Chapter 1 Chapter 1 I will be responsible for you
"Your Highness, do you really want to go in personally? It would be better to let our servants handle such a small matter."
Li Fu stood half-bent over a man. It was winter, and snow was falling from the sky, making a crunching sound under his feet. He was so thirsty from persuading others that beads of sweat fell on his forehead. His fat and bloated body followed closely.
The man glanced at him and said: "If you don't want to go, you can wait outside."
"Oh, oh, oh, how could I do that! How could I let Your Highness be in danger? If the Queen asks about this, I will be held responsible!" Li Fu said, beating his chest and anxious to express his loyalty. "I am Your Highness's servant in life and your ghost in death. My mission is to be loyal to Your Highness, Your Highness..."
Li Cheng turned his head and glanced at him with sharp eyes. Li Fu was so frightened that his body trembled. The loyalty that he had not yet expressed rolled around in his mouth several times before he finally swallowed it.
"Then let's go. Don't call me Your Highness outside." He said this coldly and walked towards Fengle Tower.
Li Fu had no choice but to follow, shaking his head and sighing.
Fengle Tower was built in the southwest of Kyoto. Most of the people living in the left and right markets were common people with limited income. Logically speaking, if a restaurant chose this location, it would face the risk of going bankrupt within a few months due to business failure.
The facts were unexpected. Fenglelou's reputation spread wider and wider, and many dignitaries came here to visit. It wasn't long before it became one of the best restaurants, surpassing many restaurants that had been in business for hundreds of years.
It is said that the wine here is mellow and the beauties are graceful. Just one sip will make people feel ecstatic and forget all worldly worries.
Li Cheng paid little attention to these matters; a crown prince wouldn't pay particular attention to a small restaurant. It was simply because, during the winter solstice ceremony last year, the emperor, following ritual, led his ministers to the circular mound south of the city to worship the Xuanming deity, the deity of the winter solstice. Unexpectedly, rebels from the previous dynasty had already planted explosives at the mound, awaiting the emperor's arrival.
With a resounding explosion, the mound was reduced to ruins by the gunpowder explosion. Fortunately, the emperor had not yet ascended the altar, and thus escaped destruction. However, the emperor, having suffered numerous battles in his youth, had already suffered numerous injuries, and the explosion induced a severe illness.
With the rebels still alive, Crown Prince Li Cheng was ordered to investigate the plot. Secret guards and spies spent over a month investigating, eventually zeroing in on Fengle Tower in the south of the city. To avoid alerting the enemy, Li Cheng ordered his secret guards to remain outside while he led Li Fu inside.
Li Fu felt miserable. He had served His Highness for many years. He knew that His Highness looked gentle and kind on the surface, but once he made a decision, even ten oxen could not pull him back.
I hope nothing unexpected happens this time. The old eunuch followed behind with small steps, chanting Buddhist mantras.
Perhaps he was too frightened. Li Fu breathed a sigh of relief. His Highness had martial arts skills, and there were also skilled Azure Dragon Guards lurking outside. With such thorough preparations, nothing should happen.
Li Cheng was dressed in a green robe, his hair tied up with a jade hairpin, and a delicate jade pendant on his waist jingled as he took square steps.
He paused, taking a discreet look at the restaurant. Fengle Building was three stories high, with flying eaves and brackets, covering an area of over a hundred feet. Bright, bright golden bronze bells hung from the eaves, tinkling in the howling cold wind.
The heavy snow cast a shadowy, dark glow over the restaurant. As I walked in, the waiter came up to me. "Sir, what would you like to order?" He was a short, thin man in his early teens, his voice a little weak.
As you step into the hall, you will see eight-immortal tables made of rosewood arranged in an orderly pattern. Stovetops everywhere are burning with the finest gold and silver charcoal. As soon as you enter, you will feel the warm breeze on your face, and it is as warm as spring.
Li Cheng gently brushed off the snow and stepped forward to survey his surroundings. The main hall was packed with guests, a clamorous din emanating from the air. Some were drinking and chatting, while others were laughing and playing with women in their arms. Several of these were even familiar faces to Li Cheng.
