chapter 60

Chapter 60: Settling the Bet

Their attempt to hide the truth only made it more evident.

They awkwardly pocketed the papers, stood up with embarrassed smiles, and draped an arm over Shen He's shoulder, "Why's your face red? Xiao He, when did you get here? Look at you, all sweaty."

Shen He smirked, "The mark is from slapping a mosquito. You guys were so engrossed in your discussion, you didn’t even notice me coming to find you."

Liu Zheng gestured for Shen He to sit and examined his chin closely, "Is the wound deep? What did the royal physician say? Will it scar?"

"It's shallow, it won't scar," Shen He felt indifferent about a scar, but he knew many took facial scars very seriously.

He gently touched it; while it was a bit painful when it scabbed over yesterday, today it felt completely fine.

Shen He said, "Brother, there's no need to worry so much. I'm not a fool. Why would I let anyone take advantage of me?"

One after another, they acted as if they wanted to shield him from the world completely.

He reassured them, "Besides, I spend most of the year living in the Eastern Palace. I hardly encounter these people. What could possibly go wrong?"

Shen He thought to himself: Surely, they wouldn't be audacious enough to cross him, the royal's right-hand man, once the prince ascends the throne?

Liu Zheng and the others frowned, "Weren't you planning to move out of the Eastern Palace?"

Upon saying this, Liu Zheng covered his face with his hand.

Zheng Xue cast a silent glance at Liu Zheng and sighed in resignation.

They've hit a sore spot, it seems.

Shen He's eyes sparkled instantly, seemingly unaffected by the heat. He fixed his gaze on Liu Zheng, chuckling, "Brother, that's exactly why I'm here today! I meant to discuss this with the three of you at my birthday feast, but you all vanished."

Folding his arms smugly, Shen He declared, "There's no rush for me to move out of the Eastern Palace now. I won our bet! The crown prince isn't planning to get married yet, and there's no talk of an engagement. So, all three of you lost, and now you have to dress in women's clothes!"

His triumphant eyebrows looked like they might just fly off his face. His lips curled upward, his entire expression bursting with barely-contained excitement.

Qi Yanbing used a fan to cover his face.

After yesterday's incident, they had almost forgotten about this bet.

Heaven knows that in the past few days, they were all plotting to avoid Shen He.

Yet today, they ran right into him.

Arms crossed, Shen He declared spiritedly, "No going back on the bet! I have to decide which elder you'll be introduced to."

Shen He cheerfully suggested, "It's best to get this cross-dressing over with sooner rather than later. Cousin, why don’t we start with you? Hehe."

Liu Zheng: "..."

Not wanting the focus on himself, Qi Yanbing eagerly agreed, "Excellent! Let's start with Liu Zheng!"

Zheng Xue inquired, "Have you found the women's clothes yet?" Clearly implying that if Shen He hadn't, he'd be eager to find some for Liu Zheng.

Liu Zheng exclaimed indignantly, "The two of you!" Truly the epitome of mischievous friends!

Qi Yanbing attempted to sway the situation: "Brother, instead of all of us dressing up at once, why not spread it out? Liu Zheng can wear the outfit today, and after a few days, Zheng Xue and I can take our turn. It'd be more gradual and enjoyable, don't you think?"

Shen He was not having it. With a gleam in his eye, he replied, "I've already prepared the outfits. I've brought three dresses with me today! There's no need for such complications. All three of you can dress up together; you can even keep each other company!"

Qi Yanbing and Zheng Xue were speechless: "..."

Liu Zheng chuckled softly, "Shen He has a point. The three of us together would indeed make for good company."

Shen He led the trio out of the academy like a whirlwind.

Especially for today, he had arranged for a spacious carriage, allowing them ample space to change their clothes.

He handed out the outfits and, with a gleam of mischief in his eyes, squatted outside the carriage curtain, "Brothers, I also got some makeup. Zhong Yan knows how to apply it. Once you're done changing, he can help with the makeup. Maybe no one will even recognize you!"

Inside the carriage, all three gentlemen were noticeably silent.

The occasional rustling was interrupted by Qi Yanbing's muffled voice, "Isn't this dress a bit too tight? It's snug around me; I can barely fasten the waistband!"

Shen He justified his choice, "It fits! I consulted the crown prince. He mentioned that having custom dresses made for a one-time event would be wasteful. So, I borrowed these dresses from the more robust maidens of the Eastern Palace."

