Would You Like to Have a Drink

On the grand occasion of Emperor Yuan’s birthday, almost all the distinguished figures of the Imperial City were present.

 

All sorts of carriages were lined up on both sides of the palace gates, wealthy aristocrats, dressed in splendid attire, complimented each other, and young masters of aristocratic families gathered in groups of three or two. The arrival of any important personage attracted a lot of attention.

 

Bai Taining was standing and laughing with a few other aristocratic young masters.

 

“Speaking of which, why haven’t we seen that proton today?”

 

One of them asked, his smile carrying a hint of malice.

 

“Look at what you’re saying. Brother Bai gave him a hard time before; how could he get out of bed?”

 

About a dozen days ago, Bai Taining boasted to his group of fox and dog friends, vividly describing how he led several burly men to strip the clothes off the Crown Prince of Wei Country, who had come to his door, and publicly humiliated him in a scandalous scene.

 

(t/n: Fox friend and dog friend-disreputable gang; evil associates; bad friends; depraved company)

 

“High, Brother Bai is truly high!” After hearing the story, his fox and dog friends praised him in unison. Some even became interested and asked Bai Taining to bring them along next time to have a taste of the Crown Prince of Wei Country.

 

“Putting aside everything else, he is at least a crown prince. With his looks and figure, if he were put on Hualiu Street, he would surely be the top courtesan sought after by thousands.”

 

“That’s right, Brother Bai, you can’t keep it all to yourself. Next time there’s such a joyous occasion, you must call us to join.”

 

“Of course, of course. Next time there’s such a good opportunity, I will definitely not forget my brothers.”

 

They were all from the same circle, and the relationships between their families were deep. Bai Taining naturally couldn’t refuse, so he agreed with a smile, promising to bring them along for the fun.

 

Although they were all young masters, none of them sympathized with Ye Linghan.

 

If the Crown Prince of Wei Country were entirely innocent, they would naturally keep to themselves, and at most, if they were displeased, they would just beat him up. But since Ye Linghan had debased himself and insisted on engaging in such acts of ingratiating himself with the powerful, even offending Bai Taining, who was known for his cruel and despicable methods, then he had no one to blame but himself.

 

While they were laughing and joking, someone caught a glimpse of something from the corner of their eye and nudged Bai Taining with an elbow. “Brother Bai, look over there, isn’t that the proton from Wei Country?”

 

“Hmm?” Bai Taining turned to look.

 

He wasn’t surprised that Ye Linghan would come today.

 

For an event as significant as the Emperor’s birthday, the proton from Wei Country would have to crawl over unless he wanted to be accused of disrespecting the Great Yuan. Otherwise, if the Great Yuan used this as a pretext to wage war against Wei Country, Ye Linghan would become an eternal sinner of his former country. Of course, the Great Yuan had never bothered to look for a reason to start a war, they simply believed their fists were big enough to aspire to unify the world, hence they strike with an iron fist.

 

However, what Bai Taining did not expect was to see Ye Linghan beside the Third Prince.

 

The prince, with his eyes bound in white silk, stood on the carriage, dressed in a plain white robe that was well-tailored but ordinary, with only fine gold embroidery on the sleeves and hem. Even his belt was a low-key matching color, making him stand out awkwardly among the crowd dressed in official and ceremonial attire.

 

Next to him, the proton from Wei Country stood straight. If one did not pay close attention, it would be hard to notice the unnaturalness of his posture.

 

Bai Taining’s first reaction was surprise, followed by disdain.

 

Not to mention Ye Linghan, who couldn’t change his nature, what good would it do for the Third Prince to associate with him now? It’s like drawing water with a bamboo basket–a wasted effort.

 

Yet, as he stared at the two standing figures, he still felt a deep displeasure.

 

There’s a saying that a camel, even when starved, was still larger than a horse. The Third Prince, even if he had lost his memory and sight, still had his status, which was something Ye Linghan could only dream of reaching before. With just a few words, he could accomplish what Ye Linghan had been running around trying to achieve in his dreams.

 

Moreover, the Third Prince was known to be kind-hearted, and having been a proton in a foreign land himself, he might soften his heart and ask the Emperor to let Ye Linghan return to his country.

 

Bai Taining had wanted to bring his fox and dog friends to play again, but now that Ye Linghan had clung to the Third Prince’s coattails, even if the latter was no longer favored by the Emperor, he still held real power. Not to mention Bai Taining, even his father, the Ting Wei, would have to show respect to His Highness.

 

So, he had to swallow his anger for the time being.

 

“Who knows? Maybe after playing once, he discovered some unknown preference of his own and managed to climb another high branch.”

 

Bai Taining was annoyed, and his words became increasingly unfiltered. “Despite being the eldest prince, the Third Prince has never shown any intention of taking a wife or concubines over the years. I didn’t expect him to like this type.”

 

“But putting that aside, that person surnamed Ye is indeed exceptionally talented, and the Third Highness must be quite satisfied.”

 

Swisshh—

 

The next second, a dark shadow struck from a tricky angle with the speed of lightning.

 

Bai Taining had no time to react, nor did any of the guards or young masters around him notice, until a long gash from a horsewhip appeared on Bai Taining’s face, and he cried out in pain, only then did everyone come to their senses.

 

“Ahh ahh ahhh, there’s, there’s an assassin!” Bai Taining screamed in pain.

 

In the darkness, a lazy voice said, “How is it that this King, was not aware that the young master of the Ting Wei’s family was so presumptuous?”

 

This whip was like the ones used by Zhong Hongjiu to play with, it was a genuine military horsewhip. With one lash, half of Bai Taining’s face was torn open, it was a gruesome sight.

 

It’s the King of Beining!

 

Everyone around was taken aback. Even the victim, Bai Taining, was immediately silenced as if his throat had been grabbed.

 

Yu Beizhou wore an inscrutable smile that sent chills down people’s spines. “The Third Prince that died at Hangu Pass, has been conferred as the Crown Prince by the current Emperor. Young Master Bai, such fabrications, if they reach the Emperor’s ears, I’m afraid it won’t be good for you.”

 

After all, the Emperor had not yet spoken. The news of the Third Prince’s return was still slowly fermenting and spreading among the people in an unspoken understanding.