Chapter 217: Debauchery

In the bedchamber of the main hall of the Prince of Chu's mansion, Zhu Yunlong, the Prince of Hanyang, sat reclined on a soft couch, while his beautiful consort, Lady Qin of Hanyang, held a bowl of medicinal broth and fed it to him bit by bit with an exquisite silver spoon.

"Long'er's complexion has improved lately—Master Sun's prescription has indeed taken effect. Once the remaining herbs are finished, I'll have someone summon Master Sun back to the residence for another examination; perhaps by this time next year, Long'er will be as healthy as any ordinary person!"

Zhu Yunlong's mother, Lady Ma, watched her son from the side with loving eyes, speaking in a comforting tone.

When Zhu Yunlong was three years old, he fell into water and was frightened, and from that time on he became a sickly child, his body so weak that even a minor chill with fever would torment him for over a month; every year, just after the Mid-Autumn Festival, he had to don furs against the cold, and in winter he dared not even step out the door—his sleeping chamber had to be kept warm day and night with several braziers before he could feel any relief.

The Prince of Chu's household spent vast sums seeking famous physicians throughout the realm to treat him, consuming enough rare medicinal herbs to fill half a room, yet no fundamental improvement ever appeared.

Lady Ma had privately sought out a wandering Daoist to cast a divination for Zhu Yunlong. That Daoist calculated for a long while, then left behind a single sentence before drifting away: The first benming year after the capping ceremony must be treated with the utmost caution.

The tenth year of Chongzhen happened to be Zhu Yunlong's benming year at age twenty-four. To guard against any eventuality, Lady Ma, after obtaining Zhu Huakui's consent, had moved Zhu Yunlong from his own commandery prince's residence into the Prince of Chu's mansion starting last year—first, to keep watch over her son at close hand, and second, to borrow the imposing aura of the Prince of Chu's household to suppress any evil spirits or lurking malice.

Some days earlier, Lady Ma had learned that in Xingguo Prefecture of Wuchang there was a certain Bureau Director surnamed Sun who enjoyed considerable renown in the locality, said to have cured many difficult and complicated illnesses, earning him the reputation of a divine physician. Lady Ma therefore sent people to invite Master Sun to the residence to treat her beloved son.

After examining Zhu Yunlong, this Master Sun said little, only remarking that it was a case of constitutional weakness requiring slow, gradual recuperation. After writing out a prescription, he declined the household's generous payment and returned to Xingguo.

Zhu Huakui had already become obsessed with Buddhist recitation and the pursuit of longevity—how could he spare any concern for his son's life or death? Lady Ma naturally understood the meaning behind Master Sun's words, and while grieving inwardly, she could only force a smile and comfort her son.

"Terrible news, terrible news! His Lordship suddenly collapsed while cultivating Buddhism in the Thousand Buddha Hall—please, Princess Consort, go at once to see him!"

Following the frantic voice, the figure of a eunuch appeared at the hall's entrance, his expression one of great urgency.

Lady Ma and the others inside the hall all started in alarm. Zhu Yunlong struggled to sit up, and Lady Qin and two maidservants hurried forward to support him.

Lady Ma rose hastily and walked toward the hall's exit. She felt the eunuch looked vaguely familiar, but in her urgency she had no time to think it over.

"What acute illness has His Lordship taken? Has the household physician been summoned? Long'er, stay here and do not move—Chun'e and Xing'er, come with this Princess Consort!"

Lady Ma left the side hall and followed the eunuch swiftly along the corridor toward the Thousand Buddha Hall. Only Zhu Yunlong and Lady Qin remained in the hall, while several young eunuchs stood guard outside.

Not long after Lady Ma's party had vanished from sight, Zhu Yunhui's figure appeared outside the hall, with Li San and the others following behind him.

The young eunuchs, seeing the heir apparent suddenly appear, were so frightened they dropped to their knees in obeisance. Zhu Yunhui flicked his long sleeve and barked: "All of you, get far away! Do not approach without my command! I wish to converse with my younger brother about family matters!"

Though the young eunuchs knew Zhu Yunhui had come with ill intent, they dared not show the slightest disobedience. Scrambling up from the ground, they quickly withdrew from the side hall, and one quick-witted young eunuch turned and ran toward the Thousand Buddha Hall.

Zhu Yunhui strode into the hall, eyeing the terrified Lady Qin with lecherous intent and leering: "I heard my younger brother is unwell, and being free today, I came especially to pay a visit! My sister-in-law is here too—what a coincidence! Hahaha!"

Though Zhu Yunlong's body was frail, he had long heard of this half-brother's character. Seeing that while the man spoke of visiting, his eyes never stopped roving up and down over his princess consort, how could Zhu Yunlong fail to see what sort of heart Zhu Yunhui harbored?

