Chapter 7

At nineteen, the courtesan still maintained her virginity, a rarity in this era, unmatched by any before or after. Cui Nian'nu managed to remain chaste for so long, not only due to her unique position as a courtesan but also because of her quick wit and eloquence.

In the sixth year of Zhenghe, Wu Mama had planned to find a talented and elegant young man to deflower Nian'nu. However, Nian'nu's single sentence made Wu Mama abandon the idea.

"For men, what they cannot obtain is the best. If Mama has a sister who can replace Nian'nu, then it would be fine to deflower her, but if not, Nian'nu will no longer be able to earn money for Mama in the future!" This single sentence from Cui Nian'nu made her endure until now. At nineteen, she could no longer avoid it.

Nian'nu had long since become indifferent to the matter of losing her virginity. In the brothel, it was inevitable, the only difference being to whom her body would be given. This year's courtesan competition would be her last. Once she lost her virginity, she would have nothing left to captivate the hearts of men. Nian'nu was very clear about this. She could not compare to Li Shishi, who had the support of the current emperor. Even if she lost her virginity to the emperor, it would still be a romantic tale. But Nian'nu could not. As a virgin, Nian'nu was known as the Nine Heavens Fairy in Tokyo City, but once she lost her virginity, she would no longer be the famous courtesan of Bianliang.

If she really won the title of courtesan, why not give her body to the young prince? Regardless of whether the young prince was truly foolish or just pretending, at least he was elegant and of noble blood.

It was noon, but the sun had disappeared. The sky over Bianliang was unpredictable, perhaps reflecting Nian'nu's worries. A light drizzle began to fall. The spring rain formed a misty curtain outside the window, and the breeze made the willows sway gently. The sudden rain caused people on the riverside path to run with their faces covered, while a few painted boats quietly rested by the shore, the raindrops creating ripples on the water.

The rain in the south brought much sorrow. The spring breeze and the willows, combined with the fine rain, created a hazy scene that could not be described by a single word of sorrow. Holding a wine cup, Zhao Yougong stood quietly by the window, occasionally letting a few raindrops fall on his hand without avoiding them. He liked this rain; the dampness made him feel alive. He understood Nian'nu's feelings; a woman not being able to choose who takes her virginity was indeed tragic.

He sympathized in his heart but could not show it, for he was a rogue and a lecher. Now that Nian'nu had a request, why not take advantage of the situation? If he were too gentlemanly, it would not be like him.

Looking at the figure by the window, Nian'nu had a sudden feeling that such a quiet Zhao Yougong was rare. She could not see his face, but she could sense that Zhao Yougong was not the fool others said he was.

"Prince, I have always wanted to ask you, weren't you afraid of losing when you competed with Gao Xiaoguan today?"

"Afraid? Of course, I was afraid. I fed all the golden impotence pills to the pigs. Tell me, wasn't I afraid?" Zhao Yougong turned his head and shrugged lightly, looking at the smiling Nian'nu. Leaning against the wall, he drank the wine in one gulp. "Ah, Nian'nu, you know the relationship between me and that fat Gao. Could I not accept his bet? A man must not be a coward."

Waving his arms, Zhao Yougong's face was a bit red. At this moment, he looked like a ruffian in Bianliang, not a noble prince. Though he seemed rough, Nian'nu did not look down on him. She refilled his cup, "Prince, you are so straightforward, I quite like it..."

Nian'nu's voice was gentle, and Zhao Yougong lowered his head, his eyes fixed on her. Could this beautiful woman be his?

The spring breeze blew softly outside the window, and the riverside was quiet, with few pedestrians. At one end of the long street, a woman in a light green silk dress walked briskly. Her steps were small but quick. She was tall and graceful, with a cold and stern expression, but her face was very beautiful, with a delicate face, fine eyebrows, and pink lips. She was as beautiful as peach and plum blossoms, as cold as ice and snow. Perhaps these eight words best described her.

This beautiful woman walked very fast, and the umbrella could not block the wind and rain. Her skirt was already soaked, and her white embroidered boots were discolored by the rain.

The beautiful woman had a beautiful name: Su Ying. She was the manager of the Chu王府 and also Zhao Yougong's personal maid. At the age of four, Su Ying was sent to the Chu王府 by Empress Zhu (Zhao Yougong's grandmother, the mother of Emperor Zhezong Zhao Xu and Prince Chu Zhao Si). She had been there for fourteen years. After Prince Chu Zhao Si's death, Su Ying had raised Zhao Yougong. In a sense, she was the closest person to Zhao Yougong in the world.

