Four Young Masters of the Imperial Capital

Beside the Long'an River lies the misty willow lane, Where jade-seated beauties play flutes through the night. Qingyu Pavilion was one of the newly built pleasure houses Xu Yuan had spotted earlier from the heights of the black eagle pavilion. Compared to those bustling, clamorous entertainment halls, Qingyu Pavilion set itself apart with an elegant, refined aesthetic. Custom bright-pattern lamps shaped like lotuses cast a faint blue glow. As wisps of sandalwood incense drifted through the air, the grand hall felt tranquil yet retained an intoxicating hint of ambiguous charm. Onstage, strings played serene, ethereal music, where young ladies clad in black silk stockings danced with exquisite grace. Three young masters clad in luxurious robes sat huddled in a corner of the hall, gossiping about state affairs they had eavesdropped on at home. One of them, an ordinary-looking man with a wrapped headcloth, took a sip of fancy crafted brew and suddenly asked in a low voice, "Xiao Li-zi, I heard from my old man that the war in the north isn't going so well?" The one addressed as Xiao Li-zi was an exceptionally handsome young man. Under the dreamy blue glow, his brows and eyes held a delicate, feminine softness, and his voice sounded intentionally lowered yet still slender as he snapped back testily, "What are you asking me about the northern war for? And stop calling me Xiao Li-zi." The man in the headcloth didn't mind at all and pressed on, "With things raging so fiercely up north, hasn't your old man received any transfer orders or anything?" "Tsk. However fierce the fighting is up north, what does it have to do with my old man? Our Xiyuan Army is responsible for those wolf pups out on the desert steppe." Xiao Li-zi spoke while shooting a sidelong glance at the final robed young master at the table, who was engrossed in the music. This young master was remarkably handsome, wearing rings on both the index and middle fingers of his left hand. His gaze was fixed intently on the dancing girls onstage fluttering their long sleeves, looking thoroughly peaceful and content under the soft lights. At that sight, Xiao Li-zi gave a cold huff. "Isn't the man of the hour sitting right here? Just two months ago, Lord Xu went to Marquis Wucheng's Manor to propose a marriage, and two months later, this fellow returns to the capital. Factoring in travel time, it matches up perfectly. Xu Changtian, Duke Xu didn't make some kind of deal with the Marquis, did he?" "..." Xu Yuan slowly turned his eyes back, looking at these two fair-weather friends with an odd expression. "Gong Yuanzeng, Li Junwu, did you two take the wrong medicine today? Since when did you start caring about such things?" Watching them discuss matters of state was like watching pigs fly. The man in the headcloth twitched, rapped the table, and snorted lightly. "Xu Commoner, your young master here is now a Supervising Secretary in the Office of Scrutiny for Personnel! Mind your tongue, or tomorrow I might just impeach you before the Emperor." Xu Yuan grinned. "Alright then. First thing tomorrow morning, this commoner will wait in my father's study for your memorial to arrive." "..." Gong Yuanzeng was left speechless. Li Junwu shot Xu Yuan an exasperated glare, long accustomed to this banter. "Enough, both of you pipe down." Xu Yuan waved a hand and glanced toward the folding screen at the entrance of the hall. "That kid Wang Chengping hasn't arrived yet? I remember he used to be the most eager whenever we hit the pleasure houses." Li Junwu leaned back against the plush cushion and said lazily, "His father arranged for him to join the Imperial Defense Guard as a company commander. Besides, he got married last year." Xu Yuan paused in surprise. "That guy got married? Whose daughter?" "The daughter of Vice Minister Liu from the Ministry of Personnel," Li Junwu answered. Xu Yuan pondered for a moment before remarking, "A vice minister's daughter shouldn't be able to keep a leash on Wang Chengping, right?" Li Junwu smiled suggestively. "She can't keep a leash on him, but the spirit is willing while his flesh is weak~" A second of silence followed before all three chuckled in unison. Downing another cup, Li Junwu adopted a teasing edge in that delicate voice. "Someone hasn't been seen in two years, and his ego's gotten quite big. You returned to the capital over half a month ago, yet we had to go in person to your manor just to invite your lordship out. Was it inconvenient for you to leave?" Xu Yuan swept a glance over them and replied with a smile, "Junwu, there's quite a hidden meaning behind your words." With their close bond, Li Junwu's soft voice turned blunt: "Given Marquis Wucheng's fiery temper, who would believe there wasn't something behind him letting you return to the capital?" Saying so, Li Junwu glanced at Gong Yuanzeng. "Do you believe it?" "Nope." "Neither do I." "..." Xu Yuan. With a sigh and a swallow of wine, Xu Yuan made no attempt to hide it, speaking seriously: "I have a marriage contract." "..." A brief silence, followed by the two of them bursting into laughter simultaneously. Li Junwu patted Xu Yuan's shoulder. "For real?" Xu Yuan's expression remained steady. "Before I returned to the capital, my father had already told me: a marriage contract with the commandery princess of Marquis Wucheng's Manor." The other two both froze. Li Junwu pondered for a moment before asking in a hushed, rapid whisper, "If I recall correctly, the news your eldest brother spread two months ago wasn't about taking a wife, but marrying into her family as a matrilocal son-in-law?" Xu Yuan remained