Три мандариновые утки и полторы пары

Глава 20

"Young Master Su, it was Wuyou who was unfair first!"

Each of them grabbed one of Su Shaochu's arms and started arguing.

"Okay, okay, half for each of us, be good, don't make a fuss."

"No!" Wuyou muttered. Why did she have to give him half of the medicine when they agreed she would feed him?

"Young Master Su, look, now it's her who's making a fuss!" Wu Chou immediately seized the opportunity to complain.

Seeing that the two girls were about to argue about him again, Su Shaochu gently coaxed them.

"You two are good girls. I'll take my medicine myself. I remember the side dishes you two made were delicious. I'm feeling a bit hungry now. Could you make me a few side dishes for a midnight snack?"

The two girls were overjoyed to hear his praise and request. After putting down the medicine, they rushed out to make arrangements, afraid that the other would beat them to it.

After Wuyou and Wuchou left, Su Shaochu took a piece of gold bamboo carved on the top of the wide gold ring on his right ring finger and pulled out a long, thin, and soft gold needle that was wrapped inside the ring.

"Zhu Yu, who designed this cage is still unknown!"

With a slight expulsion of energy, the golden soft needle immediately straightened up. Su Shaochu opened his clothes, pressed a few inches below his left collarbone, and slowly inserted the long needle into a large burial site. Then he closed his eyes and circulated his energy to regulate his breathing.

A wisp of white smoke rose from Su Shaochu's head. Only when he felt the turbulent energy within his body flowing smoothly did he slowly exhale, open his eyes, retract the golden needle, and drink the medicine that was placed on the table.

"Shanshan, if you don't find me soon, I'll be tortured to the point of being nothing but ashes by this demonic prince. Most importantly, your little lover outside the wall will one day become a corpse lying outside the wall. Alas!"

To her companion, Shao Chu sighed deeply. "I hope that you, who are known as a talented woman, will consider our long-standing 'illicit' relationship and not abandon me!"

Su Shaochu stood up, his internal injuries making his steps slow and deliberate. He slowly walked to the pavilion where the bright moon could be seen in the sky. The moonlight on the winter night was clear and bright, shining on the warm spring. Mist and moonlight adorned the plum trees by the spring, and small white plum blossoms, lightly covered with snow, intertwined with the bright moonlight, creating an extremely elegant and beautiful scene.

"Jade Blade!" Upon seeing the plum blossoms standing proudly against the winter chill, Shao Chu couldn't help but think of an old friend. "How many times have my soul and dreams been with you? To dream with this person, is that truly your wish? Song Mei'e."

The past can only be relived with a sigh of nostalgia.

"A wisp of fragrance enters my dream, but I fear my feelings are too intense, too strong. In the end, your heart is not as deep as mine. A song of heartfelt emotions is played alone. Today's plum blossoms that defy the frost are nothing more than withered petals tomorrow."

A deep, heavy sigh, another long sigh entrusted to the moonlit night.

A surge of energy rushed through his chest. Su Shaochu frowned, clutching his chest, and once again adjusted his breathing to soothe the injuries within his body. It was not advisable to think too much about the troublesome past right now.

Let's think about my current situation. I only have three-tenths of my skills left, no freedom, and a negative situation. All these factors combined mean that to face a deeply ruthless and cunning person like the Third Prince Zhu Yu, I truly need intelligence, divine intervention, and a willingness to die for him...

"Sigh, I should think more about taking things as they come, being lucky, and that things will turn around after all," Su Shaochu said with a self-comforting quip.

Having fallen into this predicament, unable to move forward or backward, I can only blame a series of events that occurred a few months ago, leading to the current situation.

It all started with an accident a few months ago...

Chapter Two

"Recently, we've seen a lot of government officials and soldiers on the streets of the capital. Has some major case occurred?"

Several merchants who had come from out of town to do business sat by the window on the second floor of the tavern, looking down at the street below. Not long ago, they had seen a group of soldiers passing by, and now they saw another group of people rushing past, separating the crowd.

"Oh, this has been happening everywhere this month, especially recently the government's targets have all been set on brothels and entertainment venues."

The friend who was in charge of hosting the event poured drinks for everyone while talking about street gossip.

"Especially lately, the guarding of the city gates has been particularly strict, with many rules and regulations."

"A den of thieves and prostitutes!" A hub for brothels. "Are there some notorious bandits hiding in those places?" Otherwise, why would they specifically search those brothels?

