Gate of God

Chapter 498: Influence the Emperor Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

“A little bigger?” The lady didn’t manage to react to that. Then, she followed Fang Zhengzhi’s gaze and bellowed furiously, “You shameless fella, I will kill you!” 　　 “Mm, that’s more like it. Why bother acting all matured?” Fang Zhengzhi nodded when he looked at her. 　　 This was Princess Ping Yang.

Only Ping Yang could shock and silence a crowd like this. After all, her reputation as the number one bully was earned.

“Greetings your highness, I am Chi Hong!” Chi Hou walked forward and bowed to Ping Yang.

“Lord, please do away with the formalities.” Ping Yang tried to act in a ‘mature’ manner once again.

“Greetings Princess!” The crowd fell to their knees.

“Please rise.” Ping Yang waved to the crowd then bounded towards Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu. “How was that for a door gift? Shouldn’t you be thanking me?”

“Aren’t you here to thank me?” Fang Zhengzhi asked in confusion.

“Me? Thank you? How is that possible? I was the one who set fire to the residence! I was the one who told Bai Qi to go there. Would you be standing here if not for me?”

“Would you have the chance to set fire to his residence if not for me?” 　　 “What do you mean?”

“Think about it. That is the residence of the Minister of Law. You couldn’t possibly set it on fire by yourself even though you are a Princess. Furthermore, you will be given much credit in the part you played for convicting Wan Chong. Shouldn’t you be thanking me?” Fang Zhengzhi asked.

“If you put it that way… I guess so!” Ping Yang nodded after some hesitation. Then, her eyes glittered. “That being said, you should still give me something as a meeting gift!” 　 “How about I make you a hot pot meal?” Fang Zhengzhi said in exasperation.

“Deal!” Ping Yang nodded immediately. She could feel the saliva building in her mouth as she thought about the hot pot. 　 Chi Hou’s expression was rather conflicted.

Ping Yang and Fang Zhengzhi were probably the only two people in the world who would publicly admit to the role they played in the arson. 　 However…

This would mean that Bai Qi had no relation to the Shadow Sect. Was he thinking too much? Or was there something that he missed out. 　 Would Fang Zhengzhi really have put all his eggs in the Ping Yang basket?

If he was asked this question 15 minutes ago, he may have believed that Fang Zhengzhi wasn’t capable of this much scheming. However, after seeing what just happened, he had to consider something else.

What was Fang Zhengzhi’s motive for returning to the capital? 　 Ping Yang didn’t notice the changes in Chi Hou’s expression. After she secured her gift from Fang Zhengzhi, she turned to Yan Xiu.

“Yan Xiu, did you bring anything for me this time?”

“I did.” Yan Xiu nodded.

“What is it?”

“Stallion.”

“Stallion? Is it the stallion of your Yan Cloud Cavalry?”

“It’s a Powerful Gale Red Cloud Stallion.” 　　 “Powerful Gale Red Cloud Stallion?! Is that the legendary and rare Powerful Gale Red Cloud Stallion?” Ping Yang’s eyes lit up.

“Exactly.”

“Male or female?” 　　 “Male.”

“Hahaha, that’s great! My Snow White will have a partner! Yan Xiu, you are way more generous than this stingy fella. To think that he only offered me a hot pot!” Ping Yang looked at Fang Zhengzhi with scorn.

“Isn’t your Snow White already partnered with the Ninth Prince’s Purple Lightning Dragon Stallion?” Fang Zhengzhi asked.

“That can be changed!”

“Mm…”

…

News of Wan Chong’s arrest spread like wildfire in the capital. Everyone in the city was discussing that incident.

Of course, the other talk of the town was Fang Zhengzhi’s return to the capital and the manner in which he returned. 　 “Fang Zhengzheng?”

Before long, everyone was talking about the new name that Fang Zhengzhi had given himself. 　 Inside the Crown Prince’s residence.

More than a dozen officials sat down in two rows. This time, they were visibly more anxious.

Minister Wan Chong’s arrest had stunned them all.

More importantly, the evidence that would convict Wan Chong was a mountainous pile of letters. They were all wondering the same thing…

In those letters… 　　 Was there any mention of them? 　 Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping tapped his finger on the armrest. The atmosphere in the room was solemn.

Crown Prince Lin Tianrong sat in his chair solemnly as he glanced at the anxious officials. 　　 “What are you all so scared about? Do you really think that Fang Zhengzhi can tear through the entire court?” Crown Prince Lin Tianrong’s gaze was icy. 　 “Your Highness, we…” The officials looked at each other in fear. The road to this point had not been easy. 　 Pledging allegiance to the Crown Prince… 　　 That was a decision they made to secure their positions and their lives. By doing so, they wanted to secure the future for their descendants as well. However, the incident with Wan Chong worried them.

Everything from the fire to the arrest had happened much too quickly. They couldn’t even react in time.

One of the six ministers had been disposed of in the blink of an eye. However, the Crown Prince had not reacted to it.

“Where is Fang Zhengzhi now?” 　　 “Your Highness, Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu are at Ping Yang’s residence. I heard that he is making her a hot pot.” One of the officials replied.

“Hotpot?!” Crown Prince Lin Tianrong frowned. 　 “Have Wan Chong’s letters been made public?” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping queried. 　 “Not yet, but Bai Qi has already handed them over to the Federal Supervisory Commission. Prime Minister, as you know, there were too many witnesses, so it is difficult…” One of the officials in the robes of the Federal Supervisory Commission stepped forward. 　 “Mm, I know. Even though the case is with the Federal Supervisory Commission, we can still continue our plans using the Ministry of Law.” 　　 “What do you mean?” 　 “All we need to do is find a replacement for Wan Chong. Then, this case will be isolated to Wan Chong and no one here would be implicated.” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping added. 　 “Yes, yes. As long as we still control the Ministry of Law, we can still continue as planned.” 　　 “Yes! Since Wan Chong is the Minister of Law, his case cannot be handed back to the Ministry. However, our dealings with Wan Chong…” 　 “Prime Minister, do you have anyone in mind to take over that position?” 　　 The eyes of the anxious officials brightened up when they heard this. They saw a glimmer of hope in the darkness. 　 “There’s no need to worry about the position. With me and the Crown Prince, that would not be a problem.” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping asserted. 　 “That’s right! With the Crown Prince and the Left Prime Minister, there’s nothing to worry about!” 　 “Yes yes yes! We are all much more assured now that the Crown Prince is in control.”

“This is great!” 　　 The officials felt much more assured. 　 “Okay, it’s getting late, go back and get some rest.” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping waved the other officials off.

“Okay, we will take our leave!” 　 “Your Highness, we will be taking our leave now!” 　　 The officials stood up and bowed to Crown Prince Lin Tianrong and Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping. Then, they left. 　 The study was quiet once again. 　 “Smack!” A crisp sound broke the silence. 　 “Damn, Ping Yang!” 　 “Your Highness, Princess Ping Yang must have been put up to it by Fang Zhengzhi. She may be mischievous, but she is no arsonist.” 　　 “Prime Minister, what do you think we should do?” 　　 “The first order of business is to assure the officials on our side. I may have made a mistake here. I wanted to exchange a Minister of Law for Fang Zhengzhi’s life. But now, we have lost a Minister of Law. This complicates matters.” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping replied. 　 “What’s so complicated about a Minister of Law?” Crown Prince Lin Tianrong said dismissively. 　 “Ordinarily, this would be a small issue. However, you must not forget that Fang Zhengzhi’s case is with the Ministry of Law!” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping reminded.

“What do you mean?” 　 “If Fang Zhengzhi was dead, then it wouldn’t matter if the case was with the Ministry. However, if he’s alive and the position goes to a King Duan sympathizer, then…” 　 “You’re saying that he will use the Ministry of Law to dismiss the case?” 　 “Mm.” 　 “How dare he?!” 　　 “The fight for the throne will always be bloody. Since King Duan wants to contest it, he will ignore the fact that the both of you are brothers. Your Highness, think about it. If you were King Duan, wouldn’t you do the same thing?” 　 “I understand. That being said, I can’t watch idly by as Fang Zhengzhi walks around telling everyone he’s Fang Zhengzheng!” Crown Prince Lin Tianrong was frustrated.

“There’s no need to watch idly by. However, we must wait for the right opportunity.” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping shook his head. 　　 “What opportunity?” 　 “The banquet is soon. The Emperor would be at the Ten Mile Lake. If we execute it cleanly, there would be no trouble.” 　　 “Are you suggesting that we assassinate him at Ping Yang’s residence?”

