Chapter 30: Drunkenness and Dreams
"I offended the young lady just now, and the host asked me to come and apologize to her." Yu Niang said.
So you came to apologize.
Song Lingyi stepped forward to open the door, her dark eyes slightly raised, silently sizing up the woman outside, her gaze landing on the tray in her hand, "What is this?"
The tray held a long-necked glass wine jug. The jug had an ordinary appearance and could be seen everywhere in the building.
Yu Niang's red lips moved, her eyes flickering, her allure revealed. "This is the best wine in the building, called 'Drunken Life, Dreamy Death'. Many people would pay a fortune to get it. As a token of my sincerity, I've come to give you a pot."
She glanced at the empty elegant room and asked knowingly, "Master Shen is not here?"
"He's next door." Song Lingyi said.
The corridor was crowded with people, making it difficult to talk. Yu Niang didn't wait for the girl's consent and walked into the elegant room on her own. She placed the tray on the round table.
Although Song Lingyi was dissatisfied, she still remembered the bandit leader's instructions.
To avoid an argument, he spoke politely, "The wine has been delivered. Can you leave now?"
But the other party didn't care about her 'evicted order' at all. He turned around and sat on the crescent stool beside the table, holding his snow-white cheek and said, "No rush, let's just chat."
"How long have you known Mr. Shen?"
Song Lingyi frowned.
How many romantic debts did the bandit leader have? Why would this brothel madam be so concerned about his affairs? Could she be asking about the courtesan?
Thinking of this, the girl suddenly felt like challenging him and lied, "I can't remember, it must have been several years."
Under Yu Niang's slightly surprised gaze, the girl sat down shyly and smoothed a strand of hair on her chest with her green jade fingers.
"Ever since he met me, there has been no other woman by the Fifth Master's side. This time when he came to the capital, he took the initiative to bring me along..."
Listening to the girl's half-boasting and half-troubled narration, Yu Niang hesitated to speak.
I originally thought that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince brought this little girl to serve him just on a whim, but I didn't expect that he would dote on her so much.
That's not right.
Since you love her, why don't you tell her your true identity?
Yu Niang narrowed her eyes and thought:
How could she predict the Crown Prince's cautious behavior? This girl was favored, but she only had beauty and no family background. Whether she could serve in the Eastern Palace was another matter.
"So that's how it is. The young lady and Mr. Shen really have a deep and lasting bond."
As someone who has been through this, Yu Niang couldn't help but gently remind him, "However, status is more important than affection. Mr. Shen is a man of great stature and elegance, and there are countless girls in the world who are eager to fall in love with him. You must make plans early."
Status?
Song Lingyi lowered her eyes and thought to herself.
Shen Wuhui is handsome, but he is a bandit, not a noble official. Although the title of "wife of a bandit" sounds impressive, he will still be hated by everyone if he goes out.
This old brothel owner Bai has been in the underworld for so many years, but she can't walk when she sees a handsome guy.
Are all the girls in the world blind? It's ridiculous that they are willing to sacrifice themselves for a bandit.
She was disdainful in her heart, but she still smiled and nodded: "Of course."
Yu Niang smiled and pushed the tray in front of the girl. "This wine is good stuff. You must make good use of it. Once you can make Master Shen dizzy, the 'reputation' will be easily obtained."
After seeing Yu Niang off, Song Lingyi carefully looked at the wine jug on the table.
She opened the lid and smelled the wine, which had a rich aroma, but she didn't drink much and couldn't tell the difference between good and bad wines.
Yu Niang said it was "worth a fortune", probably because she wanted her to use it as a token of appreciation to curry favor with the bandit leader in order to gain a good reputation.
The girl was so focused on going to the capital to find her relatives that she didn't take Yu Niang's words to heart at all. She just turned around and collapsed back on her bed and fell into a deep sleep.
…
At the same time, the atmosphere in the elegant room next door was solemn.
"Your Majesty has been in poor health and has not been attending to state affairs for a long time. Important officials in the court, led by the Prime Minister and General Huo, have frequently written petitions requesting His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to return to the capital. The secret guards sent by the Second Prince have not been able to find any trace of His Highness, and he is more anxious than anyone else." Kong Hansheng said.
Yunhe Ferry is the most important transportation hub in Kyoto. Hexian Tower has the support of the prince's power. In addition, the people who come and go in the tower are all dignitaries and wealthy businessmen, so he is well-informed.
Everyone sat around the round table, all with frowns and serious expressions.
On the other hand, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who was sitting on the couch, still looked calm and composed.
"However, His Majesty's illness is strange. The ministers of the court have visited the palace many times, but His Majesty has never summoned them. The only time he summoned him, it was behind a curtain."
Kong Hansheng looked at Xiao Mingyi and said in a low voice, "There are rumors outside that His Majesty is seriously ill, but it's true that he is under house arrest."
When these words were spoken, everyone present was shocked.
Over the years, the Second Prince has been deeply favored by the Emperor. In order to ascend to the throne, he has done many tricks in private. However, His Majesty indulges him to the extreme and never holds him accountable. He transfers the Crown Prince to Danyang County to pave the way for the Second Prince.
But the position of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince cannot be easily shaken. The Huo family holds a large number of troops, and even His Majesty has to be wary of them. I am afraid that if the Crown Prince is deposed in the morning, the Huo family army will march south in the afternoon.
The pirates have been pacified, and it is only a matter of time before His Royal Highness the Crown Prince returns to the capital.
Once His Royal Highness the Crown Prince returns to the capital, the Second Prince will completely miss the throne. With his personality, how could he be willing to accept this?
Rather than waiting to die, it's better to give it a try. He even dared to assassinate the crown prince and imprison the emperor. It really seems like something he could do.
Bang--
Wang Chong pounded the table angrily.
"Boss, when will we enter Beijing?"
He couldn't wait to take Xiao Du's head!
Xiao Mingyi lowered his eyes: "No rush. If we want to completely get rid of Xiao Du, we must have a legitimate reason."
"Your Highness is right."
Kong Hansheng curled his lips and said slowly, "The night is long and full of dreams. The Second Prince will definitely force Your Majesty to abdicate and then eliminate dissidents. In five days, it will be Your Majesty's birthday. The palace will hold a banquet to entertain officials of the third rank and above and their families. That day is the best time."
Xiao Mingyi shook his teacup and said thoughtfully, "I have contacted the Kyoto garrison. He Meng and Wang Wenzhou will probably arrive at Yunhe Ferry tomorrow afternoon. After they meet up, we will secretly enter the capital."
"yes."
Everyone discussed for a long time, until the moon was mid-rise, and then they went back to their rooms to rest.
Xiao Mingyi pushed open the door of the elegant room next door, and the room was quiet and silent.
The pot of 'Drunkenness and Dreaming of Death' was placed on the table intact. He slowly walked to the soft couch and watched the sleeping girl with bated breath.
Her eyebrows were as dark as distant mountains, her thin lips were as delicate as cherries, and her fair face was a faint blush from deep sleep, making her look delicate and charming.
Xiao Mingyi's throat rolled slightly. He took out the hairpin from his sleeve pocket and planned to put it next to her pillow before leaving. Just as he bent down, the girl suddenly turned over.
His heart tightened, and he immediately stood up and put the hairpin back into his hand.
The girl opened her eyes dazedly and saw the dark figure beside the couch. Her mind was still a little dazed, "Fifth Master, you're back."
She slowly sat up and looked up, "Didn't we say we were going to have dinner? Why are you taking so long?"
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