8 Chapter 8
He asked for the slap.
Inside the inner courtyard, the sounds of pipes and strings never ceased from dusk till dusk. A group of handsome young male prostitutes, with graceful figures, frolicked and played under the plum branches, turning the inn into a brothel for pleasure.
"Does my master still refuse to see me?"
Su Lu stood under the plum branch, the moonlight spilling onto his face, making him look like fragile porcelain, which was heartbreaking.
Huaijin sighed and shook his head after returning from the inner palace.
The young lady casually praised the entertainers during the banquet that day, and that very evening Wei Xianxi sent over a whole bunch of male prostitutes. One of them, named Fangguan, was particularly favored by the princess and was allowed to serve in the inner palace for several days in a row. The news spread throughout the residence that Princess Ning'an had acquired a new toy and that the young prince Su was afraid he would be neglected like the previous Third Prince Lin Tan.
Su Lu glanced at the blindfolded courtesan playing pitch-pot in the garden, sighed, and turned away without a word. This scene was witnessed by the maidservants serving in the garden, who secretly reported it to Wei Xianxi.
This was something Wei Xianxi had discussed with Su Lu at the teahouse that day. At first, Wei Xianxi was worried about the feasibility of the plan. After all, although Fang Guan was beautiful and had an outstanding appearance, she was bland in front of Su Lu.
He was worried that Xie Yutang wouldn't be interested in Fangguan, but the plan went even more smoothly than expected.
That courtesan not only knew how to please people, but also had a beautiful voice. Xie Yutang had listened to music late yesterday and didn't get up until almost 9 a.m. today. Just as he was about to ring the bell to call someone in, he heard footsteps behind the screen, and Su Lu walked in carrying a copper basin.
Xie Yutang watched him wring out the hot towel, then gently wipe his wrist. After carefully examining his face for a while, she couldn't help but find it amusing: "I gave you a few days off, why aren't you happy?"
The warm towel brushed across her palm, then her knuckles and between her fingers. Su Lu's touch was very gentle. The cuffs of her clothes were rolled up and pressed down by his other hand, so the action looked intimate, but he didn't actually touch her at all.
"You seem quite happy, only seeing the new bride's smiles and not hearing the old bride's cries. When I go to Commander Wei's place, you won't even forget what I look like, will you?"
Xie Yutang was speechless for a moment.
She had originally intended to make a joke—"If you go to the patrol camp, you won't have to be a dog anymore, are you happy?"
Unexpectedly, I was the one who got the blame first.
She pinched Su Lu's chin, both angry and amused, forcing him to look up: "Who is that courtesan? You think you can compare to her?"
Although Wei Xianxi himself was fond of men, he always had to select some of his women to offer as tribute to his superiors. Fangguan was the one chosen for her outstanding appearance. She was kept in Wei Xianxi's mansion for several months. She usually only practiced her arts and played the zither and never entertained any guests.
Fang Guan was extremely willing to be offered to Xie Yutang this time. Since he was going to serve someone anyway, if he could get close to Princess Ning'an, he could rise to the top.
Therefore, Fang Guan has been using every means to please people lately, and given her status, she is even more uninhibited in front of Xie Yutang.
"Although this patrol battalion is not good enough for you, it is still a good opportunity for you to gain experience." Xie Yutang thought for a moment. "If you are really interested, you can definitely achieve great things. Isn't that much better than being tied to my side?"
Su Lu obediently tilted his head back and let her look at him. Hearing her voice, it seemed like she was trying to push him away again. He lowered his eyes and was about to speak when Xie Yutang said again, "However, even if you really have wild thoughts and don't want to come back, I will still catch you and bring you back. If you run away—" She narrowed her eyes, recalling the excuse Su Lu had made up to deceive Wei Xianxi, "I will really do as you said, break your legs, put chains on your wrists and neck, and lock you in a room so you can't go anywhere."