“No, Ping Yang’s residence is highly guarded. It may be even more heavily guarded than the palace.” 　 “So what should we do?” 　　 “Your Highness, rest assured. Fang Zhengzhi will not be staying in Ping Yang’s residence for very long. I have my ways to lure him out.” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping’s eyes glowed icily.

… 　 Inside King Duan’s study… 　 Chi Hou put his teacup down and smiled as he looked at Mr. Hua and Old Wen. 　 “I never expected that you would be able to take out Wan Chong the moment you entered the city! I am in awe!” Mr. Hua smiled when he saw Chi Hou put down the teacup.

“That had nothing to do with me.” Chi Hou waved him off.

“I never expected that the Crown Prince would have Wan Chong ambush you at the gates! What was even more unexpected was that Fang Zhengzhi managed to get rid of Wan Chong!” Old Wen’s voice echoed through the room. 　 “You were beside Fang Zhengzhi when it happened. Do you know what Wan Chong is being accused of?” King Duan stood up and walked over to Chi Hou to help him refill his tea.

Chi Hou stood up to reject but ended up having to accept the refill. Then he squinted, almost as if he was thinking about something. Then, he returned to his original calm look. 　 “Your Highness, you’re thinking of getting rid of all of those aligned with the Crown Prince, but the time is not right.” 　　 “What do you mean?” King Duan asked respectfully. 　 “In order to get our hands on the evidence, we need to have someone on our side as the Minister of Law. That is the only way we can drive this case.” Chi Hou replied. 　 “You are right. If we don’t have someone on our side as the Minister of Law, we can’t do anything about the others loyal to the Crown Prince.” King Duan nodded. 　 “Your Highness, do you have confidence that you can secure that position?” 　 “Erm…” King Duan hesitated, then shook his head. “Right now, more than 80% of the officials are loyal to the Crown Prince. For us to secure the Minister of Law position…” 　 “Your Highness, have you thought about securing it during a court session?” 　 “Please advise!” 　 “I think that it is time that you get up and move around.” Chi Hou replied cryptically.

“Where do you want me to walk to?” 　 “There are no more than three people in the capital who can influence the Emperor. Your Highness, you can consider that.” Chi Hou replied.

“You’re talking about someone who can influence the Emperor?” King Duan squinted, then his eyes brightened.

Chapter 499: Just that wilful Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Having been fighting with the Crown Prince for this long, King Duan had a good grasp on the affairs of the court. He knew what Chi Hou was saying. 　　 The Crown Prince had the upper hand in the courts. 　　 It was impossible to snatch the position of the Minister of Law from the Crown Prince in court. The only way was for the Emperor to appoint one himself.

In order to influence the Emperor, Chi Hou wasn’t suggesting that they planted names in his mind. He was suggesting that they choose someone the Emperor trusted.

In that case…

There were no more than three people in the capital who the Emperor trusted. To be exact, there were two and a half.

The first one was Xing Yuanguo of the Stabilization Constabulary. As the leader of the 13 Constabularies and the pillar of the empire, the Emperor’s trust in Xing Yuanguo was unequivocal.

However, Xing Yuanguo had never meddled in these affairs. The main reason was because Xing Yuanguo didn’t need to.

Regardless of who was on that throne, they would value the Stabilization Constabulary equally. Furthermore, Xing Yuanguo was someone loyal only to the throne.

However, that also meant that it was near impossible to get Xing Yuanguo’s support for their bid for the throne. 　　 As for the remaining one and a half…

The half was impossible to get as well. That half was Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping. As the leader of the officials, he knew what the Emperor was thinking and the Emperor trusted his advise. 　　 However, due to Yu Yiping’s experience in the courts and politics, the Emperor only trusted half of what he said.

As for the last one…

“Do you think that I will be in time if I move now?” King Duan asked as he thought about it.

Having fought with the Crown Prince for so many years, King Duan knew his elder brother well. His brother would probably recommend someone for the position the next morning. His recommendation would also be supported by the majority of officials. 　 “I don’t know, but some movement is better than no movement.” Chi Hou shook his head and sipped his tea.

“I understand. I will make the necessary arrangements.” King Duan looked at Mr. Hua and Old Wen. He made his decision quickly when he saw them nod. 　 “Wise choice.” Chi Hou continued to sip his tea, almost as though he didn’t notice King Duan’s actions.

…

Early the next morning…

The Crown Prince wore his official robes and arrived at the courts early. Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping and the other officials had arrived early as well.

They were having their own little discussions. 　 King Duan and Chi Hou arrived one after the other. They saw this and understood what was happening immediately. However, their expressions didn’t change. 　　 The officials immediately stopped their discussions and walked over to greet Chi Hou. Then, they extended various invites to him. 　　 Some invited him for a meal, others for a hunt, or a race, or tea…

Time flew by…

The court session was about to commence. Just as they stopped their discussions and waited for the session to start, Eunuch Wei entered the room.

“The Emperor is not feeling well. The session has been canceled!” Eunuch Wei announced to the dismay of the officials.

“Eunuch Wei, the Emperor was fine yesterday. What happened?” One of the officials stepped forward and whispered when he saw the cue from Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping.

Eunuch Wei glanced at Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping and hesitated. “People can fall sick at any time. Isn’t that right, Official Li?” was the reply.

“Yes yes yes, Eunuch Wei is correct. However, we have something important to discuss with the Emperor. What is his condition like?”

“The doctor estimates that he would be out for two to three days at least, five to six at most.”

“Oh, that’s good to hear. Could we know where the Emperor is resting? If it is convenient, could you please help us pass…” 　 “The Emperor is in the residence of Imperial Concubine Huafei. If you want to pass him anything, you can kneel and wait for him at the entrance.” Eunuch Wei waved Official Li off.

“Ahem, since the Emperor is there, we will not bother him. We will wait till he has made a full recovery.”

“The Emperor is still waiting for me to take care of him. I will take my leave now!”

“Take care!”

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping frowned as he watched Eunuch Wei leave. He began to think to himself, “Huafei…”

…

Since the session had been canceled, the appointment of a new Minister of Law would have to wait. Even Wan Chong’s case was delayed as a result. 　 Wan Chong was a Minister of Law. Despite the overwhelming evidence, he could not be sentenced without the Emperor’s approval.

The city seemed strangely calm but everyone knew that there were plenty of undercurrents beneath the surface.

The officials connected to Wan Chong’s case grew increasingly anxious with each passing day. They were in danger until a Minister of Law was appointed from their camp.

Countless carriages passed through the streets of the capital. Every now and then, there would be minor accidents and spats.

“Move away! How dare you block the carriage of the Li Family! You must be tired of living!”

“Li Family? Who are they? Why don’t you open your eyes and see who is in this carriage? If you don’t move aside, I will rip the wheels off your carriage!”

“Oh wow, that’s some big talk. Why don’t you come and try me?!”

“Okay, I will let you understand how powerful the Zhang Family is! What are you all waiting for? Rip the wheels off his carriage!”

“You’re arrogant for a small family! Charge!”

“…”

Countless carriages barged their way through the streets. However, there was one gate with a wide road but no one stopped in front of it for extended periods of time. No one fought at the gate either. 　 There were three words engraved on a gold sign at the gate.

Ping Yang Residence! 　 The residence was just adjacent to the palace and was situated in the middle of the city. However, most officials were more than happy to take a detour around it.

At that very moment, a medium sized carriage arrived from afar and stopped in front of this residence.

Then, a youth hopped off the carriage, looked around, then smiled.

“Hi brother, could you please announce my arrival? I am here to see Official Fang!” The youth walked over to the gate and asked one of the guards there. 　　 Then, the youth produced a few fingernail-sized silver ingots.

“Official Fang, which Official Fang?” The golden armored guard ignored the silver in the youth’s hands.

“Of course it’s Fang Zhengzhi, Official Fang!” The youth replied.

“I understand.” The golden armored guard nodded and shot a look at another guard inside the residence. Then, there was a dull thud.

Almost like an open dam, more than 20 armored soldiers came rushing out. The soldiers in golden armor pressed this youth to the ground without hesitation.

This youth was stunned. 　 However, when the punches started raining down, he reacted instantly, his eyes glowing brightly.

“I was wrong, I am here to see Fang Zhengzheng! I am Wen Dabao!” 　 “Oh, you are here to see Young Master Fang? You should have said so earlier!” The soldiers stopped when they heard this. 　　 Wen Dabao was extremely bitter but there was nothing he could do about it. He wiped away his tears and stood up. 　 “Can you please announce my arrival?” 　 “Of course. Please wait a moment, Young Master Wen.” The soldier nodded and picked up the silvers on the ground, placing them in his pocket. 　 “…” Wen Dabao’s expression became increasingly bitter. 　 The only consolation he had was that the soldier didn’t stand around after picking up his silvers. He immediately rushed into the residence to announce Wen Dabao’s arrival.

