Chapter 11 Outstanding Disciple of the Male Virtues Class

“I am kindly advising you now. If you don’t heed my advice, I can naturally speak to the mistress behind you. Then, without me having to lift a finger, someone will naturally take care of you for me.”

Only then did these men finally abandon their intentions and leave dejectedly.

The small courtyard returned to its usual tranquility, but Qiu Qiushuang still looked displeased, glaring fiercely at those scantily clad men.

“Cousin, do you know who sent these people?”

Qiu Qiushuang withdrew his gaze and wrote in Qiu Shuzhi’s hand: Jiang Si.

Qiu Shuzhi slightly furrowed her brows. It was actually her again.

Last time during the lake outing, Jiang Si had tried to place people by Qiu Shuzhi’s side. Unexpectedly, after failing once, there was now a second attempt.

Although Qiu Shuzhi had now overtly aligned with the Qin faction, she had no real connection to Jiang Si. Was there a need for Jiang Si to repeatedly test her like this?

Qiu Qiushuang’s finger paused in Qiu Shuzhi’s palm and gently tapped.

“What’s wrong?” Qiu Shuzhi saw that he didn’t look too well.

Qiu Qiushuang hesitantly gestured: “Those men came from brothels… unclean… don’t take a liking to them, don’t accept them… and don’t in the future either, okay?”

“Of course.” Qiu Shuzhi laughed, knowing he was concerned about her.

She was not a licentious person. Rather than indulging in romance, she wanted to make a name for herself in this world.

Qiu Qiushuang quietly let out a sigh of relief.

—

Inside the Zhao Prison, agonized wails on the brink of death emanated from the dark cells. Filthy rats and ants peered from damp corners, as if countless ghostly eyes were staring at everything in this human hell.

Wang Qing, covered in blood, collapsed on a pile of straw, barely breathing. Blood flowed down from her wounds, startling a swarm of cockroaches and vermin to crawl out from the cracks and cling to her horrific injuries, greedily lapping up the blood.

A dark shadow stopped before her. In the flickering firelight, the shadow appeared as sinister as a vicious demon crawling out from hell.

Wang Qing’s eyes widened in terror as she retreated, constantly pleading: “Your Highness, I won’t dare anymore, I won’t dare. Please spare me!”

A mocking, cold snort echoed eerily in the silent Zhao Prison. Yue Guanyi’s eyes flashed with chilling fury as he pressed his foot on her face, viciously saying: “It was this very mouth of yours that nearly ruined her reputation and destroyed her honor.”

Wang Qing’s face was ruthlessly ground into the dirt. This cell had seen too many deaths; even the soil was mixed with human blood and flesh. The rancid stench of decay, coupled with the dread Yue Guanyi inflicted, made her entire body ice-cold and trembling.

His beloved Shuzhi was so virtuous, a bright moon in the heavens, yet she was humiliated by these filthy, lowly insects. How could he swallow this anger?

His eyes gleamed with a cold, sharp light that seemed to carve into her flesh like blades, as if wanting to wring out her blood, snap her bones, and grind her flesh to pulp.

Wang Qing envied how Qiu Shuzhi had risen through the ranks. Within just a few months of entering officialdom, Qiu Shuzhi had achieved a position Wang Qing could never attain in her lifetime. Blinded by jealousy, Wang Qing fabricated those rumors, hoping to drag Qiu Shuzhi down from her lofty perch. Little did she know this envy would also seal her own fate.

Her body shook. After a round of torture by the terrifying methods of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, she didn’t have long to live. She was still breathing, but already a dead husk.

Yue Guanyi coldly withdrew his foot, grinding it heavily on the ground as if it had touched something filthy.

Chang’an drew his blade. “Your Highness, do you want to finish her off now?”

“No need!” Yue Guanyi’s cold eyes flashed. His incomparably handsome face appeared as frigid as a demon wearing human skin in the gloomy Zhao Prison. “Let her slowly await death here.”

Chang’an sheathed his blade, seemingly accustomed to Yue Guanyi’s cruelty. Those who entered Zhao Prison never emerged intact – if not dead, at least skinned.

Yue Guanyi slowly walked out of Zhao Prison, passing cells each containing a mangled, blood-soaked human form, all tortured beyond recognition.

Yue Guanyi wiped the blood from his hands with a handkerchief, his expression unchanging. “Are there still people in the court gossiping behind Madam Qiu’s back?”

“Not anymore. That group is behaving quite meekly now.”

They were all shrewd characters. Ever since Wang Qing entered Zhao Prison, they immediately went silent as chickens. After all, Yue Guanyi had a notorious reputation; offending him meant being not far from death.

Yue Guanyi took a seat, his fingers lightly tapping the table. After a long while, he asked: “Any news from Madam Qiu’s side?”

Chang’an thought to himself, if Your Highness truly cared about Madam Qiu, you should go find her yourself instead of always sending people to secretly monitor her. What kind of approach is that?

Do you know that ever since Madam Qiu took office as the Capital Governor, wealthy families throughout the capital have been desperately trying to send their sons to her residence? If you don’t make a move soon, her courtyard will be full!

But despite his silent complaint, Chang’an replied truthfully.

“Recently, officials frequently send gifts to Madam Qiu’s residence. Among them, Lady Jiang Si has been the most excessive. To win over Madam Qiu, she has spared no effort in stuffing well-trained young men into her residence.”

Yue Guanyi’s eyes flashed with a cold light, his knuckles rapping on the armrest, his entire being exuding sharpness.

Seeing his ill expression, Chang’an hastily added: “But Madam Qiu did not accept them. Instead, she chased them all away.”

Yue Guanyi’s face was frosty, his low voice laced with venom: “Frivolous and vulgar.”

