Chapter 4: Jiangzuo (IV)

The news of Huangfu Yunzhu Hai being frightened spread quickly throughout Jiangdu. As the most famous “Red A-Gu” in Huainan Circuit, she faced endless envious gazes, as well as extraordinary pressure—pressure that often stemmed from rumors circulating in the marketplaces.

This incident had a profound impact on Huangfu Yun’s reputation. Even Sun Fangfang, the madam of Zimo Pavilion, couldn’t help but stand up in defense of her. After all, she had painstakingly nurtured such a beautiful and charming woman. Before this “treasure” could even start bringing in money, it was almost ruined—how could she not be angry?

Although the prince of Gaoyou County would later offer her a substantial sum of silver, her daughter’s purity would be lost forever. Though the first-night fees for Red A-Gus in brothels were high, that was only a last resort when those courtesans began to decline in status. Among the four top courtesans in Jiangdu, which one wasn’t a virgin? If her Yun’er were to have her purity taken by that vile prince, she would plummet from the clouds to the abyss!

A woman’s purity was like a tempting treasure, especially for those in brothels. If Huangfu Yun remained a virgin, she could earn dozens of times more in silver over three to five years than what she would make from her first night. But if she became a prostitute, even if she could become famous through her talents for a few years, the profits for Zimo Pavilion would undoubtedly drop significantly. Sun Fangfang would never do such a foolish thing of killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. Yet she never expected a prince of the Tang Dynasty to commit such a vile act in broad daylight.

Could it be that those grand palaces were even dirtier than this world of brothels and pleasure houses?

“Yun’er, listen to your mother—don’t go out and attract attention these days!”
Sun Fangfang repeatedly warned Huangfu Yun. With such a troublesome issue, she wished she could surround her daughter with layers of guards to protect her from others’ influence.

After this incident, it depended entirely on Huangfu Yun herself—whether she could withstand the rumors and overcome them.

“Yun’er understands. I’ll do as mother says,” she replied softly, lips slightly pursed.

At that moment, Sun Fangfang also regretted deeply. If she had known Li Yi was such a scoundrel, she would never have pushed her “money-making tree” into danger. Ah, it was all because she had been blinded by money and made such a foolish decision.

“Mother Sun, how is Young Master Li Kuo? Has the prince of Gaoyou County caused him any trouble?”

These past few days, Huangfu Yun had remained secluded in Zimo Pavilion, unaware of anything going on outside, so she asked gently.
“Oh my, my dear, at this point in time, why are you still worried about others? Shouldn’t you worry about yourself first? Haven’t you noticed that lately, both Minister Yao and Assistant Feng have stopped coming to Zimo Pavilion? If this continues, will the people here have to go out and brave the north wind?”
Sun Fangfang complained with a grim expression, “Well, in a few days, I’ll hold a banquet at Zimo Pavilion and invite the nobles and gentlemen of Yangzhou to attend. That way, we can restore your reputation.”
“Mom Sun, it was Young Master Li Kuo who saved Yun’s innocence. If anything happens to him because of this, how can Yun continue to live?”
Huangfu Yun refused stubbornly, her lips tightly pressed together.
“Alright, I’ll do as you say. You really are the debt I owe from my past life!”
Sun Fangfang waved her fan helplessly and said, “But I haven’t investigated this specifically. How about this—later, I’ll have Chi Su go to the military commander’s residence to find out more. What do you think?”
“Yun thanks Mom Sun for this!”
Huangfu Yun was overjoyed and bowed deeply.
“You!”
Sun Fangfang tapped Huangfu Yun’s forehead lightly and shook her head helplessly. …
“Brother Kuo, have you offended the Prince of Gaoyou?”
In an unassuming beef noodle restaurant in the south of Yangzhou, Zhang Yanji stared at Li Kuo in shock.
“It’s been several years now. Why can’t you get rid of your habit of being so hasty? You need to stay calm in everything.”
Li Kuo glared at Zhang Yanji irritably and said, “It’s not such a big deal. He’s just a nominal prince with no real power. What can he do to me?”
Zhang Yanji angrily slammed the table and said, “Brother Kuo, you’ve caused a huge problem! How am I supposed to stay calm?”
“What? Could it be that this Prince of Gaoyou, Li Yi, really has such influence in Yangzhou?”
Li Kuo frowned doubtfully. He really didn’t understand why Zhang Yanji was so anxious. In the past, he might have been intimidated by the title of prince, but now, having met many high-ranking figures like the emperor and the crown prince many times, how could he still be frightened by a mere title?
“Heh, Brother Kuo, you don’t know everything. This Prince of Gaoyou, Li Yi, isn’t very capable, but he’s a well-known supporter of the Prince of Yong!”

