Chapter 54

…

In fact, very few people cared that Zhao Mao was ill.

After all, not everyone was as anxious about Zhao Mao as Zhao Xu and Liu Qingjing were, nor did everyone know Zhao Mao's days were numbered, like Zhao Yu, Zhang Chun, and the Empress Dowager.

For most people, Zhao Mao's illness had nothing to do with them—songs still sang, dances still danced.

Zhao Jiguang was one of those many people.

After court that day, Zhao Jiguang quickly forgot Zhao Xu's gloomy face, and with Gao Qiu and other servants in tow, headed home to eat, drink, and amuse himself.

To be honest, it was no wonder Zhao Jiguang paid no mind to Zhao Xu's worries.

Since taking personal control of governance, Zhao Xu had often looked burdened and melancholy; Zhao Jiguang was long accustomed to it and saw nothing unusual in this instance.

Moreover, Zhao Jiguang was merely a leisurely prince; Zhao Xu and his ministers only let him enjoy wealth and luxury, never entrusting him with any meaningful duty—so even if Zhao Xu had real troubles, Zhao Jiguang could not help, and the ministers would not ask him to.

Thus, Zhao Jiguang's mind was filled only with thoughts of what fun he could find after returning home.

Passing the Jingcheng Bureau of Tailoring, Zhao Jiguang saw Cai You, the eldest son of Cai Jing.

Cai You had dismounted and stood respectfully by the roadside, bowing with humble demeanor, upright posture, delicate features, and an affable expression.

This was not the first time Zhao Jiguang had met Cai You.

In fact, Cai You frequently exploited his official duties to time his appearances precisely when ministers left court, deliberately crossing paths with Zhao Jiguang on his way home, seeking political leverage.

This frequent, predictable "coincidence" quickly drew Zhao Jiguang's attention.

Zhao Jiguang had long been curious about Cai You's handsome appearance and proper conduct; after asking his attendants who he was and learning he was Cai Jing's son, his impression deepened.

Having exchanged glances for so long, Zhao Jiguang felt it was time to formally meet Cai You and become friends.

So Zhao Jiguang ordered Gao Qiu to invite Cai You over.

Zhao Jiguang and Cai You took to each other at once, conversing merrily; Zhao Jiguang immediately invited Cai You to his residence for food, drink, and amusement.

Coincidentally.

Soon, Li Bangyan also arrived at the Wang Fu.

The group shared the same tastes, composing poetry and songs, turning street slang into lyrical tunes and singing them loudly.

Cai You even donned short tunic and narrow trousers, painted his face with red and blue, mingled among dancers, acrobats, and dwarves, and uttered countless vulgar, lewd jests about ruffians and loose women to win Zhao Jiguang's favor.

Gradually, their conversation turned to Nie Shengqiong, a famed courtesan of Fan Lou.

Zhao Jiguang had heard Nie Shengqiong's "Zhegu Tian: Sent to Li Zhi," praised her talent highly, and upon learning her story with Li Zhi, lauded their romance.

Meanwhile, Gao Qiu, Li Bangyan, and Cai You extolled Nie Shengqiong's beauty; Li Bangyan even declared no woman in the Wang Fu could match her.

Though Li Bangyan disparaged the Wang Fu's women to elevate Nie Shengqiong, Zhao Jiguang did not grow angry—he grew curious about Nie Shengqiong.

Cai You asked: "Is this Madam Nie truly so breathtaking?"

"Even more so," said Li Bangyan.

"Why don't we visit Madam Nie before she retires from the trade, lest we regret it forever?" Gao Qiu suggested.

"How easily can one meet Madam Nie?"

"To win the favor of a flower queen like her, all the talented youths of Fan Lou must compete—and only one may triumph; without peerless talent, it is impossible."

"Even I, let alone you two, stand no chance."

Here, Li Bangyan looked at Zhao Jiguang: "Only His Highness himself might hope to meet Madam Nie."

Cai You, undeterred, boldly proposed: "Then let His Highness give it a try!"