"I've heard that it's the notorious night thief Zifei Shuangyue who, after stealing the rare pearls offered as tribute from foreign lands last month, has become extremely vicious. Originally, he was just stealing treasures, but now he's started indiscriminately killing people, all of whom are government officials. They've all died in the brothel district!"

"Purple Flying Twin Moons! Isn't it rumored that they only steal treasure and don't kill anyone?"

"He's probably gotten really angry from being constantly pursued lately!"

"Seven government officials have died in succession."

"This Zifei Shuangyue is really going too far. I used to admire him. He was able to escape from government raids so many times without hurting anyone. Even when stealing treasure, he was principled and only targeted corrupt officials and heartless rich landlords. How come he's like a bandit who's an accomplice to evil now!" It's despicable.

"I heard that recently, the imperial court ordered the Lu family, who are the imperial constables, to capture the Jianghu thief Zi Fei Shuang Yue within half a month."

"Half a month?!" Hearing this timeframe, some people worried. "The authorities have been investigating for years without any success; can they catch him in half a month?"

"It's possible that they already have a lead, which is why they're asking the Lu family to arrest the person as soon as possible. Moreover, this order was reportedly personally submitted by the Third Prince, who is in charge of the safety of the capital, saying that such villains cannot be allowed to harm the people and requesting the court to issue an arrest warrant as soon as possible."

"The Third Prince is indeed a responsible and good prince who works for the benefit of the people."

Speaking of the Third Prince Zhu Yu, who appears to be dressed in fine clothes and always adorned with gold and jewels, he does not evoke any sense of disgust. On the contrary, his flawless face, which is no less beautiful than a woman's, complements the gold and jewels, giving him a unique and captivating charm. Coupled with his lazy demeanor and penchant for using sharp and sarcastic remarks, he fascinates the people of the capital, who love to discuss his every word and action during their leisure time.

In particular, this prince of the imperial family had a unique preference for "beautiful people," regardless of gender. Beautiful women, handsome men, and handsome young men were all within the scope of this prince's target audience, because the definition of beauty is not only in appearance. Character can be beautiful, figure can be beautiful, and physique can be beautiful. Any kind of beauty is within Zhu Yu's judgment. Therefore, the romantic affairs of this third prince of Zhu are so numerous that they can be described as dazzling.

It was precisely because of his extraordinary words and deeds, his demeanor, and the endless topics he could discuss that this imperial prince became a unique figure in the eyes of the people, and made the third prince, Zhu Yu, the royal family member who was closest to the people.

"It seems I should behave myself during my stay in the capital and avoid going to brothels."

Otherwise, if they run into Zi Fei Shuang Yue, who has been killing people everywhere lately, and something unexpected happens, it would really be a waste!

"What's there to be afraid of? I heard that Zifei Shuangyue killed mostly government officials. What do we commoners have to be afraid of? I'd like to go to 'Yuqionglou' to see the legendary courtesan Yu Ziyan, who is said to be both beautiful and talented, and listen to her exquisite zither playing and ditties."

Yuqionglou is one of the most popular brothels in the entertainment district, and Yu Ziyan is the most sought-after courtesan. Countless powerful and wealthy people spend a fortune to get close to her, and they are even willing to fight and shed blood!

"Brother Zhao is truly thoughtful! In my opinion, Yu Ziyan is a problem. Although she is said to be exceptionally beautiful and talented, selling her art but not her body, the problem is that she only appears two days a month, and when she does, she only performs at the lakeside pavilion in the back garden of Yuqiong Tower. Everyone can only listen to her music from the shore, while wealthy young men listen from the small pavilion on the lake. Although it is said that she is radiantly beautiful, Yu Ziyan always appears with a veil covering her face, and very few people have seen her true face. It makes her very mysterious. Everyone has only heard rumors, but who knows the truth!" The friend who lived in the capital felt that this was not a good idea. He was not going to waste his money on something that only had "rumors" about it.

"Everyone loves this kind of tune that's hard to come by or see. I've also heard that it costs a hundred taels to listen to the music at the lakeside pavilion, and a thousand taels to enter the lakeside pavilion to admire the beautiful woman playing the zither. I say, Brother Zhao, the tune you want to hear is not cheap!" another companion said.

Most importantly, even if you have the money to go up to the pavilion on the lake and get closer to the beauty, you can only admire her from afar through a veil. It's not worth spending so much money to only see a "vague beauty".

"It seems we'll have to go bankrupt to see this Ziyan girl's true face!" This only fuels our curiosity about what this famous courtesan looks like. "Has anyone actually seen her?"

