Chapter 1567: The Absurd Crown Prince

The prosperity of the Eastern Capital had reached a point where it was unaffected by the weather; even amid violent storms, heavy snow, and hail, the clamor within Kaifeng's walls never ceased. Thus, after the onset of the dog days of summer, the character of the Eastern Capital had not changed much—only that among the neighborhoods, the business of cold drinks and herbal teas grew ever more brisk.

Outside the Southern Market, on Changchun Street, traffic was heavy and crowds flowed like a river. Long years of trampling by carriages, horses, soldiers, and common folk had left the long street worn and mottled, and under the scorching sun, the road surface had become searing hot.

To the left of the street stood a cluster of towering buildings; from the densely fluttering colored silks and the fine, even lacquerwork, one could tell the decoration was lavish. The three-story main building rose nearly six zhang high, its gilded plaque gleaming in the sunlight—this was the famous high-end establishment of the Eastern Capital, the Peony Pavilion.

This was a place where no common men passed through, and also a place where one was treated according to one's standing. Those who came and went either held power, possessed fame, or had talent; even the wealthy had to be great merchants and magnates with a hundred thousand strings of cash at their waists.

Unlike those establishments branded with the label of garish vulgarity—the pleasure quarters and brothels—the Peony Pavilion maintained a very high tone, and its singing girls and dancing women each possessed exquisite skills and a specialty of their own.

Its fame in Kaifeng had grown ever greater, and the annual Peony Poetry Gathering was held in this very establishment. How many of the literati and scholars who came each year drawn by its reputation were actually there for the talented beauties within—that was anyone's guess.

At the twelfth year of Kaibao's Peony Poetry Gathering, even the Seventh Prince Liu Hui had personally attended to observe, joining the grand occasion and leaving behind a poem. And the Ninth Prince Liu Shu, who had grown much more restrained since being released after half a year of house arrest, also occasionally came to the Peony Pavilion to listen to a tune or watch a dance.

With these two gentlemen setting the example, the Peony Pavilion, already formidable in its backing, naturally saw its reputation grow even more resounding.

The scorching summer continued to assail the senses of the Eastern Capital's gentry and commoners alike, but from within the Peony Pavilion, waves of cool air would always drift out, causing many passersby to deliberately linger by the entrance, if only to feel that brief moment of coolness.

A carriage slowly approached and came to a steady stop before the Peony Pavilion. With the attentive service of a young attendant, a middle-aged man in resplendent robes descended to the ground, paused, and looked up at the towering establishment.

The middle-aged man was ornately dressed, though his clothing style differed from that of the Central Plains—it was distinctly Goryeo attire. His slightly furrowed brow seemed to radiate authority as he glanced sidelong at the attendant following beside him, his tone carrying a hint of pressure: "This is the place?"

"Yes, Director of the Chancellery, this is the place!" the attendant replied with some trepidation.

"Lead the way! Go in! Find the man!" At these words, the middle-aged man's expression grew even more rigid, and he ordered in a stern tone.

"Yes!" The attendant dared not be remiss and hurried ahead to clear the path.

At that moment, in an elegantly appointed room within the Peony Pavilion, a lavishly dressed young man, his face flushed red, was arguing heatedly with a long-faced man across from him who appeared to be a steward.

Facing this gesticulating young man from Goryeo, the steward's reaction was very calm. His face was as gentle as a spring breeze, yet at the corners of his mouth hung a faint smile that could be interpreted as derision: "Your Highness the Crown Prince, though discussing money here is somewhat vulgar, this establishment operates on modest capital. The amount you owe on the accounts has reached five thousand strings of cash. Might I suggest you repay at least a portion? Otherwise, with such a large deficit, we lowly ones would find it difficult to answer to our master..."

The Crown Prince the steward spoke of could not possibly be Liu Yang, of course. If it truly were him, no matter how formidable the Peony Pavilion's backing was, they would surely not dare to demand payment from the Crown Prince of the Great Han.

This young man was none other than Wang Zhou, the Crown Prince of Goryeo. And upon hearing the steward's words, Wang Zhou grew even more agitated, even somewhat furious: "It's merely a paltry five thousand strings of cash! I am the Crown Prince of Goryeo—could I possibly shortchange you? For the sake of such a trifling sum, would you disregard the friendship between the Great Han and Goryeo?"

One who could serve as a steward at the Peony Pavilion naturally had no lack of experience, but even so, he could not help but inwardly sneer—for a crown prince of a great nation to utter such words, one wondered whose dignity was actually being wounded.

Ignoring Wang Zhou's fury, the steward replied in a tone as gentle as before: "Your Highness the Crown Prince, the friendship between our two nations should hardly be borne by our humble little Peony Pavilion!

You are the Crown Prince of Goryeo, but this is, after all, not the royal palace of Goryeo. A debt must be repaid—this is the natural order of heaven and earth. You are a man of virtue and fortune, and should understand this principle. Even if Prefect Lü of Kaifeng were to adjudicate, he would surely support us.

《I Have a Volume of Ghosts and Deities》

Of course, you are an honored guest of the Great Han and a distinguished visitor of the court, so this establishment indeed should not press you too hard. However, from now on, the establishment can no longer extend credit to Your Highness as in the past. Please forgive us—I trust that Your Highness will not make things difficult for us lowly ones!"

