Gongzi Yi said calmly, "Can you really sleep?"
Gongzi Qi said, "What can we do? If we can't find her, it's all in vain."
Gongzi Yi did not answer. Just when Gongzi Qi thought he might have fallen asleep, she heard him say, "Qi, my heart is so empty. I've never felt so empty before."
Gongzi Qi didn't know how to answer Gongzi Yi's question, so she said, "We didn't doubt her identity at all when she acted strangely at the wedding in Luoyang. It's understandable that you trusted her all along, and even I..."
Gongzi Yi said, "Perhaps this is all fate."
Gongzi Qi sighed.
In the darkness, they were each lost in their own thoughts.
Gongzi Yi said calmly, "Have I lost her?"
Gongzi Qi replied, "No, we'll have another chance to meet. When that time comes, you can just use all your charm to pester me." Then he sighed again, "I just don't know if it will be too late then."
Gongzi Yi said, "Stop talking. You're just giving me hope only to shatter it. It's better to say nothing."
Gongzi Qi indeed stopped talking.
In the silence, Gongzi Yi suddenly said, "Qi, perhaps it's time for us to leave."
Gongzi Qi gave a soft "hmm".
The two of them came to the capital and enrolled in the Nanshu Academy for two main purposes: first, to get to know the sons of powerful officials in the court through the academy, and second, to meet Qi Xin. Now that both matters have been settled, they no longer need to risk staying in the capital. Only one last thing remains, something unexpected that they both can't let go of: Hua Wuduo.
As dawn broke in the east, a scout finally returned to report: "Young master, I have failed in my duty. I searched all night but could not find Miss Fang."
"Then why did you come back?! Get back to the scout now!" Upon hearing this, Gongzi Qi kicked the scout. The scout, who had been responding to the order, scrambled away.
Gongzi Qi's actions startled Gongzi Yi. He hadn't expected Gongzi Qi to be even more impatient and irritable than him. Gongzi Qi then smoothed his temples, which had been ruffled by the morning breeze, and said, "I haven't slept all night, so I'm not in a good mood."
Gongzi Yi closed his mouth, which had been slightly agape in surprise, and said, "Let's have breakfast first. After we finish, we'll go to the academy to take a look, perhaps..."
"Where's breakfast? Hurry up," said Gongzi Qi.
Gongzi Yi was surprised again.
This time, Gongzi Qi didn't even bother to come up with an excuse.
The bright moon was obscured by dark clouds, and a cool breeze swept through. She was already drunk, waving the porcelain bottle in her hand at the moon, and chuckled foolishly, "I only wish for a thousand cups to keep me from getting drunk, for I have never forgotten the one I heard from. A thousand cups, oh a thousand cups, you are truly a wonderful thing; just one sip and I'm intoxicated. My vision is blurred, everything is flowery, everything is distorted. But this heart, this heart, why is it still thinking of him?" She clutched her chest, pounding it repeatedly. She tilted her head back and took another swig of Qianzui (a type of Chinese liquor), then felt the world spin before her eyes. She collapsed onto the roof of someone's house, laughing foolishly, "I only wish I could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, Qianzui. So you're useless too, just like me, completely useless. Can't you stop thinking about him? He married someone else, he betrayed you... You still think about him, you're so useless. You've disgraced Father and Sister, you've disgraced the Fang family, you've made yourself all bruised and battered, both laughable and pathetic." She pointed to her chest, berating herself, her voice breaking with sobs, "You... you still hurt, you still hurt, you still think about him so spinelessly, you hurt for him. Why do you think about him? You fool... you really are a fool. Haha, you're just a fool..."
When Song Zixing found her, she was in this state. She had already drunk half a bottle of Qianzui, but was still not drunk. She was pounding her chest and crying, saying that she was useless and that she missed him.
Song Zixing pulled her into his arms, and she didn't struggle at all. As if she had suddenly found warmth and support, she hugged this support and cried uncontrollably.
He sighed and said softly, "Silly girl." But then he heard her retort subconsciously, "Turtle Star!" He was caught between a rock and a hard place, and simply held her in his arms, letting her cry.
She nestled into his arms, hugging him tightly. He returned the embrace, offering her warmth and a sense of security. Suddenly, he heard her whisper against his chest, as if pleading, "Xiu, don't leave me. It was my fault, I was wrong, so wrong..."
A worthy opponent
She drank herself into a stupor, repeatedly saying "I was wrong," and then passed out drunk.
A look of pity and melancholy flashed in Song Zixing's eyes, but he held her arm even tighter.
