Building a Harmonious Song Dynasty

Chapter 16

After everyone sat down in the room, Madam Wang asked, "Why did Zhenzhen suddenly come back today? She didn't even tell me beforehand so that I could prepare."

Qin Zhen looked at Zhao Gou and said, "Your Highness has specially granted me permission to return today."

Wang looked at Zhao Gou with delight and said, "Your Highness has really gone to a lot of trouble. Does Zhenzhen know the rules in the palace? She is very mischievous. If she does anything wrong, Your Highness, please be more lenient with her."

Zhao Gou stammered, "Um...she knows the rules quite well..."

Qin Zhen almost laughed when she heard his aggrieved expression. However, remembering the purpose of her return home today, she couldn't laugh anymore. Looking at Wang Shi's current demeanor, it seemed she knew nothing of the arranged marriage.

“Mother,” Qin Zhen called out, “I saw Father before I left the palace. He asked me to tell you that there are some tricky things in the palace and he probably won’t be back for another two days. He told you not to worry.”

Wang was slightly puzzled: "He hasn't been able to come back for the past few days? It seems the matter is really troublesome."

"Yes, it is a bit tricky," Qin Zhen said, "but with Father's great abilities, he will definitely solve it in no time."

"You, I don't think your father is as capable as you are, praising him so highly."

The mother and daughter smiled and chatted about other things. Qin Zhen was relieved to learn that Wang was doing well at home.

Since arriving at the Qin residence, Qingmei has been extremely devoted to Madam Wang, repaying all of Qingmei's deepest gratitude to Qin Zhen through her. It seems Qin Zhen not only saved her life but also took her in; he is truly her great benefactor.

After having dinner with her at the Qin residence, Zhao Gou had to return to the palace. Lady Wang held Qin Zhen's hand and gave her many instructions before finally wiping away her tears as she saw her daughter off. However, this brief reunion today had soothed her months of longing, and seeing that Zhao Gou treated her daughter as he had when they were studying, without treating her as a maid, she figured her daughter was doing well in the palace, and she felt relieved.

In the palace, Emperor Huizong had just finished his evening meal and couldn't help but think of Li Shishi. However, he knew that he couldn't go out to look for her every day, so he could only sigh and sit there in his daydreams.

His chief eunuch, Li Yan, stood by and served him. His eyes flickered a few times, and he stepped forward in small steps and said, "Your Majesty, this servant has something to report."

Emperor Huizong gave a vague "hmm," and Li Yan then said, "After the court session today, I was ordered by His Majesty to invite Imperial Censor Wang to the back hall for a chat. I overheard his conversation with Lord Wang Zhongshan."

"Oh, what did they talk about?" Emperor Huizong asked, still not very interested.

Li Yan said, "Both Lord Wangs were very happy, saying they were going to Zuifeng Tower tonight to celebrate something, and also said... they also said they wanted to invite Miss Shishi to accompany them..."

Upon hearing the name "Shishi," Emperor Huizong did react, but his face was full of disbelief. He might have found it believable that Wang Fu and Wang Zhongshan were colluding, as evidenced by Wang Fu's recommendation of Wang Zhongshan's daughter to marry Qin Hui. However, this wasn't a major issue, and he didn't particularly want to get involved.

However, speaking of Li Shishi, she was introduced to Zhao Ji by Wang Fu. He fell in love with her at first sight. Wang Fu must have known how much he liked her. After their first meeting, it was agreed that Li Shishi would no longer entertain anyone else. How could they dare to go to her behind his back?

"Is this really true?" Emperor Huizong asked doubtfully.

"Your Majesty is wise, this servant dares not utter a single lie! They also said many treasonous things, which this servant dares not speak of..."

"Speak!" Emperor Huizong was already getting angry.

Li Yan licked his lips, lowered his head and said, "They said it's painful to see something but not be able to have it. Given the Emperor's favor towards the Censor, even if they took something of yours, he probably wouldn't blame them."

"Hmph! Insolent wretch!" Although Emperor Huizong was angry, how could he believe such things without seeing them with his own eyes?

When Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen's carriage returned to the palace under the cover of night, Emperor Huizong's carriage, dressed in disguise, drove out from another palace gate. Zhao Ji was half-reclined in the carriage with his eyes slightly closed, looking unwell.

Li Yan sat upright beside him, his heart pounding with anxiety. This lie had gone too far; he wasn't sure if he could cover it up. But now he had said what he needed to say and done what he needed to do. He could only pray that everything was ready on the other side. If anything went wrong, he would end up hurting himself instead of others.

Inside the Zuifeng Tower on Panlou South Street, the air was filled with the aroma of perfume and the warmth of wine, a stark contrast to the desolate autumn atmosphere of the street. Inside, it was a lively and cheerful place. Zuifeng Tower was one of the top brothels in Bianjing. The madam, Mama Li, with her face heavily made up, stood in the lobby, greeting a steady stream of customers. How could such a thriving business not make her happy?

Li Shishi was spotted by her mother at first sight, who took her in and carefully trained her. A few years later, she indeed became famous in the capital, and the Zuifeng Tower's business naturally flourished, remaining prosperous in Bianjing for a long time. She often marveled at her own excellent judgment back then; Li Shishi was truly her lucky star!

