The emperor had only asked out of curiosity, but the little eunuch's face turned pale instantly. He lowered his head and said nervously, "Young master, Zui Xiang Lou is not a good place. This servant would never dare to take you there. Young master, you have been out for a while. You should go back quickly, otherwise if the old lady finds out, this servant's life will be in danger."
The emperor squinted at him, his curiosity growing. "No rush. Tell me first what the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion is all about. I came out here to have some fun. Is there some fancy place you're deliberately not taking me there?"
"This servant wouldn't dare! Young master, please forgive me. It's just that... that place is no good. It's a brothel. Although Zuixianglou is the largest brothel in the capital, and the girls there are more beautiful and skilled at entertaining men than elsewhere, it's still a dirty place. I was afraid of offending your ears if I mentioned it, which is why I didn't say anything. Please don't punish me, young master."
"Oh? They also need to learn skills? What kind of skills?" The emperor was somewhat surprised; it was the first time he had ever heard of women needing to learn skills.
The young eunuch looked somewhat awkward and replied hesitantly, "How could someone of my status go to such a place? I've only heard a few words about it from others, so I don't know much about it. It's probably just something like playing the zither, singing, dancing, or playing chess."
The emperor pondered for a moment, "That man just said that all the important people in the capital have gone. I want to see how many of them I know." He stood up, closed his paper fan, and laughed, "Let's go to Zuixianglou."
"Young Master! Oh dear, Young Master, you can't go!" The little eunuch was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly caught up with the emperor and anxiously persuaded him to return to the palace, doing everything he could to stop him from going to the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion.
This stirred up the emperor's rebellious spirit. The world is vast, and all land belongs to the emperor. Is there any place he cannot go? Besides, as the emperor, shouldn't he be concerned about the people's conditions? He needs to understand everything in order to better govern the country.
A multitude of reasons instantly flashed through the emperor's mind, all reasons he felt compelled to go. He disregarded the lowly eunuch and forcefully coerced him into leading the way to the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion. Upon entering, the eunuch looked utterly dejected, as if he already foresaw his execution by the Empress Dowager upon his return. The emperor glanced at him, displeased. This little eunuch was far too timid; utterly useless, only good for amusement.
As for whether the Empress Dowager would execute the eunuch after he left the palace, what business is it of his? It's just a worthless life, why would he be expected to protect it? With the eunuch taking the blame, it might even appease the Empress Dowager's anger.
Upon seeing the new faces, the madam immediately greeted them with a beaming smile. The emperor glanced around the hall, not recognizing any ministers, but noticed many beautiful women. However, their revealing clothing and somewhat vulgar attire, along with their way of urging men to drink, were repulsive, leaving him somewhat disappointed. The madam glanced at the fabric of his clothes and the jade pendant he wore, her smile becoming much more genuine. With silver tongue, she persuaded him to stay and booked a private room for him on the second floor.
The private room windows were separated by gauze curtains, making the light dimmer than outside. Guests inside could see the performance on the main stage, but those in the main hall couldn't see the people in the private rooms. VIPs or those who didn't want to be seen usually chose the private rooms. The emperor, being generous, saw that the private room was of high quality and the tea was fragrant, and directly ordered a eunuch to reward the madam with a small piece of gold.
Seeing the madam's eyes light up, as if she had caught a sucker, the young eunuch felt relieved and quietly retreated behind the emperor, becoming invisible.
Xu Zifan was in the private room opposite them, alone. Disguised, he leaned back on a soft couch, drinking. A screen was set up in front of him, showing him a live scan of the emperor's situation. Xu Zifan took a sip of his drink, his eyes cold as he looked at the emperor. This emperor, though only fifteen, was no ordinary child. Having experienced the struggle for the throne and the eagerness to rule in the royal family, he was far from a simple child. The original owner had devoted six years to teaching him and helping him stabilize the court, yet he had never received genuine respect from him.
The saying "A teacher for a day is a father for life" was nonsense to the emperor. For six years, the emperor always regarded the regent as a great enemy. Because the day he sat on the dragon throne, he enjoyed the power to look down on the world. He did not believe that anyone would be willing to help him just because they loved his mother and did not covet power.
In his view, if the original owner truly loved his mother so much, wouldn't he be even more repulsed by him, the child born to his mother and another man? If the original owner didn't love his mother that much, then their relationship was nothing more than mutual exploitation. He used the original owner to stabilize the court, giving himself time to grow up; the original owner used him to gain power, becoming second only to the emperor. He owed the original owner nothing; on the contrary, the original owner's refusal to relinquish power after he grew up was definitely a sign of treacherous ambition.
So he wore a mask and feigned compliance with the original owner, marrying her daughter, Xu Shiyue. However, after assuming power, he caused Xu Shiyue to miscarry, deposed her as empress, banished her to the cold palace, and allowed the Empress Dowager to poison her. This was all his venting after finally defeating the original owner, releasing the frustration of years of being cautious in front of her, the resentment of being an emperor who couldn't act freely. The original owner was driven to her death by the tragic death of her daughter and the heartless cruelty of the mother and son!
