Chapter 47: Prince Zhao, Zhou Chengjing

Misty Wave Lake lives up to its name. Though only ten mu in size, it features a natural gushing spring at its center. Every morning, the water's surface is wreathed in light mist, while evening veils it in rising vapors. Enhanced by skilled artisans with artificial mountains and exotic rocks, it is renowned throughout the capital as a magnificent scenic spot, so much so that even the Emperor occasionally travels here in disguise to enjoy the scenery and leisure.

As night fell, lotus-shaped lanterns drifted across the water. The glow of candles mingled with the moonlight, casting a sparkling brilliance over the rippling waves beneath a starlit sky.

In the waterside pavilions and kiosks upon the lake, the Prince's concubines and troupes of singing and dancing girls performed. Their melodies were soft and lingering, while colorful attendants in vibrant silks fluttered about, creating a dazzling and lively spectacle.

The Prince of Zhao sat in the pavilion, his low table laden with exotic delicacies, fresh fruits, and fine wine.

He was flanked by beauties, completely engrossed in their company. Upon seeing the palace attendants escorting Jin Zhan, he commanded the singing girls without a moment's hesitation to step forward and offer him three cups of wine as a penalty for his late arrival.

Jin Zhan wore a stern expression. He bowed with folded hands, standing stiffly outside the pavilion without uttering a word. Prince Zhou Chengjing could not help but burst into laughter, saying, "I have long heard that Commander Jin is an exceptionally cold and utterly dull fellow—an absolute block of ice. That is precisely why I chose to host this banquet upon this desolate lake. Yet you seem entirely clumsy even with two singing girls to attend to you."

Jin Zhan bowed apologetically and said in a solemn tone, "Your humble subordinate has long suffered from an ailment and dislikes the scent of powder and alcohol. I beg Your Highness's forgiveness!"

Zhou Chengjing sighed. "A man who lacks wine and women misses half the joys of this world. Very well, I shall not make things difficult for a meritorious subject like yourself. You shall have your tea while I enjoy my wine. Sit down, and let us speak properly!"

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the female musicians and dancers from the waterside structure.

There were many rumors in the capital regarding Jin Zhan's temperament. Two years ago, at the Golden Luan Hall, when the Emperor hosted a banquet for the newly minted top scholars and raised his cup in a toast—an honor everyone else relished—Jin Zhan, who had just won the title of top martial scholar, had politely declined, claiming that exposure to alcohol would instantly break him out in rashes.

The Emperor, disbelieving, summoned imperial physicians to wait outside the hall. The moment Jin Zhan swallowed a single cup of wine, his entire body erupted in a layer of crimson rashes. The physicians hurriedly applied a secret imperial ointment to quell the itching, and thus the Commander's peculiar affliction became widely known.

With the wine cups removed and turning to matters of state, the smile faded from the plump face of the Prince of Zhao. "I care little for court politics; my only love is beauty, and I cannot bear to see women suffer. Now that Commander Jin has been appointed to the North City, you must diligently safeguard the peace of that region."

The North City and the East City were adjacent, representing starkly contrasting fortunes—one wealthy, the other impoverished. One side gathered wealthy merchants, while the other teemed with brothels and taverns. Officials and wealthy merchants drank at the same tables, while aristocrats and commoners mingled indiscriminately, making the governance and pacification of the area exceptionally complex.

Jin Zhan rose, bowed with cupped hands, and replied, "His Majesty dispatched your humble subordinate here precisely for this purpose. Owing to the boundless grace of the Emperor, if I may also receive Your Highness's support, your subordinate shall surely exert all his strength until his dying breath."

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Zhou Chengjing laughed. "I was merely speaking in jest. With Commander Jin's ability, how could I not support you? Tell me first, what prompted you to investigate the Langya Terrace? Did you discover something amiss?"

Jin Zhan was startled and raised his eyes to look at Zhou Chengjing.

At this moment, although a smile still lingered on Zhou Chengjing's face, his eyes were clear and piercing, devoid of any foolish appearance.

Noticing Jin Zhan's gaze, Zhou Chengjing nodded slightly. "You need not have too many reservations. Speak your mind freely!"

Jin Zhan lowered his head in deep thought.

Although he was the Commander of the City Guard with the power of life and death, in the eyes of truly high-ranking officials and nobles, he was merely a fifth-rank martial officer patrolling the streets.

Zhou Chengjing was the Emperor's full brother, deeply favored by the Empress Dowager and trusted by the Emperor. There was no need for him to speak with such pleasantries; he must have other motives for summoning him.

"Your humble subordinate..."

Just as Jin Zhan formulated his response and prepared to speak, Zhou Chengjing waved his hand with a smile and said, "Chenzhe, you need not stand on ceremony. I was merely speaking in jest. Sit down and reply!"

