Chapter 110: Sitting Face to Face

Qian Qianyi's small eyes flickered. In Jiangnan, brothels and pleasure houses were places of elegance, where literati and poets all gathered in abundance.

As a rising star of the Donglin Faction with a certain standing in the literary world, Qian Qianyi was naturally an expert in such matters, but hearing such words from seven-year-old Zhu Xu, he felt a faint sense of unease.

Zhu Xu swayed in the carriage, looking at this future leader of Donglin and titan of letters, and said with narrowed eyes, "Minister Qian, do you have any paramours in the capital?"

Qian Qianyi was worried inside, but outwardly he remained perfectly calm, a slight smile appearing on his plump face as he said, "Your subordinate has always kept himself pure and unsullied."

Zhu Xu nodded inwardly. Qian Qianyi was indeed not simple—these words sounded clear enough, yet they were still ambiguous, amounting to saying nothing at all.

Today he was determined to trap this man, so he took out his fan, slowly fanned himself, and leaned against the carriage wall, feigning sleep.

Qian Qianyi was also a man of deep schemes. Though he didn't know what Zhu Xu was plotting, he already had his response ready: meet change with constancy!

The carriage swayed along and soon arrived before Cuifang Tower.

"Your Highness, we have arrived." Cao Wenzhao stopped the carriage and spoke at the window.

Zhu Xu suddenly perked up, sat upright, and looked at Qian Qianyi, saying, "Minister Qian, come—this prince will show you the splendor of the capital."

Qian Qianyi bowed slightly without changing his expression, and followed Zhu Xu off the carriage.

The moment they stepped down, a young woman in her early twenties, dressed quite seductively yet with a cold glint in her eyes, hurried over, bowed, and said, "Ai'er pays respects to Your Highness."

Zhu Xu looked at her and nodded with a chuckle.

This was the maidservant that Madam Ke had once used to harm Empress Zhang, whom Zhu Xu had captured and turned around to use against Madam Ke!

Ai'er glanced at the people Zhu Xu had brought, then stepped close and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, everything is prepared."

Zhu Xu disliked the heavy rouge scent on her, but nodded imperceptibly, then turned to Qian Qianyi with a beaming smile, saying, "Minister Qian, come, let us go inside and talk at length."

Qian Qianyi bowed slightly, naturally not daring to walk ahead.

Zhu Xu led a group of people, guided by Ai'er, to a private room.

Once Zhu Xu and Qian Qianyi were seated, Ai'er opened the window on Zhu Xu's left side and said, "Your Highness, this servant will go prepare some refreshments for you."

Zhu Xu waved his hand, raised his head, and looked out through the window toward the opposite side. There too was a private room, completely empty, though cups and dishes had been neatly laid out.

Qian Qianyi sat down, adhering to the principle of saying nothing and doing nothing, sitting upright with refined grace and poise.

Cao Wenzhao and Cao Huachun were also completely baffled, wondering in their hearts that Prince Hui must have arranged Ai'er through Yao Qingqing, but they had no idea what this was about.

Before long, tea and pastries were served on Zhu Xu's table, and he picked them up, eating while watching the still-empty room across the way with great interest.

"Oh my, Master Guan, you rarely come around—I've missed you so much."

Suddenly, from the corridor opposite, a man and woman appeared, embracing each other, swaying as they walked over.

That young master wore fine silks and looked wealthy and imposing, a lewd grin on his face as he said, "This young master has missed you too, but today I've come to spend a night with Lady Liuxu, so you naughty girl mustn't be jealous."

"How annoying!" The pretty young woman pouted and playfully punched the man, then tucked a piece of silver into his chest and smiled seductively, "Here, this is the room where Sister Liu plays her zither. Master Guan can go in and take a look first."

That Master Guan was overjoyed and, entering the room, said, "Fine, fine—this young master will wait here for Lady Liu."

The pretty young woman pouted a few more complaints, but still turned and walked out.

