Song Pu had absolutely no idea that the Dog Emperor already knew he had gone to a brothel. In truth, even if he had known, he would not have cared much. Even a superior had no right to interfere in someone’s private life.
At this moment he had already finished an entire jug of wine. He let out a loud burp, his dark eyes moist and glittering.“See? I finished a whole jug!”
Chang Jiangming and Xie Nuoyu immediately burst into applause.
“Amazing!” Chang Jiangming exclaimed. “Who knew Ah-Pu could drink so much? You must have been secretly practising at home, right?”
Song Pu looked so pleased he might as well have grown a tail. “Practising? Of course not! It’s natural talent! I’ve got the ‘A Thousand Cups Without Getting Drunk’ gene in my blood!”
However, that jug had already left his head spinning. He knew being drunk could easily lead to trouble, and he began to hesitate.
His bright eyes slid over Chang Jiangming and Xie Nuoyu, and a sly smile curled at the corner of his mouth. “Why am I the only one drinking? Come on, you two drink as well!”
With that, he grabbed the wine jug in front of him and began pouring for both of them.
Chang Jiangming quickly pressed a hand over the rim of his cup, trying to limit the amount.
“My tolerance is terrible,” he protested. “Last time, with His Majesty’s Chun Ri Zui wine, I couldn’t even handle two cups. This stuff seems even stronger. Ah-Pu, pour less. I really can’t drink much.”
Song Pu waved him off. “How do you know you can’t if you haven’t tried? Drink!”
Seeing the cup filled to the brim, Chang Jiangming grimaced. “I really can’t!”
Song Pu replied sternly, “A man must never say he can’t.”
Chang Jiangming immediately changed his wording. “Then don’t! Don’t pour it!”
Song Pu grinned wickedly. “I will! Even if you scream your lungs out, no one will come to save you!”
Chang Jiangming: “……”
He and Xie Nuoyu exchanged a glance. Both strongly suspected Song Pu was already drunk.
But Song Pu’s eyes were still fairly clear, and his speech was perfectly coherent, so they could not be certain.
Chang Jiangming had no choice but to tilt his head back and drink the cup. After one mouthful, his face instantly flushed bright red. Xie Nuoyu was also forced to drink a cup and reacted exactly the same way.
The pretty girl sitting nearby was speechless.
She had never expected there were actually people who came to a brothel purely to drink. And such expensive wine at that!
Feeling a trace of sympathy, she quietly placed the remaining jug back on the maid’s tray. Otherwise they might drink themselves unconscious and she would have to arrange for them to be carried home.
In the end, two jugs were more than enough to knock them out.
They did not even manage to settle the full bill. The proprietress of Zuichun Pavilion saw that they were richly dressed young masters and allowed them to put the rest on credit, even sending servants to escort them home.
But because of this, the entire Duke’s household soon learned that Song Pu had gone drinking at a brothel.
Song Pu’s mother rushed over in anger to see him. Yet when she found him so drunk he could hardly speak, her anger quickly turned into heartache.
Later, on the way back, she mentioned the matter to Duke Song.
“Ah-Pu is already seventeen. Boys his age often have children of their own. Yet look at him. Drunk like this, with not even a proper attendant by his side.”
The Duke sighed helplessly. “There’s no need to rush. Ah-Pu currently enjoys a bit of favour before His Majesty. If matters become urgent, we could always request His Majesty to bestow a marriage.”
Madam Song’s beautiful eyes filled with worry. “You make it sound so simple. A bestowed marriage? I would thank Heaven if His Majesty simply refrained from interfering in Ah-Pu’s marriage.”
The Duke chuckled awkwardly. “Why would His Majesty interfere with Ah-Pu’s marriage? You’re overthinking it.”
Madam Song told herself she was indeed worrying too much. Yet for some reason she could not shake the uneasy feeling that if her youngest son’s marriage was not settled soon, it might never be settled at all.
The couple spoke for quite some time. Just as they were about to retire for the night, Madam Song’s personal maid Yin Jiao suddenly knocked hurriedly on the door.
“Madam! Master! His Majesty the Emperor has arrived! He is waiting in the main hall!”
Both husband and wife froze in shock before hastily getting up to dress. Madam Song helped her husband fasten his robes.
“His Majesty must have urgent business with you. As a woman of the inner quarters, it would not be appropriate for me to appear. You should go.”
The Duke nodded. Once properly dressed, he hurried to the main hall.
Tantai Yi stood there with a dark expression. His mood was clearly terrible.
Cao Xi, standing beside him in attendance, was drenched in sweat. He still could not understand this sudden visit, and secretly wondered—
Could it be that His Majesty simply could not bear to be separated from Lord Song for even a single day?
If that were true…
Cao Xi could not help feeling a trace of envy.
