Chapter 91: Lu Dingchuan's Stance, Everyone Knows He is Skilled in Both Literature and Martial Arts (Seeking Monthly Votes)

The Shu Prince strode into the private room.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Shu Prince!"

Everyone in the private room immediately bowed in unison.

Pei Shaoqing was the exception; he remained seated and did not move.

The Shu Prince's gaze instantly fell upon him.

"The Third Young Master said he wanted to kill me, which scared me so much my legs went numb and I couldn't stand up to pay my respects. I hope Your Highness the Shu Prince will forgive me," Pei Shaoqing said with a calm and indifferent air.

"Forget the 'Baron of Pingyang' formalities," the Shu Prince said after staring at him for a moment, then sat down on a chair dragged over by a servant and said unhurriedly, "As for the rebellious son wanting to kill you, let's not speak of it again. It is normal for young people to compete for affection and say a few harsh words."

He even threatened to kill his wife while in bed.

Yet wasn't his wife still alive and kicking?

"That wasn't just a harsh word; the Third Young Master even ordered his guards to take action. If I didn't have a few meager skills, I fear my father would have had to endure the grief of burying his own son!" Pei Shaoqing shook his head and said.

The Shu Prince's expression turned somewhat displeased. "Setting aside the facts, is the Baron of Pingyang not at fault here? It takes two to tango. In my view, you both have your faults. Shake hands and make peace, and let it be."

Damn, you've really set aside the facts.

How am I supposed to talk to you?

"No! I, Pei Shaoqing, have never suffered such indignity in all my life! Yan Sidong attempted to kill an official; he must be dealt with severely!" Pei Shaoqing's stance was firm and unshakeable.

"Pei Shaoqing, don't be ungrateful!" Yan Sidong, his right cheek swollen high, looked full of resentment. "Do you really think my Shu Prince Mansion is afraid of you? I'd like to see who dares to arrest me!"

"Shut up!" the Shu Prince barked, looking coldly at Pei Shaoqing. "In terms of age and seniority, I should call you nephew. Out of respect for the Weiyuan Marquis, I will not hold your rudeness against you, but do not push your luck."

"Brother Pei..." Lu Dingchuan wanted to offer some advice.

Pei Shaoqing cut him off directly and confronted the Shu Prince head-on. "The Jing'an Guard is the Emperor's personal army, serving His Majesty. He attacked me—is this an attempt at treason? Is he truly dissatisfied with me, or is he venting his dissatisfaction with His Majesty?"

The tactic of escalating to the level of political principle always works.

"Pei Shaoqing!" The Shu Prince's expression changed abruptly; he stood up suddenly and said through gritted teeth, "Do not go around pinning labels on people."

He had not expected Pei Shaoqing to be so disrespectful.

Although he had long heard that this man was arrogant and domineering.

But now it seemed he had still underestimated him.

"Thousand-Household Lu, what do you think?" He did not want to continue entangling himself with Pei Shaoqing and turned his head to look at Lu Dingchuan.

As long as Lu Dingchuan did not stand on Pei Shaoqing's side.

Whatever Pei Shaoqing said was purely farting in the wind.

Pei Shaoqing also looked at Lu Dingchuan. "Brother Lu, whatever you say goes; I will have no complaints."

Caught in the middle, Lu Dingchuan felt his head spinning.

On one side was the deeply rooted local Shu Prince Mansion.

On the other was the well-connected and currently favored Pei Shaoqing.

He was in a real dilemma!

"Your Highness, I apologize, but please have the Third Young Master cooperate with the investigation," Lu Dingchuan said after taking a deep breath.

No matter how great the power of the Shu Prince Mansion was, it was limited to Shu; he still wanted to keep climbing the ranks.

The Weiyuan Marquis Mansion held two titles in one family and was currently in the Emperor's high favor. Pei Shaoqing not only respected him but could also help him achieve repeated merits. The key was that he had heard this man was petty.

If he had to choose one of the two, he chose Pei Shaoqing.

"Lu Dingchuan, have you gone mad!" Yan Sidong was shocked.

The Shu Prince was so angry his face turned livid; this was no longer a matter of right or wrong, but a matter of the Prince Mansion's face.

Therefore, he could absolutely not back down.

The Shu Prince turned his head sharply to glare at Pei Shaoqing, his tone cold and biting. "To frame someone for treason just because of a petty dispute over affection—what a vicious little mongrel. I want to see who dares to arrest my son today. I will personally submit a memorial to the Emperor to ask if this counts as treason!"

Lu Dingchuan froze. With the Shu Prince standing his ground so firmly, he truly did not dare to force an arrest, let alone lay a hand on the Shu Prince.