This Master Guan looked around the room—it was merely a zither room, not a boudoir—but he was still delighted. He sat down at the table and waited for a while. Suddenly he glanced around, pulled a paper packet from his bosom, opened the teacup lid across from him, poured the contents in, shook it, then withdrew his hand, stood up, and pretended to be nonchalant as he continued wandering about the room.

Qian Qianyi watched that Master Guan with slightly furrowed brows. He was all too familiar with the base tricks of these wealthy young scions, and as a man who prided himself on elegance, he naturally held them in contempt or found them utterly detestable.

He turned to glance at Zhu Xu, then pretended not to have seen anything as he picked up his teacup and took a slow sip.

Zhu Xu remained smiling the whole time, glancing across, then picking up melon seeds from the table and slowly cracking them open.

Before long, Ai'er appeared in the corridor accompanying a young man of even more imposing bearing, with an air of arrogance on his face. She said urgently, "Oh dear, my Master Zhao, Lady Liuxu truly hasn't finished washing up yet. Once she's ready, she'll certainly come out—if she'd see anyone, how could she not see you?"

That Master Zhao waved his hand and said impatiently, "Fine, fine—you go on. I'll wait in the zither room." With that, he strode forward. Clearly a regular customer, familiar with the way.

Master Guan in the room heard this too, and stormed out furiously, looking at Ai'er and saying, "Auntie, I came first today! I don't care who he is—tonight Lady Liuxu is mine!"

Master Zhao glanced at Master Guan, sneered, and walked straight into the zither room.

Master Guan was about to flare up when Ai'er hastily grabbed him, saying, "Master Guan, don't be angry. Listen to me, listen to me."

Saying this, Ai'er pulled Master Guan outside the door and began speaking to him in a low voice.

Master Zhao glanced over, sneered contemptuously, and sat down across from where Master Guan had been sitting.

He looked around the room, listened to the voices outside, then pulled a small paper packet from his bosom and poured its contents into the teacup across from him.

"Just because his grandfather is Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, does that make him so great? My father is still a Junior Steward of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and my esteemed teacher is a Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat—am I afraid of him!"

Master Guan shouted loudly from outside, pushed the door open, and charged back in, pointing at Master Zhao and raging, "Zhao, I don't care who your grandfather is—Lady Liuxu is mine tonight! You'd better leave now!"

Master Zhao sneered coldly, didn't even raise his head, and picked up his teacup to take a light sip.

The enraged Master Guan saw this, and a strange smile spread across his face. Instead, he calmed down, sat down across from him, and also picked up his teacup, blowing on it as he said, "Brother Zhao, it seems today you'll have no choice but to yield to me."

Master Zhao watched him pick up the teacup, and a similar smile appeared on his own face as he said, "Heh heh, Brother Guan is too kind—I'm afraid it's you who will have to yield."

The two finished drinking, set down their cups, and smiled at each other, both wearing strange, smug expressions. Neither spoke further, as if waiting for something.

Qian Qianyi across the way watched the two men's behavior, and as a great Confucian scholar, his expression turned quite sour. At the same time, from their conversation, he had discerned their identities.

Master Zhao should be a grandson of Zhao Xingxing, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. And that Master Guan should be the son of Guan Yingzhen, the Junior Steward of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

His brows knitted tightly, and he looked up at Zhu Xu, confusion appearing on his plump face.

Zhao Xingxing was one of the Three Gentlemen of the Donglin Faction, the last surviving elder, while Guan Yingzhen was one of the leaders of the Chu faction.

The very emergence of the Donglin Faction was itself due to the factional strife at court during the Wanli era. Thus, Zhao Xingxing harbored a deep hatred for the Chu faction, and since his return to office had been constantly trying to drive the Chu faction out of the court.

The relations between the two men, or the two factions, were hostile—they had fought each other to the death for many years.

Qian Qianyi was deeply puzzled, wondering what Zhu Xu's true purpose was in bringing him here.

Just at that moment, the two men who had been facing off with sinister smiles suddenly had their faces contort, and foam spilling from their mouths, they collapsed onto the table.

——

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