Xia Chenhua seemed to have anticipated Xia Wuyang’s refusal. He walked over with a boisterous laugh and clapped Xia Wuyang on the shoulder. "No need to be so formal, Brother."
As he spoke, he deliberately looked around at all the eunuchs, Palace Maids, and Guards in Wenhua Hall, acting as if he owned the place. "Brother, you once taught me that brothers should be friendly and respectful. Now, I’m simply learning from your example and returning the favor. Please don’t look down on my little gift."
His words were accompanied by a vicious glare at the group of Courtesans. "What are you all standing around for? Get over here and serve the Crown Prince! If any of you do a poor job, don’t blame me when I chop off your heads—just like what happened to Fifth Class Attendant Wang."
The Courtesans’ faces went white with fear. They scrambled over, forcing smiles as they began to wait on Xia Wuyang.
"HAHAHAHA..."
Witnessing the scene, Xia Chenhua burst into laughter once more. "Well, I won’t disturb you any further, Brother. I’ll leave these Courtesans here for you. Enjoy yourself. If they get out of line, just chop off their heads. No one would dare say a word against you."
He strode out of Wenhua Hall, his triumphant laughter echoing from outside.
Such a flagrant betrayal was a sure way to court death.
After Xia Chenhua left, the Courtesans all fell to their knees before Xia Wuyang, trembling as they begged for his forgiveness.
Xia Chenhua could afford to be dismissive of the elder Crown Prince, but they were merely women from a brothel. How could they dare show him the slightest disrespect?
No matter how useless the elder Crown Prince seemed, he was still His Highness. A single word from him was enough to have every last one of them slaughtered.
Their very lives were in Xia Wuyang’s hands; they wouldn’t dare act presumptuously.
"Have them tend to the flowers and plants in the garden. They are not to appear unless summoned." Xia Wuyang waved his hand, signaling a eunuch to lead them away.
He neither killed them nor drove them out, making it seem as if he were afraid of Xia Chenhua.
News of this incident spread with astonishing speed, quickly making its way throughout the Imperial Palace.
"Did you hear? The elder Crown Prince was just humiliated so badly he almost fainted from anger. It’s a good thing he’s learned how to be a coward over the years; otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable."
"The Seventeenth Prince really went too far, bringing a group of filthy Courtesans to serve the elder Crown Prince. Even if the man is on his last legs, he’s still above being served by the likes of them. What if he catches a venereal disease? He’ll just die even faster."
"If a Crown Prince were to catch a venereal disease, it would be an absolute joke! He’d become the laughingstock of all the neighboring kingdoms."
"I heard that decades ago, before he fell from favor, the elder Crown Prince often helped the Seventeenth Prince. To think the Seventeenth Prince would humiliate him like this now... It’s a true case of repaying kindness with cruelty."
...
Even outsiders could see the injustice, let alone the staff of the Eastern Palace.
Many in the Eastern Palace were filled with righteous indignation, even those who held no particular affection for Xia Wuyang.
But when they heard that the elder Crown Prince, far from sending the Courtesans away, had instead housed them in the garden out of apparent fear, they felt utterly helpless.
Though they were frustrated by the elder Crown Prince’s lack of backbone, they had to admit that, given his current predicament, he had little other choice.
He was already the target of public scorn, ridiculed by all. How could he dare to also offend the Seventeenth Prince, whose mother held considerable power?
Besides, the elder Crown Prince didn’t have much time left. All he seemed to want was to spend his final days drinking and enjoying himself. Why would he pick another fight with the Seventeenth Prince?
One could only conclude that the elder Crown Prince had made a wise choice, just as he had when accepting the apologies of Bai Qingzhi and the Fifth Prince. It seemed laughable, but it was the correct move to make.
Amid the pitying and sorrowful gazes of the eunuchs, Palace Maids, and Guards in Wenhua Hall, Xia Wuyang carried on drinking and carousing, acting as if nothing had just happened.
The night deepened. The elder Crown Prince, seemingly exhausted, drifted off to sleep once more. Soon after, the several Palace Maids attending him also fell asleep.
Sleep-inducing incense burned, ensuring no one would awaken easily.
Only then did Xia Wuyang open his eyes. He activated the Dragon Storage Skill, and his form, aura, and physique all underwent an astonishing transformation.
Not long after, a Night Owl suddenly took flight from a mulberry tree outside Zhengxin Hall.
As dark clouds veiled the moon, a shadowy figure flitted over three layers of palace walls like a wisp of smoke, landing silently within the grounds of Zhengxin Hall.
Xia Wuyang materialized beneath the eaves, the Dragon Storage Skill allowing him to melt perfectly into the shadows. The palace below was resplendent and brightly lit, far more so than his own Eastern Palace. ’It seems Xia Chenhua has done well for himself these past years,’ he thought. ’This is a far cry from when he needed my protection.’
’Back then, Xia Chenhua’s mother had yet to win Emperor Xia’s favor, and her status in the Harem was pitifully low. Without my protection, it wouldn’t have just been the two brothers; even their mother would have been in danger.’
’Who would have thought that decades later, the mother and her two sons would all turn out to be such ungrateful wretches, each one more despicable than the last.’
’What a fine family.’
Xia Wuyang sneered silently. A wisp of black energy coiled around his fingertip, and a modified Nether Acupuncture Needle materialized in his palm. Thanks to his immense Spiritual Power and Comprehension, he could improve even a Top Level Secret Technique like this, tailoring it to his own body to produce even more astonishing power.
The modifications also made it unrecognizable. The original Nether Acupuncture Needle was already exceedingly difficult to detect; now, it was doubtful that even a Super Grade Martial Artist could identify it.
The sound of men and women laughing and flirting drifted out from Zhengxin Hall. Inside, Xia Chenhua was embracing several of his Consorts, laughing heartily and clearly in high spirits.
"HAHAHA! That old fool must have nearly died from rage today! You didn’t see his face—it went from red to white and back again, like a dye shop! And he didn’t dare say a word. It was absolutely hilarious!"
"Back when he was my tutor, he deliberately scolded me and never taught me properly. He’s just getting what he deserves now. Even the heavens are on my side!"
"When I get the chance, I’ll send over some prostitutes riddled with venereal disease. That way, the old fool can have a disgusting death."
...
Hearing this, Xia Wuyang’s face turned ashen. ’To think that I took such good care of the brothers, Chenhua and Chenguang, and even gave their mother preferential treatment.’
’But now, coming from Xia Chenhua’s mouth, everything was twisted into my fault. To repay kindness with such hatred... that level of ingratitude was truly rare.’
’It’s a good thing I came tonight. Otherwise, who knows how he might have tried to harm me next. Even if I wouldn’t have been deceived, it would be troublesome if anything about my true situation were exposed.’
’I wonder if Chenguang is also in Zhengxin Hall. I’ll have to look for him. If he’s here, I can take care of them both at once. It would save me time and energy later.’