Chapter Thirty-Nine: A Contest of Performance

They were all thousand-year-old foxes; had he not shown concern for Zhao Ang, he would have aroused the suspicion of the Duke of Ding. It was only by attempting to warn Zhao Ang and being blocked by the Duke that the old fox would truly believe Zhao Ang had taken the bait.

"If you refuse to drink with me, it means you do not wish for reconciliation."

"In that case, I shall have to ask His Majesty to mediate for us once more!"

"You..."

The old Prince gritted his teeth, but dared not lash out, constrained by the need to maintain decorum before the Emperor.

"Fine, I will drink, but only three cups!"

He drank with extreme haste, clearly eager to finish and go to Zhao Ang's aid. The Duke of Ding, however, kept him occupied with trivial chatter, all while casting a meaningful glance toward Zhou Qi.

Zhou Qi understood. He draped an arm over Zhao Ang’s shoulder and leaned in to whisper in his ear:

"The wine in this palace is too watered down; it’s boring."

"I heard a new brothel opened outside the city. Not only is the wine potent, but the girls are even more spirited."

"Would the Heir Apparent be interested in joining me to take a look?"

Here it comes. Zhao Ang knew Zhou Qi’s true intentions were about to unfold. Yet, he remained outwardly composed, asking with feigned interest:

"Is that true? How does this girl compare to Jiang Qin?"

At the mention of Jiang Qin, the hatred in Zhou Qi's heart deepened. It wasn't that he still pined for her, but rather the humiliation of having lost a woman to a rival. Even his own fair-weather friends had teased him about it; this was a grudge that had to be settled.

With this thought, his expression grew even more sincere.

"She cannot compare to Jiang Qin in beauty, of course, but she possesses a unique charm."

"She knows many tricks that will leave a man unable to tear himself away."

"Once you try those tricks, Heir Apparent, you are sure to love them."

As he spoke, Zhou Qi whispered the details of these "tricks" into his ear. Zhao Ang’s eyes grew brighter with every word, and he stood up abruptly.

"Is this for real? Let us go at once!"

"What a lecherous ghost!" Zhou Qi inwardly scoffed, though his eyes sparkled with delight. It seemed his plan for today would surely succeed; Zhao Ang was as good as dead.

Nearby, the old Prince, after much back-and-forth, finally finished his three cups of wine. But when he set his cup down, Zhao Ang was nowhere to be seen. Knowing the boy had gone off to do his own business, the old Prince nevertheless feigned a look of panic.

"Where is the Heir Apparent?"

He asked a palace attendant nearby. The attendant glanced at the Duke of Ding before quickly looking away.

"Reporting to the Prince, the Heir Apparent said he could not hold his liquor and has returned to the Prince’s estate first."

The old Prince took note of the subtle exchange between them, but chose to act oblivious.

"Is that true?"

"Your Highness, how would this servant dare to lie to you?" The attendant spoke with such certainty that the old Prince seemed to believe him. He stood up, ready to depart.

"The Heir Apparent has merely gone home; it is no great matter. Why is the Prince in such a hurry?"

"Besides, this imperial wine—if you don't drink it now, who knows when you will have the chance again?"

It was well known that the old Prince loved wine as if it were his life. Of course, this was merely the persona he projected to the world, but he had always been diligent in maintaining it.

"This..."

The old Prince seemed truly conflicted. The Duke of Ding struck while the iron was hot.

"If the Prince is worried about his grandson, you need only send a palace attendant back to check on him."

"That is true," the old Prince said, seemingly persuaded.

After giving instructions to a nearby attendant, he picked up his wine cup. When the Duke of Ding attempted to offer another toast, the old Prince dodged it.

"Three cups have passed. I still prefer to drink alone."

