The women were all as beautiful as celestial beings, their every movement graceful and not at all frivolous. They possessed a gentle, delicate charm, a beauty of a different kind.
Shi Wei was a frequent patron of Yixiang Garden, more familiar with the place than his own home.
Alas, he hadn't visited in a long time. Returning now, he felt something was missing, though he couldn't quite pinpoint what.
The beauties were still as beautiful as ever.
The zithers still played fine melodies.
But that former vibrant spark was gone. Shi Wei drank his fine wine, his spirits dejected.
After listening for a while, he even grew agitated. Shi Wei waved his hand, signaling for everyone inside to leave.
Drinking alcohol listlessly, Shi Wei found his own actions inexplicable. He was known for his dissolute nature, having frequented brothels and pleasure houses for years. If he grew tired of one, he'd simply move to another.
Yet now, looking at these faces, he felt utterly bored.
A certain fair and vibrant face surfaced in his mind, a tear mole like a glistening, ripe berry.
Shi Wei lowered his gaze. His wine cup reflected his face, the liquid rippling in layers, much like his current heart.
After a pause, he uncharacteristically covered his face.
He was truly infatuated. What was the Fourth Prince's status? She was unlike these lowly dancing girls, not someone one could simply touch as one pleased.
A guard's voice called from outside, "Young Master, there is a distinguished guest at the manor."
Shi Wei's head snapped up. The only person who could be called a distinguished guest at his manor, and who would seek him out unannounced, could only be the Fourth Prince.
He hurried to his feet, his steps quickening. Anticipation and joy, unnoticed even by himself, flickered in his eyes.
"Return to the manor!"
—
Shi Wei rushed back to his manor with all possible speed and indeed found the person he had been yearning for.
She was dressed in black, her cuffs embroidered with exquisite, beautiful patterns. She stood with her back to him, her posture tall and slender.
His hurried footsteps gradually slowed. As the distance between them closed, Shi Wei's heart pounded like a drum, losing its rhythm.
He couldn't help but call out in a daze, "Your Highness the Fourth Prince."
The slender figure turned around. Her dark attire shimmered, reflecting her skin, which was dazzlingly white.
A fervent smile spread across Shi Wei's face. "Your Highness, let us speak inside."
They entered the study and closed the door. Shi Wei's gaze never left her exceptionally alluring face, while he maintained a semblance of composure, asking, "May I ask why Your Highness has personally come?"
Shen Yue's eyes flickered upwards, her brows like painted strokes. Her voice was cool and detached, like sweet, light wine. "Just to visit."
A simple, perfunctory sentence, yet coming from her lips, the meaning seemed to transform.
Shi Wei's greatest strength was his thick skin, comparable to a city wall. He rarely blushed, but now, meeting Shen Yue's eyes, his face turned completely red. His usually eloquent tongue became stuttering, unable to utter a coherent word.
He had never been so embarrassed, especially not in front of Shen Yue. At this moment, he wished he could disappear into the ground.
Shen Yue's lips curved into a faint smile. She quietly watched Shi Wei's face turn red like a boiled shrimp, tilting her head as if in mild curiosity.
"Do you feel hot?"
Shi Wei was overwhelmed with gratitude. "Yes, yes, the study is too stuffy. I shall open the window immediately."
He said this and went to prop open the window, wiping the sweat from his brow. His cheeks were flushed, giving the impression of extreme heat.
Shen Yue, however, did not feel particularly hot. She looked at the paintings hanging in the study, all works by renowned masters, perhaps unparalleled in the world. Shi Wei truly had an eye for appreciation.
"Shi Wei."
This single word seemed to jolt Shi Wei. He restrained his gaze, his superficial and thin politeness masking a blatant infatuation.
"I am here."
Shen Yue's gaze remained fixed on the painting. "How is the matter I asked you to investigate?"
While the Fourth Prince had her back turned and couldn't see, Shi Wei's gaze grew increasingly greedy and yearning. His tone remained soft and compliant.
"The imperial physician's name is Liu Xiao. He grew up with the Empress as childhood sweethearts. Later, when Liu Xiao's family fell into decline, he took up medicine. He followed the Empress into the palace, and the Empress would often summon the imperial physician under the guise of recuperating. It's likely they had a secret affair long ago."
Shen Yue turned her head slightly, her long lashes fluttering like butterflies. The lines of her profile flowed as elegantly as water, her tear mole exquisitely beautiful.
Shi Wei was always efficient, a trait Shen Yue admired. Thus, she occasionally showed him a little favor.
"Anything else?"
"Every eighth day, at the hour of the Ox, Liu Xiao would don eunuch attire and go to the Kun Ning Palace, only leaving at the hour of the Tiger."
Having carried on a secret affair for so long without anyone noticing, only to be discovered by this astute Shi Wei. One had to admit, the Empress's façade was exceptionally well-maintained, not even alerting the Emperor. Precisely because of this, when the matter was exposed, it would be even harder to salvage.
The Crown Prince...
Was merely a fake.
Without the identity of the Crown Prince, what waves could he possibly make?
It was quite possible he wouldn't even be able to save his own life.
Thinking of the Crown Prince's eventual plight, Shen Yue's mood became exceptionally cheerful. Her full, red lips curved into a slight smile. Her exquisitely beautiful face, like that of a seductive demon, held an indescribable allure with this smile.
Looking at the man before her, Shen Yue didn't hesitate to praise him, "You have done very well."
Shi Wei had put in considerable effort to uncover these matters. He was a shrewd man, always speaking only half the truth to others. But when facing Shen Yue, he wished he could pour out everything he knew. Even a simple word of praise would make him tremble with excitement.
Shi Wei's eyes darkened slightly, and he immediately said placatingly, "This is what this subject ought to do."
His act of lowering his status was clearly effective. Shen Yue's expression softened a rare bit. Her dark, clear eyes narrowed as she looked at Shi Wei, "Then, what do you desire?"
If it were before, Shi Wei would have been a common man, content with simple gold, silver, treasures, and beautiful women. Life was for enjoyment, wasn't it?
Others called him vulgar, exuding an aura of cheapness, but he genuinely enjoyed it.
However, now, he himself felt those desires were too common, utterly insignificant compared to the Fourth Prince before him.
Now, the esteemed Fourth Prince personally asked what he wanted. Shi Wei could not suppress the emotions surging within him, his blood boiling, his heat rushing, like magma about to erupt.
Shi Wei quietly took several deep breaths. When he spoke, his voice still carried a barely perceptible warmth. "Your Highness, this subject desires nothing. It is my honor to be of service to you."
He was handsome, with a refined demeanor. Even his flattery was more pleasing to the eye and sounded better than that of ordinary people.