After saying that, he asked how they should respond to Fan Xian.
Emperor Qing pondered for a moment. "This Fan Xian certainly has some nerve. I wonder whether he's truly stupid or only pretending. Buying intelligence on a prince in the Capital-doesn't he fear being arrested as an enemy spy?"
Emperor Qing paused, then continued, "Give him Xu Yunzhang's file. As for my third son's, tell him to forget it!"
Eunuch Hou went out to relay the order.
Emperor Qing looked at the files on his desk and murmured to himself, "Back on Great Eastern Mountain, I said I would arrange a marriage for my third son. Yet since returning, I've let it drag on until now. Never mind. I'll write a letter first."
With that, Emperor Qing began writing. Before long, he finished the letter and slipped it into an envelope.
After sealing it, he wrote on the front, "For Ye Liuyun's eyes only"...
A carrier pigeon flew from the imperial palace back to the gambling den.
The Underground Shop's proprietor handed Xu Yunzhang's file to Fan Xian.
Fan Xian took the file and exclaimed, "You really did have it," then looked at the proprietor again.
The proprietor waved him away and snapped, "You actually dared to ask for intelligence on a prince? Believe me, I'll report you to the authorities and have you arrested right now!"
Fan Xian was dumbfounded.
You're an intelligence dealer, and your idea of a threat is reporting someone to the authorities?
Still, he could hardly argue. Just as he was about to leave, the proprietor caught him and made him pay for the intelligence.
Under cover of darkness, Teng Zijing examined the secret file by the faint light on the street and discovered that Xu Yunzhang had close ties to the Eastern Palace.
This led Fan Xian to suspect that the Crown Prince wanted him dead.
He also recalled Fan Jian specifically warning him to beware of the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince immediately rose to the top of his list of suspects.
But after discussing it with Teng Zijing, he realized that such highly classified intelligence had come far too easily.
They hurried back to investigate the Underground Inn, only to find that the gambling den housing the Underground Shop, bustling just moments before, was already deserted.
While Fan Xian spent the entire night running himself ragged, Zhou Cheng was enjoying a leisurely evening elsewhere.
After their lovemaking, Sang Wen read Red Chamber aloud to him.
Disliking the book was one thing; having a beauty beside him read it aloud was quite another.
Just as he was listening to the novel with his eyes closed, a notification sounded in his ears: He Zongwei's negative emotions had reached a whopping 999.
Li Hongcheng really is efficient! Zhou Cheng opened his eyes and offered him a silent compliment.
Li Hongcheng might refuse to take sides, but he certainly never dragged his feet when there was work to be done.
When the Crown Prince asked him to do something, he did it. When the Second Prince asked him to do something, he did that too.
And when Zhou Cheng, the third prince, asked him to handle something, he still did it!
As useful pawns went, few in the entire world of Joy of Life could compare!
Having praised Li Hongcheng, Zhou Cheng turned his thoughts to He Zongwei.
He Zongwei might be a despicable man, but his tenacity was undeniable. He would never abandon himself to despair merely because he had been mutilated.
Compared with other ordinary characters in the story, He Zongwei had a powerful will. The negative emotions he supplied in a single burst were practically unmatched!
In that respect, Guo Baokun, who had been punished alongside him, simply could not compare.
Zhou Cheng had slapped his face in public and forced him to kneel and beg for mercy, yet the negative emotions he contributed had barely broken a hundred.
People like Guo Baokun had a rigid sense of social hierarchy. Even when Zhou Cheng punished him, he would only regard it as perfectly natural.
Besides, Guo Baokun was merely stupid, not particularly malicious. He posed little danger and had powerful connections, so Zhou Cheng had not pursued the matter further.
In any case, barring unforeseen circumstances, Guo Baokun would soon suffer misfortune.
There was really no need to stoop to the level of such a complete idiot.
As he thought about this, another notification of He Zongwei's negative emotions popped up. Though it was no longer 999, it was still a three-digit number.
Zhou Cheng guessed at the source of these points. Thinking that he might receive a notification every time the great scholar He relieved himself in the future, he could not help grinning.
"Your Highness, what are you smiling about?" Sang Wen stopped reading in puzzlement. There was nothing funny about this passage...
"Nothing." Zhou Cheng waved a hand. "I just thought of something amusing."
"Something amusing? Tell me too!"
"Uh... well, it might not actually be that funny..."
While Zhou Cheng struggled to find the right words, He Zongwei was nearly mad with hatred in the castration chamber of Qing's imperial palace.
He was tied to a bedboard, his legs spread wide. Where his manhood had once been, there was nothing left but a feather inserted into the opening.
His eyes burned with crazed venom. His face was swollen like a pig's, and blood seeped between his teeth as he clenched his jaw.
Li Chengcheng! Li Chengcheng! You want to destroy me! Impossible! Even as a eunuch, I'll climb to the very top! One day, I'll make you pay!
He vented his fury in hysterical screams inside his head, yet dared not let a single sound escape his lips!
While He Zongwei drowned in overwhelming hatred that consumed both body and mind, time marched inexorably onward to the next day.
Chapter 14: Fan Xian's three questions
The Silver Peace Hall, Prince Jing's Residence.
The hall had already been arranged with exquisite elegance.
The latticed windows stood wide open, admitting slanting rays of warm sunlight that shone on rosewood desks polished to a mirror finish. Each was furnished with the four treasures of the scholar's study, while two or three pots of orchids added graceful accents. Their delicate fragrance mingled with the scent of ink, drifting slowly through the shifting light and shadows.
A broad brocade carpet covered the hall's floor, providing a space for reciting poetry, composing paired verses, and displaying one's talents. In one corner, the ancient Jiaowei zither rested quietly on a stand, its strings faintly gleaming.
Quite a few people had already gathered in the hall.