Xu Zifan transmigrated into the body of the original owner, possessing all of the original owner's memories, and naturally empathized with these events. He knew that the original owner loved the emperor so much that he treated him like his own son, teaching him everything he knew. However, the emperor used those same methods against the original owner, even going so far as to grind his bones to dust. This emperor, like his mother, was a selfish and petty person.
Xu Zifan thought of the original owner's wish to inflict excruciating pain on the mother and child, and smiled. Killing them was too easy, but to make them suffer excruciating pain, he needed to plan carefully. He dug many traps, and now he was waiting to see which one they would fall into.
He wondered if, when mother and son turned against each other, they would still have feelings for each other, or would they be as cold-blooded and ruthless as if they were dealing with enemies.
After he finished two cups of wine, a young woman carrying a pipa (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument) went on stage. The noisy hall immediately fell silent, and several men emerged from the second-floor boxes to lean against the railings, watching the performance with rapt attention. This unusual situation caught the emperor's attention. He lifted a corner of the gauze curtain and was immediately stunned by the sight of the woman on stage. She was truly beautiful, incredibly beautiful, more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen!
The young woman on the stage gracefully curtsied, sat down with a smile, and began to play the pipa, softly singing along with the music. Her expression changed with the melody, sometimes joyful, sometimes sorrowful, giving her a captivating and alluring air.
"Who is this?" the emperor asked unconsciously.
The young eunuch immediately stepped forward. "Young master, I will go and ask right away." He left the room and returned a moment later. "Young master, this is Miss Furong. She is the most popular girl in Zuixiang Pavilion because she is both beautiful and talented. She only sells her art and not her body. For the past six months, she has performed in the main hall once a month. Her fame has spread far and wide, and she is more popular than the courtesan who sells her body."
The emperor asked in confusion, "Half a year?"
"Yes, I heard she's a woman with a hard life. Half a year ago, she sold herself into the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion to escape her father's gambling debts. Here, at least the madam agrees to let her perform but not sell her body, so she'll have a better life."
The emperor gazed at the delicate and graceful woman on the stage, a pang of regret in his heart. How wonderful it would be if such a talented and beautiful woman were the daughter of a minister; he could take her into the palace and keep her by his side every day. But she was a courtesan, and even if she sold her art but not her body, she was still unworthy of him. The emperor lowered the gauze curtain, sat back down, and took a sip of tea. He didn't look at the woman, but his heart was burning with desire. It was the first time he had ever seen such a beautiful girl.
The little eunuch's eyes darted around, and as Furong finished singing and stepped off the stage, he asked softly, "Young master, would you like a reward?"
"Hmm?" The emperor looked up in confusion, just in time to hear the commotion outside, with everyone praising Furong. He also thought Furong was good, so he nodded and ordered, "Give her two hundred taels."
"Yes, young master."
The young eunuch went out and gave out two hundred taels of silver as a reward. The person who collected the reward money on the tray was immediately delighted. He took a careful look at the private room before leaving and went back to tell the madam and Furong.
The madam chuckled and grabbed Furong's hand, saying, "This guest must like you. What man wouldn't like you? Furong, you're famous now. You can't just keep selling your art and not your body. We should have chosen your patron today, but you're right, taking clients lowers your value and you won't make big money. If you could hook up with a rich young master, you could make a fortune. I'm keeping an eye on you. This guy today is definitely one of the most powerful families. I've never misjudged anyone in all these years, so you'd better seize the opportunity. If you manage to get close to him, don't forget to share some of the profits with me!"
Furong glanced at the silver note, smiled slightly, and said confidently, "Don't worry, Mother, I will definitely live up to your expectations. However, the higher the status of the young master, the more he knows that he cannot get involved with a courtesan like me. To win his heart, I will need your help, Mother."
The madam nodded happily, "Okay, whatever you say, I also hope you have a good life."
Furong whispered something in her ear, and the madam praised her for being clever and immediately went out to make arrangements.
A moment later, Furong ran out of the room in a panic, followed by a greasy-haired, wealthy-looking old man who was drunkenly pleading, "Little beauty, Furong, my beauty, just give in to me..."
"No! Help!" Furong ran incredibly fast, and the men who rushed out of the private room after hearing the commotion couldn't stop her. They could only help hold off the man behind her. But that man was fat and strong, and he continued to push and shove as he chased after her.
As Furong ran, she kept looking back. When she passed the emperor's private box, she suddenly lost her balance, screamed, and fell heavily to the ground, facing the curtain. When she looked up, her eyes met the emperor's!
The emperor stood up and saw that Furong's eyes were filled with tears and her face was filled with fear. He couldn't help but rush forward to help her up. "Are you alright?"
Furong turned to look at the man, trembling with fear, her face deathly pale. "Help! Help!" She shook off the emperor's hand, turned to run, but suddenly collapsed into his arms, crying out in pain, "Ah, my foot!"
The emperor instinctively pulled her into his arms, and seeing tears streaming down her face, he lifted her up and placed her on the soft couch. "You twisted your ankle? Don't be afraid, no one can touch you."
As soon as he finished speaking, the fat man rushed over, and the madam also hurriedly arrived with her men, blocking the man at the door. "Master Wang, we at Furong sell our art, not our bodies!"