Chapter 36: That Female Dancer Looks Extremely Amorous. Send Her Away Immediately!

Perhaps DuYan's gaze was too direct, and ChengYu finally asked, "Princess, what was so important that you had to come here to find me?”

DuYan glanced at ChengYu and said, "I'm hungry."

ChengYu smiled and said, "What do you want to eat?"

DuYan casually said the names of a few pastries. After ChengYu noted them down, he got up and left.

ChengYu knew DuYan's habits. She always disliked the clutter here and would not move her chopsticks to eat the food in Zhangtai (brothel) Street. Since this was the case, ChengYu directly bought the pastries from an adjacent street for him.

DuYan had sent ChengYu out in order to stall for some time. He was waiting for someone.

A key figure in his plan, YuanJue.

On the side, DuYan brewed some wine in the bronze cup while writing down and sorting his thoughts out on the table (1).

Nowadays, people all over the city knew that the eldest princess was infatuated with the hostage from Cheng-guo, and that he was afraid of the unruly princess. So he hid in Zhangtai (brothel) Street everyday and hung out with female musicians, unwilling to accept the princess’s love.

These rumors were released by DuYan in order to delay his marriage.

When a girl reached the age of fifteen and began to wear their hair up, that was when they would be betrothed to others. The spy he had arranged reported back to him, Concubine Hui had begun to persuade King Yuan to marry him to Marquis YongLe in the far north.

The far north was a bitter and cold place. Since the majority of the time it was covered in heavy snow, it was difficult to communicate with the outside world. Concubine Hui moved forward with such slander, that there was definitely no good intentions in having the eldest princess marry to such a bitter and cold place.

DuYan didn't think that this matter was so infuriating. Concubine Hui and her son had suffered a lot from his hands over the last few years. Now, King Yuan was ready to take action against the Wu Family, this would clear the obstacles for the future Crown Prince YuanJue. It’s just that he was unable to hold himself back from dropping down a stone on the man that had already fallen into a well, and feel proud and self satisfied (2).

Although King Yuan was narrow-minded, he had a strong desire for power. He had only made YuanJue the crown prince in order to block the mouths of the previous dynasty’s court. Even if a fool like YuanJue became the crown prince, it posed no threat to him.

However, DuYan couldn’t use the hostage from Cheng-guo for long. When ChengYu ascended to the crown, King Yuan may really decide to marry him off to ChengYu.

Not to mention on the wedding night, once his dress dropped, would ChengYu be so frightened that he would draw his sword to kill? The path that DuYan planned was for himself to become the king of Yuan-guo, so there could not be such an absurd thing such as marriage.

Ever since he had disguised himself as a woman, the queen and the Wu Family were already ready to retreat.

At that time, the Great Master observed the stars and divined that once Prince Yan was born, he would have great difficulties before becoming an adult. Only by pretending to be a woman could he hide it from heaven.

Later, King Yuan would issue an edict, saying that he had taken expedient measures to raise Prince Yan as a woman. But now that the catastrophe was over, his eldest son was going to recover his identity and become the crown prince.

King Yuan didn’t know DuYan’s real sex, and it was impossible for him to agree to such an imperial edict.

However, in DuYan's plan, King Yuan would have no rights to call the shots at that time.

(T/N: As I translated this part, I was also confused. But this is his plan. He will become king by taking back his identity through the (ignorant) previous king’s “edict”, and by that time, the previous king will have no more power.)

Right now ChengYu should be crowned more than half a year later. But most importantly, DuYan was a man after all. Even though he had set up his character when creating the setting in the dream, YuanYan still had to develop eventually.

Now that he is sixteen years old, he may enter a period of voice change at any time. He could hide it in front of others, but with ChengYu, since he got along with him everyday, it was not so easy to hide.

DuYan's game had not yet been completed, and now was not the time to let ChengYu know his true gender. In order to prevent the accidental fall of the horse and disrupting his plan, he had to use some means to speed up the progress.

The card he was holding now was the Wu Family’s support, and the spy he had placed next to King Yuan and Concubine Hui. These were enough for DuYan to do a lot of things in private.

Before he went to the Wu family house just now, he had taken a detour through Zhangtai (brothel) street. Concubine Hui’s maid had been tailing behind him, and after seeing him enter Zhangtai street, she had gone back to report.

DuYan knew that the opportunity was coming. The key step in his plan was to stimulate YuanJue and make him hate him so strongly that he lost his sense of reason.

Xiao Man had already taken DuYan’s order to have someone lead YuanJue over. DuYan calculated that the time it took ChengYu to buy the pastries would be enough.

Unexpectedly, after DuYan drank a few sips of tea, ChengYu pushed the door open and entered.

DuYan was surprised, "Why are you so fast?"

ChengYu put the pastry in his hand on the counter, "Please eat."

DuYan frowned, "I don't want to eat the things that were prepared in this place.”

ChengYu was not annoyed, and gently comforted him, "I really bought these pastries from the shop just now."

"Don't try to deceive me. It takes the time of a cup of tea (10 minutes) to go there and return back. It’s only been half an incense stick (5 minutes), and you’re already back? DuYan didn't buy it at all.

ChengYu explained, "When I saw that you only ate pastries from that shop when you came here, I bought the building in the middle, opened a door in the wall of the backyard, and then it leads straight to the pastry shop.”

"..." DuYan was a little speechless. He was wondering whether he should praise him for his good intentions or to scold him for coming back so quickly.

After eating the pastries, ChengYu knew that he didn't like this place, so he got up and said, "Princess, it's not early, why don't we go back?"

