BVAHEDLA[W Chapter 30
by VolareA few hours prior.
“Liu Shuo-yu…” Chu Li-fei woke up from a nightmare, the name unconsciously escaping his lips, “…Who is that?”
His sleep had been restless, the feeling of death too real, lingering in his mind, refusing to dissipate.
What was that dream about? It felt as if it had truly happened. Or rather, judging from the details, it must have been something the original “Chu Li-fei” had experienced.
But why was he dreaming about it?
And if it truly happened in the original storyline, what exactly occurred that made Lu Mo-chen want to bestow death upon “Chu Li-fei”?
Chu Li-fei felt as if a fog had descended before his eyes. He stood at the starting point but only saw the ending, completely ignorant of the process. After all, in the original plot, Lu Mo-chen was the Son of Heaven, and the story revolved around him. The matter of “Chu Li-fei” going offline was just glossed over in a few brief sentences.
Now, thinking back carefully, towards the end of the plot, Lu Mo-chen gradually dismantled “Chu Li-fei’s” power, seized his authority, and placed him under house arrest.
However, Lu Mo-chen didn’t seem to have any intention of killing “Chu Li-fei.” He continuously bestowed various titles upon “Chu Li-fei”, although they were all empty names without any real power, they were still enough to make people envious. Lu Mo-chen even changed his princely title to “Chen,” displaying utmost respect and not caring that it clashed with his own name. Moreover, the character “Chen” was usually associated with emperors, representing the imperial throne.
As for gold, silver, jewels, and fine silks, they were sent to him without restraint. Even when returned, Lu Mo-chen would just smile and send different things the next day.
All these actions seemed more like… keeping him as a pampered lover.
But in the end, the emperor suddenly turned ruthless and bestowed death upon the original owner on a calm afternoon.
Without warning.
Everyone lamented that the previous honors were just a facade to mislead him.
So, who was Liu Shuo-yu? What was his relationship with Lu Mo-chen? What role did he play in the plot?
Perhaps it was due to not having rested well, but Chu Li-fei’s mind felt somewhat muddled. However, no matter how he thought about it, at this stage, Liu Shuo-yu seemed to be the key to everything.
In the dream, he was able to convey the emperor Lu Mo-chen’s meaning, so their relationship must have been extremely close, or at least someone Lu Mo-chen trusted.
But who exactly was Liu Shuo-yu?
Chu Li-fei was so deep in thought that he didn’t realize he had subconsciously voiced the question aloud.
“Liu Shuo-yu? When did the prince become interested in matters of such pleasure houses?”
Just then, a voice filled with laughter appeared behind him.
Chu Li-fei was startled and turned around to see a person standing outside the pavilion not far behind him. He hadn’t even noticed him before!
Chu Li-fei’s gaze gradually turned cold. The unfamiliar man was wearing a dark blue brocade robe, with darker skin, slightly curly hair, deep features, and a very three-dimensional face.
“You don’t look like a person from Great Yan,” Chu Li-fei paused, continuing, “Moreover, didn’t this prince dismiss all of you yesterday? What, not enough silver?”
As he spoke, a hint of mockery appeared in Chu Li-fei’s eyes. Firstly, he didn’t like interacting with strangers. Secondly, these people were all sent by the emperor, and there were probably a few of the emperor’s spies mixed in to monitor his every move.
“The prince has a good eye,” the man wasn’t afraid of Chu Li-fei’s displeasure and smiled as he approached him. “This one is Ning Yan, originally from the Ji Kingdom.”
“Later, because of the war, I was injured and drifted to the Yan Kingdom, where I was sold to a music house by a broker, and soon after, I was assigned to serve you.”
The Ji Kingdom was adjacent to Great Yan, but its territory was small, and the country wasn’t wealthy, so it had always been eyed by the neighboring Chu Kingdom. In recent years, wars between the two countries had been frequent, and the people of Ji Kingdom had fled to various places.
There were also rumors that the Emperor of Ji Kingdom had suddenly died overnight, and now the Second Prince and Third Prince were fighting fiercely, causing internal chaos and infighting. Moreover, for some reason, the Third Prince’s faction had gradually stopped their activities, and it was said that they were looking for something, even at the cost of relinquishing their power to the Second Prince.
According to the latest news, the thing they were looking for was now very likely to be in Great Yan.
This was becoming interesting.
But one thing worth mentioning was that the Chu Kingdom bordered Great Yan in the northwest, and coincidentally, Chu Li-fei had fought against them many times without a single defeat. This was probably why the Chu Kingdom was so eager to annex the Ji Kingdom.
