EWRN - Chapter 39
Chapter 39: The Rite of Heaven (I)
Time flew by, and several days passed in the blink of an eye. The Rite of Heaven was now only three days away. The streets and alleys of the imperial city began to bustle with activity, and several generals from the distant frontiers traveled thousands of miles to rush back to the capital.
Thanks to Dowager Consort Xian pleading with Huo Jinyu, the Second Prince was finally allowed to leave Xiangqi Palace today. He exited the imperial palace gates and headed out into the streets.
The Second Prince wandered the streets with a few guards. It had been about a month since he had last been out, and he was so bored he felt like he was growing mold. This dog emperor, this bullshit Imperial Brother, he thought resentfully. Sooner or later, I will seize that position!
As he walked, he unconsciously found himself at the largest brothel in the imperial city, the Emerald Fragrance House. A few young women stood at the entrance, along with a madam who had come out to solicit customers. To the madam's eyes, the young Second Prince wasn't exactly a big catch. However, upon seeing his wealthy and noble attire, she immediately changed her mind. A young master like him was probably visiting a brothel for the first time, likely just to see the world. She could probably squeeze a nice sum out of him.
"Young Master, are you here at the Emerald Fragrance House for a drink? Come, come, let Mama entertain you." Seeing the Second Prince standing under the Emerald Fragrance House's sign without moving, the madam knew what was on his mind and hurried forward to greet him.
The Second Prince followed the madam into the Emerald Fragrance House. They entered the main hall on the ground floor, where men were enjoying wine and women's company at table after table. Large platters of roasted meat and big jugs of wine sat on the tables, with courtesans accompanying the men. The wealthier young masters had two or three women surrounding them.
They really know how to have fun, Huo Jinye marveled inwardly. He was still young, and the madam hadn't been wrong—this was his first time in a brothel. In the palace, Dowager Consort Xian was strict and had never assigned him a bed-warming maid. Thus, when it came to matters of love and romance, the Second Prince was still a virgin.
Seeing the indecent actions of some of the men, the Second Prince frowned. He prided himself on being a dashing romantic, but he couldn't bring himself to do such things to a woman in public. If one were to do such things, shouldn't it be done in a private room? With this thought, he asked the madam to take him to a private room, slipping her a silver banknote. He had only ever read in storybooks that one should tip the madam at a brothel. Having spent most of his life in the palace with few opportunities to leave, the Second Prince had little concept of money.
Seeing that he was quite generous, the madam led him up to the third floor. As they went upstairs, the Second Prince's robes lifted, and the madam's sharp eyes spotted the jade-inlaid gold medallion with the character "Ye" hanging from his waist, inside his robes. She was secretly astonished and made a mental note.
"Mama, do you have any rooms with better soundproofing?" Huo Jinye mused that a brothel was a place with all sorts of people. If he were to discuss important matters with someone, he wouldn't want to be discovered. He was still unaware that he had already exposed himself to the madam's sharp gaze.
The madam found him a private room, but its soundproofing was only average. She merely claimed it was excellent.
Huo Jinye pushed open the door to the room. The first thing that caught his eye was the enormous, carved wooden bed in the center, large enough for three or four people to sleep on. The room was fully equipped with a zither, a Go board, calligraphy supplies, and paintings, giving it an air of refined elegance.
Huo Jinye walked over to a table not far from the bed and sat down. The cushioned chair was very comfortable. From Huo Jinye's satisfied expression, the madam knew she had chosen correctly.
"Young Master, would you like Mama to call a few girls to keep you company? The girls in our house are all exceptional—they can sing and dance, and are proficient in zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting. We have many types, too. There's the demure and dependent type, the ice queen type, the gentle and pleasant type…"
The madam listed the girls as if counting her family treasures, making Huo Jinye's heart flutter. He had grown up in the palace, where besides the monotonous palace maids and dowager consorts, there were few other women. How could he have known there were so many different types of girls?
But reason stopped him. He was here on important business today! Yesterday, he had received news that General Hou and his son had returned to the imperial city. They must have rested for a night, so today would be a good time to discuss important matters.
Huo Jinye borrowed the brush and ink in the room to write an invitation, ordering a guard to take it to the Hou residence.
Inside the Hou residence.
Young General Hou only emerged from his bed-warming maid's room after noon. Military discipline was strict; although he could use his status to have a drink now and then, visiting brothels was absolutely forbidden. He had been about to burst from holding it in.
Noon had already passed, and his family had long since finished lunch. Hou Yuwen had no choice but to have a servant whip up a couple of simple dishes in the kitchen, which he ate with a little wine.
Not long after his meal, Hou Yuwen was strolling in his family's garden to aid his digestion when a servant came to report that someone from the Second Prince was asking to see him.
As soon as he heard it was someone from the Second Prince, Hou Yuwen's spirits lifted. He had been worrying about how to meet the Second Prince, since he couldn't enter the deep palace. Fortunately, the Second Prince had sought him out himself.
Hou Yuwen readily accepted the invitation and returned to his room to change. A moment later, he emerged in a fresh set of green robes, his hair tied back with a handsome ribbon. He narcissistically admired himself in the bronze mirror for a while, and only after confirming his attire was perfectly neat did he step out of his room. The Second Prince's guard had been waiting at the door the whole time. Seeing Hou Yuwen finally emerge, the guard led the way to the Emerald Fragrance House.
