Chapter 178 — A Night's Lodging

At some point He Yu had already collapsed drunkenly beside the table. Only Wei Fan remained, sitting there alone with a vacant stare, giggling foolishly to himself—anyone could tell at a glance that he had drunk himself muddle-headed.

In the silent night, the murmuring flow of the canal could be heard.

What was he to do?

This was plainly a plot against Wei Fan.

Agree to Ji Yong, and he would offend Gu Yu.

Refuse Ji Yong—and would Ji Yong let him off?

Zhao Zishu hesitated, unable to step forward. Ji Yong's cold laugh came to his ear.

Better to deal with the situation at hand first and worry about the rest later.

Zhao Zishu steeled herself, walked over, and helped up the dazed Wei Fan...

In the waterside pavilion only Ji Yong and the sleeping He Yu remained.

Ji Yong lay sprawled on the felt carpet, limbs flung wide.

In the deep blue sky the moon was bright and the stars few.

Tomorrow would surely be fine weather.

Once word spread through the capital that Wei Fan had a taste for men, Dou Yan would certainly be furious.

And then Dou Ji would give Wei Fan the boot!

Let us see how Wei Fan goes about copying others and drinking at pleasure houses then!

At this thought, Ji Yong's spirits soared.

A wave of weariness came over him.

He had busied himself half the night; though he had got Wei Fan drunk, he himself had drunk no little either. With his mind now at ease, his whole body relaxed, and he could not help yawning before he settled down beside He Yu and fell asleep.

Half in a daze, Ji Yong was woken by a clamor of voices.

Perhaps because his mind still dwelled on whether the business with Wei Fan had succeeded, he sat bolt upright with a start.

The sky had already paled; through the half-screening green trees, the screen wall could be seen from the waterside pavilion.

A disciplined company of guards in blue stood before the screen wall, flanking two youths.

They were too far off for Ji Yong to make out the youths' features, but he could sense that they came with ill intent.

Zhao Zishu's steward was roughly shoved before the two youths. Trembling, he knelt and was hauled back up, then led the group, cringing and terrified, toward the rooms where Zhao Zishu lodged—plainly they meant to make trouble for Zhao Zishu.

Among yesterday's guests had been Gu Yu and Wang Yu, and himself and He Yu as well—who had the nerve to come and spoil their pleasure?

A sense of foreboding rose in Ji Yong.

He slapped He Yu's cheek. "Wake up, quick—something serious has happened!"

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Xia Lian, ahead of Song Yan, flung open the door of Zhao Zishu's inner chamber with a sharp crack.

The dim room was heavy with the rich scent of ambergris.

Zhao Zishu sat up in fright from the bed.

"Who is it?" he cried in a low voice. His bare body was slender as a willow, white as jade, with a frail, pitiable delicacy.

Xia Lian hastily lowered her head.

Song Yan at once caught sight of Wei Fan, snoring soundly as he lay beside Zhao Zishu.

His face turned ashen, and he ordered Xia Lian, "Go fetch a basin of cold water and wake the Marquis of Jining."

Xia Lian answered and went.

Behind Song Yan flashed Gu Yu's lovely face.

Zhao Zishu turned pale with fright.

Gu Yu's people. They had come looking...

He scrambled into his clothes in a panic.

But his fingers were stiff and trembling, refusing to obey him.

Xia Lian had already poured a basin of cold water over Wei Fan's head.

Wei Fan mumbled, rolled over, licked his lips, and went on sleeping.

Yet his hand had come to rest on Zhao Zishu's body.

Zhao Zishu wished she could die.

A sudden, savage edge crept into Song Yan's eyes and brows.

In a low, hard voice he called to Xia Lian, "Go fetch a few more basins of cold water."

Xia Lian did not dare delay; basin after basin of water he poured over Wei Fan's head.

With a cry of "Ah!", Wei Fan sat bolt upright, blinked his eyes open in a haze, and saw Song Yan.

"Young Lord Song!" He blinked, utterly at a loss. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" Song Yan laughed in sheer fury. "I was about to ask you the same thing—what are you doing here?"

Wei Fan instinctively cast a glance around him.

He and that Zhao Zishu, prettier than any woman, were sharing a single quilt... and at the head of the bed hung a scarlet sweat-cloth...

With a startled cry he flung the quilt aside.

He saw that he was stark naked...

"This—this... what is the meaning of this?" Wei Fan stared at Song Yan like a wooden rooster, his voice gone strange.

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To all the sisters and brothers reading along: the holidays are here, and I will be posting extra chapters in the evenings. I can't say for certain when, so it's safest to check tomorrow morning when you get up!

(*^__^*) Hee hee...

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