As Su Lu listened, a satisfied smile finally appeared on his lips. He took his chin from her hand, took a new handkerchief, wrung it out in the hot water basin, and used it to wipe Xie Yutang's face. His voice sounded somewhat expectant: "This is really what you said yourself, so don't go back on your word."
He then helped Xie Yutang sit down in front of the dressing table, took a little osmanthus oil, melted it in his palm, and gently applied it to the ends of her hair before taking a comb and combing her hair from the roots down.
Xie Yutang looked at his sharply defined jawline in the bronze mirror and thought of the wigs she had seen in his room when she was in the princess's mansion, styled into various buns.
Su Lu said that since he was to act as her male concubine, he naturally had to know how to serve her by washing up and styling her hair. So he found a horse tail in the stable and asked Huai Jin for the technique. He would practice it repeatedly in his spare time.
His long, slender fingers methodically parted the strands of hair. By the time Xie Yutang came to her senses, he had already tied up a flower bun. He was just waiting to insert a jade hairpin next to the bun and add a beaded hairpin to the front, and then it would be finished.
Xie Yutang naturally prefers a rich and elaborate style. She likes clothes with crimson trim and gold thread, and her hairstyle is also more flamboyant and bright. However, in her previous life, she had never dressed up like this many times because of Lin Tan's preferences.
She lowered her eyes.
Unfortunately, Su Lu is currently playing the role of "falling out of favor," so it's unlikely that he can keep this hairstyle.
But the words that should have made him stop lingered in his mouth for a few moments before he couldn't bring himself to say them.
That's enough.
Anyway, no one will see him come in. He'll just call Huaijin in later and make it look like she's tying her hair up.
She was about to ask Su Lu to take the white jade hairpin inlaid with pearls and emeralds when she saw the person in the mirror flick his finger and loosen his hair bun himself.
Strands of hair cascaded down his fingers in vain. Su Lu stared at his empty palms, remained silent for a moment, and then said softly, "Unfortunately, it's not the right time yet... Can Master wait for me to return?"
Fangguan was arguing with Huaijin outside the door.
Since he arrived at the princess's residence, he had been the one to serve Xie Yutang by washing, combing, and styling her hair every day. But this morning, Huai Jin stopped him at the door, saying that someone had already gone in to serve her.
Fangguan suspected that someone was vying for his favor, so she went back to the other courtyard and checked on the others one by one, but found no one missing. Only then did she gradually realize what was going on.
He had heard of the young master of the Muqing Prince's mansion. He was just the son of a military general, a rough fellow. How handsome could he be? Now that the princess doted on him, he was resorting to such means to win her favor.
Fangguan was filled with anger and resentment, but Huaijin was preventing her from entering. She was pacing anxiously when she suddenly heard a teacup shatter on the floor inside the inner hall, startling everyone serving in the outer room.
Su Lu was kneeling behind the screen, with tea and broken porcelain shards scattered on the ground in front of him, and a bright red handprint imprinted on his fair face.
What use is a servant who can't even tie his own hair properly?
Fang Guan understood the situation at a glance. Seeing that the other party had failed to win favor, she was secretly pleased. She hurriedly went forward to pick up the wooden comb from the dressing table and combed Xie Yutang's hair. She glanced at Su Lu on the ground with contempt. This glance was not serious, but she was stunned by his face.
His eyebrows and nose were deep and high, giving him a more aggressive look than the average Han Chinese man, but his peach blossom eyes were gentle and affectionate, and if you stared at them for a long time, you would fall in love with them.
He had always relied on his good looks to please others and had never been at a disadvantage, but now he felt a deep sense of crisis in front of a man who had been slapped and looked disheveled.
Fang Guan's alarm bells rang in his mind, and he immediately prepared a whole bunch of fabricated stories. He had grown up in brothels since he was a child, and his ability to gossip and spread rumors was almost innate. If he were given the opportunity to use it, he would definitely provoke Xie Yutang to completely expel that bitch surnamed Su from the mansion.
