Pei Shaoqing only realized upon his arrival that the banquet Zheng Xuancheng had prepared for him was actually being held at his own residence.
This was an honor typically reserved for only the closest of relations, and their friendship was nowhere near that level.
'He scoffed inwardly.' Led enthusiastically by the Zheng Mansion's butler, he strode through the main gate. The estate was vast. After passing through a courtyard and the main hall, he entered a garden filled with pavilions, waterside terraces, intricate rockeries, and exotic flowers.
The sheer size of the estate and the endless stream of servants and maids hurrying about was a clear testament to the power of the Jing'an Guard. A mere Hundred Households Commander in charge of a single county could amass such a fortune and dare to display such extravagance.
Zheng Xuancheng had set up the banquet in a pavilion situated in the middle of the garden pond. Besides him, Chen Zhongyi, and Xu Zhiyong, whom Pei Shaoqing had met earlier that day, there was another middle-aged man in a green robe with a refined, scholarly air.
Before the butler could even announce him, the four men saw Pei Shaoqing from a distance, stopped their conversation, and rose to greet him. As the host, Zheng Xuancheng led the way, a brilliant smile on his face. "Hahahaha!" he boomed. "To have a distinguished guest such as Young Master Pei grace my humble home today truly brings it great honor! My accommodations are simple, so I hope you'll forgive any shortcomings in my hospitality. Please, take the seat of honor."
"You're too kind, Lord Zheng. I'm not picky," Pei Shaoqing replied nonchalantly. He then strode past the four men and, without a shred of ceremony, plopped himself down in the host's seat. Shaking out his sleeves, he turned the tables on them and gestured. "What are you all standing around for? Sit."
Zheng Xuancheng had never met someone so arrogant and rude. He took a deep breath to suppress his anger before motioning for the other three to sit. He then pointed to the scholarly middle-aged man. "Young Master Pei, this is our County Magistrate Wang, the official in charge of this county. When he heard you were going to help the County Government Office eliminate the Phoenix Mountain horse thieves, he came here tonight specifically to offer you a toast on behalf of all the city's people to express their gratitude."
"A pleasure, Young Master Pei." County Magistrate Wang bowed slightly before raising his cup, his face a mask of shame. "As County Magistrate, I have a duty to protect this land and its people. Alas, my spirit is willing, but my power is insufficient, leaving me no choice but to seek aid from the Jing'an Guard. For you, Young Master Pei, to bravely shoulder the heavy burden of suppressing these bandits so soon after your arrival... you are truly a worthy descendant of nobility, a true scion of a great military family! With this cup, I thank you on behalf of the entire city for this gift of life."
With that, he tilted his head back and drained the cup.
"Don't mention it!" Pei Shaoqing also raised the cup a maid had just filled for him and downed it. He slammed the empty cup back onto the table with a THUD, wiped his mouth, and declared with unbridled arrogance, "They're just a few mountain bandits! Watch me round them up with ease. I came to Tongzhou to make a name for myself and show my father what I can do. These Phoenix Mountain horse thieves will be the perfect warm-up."
"Such spirit, Young Master Pei! Your leaving the Capital City is like a fierce tiger unleashed from its cage. You will surely accomplish great things."
"Indeed, indeed..."
The men showered him with extravagant flattery, and Pei Shaoqing squinted slightly, a look of smug satisfaction on his face.
"In that case, when does Young Master Pei plan to move against the bandits?" County Magistrate Wang asked with a concerned expression.
Pei Shaoqing blurted out without a moment's hesitation, "Tomorrow! As soon as I officially take my post in the morning, I'll lead my men out of the city to crush them. Every day we delay, another innocent merchant could be killed. The sooner we restore peace to the people, the better. Their leader, Xu Yuanqing, won't live to see the day after tomorrow!"
The four men, led by Zheng Xuancheng, exchanged glances, faint smiles touching their lips. They knew their plan was already halfway to success.
"I wish you a triumphant first battle, Young Master Pei." Zheng Xuancheng raised his cup high. After drinking, he frowned and said haltingly, "However, the bandits are numerous and well-entrenched. To ensure there are no mistakes, I'll send some extra men to assist you tomorrow."
Then, giving himself away, he added, "Of course, I don't doubt your abilities, Young Master Pei. It's just that even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit."
"Unnecessary!" Pei Shaoqing waved a dismissive hand, saying just what they wanted to hear. "Tomorrow, I'll only take my own troopers and guards. That band of horse thieves who tried to ambush me today was already seriously wounded by my men. They're nothing special. Why waste the extra manpower and resources?"
