Chapter 5 A Performance of Flirting Phoenixes

Chapter 5: A Playful Encounter: The Dragon Flirts with the Phoenix

Inside the private chamber, Zheng Shize, having just wept his fill, was about to rise when he heard Yan Weichu inquire, "Upon entering, I noticed your plaque, 'A Thousand Gold for One Drunken Night.' With such bustling activity in your Evernight Pavilion, I presume you rake in ten thousand gold daily?"

Zheng Shize dropped to his knees with a thud once more.

"Why kneel?" Yan Weichu’s gaze shifted, a hint of disdain in his eyes. "You and I are family. I’ve already excused you from formalities; there’s no need for this constant kneeling."

Zheng Shize dared not rise, fearing Yan Weichu harbored ill intentions.

"Well… that’s an exaggeration. It’s truly not that much. If Your Majesty desires it, I am willing to offer fifty percent—no, sixty percent—of the profits from this Evernight Pavilion!"

Yan Weichu raised an eyebrow. "Is this how you bribed my royal uncle before, preventing him from raiding this establishment?"

Zheng Shize felt a pang of bitterness. Indeed, his cousin knew everything.

Yan Weichu let out a cold sneer.

The Zheng family was his maternal kin, and the man before him was his true cousin. However, after his ascension, Empress Dowager Xie had prevented him from seeing any of the Zheng family.

The Evernight Pavilion had operated for over a decade. During the late emperor’s reign, Consort Zheng was a favored concubine, naturally allowing them to flourish. Later, when the regent seized power, the Zheng family not only surrendered half their profits but also annually presented the regent with beauties from Jiangnan and rare treasures, thus preserving their establishment.

Zheng Shize attempted to explain, "Your Majesty, please understand. My father and I were forced to bow to circumstances; we had no other choice. Our hearts have always been loyal to Your Majesty. On the night of Your Majesty’s triumph, upon receiving the news, I immediately feigned a fire and burned all the pleasure boats outside. All the court officials carousing here that night were trapped on this island and couldn’t return to cause trouble for Your Majesty…"

"Enough, I understand." Yan Weichu cut him off, unwilling to hear further excuses. He knew well that had Zheng Shize not been sensible, he would not have come here tonight.

"Rise," Yan Weichu gestured. "I have already posthumously honored the Empress Dowager, and your father now holds an earldom. From now on, you are considered nobility. Do not embarrass me with such flustered behavior."

Zheng Shize scrambled to his feet, not daring to voice his thoughts but inwardly grumbling that their kind of nobility, bestowed through maternal connections and honorary titles without real power, hardly counted. His father was an earl, yet he hadn’t even secured the title of heir.

Yan Weichu finally lifted his eyelids, scrutinizing him for a moment.

Both were cousins, yet the disparity…

Yan Weichu’s birth mother came from humble origins—a Jiangnan merchant family, essentially a "skinny horse" presented to the late emperor by the Jiangnan gentry.

His ascension to the throne was purely due to the late emperor having few sons and his own good fortune, coupled with the fact that the late emperor, also a *shùzǐ* (son born to a concubine) who inherited the throne, did not wish for the Xie family to produce another emperor and had paved the way for him.

The Great Jing dynasty had endured for over 160 years. Though seemingly an era of peace and prosperity, it was plagued by internal strife and external threats—military nobles and civil officials engaged in open and covert power struggles, court administration was corrupt and chaotic, northern barbarians frequently raided the borders, and the southeastern coasts suffered from rampant *wokou* (Japanese pirate) incursions, plunging the region into turmoil.

Yan Weichu truly had no desire to be such a demanding emperor, but he detested even more the thought of being controlled as a puppet.

Alas, those he could trust were few. His own cousin was incompetent, and as for that Xie cousin…

He regarded him as a deadly threat.

"Your father must be living quite comfortably in Jiangnan, right?" Yan Weichu suddenly asked. "How much profit does his fleet make from overseas trade each year?"

Zheng Shize was aghast. He hadn’t expected Yan Weichu to know even this. He was about to kneel again but was halted by Yan Weichu’s sharp gaze. "Tell me the truth."

Zheng Shize’s legs trembled. The Great Jing had a strict ban on maritime activities; smuggling overseas was punishable by beheading!

"This, I…"

The sword of the Embroidered Uniform Guard behind Yan Weichu slid partially out of its scabbard with a "shing," startling Zheng Shize into kneeling once more.

"I said don’t kneel," Yan Weichu tilted his head, staring at him. His softened tone was even more chilling. "Am I that frightening?"

Zheng Shize kowtowed, his forehead touching the ground. In his memory, his cousin had been a soft, little white rabbit. How had he become so terrifying after ten years apart?

Yan Weichu tapped his finger, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard sheathed his sword.

Yan Weichu frowned. The Great Jing’s annual national revenue, converted to silver, amounted to only just over twenty million taels. These merchants’ smuggling operations overseas were indeed immensely profitable.

"I understand. Continue as you are," Yan Weichu said something entirely unexpected.

Zheng Shize was stunned, looking up in disbelief. "Huh?"

Yan Weichu looked at him with a faint, mocking smile. "But I take eighty percent of the profits. You get twenty."

"…" Zheng Shize choked.

Yan Weichu asked, "What? Unwilling?"

Zheng Shize swallowed his words. If he said no, his head would likely roll tonight. His cousin probably wouldn’t care about familial bonds. "…Willing."

Having sufficiently intimidated him, Yan Weichu finally said, "Go back and write a letter to your father. Tell him my intentions. I will open maritime trade in the future, but the time isn’t right yet. I am currently very poor, so have him send some silver for his nephew to spend.

