Chapter 71: An Encounter at the Clandestine Brothel

“Master, you truly worried this servant to death. Let me see your wound.”

“It’s already been treated. I’m fine.”

“Let this servant stitch it for you. It’ll heal faster.”

“No. The physician from the Marquis’s residence will probably change the dressing again tomorrow. If he notices, I’ll have to explain.”

“That’s true. Master has thought it through better. Right—was the man who came in with you just now an imperial prince?”

“Mm.”

“How unusual. A prince coming to a red-curtain brothel for amusement.”

“It’s not like emperors have never caught venereal disease. What’s so special about a prince?”

“Men who’ve fought together and visited brothels together are brothers for life. Then it seems Master has a pretty good relationship with him?”

“He’s an idle prince without real power. For now, he has no hope of competing for the throne either.”

“So he’s completely useless?”

“For the moment, yes.

“Oh, no. He seems to be quite rich.”

“We’re not short of money right now.”

“There’s an old retainer here at the Marquis’s residence who seems interested in taking me as a disciple.”

“Then does Master intend to remain here?”

“I’ll think about it a little longer.

“Emotionally, I still want to return to Tiger Head City.”

The residence in Tiger Head City.

The bathing pool in Tiger Head City.

The young women.

The mornings there.

Zheng Fan knew perfectly well that if he stayed at the Marquis’s residence, his corrupt lifestyle would be completely cut off from him.

Wasn’t even the Marquis himself living here like some ascetic monk?

“Master, whatever choice you make, this servant will follow you.”

“Mm. I’ll probably choose to stay.

“An opportunity like this is rare.”

“Hey, Treacherous Minister! You done yet?”

The Sixth Prince’s voice came from the corridor outside.

Zheng Fan and Feng Siniang looked at each other.

Then, almost simultaneously:

“That fast?”

“Wait a moment! Almost done!”

Zheng Fan shouted outside.

Then he lowered his voice and said to Siniang, “Let’s keep this short.

“AAAAAHHHHH!”

“Yes, Master.

“AAAAAHHHHH!”

“I probably won’t be able to go back for now. Find time to return to Tiger Head City.

“The household still needs you to deal with things.

“And if the Blind Man, A’Ming, and the others return, someone needs to be there to meet them.

“AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!”

“Understood, Master. This servant will go back immediately, make the necessary arrangements, leave someone behind to relay messages, and then return to find you.

“AAAAAHHHHHHH!”

“Good. Be careful on the road.

“AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!”

“Master is the one who needs to be careful. You absolutely must protect yourself.

“This servant will return to your side as quickly as possible.

“AAAAAHHHHHHH!”

“Good. That’s it.

“AAAAAHHHHH!!”

“Mm.

“AAAAAHHHHH!”

“AAAAAHHHHH!”

“AAAAAHHHHH!”

Zheng Fan picked up a cup of water beside him.

He poured it into his palm, then smeared it through his hair, making himself look drenched in sweat.

Only then did he lift the red curtain and walk out.

The Sixth Prince stared at Zheng Fan.

Then he pointed at his own eyes.

“What do you see in my eyes?”

Zheng Fan shook his head.

“Jealousy.

“Jealousy almost enough to drive me insane.”

“Oh, that.

“Next time Your Highness can just pay the girl a little more and have her cry out longer.”

“...” the Sixth Prince.

“Heh.”

“Wait. Something’s wrong.

“You didn’t bring any silver.

“How did you pay?”

The Sixth Prince had discovered a serious problem.

“The service was too good.

“The lady was so satisfied she waived the bill and begged me to come again.”

“...” the Sixth Prince.

After leaving the clandestine brothel, the Sixth Prince—already in the sage-like calm that followed release—decided to continue strolling.

Eventually they reached the entrance of the drill ground.

This was the largest open space within the broader grounds of the Marquis’s residence.

Ordinarily, military reviews and ceremonies for armies departing or returning in triumph were held here.

Directly in front of the drill ground stood the residence’s “main gate.”

The ceremonial archway that had been destroyed had already been erected again.

But new was still new.

It looked somewhat out of place beside all the surrounding buildings.

A mutilated corpse hung from the archway.

Under the night sky, it looked bleak and desolate.

Perhaps because most of the people living around the Marquis’s residence were soldiers or soldiers’ families, and because the northern lands had long been accustomed to turmoil, a corpse hanging from the archway did little to disrupt anyone’s daily life.

Still less would anyone start talking about how seeing such a sight might damage a child’s psychological development.

The Sixth Prince sat down on a stone block.

He placed both hands on his knees and gently closed his eyes.

“Do you know what I’m thinking right now?”

“If Your Highness hadn’t reminded me, this subordinate would have assumed you were absorbing the spiritual qi of heaven and earth to cultivate.”

“Pfft...”

The Sixth Prince could not suppress his laughter.

Irritated, he said, “I’ve been weak since childhood.

“The road of cultivation has nothing to do with me.

“To be an imperial prince yet still be useless trash— do you understand how that feels?”

“Your Highness, you know perfectly well that I’m a martial genius.”

“My dear elder brother, do you really have to treat me like this?”

“My dear little brother...”

“Brother, your little brother truly wants to castrate you and take you back to my residence.”

“...” Zheng Fan.

“Whew...

“We’ve wandered completely off topic.

“Zheng Fan, what I was actually thinking just now was this: how many times, over the past hundred years, has the earth beneath our feet carried the footsteps of armies marching out and returning home?

“Our State of Yan was founded here in this remote northern land.

“Ahead of us, the desert barbarians sharpened their blades.

“Behind us, the three great states watched us like tigers eyeing prey.

