Four Young Masters of the Capital

Dragon Peace River Misty Willow Alley, a beautiful woman sits on a jade throne, playing the flute at night.

Clear Jade Pavilion was one of the newly built brothels that Xu Yuan had seen on the upper Mystic Eagle Pavilion.

Compared to those bustling brothels, Clear Jade Pavilion emphasizes an elegant style.

The lotus-shaped Bright Pattern Lamp emitted a soft blue light, and as wisps of sandalwood incense spread, the entire hall felt both cool and subtly alluring.

On stage, serene string music played, and a young woman in black stockings danced gracefully.

Three young men dressed in expensive clothes gathered in a corner of the hall, discussing important national affairs that they had overheard from their homes.

One of the unremarkable men, with his head wrapped in a headscarf, sipped a glass of craft beer and suddenly asked in a low voice:

"Little Li, I heard from my father that things seem to be going poorly in the north?"

The man called Little Li was quite handsome.

Under the hazy blue light

Little Li's features possessed a feminine softness, and his voice, deliberately lowered and thin, replied irritably:

"Why are you asking me about the war in the north? And don't call me Little Li."

The man with the turban tied around his neck seemed unconcerned by this and continued to ask:

"With such fierce fighting up north, didn't your old man receive any transfer orders or anything like that?"

"Tsk, the fighting in the north is fierce, what does it have to do with my old man? My Western Abyss Army is in charge of those wolf cubs on the Great Desert grasslands." As he spoke, Little Li glanced sideways at the last man in brocade robes at the table who was listening intently to the music.

The man in brocade robes was handsome, with a ring on each of the index and middle fingers of his left hand. His gaze was fixed on the graceful young woman dancing on the stage, and he appeared calm and content under the lights.

Upon seeing this, Leonardo DiCaprio snorted coldly:

"Isn't there a party involved? Two months ago, Lord Xu went to the Marquis of Martial Achievement Estate to propose marriage, and two months later this guy returned to the capital. Considering the time spent on the way back, it's just right. Xu Changtian, could it be that Lord Xu made some kind of deal with that Marquis?"

"."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan slowly turned his gaze, his eyes fixed on his two cronies with a strange look.

"Gong Yuanzeng, Li Junwu, have you two lost your minds? When did you start caring about these things?"

Watching these two discuss matters of national importance is like watching a sow climb a tree.

The man with the headscarf twitched his face upon hearing this, tapped the table, and gave a soft snort:

"Xu Buyi, I'm now a Supervising Secretary in the Ministry of Personnel. Watch your words, or I'll impeach you before the Emperor tomorrow."

Xu Yuan grinned:

"Alright, I'll go to my father's study first thing tomorrow morning to wait for your memorial to be delivered."

"." Gong Yuanzeng.

Li Junwu glared at Xu Yuan, but he wasn't surprised at all.

"Alright, that's enough, both of you."

Xu Yuan waved his hand, glanced sideways at the screen at the entrance of the hall, and asked:

"Wang Chengping hasn't arrived yet? I remember he used to be the most enthusiastic one to come to this brothel."

Li Junwu leaned back on the soft cushion and said rather lazily:

"That kid was arranged by his father to work as a composer in the Celestial Guard, and he already got married last year."

Xu Yuan was taken aback upon hearing this:

"This guy got married? Whose daughter is she?"

"The daughter of Vice Minister Liu of the Ministry of Personnel," Li Junwu replied.

Xu Yuan pondered for a moment upon hearing this, and then said:

"Shouldn't a daughter of a vice minister like Liu be able to control that brat Wang Chengping?"

Upon hearing this, Li Junwu smiled ambiguously and replied:

"It's uncontrollable, but this kid is willing but unable to do anything about it."

After saying that,

A moment of silence,

All three of them chuckled in unison.

Drink up one cup,

Li Junwu's effeminate tone carried a hint of mockery:

"It's been two years since we last saw you, and your entourage has grown considerably. You returned to the capital more than two weeks ago, and we had to personally go to your residence to invite you. Is it inconvenient for you to come out?"

Xu Yuan glanced at the group and said with a smile:

"Junwu, there's a hidden meaning in your words."

Their relationship was very close, and Li Junwu's soft voice was quite direct:

"With Marquis of Martial Achievement's fiery temper, who would believe there's nothing going on that you'd be allowed to return to the capital?"

As he spoke,

Li Junwu glanced at Gong Yuanzeng beside him. "Do you believe it?"

"I don't believe it."

I don't believe it either.

"." Xu Yuan.

Sighing, Xu Yuan took a sip of his drink and didn't hide anything, his tone serious:

"I'm engaged."

"."

Silence, for a moment

The other two burst out laughing at the same time.

Li Junwu raised his hand and patted Xu Yuan on the shoulder:

"Really?"

Xu Yuan's expression remained unchanged.

"My father had already told me about the marriage agreement with the princess of the Marquis of Marquis of Martial Achievement Estate before I returned to the capital."

The other two were simultaneously taken aback.

Li Junwu pondered for a moment, then quickly whispered:

"I remember two months ago, the news from your older brother seemed to be that it wasn't a wedding, but rather that he was going to marry into the family?"