Facing this speech from the steward, Wang Zhou was deeply indignant—though more than anything, he was humiliated and enraged. Regardless of anything, he was after all the Crown Prince of Goryeo, the legitimate heir to a nation, and yet he was being subjected to such humiliation.

He had the urge to lose his temper, but considering that this was, after all, the imperial capital of the Great Han, and that he was in a place like the Peony Pavilion with its deep backing, even if his heart burned with shame and fury, he could only swallow it.

In these past two years, there had been no shortage of foreign envoys who, relying on their diplomatic status, acted arrogantly and lawlessly in the capital. And how did that end? Those who should be held accountable were held accountable; those who should be imprisoned were imprisoned. There was even a Chenla envoy who was arrested and had his head chopped off—and how did that end? From thousands of li away, the king of Chenla had to send new envoys bearing heavy gifts to come and offer apologies.

Though their Goryeo was not a barbarian little state like Chenla, before the Great Han, it was still far too weak. Moreover, when he had originally accompanied his father, King Wang So, to the Eastern Capital, it had been precisely to seek peace and beg for security.

Having lived in the Eastern Capital for these two years, though he had lingered in the pleasure quarters and reveled in the prosperity of a great nation's capital, Wang Zhou had not been entirely without progress. At the very least, he had come to understand one point: in the Great Han, one could not act recklessly. The subjects of the Great Han regarded the dignity of the Celestial Dynasty with exceptional gravity, and would absolutely not tolerate it being insulted...

Two years ago, when Wang Zhou had accompanied Wang So to the Eastern Capital, that had in fact been Wang So representing Goryeo in once again submitting to the Great Han and offering tribute—an act of seeking peace, even if on the surface it appeared to be neighborly friendship between Han and Goryeo.

And Wang Zhou's remaining in the Eastern Capital was not as a hostage; on the contrary, it was he who had voluntarily requested to stay, hoping to study the etiquette and knowledge of the superior nation in the Eastern Capital. Moved by his sincerity, Wang So had agreed, which also served as a further gesture of loyalty to the court.

But in truth, the fundamental reason Wang Zhou stayed was to avoid Wang So. In past years, Wang So had implemented a reign of terror and high-handed policies within Goryeo, harshly suppressing meritorious nobles and officials—especially during the years of internal rebellion, when he had slaughtered until blood flowed like rivers.

The suspicious and paranoid Wang So was somewhat terrifying—so terrifying that even the Crown Prince, Wang Zhou, was afraid, and at such a young age, he would rather hide in the Great Han. And during these two years in the Eastern Capital, Wang Zhou's days had indeed been carefree and joyful, without a worry in the world. For Wang Zhou, the Great Han was simply too wonderful, and its entertainment too abundant—he was almost happy to forget Goryeo entirely. The Peony Pavilion was merely one of the places Wang Zhou frequented.

However, while satisfying his desires for food, drink, and pleasure, it also meant enormous expenditures. To support Wang Zhou's "studies" in the Eastern Capital, Goryeo had provided ample funds, but even so, they could not keep up with his spending.

Wang Zhou's financial crisis had begun half a year ago. In an attempt to improve matters, he had even sold off the treasures of his residence, but it still was not enough. Eventually, he simply resorted to living on credit. After all, with the Goryeo state footing the bill, these entertainment establishments in the Eastern Capital were willing to extend him credit.

Even more absurdly, Wang Zhou had pawned his personal maidservant to the Peony Pavilion. A Goryeo beauty—shapely and graceful, skilled in song and dance, and carrying an exotic allure—the Peony Pavilion naturally accepted her with delight.

What was even more absurd was that when Wang Zhou came to the Peony Pavilion, his favorite pastime was to admire the very maidservant he had pawned, spending money specifically to enjoy the songs and dances he could once have enjoyed at any time...

However, judging by the current situation, Wang Zhou's carefree days and absurd times had run into trouble.

Having neither the moral high ground nor the ability to argue his way out, Wang Zhou could only retreat in dejection. But then, a servant's announcement interrupted this "exchange."

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, the envoys of your Goryeo are looking for you!" the steward said.

"Oh?" At these words, the somewhat crestfallen Wang Zhou immediately perked up, saying with some excitement: "Envoys have come from home again? Quickly, invite them in, invite them in!"

Over the past period, nothing had been more anticipated by Wang Zhou than this. Whenever the home country sent envoys, while offering tribute, they would always bring him gifts as well.

When the middle-aged man stepped inside, Wang Zhou's eyes lit up even more, and he hurriedly approached: "It turns out Director Xu has come in person!"

The newcomer was none other than Xu Hui, the head of Goryeo's inner court administration, and in Wang Zhou's eyes, it was as if a savior had arrived. Without even considering the purpose of his visit, Wang Zhou eagerly grabbed Xu Hui's hand: "The Director has come at just the right time—I am in urgent need of gold and silver to tide me over!"

Even with Xu Hui's stern expression, he could not help but be taken aback by Wang Zhou's reaction. Soon, from Wang Zhou's garbled words, he understood the situation, and instantly, a layer of dark clouds gathered upon his broad forehead...