The Capital's gifted young men and sons of prominent families gathered in groups of three or five to converse animatedly, or stood alone by the railings, silently composing poetry. Dressed in sumptuous robes and gently waving feather fans, they presented a picture of refined elegance.
Amid the laughter and conversation, some repeatedly glanced toward the entrance and the empty seats at the head of the hall, speculating about the distinguished guests expected that day.
Hunching his shoulders and half hiding his face behind his sleeve, Guo Baokun edged toward the entrance. He was just about to slip in along the side when a sharp-eyed scholar spotted him.
"Oh, isn't this Young Master Guo? Today, you've...?"
Seeing that he could not avoid notice, Guo Baokun could only lower his sleeve, exposing the bandages wrapped around half his face.
His appearance was truly conspicuous in such a setting and immediately drew quite a few startled looks.
Guo Baokun nodded in awkward acknowledgment.
He had heard that Zhou Cheng might attend. After yesterday's public humiliation, his face still burned, and he had felt deeply uneasy, utterly reluctant to appear.
Unfortunately, he had to carry out the Crown Prince's instructions, so he had forced himself to come.
He had barely taken his place before someone else approached with a show of concern. "Brother Guo, what happened to your face...?"
Helpless, Guo Baokun answered in a muffled, hesitant voice from behind the bandages. "Last night... I got up to relieve myself and carelessly walked into a doorframe, injuring my face. Thank you all for your concern. It's nothing serious, nothing serious."
Even those who knew nothing of the incident merely went through the motions and refrained from further questions, despite noticing something odd. But a few well-informed guests already knew that Prince Cheng had slapped those injuries onto his face in the street. Hearing his excuse, their lips twitched as they suppressed their laughter and silently exchanged knowing looks.
Then someone else spoke. "Why has Young Master He Zongwei still not arrived at today's poetry gathering? He usually comes early to discuss poetry and literature with everyone."
Guo Baokun did not know what had become of He Zongwei either.
After "coming around" yesterday, He Zongwei had hurried away. Guo Baokun's own face had hurt terribly, and he had been too eager to find a physician to ask further questions.
Recalling He Zongwei's piglike swollen face from yesterday, he assumed the man was too ashamed to appear today and could only answer vaguely, "Young Master He... suddenly felt unwell yesterday. Perhaps he won't be able to attend."
He Zongwei had a wide circle of acquaintances, and someone immediately sought more details.
Just then, Li Hongcheng, Prince Jing's heir, entered the hall at an unhurried pace. He wore a sapphire-blue brocade robe, his hair secured beneath a jade coronet, and carried himself with gentle grace, a faint smile on his face.
The men gathered around Guo Baokun immediately withdrew and flocked to Li Hongcheng, surrounding him.
Eager for a chance to speak to the heir, someone brought up He Zongwei again. "Your Lordship, we heard that Young Master He is unwell. He still hasn't arrived. Did he notify you beforehand?"
At this, Li Hongcheng's steps briefly faltered, and his smile froze almost imperceptibly.
He lightly rubbed the knuckle of his index finger with his thumb, then immediately regained his composure. Cupping his hands in greeting to those around him, he spoke in his usual gentle tone:
"Young Master He... has recently encountered a new opportunity. I'm afraid he won't be able to attend our poetry gatherings for the time being."
"An opportunity?" Everyone grew even more curious.
Li Hongcheng gave a soft sigh, seeming somewhat helpless. "Yesterday, on a street in the Capital, Young Master He had the good fortune to encounter His Highness Prince Cheng. His learning... won His Highness's considerable appreciation. And since Young Master He harbors lofty ambitions, His Highness could not bear to leave him waiting for the spring examinations, so he made an exception and recommended him for service in the palace."
A subdued stir immediately ran through the scholars.
He had caught Prince Cheng's eye and been recommended for palace service!
Such an opportunity was a shortcut to wealth and rank, a chance for a carp to leap through the dragon gate.
Naturally, they were familiar with Prince Cheng. Whenever they discussed the political situation at court and mentioned the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, this "Prince Cheng" inevitably came up as well.
Though Prince Cheng's influence fell far short of the Crown Prince's or the Second Prince's, he was still a prince-a member of the imperial family far beyond the reach of ordinary officials' sons, men without office, and scholars from humble households.
Now that they heard He Zongwei had forged a connection with Prince Cheng and risen to the heavens in a single step, envy, jealousy, and even a few resentful fancies quietly took root in many hearts.
An air of sourness gradually spread through the hall. Not only those who disliked He Zongwei, but even most of his close acquaintances sounded bitter beneath their congratulations.
As Li Hongcheng finished speaking, only Guo Baokun and the few who knew the truth shuddered together, a chill running down their backs.
The others did not understand, but they knew perfectly well!
What Zhou Cheng had said yesterday... had actually been serious!
Judging by the heir's words, He Zongwei had not enjoyed some meteoric rise-he had clearly been sent into the palace and castrated!
To fall from a scholar renowned throughout the Capital to the lowliest eunuch in the palace... the sheer gulf between the two was enough to make their hair stand on end.
Thinking that Zhou Cheng might appear shortly, Guo Baokun's legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed. He hurriedly caught hold of the desk beside him, cold sweat beading at his temples.
Yesterday, he had complained that the dignified Prince Cheng had punished him far too harshly over a mere courtesan. Only now, comparing his fate with He Zongwei's, did he realize that Zhou Cheng had already shown him mercy and extraordinary leniency!
For a moment, alongside his fear, a strange trace of gratitude arose in his heart.
While everyone's thoughts churned, a clear announcement suddenly rang out from beyond the hall:
"His Highness Prince Cheng has arrived!"
As the voice fell silent, the hall went still, and a fervent light instantly blazed in many eyes!
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