"I suspect the only one who has actually seen Miss Ziyan is probably the fourth young master of the Su family!"

"The Su family, one of the four great families? The fourth young master!" A businessman from out of town asked as if he remembered, "Is it that Su Shaochu, who looks quite dashing and debonair, often frequents the 'Jade Pavilion,' and is rumored to have an ambiguous relationship with the third prince?"

"It is Su Shaochu, who is talked about no less than the Third Prince."

"I heard that the Third Prince, who is bisexual and only touches beautiful women, has taken a fancy to Su Shaochu, the youngest and most handsome fourth young master of the Su family. So he wants to meet Su Shaochu's sweetheart, Yu Ziyan."

"That can't be right! I heard that Fourth Young Master Su and Young Madam Yan Shanshan of the Lu family have an ambiguous relationship. Young Master Lu Mingchao was very angry and has been drinking at Yuqiong Tower ever since. The Third Prince took advantage of the situation and got close to Lu Mingchao. The Third Prince has said before that he admires Lu Mingchao's physique and personality the most."

"What I heard is different, a bit complicated. Apparently, the Third Prince likes the young master of the Lu family, the young mistress of the Lu family likes the fourth young master of the Su family, and the fourth young master of the Su family happens to like the famous courtesan Yu Ziyan. These five people are constantly entangled, openly and secretly. It's quite a story." The talkative person counted on his fingers, detailing the entanglements.

"No, no, that's not quite right. If the Third Prince liked Young Master Lu, why would he order him to arrest Zi Fei Shuang Yue within a limited time? The court will blame him if he doesn't catch her." The Third Prince wouldn't treat someone he likes like that.

"Could these rumors be a smokescreen, and the young master of the Lu family and the fourth young master of the Su family are actually the lovers in a tragic love affair? Perhaps the young master of the Lu family doesn't actually like that so-called number one beauty's wife, but rather the handsome and dashing Su Shaochu. As for the third prince, I think he might like them all. After all, the men here are handsome and the women are beautiful, which fits the third prince's habits of being attracted to both men and women, never missing a chance, and wanting beauties without being vulgar. I say, the third prince might be the one reaping the benefits behind the scenes."

This speculation was widely accepted, and after compiling these rumors, a new and definitive conclusion was added. At the same time, ordinary people couldn't help but sigh at the state of the world.

"Those rich kids and noble families are always getting into all sorts of messy relationships, men and women getting into all sorts of filthy messes, and none of it is worth listening to. Tsk, it's really awful."

After much discussion and speculation, and once a new rumor was confirmed, everyone raised their glasses in a toast and continued to enjoy themselves. At the same time, they decided to share this new discovery with others the next day.

Seated next to these people, behind a bamboo curtain in a small room, someone kept sipping wine, listening intently to their idle chatter with a furrowed brow and amusement.

"Brother Fu, isn't the capital city adorable? From the royal family to the common people, even the rumors are so cute that you can almost feel the excitement that might happen at any moment. Here, rumors always have a new life force." After listening, he raised his eyebrows, raised his glass to the middle-aged man opposite him, and drank the wine with a smile.

Su Shaochu wore a light yellow and white striped dress without any extra embellishments. The elegant confidence and gentle demeanor emanating from the owner of the dress were enough to make people take notice at first glance. His seemingly serious and reserved eyebrows and the corners of his lips that were slightly smiling revealed his usual playful and witty nature.

"No matter where you are, Su Shaochu, your wicked nature will never change."

The man was tall and fierce, with a angular face and a solemn, unsmiling demeanor that made him somewhat intimidating. Unlike Su Shaochu's elegant wine tasting, he picked up a large jar of wine and drank it from a large bowl.

"Hey, Brother Fu, are you speaking up for someone? Or were you also a victim of my misdeeds?" Su Shaochu smiled knowingly. "Don't worry, I will definitely not shirk my responsibilities and will not make things difficult for you, Brother Fu."

"His upright appearance hides a carefree and playful nature, or more accurately, a cunning and treacherous spirit. Making friends with someone like you, Su Shaochu, means constantly dealing with difficult situations."

"Oh, Brother Fu, I hope you're not trying to sever ties with me at this crucial moment. I'm easily embarrassed and have a fragile personality; being strong has never been my forte. Please don't do this now; I, your younger brother Shaochu, can't bear it!"

"With your skills, Su Shaochu, you're not afraid of not finding a fool to sacrifice yourself."

"Brother Fu," Su Shaochu opened his folding fan, his face beaming with a bright and dashing smile, "why blame yourself!"

