Chapter 97 – Black-Bellied Regent VS Loyal Shadow Guard (1)
The sky gradually darkened, but within the capital, the scene remained lively with bright lights.
The city was adorned with blooming flowers, yet no one knew about the bitter cold beyond the borders. The frontier soldiers guarded diligently, while the political struggles within the court were ignored. The turbulent undercurrents had no impact on the common people, who only cared about their daily trivialities.
The new emperor, Emperor Wen Renda, has just ascended to the throne and granted amnesty
Although rumors of the third prince’s collusion with external enemies and the subsequent confiscation of his assets had circulated less than half a month ago, it seemed to have been forgotten. The common folk were more interested in mundane matters like food and shelter.
The third prince died in prison before the amnesty, and the new emperor, upon learning of this tragedy, couldn’t help but feel sorrow.
Although the third prince had committed heinous crimes
The second prince met a fatal accident during a fall from a horse during last year’s autumn hunt. As a result, the new emperor was left with only two brothers, the fourth prince Wen Renhui and the fifth prince Wen Renhong.
However, everyone knows that the fifth prince, Wen Renhong, is an idle prince. His birth mother was just a palace maid, of humble status, and she died of dystocia
Wen Renhong was not treated well in the palace. Even though his treatment improved a lot after he prayed for the late emperor, he was still not as good as the other princes. It was not until the new emperor ascended to the throne that he was granted the title of prince and given his own residence.
However, after Wen Renhong left the palace and had his own residence, his life became even more dissolute. He spent his days drinking and having fun, and did not do his job.
He failed to contribute anything substantial to the welfare of the people and remained enamored with the pleasures of the city, becoming a frequent visitor to the most renowned Flower House
Despite Wen Renhong’s handsome and extraordinary appearance, people dismissed him as an incompetent and idle prince due to his behavior.
As the night fell further, the prince, accompanied by a few attendants, entered the Flower Street, heading straight to the Feixing Building.
The interior of the exquisitely decorated building was filled with the melody of silk and bamboo, creating an elegant atmosphere unlike the common Flower Houses. Only the privileged could enter such establishments; it was a rare sight for ordinary people.
Upon Wen Renhong’s arrival, the attendants respectfully guided him inside. Leading the way, they bowed and nodded, taking him to a private room reserved for distinguished guests. Courteously, they informed him that Lin Hua was currently in the room.
Wen Renhong, with a delighted expression, couldn’t wait. However, as soon as he entered the room and the door closed behind him, his demeanor changed.
He put away his usual smiling face, and with a stern expression, walked behind a folding screen.
A stunning beauty lay leisurely on a couch, his complexion bright, his skin as fair as snow. A prominent red mole adorned his forehead, as red as blood.
The beauty toyed with a wine cup, and in front of him, an incense burner emitted wisps of smoke, causing Wen Renhong to furrow his brow. Waving his hand to dispel the smoke, he seemed intent on clearing the air.
Upon seeing Wen Renhong, the beauty finally composed herself, hastily standing up to extinguish the incense burner. He then went to the window, opened it to let in fresh air, and turned back to apologize to Wen Renhong, “Master, why have you come? I didn’t know you were coming, so I lit the incense.”
Unexpectedly, when the person spoke, it was a distinctly rough male voice. The beauty bowed respectfully to Wen Renhong.
“It’s fine. You lit the incense because Ye Ran likes it, right?” Wen Renhong said casually, provoking a subtle change in the beauty’s expression.
Wen Renhong took a seat at the tea table, picked up another wine cup, poured himself a drink, and glanced casually at the beauty. “Still not used to these clothes?”
Lin Hua hesitated for a moment before nodding. He reached up to wipe his forehead, and to Wen Renhong’s surprise, the blood-red mole was easily wiped away. It turned out the mark was just applied.
Wearing a troubled expression, the man spoke to Wen Renhong, “Master, I used to handle the training of those shadow guards quite well. Why did you suddenly ask me to come to Feixing Building? Look at me, I’m neither a woman nor a playboy. You make me do this makeup every day, and I feel disgusted looking at myself.”
Wen Renhong listened to Lin Hua’s complaints without much concern. He replied, “Ye Ran told me you have a violent temper. While your subordinates are well-trained, you often use them as sparring partners. It’s more cost-effective to train them well than to heal the injuries you inflict every month.”
“Don’t forget, the money in this account is managed by Ye Ran. It was his suggestion for me to invite you to Feixing Building, to help you temper your temper.”
