Chapter 19 - The Little Prince Who Doesn't Love
The silver lamp dimly illuminated the room, its fragrance wafting through the six-panel screen.
The melancholic melody of a pipa drifted from the stage below, filling the quiet and luxurious private room. Though not earth-shattering, it was still captivating.
Inside the room, Li Nan Ke and Leng Xinnan sat at the table, waiting for Wan Hu Die.
Compared to Li Nan Ke's calmness, Leng Xinnan was ill at ease.
Although she had been to pleasure districts before while on cases, she was always accompanied by several subordinates. This was the first time she had come to such a place alone with a man.
"Do you frequent brothels often?" she asked suspiciously.
Li Nan Ke laughed.
"Does my lord think that's possible? My wife isn't easily fooled."
"But you don't seem nervous?" the cold beauty observed.
Li Nan Ke was puzzled.
"Why should I be nervous? I'm just here to investigate a case, not for pleasure."
Looking at the man's sincere and innocent gaze, Leng Xinnan realized that she had indeed overthought things. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she felt apologetic for her earlier suspicion.
This made her realize even more clearly that Li Nan Ke was truly different from most men.
Handsome, capable, devoted, and not tempted by worldly pleasures.
She inexplicably felt a bit envious of Luo Qian Qiu.
Of course, it was just envy.
Nothing more.
At this moment, the scene of him saving her that morning at the Lin residence flashed through her mind. Her beautiful eyes flickered, her lips parted slightly, and she whispered.
"Thank you for saving me."
"What?"
Li Nan Ke was thinking about how to question Wan Hu Die and was momentarily confused when the cold and aloof woman suddenly said this.
But he quickly reacted and said with a shy smile,
"It was just a coincidence."
Leng Xinnan, however, interpreted his words as modesty, and her favorable impression of him increased from two-fifths of a Meng Xiao Tu to three-fifths.
She raised her hand to smooth the hair by her temples and said gently.
"Your artifact was severely damaged because you saved me. When we return to Yun City, I'll find some spirit stones to see if it can be restored, or I can find another artifact for you."
Damaged artifact?
Li Nan Ke raised an eyebrow.
He hadn't considered this issue.
After all, he didn't know if the artifact he obtained from the Red Rain dream would suffer damage like artifacts in reality.
But judging from how it felt this morning, there didn't seem to be any damage.
As he was pondering, the door to the private room suddenly opened, and a graceful woman walked in.
It was Wan Hu Die, known as the 'Little Chancellor.'
"Oh my, what a rare guest."
Wan Hu Die exclaimed, her eyes practically sparkling as she looked at Li Nan Ke's handsome face.
"No wonder the girls downstairs said that a literary star arrived today, a treasure from head to toe. They were all eager to receive your 'guidance.'"
Wan Hu Die wasn't exaggerating.
When Li Nan Ke entered the Xiang Hua House earlier, it was quite a spectacle.
Countless pairs of eager eyes practically wanted to crawl into his clothes, as if they had seen a delicious piece of Tang Monk meat.
They all vied to catch his attention.
If Leng Xinnan hadn't displayed her Night Patrol token at her waist, Li Nan Ke would probably have left the Xiang Hua House with his feet covered in rouge and powder.
"Sister Wan, you flatter me. I'm here on official business today."
Li Nan Ke said, pointing to Leng Xinnan beside him.
"This is Lord Leng from the Night Patrol. I'm just assisting her with the investigation."
"Greetings, Lord Leng."
Wan Hu Die didn't dare to act presumptuously in front of Leng Xinnan and bowed respectfully.
Looking at the stunningly beautiful official with her naturally voluptuous figure and slender waist that needed no belt, she couldn't help but marvel at the heavens' favor.
Such a rare beauty was probably a once-in-a-lifetime encounter for most.
She wondered which lucky man would win her heart.
Although Leng Xinnan didn't dislike or feel disgusted by such women, she didn't have much affection for them either. She simply responded with a cold "Hmm" and remained silent.
"Sister Wan, let's get straight to the point," Li Nan Ke said, pouring tea for the woman.
"You must be familiar with Mei Xing Er, right?"
"Mei Xing Er?"
Wan Hu Die looked at him strangely.
"I didn't expect Little Brother to have such taste."
Li Nan Ke smiled without answering.
Cao Cao?
Who didn't want to be like Cao Cao!*
[TL/N: Cao Cao was a historical figure known for his, shall we say, appreciation of women.]
Wan Hu Die giggled and stopped teasing him, saying in a delicate voice.
"Who in Dongqi County doesn't know Mei Xing Er? She was the true star of our Xiang Hua House back then."
"What kind of person do you think she is?" Li Nan Ke asked.
Wan Hu Die raised her teacup with a delicate orchid finger and said charmingly.
"She's not bad. I know her quite well. Back then, I was just a little maid serving tea and water, but she didn't put on airs and took good care of me."
"How did she meet Landlord Lin?"
"How else would someone in our profession meet someone like him?"
Wan Hu Die rolled her eyes playfully.
"It's nothing more than Landlord Lin coming to the Xiang Hua House for entertainment and taking a liking to Mei Xing Er. Plus, Mei Xing Er was indeed good at serving, so he redeemed her."
"It seems this Mei Xing Er is quite scheming,"
Li Nan Ke remarked, sensing something deeper.