Xu Qing stood in the darkness below the roof, occasionally glancing at the woman on the rooftop. She was incredibly beautiful; he had never seen such a woman in his twenty-odd years of life. Under the general's orders, he had been lying in ambush outside the Imperial Uncle's residence all night. When a woman leaped out, he followed her. He always prided himself on his light-footed skills, but even so, he almost lost her. Fortunately, the woman stumbled as she ran, seemingly losing the will to run, and sat down on the roof of a large courtyard, weeping bitterly. Luckily, the courtyard was abandoned, and it was dark and deserted. He sent out a signal while hiding in a corner, finally waiting for the general to arrive. He was surprised to see the general holding the woman with an expression of pity he had never seen before.
Not long after, Hua Wuduo fell silent, having drunk herself to death. Song Zixing picked her up, placed the half-empty bottle of Qianzui in her arms, and left under the cover of night, with Xu Qing following closely behind.
Thousand Drunkenness is no ordinary wine; even the smell of it would make a normal person drunk, and a single sip could leave them intoxicated for three days and three nights. Hua Wuduo, on the other hand, drank half a bottle. Although Hua Wuduo usually had a high tolerance for alcohol, this bout of intoxication lasted for seven days.
They searched the academy but couldn't find any trace of Hua Wuduo. Each with their own thoughts, Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi returned to their respective residences.
Upon returning to Daming Prefecture, Gongzi Yi summoned his spies and asked, "What is Song Zixing up to now?"
The scout reported, "Last night, General Song sent several people to search for someone throughout the capital, but General Song himself has remained at his residence in the capital and has not come out."
Gongzi Yi dismissed the scouts, pondered for a while, then suddenly got up and went out the door, with Du Xiaoxi and several guards following him.
Song Zixing also had a residence in the capital.
Song Zixing's trip to the capital was partly due to an invitation from the Liu family, and partly because he had heard that the Emperor was unwell and wanted to visit him. However, the Emperor's health remained poor, and it was uncertain whether he would be able to see him.
Gongzi Yi's carriage stopped in front of the Annan General's residence. The carriage door opened, and he stepped out of the carriage with a calm and composed demeanor and a smile on his face.
The sun was quite intense today. He raised his head slightly and squinted at the blinding sunlight. Although there was disgust in his eyes, his smile remained unchanged.
He led his servants to the front of the general's mansion, presented his visiting card, and the guards at the gate, seeing his distinguished demeanor and attire, dared not be negligent. They quickly took the card and went inside to announce his arrival. A moment later, two men strode in. The one in front was dressed casually, exuding an air of refined elegance, with his usual gentle smile on his face, neither overly enthusiastic nor making one feel neglected.
Gongzi Yi's eyes lit up, and he smiled as he bowed to the man, saying, "General Song, I apologize for my unauthorized visit today, and I hope I have not disturbed you."
Song Zixing quickened his pace to greet him, saying, "Young Master Yi, what makes you say that? It is truly an honor for me that you have come to visit my residence in person." After exchanging pleasantries with Young Master Yi at the entrance, Song Zixing welcomed him into the residence.
In the main hall, only Du Xiaoxi stayed by Gongzi Yi's side, while the other guards remained in the outer hall to wait.
The maidservant served hot tea and then quietly withdrew. Young Master Yi smiled and asked, "General, how many days do you plan to stay in the capital?"
Song Zixing said, "I am busy with family matters and there are many things I need to take care of when I return. I will not stay in the capital for more than a few days. After I go to the palace to meet the Emperor, I will return to Jiangnan."
Gongzi Yi shook his head regretfully and said, "General, it is not easy for you to come to the capital. If you don't mind, I would like to do my duty as a host and show you around the capital. What do you say?"
Song Zixing smiled and said, "That would be wonderful, then I'll trouble Young Master Yi to do the work."
Young Master Yi was known for his love of pleasure and ostentatious displays, making him quite famous in the capital. Song Zixing had naturally heard of him. It was said that among the young masters of the capital, Young Master Yi was the most indulgent and skilled in eating, drinking, and merrymaking; no one dared claim to be second. Recently, he had added another talent to his repertoire: playing the zither. Perhaps due to the personal instruction of Master Xu, Young Master Yi's zither skills were indeed unparalleled in the capital. However, he didn't display his talent elsewhere, only at Xinghua Chunyu. What kind of place was Xinghua Chunyu? Mentioning Xinghua Chunyu, it was likely that every young master in the capital would give a knowing smile. Xinghua Chunyu and Mingmei Xiaozhu were the two most famous brothels in the capital. One was in the east of the city, and the other in the west. Xinghua Chunyu had Du Qianqian, the top courtesan in the capital, while Mingmei Xiaozhu had Ding Qiao'er, a courtesan who could rival Du Qianqian. Du Qianqian was skilled in dancing, and Ding Qiao'er was skilled in singing. Du Qianqian was tall, beautiful, and alluring, while Ding Qiao'er was delicate, gentle, and tender to the core. Both women have their own strengths and admirers. Although Gongzi Yi is a frequent visitor to both of their homes, he is Du Qianqian's lover.