"Since Your Highness has said as much, I can only count you as the winner," Pei Shaoqing said with an expressionless face.

He had already understood Lu Dingchuan's position.

There was no need to keep harping on this matter.

In any case, the Shu Prince Mansion wouldn't be able to jump around for many more days.

"Hmph!" The Shu Prince shot him a glare, turned around with a gloomy face, and walked away, his heart burning with intense rage.

Yet that idiot Yan Sidong still thought he had gained the upper hand; he looked at Pei Shaoqing with a smug and mocking expression and said, "Aren't you going to return Jiangxue to me?"

Having been a sycophant for so long, let alone the fact that Jiangxue had only had verbal exchanges with Pei Shaoqing, even if her body had been broken by Pei, as long as he could get a taste of her beauty, he wouldn't mind being a fellow traveler; this was an obsession.

"You utter disgrace! Get back to the mansion!" The Shu Prince's hysterical roar came from outside the private room.

Yan Sidong was startled into a shiver; he gave Jiangxue a reluctant look and scurried out in a sorry state.

Lu Dingchuan looked at Pei Shaoqing and sighed helplessly. "Brother Pei, why bother? To offend the Shu Prince Mansion for the sake of a mere prostitute."

"Many thanks, Brother Lu," Pei Shaoqing only said.

Good brother, you will thank me in a few days.

"Sigh, a crown-toppling rage for a beautiful woman!" Lu Dingchuan lamented. Young people, they are ultimately too young and easily controlled by their lower heads. "Why must you and I be so formal? I shall take my leave first."

"Safe travels, Brother Lu," Pei Shaoqing rose to see him off.

Lu Dingchuan turned and left with his subordinates.

Xu Jing's face flushed red; he raised his wine cup excitedly and said, "Brother Pei, facing the Shu Prince just now without the slightest bit of cowardice—a true man indeed. We must drink to this."

"Brother Xu, you flatter me; I was merely arguing based on reason," Pei Shaoqing replied with a smile as he returned the toast.

Thinking that this man had actually stood up to a Prince for her sake, Jiangxue couldn't help but feel her heart racing.

Even her movements became a bit gentler.

Seeing the look in Jiangxue's eyes, Xu Jing immediately stood up with a look of envy and said, "I'll go out and have a few drinks with everyone. Miss Jiangxue, please take good care of Brother Pei."

"Mm." Jiangxue responded in a delicate, coquettish voice.

Xu Jing left, taking the other two women with him, leaving only Pei Shaoqing and Jiangxue in the private room.

Only then did Jiangxue say in a soft voice: "It is all this slave's fault, causing Young Master to fall out with the Shu Prince."

"It was your bitchy fault to begin with." Pei Shaoqing turned, pinched her cheeks, and said in a calm tone: "You were the one who sent people to call Yan Sidong, weren't you?"

Without waiting for her answer, he let her go, straightened his lapels, and said indifferently: "But it doesn't matter. A woman I, this Young Master, have taken a fancy to—no one can take her from my hands, let alone a mere prince."

Although he did not like Jiangxue, he craved her body; seeing that she seemed to eat up the "domineering CEO standing against the world for me" trope, Pei Shaoqing did not mind acting it out.

"Young Master~" Jiangxue, who had been pushed down onto the floor, felt her heart tremble at these words. How many men would stand up to the Shu Prince for a prostitute like her? Her heart fluttered.

Seeing that the time was right, Pei Shaoqing leaned over and pinned her onto the soft couch: "If you're moved, then offer yourself to me."

The atmosphere was already there; he couldn't miss out on a good prostitute.

"Please, Young Master, have pity on this slave," Jiangxue said shyly and timidly, closing her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

Having just performed that shameful act for Pei Shaoqing in front of so many people, the image she had built up in the past would surely collapse once it spread; submitting to him was the only choice.

The key was that he seemed very reliable.

Some things rely on oneself to handle, which is too difficult.

If she could rely on Pei Shaoqing to achieve her goals, then giving her body to him today was not a loss.

Once the thought of lying flat arose, the world suddenly felt vast.

Her silk skirt spread out in layers, her delicate body like jade, her powdered face flushed with spring; she dared not speak loudly, fearing to startle the celestial beings above.

Although Jiangxue was still a virgin, she had grown up in a brothel since childhood and had received plenty of relevant training, so despite being illiterate, she could make Pei Shaoqing feel right at home.

Afterwards, Pei Shaoqing felt incomparably satisfied.

This was the best experience he had ever had.

And this was still Jiangxue's first time; he dared not imagine what she would evolve into once she became skilled in the future.