To make a wealthy merchant willing to pay a hefty price to take her home as his wife, besides having outstanding beauty and bedroom skills, she must also understand men's hearts very well.
To learn how to make a man spend a hundred thousand taels on you with just three sentences.
Wan Hu Die gave him an approving look and said languidly, "Her methods are one thing, but she's also really lucky”.
“I remember Mei Xing Er had a lover once. We didn't know who he was, but she often met him in secret, which made the madam angry.”
“But she was a money-maker, so the madam turned a blind eye. For a while, Mei Xing Er was very happy and told us that she was about to fly up a branch and become a phoenix.”
“But the good times didn't last long. She became depressed again, obviously dumped by her lover.”
“Later, Mei Xing Er married Landlord Lin, fulfilling her previous words and becoming a phoenix. Isn't that lucky? It made all of us sisters envious."
Wan Hu Die didn't hide her jealousy and envy.
Which woman working in this kind of place didn't dream of a good ending?
"Lover..."
Li Nan Ke tapped his fingers lightly on the table.
He took out his pen and paper and wrote a few words on it, then asked, "Sister Wan, have you heard any gossip or rumors about the Lin family recently?"
"Little Brother really knows where to find information."
Wan Hu Die said with a smile, her words carrying a double meaning.
Li Nan Ke smiled faintly.
"After all, this kind of place holds more secrets than there are stars in the sky. Sometimes, even the intelligence capabilities of the imperial Shadow Guard can't compare to the secrets you extract from pillow talk."
"Oh, is that a compliment or an insult?" Wan Hu Die pretended to be offended.
Li Nan Ke quickly replied, "A compliment, of course."
Wan Hu Die chuckled and, glancing at Leng Xinnan, who remained silent, said slowly.
"Speaking of gossip about the Lin family, there was the 'Little Prince' incident a month ago."
Little Prince?
Li Nan Ke and Leng Xinnan exchanged glances.
Wan Hu Die took a sip of tea and continued,
"A month ago, the youngest son of Prince Anping was traveling and happened to come to Dongqi County. He met Miss Lin.”
“This dissolute little prince fell head over heels for Miss Lin at first sight. He clung to her like glue, pursuing her relentlessly, and even declared in front of the Lin residence that he would marry no one but her.”
"Bai Bu Ai?"
Leng Xinnan frowned slightly.
"Who is Bai Bu Ai?"
Li Nan Ke asked with a puzzled expression.
Leng Xinnan patiently explained.
It turned out that the current Retired Emperor, Bai Yao Quan, had an older brother named Bai Yao Ming, who was Prince Anping.
This prince had fought alongside Emperor Tianwu in many battles in his early years and made great contributions.
As the political power and the country stabilized, to avoid arousing suspicion from Emperor Tianwu and prevent others from instigating conflict, he voluntarily gave up his power and lived a life of pleasure at his residence.
After Emperor Tianwu began experiencing fainting spells, many people hoped that Prince Anping would take over.
But the prince ignored these calls.
He ate, played, and slept, never concerning himself with matters of the court.
He also had countless wives and concubines.
However, rumors and gossip were inevitable, especially after the young emperor ascended the throne. There were frequent rumors among the people that Bai Yao Ming would rebel.
This young prince, called Bai Bu Ai* was born to Prince Anping after a drunken night with a servant girl, so he didn't have much status in the family.
[TL/N: The ‘Bu Ai’ in Bai Bu Ai name means ‘doesn't love’, Bai Doesn't Love.]
After his mother died, he was completely neglected and spent his days wandering the pleasure districts.
He gradually developed a wild personality.
A typical dissolute youth.
Initially, this young prince wasn't called by this name. His original name was 'Bai Yang Yan.' But after growing up, he felt that this name wasn't unique enough, so he changed it to 'Bai Bu Ai.'
He even declared at banquets: Women are just for fun, not worth loving.
To obtain but not love, that is the true romantic.
However, some speculated that the young prince chose this name to mock himself, to mock the lack of parental love he received growing up. But the truth was only known to him.
Prince Anping didn't bother to interfere with his son's name change.
"I didn't expect such a thing."
Li Nan Ke said, the fog in his mind seemingly clearing a bit. He continued to ask Wan Hu Die.
"What happened after that?"
"After that?"
Wan Hu Die smiled.
"After that, the little prince returned to the capital, saying he would first persuade his father and then come back to marry Miss Lin. He told the Lin family to wait for the good news."
Leng Xinnan shook her head helplessly.
"No wonder Landlord Lin is so afraid of his daughter's reputation being damaged. It's understandable. But this Bai Bu Ai is unreliable."
Wan Hu Die said, "Reliable or not, at least there's hope. After all, that Miss Lin is a charming young lady.”
“Although she can't compare to you, Lord Leng, she can still make men fall head over heels for her. Maybe the little prince is truly sincere and will one day come back to marry her?”
“It's not easy for a girl to climb the social ladder. When the opportunity arises, naturally, one can't miss it, wouldn't you agree?"
Leng Xinnan didn't agree with her view, but considering their different social standings, she didn't argue.
Li Nan Ke stared at the tea leaves swirling in his cup, carefully sorting through the clues in his mind, and murmured.
"When the opportunity arises, naturally, one can't miss it."