Xu Yuan seemed quite composed about the term "marrying into the family," and nodded.

"Yes, marrying into the family."

"."

Having said all that, Li Junwu and Gong Yuanzeng both understood that this marriage agreement must have been a private deal between the Prime Minister's Estate and the Marquis of Martial Achievement Estate.

Without asking further questions, Li Junwu, with his full red lips, grinned mischievously:

"Changtian, if you get bullied after marrying into the family, remember to tell us so we can have a laugh!"

Xu Yuan glanced at his friends who were listening to music in the brothel together:

"The Marquis of Western Pacification only has one daughter, so he'll probably be arranging your marriage soon."

Li Junwu stretched out his waist in an unladylike manner, his bound chest slightly bulging:

"It doesn't matter. He knows about my past, and besides, I'm still better than you, my live-in son-in-law."

He paused for a moment,

Li Junwu glanced at Xu Yuan with her beautiful eyes, half-jokingly:

"Changtian, instead of marrying into the Marquis of Martial Achievement Estate, why not marry into my Marquis of Western Pacification's Estate? That way, you can at least appease my old man's pressure to get married. Besides, I can allow you to take a concubine!"

Xu Yuan rolled his eyes:

"I'm going to take a concubine in your Marquis of Western Pacification's Estate, is that right?"

Li Junwu crossed his legs, a slight smile playing on his lips, his beautiful eyes narrowing slightly;

"Don't put it so harshly. Changtian, you've married into the family; we can't possibly exclude you!"

"."

Xu Yuan suddenly fell silent, then gave the other person a thumbs up.

"Alright, alright."

Gong Yuanzeng, rubbing his temples, interrupted helplessly, saying, "Changtian, after you married Princess Mu, you won't end up like Wang Chengping, will you?"

"."

Before Xu Yuan could answer, a deep male voice came from the side. "What do you mean, 'same as me'?"

Looking back, it was Wang Chengping, the last of the "Four Young Masters of the Capital".

He had a square face, wore a military uniform, and exuded an air of authority without being angry. He looked to be in his early thirties, though he was in his early twenties.

Wang Chengping, dressed in military uniform, plopped down on the soft couch and crossed his legs.

"You guys start talking bad about me just because I'm a little late? Who's not good enough for me?"

Xu Yuan ignored him and answered Gong Yuanzeng:

Don't compare me to him, I'm much better than him.

Wang Chengping naturally knew what these people were talking about:

"Bullshit, you think you're better than me?"

Xu Yuan glanced discreetly at the female dancers on stage:

"Tonight, the top courtesan of the Clear Jade Pavilion, Nanxiang, is getting married. I'll buy her for you. Will Wang Qu stay at the Clear Jade Pavilion for the night?"

Wang Chengping's expression changed, and he coughed lightly:

"I'm too busy with official duties, so I'll skip it tonight."

Gong Yuanzeng raised an eyebrow and casually asked:

"Chengping, with your status, even if you skipped work, it wouldn't be a big deal, right? Why are you so late today?"

Wang Chengping took a sip of wine, let out a long breath, and his voice carried a hint of weariness:

"Today, my troops are responsible for guarding the Grand Court of State Ceremonial, as His Highness the Crown Prince personally instructed. I simply cannot leave and must return later."

Xu Yuan was somewhat surprised upon hearing this:

"The Court of State Ceremonial? Li Yucheng personally ordered it. Who has arrived?"

The other three did not pay attention to Xu Yuan addressing the Crown Prince by his given name.

As the biggest playboy in the Great Yan, he dared to call the emperor by his own name, let alone the Crown Prince.

Wang Chengping pondered for a moment, then replied lazily:

"He seems to be a nobleman from the barbarians over there in the Great Desert, probably at least a prince or something."

As he spoke,

He glanced sideways at Li Junwu, who was pouring himself a drink.

Li Junwu smacked his rosy lips:

What are you looking at me for?

"If you don't look at me, who should you look at?" Wang Chengping rolled his eyes.

Li Junwu curled his lip:

"My old man never talks to me about matters of state and military importance."

Xu Yuan then asked:

"Junwu, has the Marquis of Western Pacification Li Capital?"

"."

silence.

After a long pause, Li Junwu took a deep breath before speaking with slight hesitation:

"Changtian that you mention it, I realize I haven't seen my old man at home for almost half a month."

As soon as he finished speaking, the other three immediately understood that the Great Desert and the Northern Barbarians seemed to be forming an alliance, and that their Great Yan Dynasty was also prepared to expand the scale of the war.

Gong Yuanzeng glanced at the dancers on stage and said in a low voice:

"The world seems to be getting more and more turbulent."

Although he was a spoiled brat, his experiences from a young age made him understand one thing.

The Great Yan Dynasty didn't need to mobilize such a large force just to deal with the Great Desert and the Northern Barbarians.

In other words, the enemy is someone else entirely.

Wang Chengping dismissed Gong Yuanzeng's words with disdain:

"Alright, even if a fight breaks out, we warriors will be the first to go. Yuan Zeng, what are you, a mere civil official, worrying about?"