Truly, there is a specialty in every trade.

Professional matters must be handled by professional people.

"Young Master, will you take me into your household?" Jiangxue, having recovered a bit, asked while hugging Pei Shaoqing's neck.

Of course not!

Just because he let her in didn't mean she could enter his household.

Being able to enter his household was a big deal.

One must be able to bring him equivalent value to be qualified to enjoy the benefits of being bound to him in marriage; being pretty and knowing how to serve people was not enough.

Given his status, the thing he lacked least in the world was beautiful women willing to lower their status to serve him.

If he had to take in every woman he slept with, how many would he have to take? He estimated that only the Imperial Palace could hold that many wives and concubines, yet he was not the Emperor.

Moreover, the more he took in, and the more casually he did so, the cheaper and more worthless the status of his "concubine" became.

Therefore, he had to strictly control the number of wives and concubines with official status, leaving spots for women he felt were valuable to his life and who were also good-looking.

Pei Shaoqing gently wiped the tear stains and sweat from her face and said sincerely: "Who says a woman must depend on a man? I admire your independent soul more. I will redeem you, but I will not selfishly bind you to my side in the name of a concubine."

"Compared to the subordinate relationship of husband and concubine, I prefer this kind of friendship. I will buy you a small courtyard in the city; from now on, this place will be my spiritual harbor, and I will come to find you whenever I am tired."

Translation: I won't marry you, but I don't want you to be slept with by men other than me, and I'm not bored of you yet, so I'll buy a house and keep you outside.

"Young Master, you speak so well. Those people who keep saying they want to marry me home only want to keep me as a canary, a plaything for their amusement," Jiangxue said with misty eyes, hugging Pei Shaoqing tightly: "But you are different from them."

Yes, I am even more of a scumbag than them.

I said that wrong; it's that I respect you more than they do.

Pei Shaoqing patted her fragrant shoulder: "Besides the house, I will arrange for a few servants to take care of your daily life. You don't need to dance or play music to amuse others every day anymore; just live your own life well."

Arranging servants was mainly to monitor Jiangxue.

So she wouldn't live in the house he bought, spend the money he gave her, and still have the nerve to cuckold him.

If there was any sign of that.

Then he would delete her (▼ヘ▼#).

"Mm-hmm, I will listen to everything Young Master says." Jiangxue nodded repeatedly, the image of Wang Lang in her heart gradually blurring.

A poor scholar she had met a few times with some talent—how could he compare to the son of the Weiyuan Marquis, the Hundred-Household Officer Pei, the Baron of Pingyang, who dared to stand up to the Shu Prince without losing ground?

Women can talk about feelings.

But they can also be very realistic.

That night, Pei Shaoqing stayed in Jiangxue's boudoir.

The news spread, making countless people envious.

Especially those pathetic simps who had personally driven up Jiangxue's price and worshipped her as a goddess.

They were even more heartbroken, able only to drown their sorrows in alcohol.

And Liu Mama cried until her eyes were swollen; her cash cow had been punctured by Pei Shaoqing! Damn him!

How much money would it take to cultivate a new top courtesan!

…………………………

The next day, after a night of fermentation.

The events of last night at Furong Xuan had already spread.

And the more it spread, the more outrageous it became.

"Have you heard? Last night, the Baron of Pingyang won Miss Jiangxue's heart with half a poem, and Yan Sidong, out of jealousy, went to cause trouble, only to be easily beaten back by the Baron of Pingyang."

"There's more! Yan Sidong brought the Shu Prince to back him up, and the Baron of Pingyang, in a fit of rage for the sake of a beauty, directly fought the Shu Prince, forcing the Shu Prince to submit. Miss Jiangxue was so moved that she spent a night of passion with him."

"My Miss Jiangxue! I hope the Baron of Pingyang can be gentle; she is delicate and weak and can't take it!"

"I envy Miss Jiangxue," a man said.

The people around him instantly scattered, moving several meters away.

"Trying to ask the red beans a thousand ways, half becomes pure joy and half becomes a prisoner. The Baron of Pingyang is truly a great talent! To be able to compose such tender, water-like poetry, and also to fearlessly protect a beauty against the powerful—it is no wonder Miss Jiangxue would lose her heart to him."

"The Baron of Pingyang is skilled in both literature and martial arts; with just half a poem, he has made a beauty bow, truly making the rest of us envious."

At this moment, the protagonist of the incident, Pei Shaoqing, had just gotten out of bed, preparing to discuss the matter of redeeming her body with Liu Mama.

The person, he wanted.

But the money, he did not want to pay.

Who could tell him what he should do?

(End of this chapter)