utterly composed regarding the words "marrying in" and nodded. "Yeah, marrying in." "..." At this point, both Li Junwu and Gong Yuanzeng understood that this marriage contract had to be a private transaction between the Chancellor's Manor and Marquis Wucheng's Manor. Pressing no further, Li Junwu's plump red lips curved into a mischievous smirk. "Changtian, if you get bullied after marrying in, be sure to tell us so we can have a good laugh~" Xu Yuan glanced at this good friend who shared his fondness for pleasure house performances. "The Marquis of Zhenxi only has you as an only daughter. He's probably going to arrange a marriage for you soon too, right?" Li Junwu stretched without a shred of decorum, causing her bound chest to swell slightly. "Doesn't matter. He knows all about this young lady's nature. Besides, no matter what, I'm better off than a live-in son-in-law like you." She paused, casting a sidelong glance from her pretty eyes at Xu Yuan, half-joking: "Changtian, rather than marrying into Marquis Wucheng's Manor, why not marry into my Marquis of Zhenxi's Manor instead? It would help deal with my old man nagging me to get married. What's more, I'd even allow you to take concubines~" Xu Yuan rolled his eyes. "I marry into your manor and take concubines—for you to enjoy, right?" Li Junwu crossed her legs, the corners of her lips curling into a sly squint. "Don't put it so crudely. If you married in, Changtian, it's not like I'd leave you out of the fun~" "..." Xu Yuan suddenly fell silent, then gave her a thumbs-up. "Alright, alright." Beside them, Gong Yuanzeng rubbed his brow and cut in helplessly, "Changtian, after you marry that Commandery Princess Mu, you're not going to end up useless like Wang Chengping, are you?" "..." Before Xu Yuan could reply, a deep, resonant male voice carried over from the side: "What about being like me?" Turning around, it was none other than the last of the Four Young Masters of the Imperial Capital, Wang Chengping. He possessed a square jaw and wore full military uniform, exuding an imposing dignity without even trying; though only in his early twenties, he looked more like a man in his thirties. Dropping onto the soft divan, Wang Chengping crossed his legs in his military uniform. "I show up a little late, and you guys start talking behind my back? Who's useless?" Xu Yuan ignored him and answered Gong Yuanzeng, "Don't compare me to him. I'm far more capable than he is." Wang Chengping naturally understood what they were hinting at. "Bullshit! You, more capable than me?" Xu Yuan casually glanced at the dancing courtesans onstage. "Tonight, Lady Nan Xiang, the top courtesan of Qingyu Pavilion, is making her debut. I'll buy her for you. How about Commander Wang stays the night right here at Qingyu Pavilion?" Wang Chengping's expression shifted, and he cleared his throat. "Official duties are pressing. I'll pass for tonight." Gong Yuanzeng raised an eyebrow and asked casually, "Chengping, with your status, skipping duty wouldn't be a big deal. Why did you arrive so late today?" Wang Chengping took a gulp of wine, exhaled heavily, and spoke with a trace of fatigue: "Today, my unit was tasked with guarding the Court of State Ceremonial. It was an order straight from the Crown Prince himself. I really couldn't get away, and I have to head back in a bit." Xu Yuan was somewhat surprised to hear that. "The Court of State Ceremonial? That fellow Li Yucheng ordered it personally? Who arrived?" None of the other three batted an eye at Xu Yuan addressing the Crown Prince by name. As the greatest dandy in Great Yan, let alone the Crown Prince, he wouldn't hesitate to say the Emperor's name aloud. Wang Chengping pondered briefly before replying lazily, "Seems to be nobility among the barbarians from the desert—probably a prince at least, or something like that..." Saying so, he turned his eyes toward Li Junwu, who was pouring herself a drink. Li Junwu smacked her rosy lips. "Why are you looking at me?" "Who else would I look at?" Wang Chengping rolled his eyes. Li Junwu pouted. "When it comes to grand military and state affairs, my old man never tells me anything." Xu Yuan chimed in, "Junwu, has the Marquis of Zhenxi left the capital?" "..." Silence fell. After a long while, Li Junwu took a sharp breath, only then saying hesitantly, "Now that you mention it, Changtian, I really haven't seen my old man in the manor for over half a month." As soon as those words landed, the other three instantly understood: signs pointed toward an alliance forming between the desert and the Northern Barbarians, and their Great Yan Dynasty was already preparing to expand the scope of the war. Gong Yuanzeng glanced at the dancers onstage and murmured in a low voice, "The world seems to be growing less and less peaceful." Though he was a profligate noble scion, what he had witnessed growing up allowed him to understand one thing: If it were merely to deal with the desert and the Northern Barbarians, the Great Yan Dynasty would never need to mobilize on such a massive scale. In other words, the real enemy was someone else. Wang Chengping dismissed Gong Yuanzeng's words: "Alright, even if war truly breaks out, it's us military men who will head to the front lines first. Why should a civil official like you be worrying yourself sick?" "Every commoner shares responsibility for the fate of the nation, let alone an imperial court official like me." "Tsk, tsk... An imperial official who plays truant to visit a pleasure house." The banter dissolved into laughter. Sometime later, *Crack—* A sudden splintering of wooden planks shattered the serenity of the grand hall. A figure smashed