In the private room on the second floor, through the Suzhou embroidery screen with the inscription "Many Children and Many Blessings", one could faintly hear the lewd sounds of stringed instruments and the sounds of men and women flirting. Li Cheng felt that the air here was really turbid, and his brows slightly frowned.
There were actors singing on the stage not far away.
"The setting sun is like blood, and the palace lanterns illuminate the withered graves silently"
"Sad and sorrowful, where is the fate of the country going?"
As Li Cheng listened to these lyrics, his expression became increasingly grim.
The bustling lobby suddenly quieted down as a distinguished man entered. Everyone seemed to be under a spell, their gazes fixed in unison. Although Li Cheng wore a human skin mask and the colorful robes of ordinary scholars, his natural aura of superiority was still difficult to conceal.
He withdrew his gaze and found an empty place to sit down, tapping the table lightly with his slender bony fingers: "I heard that the Shidongchun in your store is good, please bring me a pot."
"Okay, the Shidongchun needs to be heated up before being served. Please wait patiently for a moment, sir." The waiter threw the white handkerchief in his hand over his shoulder and bent down to retreat.
Turning around, Li Cheng caught a glimpse of the marks left by the whip on his skin, which were slightly visible on his sleeve. His hand paused slightly.
Seeing Li Fu's bloated body still standing there, he leaned back a little, looked sideways at the people around him, and said indifferently: "Why don't you sit down?"
Although His Highness had changed his appearance, Li Fu still felt the pressing pressure. He was about to say something polite about the huge difference in status between the master and the servant, but he heard the man's very calm question, "Hmm?"
It sounded like just a simple question, but Li Fu knew that this master was a man of his word. If he continued to make excuses, he thought His Highness would really get angry.
So, with trembling legs, he slowly squatted down, his fat body only daring to touch the chair lightly, just a little bit in front. From a distance, it looked more like he was doing a horse stance in front of the chair than sitting on it.
At this moment, Li Fu's whole body was like a spring breeze. Although His Highness looked cold on the outside, he was actually very warm-hearted. Knowing that his old bones would not be able to stand for long, he specially let him sit on the chair. Meeting such a good master was truly a blessing in his three lives.
Li Cheng had no idea that in just a quarter of an hour, the old eunuch had already imagined so many things. He simply thought his overweight body was an eyesore.
He sipped the Shidongchun tea brought by the waiter, his right hand resting on the armrest of the armchair, looking lazy.
The others in the main hall also seemed to find the atmosphere a bit strange. Although noisy again, it wasn't as unbridled as before. Everyone was more restrained, fearing to disturb something. Only their eyes would occasionally drift over to the handsome man.
Li Cheng seemed oblivious, continuing to leisurely drink his hot wine. He looked around but found nothing unusual about the restaurant.
The wine glass was gently placed on the table, and he called to the waiter, "Where is the toilet in your store?" He looked lazy, but had an aura that kept people at a distance.
The waiter pointed in a direction, and Li Cheng thanked him and walked on. Li Fu wanted to follow, but was stopped by a look from Li Cheng.
The further he went in, the darker the light became. He glanced sideways behind him and went upstairs. Outside the private room, through the layers of door panels and screens, he could still hear the occasional, erotic sounds of men and women engaging in sexual intercourse.
This wasn't uncommon in the Jin Dynasty. Many restaurants ostensibly served food and wine, but secretly served as dens of wealth and luxury for the rich and powerful. Half-merchant, half-prostitute, this had been a common practice since the previous dynasty. Consequently, some powerful women, knowing the ins and outs of restaurants, would even forbid their husbands from drinking there.
At the turning point, they found themselves in a vast open space, surrounded by bronze mirrors. A cold wind howled outside the windows, and the dimly lit lanterns shone a greenish-yellow glow, like ghostly flames on the piles of bones on a grave. Li Cheng instantly tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.
Upon entering, I saw only ordinary bronze mirrors, leaning against the wall, looking rather eerie. The stairwell at the entrance was dark, with only the faint flicker of candlelight. Next to it was a dusty wooden window frame with a longevity pattern. Something was weighed down on it, rustling in the cold wind that blew in.