"In the future, even if the maritime ban is lifted, not just anyone can trade overseas. Whether one qualifies will be up to me. But you are my maternal relatives—I will not treat you poorly. Otherwise, those who still try to smuggle will face more than just beheading if caught—I fear their entire clans will be wiped out.

"You and your father must keep your mouths shut. If any word about opening maritime trade leaks now, I will hold you responsible. Both of you need to lie low, reduce dealings with those unscrupulous Jiangnan gentry, and clean up your acts. If anything happens, do not expect me to spare you for my mother’s sake."

Zheng Shize was thoroughly bewildered by this mix of carrot and stick. After a long moment, he swallowed and asked, "Your Majesty, are you truly going to open maritime trade?"

Yan Weichu didn’t want to discuss it further for now. "Mm."

Zheng Shize: "…Understood."

"And," Yan Weichu paused before continuing, "compile a list of court officials or their family members who often splurge thousands here and submit it to me."

Zheng Shize was puzzled. "What does Your Majesty intend to do?"

Yan Weichu sneered coldly. "Since they are so wealthy, they might as well send some for me to spend."

"…" Very well.

Yan Weichu suddenly thought of something else. "As for that person from the Duke of Zhenguo’s residence earlier, I don’t care who it is. If they dare cause trouble here again, throw them into the water. They won’t dare do anything to you."

Zheng Shize hurriedly smiled obsequiously. "Of course, of course. Everything as Your Majesty commands."

It dawned on him—his father was now the emperor’s uncle! Why fear anything?

Yan Weichu found his lack of backbone even more contemptible.

"From now on, do not go around calling yourself my cousin."

Zheng Shize: "…Huh?"

*

After chatting for a long time with his former subordinates, Xie Xiao was informed by an attendant who entered that the third young master from the Duke of Zhenguo’s residence was also at the Evernight Pavilion.

"The third young master offended someone, got taught a lesson, and was slapped. He just made a scene threatening to tear down this pavilion, and the owner threw him into the lake."

Xie Xiao’s expression darkened slightly upon hearing this. "Ignore it."

Cao Rong sighed. "That third young master sure knows how to stir up trouble. General, staying in the capital and dealing with that whole family must be quite difficult, right?"

Xie Xiao finished the last sip of his tea and shook his head slightly. "Thanks to His Majesty, I now have my own marquis residence. I don’t have to squeeze in with them."

Cao Rong finally relaxed: "It's just unclear who this third young master offended, who doesn’t even bat an eye at the young master of the Duke's household. The owner of this Evernight Pavilion is gutsy enough to dump him right in the water."

"Right under the Emperor’s nose, nothing is surprising," Xie Xiao set down his teacup. "As for those who can afford to run a business here, they probably aren’t your average Joe."

Cao Rong left first.

Xie Xiao sat alone for a while longer before finally rising and heading out.

The main hall downstairs was lively with a performance on stage; he paused by the railing to watch for a bit.

Zheng Shize walked in with Yan Weichu in tow. Earlier, while escorting Yan Weichu out, they passed by this theater, and Zheng Shize, seeking favor, asked if Yan Weichu had any interest in catching a show since they were here. Yan Weichu didn’t say yes or no, so he followed him inside.

The area was crowded and noisy, and Yan Weichu had no intention of lingering too long, just stood at the back watching.

Zhao Anfu suddenly stepped forward and whispered a reminder: "Your Majesty, the person over there seems to be the Marquis of Dingbei."

Yan Weichu followed the elderly eunuch's direction and glanced up. There, by the railing on the west side of the second floor, stood Xie Xiao.

His cousin looked a bit detached, with no one waiting on him, not seeming like he came here specifically for pleasure.

Yan Weichu lifted his chin a little, signaling to Zheng Shize beside him: "Find out who the Marquis of Dingbei met here just now."

Zheng Shize called over the theater manager, who quickly reported back: "The person who came to see the Marquis of Dingbei seemed to be a military man, an out-of-towner nobody knows. It was just the two of them, no servants attended, and that person has already left."

Yan Weichu didn’t press for details. His gaze lingered on Xie Xiao’s profile for a moment before he suddenly asked Zheng Shize: "Can one request a play in your theater?"

Zheng Shize hurriedly nodded: "Yes!"

Without looking away, Yan Weichu smirked: "I want to request 'The Wandering Dragon Flirts with the Phoenix' for that Marquis of Dingbei."

Zheng Shize’s smile froze, wondering if he’d heard right: "…Really?"

Yan Weichu said: "Why not?"

Zheng Shize’s eyes flickered, following Yan Weichu’s gaze to the dashing Marquis of Dingbei upstairs ahead… *Hiss*.

By the time the play ended, Xie Xiao was ready to leave. A server came over, politely informing him that a gentleman downstairs had requested a play in his honor and asked him to stay and listen.

Xie Xiao followed the server’s pointing finger and spotted Yan Weichu. He hesitated for a second.

Yan Weichu, arms crossed, smiled and nodded at him.

Xie Xiao didn’t recognize Yan Weichu, looking away after a quick once-over.

The show kicked off.

This play tells the story of an emperor traveling incognito who passes by an inn, finds the innkeeper’s sister very beautiful, flirts with her, later reveals his identity as the emperor, and takes her as his consort. [Note]

Xie Xiao watched, his expression unchanged.

Halfway through the play, he turned and went downstairs, slipping out a side door.

Zheng Shize muttered: "This Marquis of Dingbei has quite the attitude, what a snub."

Yan Weichu murmured with a sigh: "My cousin here truly can’t take a joke."

Zheng Shize clammed up right away. So this one is your cousin?

Besides, what’s the deal with teasing your own cousin…

Author's Note:

Zheng Shize: Who isn’t a cousin these days? (ಡωಡ)

Note: The description of "The Wandering Dragon Flirts with the Phoenix" is sourced from encyclopedia references.