…

In a beautiful garden inside Ping Yang’s Residence… 　 Fang Zhengzhi, dressed in his trademark blue long-sleeved shirt, laid down on a chair covered with a layer of luxury leather. He squinted as he looked into the sky.

Ping Yang was sitting next to Fang Zhengzhi. She wore a red dress and supported her head with both hands, watching Fang Zhengzhi silently.

As for Yan Xiu, he was seated behind a table nearby. He had a pen in his hand as he continued to scribble away on the paper in front of him. 　 It was a very peaceful and calming time. 　 At that moment, a golden-armored soldier appeared at the entrance to the garden. When the soldier saw this, he stopped outside.

“Your Highness, Young Master Fang, Young Master Yan, Wen Dabao is here.”

“…”

Silence. 　 Ping Yang, Fang Zhengzhi, and Yan Xiu remained silent, almost as if they didn’t hear what the soldier said. 　 They continued doing exactly what they were doing moments ago. 　 The soldier waited patiently for 15 minutes… 　 However, he was still ignored. 　 “Ahem, your highness, Young Master Fang, Young Master Yan, Wen Dabao is here.” The soldier reminded, his voice slightly louder this time.

“…” 　 Silence.

The soldier looked at the three figures in the garden. He realized that they were still doing the same things they were moments ago. There was absolutely no change…

The soldier began to show traces of confusion.

But it was nothing more than confusion. 　　 He didn’t speak again.

The soldier simply waited at the entrance like a statue. 　　 After 15 minutes, another guard in golden armor appeared at the gates. He said the same thing as the guard before him. 　 However, Fang Zhengzhi, Ping Yang, and Yan Xiu seemed to be in a world of their own. They ignored the soldier in the golden armor, almost as if they didn’t hear what he said. 　 The second guard also stood at the gate like a statue. 　 Time flew by. 　 An hour passed, then two… 　 The number of ‘statues’ at the gate grew in number. There were guards in golden armor, then servants and slaves. Finally, even Ping Yang Residence’s manager became a ‘statue’.

The sun was almost at its peak and it was getting hotter. 　 Ping Yang, Fang Zhengzhi, and Yan Xiu didn’t move. As such, none of them dared to move. They continued to wait at the gates. 　　 Finally, Ping Yang turned around and looked at one of the servants at the gate.

She didn’t speak, but she blinked. Then, she looked up at the hot sun.

The servant saw the look and understood it immediately. Before long, she returned with a hot cup of tea.

Ping Yang’s eyes brightened when she saw this. She snatched the cup out of the hands of the servant and gulped the tea down.

“You’ve lost.” Fang Zhengzhi opened his eyes lazily and looked at Ping Yang.

“I’ve lost? Why did I lose? I didn’t open my mouth at all!” Ping Yang was visibly unhappy about this.

“You didn’t?” 　 “Of course not, did you hear me speak?” 　 “I said that the first one who opened their mouth would lose, not the first one to speak. How did you drink if you didn’t open your mouth.” Fang Zhengzhi replied scornfully. 　　 “That counts?” Ping Yang couldn’t believe her ears. 　 “What do you think?” Fang Zhengzhi replied.

“Okay then, you win this time because you cheated. You can ask your question.” Ping Yang pouted but conceded defeat grudgingly.

“My question can wait. Wen Dabao must have been waiting outside for more than four hours.” Fang Zhengzhi waved her off. 　 “Yes, Wen Dabao has been outside for nearly four hours.” The golden armored soldier replied respectfully.

However… 　 They were all extremely bitter.

They knew that Princess Ping Yang was a willful person. They had prepared themselves for that. However, they never expected that they would have to serve two willful people one day. 　 Furthermore, even the cultured and polite son of the Yan Family, Yan Xiu, was playing along!

Chapter 500: Deal

“Mm, let him in after he has stood outside for exactly four hours.” Fang Zhengzhi rubbed his tummy and nodded.

“Okay.” The soldier in golden armor answered and took his leave.

Then, the manager of the residence and the servants took turns to report their respective issues. These weren’t issues regarding the residence, they were ‘tabloid’ news from the capital.

After Ping Yang heard the reports, the orderlies left and the three of them were left in the garden once again.

“Ah!!! I can’t take it any longer! Are you going to tell me where you’ve been over the past year?” Ping Yang couldn’t hold it back any longer.

“You really want to know? Sure, but you must beat me first. Only the winner has the right to ask questions. The loser can only answer questions.” Fang Zhengzhi said dismissively.

“Humph! I can definitely defeat you!” Ping Yang pouted.

“Now you can answer my question! Who does King Liqin like the most?” Fang Zhengzhi queried.

“You’re asking about King Liqin? He likes me the best and Sister Yan is a close second. He also has a good relationship with Xing Yuanguo and his dad.” Ping Yang blinked.

“Chi Guyan?” Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

He couldn’t believe everything that Ping Yang said. She only said that she was his favorite because she was narcissistic. King Liqin probably liked Chi Guyan best.

About that…

That was clearly evident during the incident over a year ago in the throne room.

At that time, he had just come out of the World of the Sage. He held the Traceless Blade which the officials, the Crown Prince, and King Duan fought over. In the end, Chi Guyan had brought in King Liqin to resolve the issue.

However, Fang Zhengzhi didn’t have much information on King Liqin at that time. Naturally, he had not interacted with this man before.

“Are you thinking of having Sister Yan plead your case to King Liqin and ask King Liqin to tell the Emperor to acquit you? You can forget about it. King Liqin never interferes with politics! Furthermore, Sister Yan has isolated herself in the Heavenly Dao Pavilion!” Ping Yang said triumphantly!

“How do you know that she has isolated herself?” Fang Zhengzhi queried.

“Of course I know. If Sister Yan wasn’t isolating herself, why wouldn’t she reply to my mails?” Ping Yang replied definitively.

“Reply to you? Hmm… when was the last time you communicated with her?”

“Three months ago.”

“Oh, what were the contents of that letter?”

“That has nothing to do with you! I’m not telling you anything! However, Sister Yan did mention that she needed some time to cultivate because the deadline for a deal was coming up. She said that the person would not miss the date a second time. When I asked her about it, she didn’t reply!”

“A deal?” Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

The Heavenly Dao Pavilion selections should be coming soon. In the last selection, Nangong Hao had successfully made it there.

Fang Zhengzhi did a quick calculation. The Imperial Examinations were about to begin. After that came the court examinations. Then, it would be the Heavenly Dao Pavilion selections!

The Heavenly Dao Pavilion!

When Fang Zhengzhi heard this name a year ago, it was no more than just a name to him. However, it meant more now.

One Pavillion, Four Sages, 13 Constabularies.

This was a common saying in the Great Xia. The Pavillion was placed above the Four Sages in the hierarchy.

“Three months should be sufficient!”

…

Whilst Fang Zhengzhi and Ping Yang discussed the Heavenly Dao Pavillion, Wen Dabao was becoming redder by the moment.

He had stood outside without food or water for almost four hours. This was a nightmare for someone as pampered as him.

Lucky for him, it seemed like his nightmare was about to end.

The guard who had taken his silvers was walking back towards the gate. Then, the guard came to stand beside him.

However…

The guard continued to remain silent for 15 minutes.

Just as Wen Dabao was about to ask the guard if he could enter again, the guard turned around, looked at the sky, and then at the clock at the residence.

“Okay, you may enter now.”

“I can enter?” Wen Dabao nearly jumped out of his skin. He never expected that Fang Zhengzhi would be this busy.

However, he was not too affected by this. After all, he was lucky to be able to meet with Fang Zhengzhi. However, if he knew that Fang Zhengzhi had been suntanning for the past four hours…

His reaction might have been different.

Wen Jiabao was led to the entrance to the garden by the soldier. Then, the soldier went in to announce his arrival.

“Young Master Wen, please.”

“Thank you!” Wen Dabao nodded and thanked the soldier. He licked his dry lips, swallowed his saliva, then walked in.

The moment he entered, he was greeted by the fragrance of the flowers. This caused Wen Dabao to feel slightly intoxicated. His house was one of the more luxurious ones in the city.

However, it was still a far cry from Ping Yang’s residence.

“Your Highness, Young… Young Master Fang, Young Master Yan!” Wen Dabao learnt his lesson. He decided to not call Fang Zhengzhi by name.

