Fang Jie and Prince Yi, Yang Yin, stood on the second floor, gazing at the flowing sleeves and graceful movements of the dancers. This scene was naturally witnessed by many. Perhaps by sunrise the next day, the story would be circulating among countless people. Logically, there was nothing wrong with a leisurely prince having a meal and a drink with a genius student from the martial arts academy, but gossip is a truly terrifying thing.
After Xi Zhuxin finished her flowing sleeve dance, she didn't linger on the stage for even a second longer. As she stepped off the stage, her gaze seemed to glance at Fang Jie intentionally or unintentionally, without any complex emotions—neither liking nor disliking—as if she were looking at a stranger.
Fang Jie knew that the people at the Red Sleeve Pavilion didn't have a good impression of the Prince Yi beside him; his mere presence was enough to displease them. But Fang Jie felt no guilt. Xi Zhuxin's flowing sleeve dance wasn't for him; it was a gesture of respect to Prince Yi.
Even with the deepest hatred, if Prince Yi personally requested Xi Zhuxin to dance, the people of Hongxiuzhao would have no choice but to agree—a frustrating reality.
Xi Zhuxin had already departed, but the guests at Hongxiuzhao remained entranced. They stared blankly in the direction where Xi Zhuxin had disappeared, seemingly their souls had been captivated.
"As is customary, His Majesty will hold a grand banquet for his officials during the New Year. The professors from the Martial Arts Academy will be invited, and in the past, ten of the most outstanding students will be selected to enter the palace together. You will certainly not be left out. Prepare well; His Majesty might ask you to do something in front of the officials."
Yang Yin smiled and said, "You are a genius rarely seen in the Sui Dynasty in the past hundred years, and the historians have already recorded your outstanding achievements in the Nine Gates. Don't embarrass His Majesty… I'm just reminding you."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Fang Jie clasped his hands in a salute, knowing that the conversation had come to an end: "I have several friends waiting for me. Please forgive me, Your Highness, as I must take my leave."
"Go ahead."
Yang Yin smiled slightly: "I feel a connection with you; perhaps we will have more opportunities to spend time together in the future."
"If Your Highness summons me, how could I dare not see you?"
Fang Jie smiled and took his leave, turning to walk towards the private room opposite the corridor. As he pushed open the door and walked in, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh, saying, "It's so uncomfortable."
Luo Weiran smiled and said, "I reckon by tomorrow morning, news of Fang Jie, the top student of the Martial Arts Academy, and Prince Yi meeting alone at the Red Sleeve Pavilion will have spread throughout the court and the public. Although one is a student who hasn't yet entered officialdom, and the other is a prince far removed from the court, it's inevitable that some topics will arise when the two of you get together."
Fang Jie said, "Let them say whatever they want, I don't mind."
"Why?"
Luo Weiran asked. "You and Mr. Zhuo are both here, watching as I was summoned by Prince Yi. Could I possibly refuse? What the officials say doesn't matter, what the common people say doesn't matter, as long as His Majesty knows the truth. To see a performance of flowing sleeves and graceful movements, even if people call me a sycophant behind my back, it's worth it."
Zhuo Buyi shook his head and smiled, "It's not that complicated. People just treat this as a little tune."
Fang Jie hummed in agreement, then suddenly lowered his voice and asked, "Commander, is His Majesty furious about the military situation in the Northwest?"
"Why do you ask that?"
Luo Weiran countered. Fang Jie said, "Didn't you just say that if His Majesty sees me tomorrow morning, he might ask about the war in the Northwest? As the saying goes, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.' Knowing His Majesty's reaction will allow me to prepare a response that pleases him."
"So you're just trying to flatter him."
Luo Weiran smiled, "His Majesty isn't angry, but he's certainly not in a good mood. Five thousand brave sons of the Sui Dynasty have died in battle beyond the Great Wall; His Majesty will definitely be heartbroken. His Majesty has planned and prepared for the Northwest war for so long, and the first battle was still less than satisfactory. Even if he's not angry, he'll be frustrated."