Hearing him suddenly address him by his courtesy name, Jin Zhan knew the Prince wished to draw closer and establish rapport, so he complied and sat down.

"How old is Chenzhe this year?" Zhou Chengjing bypassed official business and turned to idle chat.

"Your humble subordinate has spent twenty-two winters in vain!"

"Ah! Only twenty-two. That means you passed the provincial examination before reaching adulthood and claimed the title of top martial scholar. Truly a youthful talent who makes me envious."

Zhou Chengjing stroked his large belly, looking with envy at Jin Zhan's broad shoulders, narrow waist, and lean physique.

At thirty years of age, though he could not rival his imperial brother's sprawling imperial harem, his own back courtyards were filled with beauties. Between wine and women, his vitality had been sapped, and now he found even walking to be tiring.

Jin Zhan felt somewhat awkward. The Prince's reputation as a libertine was long-standing, with rumors even suggesting he favored both men and women. He hoped the man would not try anything untoward with him.

As if reading his thoughts, Zhou Chengjing laughed heartily again, clasping his plump hands together. "I am thirty. Back in my youth, I too harbored grand ambitions to temper my sinews and bones, but alas, laziness became my nature, and feminine beauty was too tempting. Ha-ha-ha-ha! You cannot possibly understand the taste of it, Chenzhe!"

Teased in this manner by Zhou Chengjing, Jin Zhan felt his initial embarrassment melt away as the atmosphere grew harmonious.

"Your humble subordinate took a gamble when thinking of the Langya Terrace!"

"Oh? How so? Others merely assume the Langya Terrace is nothing more than a theater troupe, but I happen to know it is an asset belonging to the secondary branch of the Marquis of Guang'an.

If you rashly raided the place without result, were you not worried that Consort Li would whisper into my imperial brother's ear?" Zhou Chengjing tapped lightly on the table.

"Your humble subordinate believes that justice always triumphs over evil, and a thief has a guilty conscience. By leading my men directly to the Langya Terrace, my first intention was to deliberately startle the snake in the grass. If there were any deceit hidden within, they would surely panic."

"Secondly, it was to make others restrain themselves. The capital is crowded and complex; investigating each case one by one is time-consuming and arduous. Your humble subordinate had no choice but to take a gamble while buying time to search in secret."

"Well said! Whether there are rabbits or not, we must first poke around the bushes a few times!" Zhou Chengjing spoke entirely in vernacular, unlike a member of the royal family.

Without smiling, Jin Zhan said solemnly, "Your humble subordinate did not fail his mission—we flushed them out!"

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Seeing him act so straight-laced yet finding it amusing, Zhou Chengjing laughed until he leaned back and forth. "Chenzhe, people say you are a block of wood devoid of worldly wisdom, but in my eyes, those people are simply blind. You possess a brilliant mind and profound depths.

In the future, you must visit the Prince's Mansion more often. Should any matters prove difficult to resolve, I shall speak on your behalf!"

"My imperial brother must busy himself with affairs of state on the outside and manage the imperial harem on the inside. As his useless younger brother, I can only help him keep an eye on his doorstep and make those unruly dogs behave themselves."

Jin Zhan instantly understood. The Emperor was a benevolent sovereign who had declared a universal amnesty upon ascending the throne, and Jin Zhan himself was a beneficiary of it.

The Emperor was modest and benevolent toward his officials and even more lenient toward the imperial harem. Over the past two years, he had continually expanded the harem to number three thousand beauties, leading inevitably to certain maternal relatives becoming arrogant and committing acts that compromised the dignity of the royal house.

Because these matters touched upon the royal facade, outsiders found them difficult to handle. Only Zhou Chengjing, the Emperor's own full brother, possessed the clout to suppress them.

This was the Prince of Zhao's intention, but it was also the Emperor's intention: it was time to discipline and rein in those lawless maternal relatives.

***

Pear Blossom Lane

An Chunfeng had slept worse than not sleeping at all that night. Waking up in the morning, her spirit was listless and her head throbbed violently. She only regained some clarity after pressing cold water compresses to her forehead.

It seemed this chronic insomnia had to be cured.

As an ordinary person in the Great Liang Dynasty, the modern habit of staying up late and sleeping in was simply unfeasible. In the future, she would inevitably have duties to attend to during the day without the luxury of catching up on sleep; enduring a few more nights like this would ruin her health entirely.

More importantly... An Chunfeng massaged her temples. The nightmares and headaches brought on by such emotional distress were excruciating. She could not afford further agitation, let alone physical exhaustion.

Her modern sedatives had proven ineffective; only traditional herbal remedies could offer any relief.