As the saying goes, "Good fortune arrives when you speak of it." Li Shishi hasn't been to the building for a long time. If she lives in her private residence, people will naturally come to her door. Why would she need to come to this noisy place?

"Oh, Shishi, what brings you back to the building today?" As soon as Li Mama saw her, she grabbed her and pulled her into the hall, raising her voice as loud as she could, and proudly placed her in the center of the hall.

Li Shishi smiled as if it were nothing out of the ordinary, ignoring the stares from the crowd, and said, "I missed my mother and the women in the building, so I came back to visit them today. Also, I have some distinguished guests waiting for me upstairs, so I must go up now."

"Distinguished guests?" Madam Li's eyes darted around as she asked, "Could it be those three Lord Wangs?"

Li Shishi nodded and went upstairs.

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Happy birthday to my younger brother!

Volume 1: Fate Destined 031 Caught on the Spot with No Way to Explain

In the private room upstairs were Wang Fu, Wang Zhongshan, and Wang Zhongshan's third brother, Wang Zhongyi. After learning of his elder brother's plan to curry favor with the powerful, Wang Zhongyi was eager to join in. Wang Zhongshan had always looked down on him for his lack of ability, and it was only now that he had the opportunity to befriend members of the Prince of Yun's faction.

The three of them sat around the table. Wang Zhongshan toasted Wang Fu and said, "Lord Wang has helped me so much. I really have no way to repay you."

Wang Fu waved his hand dismissively and said, "Oh, no need to be so polite, it was just a small favor. Besides, celebrating today is a bit too early. If someone with ulterior motives sees this, it might cause trouble."

Wang Zhongshan, somewhat carried away with his pride, said, "My lord, you are overthinking it. Once Qin Hui is imprisoned this time, the matter is settled. If the Crown Prince shows favoritism and saves him, the Prince of Yun can seize the opportunity to strike at the Crown Prince. After the Crown Prince's power declines, I will then rescue Qin Hui. Wouldn't he be grateful to me? If the Crown Prince doesn't save him, he will definitely be disheartened. In the end, we will still release him. Wouldn't he turn against us? It's all set in stone."

Wang Fu nodded, thought about it and felt that there were indeed no changes, and he was very happy. He looked at the dishes and wine on the table, then looked around and said, "The food and wine at Zuifenglou are good, but I always feel that something is missing."

The words were obvious, and Wang Zhongshan knew perfectly well that he wanted a young woman to keep him company. So he said, "How could ordinary withered flowers and weeds catch your eye, sir? Please wait a moment, and a fine gift will be presented to you shortly."

"Oh?" Wang Fu, his lust already aroused, asked, "What kind of fine product is it?"

Just then, Li Shishi pushed open the door and gracefully walked in. Wang Fu turned his head and was startled. Thinking he had seen wrong, he quickly stood up in astonishment and asked, "Miss Shishi?"

"Lord Wang," Li Shishi said with a smile, and walked over to sit down next to him.

The Wang brothers showed no surprise at Li Shishi's arrival, but exchanged a smile. Wang Zhongyi inwardly marveled at his good fortune; if he hadn't been fortunate enough to meet Li Shishi and invite her, Wang Zhongshan probably wouldn't have brought him to meet Wang Fu.

Li Shishi poured a full cup of wine for Wang Fu and handed it to him, saying, "Today, Shishi has been specially entrusted by Third Master Wang to serve you. You know me, so why are you so surprised?"

Wang Fu's expression changed as he looked at the Wang brothers and asked, "Is Miss Shishi the 'fine beauty' you're talking about?"

Seeing Wang Fu's angry expression, the Wang brothers were somewhat bewildered and at a loss. They didn't know that Wang Fu secretly curried favor with Emperor Huizong by taking him out for pleasure, so how could they know that Li Shishi was the emperor's woman?

Li Shishi feigned anger and said, "According to Lord Wang's words, Shishi is certainly not worthy of the title 'fine item'?"

"No... I just didn't expect to run into you here today." Wang Fu leaned close to Li Shishi's ear and said, "Didn't you promise me you wouldn't take any more customers?"

Li Shishi chuckled and said, "What are you thinking, Lord Wang? I was rescued by Master Wang on the street today, and I'm only here tonight to repay his favor."

Wang Zhongshan quickly smiled and said, "My third brother ran into Miss Shishi on the street today and helped her out of a little trouble. Miss Shishi promised to repay the favor. We thought that only a beauty like Miss Shishi could be worthy of Lord Wang, so we invited her here."

As he spoke, Wang Zhongyi, who had been somewhat dazed, quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes."

Wang Fu was furious but couldn't vent his anger. He couldn't explain to them that this was the emperor's woman and couldn't be touched!

“Lord Wang,” Li Shishi called softly, “Don’t be so nervous. If I don’t tell you, the master won’t know.”

Hearing her seductive voice, Wang Fu laughed inwardly. Everyone says prostitutes are lowly, but I thought she would be any different. She's just as lowly to the core. She's a whore, so what am I afraid of?