As Chu Li-fei analyzed the situation in his mind, he took a sip of the tea on the table.
The weather was cold, and the tea had been sitting there for who knows how long. Chu Li-fei felt an icy sensation in his throat, but it instantly sobered him up.
Chu Li-fei: “I remember giving instructions that no one was allowed to approach. So how did you get here?”
Ning Yan didn’t answer immediately. He took the teacup from Chu Li-fei’s hand, his eyes locking onto the wetness on the rim. Then, he covered it with his hand and casually placed the cup back on the table.
“The tea is too cold, it’s bad for the stomach. How about I make another pot for the prince?” Ning Yan changed the subject, a smile in his eyes. Perhaps it was because he was backlit, but his foreign eyes glowed with a faint green light, like a poisonous snake in the jungle.
Chu Li-fei changed his sitting posture. As he moved, the hairband that had been pressed down during his sleep loosened, and a few strands of hair fell beside his ear, making him look even more lazy and unrestrained. He said coldly, “Get out.”
Ning Yan’s gaze, which had been focused on Chu Li-fei’s earlobe, finally shifted away. His eyes widened slightly, as if he didn’t understand.
“I don’t keep useless people,” Chu Li-fei coldly watched Ning Yan bustling around in front of him. “Leave this place before 8 PM.”
Hearing this, Ning Yan put the teapot back on the warmer and raised his eyes to look directly at Chu Li-fei. A few hints of confidence flashed in his dark green eyes: “What if I can help the prince find that Liu Shuo-yu?”
Lu Mo-chen walked absentmindedly.
He heard from the Qin Prince’s residence that Chu Li-fei was ill.
But there was no such thing in his previous life.
However, now that he thought about it carefully, Chu Li-fei in his previous life always seemed to be busy. Even the time he spent teaching him was stolen from his busy schedule.
Thinking about it this way, he might have overworked himself. It’s just that he had been stubbornly holding on in his previous life…
Lu Mo-chen began to blame himself. He regretted being overly willful in his previous life, always bothering Chu Li-fei with trivial matters when he could have handled them himself…
If Chu Li-fei really fell ill because of him, the first person he wouldn’t forgive was himself.
But what were those vendors on the street saying?
Did Chu Li-fei really go to the Enchanting Moon Pavilion?
But he remembered that Chu Li-fei in his previous life didn’t even have a consort, let alone a concubine. Even the people sent by his imperial father were all dismissed.
But what happened in his previous life couldn’t represent this life. What if Chu Li-fei suddenly became interested in such things?
Lu Mo-chen found it unacceptable at the thought of Chu Li-fei holding someone else in his arms.
He couldn’t tolerate the existence of anyone else by Chu Li-fei’s side!
In any case, he had to go to the Enchanting Moon Pavilion to confirm if it was true!
Perhaps the vendor had seen it wrong.
If it was false, that would naturally be good.
But if it was true…
What those male courtesans could do, he could do too!
Lu Mo-chen’s eyes darkened, as if he had made some decision.
But the Enchanting Moon Pavilion… Why did he find this place so familiar…?
Ning Yan drove the carriage, bringing Chu Li-fei all the way to the Enchanting Moon Pavilion in the South Alley.
Chu Li-fei lifted a corner of the carriage curtain. The sky had already darkened, but the place was very lively, brightly lit.
Chu Li-fei was somewhat surprised. In his memory, the business here didn’t seem to be this good.
As if seeing Chu Li-fei’s doubts, Ning Yan took the initiative to explain: “Today is the first day that young master Jade Face is putting himself up for sale.”
The Enchanting Moon Pavilion could open in a prime location like the capital and last for a long time, naturally there was a reason for it.
It only sold male beauty, not female beauty.
Because they were men, there would be no trouble with future offspring. Some dignitaries liked this, for reputation or other reasons.
Moreover, the Enchanting Moon Pavilion was extremely strict in choosing people. Those with blemishes were rejected. Those without special talents were rejected. Those with ordinary looks were also rejected.
As a result, the remaining courtesans in the Enchanting Moon Pavilion were all attractive, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and prose. Among them were also some noble sons from families that had fallen on hard times. The appearance of them shattering all their pride made many people fascinated.
Another point was that in Enchanting Moon Pavilion, selling art and selling the body was all up to the courtesans themselves to decide. Of course, if they couldn’t earn a certain amount of money for Enchanting Moon Pavilion, the pavilion naturally had other ways to squeeze it out of them.
Therefore, the courtesans that were famous in the pavilion only sold their art.
After all, what you can’t get is always the best.
