Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 52

After returning to his own courtyard to bathe and change, and finishing breakfast, Huo Fenghua left the General’s Manor alone with the General’s special permission.

It was rare for him to get a chance to wander around Yujing so freely without worrying if someone would come and drag him back. So even though he’d just eaten, when he saw freshly steamed pork buns by the roadside, he still couldn’t resist pulling out a few copper coins and buying two.

There were actually very few gambling houses in Yujing. At first Huo Fenghua didn’t know that, but later he learned that opening a gambling den required special authorization from the authorities. The entire city had only two, one at each end of the pleasure quarter.

Huo Fenghua still went to the same gambling house as last time. The moment he lifted the curtain, a wave of filthy, stale air hit him in the face. He almost backed right out again, suddenly longing to run home and bury his face against Su Zeyang and take a few deep breaths.

Realizing that he hadn’t been in a casino for so long that he’d actually grown unaccustomed to it, Huo Fenghua paused at the entrance and felt a little melancholy.

Just then two gamblers came in. One of them shoved him roughly. “Don’t block the way!”

Huo Fenghua didn’t get angry. He took a deep breath, lifted the curtain again, and slipped inside, blending into the crowd of gaunt, red-eyed gamblers.

They were still using the same set of bone dice as last time. Huo Fenghua stood at the edge of a table, holding his breath and listening to the dice rattling inside the cup. He tossed down a few copper coins at random to place his bets.

After winning three or four rounds, he noticed the two people beside him starting to follow his bets, and he found it funny. This round, after the dealer called for no more bets, a different idea suddenly struck him. He placed a hand on the edge of the table, channeled his inner energy into his palm, and gave a slight push in the direction of the dice cup.

The table itself didn’t move at all, but his ears caught it clearly. The dice inside the cup rolled again.

The dealer lifted the cup. Huo Fenghua had bet wrong. Naturally, the two people who’d followed him also bet wrong.

But standing there, Huo Fenghua suddenly laughed. The two men beside him froze, baffled at how he could lose a single round and immediately go mad.

Huo Fenghua glanced at the table with a hint of regret. The dice weren’t interesting anymore. He turned to watch the next table over playing bone tiles. They were playing a small version of pai gow. After watching for a bit, he didn’t find it all that interesting either, so he left this gambling house and went to the other one on the street corner.

This one was even smaller. The liveliest table inside was playing fantan.

Huo Fenghua found it somewhat entertaining. Copper coins were piled together on the tabletop, and the banker would casually cover them with a bowl. It was hard to tell exactly how many had been covered. Huo Fenghua relied on luck for a few rounds, winning some and losing some, but in the end the stifling, dirty atmosphere became unbearable, and he left again.

Outside, he took a deep breath. The air that rushed into his nose was thick with the powdery, perfumed scent of the pleasure quarter. He thought about the gamblers inside. If they lost, that was one thing, but if they won, any silver they carried would probably end up donated right back to the brothels anyway. He shook his head and sighed, thinking maybe someday he ought to paste a notice at the gambling house door: Small bets are entertainment, big bets are harmful, and reckless gambling leads to ruin. Play a little and stop. Don’t get addicted.

As he was lost in these thoughts, a young man stopped in front of him, smiling. When Huo Fenghua didn’t respond for a long moment, the man finally spoke. “Brother Fenghua, we meet again.”

Huo Fenghua followed the voice and finally noticed who it was. He quickly clasped his hands in greeting. “Brother Lu? Why is it you?”

The young man was named Lu Shaocheng. His father was the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. Huo Fenghua had seen him two days ago at the Right Prime Minister’s Manor. He was also one of the drinking-and-pleasure crowd Huo Fenghua used to run with, the same circle as Wang Anzhi.

Lu Shaocheng had refined, handsome features. He looked Huo Fenghua up and down and said, “Brother Huo going in and out of gambling houses first thing in the morning. Seems life in the General’s Manor is getting more and more carefree for you?”

Huo Fenghua smiled. “With General Feng away, I can at least be carefree for a few days. What about you? Are you just leaving the pleasure quarter, or did you come here at dawn to meet a lover?”

Lu Shaocheng only smiled and didn’t answer.

Huo Fenghua hesitated inwardly, but kept smiling as he said, “While I’m still able to be carefree, why don’t we set a day to meet up with Brother Anzhi and the others?”

“Do you have something to do today, Brother Fenghua?” Lu Shaocheng asked.

“Not really,” Huo Fenghua replied. “What, are you saying we should meet today?”

Lu Shaocheng shook his head. “Not me. Someone asked me to invite you for a talk.”

“Oh?” Huo Fenghua’s heart tightened, but he leaned in with a playful grin. “What is it, some beauty?”

To his surprise, Lu Shaocheng laughed. “It is indeed a beauty. Are you free right now, Brother Fenghua?”

Huo Fenghua lifted his head and glanced at the narrow strip of sky above the alley of pleasure houses. When he lowered his gaze again, he smiled. “Free. How could I not be, when a beauty invites me? Come on, Brother Lu. Lead the way.”

Lu Shaocheng didn’t take him far. They crossed two streets to a restaurant. On the second floor, they entered a private room. The moment the door opened, Huo Fenghua saw a lavish spread of food and wine already set out.

A gorgeous woman sat by the table. Hearing the door, she immediately stood. She looked at Huo Fenghua, and after a moment her eyes reddened at the corners. Softly, she said, “Young Master Huo… Linglong can finally see you again.”

Huo Fenghua froze. The name Linglong sounded extremely familiar.