“Your dad asked you to come?” Fang Zhengzhi asked, skipping the formalities.

“Mm…” Wen Dabao was stumped. His eyes glittered and he smiled at Fang Zhengzhi. At that moment, he felt slightly flustered.

Over a year ago, Fang Zhengzhi, Yan Xiu, and Ping Yang had made him treat them to many meals. However, today…

He had a feeling that Fang Zhengzhi had changed drastically over the past year.

A year ago…

Fang Zhengzhi would have never asked such a question. Yet, merely a year later, that was the first question Fang Zhengzhi had asked him.

“Yes!” Wen Dabao nodded after some hesitation.

“Mm, what about yourself?” Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

“I wanted to come here as well. When I heard that Fang… Young Master Fang was in the capital, I wanted to… but at that time…” Wen Dabao couldn’t find the words to express his thoughts.

He had come up with many reasons before this. However, when he saw Fang Zhengzhi, he realized that he couldn’t bring himself to say any of them.

“It’s the thought that counts.” Fang Zhengzhi didn’t seem angered by the reaction. He simply pointed to a chair nearby.

Wen Dabao got the hint and took his seat.

“I don’t know what my dad is thinking either. I thought he wanted the Princess, yourself, and Young Master Yan to… ahem, he just wanted me to come here to visit you.” Wen Dabao seemed a lot more relaxed after sitting down.

“Whatever for?” Fang Zhengzhi asked.

“He didn’t say anything. All he said was that I should come over and chat with you. I was to tell him what we talked about.” Wen Dabao replied without hesitation.

“Are you sure he wasn’t asking you to look for Yan Xiu or Ping Yang?” Fang Zhengzhi asked.

“No, he specified you.” Wen Dabao asserted.

“I understand. You can go back now.”

“What?!”

“Were you thinking of staying for lunch?” Fang Zhengzhi smirked as he asked.

“Erm… no, no!” Wen Dabao was flustered.

“Actually you can stay for lunch. Did you bring money today?” Fang Zhengzhi looked at the waist pack on Wen Dabao.

“No, no… actually, I did bring a little with me. Not much, not much, really not much… just 10,000… no, 20,000 silvers!” Wen Dabao wanted to hide some away but decided against it.

He knew that any attempt to hide the money would be useless when Fang Zhengzhi was on the other side.

“Mm, just enough for a meal.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

“What?! 20,000 silvers for one meal?”

“Were you planning on eating two?”

“Haha… Young Master Fang, am I going to be one of King Duan’s people after this meal?” Wen Dabao asked excitedly.

“Did you dad have you ask this question?”

“No, my dad didn’t ask me to ask any questions. He simply asked me to come over for a chat.”

“You can go back after lunch. If you want to come back for lunch tomorrow, bring another 20,000 silvers.” Fang Zhengzhi had no intention to continue the conversation with Wen Dabao.

“Okay. How about we go to the Seven Stars Lane tonight? Ever since the fire at the Intellectual Loft a year ago, the Seven Stars Lane has become the new hot spot.” Wen Dabao smirked when he saw Fang Zhengzhi’s expression.

“You still have money?” Fang Zhengzhi smiled and looked at Wen Dabao.

“I do, of course I do! I have a small vault of gold!” Wen Dabao pounded his chest.

“Yan Xiu, are you coming?” Fang Zhengzhi turned to ask Yan Xiu without answering Wen Dabao.

“I can go.” Yan Xiu hesitated for a moment before replying.

“Okay then, we will go to the Seven Stars Lane tonight.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded after he heard Yan Xiu’s reply.

“Why didn’t you ask me if I wanted to go?” Ping Yang was rather annoyed that Fang Zhengzhi didn’t invite her. They were in her house!

How could they just ignore her in her own home?

“I don’t have to. I know you will definitely come.” Fang Zhengzhi waved her off.

“What if I don’t go?”

“That’s even better.”

“You must be joking! I will definitely be going!”

…

Wen Dabao arrived at noon the next day. However, he was in worse shape today than he was yesterday.

His back was hunched and he was bruised in multiple places. He couldn’t even stand up straight.

“Brother, I am here to see Young Master Fang. Please help me inform him.” Wen Dabao limped over to the gate and spoke to the guard.

“What happened to you, Young Master Wen?” The guard was shocked to see Wen Dabao in this state.

He knew that Wen Dabao had gone to the Seven Stars Lane with Yan Xiu, Ping Yang, and Fang Zhengzhi.

In fact, every noble family and official in the city knew about this.

After all, Fang Zhengzhi had a spotlight on him wherever he went. There weren’t many questions asked when he stayed inside the walls of Ping Yang’s Residence.

However…

When he appeared at the Seven Star Lane with three others, two of whom are high profile individuals…

That was a completely different story.

That was equivalent to courting death!

However, what was even more shocking was that nothing had happened in the Seven Star Lane yesterday night.

Since nothing had happened, why was Wen Dabao in this state?

Was there something that happened in the Seven Star Lane that no one knew about?

The guard looked at Wen Dabao doubtfully.

When Wen Dabao heard the soldier’s words, his face contorted in pain. He shuddered, almost as if he was reminded of something terrifying.

He had been embarrassed and humiliated.

Wen Dabao’s lips twitched as tears began to well up in his eyes. He looked up at the guard.

“Young Master Wen, were you beaten?” The guard asked again when he saw Wen Dabao trembling with tears forming in his eyes.

“Mm.” Wen Dabao nodded and a tear rolled down his cheek. This was a tear that resulted from a man’s sadness after being struck when he was most vulnerable.

The golden armored soldier was stunned to hear this. Did something really happen at the Seven Star Lane yesterday night?

Chapter 501: Growing a little fast

Wen Dabao had no intention of answering the unspoken question in the guard’s mind. The guard didn’t ask either.

Then, the guard went to announce his arrival whilst Wen Dabao waited outside. This time, he didn’t have to wait very long.

Wen Dabao entered Ping Yang’s residence soon after and was led to the garden. It was no different from yesterday.

Fang Zhengzhi was sipping his tea when he saw Wen Dabao run in. He spat out the tea in his mouth.

“Sh*t!”

Wen Dabao didn’t even have time to react before the tea splashed all over his face. He felt extremely humiliated…

“What happened? Who beat you up?” Fang Zhengzhi asked.

“My dad!” Wen Dabao cried.

“Your dad? Oh, why would your dad hit you? Tell us, entertain us.” Fang Zhengzhi seemed to understand what had happened.

“He said that I shouldn’t have brought you to the Seven Star Lane.” Wen Dabao wiped the tea off his face.

“That was the only reason?” Fang Zhengzhi chuckled.

“Yes.”

“As a man, you need to have some freedom.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have a plan that will stop your dad from hitting you. From now on, you can also go to the Seven Star Lane openly! What do you think?”

“Are you for real?”

“Of course.”

“Tell me.”

“Let’s go again tonight. I want to see how many times your dad can hit you.”

“What?! Wen Dabao’s eyes were on the verge of popping out of their sockets. He looked at Fang Zhengzhi in disbelief. Fang Zhengzhi wasn’t the one who was going to be beaten up!

However, Wen Dabao couldn’t find the words to express his frustration. He looked at Fang Zhengzhi, “do you have another plan?”

“No.” Fang Zhengzhi rejected him equivocally.

“…”

…

Nighttime. The Seven Star Lane welcomed back four guests. However, this time, Wen Dabao was significantly less excited. In fact, he was extremely bitter.

Wen Dabao walked out of the Seven Star Lane without incident. When he returned, there was a figure waiting for him at the gates.

The figure held a metal pole in his hand.

“Dad, don’t hit me!”

“You rascal, you deserve it!”

“Erm… dad, please stop. Fang Zhengzhi… Fang Zhengzhi asked me to tell you something.” Wen Dabao screamed after being hit the first time.

“He asked you to tell me something? Okay, tell me what it is.”

“Fang Zhengzhi said that he would return to the Seven Star Lane tomorrow. He will go every day at the same time for the foreseeable future.”

“He really said that?” The figure’s eyes glittered.

“Yes, word for word.”

“I understand. You should probably tag along with him every day. I have already prepared the money for you. You can just ask for more if you need it.” The figure nodded.

“Dad, you’re not going to hit me?”

“Nope. Get some rest. Entertain Young Master Fang tomorrow at the Seven Star Lane.”

“No way?! That worked?!” Wen Dabao couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw his dad turn and leave. He knew that his dad was a strict person.

But today…

Why would he say something like that?

Fang Zhengzhi’s method worked! Not only wasn’t he beaten by his dad, his dad had asked him to go to the Seven Star Lane! What just happened?!