Fang Guan scoffed and was about to speak when Xie Yutang waved his hand impatiently, telling Su Lu, who was kneeling on the ground, to get out.
...
Fang Guan felt a breath stuck in her throat, unable to go up or down. Although she still had a sweet smile on her face, she secretly took a while to catch her breath.
Yesterday, a light snow fell all day, and Wei Xianxi sent someone to deliver an invitation, saying that a small banquet had been set up on the back mountain, inviting everyone to drink wine, stroll in the snow, and appreciate the plum blossoms today.
When everyone saw the bright red handprint on Su Lu's face, they all gasped and exchanged glances. Then, seeing Princess Ning'an laughing and joking with Fang Guan while picking plum blossoms, they all felt sorry for the young master Su.
It's one thing for Xie Yutang to have found a new love, but he also insisted on bringing out his ex with a slap mark on her hand, which is clearly a public humiliation.
Wei Xianxi's heart was in turmoil. He was convinced that Su Lu wanted to leave Xie Yutang and join him. He even started thinking about how to take good care of Su Lu.
Su Lu knelt beside Xie Yutang, placed the wine pot on the stove, and held a banana leaf fan in his hand, carefully adjusting the heat.
All eyes around him were drawn to his left cheek, where he had been slapped, but he made no attempt to look away, allowing everyone to stare openly.
No one would believe that he actually asked for the slap.
Xie Yutang originally only wanted to smash the teacup and scold him in public, but he said that if you're going to put on an act, nothing is more visually impactful than a slap mark on the face.
Recalling how his master had repeatedly tried to persuade him to stop, Su Lu couldn't help but smile faintly. In an angle where no one could see, he gently raised his hand to touch the red mark on his cheek.
That's good, let it stay like this forever.
Let everyone see the mark left by the owner.
Thus, one can know to whom one belongs.
Su Lu placed the brewed wine on the stand of the low table. The courtesan was extremely attentive to Xie Yutang, having just personally fed her a peeled grape. Seeing that the wine was ready, she couldn't wait to pour it for her.
Unexpectedly, the wine pot was too heavy. Fang Guan, who usually only knew how to play the pitch-pot and the zither, had never lifted heavy objects before. She couldn't maintain her balance at all when lifting the pot with one hand. Her wrist slipped and the wine spilled out. The scalding hot wine poured onto the hand that was holding the wine bowl, causing Fang Guan to scream in pain.
Xie Yutang immediately turned cold and ordered Su Lu to kneel down in public and apologize to Fang Guan.
"Your Highness, please calm down. I know that Prince Su did it by accident. He certainly did not mean to fill the wine cup too full. I will be more careful next time."
Fang Guan spoke softly and sweetly, the scalded area on her hand flashing before Xie Yutang's eyes. The red mark on her fair hand, coupled with his tearful eyes, made her look incredibly pitiful.
Xie Yutang almost rolled his eyes at the cloying teasing, but his brows furrowed slightly as he looked at Fangguan's scalded hand with concern, appearing distressed.
"Actually, it didn't hurt that much, so please don't punish Prince Su."
His words only made things worse. As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Yutang pointed to the wine pot on the table and told Su Lu to pour the hot wine onto the back of his hand, saying that he would only learn a lesson if he tasted the suffering that Fang Guan had endured.
Everyone pleaded for mercy, and Wei Xianxi bowed to Xie Yutang, saying, "Your Highness, Fangguan is ignorant and it is my fault for not disciplining her properly. Please punish me. However, this matter has nothing to do with Young Master Su, so please be lenient."
Xie Yutang chuckled but didn't say anything.
Fangguan, observing the situation, quickly said, "Young Master Su is my senior. As I am serving His Highness, I should naturally pay my respects to you. However, I have been busy serving His Highness and have neglected you. It was my fault." He bowed to Su Lu and said earnestly, "Consider this wine pot my apology. Please forgive me, Young Master."
