Chapter 4

At the Moon Arch Bridge, a competition drew no less than a thousand onlookers. Cai and Wang Tenghui were among the more conspicuous figures, but there were also many others who kept a low profile. In the southern corner of the arch bridge, a handsome young man in blue, with a refined appearance, rested his chin in his hand, waiting leisurely for the bet to begin. However, after waiting for a long time, he saw two large, fat pigs.

"Interesting, truly interesting. It seems that when the young masters of the wealthy families get into trouble, there are many amusing stories to be had."

The young man in blue lightly furrowed his brows, and this gesture gave him a touch of feminine charm. Behind him, a bright-eyed and white-toothed servant boy pouted and gently tugged at the young man's sleeve. "Let's go back. If Wu Mama finds out, she will surely blame me!"

"Xiao Tan, what are you afraid of? I'm here, so what can Wu Mama do to you? Humph, didn't I tell you that if you reveal my identity, I'll starve you for three days..."

The moment the young man in blue spoke, his true identity was revealed—he was actually a woman.

In the capital city, there were two famous courtesans: Li Shishi and Cui Niannü. This young man in blue was none other than Cui Niannü, the head courtesan of the Xiefang Pavilion. Last night, Prince Zhao Xiaogong caused a commotion at the De Yue Pavilion, angering Li Shishi, and this gossip quickly reached Cui Niannü's ears. Cui Niannü, who had been overshadowed by Li Shishi for so many years, was naturally delighted to see her rival in a difficult situation. Today, Gao Yannai was going to take the opportunity to embarrass Prince Zhao Xiaogong, and Cui Niannü had to come and watch.

For some reason, Cui Niannü felt that this young prince might not be as foolish as he appeared. If asked for a reason, she couldn't explain it, but she attributed it to a woman's intuition.

Cui Niannü and Li Shishi were two different types of people. If given a choice, Li Shishi would rather enrich her inner self than adorn her appearance. She was a cold and proud person who viewed everything with a detached attitude. In contrast, Cui Niannü was more lively and curious about the strange events in the capital, often thinking about them. Her eyes flickered as she tried to get a good look at Prince Zhao Xiaogong, whom she hadn't seen for a long time, but instead, she saw a very familiar face.

The man was dressed in a white robe, wearing soft-soled boots, with a face as fair as jade, truly a handsome and elegant figure. Though dressed as a man, he was even more beautiful than a woman, and his charm had captured the hearts of many. Cui Niannü was annoyed because this fair-faced young man was none other than her rival, Li Shishi. She looked at Zhao Yougong with a cold expression, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, deep in thought.

Although Gao Yannai was broad and fat, his movements were not clumsy. He closed his fan and kicked the pig's buttocks nearby. "Zhao Yougong, today we are having a pig race. You can choose first, don't say I'm bullying you!"

A pig race?

Zhao Yougong's mouth opened wide, his cheeks trembling with laughter. Truly talented, who said that fat and big-eared guys were talentless? Look at Gao Yannai, who looked like a fat Buddha, proposing a pig race.

The people of Bianjing were well-versed in various spectacles. What hadn't the citizens of the capital seen? They had heard of dog races and chicken races, but this was the first time they had heard of a pig race. It was interesting, very interesting. The crowd whispered to each other, discussing how the pig race would be conducted.

"Fat Gao, let's talk about what happens if we lose."

"Alright, fair enough. If you lose, I won't hit you or scold you. Just kneel down and kiss your pig!"

The crowd burst into laughter at Gao Yannai's words. Kissing a pig, what a bizarre spectacle! Would Zhao Yougong dare to accept such a strange bet?

Many people thought that Zhao Yougong would act like a scoundrel as usual. If he refused to bet, there was nothing others could do. Cai leaned against the fence, squinting his eyes, thinking. He didn't want Zhao Yougong to act like a scoundrel at this moment. For him, whether Gao Yannai or Zhao Yougong was humiliated, it would be a very entertaining thing.

Waving his hand, Cai smiled. "Shibao, a pig race is a good idea. I support you!"

Although Gao Yannai didn't look good, Gao Qiu had given him a good name. With Cai's support, Gao Yannai bowed. "Brother, watch well. I'm afraid someone won't dare to accept the bet!"

As he spoke, Gao Yannai squinted his eyes and glanced at Zhao Yougong. At this moment, Wang Yannai also couldn't resist teasing. "Lingge, what are you waiting for? Everyone is waiting for you!"

"Damn, these bastards," Zhao Yougong cursed inwardly. These young masters were all waiting for him to be humiliated. What was there to fear? He, Zhao Yougong, had no face left to lose. Even if he lost, it wouldn't be the end of the world. Besides, it wasn't certain that he would lose. Maybe Gao Yannai had used some tricks, but who could guarantee there would be no surprises?