Sneakily lifting a corner of the curtain, Shen He peeked inside, whispering, "Do you need any help?"

Upon hearing the question, Liu Zheng responded in a hushed voice, "No need, we're dressed."

Shen He immediately turned to look and almost burst out laughing!

Three usually elegant and refined young masters from noble families were now donned in women's dresses. What would typically be loose on a lady seemed tight on them. The sleeves and hems were comically short, exposing their wrists and ankles.

All three were still wearing their boots, with Qi Yanbing using a fan to cover his face.

It was truly a case of "all dressed up and nowhere to go"!

If they had known, they would never have agreed to this bet!

While the child wasn't ridiculed, their amusing situation would become a joke for years to come.

Qi Yanbing tried to negotiate with Shen He, "Shen He, let's choose a secluded place, preferably without elder family members present. It'd be a shame to give anyone a fright. How about we simply parade in front of our own mothers to fulfill the bet? What do you think?"

Shen He wasn't falling for it!

He reassured, "Brother, don't worry. We'll shield your face on our way in, revealing it only in front of our elders. You won’t be embarrassed in front of outsiders. Besides, I haven't met the Princess Consort of Prince Heng yet. Today is a perfect occasion to pay her a visit. How wonderful!"

Shen He was well aware that of all things, Qi Yanbing feared embarrassing himself in front of his grandfather the most. However, the person he least wanted to make a fool of himself in front of was definitely his grandmother.

Shen He was brimming with mischief.

He suggested, "You can meet your grandmother, cousin can see his maternal grandmother... Actually, let's have cousin meet his paternal grandmother. Brother Zheng Xue, you can meet your mother."

While the other two wanted to argue for a change of choice, only Zheng Xue remained calm.

He nodded slightly, "Agreed."

No matter how hard Shen He thought, he couldn't come up with someone who would make Zheng Xue especially embarrassed.

Zheng Xue’s elders always seemed very indulgent and tolerant towards him.

As for his young cousin, initially, Shen He thought of introducing him to his aunt. But given her temperament, it's better to avoid making jokes around her. It might be more fun to tease the paternal grandmother instead.

All three were dressed in standard teal court lady dresses.

Zhong Yan entered the carriage to style their hair into simple buns, adding hairpins and a pearl flower on the side, followed by a touch of rouge and face powder.

Zhong Yan struggled to maintain his composure, reminding himself these were noble young masters, and he mustn't laugh.

After finishing their makeup, only Shen He's head remained visible in the carriage.

Peeking from the curtain, he couldn't hide his amusement, "Hahaha! Brothers, I must say, with your handsome features, you all look surprisingly attractive in these dresses! Hahaha!"

Observing them, Shen He thought how regrettable it would be not to capture this moment in a sketch.

Zheng Xue studied the other two. Qi Yanbing, being more robust, looked the most peculiar in female attire. Yet, he indeed had commendable features.

Those of royal descent typically boasted good looks, and Qi Yanbing was a prime example.

In male attire, he was a dashing young man, exuding charm that could captivate many.

But in female clothing, with a touch of makeup softening his features, he resembled a beautiful lady, strong yet with particularly expressive and passionate eyes.

Liu Zheng, being slimmer, gave off the impression of a refined and scholarly maiden when dressed up.

Inside the carriage, the least out of place in women's attire was surprisingly Zheng Xuezhe.

When he lowered his gaze, his tranquil appearance resembled a maiden with a somewhat aloof temperament.

Even when clearly dressed as a man, there wasn't a hint of femininity on his face.

Shen He exclaimed, "Whoa!"

Although Liu Zheng and Qi Yanying didn't understand the context of Shen He's words, from his tone and expression, they grasped the general idea.

Consequently, both of them joined Shen He in staring at Zheng Xuezhe, echoing, "Whoa!"

Zheng Xuezhe responded expressionlessly, "I can kick both of you out of this carriage."

"Ahem!" Liu Zheng cleared his throat in a contrived manner, trying to maintain his refined gentlemanly demeanor.

Qi Yanying fanned himself with a hand fan, glancing at Zheng Xuezhe for a moment and then at Liu Zheng, as they began exchanging mutual compliments.

Shen He enthusiastically declared, "Don't worry! I'll sketch both of you when we return! And ensure everyone gets a copy!"

The three inside the carriage: "..."