"Well..." A flicker of ridicule flashed in the depths of Zheng Xuancheng's eyes. After a moment of feigned hesitation, he stopped trying to persuade him and raised his cup again. "Since you are so confident, Young Master Pei, then I wish you a swift and glorious victory."
"To Young Master Pei's swift and glorious victory!" the other three chimed in, raising their cups with grave expressions.
Pei Shaoqing's face was alight with smug satisfaction, as if he had already returned victorious. "Hahaha!" he laughed. "Just have the victory banquet ready and wait for my triumphant return!"
He then glanced around the pavilion, raising an eyebrow in dissatisfaction. "Hundred Households Commander Zheng, it's a bit dull for a few men like us to just sit here and drink all night, don't you think?"
"Hahahaha, rest assured, Young Master Pei. I've already made arrangements." Zheng Xuancheng, who had long since pegged Pei Shaoqing as a lecherous fiend, gave a knowing smile, stood, and clapped his hands.
The next moment, the windows of a building across from the pavilion flew open, revealing several female musicians. As the gentle music of strings and flutes filled the air, a troupe of young women entered like a flutter of butterflies, their faces exquisitely painted and their figures graceful.
The moonlight was perfect, a gentle breeze rustled by, and beautiful women danced to lovely music, accompanied by fine wine. It was a picturesque moment of idyllic beauty—until Pei Shaoqing shattered the illusion. "Why are they still wearing clothes?" he asked, his expression one of clear displeasure.
Upon hearing this, all four of his hosts stared in astonishment.
'Perhaps customs are different in other places,' they thought. 'Around here, dancers perform fully clothed.'
Seeing Pei Shaoqing's unblinking stare fixed on him, Zheng Xuancheng had no choice but to brace himself. "Please wait a moment, Young Master Pei."
He turned and walked over to the dancers. After a brief negotiation where terms were agreed upon, the dozen or so young women shyly and hesitantly began to remove their clothing.
"Hahahaha! Now that's more like it!" Pei Shaoqing clapped his hands and roared with laughter. "We're all gentlemen here; it's only right that we treat each other with such... openness. Let the music play! Let the dancing continue!"
As the music resumed, the dancers, blushing, began to move once more. Their steps twisted and turned, at times as gentle as a caress of wind, at others like the surging of ocean waves. One crest would fall only for another to rise, creating a powerful visual impact.
"A disgrace to civilized society... a true disgrace," County Magistrate Wang muttered under his breath, pouring himself cup after cup of wine.
At that moment, regardless of what any of them were thinking or what expressions they wore, their bodies were all betraying their true feelings.
Pei Shaoqing watched with great relish, playing the part of the depraved libertine to the hilt. With a loud laugh, he jumped to his feet and ran toward the dancers. "Come on, let's all dance together!"
'He was actually a little nervous. This was his first time pretending to be such a degenerate, and he had no idea if his acting was convincing.'
Watching Pei Shaoqing join the fray, going with the flow and "dancing with the butterflies," the hosts were completely dumbfounded. 'Is this how the upper crust in the Capital City carries on? So depraved?'
"Ah! Please don't, Young Master! I'll die of shame!"
"Hahahaha, be a good girl now. Let me have a look."
Standing out like a crane among chickens, Pei Shaoqing had an armful of women on either side. His hands roamed freely, eliciting waves of coquettish cries. At first, he was only acting, but he soon discovered he didn't need to pretend at all.
'It was typecasting, and he was thoroughly enjoying himself.'
However, he still had preparations to make for the "bandit suppression" operation the next day, so he merely sampled the entertainment before stopping. After frolicking with the dancers for a while longer, he put down his cup and rose to leave, using the fatigue from his long journey as an excuse to retire early.
Zheng Xuancheng also had his own preparations to make for the next day's plan, so he readily had his butler see his guest out.
As he watched Pei Shaoqing depart, the smile on Zheng Xuancheng's face slowly vanished. He spat viciously on the ground. "Pah! What a disgusting piece of filth!"
He was a lecher himself, but he always waited until after dark, behind closed doors. He would never dream of behaving like Pei Shaoqing, forcing dancers to strip naked and cavort with him in someone else's home.
"It's outrageous. Are all the sons of high officials in the Capital City this depraved?" Chen Zhongyi said in disbelief.
County Magistrate Wang coughed. "Most of them still have some sense of shame," he said, his tone uncertain. "It's precisely because Pei Shaoqing is so utterly shameless that he'd dare to beat Noble Consort Wan's favorite nephew to death in broad daylight."
"Killing this bastard would be a public service," Zheng Xuancheng spat again. He then looked at Xu Zhiyong. "Take a generous gift and leave the city tonight. Go see Xu Yuanqing. You must come to an agreement with him."
"Yes!" Xu Zhiyong nodded and answered grimly.