Fang Jie pointed out... Nodding, he asked again, "Which... Prince Xu, Yang Kai, what kind of person is he?"
Hearing Fang Jie ask this, Luo Weiran's expression changed: "Have you forgotten what I told you before?"
Fang Jie quickly waved his hand, "Of course I haven't forgotten. Be confused when you should be confused, and keep quiet when you should keep quiet..."
"That's it."
Luo Weiran said, "No matter what His Majesty asks you tomorrow, you can be ignorant, even a little idiotic, but you absolutely cannot touch what is forbidden. You haven't reached the point where you can speak freely. Don't think you can change anything now!"
"I remember."
Fang Jie nodded, his face solemn.
...
...
When they left Hongxiuzhao, the moon was almost directly south. There were hardly any pedestrians on the streets. Fang Jie and his companions had traveled in the carriage of the Marquis of Sanjin's residence, with Qilin acting as the driver. When Fang Jie helped the slightly drunk Chen Qingshan into the carriage, he didn't forget to secretly touch her shapely buttocks.
For some reason, Shen Qingshan was unusually eager to drink today. She, who almost never drank, downed a full pound of liquor. Under the moonlight, the beautiful woman, her face flushed, gave Fang Jie a sidelong glance, exuding captivating charm.
Big Dog curled his lip and said, "Qilin and I will sit in the front and drive."
Fang Jie sincerely thanked him.
Big Dog glared at him resentfully, then squeezed next to Qilin. It was only because of his thin frame that anyone else would have had a hard time finding a seat next to Qilin. One tall and robust, the other thin and frail, the two of them created a unique and harmonious beauty.
Fang Jie climbed into the carriage and sat down next to Shen Qingshan.
"Why did you drink so much?"
He asked. Shen Qingshan, her eyes blurry with drunkenness, smiled alluringly at him, then rested her head on his shoulder and said, "You two talk about your things, I'll drink my wine, what other reason could there be?"
"There is."
Fang Jie cupped her cheek, looking into her eyes, and asked, "Did they say something that upset you?"
"What could upset me?"
Shen Qingshan snuggled into Fang Jie's arms like a kitten, pulling his hand to her chest: "I'm just a little bored."
"Some things, you just need to talk to someone about them."
Fang Jie said softly. Shen Qingshan remained silent for a long while, then suddenly smiled sadly, "I told you on the way here that Xiaoyao and I are both from Nan Yan… The so-called Nan Yan was nothing more than a dying Shang dynasty. My mother told me that my father was a general of the Shang dynasty, who died in the war against the Sui dynasty. He was one of the few Shang generals who refused to surrender, so his fate was naturally not good."
She lay in Fang Jie's arms, staring at the roof of the carriage, murmuring, "I don't even remember if I've ever seen him… My mother said that after the fall of the kingdom, the Sui army ravaged the Shang territory like a pack of wolves." "It was cruel. My family's property was ransacked. If it weren't for my mother's considerable cultivation, we probably wouldn't have escaped the fate of being humiliated by the marauding soldiers. My mother took me and fled, finding a place to live in seclusion. She rarely mentioned my father to me, but the memorial tablet in our home was always spotless."
Fang Jie felt a pang of sorrow and couldn't help but sigh, "Every war inevitably brings the destruction of families and the loss of loved ones."
Chen Qingshan shook her head slightly: "When I was young, my mother sent me to a sect to cultivate. Not long after entering the sect, I encountered that killer star. He almost single-handedly destroyed the sect… How old was I that year?"
She frowned, but seemed genuinely unable to remember.
"Fang Jie…how about I have a child for you? Our child, don't let him cultivate, it would be best if he were a useless person like you, incapable of cultivation, but he must be beautiful. If it's a daughter, you can come up with many strange but beautiful clothing designs, and I'll make them myself, then dress her up more beautifully than flowers. If it's a boy, you'll teach him to read and write from a young age, and also teach him how to seduce other people's girls…okay?"
She asked earnestly.
Fang Jie was taken aback, then smiled bitterly, "This…"
"You don't want it?"