Of all the things they had anticipated, they had forgotten about Shen He's exceptional drawing skills.

They stopped in a sparsely populated alley.

Shen He peeked out, observed their geographical location for a bit, and decisively said, "Let's head to the Liu residence first!"

He then went back inside the carriage.

It didn't take long for the carriage to arrive at the Liu residence.

As Liu Zheng was about to disembark, Shen He considerately provided all three of them with round fans to shield their faces.

Qi Yanying and Zheng Xuezhe attempted to stay inside the carriage, reluctant to face any embarrassment.

Shen He didn't insist, but Liu Zheng did.

He stood beside the carriage, one hand using a round fan to shield his profile to avoid prying eyes, the other hand dramatically lifting the curtain, "Are you coming out or not?"

There was an air about him that suggested if they didn’t disembark, he might go down with them in a shared fate.

Shen He leaned against the carriage wall, eyes looking skyward, suppressing a chuckle.

Alas, it wasn’t he who forced this predicament.

In order not to lose face, aside from Zhongyan, who had helped with the makeup, the four guards accompanying Shen He out of the palace were ordered to face away from the carriage and not to look.

Initially, there were only two, but given yesterday's events, the prince insisted on adding two more palace guards to accompany Shen He.

Leaving the guards outside, Shen He, accompanied by Zhongyan and three towering "palace maids", confidently entered the Liu residence.

The gatekeeper greeted with a smile, "Young Master Shen!"

Shen He waved and proceeded inside with his entourage. From behind, he appeared so gleeful, almost skipping with every step, but for decorum's sake, he resisted.

As they made their way through the front courtyard, the three behind him seemed to have pins under their feet, eager to rush to the elders and fulfill their bet.

Any delay increased the risk of being seen.

The shame was unbearable.

They took a less-traveled path to the backyard where the old lady resided. Shen He entered with a beaming smile, announcing, "Grandmother! I've come to see you!"

The old lady was delighted, "Ah, Little He has arrived? Come here and let grandmother see. Your aunt mentioned you were bullied outside? Let me see how our Little He is now."

Shen He moved closer to his grandmother, instructing the others, "You all wait outside. I have something to discuss with grandmother."

The servants inside the room were ushered out, and the door was closed.

Shen He affectionately rubbed his grandmother's palm, trying to win her favor, "I’m fine. Just a small cut on my chin, healing soon. Grandmother, I’ve brought three people for you to meet."

The elderly Mrs. Liu gently touched her grandson's chin, pinched his cheek fondly, and curiously asked, "Who might they be?"

As she spoke, she turned to gaze at the three "palace maids" standing in the hall.

These maids... Why are they so tall?

Even among men, aren't there few this tall?

The old lady's age had dimmed her vision, and for a moment, she couldn't recognize her own grandson.

She felt a familiarity with the three, especially the scholarly-looking maiden in the middle, yet she couldn't place who it was.

Shen He laughed so hard he trembled.

Liu Zheng, while on the carriage, had kept a calm demeanor, thinking it was just a playful display for his grandmother.

However, standing before her, his ears flushed red, rekindling the awkwardness he felt as a child.

Taking a deep breath and suppressing his embarrassment, he admitted, “Grandmother, it's me. We made a bet with Shen He and lost. Our punishment is to wear women's clothing and present ourselves to the elders.”

Old Lady Liu paused, seeming taken aback.

Then she burst into laughter, “Ah, no wonder they looked so familiar! So it’s Little Fifth! You do make a handsome maiden. And these must be Young Master Zheng and the Prince? Ah, all so stunning in maiden attire!”

Tears of amusement welled in her eyes, and she wiped them away with her handkerchief. Chuckling, she patted Shen He's hand, “You children are bold! Fortunately, our Shen He didn't lose, or I bet he'd be an even prettier maiden than his brothers!”

Shen He's cheeks reddened, “I won, so I don’t have to wear it!”

The old lady teased, “Alright, alright, you don’t have to wear it!”

With ears still blazing red, Liu Zheng managed a resigned smile, “As long as you’re happy, grandmother. But let's not mention this to mother, father, or Fourth Uncle.”

Understanding the importance of face, the old lady nodded, “I promise I won't tell.” She wore a broad smile as she spoke.

After their visit to the Liu residence, they made their way to the Zheng household.

Zheng Xuezhe seemed more at ease.

