"Oh! Young master, is this your first visit to our Drunken Immortal Residence?"
A waft of perfume drifted over as a brightly dressed woman stepped gracefully out of the crowd.
She was around thirty. Though no longer as young as the girls upstairs, she still possessed considerable charm and good looks.
The attendant beside him hurried to introduce her: she was the manager of the Drunken Immortal Residence, surnamed Hong.
A brothel manager was what people commonly called a madam.
But the Drunken Immortal Residence differed from traditional brothels. Many princes and nobles accepted invitations to come indulge in refined pleasures, making it rather like an exclusive cultural club in a later age.
Naturally, its madam was different from those in low-end brothels. She was a manager in the truest sense.
He lightly tapped his palm with his fan and smiled.
"How did you know this was my first visit? Are there some unspoken rules here that made me unwittingly give myself away?"
Manager Hong covered her mouth with a soft laugh, her eyes gleaming.
"You jest, young master. There are no such unspoken rules. You simply have such handsome features and such extraordinary bearing that, had I seen you even once, I could never have forgotten you. Since I have no recollection of you, this must naturally be your first visit."
Zhou Cheng laughed at that. "A manager worthy of the establishment! You certainly have a way with words!"
"Not at all. I'm merely telling the truth."
The phrase sounded familiar to Zhou Cheng, and he smiled inwardly.
As it happened, "merely telling the truth" was something he often said himself.
He continued, "Since you know I'm new here, why not tell me what special delights this establishment has to offer?"
Manager Hong replied warmly, "We call ourselves the Drunken Immortal Residence, so naturally we have fine wine. Beyond that, we have fine music and lovely girls. It all depends on which you prefer, young master!"
Zhou Cheng gently waved his folding fan.
"Since I'm already here, naturally I want the best wine, the best music, and the best girl!"
Manager Hong's smile grew even brighter.
"If you want the very best, young master, then please allow me to take you to our finest Heaven-Class private room first."
With that, she waved the attendant away and personally led Zhou Cheng upstairs.
As they walked, she explained, "Our finest wine is Rosy Cloud Drunk. Only a hundred jars are produced each year, and even a thousand gold pieces cannot guarantee you one.
"For music, we have the renowned performing artist, Master Su, in residence. As for the girls..."
Her tone shifted slightly, and she smiled meaningfully.
"Every girl here is one in a thousand, each with her own charm and talents. If you would tell me what sort you prefer, young master, I could choose the best and most suitable girl for you."
"No need to make it so troublesome." Zhou Cheng waved a hand.
"My tastes have always been broad. I can appreciate all sorts, so I really couldn't say which I like best. Still, since I asked for the best, just bring me the most famous one first."
"Ah?"
Manager Hong's smile stiffened slightly, and she hesitated.
"Well... young master, the most famous girl here is our newly crowned Top Courtesan, Miss Si Lili. But Miss Lili is no ordinary woman and does not receive guests lightly. Many distinguished gentlemen have offered a thousand gold pieces for a single meeting, yet even they may not get their wish."
At that, Zhou Cheng frowned. His smile faded as he gripped his folding fan.
"If she's the Top Courtesan, surely she has to receive guests. If she doesn't even care about money, what does she want?"
"Miss Lili has a refined appreciation for poetry, prose, and music. Only those whose works display enough talent to catch her eye are invited to meet her."
Zhou Cheng tapped his palm lightly with his fan.
"Setting rules even for meeting guests-how interesting. Unfortunately, I've never liked doing things by other people's rules."
"Well... well..." Manager Hong looked deeply troubled. She could not determine the true identity of the man before her and had no idea how to respond. She only felt that trouble was approaching.
Zhou Cheng had no intention of deliberately making life difficult for a madam.
He beckoned her closer.
Manager Hong approached uneasily.
Zhou Cheng lowered his voice. "I am Prince Cheng."
"Prince... Prince Cheng?"
A blank look flashed across Manager Hong's painted face.
The title felt incredibly familiar, yet she could not immediately recall why.
Helpless, Zhou Cheng motioned for her to bring her ear close again.
"I'm that Prince Cheng-the one who said, 'Why Not Eat Meat Gruel.'"
Understanding suddenly dawned on Manager Hong. She quickly looked him over, and her expression immediately turned respectful and fearful.
"Now may I meet this Miss Si Lili?"
Manager Hong still looked troubled.
Zhou Cheng's expression cooled, as though he had seen through her concerns.
"No one in the Capital would dare impersonate a member of the imperial family. If you don't believe me, feel free to check. But be quick about it. Don't make me lose my temper here!"