Mentioning Gongzi Yi evokes endless tales of his romantic and charming nature.
So, Young Master Yi led Song Zixing on a leisurely stroll, exploring almost the entire capital city.
The two chatted and laughed all the way, as if they had known each other for a long time.
As evening fell, gazing at the small "Li" character engraved in the corner of the golden signboard above him, Song Zixing asked, "I wonder how many restaurants the Li family owns in the capital?"
Gongzi Yi said, "The Li family has six restaurants in the capital, but only this one is elegant and quiet. Brother Song, please."
Song Zixing said, "Please."
The two entered the restaurant together. The waiter, dressed neatly, led the two young masters and their entourage of twelve people to the back courtyard. Young Master Yi had sent someone to reserve a table earlier, and the waiter then led the two to a secluded pavilion in the back courtyard. The pavilion was inscribed with the words "Elegant Bamboo," and was surrounded by bamboo. It was indeed as elegant and tranquil as Young Master Yi had said.
The pavilion is a separate building with two floors. The lower floor is for the guards brought by these young masters to rest and eat, while the upper floor is where the young masters of status dine.
Upon arriving at the small building, the guards accompanying Prince Yi lined up at the four corners of the pavilion. One of them went upstairs first before politely inviting Prince Yi and Song Zixing to go up.
Seeing how cautious he was even while eating, Song Zixing didn't say much. He only judged from the skill and footsteps of the guards accompanying Gongzi Yi that they were all top-notch experts. Song Zixing only had Wu Zheng with him. Wu Zheng was always straightforward and didn't think much of the fuss over a meal.
Song Zixing and Gongzi Yi went up to the second floor one after the other, where two more guards stood at the entrance. Wu Zheng, whom Song Zixing had brought, had already been called downstairs to drink with the two of them. Only Gongzi Yi and Song Zixing remained in the room on the second floor.
Inside, wine and dishes were laid out on the table. The two politely sat down one after the other. At this moment, Du Xiaoxi took out a cloth bag from her bosom, took out a silver needle, and tested the wine and dishes on the table one by one before leaving.
Seeing that Song Zixing remained completely unmoved, Gongzi Yi laughed and said, "Brother Song, you must be embarrassed. Ever since that incident in Luoyang, my father has been like a frightened bird, always being careful around me. Even going out for a meal requires all this trouble."
Upon hearing this, Song Zixing remained calm and said, "Being cautious is a good thing, so why would I laugh at you?"
Gongzi Yi poured wine for the two of them and said calmly, "My father only had two sons in his life. Unfortunately, my elder brother died young, leaving only me. Naturally, my father protects me very much."
Song Zixing smiled faintly and remained silent.
"In a few days, I will also be leaving the capital and returning to Jingzhao," said Gongzi Yi. "I wonder when I will have the honor of sharing a drink with Brother Song again." Gongzi Yi raised his wine cup to toast Song Zixing, and Song Zixing also raised his wine cup in return. The two of them drank their wine at the same time.
Song Zixing said, "If we are destined to meet again, we will meet again."
Gongzi Yi smiled faintly and said, "I've heard that Brother Song also studied at Nanshu Academy?"
Song Zixing smiled and said, "Yes, it's been more than three years since I left."
Gongzi Yi asked, "Back then, did the Dean personally instruct you in the art of strategy?"
Song Zixing said, "That's right."
Gongzi Yi looked on with longing and said, "Your class was excellent. Dean Qi no longer teaches personally. I regret that I never had the chance to hear his discussions on political strategy." Gongzi Yi sighed and continued, "I heard the teachers mention that back then, you and Chen Dongyao were both outstanding students at Nanshu Academy. Your knowledge and martial arts were evenly matched, and you were like oil and water. Is that true?"
"I never expected that after all these years, the teachers would still remember us. I suppose we caused such a stir back then that it left a deep impression on them." Song Zixing smiled and continued, "Indeed, Chen Dongyao and I were both students in the martial arts class. He entered a year later than me. Chen Dongyao was born with superhuman strength and his martial arts were inherited from the South China Sea lineage. When he first entered the class, he injured Teacher Wu and even mocked us fellow students for being so weak. At that time, I was young and impetuous, so I stepped forward and challenged him to a duel. Since his martial arts were indeed superior to mine, I used a trick to narrowly defeat him. At that time, I was only concerned with winning or losing, and I think the victory was not very honorable. This also created a grudge between us."
Unexpectedly, Song Zixing could talk about how he used a trick to defeat Chen Dongyao in such a carefree and unrestrained way. Gongzi Yi smiled and said, "Victory and defeat are not determined by force. Master Wu always praises Brother Song to the extreme whenever he mentions him, saying that Brother Song is one of his favorite students."