Young Master Jade Face was the top courtesan in the pavilion, but unfortunately, he only sold his art in the past, not his body.
No one knew his origins, but judging from his graceful demeanor, he must have received a good education in his youth.
Therefore, when the news of him selling himself was released today, it attracted many people. Among them were some nobles who wanted to spend a fortune on him.
Ning Yan: “And the original name of this Young Master Jade Face is – Liu Shuo-yu.”
Chu Li-fei’s eyes narrowed, and he got out of the carriage.
He was going to see for himself.
Ning Yan draped the prepared cloak over him.
Chu Li-fei stood at the entrance of the Enchanting Moon Pavilion, the fragrance of powder assaulting his nostrils, and he could vaguely hear the sound of silk and bamboo instruments inside, melodious and lingering, indeed with some skill.
Even the handwriting on the signboard, elegant but not lacking in strength, faintly showed its integrity, and there was a small hook at the end, as if scratching at the tip of people’s hearts.
Not far away, a sharp-eyed madam instantly recognized Chu Li-fei’s extraordinary status from his clothes and temperament. She immediately greeted him with a smiling face and welcomed him inside.
Walking inside, he only felt waves of fragrance, but it wasn’t pungent or irritating. The decoration was also unique. Even the dancers on the stage were extremely beautiful.
Ning Yan threw a purse to the madam and asked for a private room.
The madam weighed the purse in her hand, and her face immediately lit up with joy as she happily led them upstairs.
The business in the Enchanting Moon Pavilion was particularly hot today.
When Young Master Jade Face came up, the atmosphere reached its climax.
The people below constantly shouted out numbers, and the price was raised little by little. Finally, it even reached an exaggerated point, until Chu Li-fei gave a number that made them all shut up.
The people downstairs speculated about who was in the private room, while regretting that they had no chance with Young Master Jade Face tonight.
“Knock, knock.”
There was a knock on the door.
Ning Yan stepped forward and opened the door.
Seeing that Ning Yan was dressed well, handsome, Liu Shuo-yu thought that he was today’s patron, so he respectfully saluted him.
But before he could salute, he saw Ning Yan step aside. Only then did Liu Shuo-yu see that there was another person hidden behind him.
As fair as jade is he, a peerless young master.
For some reason, this line of poetry automatically appeared in Liu Shuo-yu’s mind.
However, this young master in front of him should live in the most magnificent house, use the best utensils, and be complemented by gold and jade.
Liu Shuo-yu lowered his head, his cheeks slightly flushed.
This young master was even more beautiful than him.
Chu Li-fei opened his eyes and saw the face of the person who came, gradually overlapping with the face in his dream, only much younger, and his eyes were softer.
His fingers tapped lightly on the table: “What can you do?”
Liu Shuo-yu: “Does young master want to listen to the pipa?”
But when Lu Mo-chen rushed over, the auction for Young Master Jade Face had already ended. His face was fierce and menacing, looking extremely unapproachable. Anyone who didn’t know would think he was here to seek revenge.
Lu Mo-chen took out a portrait and asked the madam if she had seen the person in the painting. The madam originally wanted to stop him, but his appearance made her retreat three steps, and she only pointed the way to him tremblingly. Only when he turned into the corridor did she breathe a sigh of relief, constantly patting her chest.
So Lu Mo-chen followed the madam’s directions and came to the private room upstairs.
The fragrance constantly wafting from his nose and the endless music in his ears bothered him, and his face darkened, his aura becoming even lower.
And when he opened the door, he saw this scene.
Behind layers and layers of gauze curtains, a young master in white was playing the pipa with downcast eyes. With a strum and a pluck, beautiful music flowed from his fingertips. However, he seemed to be startled by the sudden opening of the door, and a mistake appeared in his playing, but he quickly reacted and immediately continued with a sweeping note, making up for the mistake while playing the song with another mood.
Not far away, there seemed to be a blue-clothed young master of foreign appearance peeling grapes and arranging fruit plates. An expensive tea was being boiled on the nearby stove, emitting bursts of fragrance as the steam floated away.
A gust of wind blew, dispersing the fragrance in the room, but it couldn’t blow away the suggestive atmosphere in the room.
The gauze curtains rose with the wind, and Lu Mo-chen finally saw Chu Li-fei.
He was reclining on a chaise lounge, his eyes closed, not knowing whether he was asleep or taking a nap.
And that blue-clothed young master seemed to have noticed him too. He paused for a moment, then put his index finger to his lips, and the other hand brought the crystal-clear grape pulp to Chu Li-fei’s mouth.
Those snake-like dark green eyes sent him a provocative smile.