When the cold wind blew, I suddenly felt a chill on my back.
Li Cheng stepped closer to take a closer look. Three long-faded yellow talismans, pressed against the window frame with small stones, looked eerie. The talismans were outlined in cinnabar and gold, and etched with strange inscriptions. Examining them closely, he discovered they were inscriptions carved on bronze vessels used for sacrificial offerings during the Liang Dynasty.
It seems that Fengle Tower is indeed closely connected with the rebels of the previous dynasty.
As the faint fragrance of the scent wafted over, time seemed to stand still. There was no sound at all, and the passionate embrace of the man and woman not far away inexplicably disappeared.
The surroundings seemed to be filled with fog. Li Cheng could see the copper bells on the eaves through the window. They were faintly ringing, and there seemed to be some pattern.
He heard footsteps behind him. His expression was sharp. He gripped the hilt of the sword tightly and turned around suddenly. He found a young woman in a gray cloth shirt who was waving at him with a smile: "Sir, we can't stay here for long. Please come out with me quickly."
Li Cheng was about to ask more when the woman suddenly disappeared. Candles were burning in the stairwell, as if offerings were being made to a deity. He approached the shrine and, strangely, the outside was covered in cobwebs and mottled with old marks, but the offerings inside were fresh, and the candles had been newly lit.
The shrine held not a statue of a deity but a human figure. Three incense sticks in the incense burner before the figure were still burning, sending plumes of smoke curling upwards. No wonder he'd smelled a sweet aroma just now; it was the incense from the burner. Fearing it might be some kind of incense, Li Cheng summoned his inner strength and held his breath, concentrating.
He reached in and pulled out a stack of paper pressed against the shrine. It was exactly the same as the talisman paper on the window frame. The difference was that this talisman paper looked very fresh, obviously having been placed there not long ago.
He turned back and with a click, the two lanterns with the brightest candlelight outside went out. It was dark and he was deep in the corner. The only light was the candle in front of the shrine.
When I flipped to the end and saw the words above, my whole body trembled. I could hardly hold the hilt of the sword at my waist.
"Hidden Crown Prince Yan Guang, Lord of Heaven's Mandate"—beneath these large characters were the life story of the previous Crown Prince Yan Guang. Li Cheng's breathing quickened, and a sticky sensation spread across his palms. He looked down and saw that blood had been flowing from them, staining the talisman paper red, yet he felt no pain at all.
"Hahahaha", in the silence, a silver bell-like laughter rang out, and someone murmured, seemingly in extreme pain:
"Hidden Crown Prince Yan Guang, the Lord of Destiny!"
"The blood moon becomes a river, and maggots breed in rotting flesh..."
"The vengeful ghosts seek revenge, and the underworld is their companion..."
The sound lingered and echoed in the silent second floor.
Li Cheng's head was spinning with dizziness, and he felt something was wrong. With a piercing gaze, he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly at his waist and strode forward. He walked back into the dark corridor, and the passionate embrace of the man and woman had long since vanished.
Every door was open, the wooden doors making strange noises in the wind, and the air was filled with the smell of blood. As he walked through the room, he could still catch a glimpse of the crimson bloodstains spreading across the room, almost reaching his feet.
Walking out quickly, he could still hear the old and eerie voice behind him, "Prince Yin Yanguang, the Lord of Destiny..."
Finally preparing to go downstairs, his robe soaked with sweat, he leaned halfway on the handrail, panting. Before he could react, a crisp "bang" sounded from not far away, followed by scolding and beatings: "You whore from a brothel, you can't even do such a small thing. What's the point of having you? Just jump into the river and die!"
The dull sounds of punches and kicks were accompanied by the woman's choked sobs. She didn't dare cry out loud, only curled up on the ground with her head in her hands. As time passed, the sounds of beatings and scolding gradually faded, leaving only the woman's sobs.
Li Cheng felt his head getting more and more dizzy, and knew that he had fallen into the thief's trap. He wanted to walk down the stairs quickly, but as soon as he took a step, he tumbled down the stairs.
The woman heard the noise and looked over here. Seeing someone rolling down from a high place, she didn't care about anything else and limped over to help.