Linglong stepped closer, her beautiful eyes fixed on him as if tears were about to fall. “You don’t remember me?”

Huo Fenghua suddenly recalled it. Wang Anzhi had mentioned her once, the famous Linglong of Zuixiang Pavilion. He said, “Miss Linglong? Of course I do. Naturally I remember.”

At that, Linglong threw herself into his arms and clung to him tightly.

Huo Fenghua had lived two lifetimes and still had never been this intimately close with a young woman. In that instant, he didn’t feel anything suggestive. He only felt awkward all over. He wanted to push her away, but feared hurting her feelings, so he could only hold his hands stiffly at his sides and ask, “Miss Linglong, why did you ask to meet me here?”

“The one who asked you here isn’t Linglong. It’s someone else,” Lu Shaocheng said at Huo Fenghua’s side.

Huo Fenghua finally seized the chance. He steadied Linglong by the arms and gently eased her back a little, then asked Lu Shaocheng, “Who is it?”

Lu Shaocheng smiled. “Pan Yuanjun, the Right Prime Minister’s nephew. Don’t tell me you don’t remember him either.”

Huo Fenghua said, “I only remember Miss Linglong. I don’t remember anyone else.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than steady footsteps approached from outside. A tall young man reached the doorway, stepping in as he clasped his hands to Huo Fenghua. “Young Master Huo. It’s been a long time.”

Lu Shaocheng hurried to introduce him. “This is Deputy Commander Pan of Yujing’s Imperial Guard.”

Huo Fenghua quickly said, “So it’s Deputy Commander Pan. Long time no see, long time no see.”

Pan Yuanjun burst out laughing. “I just heard you say you don’t remember me.”

Huo Fenghua smiled. “Even if I don’t remember, we’re still friends. If Deputy Commander Pan says it’s been a long time, then it must be a long time.”

Pan Yuanjun patted his shoulder. “Young Master Huo, you’re an interesting one. Come on, why are you still standing? Sit. Let’s eat and talk.”

Lu Shaocheng ushered Huo Fenghua to sit at the round table. Linglong naturally sat close beside him.

Huo Fenghua studied Pan Yuanjun, thinking: he’s Wang Chu’s nephew, he wouldn’t invite me to eat for no reason. Could it be that Wang Anzhi really has fallen unconscious, and the Wang family wants to probe me for information about the General’s Manor? He remembered that night at Wang Chu’s birthday banquet, when Wang Anzhi had personally told him to act as their inside man within the General’s Manor.

Sure enough, Pan Yuanjun opened with, “Young Master Huo, you’ve suffered these days in the General’s Manor.”

Huo Fenghua lowered his gaze, gave a bitter smile, and didn’t respond.

Seeing his expression, Pan Yuanjun continued. “In the past, Young Master Huo’s romantic reputation in Yujing was well known. Even now, Miss Linglong still can’t get you out of her heart, willing to pay any price just to stay by your side. Yet you’ve been forced to wrong yourself, becoming Feng Tianzong’s male concubine.”

Huo Fenghua thought, This is where I should laugh awkwardly. So he looked up at Pan Yuanjun and did, indeed, laugh awkwardly.

Pan Yuanjun went on, “Feng Tianzong has an unusual temperament, preferring taking the back doors of men rather than being with women. Even if his martial skill is unmatched and he dominates the battlefield, when it’s written into the history books he’ll still be nothing but a joke. It’s just a pity, Young Master Huo.”

Huo Fenghua didn’t answer. He only poured Pan Yuanjun a cup of wine and said, “It’s rare to get a chance to come out and drink today. Let’s not talk about that.”

Pan Yuanjun took the cup, smiled, and said, “We still have to talk about it.”

Linglong suddenly threw herself into Huo Fenghua’s arms again, sobbing. “Some days ago, a wealthy household in the capital wanted to buy Linglong out of Zuixiang Pavilion. Linglong would rather die than agree. Later, thank goodness for Deputy Commander Pan. He redeemed me. Only then could Linglong meet Young Master Huo today.”

Pan Yuanjun raised his cup to Huo Fenghua. “The Miss Linglong you used to think about day and night will belong to Young Master Huo from now on.”

Huo Fenghua lifted his own cup and swirled it lightly in his hand. He leaned over and clinked cups with Pan Yuanjun. “What a generous gift. How could Fenghua dare accept it?”

Hearing that, Linglong clutched Huo Fenghua’s arm in panic. “Young Master Huo, you can’t refuse me.”

Pan Yuanjun drained his cup and then said, “Accept it. Not only must you accept, you must also take Linglong back to the General’s Manor. Say she’s a new maid you bought.”

Huo Fenghua gave a bitter smile. “Deputy Commander Pan is joking. The General’s Manor is tightly guarded. How could I have the ability to bring in a maid? Even getting myself out for a single trip isn’t easy.”

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way, Young Master Huo.” Pan Yuanjun set his cup down, picked up his chopsticks, and placed a piece of chicken into Huo Fenghua’s bowl. “Are you really willing to spend your whole life trapped in the General’s Manor like a bird in a cage? The world outside is vast with beauties everywhere. Why keep wronging yourself? Right now is an opportunity.”

Huo Fenghua pretended not to understand. “What opportunity, exactly?”

Pan Yuanjun leaned close to his ear and said softly, “As our inside man in the General’s Manor… when the day comes, it won’t just be a beauty. Whatever you want, the Right Prime Minister can give you everything.”

Huo Fenghua toyed with his empty cup, then looked up at Pan Yuanjun and asked, “What if I want to be the emperor of Xichou?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Pan Yuanjun went blank.

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