Chapter 12: An Affair

Three days later, Sang Hongyun did indeed receive an imperial edict from the Emperor, ordering her to move into the Prince Li’s residence and help him resolve his troubles.

She made arrangements for Steward Sang, entrusting him with the Six Guards. Steward Sang Fu would manage the outer court, while Steward Liu would take charge of the inner court. All were robust men with a military background, unquestioningly obedient and disciplined.

Sang Hongyun instructed Sang Ling, Sang Yu, Sang Ye, and Sang Miao to look after the Sang household. Slinging a large cloth bundle over her back and mounting her white steed, she rode into the grand gates of Prince Li’s residence.

Rumors about her had already spread throughout the capital, and this move only fanned the flames.

After setting down her bundle in her new quarters, Sang Hongyun went to see Prince Zhao Liran, requesting leave to be away from the residence for three to five days.

Prince Li saw her come straight to the residence without a word of complaint after receiving the imperial edict. He made no objection and granted her leave at once. Sang Hongyun promptly left, returned to the Sang residence, and brought Sang Ling and Sang Ye with her.

At the Prime Minister’s estate, celebrations still lingered after Yu Lirong’s marriage, the whole household basking in the joyous air of the new alliance. At this moment, the Prime Minister was in his study, swaying his head with pleasure as he read a love letter from Qing Jiaoniang, the famed courtesan of the Red Pavilion. The letter overflowed with longing, stirring desire in him; the little tent in his lap was becoming uncomfortable. Yet who was he? The Prime Minister, a high minister of the realm. Courtesans and beauties were mere trifles for pleasure while drinking and feasting—an opportunity for a surreptitious caress or a night’s dalliance. But for a man of his standing to consort with such women would invite scorn. As he read, he mused that the adage “actors are heartless, courtesans are merciless” seemed unfair. Still, even after such amusements, he often felt unsatisfied, and his thoughts drifted to his villa outside the city. The thrill and excitement of secret liaisons there tempted him anew.

He made up his mind to visit the villa.

Meanwhile, Yu Lirong at the An residence also received a letter. Her cousin’s words were tender and mournful, each line heavy with the pain of losing her, every word filled with unending devotion. The letter moved Yu Lirong to tears, and she resolved to meet her steadfast cousin, no matter what.

On a moonless, starless night, two small sedan chairs set out from different places, bound for the same destination.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by five or six trusted attendants, confidants and guards alike, all set to aid his secret tryst. Yu Lirong, her thoughts consumed by her cousin’s deep affection, could not help but sigh to herself along the way: “You fool, you silly thing, you little mole who is ten times better than An Zichen!” “Little mole” was a pet name she and her cousin used during their intimate moments.

Outside the western city walls, autumn winds swept through yellowed leaves and grass. By the crystal waters of Bright Lake, dusk faded into night—an ideal hour for secret rendezvous.

As the Prime Minister entered the villa under the glow of lanterns, he saw a figure in a purple-red dress, soft and alluring, in the courtyard. Out stepped someone in blue, lifting her skirts, her mood buoyant and eager. Entering the bedroom, he saw a red canopy, emerald robes, and a beauty reclining.

As the autumn breeze blew, someone suddenly lifted half of the red curtain. The Prime Minister’s heart pounded as he called softly in the dark, “Jiaoniang!”

Yu Lirong, hearing the voice, turned pale. Why did it sound so much like her father’s? Hastily throwing her half-removed clothes back on, she drew the curtain and called out, “Father?”

The Prime Minister was just about to remove his shoes when that single word sent a chill through his soul. “Lirong?”

Screams erupted from both of them, so loud that the guards, servants, and maids in the outer courtyard rushed into the bedroom, shocked by the calamity.

In the end, the Prime Minister brought Yu Lirong into the parlor. “This is a setup, a setup!” he shouted.

Yu Lirong cried, “Father, kill him, kill him…” Kill whom?

The Prime Minister turned to her, regaining his composure, while Yu Lirong was left speechless.

He returned immediately to his own residence and summoned his advisors to the study. Yu Lirong went back to the An residence. An Zichen had not yet returned, and she collapsed onto her bed, still shaken.

At that very moment, Sang Hongyun sat at her desk, furiously writing the next chapter of her tale. The storyteller at Fragrant Garden Teahouse was anxiously awaiting her latest installment.

For the past few days, Fragrant Garden had been packed to the rafters, all because the storyteller was recounting a new story—of a prime minister from some unknown dynasty who adored delicate beauties, and most of all, a famed courtesan. On a bright, breezy night, he arranged a secret meeting outside the city…

What would happen at their rendezvous? The audience waited in suspense. The next installment rested in Sang Hongyun’s hands.

Sang Miao watched as she finished the final words. “For the storyteller—next chapter, tomorrow!” Sang Miao announced.

“Miss, someone has already guessed the truth!” said Sang Miao.

Sang Hongyun replied, “No rush. Let the frog boil slowly. Their turn to panic will come.”

Indeed, the Prime Minister soon heard about the events at Fragrant Garden. Such a secret affair had been written out for all to hear, not just told, but performed with vivid detail by the storyteller. Worse yet, the entire court, even the Emperor, now looked at him with strange eyes.

An Zichen, dining at Fragrant Garden with several friends, suddenly turned pale midway through the meal. The waves of hissing and the storyteller’s heated tale conjured lurid scenes of that infamous pair in his mind. Staring at his food, he gagged, stood abruptly, and rushed out. His friends exchanged glances, some even feeling a tinge of sympathy for such a dashing, elegant gentleman.

Naturally, rumors soon swept through the capital of a prime minister and his daughter’s scandalous affair, and just as naturally, the tale of Sang Hongyun being abandoned by An Zichen faded into obscurity.

When Sang Hongyun had delivered the final chapter to the storyteller—earning herself three taels of silver from Fragrant Garden—her leave from Prince Li’s residence also came to an end.

——End Note——

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