"Every citizen has a responsibility to the nation and its people, let alone an official like myself appointed by the imperial court."

"Tsk tsk. A government official skipping work to come to a brothel."

After that, a burst of laughter followed.

I don't know how much time passed,

"Click--"

A sudden sound of a wooden plank shattering echoed through the quiet hall.

A figure crashed through the wooden wall and flew backward from the third-floor private room, landing heavily on the table next to Xu Yuan and the others.

Clear Jade Pavilion has a main hall and elegant rooms.

As a renowned brothel in the capital, Clear Jade Pavilion naturally had a hierarchy, with the elegant rooms on the third floor mostly occupied by nobles of high status.

As seasoned playboys, the four people present were already used to the scene before them.

Brothels, places that attract the opposite sex, have always been prone to minor frictions, which can easily escalate into physical fights.

However, when Dai Xu Yuan and the others looked towards the next table, they discovered that the person who had fallen was none other than the pimp from the Clear Jade Pavilion.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan asked in a low voice:

"Who owns this Clear Jade Pavilion?"

Xu Yuan used to know exactly who owned those famous brothels in the Imperial Capital.

After all, if someone gets angry and starts smashing things, they'll have to bear the consequences themselves if they accidentally damage their own property.

Of course, the main reason is that Hua Hong wants to beat him up.

Upon hearing this, Li Junwu thought for a moment, then hesitated before saying:

"It seems to be the Imperial Union Chamber of Commerce, which is under the jurisdiction of the Third Prince."

The backgrounds of most of the brothels in the Imperial Capital were not as mysterious and vast as depicted in paintings and popular rumors; a simple search would reveal the truth.

"The Third Prince?"

Xu Yuan's mind drifted to his newly adopted younger brother. "So, in that case, it's considered part of the Crown Prince Prince's business?"

Wang Chengping remained leaning against the soft couch, staring at the hole in the second floor, showing no intention of getting up.

"That guy on the second floor is pretty bold."

"Yes, they're comparable to Changtian back in the day."

"No, he's still a bit inferior to Changtian back then. At least this person didn't dare to insult the prince's mother."

"." Xu Yuan.

Despite the pimp's continued struggles, the four men continued chatting and joking, completely indifferent to the situation.

And soon,

The assailant then appeared through the hole on the second floor.

This burly figure, bare-chested, with a bronze complexion, was wrapped in a snow wolf pelt.

The Dachao People of the Great Desert.

He stood at the hole the pimp had smashed open and said:

"My master already said he'd sell your Nanxiang girl's virginity for three thousand taels. You're asking for it!"

Upon seeing the visitor, Wang Chengping in the lobby on the first floor revealed a strange look in his eyes:

"Wow!"

Xu Yuan, who was standing nearby, heard this murmur and asked:

"Know?"

"Today I'm at the Court of State Ceremonial following the guards of that grassland prince," Wang Chengping said in a low voice.

"How dare these barbarians be so arrogant in the Imperial Capital?" Li Junwu frowned.

Gong Yuanzeng shook his head and whispered a guess:

"I heard from my old man that there's a blizzard in the Northern Border, so they can't make any rash moves. Judging from their attitude, they probably want to take advantage of the situation."

The sound of their conversation was blocked by the Sound-Isolation Array on their seats.

The Great Desert man casually tossed three thousand-tael silver notes and one hundred-tael silver note at the pimp.

"My master won't bully you. It's a fair trade. Three thousand taels for your top courtesan's virginity, and one hundred taels for medical treatment and medicine."

"Which poor wretch from some remote corner came from?"

Before the words were finished,

A sarcastic voice rang out, rather soft and effeminate, yet utterly mocking. "You don't even dare to bid?"

It didn't come from Xu Yuan's table, but from another private room on the third floor.

Upon hearing this voice, Xu Yuan's expression became slightly strange.

Eunuch Hou.

Before he could think it through,

The Third Prince's voice came from another private room next door:

"What kind of damn master dares to act like a big shot in my Imperial Capital? I'll offer three thousand five hundred taels!"

"." Xu Yuan.

This newly adopted younger brother has always been good at business.

After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan, who was sitting in the lobby, suddenly smiled and spoke:

"Indeed, I'll raise the price too, three thousand seven hundred taels."

Li Yunqing continued to bid:

"Young master, don't raise the price too much and scare these barbarians. I'll just offer another four thousand taels."

"."

The Imperial Capital is home to many high-ranking officials and nobles, and Clear Jade Pavilion has been promoting Nanxiang's marriage for nearly a month. Tonight, there are quite a few young men who have come here hoping to win her favor.

As the three-part opera performance by Eunuch Hou, Li Yunqing, and Xu Yuan began, voices from the other private rooms joined in.

The price gradually increased, but the Dachao People wasn't overly annoyed. He silently walked back into the private room, seemingly to consult his master.

The once elegant and unique lobby suddenly became somewhat noisy, like an auction house.

"Bang!"

Amidst the commotion, a muffled thud stood out abruptly.

An interior decorative rockery was hurled through the hole on the third floor, hurtling towards the private seating area in the lobby!

I'm an hour late, sorry.

Happy Valentine's Day