…

Inside the Left Prime Minister’s residence…

A servant dressed in black knelt in the study. His head was lowered as he heard the knocking sounds next to him.

“Fang Zhengzhi went to the Seven Star Lane again?” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping’s voice rang out.

“Yes, he went with Wen Dabao, Yan Xiu, and Ping Yang. They went and left at about the same time as yesterday.” The servant replied.

“Has King Duan and Chi Hou visited Ping Yang’s residence recently?”

“No, King Duan has been in his own residence. As for Chi Hou, other than the first day he spent in King Duan’s residence, he has been at the Stabilization Constabulary.”

“I understand. You may leave now.” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping nodded.

“Yes, sir!” The servant replied, bowed, and took his leave.

Just as the servant left, a respectful voice could be heard from outside. “Prime Minister, Wen Chuan of the Ministry of Law has requested for an audience with you.”

“Wen Chuan?” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping frowned. Then, his eyes glittered, “Mm, let him in.”

“Yes, sir!”

Then, he heard light footsteps before the door to the study was opened. A middle-aged man in black walked through the doors.

He was a stern looking man with thick eyebrows. His eyes seemed closed half the time, and this only served to accentuate the stern aura he exuded.

“I am Wen Chuan from the Ministry of Law. Greetings, Prime Minister!” The middle-aged man bowed as he entered the room.

“Official Wen, you may do away with the formalities. May I know why you’re looking for me so late at night?” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping walked over and helped him up.

“Something small has come up.” Wen Chuan nodded hesitantly.

“Oh? Please tell me what it is. If I can, I will definitely do my best to help.” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping replied.

“Prime Minister, please save my son!” Wen Chuan fell to his knees.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping extended his hands to help Wen Chuan up once again. His eyes were filled with concern.

“Official Wen, what is it? You have served in the courts for many years! Your son is like my son! Just tell me what it is!”

“My son… he doesn’t know what he’s doing. Over the past two days, he ran off to play with Fang Zhengzhi without informing me, I… I…”

“Oh? You didn’t know that he had gone to the Seven Star Lane with Fang Zhengzhi?”

“I only knew about it last night! I gave him a harsh beating after that! I even told him never to do it again! But kids at this age… aish… I pamper him too much usually. I never thought that he would go to the Seven Star Lane with Fang Zhengzhi again today. My… aish…” Wen Chuan sighed.

“I don’t think that it’s a big deal. He is just playful. No harm done.” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping waved him off.

“Prime Minister, you are magnanimous! As for the Crown Prince…”

“Official Wen, don’t worry. I will personally explain things to the Crown Prince. He’s just a kid. It is only normal that he goes out to play. This is no big deal.” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping waved him off.

“But…” Wen Chuan hesitated.

“Is there anything else?” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping asked.

“It’s like that. I heard from my son that Fang Zhengzhi threatened him and asked him to continue accompanying them to the Seven Star Lane. As you know, my son wouldn’t be afraid if it was just Fang Zhengzhi. But with Princess Ping Yang and Yan Xiu…”

“Damn it! This Fang Zhengzhi is incredibly shameless! How dare he threaten a son of one of our Law Ministry officials?! Damn him!” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping raged.

“Yes… I’m just worried that my son…” Wen Chuan said hesitantly.

“How many days does Fang Zhengzhi want Wen Dabao to accompany him for?”

“He asked my son to accompany him every day! The money is not the issue here. I am just afraid that the Crown Prince would misunderstand…”

“Official Wen, please rest assured! I will explain everything to the Crown Prince!”

“Thank you, Prime Minister!”

“You’re most welcome. I will draft a letter to the Crown Prince right now.”

“Thank you Prime Minister! I… I’ll take my leave now!” Wen Chuan bowed respectfully and left the room.

“Take care!” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping nodded but he didn’t help Wen Chuan up this time.

After the study had quietened down once again, a figure walked into the study from a space behind the room. This figure sat down on a chair.

“When do you plan to strike?”

“I am in no hurry.” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping looked at the figure and waved him off.

“Do you really plan on passing on such a golden opportunity?” The figure asked again.

“Opportunity? Haha… Fang Zhengzhi is going to the Seven Star Lane every day. He is asking Wen Chuan to report to us because he wants to lure us out. If we strike now, we will be playing right into his hands.” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping frowned.

“Prime Minister, are you scared?”

“What do you mean?”

“Fang Zhengzhi is accompanied by Ping Yang, Yan Xiu, and Wen Dabao when he goes to the Seven Star Lane. Apart from Yan Xiu, there is no one there who can stop you.”

“You can just speak your mind. Don’t beat around the bush.”

“Prime Minister, you missed two opportunities here! Do you really plan on missing a third, a fourth, or even a fifth?

“I have my plans! You don’t have to worry!”

“Okay then. I was just giving my two-cents worth. If there is nothing else, I’ll be leaving. You should have an early rest, it has been a long day.”

“Go ahead!” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping snorted.

The figure smiled, stood up, and disappeared into the space where he had come from.

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping frowned as he looked at that space.

“Fang Zhengzhi, I will tolerate your actions for a few more days! When the Emperor goes to the Ten Mile Lake for the banquet, I would like to see if you have the confidence to have fun so openly in the city!”

…

Time passed quickly…

Fang Zhengzhi, Yan Xiu, Ping Yang, and Wen Dabao continued to go to the Seven Star Lane at the same time every day. The banquet was set to start on the fourth day.

Emperor Lin Mubai left the city, flanked by the Royal Guards. Countless citizens gathered on the streets to see him off!

This was a grand event!

Countless sons from the noble families stood at the gates to witness this. They were reminded of their ancestors’ adventures and feats.

Nightfall…

The city was even more vibrant and bustling than usual.

Maybe it was because most of the noblemen had left for the Ten Mile Lake… or maybe the atmosphere at the Ten Mile Lake had spilled over to the capital.

It was a bustling night in the city. The lights were bright and countless people snuck out of their houses and onto the streets.

Inside Ping Yang’s residence…

Wen Dabao was growing a little bit tired of waiting. He had already managed to get himself into one of the VIP rooms based on how much he had been spending.

As long as he continued going there, he would get lucky.

“Let’s go, let’s go. We should get going.” Wen Dabao urged. He thought about how nice it would be to have a girl heaving and panting next to him.

“Is it time yet?” Fang Zhengzhi opened his eyes and looked at the sky.

“Who cares about the time? We can go earlier to have some fun! Let’s go, let’s go!” Wen Dabao was getting anxious.

“Yan Xiu, what do you think?” Fang Zhengzhi ignored Wen Dabao and looked to Yan Xiu.

“It’s okay.” Yan Xiu nodded after some thought.

“That’s great! Young Master Yan has agreed! Shall we go?” Wen Dabao never liked Yan Xiu more than he did now! That was music to his ears.

“Okay, let’s go.” Fang Zhengzhi stood up from his chair and looked at Ping Yang. Ping Yang’s eyes were closed.

She wore a fiery red dress. Her dress looked like a ball of fire in the garden.

“Are we leaving?” Ping Yang heard what Fang Zhengzhi said and opened her eyes. She stretched and adjusted her bra.

Then, she realized that Fang Zhengzhi was looking at him. He was looking at a particular spot on her body.

“Shameless!” Ping Yang chided.

Fang Zhengzhi smiled and looked down at Ping Yang’s slim waist and perky butt.

“People always say that women change a great deal when they mature. Why have you changed so much when you’re not even 16?” Fang Zhengzhi felt as though Ping Yang had grown much quicker than he had expected.

He wondered…

How was Chi Guyan like now?

Chapter 502: Pattern of the Seven Stars

Fang Zhengzhi was just half a year away from his 18th birthday. Chi Guyan was not much younger than him. She was almost 17.

17-years-old…

She was mature enough to be married.

“Shameless fella, what are you thinking about? Aren’t you coming?” Ping Yan rushed Fang Zhengzhi when she saw that he was standing still.

“Oh, let’s go.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded and looked at Ping Yang’s body. “You’re still young! Only 16!”

…

Inside King Duan’s residence…

King Duan was accompanied by Mr. Hua and Old Wen. They walked quickly to the gates. There were a few guards trailing behind them.

“Have they left?” King Duan asked the squad leader behind him.

“Yes. For some reason, they left earlier than usual. Previously, they would only leave one hour from now!” The squad leader replied.

“He’s really playing everyone!” King Duan cursed…

King Duan had monitored Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu whenever they had gone to the Seven Star Lane. Even though he didn’t want to, he sent soldiers to patrol the vicinity around the Seven Star Lane.