She said with a slightly displeased tone.
Fang Jie chuckled, "I just feel a little strange, if I had a child at this age…it's terrifying to think about."
"Don't want it?"
Shen Qingshan's tone was somewhat cold, her almond-shaped eyes wide.
Before he could answer, Shen Qingshan suddenly broke free from his embrace, her expression turning serious. Fang Jie thought she was angry and was about to explain when he heard the large dog outside whisper, "There's murderous intent!"
...
...
The carriage slowly came to a stop. Qilin stood in front of the carriage, holding a bronze staff—the staff of Henggun. Since Henggun's death, it had become Qilin's weapon. The large dog crouched on the carriage roof, its hands already clad in steel-spiked gloves.
Shen Qingshan and Fang Jie stepped down from the carriage. After straightening their clothes, Shen Qingshan walked a few meters forward, looking around with a hint of doubt in her eyes. Fang Jie walked to the other side of the carriage and stood there. The four of them were positioned subtly: Qilin, Shen Qingshan, and Fang Jie formed a triangle, with the large dog in the center.
"The murderous intent is still there," the large dog murmured, warily scanning their surroundings.
Fang Jie hummed in agreement, habitually reaching for his waist but realizing he hadn't brought his broken knife.
Just then, a commotion arose from across the street, followed by torches tearing through the darkness. A large group of people turned from another street and ran towards the carriage. As they appeared, Big Dog stood up on the carriage and sniffed loudly: "Let's go."
Fang Jie paused, walking to the front of the carriage to watch the approaching group.
"Who's there?!"
Someone shouted from afar. Fang Jie heard the sound of bowstrings being drawn and the clanging of armor, so he immediately raised his hands and answered loudly, "I am Fang Jie, a student of the Martial Arts Academy. I just had drinks with Prince Yi at the Red Sleeve Pavilion."
"Young Master Fang?"
Someone in the crowd asked doubtfully.
"Indeed!"
Fang Jie answered loudly.
Shortly afterward, several people emerged from the crowd and strode towards them. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that these people wore the armor of the Right Guard. The leader, a man in his thirties, approached and scrutinized Fang Jie for a few moments before turning back and shouting, "It is indeed Lord Fang!"
He clasped his hands in a fist and said to Fang Jie, "I apologize for my intrusion. I am Lei Zhibin, the Right Guard Commander. I met you during the martial arts academy exams. Tonight, I am on patrol duty, pursuing an assassin."
"An assassin?"
Fang Jie was taken aback and asked, "What assassin? Who did he assassinate?"
"Young Master Yuan is dead."
Lei Zhibin sighed and said, "In the Crescent Moon Pavilion."
The Crescent Moon Pavilion was a brothel, quite famous in Chang'an. The most famous brothels in Chang'an were undoubtedly the two owned by the Marquis of Sanjin, Zuihong Pavilion and Qingyi Pavilion. Next was the Crescent Moon Pavilion, said to house girls mostly from the water towns of Jiangnan, graceful and charming.
"Which Young Master Yuan?"
Fang Jie asked. "Your classmate, Yuan Chengshi, the second son of Governor-General Yuan Chongwu of Hebei Province, was assassinated in the New Moon Pavilion about half an hour ago. We happened to be patrolling there when the courtesan said the assassin fled this way, so we chased after him."
"Yuan Chengshi…"
Fang Jie thought carefully but couldn't recall the man. He only remembered him as quite arrogant, with many sycophants around him.
He clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I've been in the Red Sleeve Pavilion all along. Prince Yi and Mr. Zhuo of the Imperial Guard can testify to this. If you need me to give a statement at the yamen or the Right Guard, I will go."
Lei Zhibin returned the gesture, saying, "Although I'm certain you have no involvement, I will still remember that I encountered you. If the people from Chang'an Prefecture come to inquire, please cooperate, young Master Fang. Thank you!"
"No problem."
Fang Jie stepped aside, wondering who had the audacity to assassinate the son of a high-ranking official of the second rank in Chang'an?