Li Cheng's expression was hazy. He could vaguely see those familiar eyes. His whole body was getting hotter and hotter. He tried to struggle to get up from the ground, but he had no strength left. He just hoped that Li Fu would come quickly.
The woman was crying pitifully, her whole face was swollen, and her arms and wrists were bruised. She wanted to help the man up but she had no strength, so she asked anxiously: "Master, are you okay? Do you want me to find someone?"
Li Cheng's burning body was touched by her cold hand, and he uttered an unconscious sigh. He wanted to nod and ask someone to go outside to call Li Fu, but his body would not obey him and he leaned straight towards the warm and soft jade.
"Sir, let me help you out," Liang Hanzhang said, looking at the man's red eyes. Then he thought, if they were tugging and shoving each other, it would be bad for outsiders to see him. He might as well help the man to the side and then go get a doctor. But he was still a little scared, so he gritted his teeth and carried the man on his shoulders.
Li Cheng was half-dragged forward. He caught the scent of her hair, and the familiar look flashed across his face again. His breathing quickened, and he knew he looked utterly miserable. He wanted to ask her to tell Li Fu to come over, but he couldn't form a complete word. The woman was also confused.
Passing by a private room, Liang Hanzhang, who was of small stature, thought of leaving the man inside first and then going out to find a doctor to see the young man.
After finally putting the man on the couch, she wanted to turn around, but found that the man's big hand was tightly holding her wrist, which hurt so much that she burst into tears.
"Master..." She cried out in pain. Li Cheng was panting heavily, staring into those bright, familiar eyes. His expression was momentarily dazed, as if recalling something from the past. He could no longer restrain his movements. One hand rested on her abdomen, the other on her waist. With force, he pressed her down onto the couch.
"I'm sorry," he said, his eyes reddened by lust, but he remained gentle and polite. "I will take responsibility for you." His voice was precise and resounding, without the vagueness from earlier. He couldn't wait any longer, so he tore off her thin clothes and began to move.
She wanted to struggle against the shackles, but her soft little hands pushed them away, which made her seem reluctant but willing.
He noticed the crisscrossing scars left on her by the whipping, and his eyes flickered, as if passing through a trace of pity, and gradually became gentle.
Liang Hanzhang felt like he was about to die. He was up and down, like he was in a swaying boat, about to be drowned in the waves of the sea in the next second.
The red candles warm the room, and the fragrance fills the room...
-
Li Fu waited in the main hall for a long time but saw no movement from the prince. His heart was pounding and he did not care about anything else. He walked quickly to the door, took out a whistle with golden python pattern from his waist pouch and blew it. The secret guards guarding outside the restaurant heard the order and instantly flashed in front of Li Fu.
"Your Highness seems to have been in trouble. Quickly split up and look for him!" He said this, and with small steps, his fat body ran towards the direction where His Highness had entered. The secret guards received the order and immediately split up to act.
Such a big scene obviously scared the other people in the restaurant. Not only were the people in the main hall tied up, but the men and women entangled in the private room on the second floor also screamed in fear when they saw the secret guards breaking in.
Li Fu regretted as he ran. He should have followed His Highness closely. If anything had happened to His Highness, he would have lost his life.
The old eunuch was crying as he searched, but he had difficulty moving and was out of breath after running a few steps. He was not careful and tripped over the threshold. With a dull thud, the chief eunuch of the Eastern Palace fell to the ground in a mess, crying with snot and tears running down his face.
What a sin! What if something really happens to His Highness? He...he will also die for his master!
Li Fu collapsed on the ground, crying his heart out.
He cried for an unknown amount of time until his body became numb. He wanted to get up from the ground and continue searching, but Xia Chang, the Azure Dragon Guard, rushed over and helped him up. "Your Highness has found it!"
"Where?" Li Fu was surprised and happy, and didn't care to cry. He asked anxiously in a shrill voice, pulling the man's sleeve.
Xia Chang's eyes showed a trace of embarrassment, and he scratched his head in embarrassment, "Your Highness... now... maybe it's not convenient..."
"Hey, can you explain what you mean by inconvenience? His Highness is not injured, right? Where is he now? Take me there quickly..."