Chang’an repeatedly agreed: “Yes, yes, they are all frivolous and vulgar. With Madam Qiu’s refined scholarly character, she surely looks down on such men.”

But unexpectedly, Yue Guanyi clenched his fist and smashed it on the table, his eyes flashing with icy fury: “Jiang Si actually sent those creatures raised in pleasure houses to her. Those lowly things have passed through who knows how many women’s hands.”

“Indeed, these so-called ‘pure’ young men are in fact just playthings to serve women. Someone as elegant as Madam Qiu would find them filthy to even touch.” Chang’an, detecting the jealousy in Yue Guanyi’s words, hastily echoed his sentiments.

Chang’an estimated that with Jiang Si’s audacity in sending men to Qiu Shuzhi’s residence, Yue Guanyi surely couldn’t sit still any longer.

At the very least, he should put Jiang Si in her place and give those young men a taste of suffering.

After all, Yue Guanyi adored Qiu Shuzhi so much that he would gladly rip out his own heart to give to her.

Now with men appearing by his beloved’s side, even ordinary men absolutely could not tolerate it, let alone him, the Eldest Prince.

Yue Guanyi’s pale yet devastatingly beautiful face in the gloomy Zhao Prison resembled a gorgeously poisonous flower blooming from bones.

Just as Chang’an was expecting Yue Guanyi to issue a vicious order, he heard Yue Guanyi say after a long silence: “Go select a few men from ordinary families with clean backgrounds and gentle temperaments, and send them to Madam Qiu.”

“Huh?” Chang’an’s mind couldn’t process it for a moment. He had already sharpened his killing blade, and this was it?

Yue Guanyi’s long lashes cast a light cyan shadow under his eyes. “Those men dirtied by others won’t catch her eye. At least these men from clean families can warm her bed and provide some amusement to relieve her boredom.”

Chang’an’s eyes widened. So it turned out Your Highness wasn’t angry that Jiang Si sent men to Madam Qiu’s residence, but angry that the men Jiang Si sent were unclean?

Madam Qiu had already dismissed those men herself, yet you’re still eagerly sending her even more and better men?

For a moment, Chang’an didn’t know if it was Yue Guanyi’s mind that had a problem or his own.

But Yue Guanyi did not have Chang’an’s convoluted thoughts.

After so many years, Qiu Shuzhi had finally reappeared by his side. He was so elated that he had actually forgotten she had gone for many years without taking a husband, with only a close male cousin by her side and no other men.

He was both overjoyed and concerned for Qiu Shuzhi.

He was happy because for many years Qiu Shuzhi had no other men by her side, allowing him to continue his shamelessly brazen daydreams, fantasizing that one day he could become her bedmate. Just being a bedmate would suffice; he never dared hope Qiu Shuzhi would properly marry him. Even being a concubine without official status would be enough.

On the other hand, he felt ashamed of his own background. He cursed those young men from brothels as lowly, but was he any different? By insulting those pleasure servants, he was also reminding himself not to have presumptuous thoughts he shouldn’t have. He would never be worthy of his Lady Qiu.

He just wanted to quietly help her from the shadows. Whatever she wanted, he would do his utmost to deliver it to her hands.

She was already of age. How could a woman not have an attentive man by her side? Naturally, he had to seek out the best and most virtuous men to send to her. Even if they couldn’t catch her eye, at least they could massage her shoulders and sing her songs when she was tired.

Chang’an inwardly sighed. Who knew what spell his master was under? A dignified prince had degraded himself to the dust.

After all, this was the master he had followed for many years. Chang’an felt distressed but didn’t know how to persuade him. Men entangled in romance were always obsessive and crazy, unable to extricate themselves by their own power.

Chang’an could only silently pin his hopes on the oblivious Qiu Shuzhi, hoping that in the future when Qiu Shuzhi learned of his master’s feelings for her, she would not let him down.

That day, the sons from good families ‘carefully selected’ by Yue Guanyi were uniformly stuffed into a carriage and delivered as a package to the Qiu residence.

Qiu Qiushuang had just finished washing the dishes when he opened the door and saw several dolled-up youths timidly looking at him.

One batch had just been sent away, and now another batch arrived in a different style. Qiu Qiushuang’s painstakingly adjusted state of mind crumbled.

Before Qiu Qiushuang could get angry, Qiu Shuzhi hurried out. Seeing Chang’an sitting on the carriage, she was surprised. “His Highness sent you to deliver them?”

Chang’an grunted in affirmation.

She found it a bit hard to believe. The always lofty and frigid Yue Guanyi would actually do something like this too?

Seeing Qiu Shuzhi’s lack of reaction, Chang’an grew anxious and started speaking on behalf of his master. “His Highness heard that Lady Jiang was sending male courtesans to your residence, so he specifically ordered me to bring these men. But they are not from brothels; they are all from decent families with clean backgrounds.”

Qiu Shuzhi quickly said, “That is indeed the case, but I have no connection with Lady Jiang. The people she sent were all dismissed by me.”

Seeing that Qiu Shuzhi didn’t understand the implication in his words, Chang’an became a bit agitated. This Madam Qiu was usually so clever and astute, so why was she so obtuse when it came to romance?

He could only seize the opportunity to say, “You should go tell these words to His Highness in person.”

Qiu Shuzhi nodded solemnly. “Alright. Is His Highness currently at the mountain resort?”

She definitely did not want Yue Guanyi to misunderstand that besides bouncing back and forth between the Yue and Qin factions, she also had unclear ties with the forces of the King of Dian.

“His Highness is still in Zhao Prison at the moment. If you truly wish to see His Highness, come wait with me at the mountain resort.”

“Very well.” Qiu Shuzhi nodded in agreement. Glancing at the men who looked like startled rabbits beside her, she said, “Bring them along too.”