Chapter 136: Forget It, Forget It, I Was Sweating Bullets

Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Forget It, Forget It, I Was Sweating Bullets

"Fuck you! I..." Tang Zhi was about to order his attendants to swarm forward when he got a clear look at the person beside Zhou Rui. He stopped dead in his tracks. "Pei Shaoqing?"

"I just returned to the Capital City today. While I’m not sure how Brother Zhou offended you, Brother Tang, fighting and killing here in the Imperial City is never a good idea. If this isn’t some life-or-death grudge, why not sit down and discuss it?" Pei Shaoqing said with a polite and gentle cup of his hands, his demeanor refined.

Tang Zhi’s mouth twitched. ’Of all the dandies in the Capital City, you’re the most outrageous one for beating Jiang Bai to death in a jealous fit. Where the hell do you get the face to say something like this?’

He snorted, shot Zhou Rui a disdainful glance, and said nonchalantly, "Fine. Since you’ve put it that way, I’ll show some respect to you, Pei Yunzhi."

’Pei Shaoqing had dared to beat even Jiang Bai to death. He was afraid that if a real fight broke out, he would follow in Jiang Bai’s footsteps.’

’After all, he was about to become the Jiang Family’s son-in-law.’

’And when Pei Shaoqing fought the Jiang Family, he really fought to kill.’

Zhou Rui let out a sigh of relief, his gaze toward Pei Shaoqing filled with gratitude and admiration. ’Brother Pei has really grown! He can subdue an enemy without even fighting!’

"Thank you, Brother Tang." Pei Shaoqing smiled faintly and cupped his hands. "In that case, let’s share a drink at Ningxiang Courtyard."

............

「About a quarter of an hour later.」

「In a private room by the window on the third floor of Ningxiang Courtyard.」

A low table was set on the soft couch.

Pei Shaoqing knelt alone on one side.

Tang Zhi and Zhou Rui knelt opposite him.

"Brother Tang, Brother Zhou, what exactly is going on between you two?" Pei Shaoqing asked in a breezy tone as he slowly and methodically poured them tea.

Zhou Rui spoke first. "It’s just a misunderstanding..."

"A misunderstanding?" Tang Zhi cut him off, clenching his fists. His eyes were red as he growled, "This bastard said in front of everyone that Cao Guo screwed me in the ass! Now the whole Capital City knows! Every friend I have asks me if it’s true or not. If it were you, Brother Pei, what would you do?"

"Is it true?" Pei Shaoqing blurted out instinctively, his eyes darting between the two men.

’So it was a lovers’ quarrel after all.’

Tang Zhi: "..."

"It’s fake! It’s fake! It’s fake!" His face instantly flushed red as he said, flustered and exasperated, "Zhou Rui lost a bet to me and couldn’t take it, so he made up this rumor to destroy my reputation! My lifelong good name is ruined!"

"Ahem, ahem." Pei Shaoqing coughed to keep himself from laughing out loud. He turned to Zhou Rui and asked with a stern face, "Brother Zhou, that was wrong of you."

’Zhou Rui is one ruthless bastard,’ Pei Shaoqing thought. ’To come up with such a vicious form of revenge... Some things, even if they’re fake, become true once the rumors start spreading.’

"That’s bullshit! Brother Pei, am I the kind of person who can’t take a loss?" Zhou Rui immediately denied it, glaring coldly at Tang Zhi. "He was the one who first cursed ’fuck your mother’ at me in public, just like he did a moment ago! My mother was unfortunate enough to pass away early. I won’t let her be humiliated even in death! I’ll screw over anyone who insults my mother!"

At this, the gloomy look on his face vanished, replaced by a roguish sneer as he threatened, "If you really dare bring your men to beat me, I’ll go out on the streets every single day and talk about how Cao Guo screwed you in the ass. I’ll even pay people to turn it into a ballad and have it performed all across Great Zhou."

’It was no loss to him, anyway. The passion of the cut sleeve has existed since ancient times. And as the ’top’ in the rumor, no one would mock him for it. They’d only tease him, or maybe even envy him.’

"Son of a bitch!" Enraged, Tang Zhi spun around, grabbed Zhou Rui by the neck, and shoved him down onto the soft couch.