Zhang Yanji stuck his chopsticks into the beef noodles and said, “Although you have no real connection with the crown prince now, you once belonged to the Eastern Palace. In the eyes of all the officials and soldiers in the court, you are still considered part of the crown prince’s faction! And right now, aside from the crown prince, Prince Yong Li Lin has the highest influence in the court. Even the emperor is considering dismissing the crown prince and installing Prince Yong instead.”

Brother Kuo really picked the wrong person to mess with—someone so troublesome. With Prince Yong’s current strength, even the current crown prince doesn’t dare to openly defy him. If Brother Kuo offends his ally, isn’t that tantamount to slapping him in the face?

Zhang Yanji stirred his chopsticks as he continued, “This Li Yi wasn’t originally acquainted with Prince Yong. It was only after seeing the attitude of the officials and soldiers in the court that he tried every means to curry favor with Prince Yong. When the old prince of Gaoyou was still alive, he didn’t dare to be too overt. Now that the old prince has passed away and he’s become the prince of Gaoyou, who can hold him back? It’s said he’s given up all his share of the salt profits from Yangzhou to Prince Yong to show his loyalty!”

Upon hearing this, Li Kuo was also shocked. If Li Yi were just an idle prince who relied on others for a living, he wouldn’t have been too worried. After all, since the founding of the dynasty by Emperor Gaozu, it had lasted nearly a hundred years, with countless descendants. There were probably many such collateral relatives like Li Yi throughout the Tang dynasty.

These people contributed little beyond draining the dynasty’s resources; they didn’t even bother holding any nominal positions. Why should he fear them? But if he became too close to Prince Yong Li Lin, things would really get complicated. After all, the emperor was already old, and he hated anything related to the succession issue. He had come to the Huainan region to train troops just to stay out of the spotlight. If this led to entanglement between Prince Yong and the crown prince, it would be a loss in every sense.

“Could the prince of Gaoyou really be that stupid?”

Li Kuo was momentarily stunned and murmured, “Would he really be foolish enough to use this as an excuse to get involved in this matter by relying on Prince Yong’s power?”

Hearing this, Zhang Yanji felt both annoyed and amused, shaking his head repeatedly.

“Heh, you really don’t understand the lives of these princes and princes’ sons! Their lives revolve around fighting chickens, racing horses, and playing with women! Now you’ve humiliated him and made it impossible for him to enjoy women. If he doesn’t fight back to save face, how can he stay in Yangzhou or the Huainan region? Brother Kuo, you’re being too impulsive!”

Zhang Yanji now regretted it deeply. Why hadn’t he gone to Zimo Pavilion with Brother Kuo back then? If he had, Brother Kuo wouldn’t have done such a thing!

Since ancient times, heroes have struggled with the allure of beauties. Brother Ke now has two exquisite wives in his mansion, yet he still can’t resist other women.
“He may be part of the Prince Yong faction, but I’m not afraid of him.”
Li Ke clenched his fists and said, “These past few years, the Prince Yong has lived in luxury thanks to the emperor’s favor, with expenses far exceeding the limits, even surpassing those of the imperial palace. Even though I’m not from the imperial family, I can’t stand it anymore. If he shows some sense, that’s fine. But if he tries to stand up for the Prince of Gaoyou, I’m not shy about having a fight with him. After all, I’ve long suspected he’s involved in the Jiangzuo salt transport case.”
Zhang Yanji was stunned upon hearing this and stammered, “That’s true. After all, you carry the title of imperial envoy, so even the Prince Yong should be cautious around you.”
After a brief pause, Zhang Yanji continued, “But, Brother Ke, what you’re doing isn’t very fair. Sister Jing Tian and Sister Li Niang have only been reunited with you for a few days, and you already go to brothels to flirt with other women. Well, don’t think I don’t know—that Huangfu Yun is the most famous beauty in Yangzhou. Tsk tsk, Brother Ke, you really have good taste. So, has your lover tried to bribe me? Given our close relationship, should I give you a discount?”
Hehe, if Sister Jing Tian found out about this, it would surely cause chaos in the mansion. Brother Ke, it seems you’re in for a big loss this time!
Seeing that he was trying to tease him, Li Ke snapped his head and said irritably, “Stop being silly. You know why I want to get close to Huangfu Yun. Well, since you want a bribe, is this bowl of noodles enough? Here, it’s all for you!”
Zhang Yanji pouted and said, “Brother Ke, you’re as stingy as ever. Just a bowl of beef noodles? That’s not even enough to settle me, sigh!”
“What, not enough?”
Li Ke looked at Zhang Yanji amusedly, then shouted to the waiter, “Sir, bring two pounds of mutton and a plate of garlic-patted cucumbers. Oh, and another pot of Lingnan Yunxi, with ice!” (Note 1)
Note 1: A famous wine from the Tang Dynasty, known for its sweet and refreshing taste.