Duke Song entered the hall and saw the emperor’s displeased expression. Growing even more cautious, he bowed respectfully.
“May I ask what urgent matter has brought Your Majesty here in person?”
Tantai Yi curled his lips faintly. “If it were not urgent, would I be unable to visit the Duke’s residence?”
The Duke coughed awkwardly. “All land beneath Heaven belongs to the Son of Heaven. Your Majesty may of course come and go as you please. I misspoke earlier. Please forgive me.”
Tantai Yi stared intently at him. “Lord Song said something similar before. Duke Song has certainly raised his son well.”
The Duke replied modestly.
“My youngest son is still young, lacking in scholarship, and simple-hearted. He’s almost like a child. I have not taught him much, allowing him to grow as he pleases. If anything, that may be my failing.”
He already suspected the emperor had come because of his youngest son, so he subtly began apologising in advance.
Tantai Yi’s expression seemed to improve slightly.
“What fault could Duke Song possibly have? Lord Song is precisely Lord Song because of this nature. If he were bound by rigid rules and lost that carefree innocence, I might have grown tired of him from the very beginning.”
Then his expression suddenly hardened.
“However, as a father, there are matters that must be strictly disciplined. I had no idea that visiting brothels was something to be proud of.”
The Duke blinked in confusion. “…What?”
At his age, it was rare for him to be so stunned.
Tantai Yi sneered. “I also heard that Lord Song had to be escorted home by people from the brothel. It seems he was enjoying himself so thoroughly that he forgot what day it was!”
The Duke: “……”
He was completely bewildered. Surely the emperor had not come here over his son drinking at a brothel?
Impossible.
Yet the more Tantai Yi spoke, the darker his expression became. Golden flames of anger seemed to burn within his eyes.
“If Duke Song will not fulfil his duty as a father, then I shall discipline him myself!”
With that, he turned to a maid. “Take me to Lord Song’s residence.”
The maid froze and looked helplessly at the Duke.
The Duke cleared his throat. “Your Majesty… my youngest son is currently unconscious from drink. Perhaps another day—”
Tantai Yi’s gaze turned icy. His chest rose and fell slightly with agitation.
“Unconscious from drink? Excellent. Truly living in drunken abandon. It seems that after I left for the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Lord Song’s thoughts have grown rather lively. All those things he said to me before were lies. I must ask him—today he goes drinking in brothels, tomorrow will he start taking wives and concubines as well? Does he still place me in his eyes at all?!”
The Duke: “……”
What does my son marrying have to do with you?!
Despite the chaos in his mind, he could only follow the emperor’s reasoning aloud. “In that case… if Your Majesty wishes to see him, then please do.”
Tantai Yi clasped his hands behind his back and strode towards Song Pu’s courtyard with imposing authority.
When they entered the courtyard and he saw Qingmei, his gaze turned cold.
“I had no idea the Duke’s household maintained such a style. So many women around him. Are you worried Lord Song’s constitution is too robust?”
The Duke replied numbly. “Your Majesty may not know this, but my youngest son is extremely self-disciplined. The old matriarch once tried to assign him several pretty maids, but he refused them all, keeping only one to attend his daily needs.”
There were not “so many women” at all.
Tantai Yi looked Qingmei up and down with harsh scrutiny. She trembled so badly she nearly burst into tears.
Fortunately, he seemed to accept the explanation.
“Even one maid is too many. Lord Song is smooth-tongued; there is no shortage of women eager to throw themselves at such men. Duke Song, deal with this maid as you see fit. She must not remain by Lord Song’s side.”
The Duke: “……”
Qingmei finally burst into tears.
But Tantai Yi had already lost interest in her and stepped straight into Song Pu’s room.
The room still smelled faintly of wine. Qingmei had already helped Song Pu bathe, change clothes, and drink hangover soup, but he had drunk far too much. The medicine had little effect. He was still drunk, lying on the bed and mumbling in his sleep.
Tantai Yi pulled back the bed curtain and looked down at him. Seeing that he was truly insensible with drink only made the anger in his eyes burn hotter. He reached out and gripped Song Pu’s chin.
“Lord Song,” he said softly, “do you still recognise me?”
Song Pu smacked his lips and lazily swatted his hand away.
Duke Song felt cold sweat break out. “Your Majesty, my youngest son truly cannot speak at the moment. Perhaps another day he can apologise properly—”
Tantai Yi sneered. “It seems Lord Song is indeed enjoying himself immensely. Just smell the alcohol on him.”
He tightened his grip. Within moments, the pain forced Song Pu awake.
Song Pu’s eyes were still hazy with drink. When he finally saw who was in front of him, he mumbled a single phrase that fell like a thunderbolt—
“Dog Emperor.”
Author’s Note:
Quoting a comment from (KissKiss) in the comments section:
Ah-Gou: Have you decided how you want to die?