Song Zixing chuckled and said, "After hearing what Young Master Yi said, it seems I must prepare some generous gifts to visit my teacher at the academy tomorrow."
Gongzi Yi said, "I am going back to Jingzhao and also to say goodbye to my teachers. Tomorrow I will accompany Brother Song to the academy."
Song Zixing smiled and said, "Okay."
The two drank cup after cup, chatting idly. Outside the pavilion, the moon slowly rose, its light casting a soft glow on the bamboo leaves around the pavilion, rustling gently in the stillness.
Gongzi Yi and Song Zixing drank another cup together before Gongzi Yi said, "I heard that back then, in terms of martial arts, even if you and your fellow disciples joined forces, you wouldn't be able to subdue Chen Dongyao. Is that true? Was he really that powerful?"
Song Zixing nodded, recalling the past, and laughed, "He was indeed formidable. I fought him dozens of times back then. Several times he angered several of us fellow disciples, so we disregarded everything and rushed up to fight him, only to be beaten black and blue. He was naturally strong and had incredible stamina; it's truly embarrassing to admit. Once, dozens of us took turns trying to wear him down, but we still lost. Later, we got so angry that we threw his bedding into the river. When he realized it was us, he came back and fought us all night, almost exhausting us. After that, we learned our lesson and stopped confronting him head-on, instead using tricks to make him suffer. Then, due to some events, he left the academy, which only lasted two months in total."
Speaking of the past, Song Zixing became quite enthusiastic, and Gongzi Yi seemed to listen with great interest. Upon hearing this, he laughed and said, "It's a pity that our class didn't have anyone like that. I heard that Chen Dongyao is fond of beautiful women, it's just a pity about Chu Tianxiu..."
Song Zixing understood the implication of Gongzi Yi's words and said, "He is indeed fond of beautiful women and is very picky. No beauty he has ever set his sights on has been able to escape his grasp."
Gongzi Yi smiled and interjected, "The Dean's daughter, Qi Xin, is considered the most beautiful woman in the capital. Could it be that Chen Dongyao's departure from the academy is related to Qi Xin?"
Song Zixing said, "Back then, Junior Sister Qi was only thirteen or fourteen years old, but she had already grown into a graceful young lady. Although we were all in the same academy, none of us had seen her many times, and I had only seen her once or twice. At that time, she was still young, and we didn't know much about Chen Dongyao and Qi Xin's affairs."
Gongzi Yi added, "Now that I think about it, back in Luoyang, it was actually a blessing in disguise that I disguised myself like that. If I had revealed my identity and appearance, I probably would have had a hard time escaping Chen Dongyao's entanglement."
Song Zixing said, "Chen Dongyao's tastes are extremely morbid; being targeted by him is worse than death."
Gongzi Yi suddenly raised the corners of his mouth and said with a slight smile, "If Chen Dongyao takes a liking to Wudu, what will you do?"
Upon hearing this, Song Zixing raised an eyebrow, downed a glass of wine, and said, "I will not let that happen."
Gongzi Yi blinked and said, "What if it actually happens?"
Song Zixing smiled faintly and said, "Eliminate it at all costs."
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Yi smiled faintly and remained silent, simply drinking the wine in his cup in one gulp.
***********
The moon was full over the west tower, and the two finally left the restaurant after a satisfying meal. As soon as they left, Gongzi Yi took Song Zixing straight to Xinghua Chunyu.
The madam of Xinghua Chunyu felt as if she had seen her second parents when she saw Gongzi Yi, and the girls of Xinghua Chunyu were all fawning over him, their handkerchiefs waving so brightly it was dazzling. Song Zixing, who was following behind Gongzi Yi, couldn't help but take a few steps back, putting some distance between them.
Song Zixing was somewhat surprised by Gongzi Yi's popularity at Xinghua Chunyu, and after the initial surprise came astonishment. He saw that Gongzi Yi simply raised his hands to signal the girls and the madam to be quiet, and the noisy Xinghua Chunyu fell silent. Even the guests drinking and making merry upstairs and downstairs looked at Gongzi Yi with knowing smiles, as if they were already used to this kind of situation. One guest noticed the silence and chuckled, "Could it be that playboy has arrived?" The words were immediately covered by a girl nearby.
Song Zixing looked at Gongzi Yi, only to see Gongzi Yi lower his hand, cough lightly, and then, with a serious expression, say loudly, "I have brought a friend with me this time..."
Before Gongzi Yi could finish speaking, a woman said in a coquettish voice, "My darling, let me serve this young master." The speaker was a girl of about eighteen or nineteen, dressed in white, with a pink undergarment vaguely visible beneath. She was plump, with fair skin, and her gaze boldly swept over Song Zixing. The girl's words immediately drew rebukes from the other girls, who, seeing Song Zixing's exceptional good looks, were already drooling over him and were unwilling to let her get there first.