Manager Hong immediately recalled the many rumors about this Prince Cheng. How could she dare refuse him again?
As for verifying his identity, it was just as he had said: who would dare impersonate an imperial relative in the Capital? They would truly have to be tired of living!
"Please wait a moment, Your Highness. I'll send someone to fetch her at once."
Zhou Cheng turned and entered the Heaven-Class room.
The furnishings were elegant and exquisite: rosewood tables, embroidered screens, brocade couches, and glass lamps. Every corner exuded luxury.
Renowned calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls, while antiques and jade pieces adorned the display shelves. A delicate incense lingered in the air, as though he had entered a sumptuous private residence.
Behind him, Manager Hong dared not delay. She hurriedly summoned someone to pass on the message, then stood waiting at his side, not daring to move away.
"What? Prince Cheng asked for me by name? The Prince Cheng who said, 'Why Not Eat Meat Gruel'?"
Si Lili was immediately rather stunned when she heard the maid's message.
Among the younger members of Qing's imperial family, none was more widely known among the common people than Prince Cheng, Li Chengcheng.
Stories about him ranged from the earliest "Why Not Eat Meat Gruel" incident to all manner of later outrageous rumors, with new versions constantly emerging.
And all those stories shared one thing in common: that Third Prince, now Prince Cheng, was by no means a kind or virtuous man.
She, Si Lili, was merely a courtesan, and only a newly crowned Top Courtesan along the Glazed Crystal River at that.
To think that the infamous Prince Cheng had asked for her by name. This really was...
"It must be him. After all... apart from Prince Cheng, what respectable prince would come to a place like this?"
The maid muttered under her breath.
Si Lili fell silent.
His Highness Prince Cheng, who had been granted his own princely title and household, had personally requested her company. Her little rules could only be a joke now. She had no room to refuse.
Si Lili could only hurry to freshen her makeup, change her clothes, and arrange her hair with the servants' help.
A short while later, accompanied by her maid, Si Lili walked gracefully to the Heaven-Class private room.
Before she even entered, she heard Manager Hong's ingratiating laughter inside.
She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
"I am Si Lili. My greetings, Young Master Li."
A prince's visit to a pleasure house was, after all, not something to publicize. Even though Prince Cheng had always behaved without restraint, she tactfully addressed him as young master rather than prince.
"Now that Miss Lili is here, I shall take my leave."
As though granted a pardon, Manager Hong hurried away.
An old saying held that serving a sovereign was like keeping company with a tiger.
Prince Cheng might not be the sovereign or emperor, but to people like them, it made no difference.
With Si Lili's arrival, she immediately felt the weight lift from her shoulders, as though relieved of a heavy burden.
Zhou Cheng nodded to dismiss her, then turned his gaze to Si Lili.
At that very moment, Si Lili secretly raised her eyes to look at him as well.
He had to admit that Si Lili deserved her newly won title of Top Courtesan. Having risen above all the beauties along the Glazed Crystal River, she was living proof that great fame was not earned in vain.
She was young, considerably younger than in the television drama. From her appearance, she could have been no more than seventeen or eighteen.
She wore a gown woven with golden threads and a jade hairpin in her coiffed hair. Her beauty was pure and unworldly, yet her makeup lent it a hint of allure.
Her figure was graceful, neither too slender nor too full, as rounded as a pearl and smooth as jade.
Her eyes and brows still held a young girl's innocence, while her figure and bearing already possessed a mature charm. With both kinds of beauty perfectly combined, she was truly an exquisite enchantress in the flesh.
Zhou Cheng signaled for Chen Quan to stand guard outside.
Chen Quan silently left and closed the door.
"Sit." Zhou Cheng raised a hand. "You certainly deserve your reputation throughout the Capital, Miss Si Lili. Whether moving or still, your grace comes naturally."
"You flatter me, young master. I have only a modest reputation along this river. How could I dare claim fame throughout the Capital?"
Before Zhou Cheng, she maintained a deeply humble attitude.
"I've always preferred getting straight to the point, but I wouldn't want to offend a beauty. May I ask which arts you excel in, Miss Lili?"
"I have some small knowledge of the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. My strongest skill is playing the zither. If you are interested, young master, I would be willing to offer a humble performance."
"Good. In that case, let me hear your skill on the zither, Miss Lili."
Zhou Cheng did not decline.
The Heaven-Class room contained a full assortment of musical instruments.
Si Lili sat upright before the zither. After her fair hands tuned the strings, its notes began to flow like a clear spring.
Zhou Cheng closed his eyes and listened.
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