Arriving at the entrance of Xie Fang Lou, Su Ying frowned tightly. Rainwater dripped from her hair, and her beautiful eyes were moist. Since she was old enough to understand, Su Ying knew that her life belonged to the Chu王府. She was grateful to the empress for her kindness and thus took care of the young prince wholeheartedly. At first, it was fine, but after Prince Chu's death, the young prince changed. He no longer listened and spent his days in brothels and taverns, fighting and bullying vendors in the market. Su Ying hoped the young prince would become a useful person, at least not disgracing his noble birth. She had advised him countless times, but he never changed.

She was very tired but could not bear to leave. If she left, no one would take care of the young prince.

It was not yet evening, and it was raining, so Xie Fang Lou was empty. A beautiful woman entering the place was quite a surprise. Wu Mama was sitting at a table, shelling sunflower seeds. Seeing someone enter, she instinctively wanted to greet them, but upon seeing the person's face, she stopped and said indifferently, "Who is it? Oh, it's Manager Su!"

"Where is my young prince?" This was not the first time Su Ying had come to Xie Fang Lou, and she had no intention of hiding. She came to take the young prince back. Today was the anniversary of Prince Chu's death, and the young prince had to return to offer incense.

"Just a moment..."

"No need, I'll go myself!" Wu Mama glanced, and Su Ying knew where Zhao Yougong was. She threw the umbrella on the table and walked up the stairs, lifting her skirt.

The scent of white sandalwood filled the room. Zhao Yougong felt light and airy, looking at Nian'nu as if he were in a fairyland.

The door creaked open, and Su Ying walked in expressionlessly. Seeing Zhao Yougong drinking heavily, her eyes turned red, but she did not cry. Su Ying was a bit stubborn; otherwise, she could not have managed the affairs of the Chu王府 for so many years. "Young prince, please come back with me..."

"Why should I go back? Ying, why do you always have that stern face? Can't you smile?" Zhao Yougong was very impatient, and since Su Ying entered, he had not smiled. "I was finally listening to Nian'nu play a tune, and you ruined it!"

"Young prince, please come back with me... Today... Today is the anniversary of the old master's death... You must come back with me..."

Anyone hearing this would have gone back. It was the anniversary of one's father's death, and even the most wayward person would not skip offering incense. Surprisingly, Zhao Yougong not only did not nod but showed a hint of anger. He slammed the wine cup on the table and said coldly, "Anniversary, anniversary, my father has been dead for so many years. What's the point of burning incense and visiting the grave? If I have free time, can't I play a bit more?"

Zhao Yougong's words were not loud, but they made people feel a chill. What kind of wayward son could say such things? Cui Nian'nu looked at Zhao Yougong with a wooden expression, her face very complex. No one knew what she was thinking.

Su Ying could no longer control her sorrow, and tears streamed down her face. Even so, she remained silent, standing firmly at the door.

"Crying... always crying... Fine, I'll go back with you. This is such a bad day, you always bring bad luck!" Zhao Yougong did not even say goodbye to Cui Nian'nu, leaving the room with his hands behind his back, angrily. As he passed, he deliberately bumped into Su Ying's shoulder, causing her to stumble and almost fall on the threshold.

The rain continued. Coming downstairs, Zhao Yougong took the umbrella and walked out of Xie Fang Lou alone. Su Ying followed closely behind, without an umbrella, letting the cold spring rain beat on her thin body.

Walking along the way, Zhao Yougong did not dare to look back, afraid that he would not be able to resist hugging Su Ying. He knew how good Su Ying was, but to survive, he had to act this way. He wanted all of Tokyo to know what kind of rogue the young prince was, and most importantly, to deceive his ruthless uncle, the emperor.

In the imperial palace of Bianliang, Emperor Zhezong was writing with a brush, a gloomy old eunuch grinding the ink beside him. "Yang Jian, is there anything interesting happening in the capital recently?"

"Your Majesty, if you don't leave the palace, what interesting things could there be outside? But I did hear a small matter!"

"What is it?"

"Yesterday, Prince Yongning and Gao Shibao caused a big commotion at De Yue Lou, and Miss Shishi was quite upset!" Yang Jian slowly recounted the events of the previous day. He was very eloquent, turning a small matter into a very interesting story.

Emperor Zhezong stopped writing and smiled thoughtfully. "Yang Jian, have the new maidens been selected? Send two good ones to the Chu王府!"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will take care of it tomorrow!"

The imperial palace was magnificent, with jade and crystal, but in the fine rain, the family ties had long been washed away.

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