The sky gradually darkened, and the still-unveiled Good Sound Music Workshop was cloaked in darkness, lanterns unlit, looking nothing like a business about to open.
Yang Gong stood in front of his Zuing Music Workshop, staring at the building that had suddenly risen across the street, his heart sour with displeasure.
"Where’s the Fourth Prince? Why hasn’t he arrived? It’s almost the hour of Xu; send soone to hurry him along."
Yang Gong was naturally anxious; without the Fourth Prince holding court, the wealthy of the Imperial City would not likely patronize his place.
Little did he know that at that very mont, the Fourth Prince was anxiously waiting at the bedside.
When he heard Yang Gong had sent soone to urge him, he was so angry that he ordered the ssenger’s legs to be broken.
"Ridiculous! How annoying! Don’t they know I’m busy? Send a ssage to warn that Yang, stop bothering . If anyone else cos to bother , I’ll break their legs next!"
"Prince, your concubine’s stomach hurts." Li’s voice was weak as she lay on the bed.
The Fourth Prince angrily gave the doctor a kick as he cursed.
"Are you even skilled in dicine? You’ve been taking her pulse for a quarter of an hour already."
The doctor, looking distressed, carefully said, "Prince, the concubine’s constitution is naturally delicate; I dare not rush to conclusions without further consideration."
"Ah!"
The Fourth Prince sighed heavily and could only walk away quietly, praying that Li’s pulse signaled good news.
Monts later, the three doctors suddenly smiled in unison.
"Congratulations, Prince, and felicitations! The concubine is undoubtedly with child!"
"Hahaha! A child, that’s wonderful, I’m about to beco a father again, truly the heavens have opened their eyes!"
The Fourth Prince laughed heartily; he had waited long for this day, to see his vigor not faded.
"I, the Prince, command that the concubine be cared for with the finest ingredients and dicines; today the Prince Mansion shall celebrate with a grand reward!"
The overjoyed Fourth Prince did not care whether it was a boy or a girl; he was happy with any child.
Yet the doctor added with a beaming smile, "Prince, how fortunate you are, the concubine is carrying a boy, an event most joyful and congratulatory indeed."
"Bring people, reward these three doctors with 100 taels each!"
People are spirited when celebrating good fortune; the Fourth Prince was so happy that when it ca to rewards, he was anything but stingy.
After arranging matters at the Prince Mansion, the Fourth Prince walked out, feeling like he was basking in the spring breeze.
In front of the Zuing Music Workshop, Yang Gong watched as the Fourth Prince’s sedan approached, trembling with fear and not daring to step forward, the servant with broken legs beside him served as a constant reminder not to provoke the Fourth Prince.
Seeing Yang Gong not coming to greet him, the Fourth Prince expressed displeasure: "Hmm? Have you forgotten your manners today?"
Yang Gong imdiately approached with a servile attitude, his body shivering as he said, "Greetings to the Fourth Prince!"
This trembling deanour greatly annoyed the Fourth Prince. "What’s the matter? Has soone bullied you? You can’t even speak clearly?"
Just then, the Fourth Prince noticed the servant lying with broken legs at the side of Zuing Music Workshop and spoke sternly.
"Indeed, soone has bullied you. Who hurt you? Speak their na quickly, and I shall see justice done."
"Hmph, this very day, I accompanied you to the Qiqiao Festival. Did you not realize that your people are my people as well? Whoever hits you is hitting in the face!"
The Fourth Prince showed a rare mont of loyalty, all because his concubine at the Prince Mansion was pregnant, such joy invigorated him in everything he did.
Yang Gong glanced at the pitiful servant and then at the high and mighty Fourth Prince; he was simply at a loss for words.
"Hmm? You dare not say?" The Fourth Prince frowned slightly.
"Looking over the entire Imperial City, those who dare to cross probably haven’t even been born yet! Steward, go forward and ask!"
The butler stepped forward and glanced at the injured servant, his face imdiately losing all color.
"What?"
Seeing the butler’s horrified expression, the Fourth Prince also felt a tremor in his heart. Could it have been Your Majesty or Lin Yi who had acted?
Currently, in the grand Duyou, the only two people he could not afford to offend were them.
"Speak quickly, who did this!"
The butler imdiately stepped forward, stuttering as he said: "Reporting to the Prince, it was he who went to our Mansion to deliver a ssage, and then you ordered his legs to be broken."
"Nonsense!"
The Fourth Prince wished he could seal the butler’s mouth. In the presence of so many, did He, the Fourth Prince, not care about face?
If word got out that the Fourth Prince had broken a servant’s legs for no reason, what would that do to his dignity?
The Fourth Prince glared at the butler, his gaze then sweeping across the bystanders as he said sternly: "Who broke his legs, you! Say it again!"
Feeling the oppressive aura and the hint from the Fourth Prince, the butler imdiately changed his statent.
"Reporting to the Fourth Prince, I mistook him for soone else. I will go to the Governnt imdiately to ensure they investigate this matter thoroughly!"
Only upon hearing this did the Fourth Prince finally breathe a sigh of relief. The butler, who had been with him for a long ti, indeed knew how to handle such matters.
Reporting to the Governnt was for show to the public, at least convincing them of the Fourth Prince’s innocence. Uprightness fears no crooked shadow.
But whether or not the Governnt would actually investigate or what the outco would be, these details were not sothing the common folk would see.
To express his apology, the Fourth Prince imdiately said: "Leave this matter to the Governnt. Soone, fetch a few doctors, and see to it that his legs are healed."
Healing was impossible; the Fourth Prince had been furious when he gave the order, and his n had acted according to his level of anger, aning they had been rciless.
There was nothing that could be done; the ssage-delivering servant could only accept his bad luck.
Because of the Fourth Prince’s unpredictable temperant, Yang Gong beca especially cautious, fearful that he might be the next one to have his legs broken.
As dusk fell, the lights of the Good Sound Music Workshop across from the Zuing Music Workshop instantly shone brightly, as if by magic.
The Fourth Prince’s gaze was drawn to it, and he was very curious. He rembered that when he passed by during the day, it had been nothing but ruins.
"Whose establishnt is this?"
Faced with the Fourth Prince’s question, Yang Gong found it slightly awkward, managing to say with embarrassnt.
"I don’t know who it is opposite us, but they just ca by specifically to warn not to ddle in their affairs."
The Fourth Prince looked disdainfully at the building opposite, arrogantly saying: "Such superficial skills are hardly alarming. This Prince is in a good mood today and has no desire for violence; it’s getting late, lead inside!"
Yang Gong was slightly taken aback, looking puzzled at the Fourth Prince—it seed that his mood changed faster than flipping through a book; it did not look like his mood was good at all.
In the end, it was the butler who quietly inford everyone that there was a happy occasion at the Fourth Prince Mansion.
The reason the Fourth Prince was in such a hurry was entirely because there was a Zhen Ji in the Zuing Music Workshop who he had been incessantly thinking about.
He simply wanted to sample the delights before the guests arrived.
Once inside the Zuing Music Workshop, the Fourth Prince went straight to Zhen Ji’s private room, with Yang Gong trailing behind with sour grapes.
Looking at the Good Sound Music Workshop, Niange was entranced as she listened to the singing, the earth-shattering sound from the outside seeming unrelated to her, achieving a state of detachnt.
Everything in place, Lin Yi allowed Ying Yi and Bai Lu to open for business, while he sat himself in a separate office, observing everything.
The ti was just right, reaching the hour of Xu, when Bai Lu and Ying Yi opened the Good Sound Music Workshop; the dazzling moving lights left the people outside gaping.
...End of Chapter...
Reviews
All reviews (0)