Nie Shengqiong was the reigning flower queen, her beauty famed far and wide, pursued by literati, nobles, and princes, and well-known among officials and scholars.

Zhao Jiguang, stirred by Gao Qiu and the others, grew eager to see her beauty.

Gao Qiu and the others eagerly urged Zhao Jiguang, swearing solemnly they would keep it secret.

Zhao Jiguang could not resist the temptation; he disguised himself, assumed a false name, and, accompanied by Gao Qiu and the three, went to Fan Lou.

Zhao Jiguang's literary talent was no mere pretense—he composed poem after poem with ease, penned unmatched calligraphy, and spent gold lavishly; soon, he earned an audience with Nie Shengqiong, who sought one final fortune before retiring.

Yet, as Zhao Jiguang lounged comfortably in Nie Shengqiong's chamber listening to music, the aristocratic Cai You quarreled with another man over jealousy.

The Song dynasty's official courtesan system explicitly forbade courtesans from receiving officials—but this rule targeted courtesans, not guests.

Thus, officials or imperial family members visiting under private identities were not directly bound by it.

Precisely because of this, though they suspected Liang Shicheng might be trying to teach Zhao Jiguang a lesson, Gao Qiu and Li Bangyan chose to betray their master: even if Zhao Jiguang were caught visiting a brothel, his punishment would be light, but if they refused to aid Liang Shicheng, their daily gold would vanish—and worse, they might anger the man behind Liang Shicheng, who dared punish even princes.

In truth, many powerful officials of this era visited brothels under aliases or in secret; Zhao Jiguang was not the first imperial member to do so, nor would he be the last.

Literati of the time also considered visiting brothels a refined pursuit; poets like Liu Yong and Zhou Bangyan maintained close ties with courtesans and composed countless poems on them.

This cultural atmosphere lent legitimacy to Zhao Jiguang's visit.

Hence, Zhao Jiguang could not resist the temptation and followed Gao Qiu and the others to Fan Lou for a glimpse.

Yet, despite society's relative tolerance of brothel culture, if an imperial member openly frequented brothels, it could still provoke public criticism.

Worse still, if an imperial member were caught visiting a brothel, it would damage not only his personal image but also the imperial family's reputation.

In short, the artistic prestige of high-end brothels provided Zhao Jiguang's visit with a "refined" cover, making it socially tolerated—but it required avoiding public backlash.

Put plainly: if Zhao Jiguang's visit went unnoticed, all turned a blind eye; if caught, it would violate official norms and moral boundaries, triggering political risk.

Zhao Jiguang understood all this perfectly—he certainly did not want the matter to escalate.

So when he saw Cai You arguing, Zhao Jiguang rushed out to calm things down, hoping to prevent escalation and avoid negative consequences.

But the other side had no honor; seeing Zhao Jiguang appear, a burly young official stepped forward and punched him straight in the left eye.

Fearing Zhao Jiguang might be seriously hurt, Gao Qiu and Li Bangyan rushed to shield him.

Both sides immediately erupted into a brawl, full-scale violence breaking out.

To be fair, Zhao Jiguang, with his excellent physical conditioning, proved surprisingly fierce; in the chaos, he kicked over one of the young officials.

This experience, entirely new to Zhao Jiguang, thrilled him—he even felt eager for more.

Then someone shouted: "The slender, refined one is the Prince of Wang! Are you all mad? You dare strike the Prince of Wang? Run, now!!!"

It was rumored that the other side had a prince, and the group of young nobles cried, "Oh no!" and immediately scattered like birds and beasts.

Zhao Yu reacted quickly enough—he swiftly covered his face with his sleeve and fled.

But no matter how fast Zhao Yu ran, gossip spread faster.

The next day, the news that Zhao Yu had visited courtesans, quarreled over a woman, and been left with a black eye spread like wildfire, and a children's rhyme emerged:

Prince Duan loves his pleasures, sneaks out of Wang Fu to play with whores. He runs all over flower-lined alleys, living a life of ease and leisure…

……

(End of Chapter)