The few words that Su Shaochu casually deflected made Fu Yaofeng's face darken immediately. Wasn't he the fool who was being sacrificed, always being lured into helping by Su Shaochu's few words?

"I should really blame myself for making bad friends!" Fu Yaofeng smiled coldly and tilted his head back to drink a bowl of wine.

"Brother Fu, did you encounter something unpleasant during your trip to Nanyuan the other day, or did Qiu Bailu in the capital drink too much and get angry?" Why did you suddenly become so temperamental?

"Perhaps he's eager to see when you, Su Shaochu, will lose your composure, when you'll only ask for what you give and not what you get in return?" No matter how big or small the matter, this person never does anything without careful planning, yet he hates the feeling of having to calculate everything.

"Yes, working hard without complaint is something good people do, but unfortunately..." Su Shaochu smiled apologetically. "I'm not a good person."

"You consider yourself a bad person!"

"This is outrageous, Brother Fu! How can you speak of your friend like that!" He closed his folding fan, pointed at him, and said, "This is truly terrible!" "I only said I'm not a good person, not a bad one! If I had to choose, good people don't live long, but evil people live for a thousand years. Neither is good, so I'll just be a mediocre villain. Especially being a good villain isn't easy. Oh, Brother Fu, you've been drinking too much. Be careful not to hurt yourself!"

"I once again punish myself for my careless choice of friends." Fu Yaofeng, who had downed two large bowls of wine, wiped the wine stains from his mouth and said coldly, "Throughout my life, I have always been loyal and righteous, and I will never associate with petty people. How can I not be angry that I have inadvertently befriended such a despicable person!"

"Brother Fu, this is not your fault. Our friendship was built on your integrity and my deception from the beginning. You are not to blame for what happened today. After all, in the struggle between a gentleman and a villain, the former will never have the upper hand. Don't blame yourself so much."

"Are you trying to comfort me, or are you adding fuel to the fire?"

"I am praising Brother Fu for your noble spirit, which is rare to see these days."

"Talking to you is really overwhelming."

"Alas! I may lack a bit of selflessness and altruism, but I'm no less devoted to my friends." Su Shaochu poured him a full bowl of wine. "Brother Fu, if you enjoy such camaraderie, then every now and then, let's have a heart-to-heart talk, see if you're willing to lay bare your heart and soul. I'm always happy to oblige. Just please don't get angry and use your Roaring Dragon Blade Technique on me. I'm frail, and I'm afraid one strike could sever an entire branch of the Su family. That would break the hearts of my elders and my brothers."

Su Shaochu glanced at the large, gleaming black sword beside him. The scabbard was adorned with ingenious carvings, and the thick hilt and blade clearly indicated its considerable weight.

"If I truly sever your lineage, Su Shaochu, it won't just be your parents and siblings who will weep with broken hearts." After drinking another bowl of wine, Fu Yaofeng raised his eyebrows and said, "You are the apple of your master's eye. She cherishes you more than her own life. Now that you are trapped in the palace, she doesn't seem to care at all."

"Now I finally understand why you're in such a bad mood today, Brother Fu. It turns out you're jealous because you couldn't see my master!" Su Shaochu nodded in understanding. "My master is the eldest princess, the only biological sister of the current emperor. Even if her husband's family was involved in treason twenty years ago, that was their business. Time has passed, and after twenty years, His Majesty will only feel the joy of reunion and overflowing affection for her. He would never harm her."

"But her chronic illness and poisoning... are quite serious! And the Demon Sect of the Eastern Region won't let her go." Fu Yaofeng's face was full of worry.

"That's why it's even more necessary to stay in the palace. The imperial city is heavily guarded, the imperial physicians are all highly skilled, and the palace has all kinds of rare and precious medicinal herbs from all over the world. The palace is the best place to keep my master safe."

"The members of the Demon Sect are all skilled in bizarre and ruthless martial arts, and their ability to use poison is first-rate. Although the palace is heavily guarded, it is always feared that such evil and unorthodox methods are... impossible to guard against."

"The safety of the capital is in the hands of the Third Prince Zhu Yu. Everything my master does in the palace is also personally managed by Zhu Yu. Anyone who dares to harm someone in Zhu Yu's hands is more terrifying than offending the King of Hell."

No matter how ruthless the Demon Sect is, Su Shaochu is absolutely certain that Zhu Yu's methods are even more ruthless!

"Are you sure there won't be any problems?"

"If Brother Fu is still worried, I'll find a way to get you into the palace to be my master's bodyguard."