“Did Ranran do it?” Lin Hua’s face twisted into a ball when he heard this. Although he had indeed caused trouble and wasted a lot of money recently, his daughter-in-law didn’t have to do this to his, did he?
Wen Renhong took a sip of wine, and seemed to find it to be quite good. He narrowed his eyes and continued, “Lin Hua, you can’t just be forceful, you also need to be good at pretending. You have to work hard to live up to your name. Hua, means beautiful and quiet. Your master gave you that name on purpose, don’t waste it.”
Upon hearing Wen Renhong mention his name, Lin Hua felt like he was about to spit out blood. However, in the presence of his master, he dared not voice his anger.
Back then, his master first adopted him, and then later adopted Ye Ran. His master saw that he was very beautiful at a young age, with delicate features and a face like a beautiful woman, so he gave him this name. But he is clearly a hot-tempered man.
From childhood to adulthood, many people had teased him about his name, always infuriating Lin Hua. If it were someone else, he would have already rushed up for a fight, but in front of Wen Renhong, he dared not. Even if he dared, Wen Renhong was not someone he could match.
Ignoring Lin Hua’s frustration, Wen Renhong directly opened the hidden compartment in the room and retrieved the latest information from various sources.
Who would have thought that the most important message transmission hub of the famous “Hidden Pavilion” in the Jianghu is actually the largest brothel in the capital, the Feixing Building?
Hidden Pavilion had stood in the martial world for many years, seldom mentioned, yet universally known. Its status in the martial world was no less than any prestigious sect. While the current state of the Red Moon Country might be relatively peaceful, outside the court, the martial world was another world entirely.
The Hidden Pavilion claimed to know everything happening in the world, dealing in information and engaging in covert operations. They not only held secrets within the martial factions but also spied on confidential matters involving key officials in the court. Hence, no one dared to easily offend the Hidden Pavilion, let alone attract their attention.
“Wen Renhui has been restless lately,” Wen Renhong said, tapping his fingers on the table.
Lin Hua also became serious upon hearing this and began to report specific information leaked from the palace.
While these two were discussing official matters, Mu Jin had been quietly staying on the ceiling beams, listening to their conversation without making a sound. He rested his eyes but remained alert to the surroundings.
In this world, Mu Jin had been here for more than half a month. Even though he saw his lover every day, they still hadn’t recognized each other. In this life, his lover’s identity was the currently seemingly useless Prince Wen Renhong, often referred to as the waste prince.
However, Mu Jin was well aware that the title of “waste” was only temporary. In the near future, the newly crowned emperor Wen Renda would meet an untimely death, and the fourth prince Wen Renhui would be discovered conspiring with the queen to harm the new emperor, resulting in their execution.
At that time, when Crown Prince Wen Renling ascends to the throne, he will naturally need his imperial uncle to supervise the government as he is still young. Wen Renhong will then transform himself into the most powerful man in the entire Chiyue Kingdom.
Being superior to all, both inside and outside the court, no one would dare to utter a word against him. Those who once looked down on him would not dare to show any disrespect.
Feeling his hungry stomach, Mu Jin sighed about the difficulty of pursuing an older partner these days. When he first crossed into this world, he was quite surprised by the setting.
Initially, seeing the ancient architectural style around him, he thought it was just an ordinary ancient world. However, after accepting the entire plot, he realized that the gender dynamics in this world were different from his previous understanding.
Although not as complicated as the previous world, there were still three distinct genders: men, women, and ‘ge er’
The most noticeable difference between ge e’ and men was the presence of a red mole on the bodies of ge er with the intensity of the red mole reflecting their health and fertility. In this world, the protagonist was a ge er named Tang Huaqing.
Tang Huaqing wasn’t originally from the capital, but his family was considered a scholarly family in the local area. Educated since childhood, Tang Huaqing believed that ge er didn’t necessarily have to marry and become a homemaker.
With a broad knowledge of various books from a young age, although he didn’t consider himself exceptionally talented, Tang Huaqing was a person of understanding. He also dreamed of contributing to the country.
However, hindered by his gender, he couldn’t realize his aspirations. So, when he heard that his family was planning an arranged marriage for him, Tang Huaqing concealed the information, took his savings, covered the red mole on his forehead with cosmetics, and went to the capital to take the imperial examination. He hoped to become an official and fulfill his dreams.
On his journey, he made many friends and came to realize how limited his perspective was back home. Upon reaching the capital, he befriended Tang Ling, a youth from the capital.