Of course, it was a good thing that…

Nothing had gone awry.

That was indeed a cause for celebration.

However, today was different.

The banquet hosted by the Emperor at the Ten Mile Lake was today! Even though he had the Royal Guard to protect him, a large part of the city guards was mobilized as well.

Most of the skilled guards in the city had been activated to protect the Emperor. After all, the Emperor’s safety was of utmost importance.

King Duan had no choice but to lead the squad himself.

He was furious that Fang Zhengzhi and co. decided to leave early today.

He didn’t even have the time to eat.

He couldn’t believe that he was about to protect someone who merely lazed around all day. He had skipped dinner just to stand outside the Seven Star Lane for four to six hours just to protect Fang Zhengzhi?! He was furious!

He didn’t want to go.

However, Mr. Hua and Old Wen convinced him otherwise. In the end, he grit his teeth and left the table of dishes untouched.

“You guys should walk faster. Fang Zhengzhi and company should be arriving soon.” Old Wen said to the guards behind.

This was also meant for King Duan. Old Wen just wanted to do it in a roundabout manner in order to avoid antagonizing King Duan.

King Duan understood what Old Wen was getting at. The guards were following his pace. By asking them to speed up, Old Wen as effectively asking him to speed up.

He wasn’t happy about it.

However, he still grit his teeth and quickened his pace.

“Kacha!”

The guards at the gate rushed to open the gates when they saw King Duan and the other guards rushing towards it.

However, King Duan stopped the moment he took a step out of the gates. He didn’t even manage to head in the direction of the Seven Star Lane.

Because…

There was a squad standing in front of him. Each soldier wore gleaming armor and they were led by a familiar figure.

This person wore a silver robe adorned with silver dragons. He squinted and smirked when he saw King Duan.

“Sixth Brother, where are you going?” He asked caringly.

King Duan frowned when he saw the figure in front of him as well as the squad behind this figure.

That person was Crown Prince Lin Tianrong.

However…

King Duan couldn’t figure out why Crown Prince Lin Tianrong would appear here today. Most importantly, he couldn’t understand why Lin Tianrong had a squad of soldiers standing behind him.

“Third Brother, are you looking for me?” King Duan frowned and asked.

“It’s no big deal. I missed you, Sixth Brother. Since father is at the Ten Mile Lake, I decided to come over and visit you. Aren’t you going to invite me in?” Lin Tianrong smiled.

“Haha, thank you for your concern brother. However, your timing is slightly inconvenient. Since father is at the Ten Mile Lake, there is a shortage of guards in the city. I have no choice but to patrol the city myself. After all, if anything were to happen, I would be the first one to be blamed.”

“Brother, you are absolutely right! The Royal Guards and much of the city guards have been activated to standby at the Ten Mile Lake. It would be horrible if anything was to happen now.”

“Since you understand, you should also know why I can’t accompany you.”

“Haha, Sixth Brother, you are worrying too much. I know your concerns, so I brought some men over to help you. I borrowed them from the army.” Crown Prince Lin Tianrong pointed to the soldiers behind him.

“Aren’t you afraid that father would blame you?” King Duan was slightly astonished.

“I am, of course I am. However, for the safety of the capital and for your well-being, I am more than willing to be chided. Furthermore, I’m sure you won’t report this to father.” Lin Tianrong replied.

“Hahaha, you must be kidding!”

“Okay, now that I’ve solved the manpower problem, why don’t you have a few drinks with me?” Crown Prince Lin Tianrong’s eyes glistened.

King Duan squinted when he heard this. He clenched his fists instinctively but released them almost just as quickly.

“I am honored to have you come and visit me today! I will definitely accompany you!”

“Good, very good! I brought the best wine I have over here. Since father is not in the city, we will drink till we drop!” Crown Prince Lin Tianrong chuckled.

“Third Brother, please!” King Duan stepped to the side and ushered Lin Tianrong into his residence. Then, he blinked at Mr. Hua and Old Wen.

Both of them saw the look on King Duan’s face and nodded. Then, they led the soldiers out of the residence.

The soldiers who were previously following Crown Prince Lin Tianrong followed behind.

“Mr. Hua, we have come to help on the orders of the Crown Prince. If you don’t mind, we can be responsible for the Western Part of the city.” One of the leaders stepped forward.

“No need. We can take the Western Part of the City.” Mr. Hua rejected the proposition.

“Mr. Hua, you don’t have to be so courteous. Even though we are from the army, we will still serve the city to the best of our abilities. If something comes up, we will let you take command!” The leader started to walk towards the west.

The soldiers followed behind.

Mr. Hua frowned when he saw this, his eyes glowing.

“Something is going to happen tonight!” Old Wen spoke softly. However, he was loud enough for Mr. Hua to hear it.

“Mm, they should be striking tonight.” Mr. Hua nodded.

“If we go up against them, we will be playing right into their hands. They may even take advantage of the situation to create chaos somewhere and draw the forces away.” Old Wen added.

“Exactly. The only thing we can do now is join forces with them. Only then can we ensure that they don’t have the chance to mess things up.” Mr. Hua nodded.

“Indeed. However, when things actually happen, they will still be able to stymie and delay us. Things can still take a turn for the worse.”

“We have to play this by ear!”

“Mm, let’s go!”

…

The Seven Star Lane had become the most popular spot in the city after the Intellectual Loft burnt down. It was even more popular now than the Intellectual Loft ever was.

The Seven Star Lane had all the most popular ladies in the city.

The Seven Stars!

This was why they named themselves the Seven Star Lane!

The seven of them had gathered here over a month ago.

No one knew how the boss of the Seven Star Lane had done it, but the fact was that he had succeeded.

The boss of the Seven Star Lane exploited the fame of the seven most popular girls he had acquired.

One girl for each day.

Every day, he would have a new girl as the main show. Most importantly, the guests didn’t know who the main show was going to be.

There was no specific order in which they appeared.

As a result, everyone ended up coming on a daily basis, waiting for the girl that they wanted to see. The crowd kept growing with each passing day.

Many people initially thought that this business model would not take off.

They couldn’t be more mistaken…

Over the years, the popularity of the Seven Star Lane kept on growing. Part of the reason was that the Seven Star Lane kept pushing out new programs.

Most importantly, the sense of excitement and anticipation kept people coming.

Everyone was excited to find out who would headline the shows today. Sometimes, two of them would perform together. Other times, all seven would put up a joint performance.

There were too many permutations.

The countless permutations of performances left the audience wanting more. This trend caught on quickly.

It also gave birth to a secondary business.

That was…

“Guess the headliner!”

“Place your bets, place your bets!”

“Guess who will be the main act tonight! Those who manage to guess the ladies performing in the main act will be paid 10 to one!”

Voices rang out outside the Seven Star Lane. Before the main act started, the betting scene was bustling.

“Young Master Li, who do you think will be the main act tonight?”

“Lan Yi, it’ll definitely be Lan Yi!”

“Young Master Li is so sure that it will be Ms. Lan Yi?”

“Ms. Lan Yi hasn’t made an appearance in more than five days! She should be the first one out. After that… I think that there is an 80% chance it will be Yue Qing!”

“Young Master Li’s predictions sound correct! If Lan Yi opens tonight, the Yue Qing is likely to follow!”

“That’s right! Lan Yi’s drums and Yue Qing’s instrument are a match made in heaven! Those are my bets for tonight!”

“Same for me!”

A few youths stood by the betting table as they discussed their bets for the night. Then, they placed their bets.

At that moment, four figures walked closer to the table.

They were Fang Zhengzhi, Wen Dabao, Yan Xiu, and Ping Yang. Their arrival caused a stir in the crowd.

However, since Fang Zhengzhi had been coming for the past few days, the youths weren’t too surprised to see him.

“Look, Fang Zhengzhi is back!”

“Call him Fang Zhengzheng! Young Master Chen got beaten up over this the other day!”

“Mm…”

The youths continued to discuss Fang Zhengzhi’s arrival, but they did so softly and discreetly. After all, the capital’s number one bully was with him.

When Ping Yang decided to strike, nothing could stop her!

No one dared to go up against Ping Yang or antagonize her. When she decided to go after you, there was no escape.

The crowd parted to the side as Fang Zhengzhi and company approached.

Wen Dabao’s eyes brightened. They were almost as bright as the seven lanterns at the door of the Seven Star Lane.

As the mascot for all the vices in the capital, he would never miss the chance to bet on something so exciting.

Most importantly, he had quite a bit of cash on him. Furthermore, he could spend all these money without consequences.