"Bastard, you cursed my mother again!" Zhou Rui grabbed Tang Zhi’s hair and said viciously, "Earlier, I only held back because you had more men. One-on-one, you think I’m afraid of you?"

"Enough!" Pei Shaoqing drew his sword in anger.

The two of them, one strangling, the other pulling hair, froze and looked in unison at Pei Shaoqing.

Pei Shaoqing held up the sword and said seriously, "You won’t kill each other like that. Use this."

Tang Zhi and Zhou Rui glanced at each other and simultaneously let go.

"I am a scholar. I wouldn’t deign to fight with a commoner like you. It’s beneath my status," Tang Zhi said, spitting lightly on the ground and straightening his hair crown.

Zhou Rui shot back with a sneer, "There’s more water in that ’scholar’ title of yours than there is in Miss Narcissus herself, isn’t there?"

"Don’t you dare insult my Narcissus!" Tang Zhi’s face turned grim, and he glared coldly at Zhou Rui.

Zhou Rui sneered, straightening his collar as he taunted, "Still playing the part of the devoted lover? If you truly love Narcissus, why not take her as your wife? Isn’t it because you’re marrying the Marquis Pingxi’s daughter for the sake of your future?"

"I can’t be bothered to argue with an idiot like you," Tang Zhi said with a dark face, then turned to Pei Shaoqing and asked impatiently, "Brother Pei, how do you propose we solve this?"

"I say we just drop it," Pei Shaoqing said.

’The rumor Zhou Rui cooked up was certainly vile.’

’But who told Tang Zhi to keep harping on the fact that Zhou Rui’s mother died young? He completely deserved this.’

"Drop it?" Tang Zhi instantly exploded, roaring with red eyes, "Pei Shaoqing, why do you think I was willing to sit down and talk instead of fighting just now, even though I know you and Zhou Rui are close?"

"Because you were afraid if we fought, I’d beat you to death in the street like I did Jiang Bai," Pei Shaoqing replied calmly.

Tang Zhi’s breath hitched. This conversation was impossible.

After gathering his composure, he roared, "Do you think I’m some coward who fears death? I was showing you respect! But don’t push it! I’m telling you right now, this is far from over!"

’He didn’t think cursing "fuck your mother" at Zhou Rui was any big deal. It was just a casual insult. Compared to the damage Zhou Rui’s rumor had done to him, it was nothing.’

’That’s why he was convinced he was in the right.’

’Plus, he was afraid of getting beaten up.’

’That was why he’d agreed to sit down and talk with Pei Shaoqing. But he never expected Pei Shaoqing to so blatantly favor Zhou Rui. That, he could not tolerate.’

As his voice fell, he flicked his sleeves and stormed off.

"Do you think I’m favoring Brother Zhou, Brother Tang?" Pei Shaoqing asked, remaining seated and watching his back.

Tang Zhi stopped, turned back, and said mockingly, "What, am I supposed to say you’re being fair?"

SLAP! Pei Shaoqing rose, strode over to Tang Zhi, and sent him to the floor with a vicious slap. "Now *this* is what you call favoritism! You say I’m pushing it? You’re the one who doesn’t know when to quit!"

’He felt he had never been more fair in his life.’

’It was one thing for Tang Zhi to be ungrateful.’

’But to accuse *him* of pushing it? The absolute nerve!’

"Fuck you! The fact that Brother Pei didn’t immediately take my side was the fairest he could have been to you! In the past, he would have joined me in kicking your ass from the start!" Zhou Rui rushed forward and landed several hard kicks on Tang Zhi, who was still on the ground.

Tang Zhi scrambled up in a pathetic state, feeling both furious and humiliated. He pointed at the two of them, grinding his teeth as he spat, "I will remember the shame of this day!"

Zhou Rui postured as if to strike again.

Terrified, Tang Zhi turned and fled, scrambling and stumbling away.

After running downstairs and making sure he was at a safe distance, he yelled back up, "Zhou Rui! I don’t give a damn what you say, I’m still gonna fuck your mother!"

"That goddamn son of a bitch..." His mother insulted again, Zhou Rui flew into a rage and started to chase after him.

Pei Shaoqing grabbed him. "Let it go. You can’t kill him even if you catch him. You should write a storybook about you screwing him instead. You might even make some money selling it."

"I’ll hire a group of poor scholars to come to my house and write it right away!" Zhou Rui said viciously.