Xie Yutang concealed the coldness in his eyes by lowering his gaze and drinking.
What a cunning and vicious courtesan!
He kept apologizing, but in reality he was implying that Su Lu was intolerant and targeted him because of his favor. The wine pot incident was his own fault, but after he said it like this, it really seemed like Su Lu had deliberately harmed him.
“…However, Fangguan has injured her hand and is probably no longer able to serve His Highness in styling his hair. But Young Master Su is a noble young master who always wields a sword and a knife; he's probably not very skilled at this.” He looked at Xie Yutang with tender eyes, as if genuinely concerned. “This morning, while combing His Highness's hair, the young master accidentally pulled it…”
He was about to add more details when Xie Yutang put down his wine bowl and said in a deep voice, "My household has never kept useless servants."
Everyone was shocked to hear this. Princess Ning'an actually intended to drive him away, all for the sake of this male prostitute?
Everyone's eyes darted back and forth between Su Lu and Fang Guan, and the same thought popped into their minds: "Is he blind?"
Xie Yutang may be blind, but others are not. The young ladies' thoughts immediately stirred, but they couldn't tell whether she meant what she said or was just a passing thought. Coupled with their ladylike reserve, no one spoke up for a moment.
“Your Highness,” Wei Xianxi said with a smile, “You are of noble birth and of great value. Although Prince Su has an impressive demeanor, he is still a clumsy martial arts man. Asking him to do your hair is like asking a butcher to carve flowers. Wouldn’t that be too much of a burden for you?”
Upon hearing this, the hall erupted in laughter, and the atmosphere became lively again. Xie Yutang also laughed, "Lord Wei, you are very protective of this young prince."
Wei Xianxi bowed deeply and said, “Your Highness, to be honest, the patrol battalion recently underwent a round of testing, and many people were eliminated. We are still short-handed. Young Master Su comes from the Muqing Prince’s Mansion, so he must be familiar with riding a horse and wielding a sword. Moreover, he subdued an assassin single-handedly a few days ago, demonstrating his skill. He also saved my life. I wonder if Your Highness would be willing to let Young Master Su train with me for a few days, so that he can better serve Your Highness in the future?”
He had already rehearsed these words countless times, and there was nothing wrong with them in terms of reason or emotion. Even if Princess Ning'an was unwilling, she could not find any reason to blame him.
Everyone laughed, joking that Commander Wei was taking the opportunity to poach someone's man. Wei Xianxi smiled warmly, but his hands, hidden beneath his wide sleeves, clenched involuntarily.
The less he cares about it and the more he talks about it like a joke, the greater the chance of success.
"So that's why Lord Wei sent so many beauties to my residence. It turns out he had his eye on the people I have in my hands all along."
Xie Yutang toyed with the wine in his cup and chuckled, "However, what Lord Wei said is also true. Prince Su comes from a family of generals. It would be a shame for him to stay by my side and spend his days arranging my hair and making my bed. Why not let him serve under you? That would be a contribution to our Great Yan."
Xie Yutang looked at Su Lu, who was kneeling beside the table: "I wonder what Young Master Su thinks?"
That's a better question than no question at all.
Anyone with eyes can see that Princess Ning'an only sees him as a toy that she can give away at will.
Sure enough, Su Lu's drooping eyelashes trembled slightly, and his calm, still voice was like stagnant water: "As Your Highness commands."
Xie Yutang put down the wine bowl, smiled and stood up: "Since Lord Wei is willing to accept it, then this person will be yours."
After saying that, she took a step out of the pavilion. Fang Guan smiled and glanced coldly at the slender figure kneeling in the pavilion. She then diligently lifted Xie Yutang's skirt and left with her.
The crimson robe with gold thread spread out in the snow and gradually disappeared into the plum branches covered with a thin layer of snow, without ever looking back.
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