That being said…

He had been losing the past few days, so he hesitated to place a bet today. After all, these silvers were taken from his house’s vaults.

Even though he was someone who loved to drink and have fun, he wanted to win.

“Young Master Fang, why are you able to win every time whilst I lose all the time? Is there really a pattern?” Wen Dabao murmured and whined.

“A pattern? Of course.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

“There is a pattern? That’s impossible! I heard that the boss of the Seven Star Lane arranges these performances himself! There is no insider information! How can there possibly be a pattern?” Wen Dabao was in disbelief.

“Haha, even if he plans them himself, there has to be a pattern!” Fang Zhengzhi smirked as he replied triumphantly.

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Chapter 503: Unexpected bets

“It will definitely follow a pattern? What pattern?” Wen Dabao was confused.

“The law of women of course.” Fang Zhengzhi looked smirked and replied triumphantly when he saw Ping Yang’s confused expression.

“There’s a pattern for women?” Wen Dabao was stumped.

“Mm, don’t you know that there are differences between the male and female body?” Fang Zhengzhi asked.

“Young Master Fang, you are a man of my own heart! You must be referring to the chest and… am I right?” Wen Dabao smirked when he heard that.

“F*ck no! What are you talking about?! I was referring to their menstruation cycle! Do you even know what that is?” Fang Zhengzhi sighed as he looked at Wen Dabao scornfully. Doesn’t this man know anything other than breasts and *ss?

“I… I don’t…” Wen Dabao panicked.

“That is when ladies find it inconvenient to do stuff! This will happen for a few days every month! That is the difference!” Fang Zhengzhi explained in exasperation.

“Shameless!” Ping Yang’s face was flushed as she glared at Fang Zhengzhi and bellowed.

Yan Xiu turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi, his expression icy. However, his look was slightly complicated, almost as though he didn’t know what to think.

As for Wen Dabao…

After he recovered from his initial shock, his eyes brightened up.

“Oh, I know, I know about this! I read about this before! But what does this have to do with the Seven Stars?” Wen Dabao asked.

The people around them all looked at each other, faces flushed, when they heard this.

No one had ever discussed menstruation periods in broad daylight! It was much too inappropriate!

“This man is utterly shameless!”

“What a disgrace! How can someone possibly be this shameless?!”

“How can he discuss such things here? This… he is supposedly an intellectual man! Doesn’t he know how to carry himself properly?”

Fang Zhengzhi scorned the comments of those around him. In his previous world, this was an acceptable and serious topic to discuss.

Furthermore, this was general knowledge! Why were they making such a big fuss about it?

“If you want to know what this has to do with the betting, you have to learn to respect women first!” Fang Zhengzhi added without answering Wen Dabao’s question directly.

“How dare he talk about respecting women when he was the one who brought up this topic?”

“Shameless!”

The crowd around Fang Zhengzhi looked at him in disdain when they heard this.

They weren’t alone.

Even Ping Yang looked at him with scorn. Fang Zhengzhi’s current actions weren’t respecting women at all.

“Respecting women?” Wen Dabao was lost. This was not something he valued.

After all, he had too many women serving in his household as servants. He would scold and hit them whenever he felt like it.

Most importantly, women were seen as the weaker gender in this world.

Of course…

People like Chi Guyan were an exception. There was only one Chi Guyan in the world, so she wasn’t representative of the populace.

Fang Zhengzhi didn’t continue explaining. He was familiar with this concept. In this world, many were chauvinistic men who saw women as the weaker sex.

In some societies, women weren’t even given a choice as to who they were to marry. Some of those in powerful families spent their whole lives in the house before being married off for political gain.

Those who resisted…

Were few and far between…

There were countless ladies from reputable families who were married off before they even set eyes on their husband. If they were bullied after, they didn’t dare to complain to their parents either.

Fang Zhengzhi was a man who had spent more than a decade here. However, he was also a feminist who believed in equal rights.

“Any man who respects females will never let a lady perform during those days. During that period, women will have to deal with cramps and mood swings amongst other discomforts. Furthermore, they can’t drink cold water or work too much…” Fang Zhengzhi began to rattle off the things to take note of during that period.

His voice was not loud, but the crowd around him fell silent. All of them looked at Fang Zhengzhi in disbelief.

Because…

Most of them knew the things that Fang Zhengzhi had listed off. However, they never bothered about them nor did they think about those points.

“This shameless fella actually…” Ping Yang’s eyes were on the verge of popping out of their sockets. As a lady, she knew that what Fang Zhengzhi said was completely accurate.

There were some things that even she herself didn’t know. For example, she didn’t know that she should avoid spicy food and keep her tummy warm.

It was extremely detailed, almost too detailed…

Of course, most importantly, Ping Yang never thought that someone would notice these things. Even her beloved father never asked her anything about this.

But now…

These words were being said by Fang Zhengzhi, someone who she thought was shameless beyond belief! Someone who she chided for speaking about this in public!

Silence, complete silence!

Even the ladies who were trying to attract customers to the Seven Star Lane stopped what they were doing and looked at Fang Zhengzhi. Their eyes glowed brightly.

“This is a man!”

“This is a man who understands women!”

Fang Zhengzhi didn’t know that his explanation would impress the crowd around him. He finally stopped after rattling off all the things he wanted to say.

“Is… is there anything else?” Wen Dabao was the first one to recover from the shock.

“No.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

“So this is related to the Seven Stars… oh! I understand it now! The seven of them are all ladies, so they will not appear on the days that they’re on their period!” Wen Dabao was flushed when he realized what Fang Zhengzhi was saying.

“You finally got it.” Fang Zhengzhi chuckled.

“Thank you for the compliment Young Master Fang… wait… hold up, what do you mean by that? Are you saying that I was dumb before?”

“You follow!”

“Erm…” Wen Dabao was speechless.

However, he was extremely excited now that he knew the pattern behind their appearances. He ignored Fang Zhengzhi’s comment and walked towards the betting table. However, the moment he stepped forward, he stopped. A new question popped into his head.

“How do I know when they’re on their period?”

“That’s why you need to ask.” Fang Zhengzhi smiled.

“Ask? Ask who?”

“The people who interact with them the most.”

“Interact with them the most? Ha… I know! Their servants! They take care of the ladies every day and stay with them! They would know!”

“That’s right.”

“I’ll be on my way!” Wen Dabao ignored Fang Zhengzhi and ran into the Seven Star Lane like a ravenous dog chasing after a delicious piece of meat.

Yan Xiu and Ping Yang looked at each other, shaking their heads when they saw this.

“Shameless fella, why don’t you tell me what else goes into making the prediction?” Ping Yang queried.

“Logical deduction!” Fang Zhengzhi replied.

“Deduction?”

“Mm, first we eliminate those ladies on their period. Then, we will put together the remaining combinations to find out which grouping is the most attractive. Of course, the pairing for each day needs to be different.” Fang Zhengzhi explained.

“But Wen Dabao won’t be smart enough to do that!” Ping Yang asserted, her eyes glittering.

“Yes, there are some factors that he is bound to miss. For example, a lady’s period can change. I doubt he knows that. Furthermore, he has to consider the novelty of each combination which will require an understanding of psychology.”

“So he will still lose?”

“Probably, but at least he’ll have a higher chance of winning once he knows this information.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

“Why do I get the feeling that the boss of the Seven Star Lane actually uses this method to arrange the acts. Are you the boss?” Ping Yang looked at Fang Zhengzhi.

“Do I look the part?”

“Hahaha… you do! It’s a pity that you don’t have as much silver as me so you could never be the boss of the Seven Star Lane.”

“Is that so?” Fang Zhengzhi smirked.

At that moment, a figure came running out of the Seven Star Lane. He looked like he just struck the jackpot.

“Hahaha… I got it! I’m going to make a fortune this time! Woohoo!” Wen Dabao was extremely excited.

“Are you sure?” Fang Zhengzhi asked.

“Of course! Who am I? Not only did I ask their servants, I even asked the runners inside the Seven Star Lane to double confirm!” Wen Dabao replied excitedly.

“Not bad.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded approvingly.

“I have already decided on what to bet! This time, I am going to bet all the money in my little vault!”

“Oh? That big?”

“Of course! By my calculations, I need to bet on six combinations to guarantee myself a win. Even though I’m betting on six combinations, I’ll win 10 times the amount on one! Young Master Fang, are you going to be with me?” Wen Dabao rubbed his hands together.

“I need to observe for a little longer.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

He did approve of Wen Dabao’s betting strategy. If it worked out, he could bet his entire life’s savings…

And still make money.