Xia Chang's lips moved, but he couldn't say anything. He just led Li Fu over without saying a word.
"Look, His Highness is inside," he pointed to the private room with the closed door, but had no intention of going in.
Li Fu's heart was in turmoil, anxious and irritated. Now that he had heard the news, he wanted to return to His Highness immediately. From now on, no matter how much His Highness drove him away, he would not leave even a step! He thought to himself.
The old eunuch burst into tears and was about to push the door open to show his loyalty. Xia Chang held him back and said, "Hey, eunuch, wait a minute. His Highness has something important to do inside, and we servants can't disturb him..." He spoke hesitantly.
Li Fu was confused and asked with his big round face covered with dried snot: "What does this mean? I don't understand..."
"Hey, even though you're a bastard, you've heard about sex before, right? Listen to the voices inside. His Highness is having sex with a woman. How dare we go in and disturb him?"
Li Fu lay half of his body on the door panel, and heard the intermittent sobbing of a woman from inside, which was delicate and charming, like the soft sobbing of a kitten. He couldn't help but blush.
He stood up, straightened his clothes, touched his nose awkwardly and said, "Oh, it's true... If I go in without knowing the danger, I don't know how Your Highness will blame me. Forget it, I'll just stay here."
"Oh right, have someone seal off the restaurant and not let anyone out. Also, send someone back to the Eastern Palace to get the imperial physician. His Highness is a man of integrity and would never commit such a lewd act in broad daylight. He must have been drugged." Li Fu gave his orders in an orderly fashion. After all, he was the crown prince's senior eunuch and could be very useful at a critical moment.
Xia Chang ordered his men to carry out the order. Li Fu, squatting outside, could occasionally hear the creaking of the bed in the inner room and the unbearable sobs of a woman. He was amazed. He had served His Highness for many years and had never seen Him have sex with a woman. In the mornings, when he entered His Highness's bedroom, he had also found several inexplicable stains on the underwear of the man sleeping on the couch. His Highness was at the age of full vigor, but even so, he had never had sex with a woman.
Li Fu knew that His Highness had been alone for many years and had always hidden someone in his heart, and he had kept his virginity for this person. Now that he had broken his vow, did he find the woman he loved, or was he drugged and unconscious?
I don’t know who is so lucky.
The author has something to say:
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Details of the pre-collection of "Branches in My Arms" are in the column~
The man crawled on the ground, begging bitterly, his voice sad: "Zhizhi, please don't leave me, okay?"
"Believe me, I will definitely pass the high school entrance exam in two years and return home with honors.
I will definitely take you and Xun'er to live a good life."
"Could you please not be so cruel..." He clenched his hands into fists, his eyes full of bloodshot.
But the woman next to him remained expressionless and unmoved. She pulled the man's hand away and said coldly: "Chen Mu, we are husband and wife, you
He is Xun'er's father. For Xun'er's sake, he has some respect for you.
Show some affection."
"But you can't take advantage of this little bit of friendship and push your luck. Doing so will only make me more disgusted."
The woman looked gentle and peaceful, but every word she spoke was filled with poison, turning into a sharp blade that pierced Shen Mu's heart. Shen Mu felt his heart dripping with blood, and the pain was unbearable.
Three years later.
Shen Mu passed the imperial examination and rose to prominence, becoming a rising star in the court.
Meanwhile, the Jiang family is implicated in a corruption case that shocks the government and the public, and His Majesty is furious.
I heard that the Dali Temple Minister who was supervising this case was a nobleman from a poor family. He had not yet married and had only one six-year-old illegitimate son.
Duke Jiang looked at Jiang Zhi's beautiful face and decided to let her meet Dali.
Temple Minister, please plead for the Jiang family.
In the dim light, Jiang Zhi saw the man's face clearly.
With a "hum" sound, she knelt on the ground and trembled. Shen Mu half-knelt beside her.
The handsome face in front of him was now filled with gloom.
He pinched Jiang Zhi's chin with his fingers, sneered and asked: "Why do you say that?
Because, I will accept you, a heartless and ungrateful woman."
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