The other two friends wished they could hide their faces behind their sleeves.

Zheng Xuezhe held up his fan, shielding part of his face.

In his calm voice, he remarked, “Given how I'm dressed, do you think others won't recognize who you two are?”

Both Liu Zheng and Qi Yanying remained unfazed.

As long as their faces remained hidden, they believed they remained anonymous.

When they met Lady Zheng, she was in a pavilion, looking at Zheng Xue with surprise, "What happened to make you look like this?"

Zheng Xue paused for a moment, calmly replying, "Lost a bet."

Lady Zheng immediately laughed, "So there are times when you lose bets?"

Lady Zheng then glanced at the other two, who were hiding behind "maidens" using fans to shield their faces, and chuckled softly without exposing them.

Shen He politely said, "Lady Zheng, we should be going. We'll visit you again next time."

Lady Zheng responded with a beaming smile, "Very well, take care, young master Shen."

Their next stop was Prince Heng's residence.

While Qi Yanbing has invited Shen He countless times to visit the Prince Heng's residence,

Shen He hasn't set foot there even once.

This being Qi Yanbing's first reluctant invitation to his own home, he leaned back in the carriage, resting a fan against his cheek, "Couldn't we have chosen someone else? Shen He, my mother actually is quite curious to see me in women's attire. Besides, if you can let Zheng Xue meet my mother dressed like this, wouldn't it be just as good for me to do the same?"

As Qi Yanbing spoke, he shot Zheng Xue a resentful glare.

How infuriating!

Why did Zheng Xue's mother not ridicule him? Why did she appear so nonchalant?

Qi Yanbing couldn't even bear to imagine if his grandmother saw him dressed like a maiden, whether she'd laugh her teeth out.

But this wasn't Qi Yanbing's primary concern.

What he dreaded was his grandmother recounting to everyone she met, "Have you seen my dear grandson? He lost a bet and dressed as a young lady. He looked so charming! If he were born a girl..." and so on, becoming the butt of jokes.

Qi Yanbing covered his face in embarrassment.

Having a well-connected grandmother in the capital is just like this.

She's always in the know, spilling all of his childhood anecdotes.

Shen He, holding his cheek with a grin, responded, "No way."

Qi Yanbing: "..."

Upon arriving at Prince Heng's mansion, Qi Yanbing, with his followers, carefully chose the quietest and most secluded paths to walk, fearing to bump into someone.

Shen He had always thought that Liu Biao was the one among the three who was most concerned about his idol image, and that Qi Yanbing was the most carefree.

Little did he expect, Qi Yanbing was actually the one most obsessed with his image as an idol.

As he walked, he used the sleeve of his female attire to shield his face, whispering, "Hurry up, everyone! What if we run into someone!"

His words had barely faded.

Just around the corner, they ran into a group of the mansion's guards.

The guards took one glance, seeing a group sneaking about, covering their faces with sleeves. Though dressed as women, their tall statures made their outfits look tight and ill-fitting.

At first glance, they were men dressed as women. Who knew what nefarious intentions they might have sneaking into the mansion?

At the back of the group was a young lord with fair and tender skin, who looked somewhat familiar.

However, these observations were secondary; the group's suspicious behavior was the main concern.

The head of the guards, with a swift motion, drew his long blade, "Audacious! Who dares to intrude upon the prince's mansion?"

Shen He: "... Pfft."

Sorry, he didn’t mean to laugh, but it was just too funny.

He covered his mouth with his hand, trying to hold back the laughter, his cheeks turning red from the effort.

It's always like this: the more one fears getting caught, the more likely one is to get caught.

Had Qi Yanbing not been in such a rush, taking the lead and looking so furtive, they wouldn't have drawn the guards' attention.

Qi Yanbing wouldn’t have been forced to reveal himself.

Qi Yanbing, still trying to salvage the situation, stammered, "We are maidservants attending to Young Master Shen."

The guard looked skeptical, "Young Master Shen?"

Shen He was struggling to suppress his laughter so much that he felt lightheaded. He tried to maintain a composed demeanor and stepped forward with a serious face, nodding, "Yes, they are all my maidservants. I'm here to see the young prince. The gatekeeper allowed us in just a moment ago."

Despite these words, the guard still looked skeptical and remained on guard.

He eyed the three peculiar maidservants.

Memories of the rumors from last night came to mind.

Could it be that Young Master Shen had been kidnapped?!