He spoke with irritation, clearly still holding a grudge against the Duke. Seeing this, the Duke of Ding felt reassured; it seemed the old Prince had truly noticed nothing. Otherwise, he would have been putting on a show of hollow courtesy. This wine was excellent—it would be fitting for offerings at Zhao Ang’s grave. The Duke’s eyes darkened, while the old Prince continued to play his part.

Elsewhere, Zhao Ang and Zhou Qi had arrived at the brothel outside the city.

"Are you sure this place has the marvelous creature you spoke of?"

Zhao Ang looked at the brothel before him with disdain. It was nowhere near the quality of the White Jade Pavilion. He had to maintain his persona of being unimpressed, so Zhou Qi quickly explained:

"Small as the sparrow may be, it has all its vital organs."

"Whether she is truly a marvelous creature or not, Heir Apparent, you will know as soon as you go in."

"Fine, I will trust you this once."

As he stepped inside, half the weight lifted from Zhou Qi’s heart. Once Zhao Ang went in, his death would not be far off.

"Oh my, Heir Apparent, what a rare guest! Please, come in!"

The madam greeted them warmly, her eyes meeting Zhou Qi’s briefly before quickly darting away.

"Madam, call Qingqing over, and give us a private room."

Zhou Qi tossed down a gold ingot. Zhao Ang’s eyes lit up.

"Very good! You call for her so skillfully, Zhou Qi—I never expected you to be such an old hand at this."

He stepped forward, threw an arm around Zhou Qi’s shoulder, and winked at him.

"How about it? Do you want to join me for some 'tricks'?"

Seeing this, Zhou Qi suddenly recalled the rumors in the capital about Zhao Ang’s proclivities for men, and a chill ran down his spine. He shook his head and refused, terrified that Zhao Ang might try to drag him into a tryst.

"Boring!"

Zhao Ang feigned disappointment as he headed upstairs. Behind him, Zhou Qi gritted his teeth. To think that he actually wanted him to play the submissive role—this Zhao Ang was becoming more and more deserving of death.

"Miss Qingqing is here."

Not long after they reached the private room, the madam brought in a woman. The woman wore a veil, her waist as supple as a water snake, but...

"Is this the marvelous creature you spoke of? She is nowhere near as good as Jiang Qin."

Zhao Ang scanned her up and down, putting on the air of a seasoned veteran of the flowers.

"Don't be so impatient," Zhou Qi said, looking at Qingqing. He spoke directly:

"Take off your veil."

"Taking off the veil is possible, but this young master must first drink three cups of wine."

Qingqing spoke as she sat on Zhao Ang’s lap, staring into his eyes and teasing him.

"I shall drink, then."

Zhou Qi reached for the wine cup, but Qingqing pressed it down.

"No, only the Heir Apparent may drink."

Hearing this, Zhou Qi gave a bitter smile.

"Heir Apparent, it seems Miss Qingqing only has eyes for you."

"Her true charms can only be discovered once that veil is removed. Why don't you have those three cups first, Heir Apparent?"

The two of them exchanged glances; they were clearly acting out a scene. Zhao Ang truly didn't know how stupid his predecessor could have been to allow them to be so brazen. But... he would have to play the part of this idiot for now.

"You are sensible enough to know that I am different from the rest. I will drink!"

Zhao Ang, appearing thoroughly pleased, poured three cups and drank them down. The pair exchanged a look of utter contempt.

"There, I have finished my three cups. Take off the veil."

"I want to see exactly what is so different about you."

As he reached for the veil, Qingqing dodged him.

"Don't be so hasty, Heir Apparent. Let us play a little game."

"For every cup you drink, I shall remove a piece of clothing, how about that?"

"As for this veil, it shall be the very last thing."

Qingqing was already wearing very little; her words implied she meant to strip down to nothing. Given Zhao Ang’s persona, how could he possibly refuse?

"Then it is a deal."

He picked up his wine cup and drank. After the first cup, Qingqing removed a piece of clothing.

"Heir Apparent, shall we continue drinking?" Qingqing purred, seducing him.