At first, Hou Yuwen didn't ask where they were going. He simply followed the guard as they weaved through the streets. When they finally stopped at the entrance of the Emerald Fragrance House, he was a little surprised. He hadn't expected that the Second Prince, who seemed like such a proper member of the imperial family, would arrange to meet him in a brothel. Then again, brothels are crowded, making them the best place for cover. On second thought, Hou Yuwen's reasoning aligned with the Second Prince's.
But what they didn't know was that there's a saying: "walls have ears," and another: "many people, many mouths."
Ignoring the soliciting girls at the entrance, Hou Yuwen followed the guard upstairs to the Second Prince's private room. The moment he stepped inside, he was visibly stunned. The huge room, the huge bed…
What… what does the Second Prince mean by this? Hou Yuwen had spent a long time in the army and had seen the so-called "passion of the Dragon Yang." Could it be that the Second Prince has… such preferences??? Hou Yuwen couldn't help but feel his chrysanthemum tighten and a chill run down his spine.
Hou Yuwen wanted to turn and leave. Who knew if the Second Prince had ill intentions toward him?! But he had already pushed the door open, and the Second Prince had looked up at the sound, smiling at him. He was truly caught in a dilemma.
Hearing the door open, the Second Prince looked up and saw a graceful young master in green robes. He knew this must be the man he wanted to see, Young General Hou Yuwen.
Seeing Hou Yuwen standing at the door without entering, he found it a bit strange. He asked, "You must be Young General Hou Yuwen, Brother Hou? Why are you standing at the door? Come, have a seat."
Hou Yuwen finally came to his senses, realizing his rudeness. He immediately walked to the table and knelt. "This subject greets Your Highness, the Second Prince!"
"Brother Hou, please rise! Quickly, rise!" the Second Prince said, hastily getting up himself.
After Hou Yuwen was seated, the Second Prince gave his guards some silver banknotes and told them to go amuse themselves. Then he shut the door tightly and bolted it from the inside.
Seeing the Second Prince's actions, Hou Yuwen felt his chrysanthemum tighten again. His whole body tensed up, afraid the Second Prince was about to make a move. If the Second Prince wants to… you-know-what… with me, should I be the active one or the passive one? I wonder which he prefers. Inevitably, his gaze drifted to the large bed, which now seemed to hold a certain allure.
"What are you thinking about, Brother Hou? Come, have a drink." The Second Prince was four years younger than Hou Yuwen, and his posture as he offered a drink looked somewhat comical.
Hou Yuwen snapped back to reality again, feeling a little annoyed with himself. Why do I keep spacing out today?
Hou Yuwen raised his cup, clinked it against the Second Prince's, and then drained it in one gulp.
"This Prince has long heard of Brother Hou's great name. Seeing you today, you are indeed a man of remarkable talent! This cup is a toast to you!" The Second Prince feigned a bold demeanor and downed another cup.
"Not at all, not at all. Your Highness is the true dragon among men!" Hou Yuwen replied with false modesty. The two of them began exchanging compliments, drinking cup after cup. Seeing that the Second Prince made no strange moves, Hou Yuwen slowly began to relax.
"Brother Hou, this Prince invited you here today because there is an important matter to discuss." After three rounds of drinks, both their faces were flushed red. The Second Prince finally remembered why he had left the palace today.
"Please speak freely, Your Highness. This subject is listening," Hou Yuwen said respectfully.
"I imagine Brother Hou must also hate Emperor Yuanjin to the core, yes?" The Second Prince leaned on the table, his eyes fixed on Hou Yuwen.
"Replying to Your Highness, I would not dare to hate." Although the two had corresponded before, Hou Yuwen couldn't be sure if the Second Prince had other intentions, so he naturally didn't dare say too much—especially when it came to speaking ill of the current emperor.
"Ah, Brother Hou, no need to be so reserved. It's just the two of us brothers here today, no one else. Please, speak your mind freely!" The Second Prince seemed to see through Hou Yuwen's reservations and patted his shoulder encouragingly.
Although Hou Yuwen knew that privately criticizing the monarch was a violation of a subject's duty—and could cost him his head if overheard by the wrong person—since the Second Prince had said so, this place must be safe. The Second Prince must also hate the emperor deeply to be so insistent on getting him to speak ill of His Majesty.
"This subject heard from Your Highness's previous letters that you suffered a great deal some days ago. I wonder if your health has improved recently?" Hou Yuwen's underlying meaning was: You go first.
The Second Prince was no fool and naturally understood. Indeed, nothing ventured, nothing gained. If he didn't reveal his own scars, how could he expect others to reveal theirs? The Second Prince took a large gulp of wine and said with feigned helplessness, "Brother Hou, you may not know this, but some days ago, that Emperor Yuanjin ordered this Prince to welcome the marriage alliance's Princess Yan. Who knew he had malicious intentions and wanted to use the opportunity to kill me? He sent many shadow guards to ambush me on the road. Fortunately, this Prince is skilled in martial arts and blessed with good luck, so I managed to escape with my life. But my right hand was crippled as a result!" Speaking of his hatred, the Second Prince slammed his left hand on the table. "What's most infuriating is that Emperor Yuanjin would come to my palace from time to time to mock me, and even placed me under house arrest. If my mother consort hadn't pleaded for me, this Prince wouldn't even be able to see you today." After speaking, the Second Prince took another large swig of wine.
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