Looking at Shen He's flushed face, which wasn't displaying any sign of distress, it seemed highly plausible.

The guard, instead of letting them go, became more vigilant. He pulled Shen He behind him for protection and brandished his blade, yelling, "Thieves! No more hiding! This is Prince Heng's mansion! Such insolence won't be tolerated here!"

Being shielded by the guard made Shen He burst out, "Pfft!"

He was so sorry, but it was just too hilarious!

Qi Yanbing, having reached his limit, dropped his sleeve and stepped forward defiantly, "Who's the thief? Who's the thief? It's me! The prince! Look closer! Satisfied now? Do you see clearly now?"

The ornamental beads by his temple fell to the ground due to his sudden movements.

Zheng Xue used his fan to cover half his face, squatted down to pick up the beads, and put them back on Qi Yanbing.

Qi Yanbing: "..."

So infuriating! He was livid!

The guards were startled, quickly stepping back, and bowed deeply, "Greetings, Young Prince!"

Their strong composure kept them from bursting into laughter no matter how amusing the scene.

Qi Yanbing, feeling utterly defeated and embarrassed, stopped covering his face and flung his sleeves back, "Move out of the way! Let me pass!"

Halfway through, he turned back to call the guards, "You, come here. Check the path ahead and see if there's anyone."

The guards: "..."

Without hesitation, they quickly ran ahead to scout the path.

Even if there were people ahead, they would make sure the path was clear for the prince.

Once they were at a distance, one by one, they couldn't help but let the corners of their mouths curve upward in suppressed mirth.

Shen He comforted him, "It's alright. Look, they didn't laugh. They won't find you amusing, nor will they gossip about it. Just pretend they didn't see anything."

Qi Yanbing covered his face with a fan and quickened his pace, "Let's move on!"

Zheng Xue couldn't hold back and chuckled, his shoulders trembling with laughter.

Upon arriving at the old queen's courtyard, Qi Yanbing covered his face tightly again and nudged Shen He, "You go ahead and tell those maids to leave."

Shen He led them inside, paid his respects to the old queen, and after bowing said, "Your Highness, I've brought someone to meet you. Could we kindly ask the others to step out for a moment?"

The old queen was a very kind-hearted elderly lady, her hair silver with age, and she appeared very warm.

She affectionately pinched Shen He's cheek, saying, "I've heard so much about you from my grandson. You really are an endearing child. Sit down, and the rest of you, please leave. Now, who have you brought?"

Shen He suddenly felt rather constrained as he was pulled down to sit, his cheek being fondly pinched by the elderly lady, reminiscent of childhood moments.

The old queen seemed more interested in Shen He than anyone else.

She casually glanced at the figures standing in the hall, and her eyes widened in shock.

She then burst into a hearty laugh.

Shen He became even more reserved.

Indeed, she was Qi Yanbing's grandmother.

His very own.

The old queen waved her hand, "The other two of you, no need to hide. Drop the act. You're the young masters from the Liu and Zheng families, aren't you? I've heard you three get along quite well. Come, come to your grandmother and let me take a good look. Ah, indeed, if my grandson had been born a girl, he would surely look even more charming, haha."

As she spoke, the old queen took a beaded hairpin from her head and offered it to Qi Yanbing, "Come on, your hair looks too plain. Let grandma add this for you."

Qi Yanbing: "..."

Qi Yanbing held his face and said, "Grandmother, I'm glad you're amused, but can we agree not to spread this story using your handkerchief as a sign?"

The old queen chuckled, "What nonsense are you talking about, dear? When has your grandmother ever gossiped about your embarrassments to the handmaidens? Besides, you look wonderful like this. Let me have a good look at you. Oh my, you do clean up nicely. Perhaps someday I should bring you the head maid from your Aunt Long Yue's side. She's quite skilled in dressing others up; I'm certain she could make you look even more enchanting..."

Qi Yanbing: "..." Understood. The handmaidens will inevitably find out.

Not just Qi Yanbing, the other two were also closely inspected by the old queen.

On this visit, including Shen He, all four were completely under the old queen's spell.

Before leaving, the old queen held Shen He's hand, "Little He, I'll call you that too. Next time, come with my grandson. I've taken quite a liking to you."

Shen He, still feeling a bit awkward, responded, "Of course, certainly."

His cheeks ached a little from the earlier pinching.