"Have some tea and cool off." Pei Shaoqing pulled Zhou Rui back to his seat. As he poured him tea, he asked, as if in passing, "You said there’s been some progress on that matter?"

"Right." Zhou Rui immediately sat up straight, his expression a mixture of excitement and unease. He leaned in instinctively and whispered, "I’ve already had my men secretly hide the Dragon Robe in Prince Qi’s Mansion. We can report him at any time."

A cold sweat instantly broke out on Pei Shaoqing’s back.

The weather wasn’t even cold this time of year.

But right now, he felt as if he’d been plunged into an icy cavern.

But Zhou Rui, oblivious to the change in his friend’s expression, chattered on, "Even a Prince shouldn’t expect a good end after offending us! If he really becomes the Emperor, we’ll be in for it. Thank goodness you thought of this brilliant plan, Brother Pei."

’This shitty idea was my fucking idea?’

Pei Shaoqing’s mind was buzzing. He couldn’t process anything else Zhou Rui was saying. In his head, he cursed eighteen generations of the original owner’s ancestors. ’This is courting death!’

In the Great Zhou, all Princes were required to leave the capital and establish their own domains upon turning fifteen, but the Fifth Prince, Yan Cheng, the King of Qi, was an exception.

He had turned fifteen the year the Crown Prince rebelled.

He was enfeoffed as the King of Qi that same year.

The Emperor, using the excuse that he couldn’t bear to part with him,

gave him special permission to remain in the Capital City instead of moving to his fiefdom.

Although he wasn’t immediately made Crown Prince, everyone felt the King of Qi had a great chance, and many flocked to pledge their allegiance to him.

Later, the Ninth Prince was born, and the Emperor was lavish with his affection for him. Combined with the backing of Noble Consort Wan’s family, another faction of people began to favor the Ninth Prince.

Therefore, the only ones with the power and qualifications to contend for the throne right now were the King of Qi and the Ninth Prince.

’And from what Zhou Rui was saying,’ Pei Shaoqing realized, ’it seems I have a grudge with the King of Qi—a major one. That’s why I wanted to make a preemptive strike, planting a Dragon Robe to frame him for treason...’

’But is something like that really so simple?’

’In some ways, the original owner was even more audacious than he was. This must be a case of ’the ignorant know no fear.’’

"Brother Pei? Brother Pei? Brother Pei!" Seeing Pei Shaoqing spacing out, Zhou Rui waved a hand in front of his face.

Pei Shaoqing snapped out of it. "What is it?"

"All the preparations are made, we’re just waiting for the right moment. When do we make our move? Reporting the King of Qi for treason will let us get our revenge *and* earn us rewards!" Zhou Rui’s face was alight with excitement.

’Look how much prestige Pei Shaoqing has gained recently!’

’He also wanted to become an official with some real power.’

Pei Shaoqing took a deep breath and stared at Zhou Rui with a grave expression. "Brother Zhou, we cannot act rashly on this matter. We must wait patiently for a few more years."

"Wait a few years?" Zhou Rui frowned. "The King of Qi is still growing. By the time we dig up the Dragon Robe, it won’t even fit him! Won’t it be an obvious frame-up?"

Pei Shaoqing reassured him, "If the Dragon Robe is too big, we can say he was preparing for a future rebellion. If the robe is too small, we can just say he’s had treasonous intentions for a long time."

"That makes sense! Brother Pei, you’re a genius!" Zhou Rui’s eyes lit up. Then, confused, he asked, "But why do we have to wait a few years? If that kid really gets named Crown Prince, it’ll be too late for everything!"

"Brother Zhou, I have a feud with the Jiang Family. If we eliminate the King of Qi now, wouldn’t we just be handing the advantage to them? If Noble Consort Wan’s son becomes the Crown Prince, how could I possibly expect a good outcome?" Pei Shaoqing’s reasoning was unassailable.

Zhou Rui sucked in a cold breath. "Now that you mention it, it seems like you’re screwed whether the King of Qi or the Ninth Prince becomes the Crown Prince, Brother Pei."

Pei Shaoqing: "..."

’Before today, he’d always felt that taking over Pei Shaoqing’s identity was an incredible stroke of luck.’

’But now, he felt he had celebrated far too soon.’

’The bastard had left him a minefield of problems!’