Once he understood this, Wang Fu's expression softened slightly. Although Wang Zhongshan and Wang Zhongyi didn't know what had happened, seeing that he was no longer angry, they also smiled ingratiatingly.

After a round of drinks, the atmosphere in the room gradually warmed up. Li Shishi called in several more courtesans and began to sing and dance lightly in the room. How could Wang Fu not be moved by her graceful figure? Usually, when he accompanied the emperor to see Li Shishi, he could only look on with envy and dared not think anything more. But today was different.

After a few rounds of drinks, Wang Fu's heart began to stir. He stepped forward and grabbed Li Shishi, who was dancing, and pressed himself against her, his hands becoming restless.

Li Shishi's seemingly weak struggles only fueled his lust. He suddenly exerted his strength, pulling Li Shishi to the ground and lunging at her.

Seeing that the time was right, the Wang brothers were about to leave when the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside with great force.

Upon hearing the noise, tears immediately streamed down Li Shishi's face without hesitation. When the weight on her body disappeared, she got up from the ground and saw Emperor Huizong trembling with rage.

"Master...Master, save me..."

A delicate, whimpering voice reached Zhao Ji's ears. Li Shishi pulled up her disheveled skirt and approached him, while Zhao Ji stared at Wang Fu, whose legs were already starting to go weak, as if he were about to breathe fire.

Li Yan stood outside the door and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The timing was perfect. This time, Wang Fu didn't need to say anything. No matter what he said, Zhao Ji wouldn't believe him, and there was no need to worry about his previous lies being exposed.

When Emperor Huizong stormed off with Li Shishi, the three people in the room collapsed to the ground. Even if Wang Zhongshan hadn't known about the relationship between Huizong and Li Shishi before, now even a fool would have seen it. He couldn't help but angrily berate Wang Zhongyi: "You jinx!"

Wang Fu completely ignored the brothers' argument, only muttering, "Enough... enough..."

Volume 1: Destiny's Fate 032 The Crown Prince Soars to Great Heights

Emperor Huizong returned to Nonghuating with a tearful Li Shishi, angrily threw her into the room, and shouted, "What did you promise me?"

"Master...I'm innocent...I'm innocent..."

Emperor Huizong sat down angrily, leaving Li Shishi to weep uncontrollably.

Li Shishi's eyes darted around. Seeing Zhao Ji sitting there sullenly, she knew he was giving her a chance to explain. So she quickly said, "Today, Lord Wang invited me to the brothel for a chat. I am of lowly status, how could I dare not go? Besides, Lord Wang is also one of your men. Even if I don't respect him, I have to go out of respect. But I never expected him to do such a thing to me... I really didn't expect this..."

The plaintive voice seeped into Zhao Ji's heart, and seeing her pitiful appearance, his heart softened. He sighed, went over and helped Li Shishi up, saying with a hint of reproach, "Then why didn't you resist and just let him do whatever he wanted to you?"

Seeing that Zhao Ji had softened his heart, Li Shishi said, "Someone like me has no right to choose. I'm afraid even if I shouted myself hoarse, no one would care. Besides... besides, he said..."

"What did he say?" Zhao Ji asked with a dark face.

Li Shishi wiped away her tears and opened her eyes, which were as dark as ink pools, and said, "Lord Wang said that you were just playing around and didn't take me seriously at all... I didn't believe it, but he also said that there was an official in the court named Qin who was imprisoned because he married a dancer... My life was already as worthless as grass, and it was a blessing from several lifetimes to meet a noble person like you in this life... So I dare not hope that you will stand up for me."

After hearing this, Zhao Ji was furious, his face contorted with rage, and he deeply resented Wang Fu's actions. Once he concluded that Wang Fu was two-faced, everything Wang Fu had done before underwent a qualitative change.

Seeing that the time was right, Li Shishi stopped adding fuel to the fire and began to use all her charm to appease him. Gradually, the scene of their sweet intimacy returned to the flower-filled pavilion. Seeing this, Li Yancai, who was waiting outside, truly breathed a sigh of relief.

It wasn't until dawn that Zhao Ji hurriedly left by carriage. As soon as he returned to the palace, it was time for the morning court session. Without any warning, he issued two imperial edicts: first, to immediately release Qin Hui from prison and promote him to the rank of Crown Prince's son, a fifth-rank official; and second, to bestow upon Qin Hui's wife, Lady Wang, the title of a fifth-rank imperial consort.

Emperor Huizong's sudden show of favor to the Qin family caused a great stir, with everyone speculating about his intentions. As people pondered and guessed, most concluded that Qin Hui was a member of the Crown Prince's faction, and showing favor to Qin Hui meant valuing the Crown Prince. With the prevailing opinion, he naturally had many supporters.

Zhao Ji secretly chuckled to himself. People just love to complicate things. His release of Qin Hui and the bestowal of titles upon Lady Wang were merely paving the way for accepting Li Shishi into the palace. With the precedent of a dancer being granted the title of Lady of the Palace, why couldn't Li Shishi also be granted a title and enter the palace?