DuYan couldn't leave since Xiao Man hadn't returned, but it was strange for him to have no reason and yet stay.

DuYan's thoughts turned sharply, and he remembered something, "I heard that you recently got a new beauty. I came to see how beautiful they truly look, so much so that you’ve become so fascinated that you’ve forgotten the way back to the palace.”

DuYan spoke righteously and confidently, but ChengYu looked at him with a smile in his eyes.

DuYan's current relationship with ChengYu was somewhat subtle. ChengYu naturally heard of the rumors of the eldest princess becoming infatuated with the hostage from Cheng-guo, since he wandered the streets.

At that time, he had asked DuYan if he wanted to clarify, and DuYan bluntly said that he had sent the rumors out because he didn't want to marry so early.

So under the tacit consent, the rumors spread more and more widely, and it almost became a well known thing in the capital of Cheng-guo.

ChengYu was a person with very few emotions due to his childhood experience. Although the entire capital city knew of his distinguished yet playboy lifestyle, the female musicians of Zhangtai (brothel) street had never seen him smile.

DuYan has seen it quite a lot in recent years. He frowned and looked at him, "You’re smiling?"

Seeing his expression, ChengYu knew that he could no longer tease him, "Wait a moment."

DuYan's request was not abrupt. ChengYu had brought many female musicians before.

He knew that ChengYu would eventually give these female musicians to valuable nobles in various countries. Just to carry out his (DY) own domineering and stubborn personality, he had made trouble with ChengYu several times and had him send those female musicians away.

ChengYu has never disobeyed DuYan. As long as DuYan asked, the female musicians never stayed by his side for long.

Although female musicians were elegant, in fact their status was not high.

In this dream world, countries had just entered the feudal system. Due to ethics not flourishing, noble or commoner women were usually free to do anything. They could even go to school or go into war.

However, female musicians were mostly prisoners of war. They had a status similar to female slaves and could be given away like livestock. The female musicians from ChengYu were trained to resemble female spies.

ChengYu promised them that after they completed their task, they were free and could set up a female household. Which was much better than being in the hands of the nobility.

ChengYu also established a powerful intelligence network through the female musicians who were favored by the nobles.

A moment later, a stunning beauty opened the door and walked in. She was born with a hibiscus face, willow eyebrows and almond eyes. Her eyebrows and eyes were affectionate and charming. The most seductive thing was her slender waist, which was not too full. She walked like a willow branch trembling in the wind. The form was so delicate that it seemed like it could barely bear the trifling weight of clothing.

The woman bowed and her voice was as sweet as a yellow warbler, “LuYao greets officials.”

DuYan's eyes were burning, and there was a bit of interest in his eyes. It wasn’t that he had fallen in love with this beautiful woman at first sight, but this woman named LuYao was a key figure in the movie’s plot line.

LuYao was a gift that ChengYu’s envoy had sent to King Cheng. This woman was beautiful in appearance, and could sing and dance. She even looked a bit like Queen Cheng when she was younger.

Now that Queen Cheng’s prime years had passed, King Cheng would soon fall in love with this woman called LuYao. He even ignored Queen Cheng’s objections and wanted to accept her as his concubine.

It was precisely because of the emergence of LuYao that the queen finally decided to poison King Cheng and support her son, who she had with her cousin, to ascend the throne.

DuYan was a little curious about this peerless beauty who caused a sudden change in the royal palace of Cheng-guo. He opened his mouth and said, "I heard that you are excellent in both singing and dancing. How about you dance for me to see?”

LuYao's beautiful eyes looked at ChengYu, and when she saw the other party slightly nod, she delicately bowed and left to get ready.

Not long after, LuYao led several female musicians holding musical instruments in one file. After they saluted the two sitting in front of them, they all went to their spots.

LuYao danced to a popular melody atop a carved dragon drum (3). The body was as light as a butterfly flying among the flowers, and the waist was as flexible as a willow branch. Between each turning step, it was weak and boneless.

When DuYan watched it, he suddenly said, “The waist is clear and slender, and the stance is light and relaxed.”

She was truly worthy of being a beauty that would fascinate King Cheng. If only her face was beautiful then it would not be enough for King Cheng to forget the queen that he had spoiled for more than 20 years.

After the dance, the flourishing spring scene set off by the decadent sound faded slowly. DuYan glanced at ChengYu and saw that the other party’s expressions were clear and didn’t look too addicted.

However this would be normal since LuYao was a beauty that ChengYu had trained to confuse people’s hearts. If ChengYu didn’t have this resistance, how could he be Emperor Cheng who would take over the world.

DuYan waved his hand carelessly, "Not bad. You can leave.”

The beauty left, leaving only DuYan and ChengYu behind.

Although DuYan knew that ChengYu would definitely send LuYao to King Cheng, he was not sure of the exact time.

Not to mention that in the dream world, with DuYan's participation, the plot line would not proceed exactly as in the movie. Even in the movie’s plot line, it did not say the specific time that LuYao was sent to Cheng-guo.

Now, DuYan had to speed up the process. A few months later, it was going to be King Yuan’s birthday. According to the current situation, the King Yuan was going to use this as an excuse to order the general who guarded the frontier to return to the court.

Once the generals entered the capital, the Wu Family would be in danger.

Now that LuYao had appeared, this was in DuYan’s favor. Then, he wouldn’t have to think hard about how to send the evidence of Queen Cheng’s adultery without causing ChengYu's suspicion.

As long as LuYao was next to King Cheng, everything else was not a problem.