The next morning, His Majesty summoned Xie Jiang. The eunuch who delivered the message went to the Xie residence but found no one. He then searched several places Xie Jiang frequented, but couldn't even find a trace of her.
The eunuch hurried to Yi Yan Geng for help. His Majesty was waiting, and how could they explain not finding anyone in the entire capital?
"Young Master Yi? Young Master Yi?"
"Young Master Yi, can you hear this servant?"
"His Majesty is waiting."
"How many lives does one have to lose to keep His Majesty waiting?"
Yi Yan Geng heard.
Yi Yan Geng was taking a deep breath.
This was her "having so many things to deal with"!
She must have been bored after spending several months in Ninghe, such a barren small county.
Impatient as soon as she returned to the capital!
"No need to search the city like a headless chicken. Just take people to the usual haunts of the capital's young dandies, and you'll find Young Master Xie."
"Young Master Xie's favorite place, isn't it just Chun Se Man Yuan? This servant has already sent people to look there, and Young Master Xie isn't at Chun Se Man Yuan."
How could a mere Chun Se Man Yuan capture her heart?
Was she that steadfast and devoted?
Yi Yan Geng silently told herself to remain calm. Getting angry now would be premature. Based on his understanding of a certain scoundrel, there would be plenty more things to make him angry later.
"Young Marquis Ruan and his usual companions... never mind, I'll go with you myself."
Yi Yan Geng led the eunuch to the Qun Fang Pavilion.
The madam said Young Master Xie was resting in the room of the courtesan Liu Yingying and hadn't woken up yet...
She dared not say anything more. The expression on the face of the Prince of Ning's heir was very unpleasant. He glanced at the plaque above the gate, as if he wanted to split the Qun Fang Pavilion in two.
The eunuch urged, "Where is Liu Yingying's room? Hurry and take us there!"
This Young Master Xie is truly something, still in a courtesan's bed when the sun is high in the sky. How dissolute!
The madam, trembling, led the way. Qun Fang Pavilion was one of the capital's pleasure dens, and they had hosted dukes and nobles before. However, this Prince of Ning's heir was truly terrifying.
Those bloodthirsty generals weren't this scary. The madam's legs felt weak as she climbed the stairs.
"Yingying, Yingying, has Young Master Xie woken up yet?"
The madam knocked on the door, her voice trembling.
Yi Yan Geng gave Wen Feng a look. Wen Feng stepped forward with a dagger and, with a click, opened the lock.
Wen Feng lowered his head and retreated to the side, unable to imagine what the scene inside would be. Young Lady Xie, a young lady, why was she sleeping with a courtesan?
Yi Yan Geng stepped forward and pushed the door open, leading the way past the screen, and then saw the scene in the room.
Xie Jiang was sleeping soundly, her back to the outside, hugging a pillow. The courtesan Liu Yingying lay disheveled at the foot of the bed, her hairpins scattered, her two snow-white arms embracing Xie Jiang's feet.
Xie Jiang's clothes were still relatively intact. It seemed there had been no wild revelry, just a night's sleep here. Yi Yan Geng quickly made a judgment and did not stop the eunuch from stepping forward.
As the eunuch glanced over, he clicked his tongue in his mind.
Young Master Xie's feet really know where to find a place. Young Master Xie really knows how to play...
Then he saw someone lying on the footstool by the bed, and he looked familiar. "Isn't this the Third Young Master Xu from the Duke of Wei's mansion? Why is he here too?"
"What is it?"
A voice sounded from the room.
The eunuch followed the sound and looked at the soft couch beside him. "Fifth, Fifth Prince? Why are you here too?"
The eunuch immediately walked over and bowed to Xia Ze Shi.
Xia Ze Shi sat up groggily, rubbed his eyes, and saw Yi Yan Geng. His muddled brain became even more confused.
Why was Yi Yan Geng here?
And this Hong Tao, isn't he the godson of Hong Wei, the chief eunuch by the Emperor's side? Why is he here too?
