke, treats him with great courtesy.

Enjoying the shocked and admiring gazes of those around him, Qian Yu's vanity swelled to boundless heights.

"Fine, ignorance is no excuse!"

Qian Yu continued eating and drinking, completely ignoring these young masters. It seemed as if they were his followers.

Qian Yu suddenly said, "I have long heard that Hua Xiangrong of Dongjing City is so beautiful that she can be compared with Li Shishi back then. Seeing her today, I can confirm that she is indeed worthy of the reputation. I will offer ten thousand strings of cash. Would Hua Xiangrong be willing to accompany me tonight?"

His words shocked everyone present. Ten thousand strings of cash! Who was he to be so generous?

Even Tang Rui gasped in astonishment. The Qian family was indeed the Qian family, the wealthiest family in the Song Dynasty. Qian Yu could casually spend 10,000 strings of cash on a courtesan. Even he, the son of the prime minister, would not dare to be so extravagant.

The other men were green with envy, but seeing that this rich young man was someone they couldn't afford to offend, they didn't dare utter a sound.

Hua Xiangrong stood up, bowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, sir. I am very grateful, but I only sell my art, not my body. Please forgive me."

The crowd remained silent, but they were secretly delighted. Hua Xiangrong was a woman of strong character; she refused ten thousand strings of cash without hesitation.

Qian Yu had just been flattered by several sons of high-ranking officials, and then was rejected by Hua Xiangrong in front of everyone. His temper flared up immediately, and he said coldly, "Do you know who I am!"

“My lord is of noble status and extraordinary. I am but a lowly servant and dare not presume to be worthy of your status.”

Just then, more people came in from outside. They were the sons of high-ranking officials. Some people immediately recognized that even Yang Xiuren, the grandson of Yang Shi of the Hanlin Academy, had come, as well as Zhang Youhan, the son of Zhang Kui, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

After these people arrived, they all walked towards the young man's table.

"Young Master Qian, we are late, please forgive us!"

Qian Yu sneered, "Ignorance is no excuse!"

Zhao Huan, who had been sitting to the side drinking in silence, suddenly wondered, how come another emperor has emerged in the capital city of Tokyo?