“Since ancient times, there have been almost no states founded under circumstances more difficult than ours.

“And yet Yan endured.

“More than that—

The Great Yan Dynasty’s iron cavalry suppresses the barbarian tribes in the north and checks the three states to the south.

“Beneath heaven, the military strength of The Great Yan Dynasty stands first!”

Zheng Fan nodded.

Inside, he thought:

This kid really is a demon before release and a Buddha afterward.

Look at him.

He only just came out of a red-curtain brothel, and now every word out of his mouth is about country, dynasty, and all beneath heaven.

“I know you’re an ambitious fellow.

“The Princess saw that too.

“Of course, you never really tried to hide it.

“Because you understand something: a ruler with ability and ambition is never afraid of ambitious subordinates.

“Only mediocre rulers obsessed with preserving what they inherited do stupid things like slaughter the hounds once the rabbit is dead.

“So let me ask you.

“Do you know what disease afflicts Yan today?”

“The great clans.”

This kind of exam could not possibly stump Zheng Fan.

Back when there was nothing to do, he often sat on a bench outside with the Blind Man Bei.

A box of cigarettes.

A cup of tea.

And an entire day spent talking bullshit.

When it came to politics, the Blind Man would analyze everything, digest it, then explain it to Zheng Fan.

Taking this exam now was basically walking in with the answer sheet.

“Exactly.

“The great clans.

“Because powerful clans stand everywhere across Yan, imperial decrees lose half their force the moment they leave Tiancheng Commandery.

“We clearly possess the strongest cavalry beneath heaven.

“We clearly possess the fiercest generals in the world.

“Yet to the north, we cannot destroy the barbarian tribes.

“To the south, we cannot break Jin or Qian!

“You know the cause.

“Then do you know the cure?”

Zheng Fan sat down on another stone block beside him.

Calmly, he answered, “Flatten them.”

The Sixth Prince froze.

He clearly had not expected Zheng Fan’s killing intent to be so heavy.

Nor had he expected Zheng Fan to speak without the slightest attempt to conceal it.

“Do you know that Father Emperor thinks exactly the same way?”

“I—”

“STOP!!!”

“Mm.”

“You can take advantage of Eldest Brother and Second Brother and call yourself their brother if you like.

“My father probably wouldn’t mind having another son.

“But could you please stop trying to take advantage of my father too?”

“Yes.”

The Sixth Prince raised his head and looked at the moon.

His lips parted as though he wanted to say something.

In the end, it turned into a sigh.

Zheng Fan simply waited beside him.

The Sixth Prince was reenacting Zheng Fan’s performance from the previous night indulging in melancholy.

“Sigh.

“I’m tired.

“I’m going back.

“Right, here’s some silver.”

The Sixth Prince opened his purse, took out some silver, and handed it to Zheng Fan.

“Trouble yourself to buy more food in the market.

“When you return to the residence, deliver some to Eunuch Zhang and Teacher Chen.”

“Want me to buy you some oranges too?”

“The oranges here seem pretty good.

“Buy me some.”

“Very well. This subordinate obeys.”

“Mm. Then I’ll return first.”

The Sixth Prince left.

His shadow stretched long beneath the moonlight.

Holding the silver, Zheng Fan returned to the market and bought plenty of wine and meat.

After finishing, however, he did not return directly to the Marquis’s residence.

Instead, he went back to the drill ground.

The ceremonial archway still stood there.

This part of the grounds was relatively desolate.

If he closed his eyes and breathed carefully, it almost seemed as though he could still smell the blood left behind from that day.

One man.

Casting everything aside.

Coming to the door alone.

Only to demand an explanation.

Zheng Fan arranged some of the wine and meat on the ground.

Then took out his cigarette case.

Don’t laugh.

When changing clothes, Zheng Fan had genuinely forgotten to bring his purse.

But he had instinctively remembered his cigarettes.

Three cigarettes.

He planted them upright in the ground.

Then, using a fire striker, lit them one by one.

“Here.

“Following the custom of you barbarians:

“First, an offering to the Barbarian God.

“Second, an offering to the totem.

“Third, an offering to the yellow sands.”

As he spoke, Zheng Fan scooped up a handful of earth and scattered it before him.

“Brother, this is an oasis.

“The sand isn’t very authentic.

“You’ll have to make do.

“It’s a pity.

“You loved eating.

“But you met me too late.

“You only got to enjoy good food with me for two days.

“Actually, the dish I’m best at is cola chicken wings.

“I just never got the chance to make them for you.”

Zheng Fan raised the wine jar.

He poured half of it onto the ground.

Then placed both hands in front of himself, squatted down, and silently watched the three cigarettes slowly burn.

Shatuo Que Shi.

You are the first stranger

I, Zheng Fan, have wanted to remember since coming to this world.

...

The moon shone brightly.

The stars looked dim.

The bleak night wind swept across the earth again and again.

The mutilated corpse hanging from the ceremonial archway swayed continuously in the wind.

From time to time, the body struck the stone wall of the archway, making soft scraping sounds.

When the three cigarettes finally burned out, Zheng Fan picked up the offerings.

He ate a mouthful of meat.

Drank a mouthful of wine.

Then gathered everything, stood, and left.

Moonlight was fair.

It did not discriminate.

Earlier, it had drawn a long shadow behind the Sixth Prince.

Now, it drew an equally long shadow behind Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan did not see it.

More precisely, there was no possible way for him to see it.

The mutilated corpse hanging from the ceremonial archway at the corner of its cracked, dried lips a deeply unnatural curve slowly appeared.

As though... it were smiling.

(End of Chapter)