Sweat began to bead on Xia Ze Shi's forehead. Hong Tao had met him in the Qun Fang Pavilion, and Hong Tao knew he had stayed overnight in the Qun Fang Pavilion!
If Hong Tao knew, wouldn't that mean Hong Wei also knew? And if Hong Wei knew, it meant the Emperor knew!
Yi Yan Geng stepped forward, grabbed Xie Jiang's arm, and with a fierce pull like uprooting a radish, he pulled her leg out of the courtesan's embrace.
Xie Jiang and the courtesan both woke up.
Xu Heng Yi, who was sleeping on the footstool, also woke up.
Xu Heng Yi woke up in pain.
Yi Yan Geng stepped on him as if he hadn't seen anyone sleeping on the footstool.
Xu Heng Yi cried out in pain and barely managed to roll out from under Yi Yan Geng's foot. Because his stomach had been stomped on quite hard, he felt as if his internal organs were about to explode.
Xu Heng Yi rolled onto the ground and retched. As he retched, he turned to see who dared to step on him, only to find it was Yi Yan Geng, who was dedicated to creating a chilling atmosphere. He immediately dared not retch too loudly.
The courtesan didn't know what was happening. Seeing the scene in the room, and looking at the madam sweating profusely and about to faint, she could only shrink at the foot of the bed, trembling.
"Yi Yan Geng?"
Xie Jiang looked around and realized she was still in the courtesan's room. Remembering this was the Qun Fang Pavilion, she asked, "Are you here to play too?"
Yi Yan Geng stared fixedly at Xie Jiang and suddenly smiled at her.
Xie Jiang was startled. She, who had been lazily and carelessly slumped, instantly sat up straight.
Yi Yan Geng's smile was too terrifying.
Seeing that Xie Jiang had woken up, the eunuch Hong Tao ignored the Fifth Prince and rushed to the bedside. "You must be Young Master Xie. We've finally found you. His Majesty summons you to the palace immediately. Please come with this servant to the palace!"
"His Majesty summons me? His Majesty is summoning me so soon? Then I'll go to the palace now." Xie Jiang got out of bed, yawning.
"You plan to go to the palace to see His Majesty like this?"
Yi Yan Geng suddenly reached out. Xie Jiang instinctively dodged back, almost falling back onto the bed.
Such little courage!
Yi Yan Geng pulled her back and tightened her disheveled collar.
If not for the fact that her clothes were still intact, and that Xia Ze Shi and Xu Heng Yi were also asleep clothed, and that the courtesan, though wearing revealing clothes, hadn't undressed, why would he keep her alive instead of breaking her neck!
Hong Tao looked at Xie Jiang's crumpled clothes. "This won't do at all. Oh dear, Young Master Xie, hurry back and change! Don't keep His Majesty waiting!"
Hong Tao was so anxious he couldn't help but stamp his foot.
Why did he have to snatch this errand!
He thought it was just running errands and taking a look at the recently famous Young Master Xie, but he almost ran his legs off!
"Go back and change your clothes first."
Yi Yan Geng grabbed Xie Jiang and walked out. Her residence wasn't far from here. She really knew how to pick a place to live!
"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts... my hand is going to break..."
As soon as they came out of the courtesan Liu Yingying's room, they ran into Ruan Zi Ji and his companions, who were coming out of the adjacent room, their clothes disheveled.
"Young Master Xie... Young Master Yi? What's going on?"
Why did Yi Yan Geng look like he was catching someone cheating at a brothel?
What business did Yi Yan Geng have with Young Master Xie playing with a courtesan?
Did it concern him?
Ruan Zi Ji tried to stop them.
Yi Yan Geng didn't even spare him an extra glance, pulling Xie Jiang past him and directly downstairs.
Ruan Zi Ji was about to follow, until he saw the eunuch Hong Tao. "Is someone from the palace looking for Young Master Xie?"
Xia Ze Shi looked as if he had lost his parents. "His Majesty summoned Young Master Xie."
Oh.
Then it's nothing.
Ruan Zi Ji retracted the leg he hadn't yet moved and stretched lazily, watching Xie Jiang's disappearing back.