through a wooden wall, flying out backward from a private parlor on the third floor and crashing heavily onto the table right next to Xu Yuan and his friends. Qingyu Pavilion had its public hall and private parlors. As a pleasure house famous across the imperial capital, it naturally observed distinctions of status and rank; those occupying the third-floor parlors were mostly esteemed nobles of high station. As veteran profligates, the four men present were thoroughly unbothered by such a sight. Since ancient times, pleasure houses—places that drew crowds seeking romance—were prone to minor friction, and a slight escalation easily erupted into fisticuffs. However, when Xu Yuan and the others glanced toward the neighboring table, they saw that the person who had crashed down was none other than Qingyu Pavilion's brothel runner. Seeing this, Xu Yuan asked in an undertone, "Who runs this Qingyu Pavilion?" In the past, Xu Yuan had known the owners of every famous pleasure house in the Imperial Capital like the back of his hand. After all, if his temper flared and he started smashing things, destroying a venue owned by his own family would mean footing the bill himself. Of course, the main reason was that Hua Hong would give him a thrashing. Hearing this, Li Junwu thought for a moment before saying hesitantly, "I think it's the Imperial Alliance Chamber of Commerce run by the Third Prince." The backers of these pleasure houses in the Imperial Capital were rarely as mysterious or grandiose as storybooks and street rumors made them out to be; a quick inquiry was usually enough to find out. "The Third Prince?" The newly acknowledged younger brother crossed Xu Yuan's mind. "So that means it belongs to the Crown Prince's faction, then?" Wang Chengping remained lounging on the divan, staring up at that hole on the second floor without the slightest intention of getting up. "Whoever's up there has quite some guts." "Indeed. Quite comparable to Changtian back in the day." "No, still a notch below Changtian back then. At least this fellow hasn't dared to greet an imperial prince's mother yet." "..." Xu Yuan. While the runner writhed and struggled on the ground, the four continued their idle banter and jokes, looking entirely detached as if none of it concerned them. Before long, the perpetrator showed himself at the breach on the second floor. It was a burly figure, baring his bronzed chest and draped in a pelt of snow wolf fur. A Dachao tribesman from the desert. Standing at the hole the runner had smashed through, he growled, "My master already said three thousand taels for your Lady Nan Xiang's first night! Don't refuse face when it's offered—" Seeing the man, Wang Chengping's eyes in the ground-floor hall flashed with a strange light. "Hoh..." Xu Yuan caught the murmur and asked, "Recognize him?" "A guard accompanying the steppe prince who came to the Court of State Ceremonial today," Wang Chengping murmured in a low voice. "These barbarians dare act so arrogantly in the Imperial Capital?" Li Junwu frowned. Gong Yuanzeng shook his head and whispered his guess: "I heard from my old man that violent blizzards struck the Northern Border, stalling troop movements. Judging by this attitude, they probably want to take advantage of the crisis to loot a burning house." The group's voices were contained by the sound-dampening array runes around their seats. Meanwhile, the desert man casually tossed three thousand-tael banknotes and an extra hundred-tael banknote down across the air onto the runner's body. "My master isn't bullying you—a fair trade! Three thousand taels buys your top courtesan's maidenhead, and a hundred taels is for your medical treatment and medicine." "Which godforsaken corner did this pauper crawl out of?" Before his words had even settled, an eccentric, sarcastic voice rang out. It was rather effeminate, yet dripping with mockery: "Too cowardly to even place a proper bid?" It had not come from Xu Yuan's table, but from another private parlor on the third floor. Hearing that voice, Xu Yuan's expression turned slightly peculiar. *Eunuch Hou...* Before he could ponder further, the Third Prince's voice drifted out from yet another adjacent parlor: "What kind of dogshit master dares act like an overlord in my Imperial Capital? This young master bids three thousand five hundred taels!" "..." Xu Yuan. This newly recognized brother really knew how to run a business. After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan, sitting down in the grand hall, suddenly smiled and chimed in, "Well said. This young master will raise the bid too: three thousand seven hundred taels." Li Junqing continued bidding: "Careful now, friend—don't raise it so high you frighten these barbarians. I'll bid four thousand taels then." "..." The Imperial Capital was packed with high officials and nobles. Qingyu Pavilion had advertised Nan Xiang's debut for nearly a month, so the young masters gathered tonight to win her favor were by no means few. With Eunuch Hou, Li Junqing, and Xu Yuan playing off each other in this three-way act, voices from the other parlors quickly joined in one after another. The price climbed incrementally. The Dachao man didn't erupt in excessive anger, but silently stepped back into the private parlor, seemingly to consult his master. The once quiet and elegant hall instantly grew bustling and noisy, turning into an auction house. *Bang!* Amidst the commotion, a dull crash rang out with jarring sharpness. An ornamental indoor miniature rockery was hurled straight out of the hole on the third floor, flying across the air and hurtling down toward the premium booth in the hall below!