Once a person decided to go all out, they feared nothing. Zhao Yougong was like that now. He glared with both eyes and clenched his left fist. "Afraid of you? Let's race, it's just a pig race. By the way, Fat Gao, didn't you bring three pigs today? Why did you only mention two?"

"Three pigs? Zhao Yougong, you've been to the academy for years, and you can't even count?" Gao Yannai looked surprised, then chuckled.

Zhao Yougong scratched his head, looking like he was learning something. He held a bun and counted seriously. "One, two, three... Uh, it's three pigs, right? No mistake. Fat Gao, if you don't believe me, you can count yourself..."

As Zhao Yougong counted, he clearly pointed at Gao Yannai. This time, even if Gao Yannai was stupid, he knew what was going on. His fat face trembled. "Zhao Scoundrel, you dare to call me a pig? You're the pig, your whole family is pigs!"

Gao Yannai was a tough guy from the streets, and he could curse fluently. He jumped up and down, even pulling the corner of his robe. Cursing was nothing; he could curse the whole city when he was a little brother to Gao Qiu ten years ago.

Pointed at by Gao Yannai, Zhao Yougong didn't seem angry. He bent his fingers, looking foolish, muttering something. "My father is Prince Chu Zhao Si, my uncle is Zhao Ji, Zhao Xu... Hmm?" At this point, Zhao Yougong suddenly looked up, his eyes wide as copper bells, his voice raised. "Fat Gao, what did you just say? Have the courage to say it again!"

Zhao Yougong's fierce appearance was truly intimidating. Gao Yannai patted his chest, unyielding. "What, you want to be cursed again? I said you're a pig, your whole family is pigs..."

"Hey!" Zhao Yougong suddenly roared, his face no longer angry but with a sly smile. "Fat Gao, you have guts. My royal uncle is the current emperor. By saying that, aren't you calling the current emperor a pig? Hey, fellow citizens, brothers and sisters, did you all hear that? It was this fat man who cursed the current emperor..."

"Whoa..." Gao Yannai almost bit his tongue. He was in trouble. In his moment of anger, he hadn't thought much. The cursing felt good, but he had just called the current emperor a pig.

The crowd reacted differently. Some laughed, some worried, and some were indifferent.

Li Shishi, dressed as a man, still had a detached look. Cui Niannü, however, covered her mouth and giggled. They all said that Prince Zhao Xiaogong was as stupid as a pig, but it seemed he had some quick wit. Thinking about this, Cui Niannü couldn't help but look at him more. Despite his bad reputation, Zhao Yougong was quite handsome, tall and dignified, a type of man who easily won the favor of women.

Gao Yannai couldn't think of a way to counter. Instead of dwelling on this, he coldly snorted, shook his sleeves, and said, "Don't interrupt. I was cursing you. Even if I said something wrong, it's up to the emperor to decide, not you. Now, choose a pig quickly. If you're afraid I'll cheat, find another one."

"No need, no need, how could I not trust you!" Zhao Yougong seriously observed the two pigs. After a long time, he pointed to the smaller black pig. "I'll choose this one. Fat Gao, how exactly are we going to race?"

"Simple, from here to the entrance of the Xiefang Pavilion, whoever's pig gets there first wins!"

"No problem!" Zhao Yougong snapped his fingers, squatted down, and petted the black pig. The black pig was quite gentle, rubbing its snout against Zhao Yougong's robe. At this moment, Gao Yannai wasn't idle. He took a paper packet from a servant and placed it under the pig's snout. The packet contained a pile of powder, which the black pig licked clean with its tongue.

What was that? Was it a Song Dynasty version of a pig stimulant? Damn, he knew Fat Gao was prepared. Pouting, Zhao Yougong placed the remaining two buns on the ground and petted the pig's neck, pleading, "Second Master, Second Master, if you win today, I'll get you several wives!"

"Oink oink..." The black pig seemed to understand, or maybe it didn't. It shook its head and swallowed the two buns in a few bites. The buns were so delicious that the black pig probably hadn't tasted such good food in its life. It tilted its head, looking at Zhao Yougong, hoping for more.

Pigs were pigs, only thinking about eating. Zhao Yougong stood up and kicked the pig's buttocks. "Second Master, if you win, you can eat whatever you want. See that fat man? Your task is to beat him!" Zhao Yougong spoke confidently, but Gao Yannai coldly snorted and looked up at the sky.

To ensure the fairness of the race, both sides found the most respected person near the Moon Arch Bridge, Chen Daoming, to be the referee. At the second hour of the morning, the copper gong sounded, and Chen Daoming shouted, "The race begins..."

The two black pigs darted out, running happily with their tails wagging. They seemed very happy.

The unique race drew enthusiastic cheers from the audience, but Prince Zhao Xiaogong's heart sank deeper and deeper...