"Your Highness the Heir Apparent, your younger brother's body is fine—please, do return! Otherwise, when Mother returns shortly, I fear matters may become awkward for everyone!"

Zhu Yunlong straightened his back with effort and shouted with all his strength.

"Mother? Hahahaha! Your mother won't be coming back anytime soon!"

Zhu Yunhui laughed loudly.

Following Li San's scheme, he had ordered someone to falsely report that Zhu Huakui had been stricken with a sudden illness, then stationed men in the garden along the route to the Thousand Buddha Hall. When Lady Ma and her party passed through, they seized them and locked them in a remote room.

Zhu Yunlong instantly understood what had happened, and rage surged within him—two patches of red flush appeared on his pale cheeks.

Drawing on strength he did not know he possessed, he sprang to his feet, pointing a finger at Zhu Yunhui and bellowing: "Zhu Yunhui, you vile, shameless wretch! You tricked my mother into leaving—what do you intend?! I shall go to Father and lodge a complaint against you! Why do you not leave this place at once?! Are you not afraid of Father's punishment?!"

Zhu Yunhui clapped his hands and laughed: "That old fool is too busy with his own Buddhist devotions and vegetarian fasts to bother with anyone else! Younger brother, you've been sickly and weak since childhood, yet you happen to have such a beautiful consort. I have my doubts as to whether you can even perform as a husband—and if you cannot, wouldn't such a lovely sister-in-law be pearls cast before swine? Since I am the heir apparent, I cannot permit such a crime against humanity to occur! The duty of comforting your consort on your behalf falls to none other than me! Li San, you lot keep my younger brother good company—I shall retire to the bedchamber for a word with Lady Qin!"

Lady Qin's face had gone pale with terror. No longer caring that outsiders were present, she threw herself into Zhu Yunlong's arms, her body trembling slightly, two streams of clear tears already tracing down her cheeks.

Zhu Yunlong held his beloved wife tightly, his bloodshot eyes seeming to blaze with fire as he glared at Zhu Yunhui, wishing he could tear apart that utterly shameless ugly face before him.

Zhu Yunhui's expression shifted, and he barked: "Li San, must I do it myself?!"

At these words, Li San and his men lunged forward at once. Two of them pinned Zhu Yunlong down, while two others, with a slight exertion, pried apart Lady Qin's arms from around Zhu Yunlong and dragged her toward the bedchamber at the rear of the hall. Lady Qin screamed and wept, struggling desperately to break free, but what strength could a frail woman muster against the grip of two burly men?

Zhu Yunlong's eyes bulged as if they would split apart. Gasping for breath, he strained with all his might to rescue his beloved wife, but one guard hooked his foot lightly, sending Zhu Yunlong crashing to the floor with a thud. That guard promptly sat down on his back, and another followed suit, sitting on Zhu Yunlong's body. Under the crushing weight of over three hundred catties, Zhu Yunlong could not move an inch.

Zhu Yunhui, meanwhile, walked toward the bedchamber with a face full of lecherous smiles.

In a meditation room off to one side of the Thousand Buddha Hall, Zhu Huakui, clad in Daoist robes, sat in silent meditation, reciting the Diamond Sutra in his heart.

In recent years he had gradually felt his body aging rapidly, and his fear of death had grown ever more intense. After donating a large sum of money and grain to the Temple of Gratitude in Wuchang city, and following the advice of the abbot, Master Wen De, he had the Thousand Buddha Hall in his mansion renovated, then began a life of quiet cultivation with vegetarian fasts and Buddhist recitation, paying almost no attention to any affairs of the household.

Perhaps because sincere devotion works wonders, in the last two years he felt the pace of aging had slowed, and some functions he had lost seemed to have recovered considerably. Overjoyed, this only strengthened his resolve to continue his quiet cultivation. He sternly admonished the eunuchs who served him not to relay any worldly matters to him, for such things would breed distracting thoughts and destroy the years of cultivation he had built.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out beyond the hall, shattering the serene atmosphere and infuriating Zhu Huakui. Just as he was about to call out, his personal eunuch Liu Yungui gently pushed open the door of the meditation room and slipped inside.

"Who is making such a racket outside? Did I not instruct that I am not to be disturbed unless it is a matter of importance?"

Zhu Huakui looked at the kneeling Liu Yungui with annoyance in his voice.

"Reporting to Your Lordship: just now, a man from the Prince of Hanyang's retinue came with news! The heir apparent has taken men to the side hall where the Prince of Hanyang resides, intending to commit outrage against the Princess Consort of Hanyang! This servant had no choice but to come and report to Your Lordship!"