Of course, this was high risk. However, given a sufficiently high confidence level, it was a legitimate strategy.

“Okay then, I’ll go and place my bets first!” Wen Dabao ignored Fang Zhengzhi and ran towards the betting table.

The crowd all looked at each other when they saw this. Then, they rushed up to the table to place their bets.

“Me too! I bet 1000 silvers!”

“2000 for me! I am going to win a fortune this time! I had no idea there was a pattern to their appearances!”

“Yes, even though that fella has no shame, I have to admit that what he says is very logical!”

“As long as I can make a fortune!”

The crowd rushed forward to place their bets whilst looking back at Fang Zhengzhi.

The atmosphere was vibrant.

A crowd began to gather around the betting table! They had heard what had happened before this, so even some of the more conservative ones came over to try and make a quick buck.

With Wen Dabao leading the charge…

The six bets he had placed became the favorites for the night. The cheques grew into a pile.

Fang Zhengzhi smiled when he saw this.

“You’re going to keep looking? If you don’t bet now you may be too late.” Ping Yang reminded as she watched the sky darken.

“Mm, almost there.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded and walked over to the table, a stack of cheques in his hand.

Ping Yang and Yan Xiu followed behind.

The crowd parted to the side unwillingly when they saw Ping Yang and Yan Xiu follow behind Fang Zhengzhi.

Wen Dabao was just bragging about how much he had spent in order to find out the pattern. When he saw Fang Zhengzhi come over, he leapt off the betting table.

“Hahaha, Young Master Fang, what are you betting on?”

“Anyone would do.” Fang Zhengzhi placed the stack of cheques on the table.

“Smack!” He laid down almost 30,000 silvers on the table.

Then…

The entire crowd was stunned. They looked at that thick stack of cheques in disbelief.

As some of the most influential in the city…

They weren’t stunned by the number. Even though 30,000 silvers was quite a fortune, they weren’t particularly shocked by that.

There were quite a number of people who spent upwards of 30,000 silvers a night. Some even spent 100,000 a night.

However…

When Fang Zhengzhi placed his bets in the middle of the table, the feeling was completely different.

Smack in the middle.

On any other betting table, the middle was the place with the most bets. However, at the Seven Star Lane, that was a spot most people avoided.

The middle spot’s bet was very special…

“All seven!”

“He placed his bet on all seven? Hahaha…”

“Doesn’t he know that this has only happened once in more than a year? Furthermore, that was half a year ago!”

“What is this guy thinking? He was just telling everyone about the patterns and rules. Why is he throwing his money away?”

“Is he crazy?”

The crowd couldn’t help but burst out in laughter after they recovered from their initial shock from seeing that bet.

Fang Zhengzhi smiled radiantly.

However…

His laughter was cut short.

Two voices rang out behind him.

“I will take that bet as well! 50,000 silvers!”

“I will do the same. 50,00 for me too.”

Chapter 504: Birdhouse

Two more thick stacks of cheques were thrown onto the table. “Smack smack.” The sounds were soft, but they were still heard by everyone around.

Fang Zhengzhi knew who these two people were.

However…

He didn’t understand why Ping Yang and Yan Xiu would place bets! Something was wrong! He was the only one of the three to bet over the past few days.

Fang Zhengzhi stared at the two other stacks of cheques at the “All Seven” spot. He was rendered speechless.

Fang Zhengzhi was not alone. The entire crowd who had been mocking Fang Zhengzhi moments ago couldn’t believe their eyes either. Their eyes were on the verge of popping out of their sockets.

“They bet on… all seven?”

“What is happening?”

“50,000 silvers each! That’s 100,000 in total!”

“They’re mad… they’re insane!”

No one understood what was happening. They could accept Fang Zhengzhi going crazy, but why would Ping Yang and Yan Xiu join in?

Were they really influenced by Fang Zhengzhi after prolonged interaction with him?

“Your Highness, Young Master Fang, Young Master Yan, is… is that really what you’re betting on? This has only happened once over the past year…” Wen Dabao stammered when he saw this.

He realized that Fang Zhengzhi’s expression was rather contorted and his body was shaking.

Could it be…

That he placed it on the wrong spot?

“Yan Xiu, are you really going to bet on that?” Fang Zhengzhi ignored Wen Dabao and turned to smile at Yan Xiu. However, his smile was rather unnatural.

“Yes.” Yan Xiu replied.

“Why?” Fang Zhengzhi couldn’t understand.

“We are friends. I believe you.” Yan Xiu replied.

“Oh…” Fang Zhengzhi didn’t know what to say when he saw Yan Xiu’s expression. Then, he shook his head and turned to look at Ping Yang, “Princess, I’m sure you won’t follow my silly decision to place that bet right?”

“I do have my own views, but we are friends as well. It’s just 50,000 silvers. It’s a small thing. I have plenty more to spend so this is a small amount! Don’t worry about it!” Ping Yang replied arrogantly, smirking as she did so.

“Actually, we don’t know each other that well. You can place a different bet.” Fang Zhengzhi advised.

“Don’t worry about it!” Ping Yang said dismissively.

“…” Fang Zhengzhi was quite speechless as he turned to look at the betting table. Then, his eyes brightened, “Then I’ll change my bet!”

“Sure sure, I’ll change my bet too! Yan Xiu, are you going to change as well?” Ping Yang asked Yan Xiu.

“I can change my bet too.” Yan Xiu nodded.

“…” Fang Zhengzhi glared at Ping Yang, unable to find words to express his feelings. He grit his teeth, “Forget it then… I’m too lazy to change!”

“So am I.” Ping Yang replied.

“Mm, then I won’t be changing either.” Yan Xiu nodded.

“…”

The crowd was speechless when they saw what had just transpired. This was ridiculously willful! Even if they were rich, they shouldn’t be throwing away money like that.

100,000 silvers!

They bet that much on an impossible outcome! They had to be crazy to do something so dumb!

“It’s about to start!”

“I would like to see how Fang Zhengzhi will cry this time!”

“Hahaha… exactly! All seven? Does he really think that he is the boss of the Seven Star Lane? Will whatever he says come true? What a joke!”

Everyone began walking into the Seven Star Lane as opening time drew closer. They ignored Fang Zhengzhi and company.

…

The Seven Star Lane has been renovated and refurbished last year. It was posh and exquisite. It awed every guest that walked through those doors.

There was a screen five meters in the sky which housed a huge tree. The tree had seven fruits on it that formed the Big Dipper Constellation.

There were seven platforms suspended above this one. Seven rays of light shone down from the ceiling and went through a hole in the middle of each of this platforms. The light landed squarely on each fruit. Each ray of light shone onto the screen.

This was the most famous sight…

“The Illumination of the Seven Stars!”

Everyone was led to their seats by waitresses. However, the seat in the middle was left empty.

Because…

That was Ping Yang’s favorite spot.

No one was stupid enough to try and contest for that spot, especially after Ping Yang had set fire to the Minister of Law’s house.

That being said, there were still a few people who didn’t know any better. Right now, there was a man dressed in white sitting there. He looked like he was from a well to do family.

That being said, he was rather pasty. This was compounded by his white clothes. It made him look slightly weak.

The people looked at this youth when they entered the Seven Star Lane. They were all shocked to see this man.

“It’s him?”

“Why is he here?”

The crowd was surprised to see this man here. However, none of them bothered to greet him or talk to him. They simply glanced at him disdainfully, chuckled, then moved to the side.

At that moment, a figure wearing a fiery red dress walked through the doors. She looked up and blinked as she surveyed the room. She had an aura of arrogance about her.

Then, her gaze fell on the youth sitting at the table in the middle.

“Ninth Brother? What are you doing here?” Ping Yang never expected that Ninth Prince Lin Yun would be here and sitting at her table.

“Oh, you’re here too?” Ninth Prince Lin Yun seemed slightly surprised to see Ping Yang.

“Mm, I came with Yan Xiu and the shameless fella.” Ping Yang nodded and pointed to Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu.

Naturally…

Wen Dabao was ignored.

Wen Dabao wasn’t too bothered by it. He sighed under his breath. However, when he saw that it was the Ninth Prince, he didn’t really seem to be particularly sad about it.

Over the past year, Crown Prince Lin Tianrong had been gaining traction in the courts. His strongest opponent, King Duan, was now no match for him.

Most of the officials were now in the Crown Prince’s camp.

They were virtually all under one alliance.

Over the past year, King Duan’s residence had become colder and more isolated. Ninth Prince Lin Yun had not been very popular before this, and his popularity had only decreased with the Crown Prince’s grip on power.

At the very least, King Duan still had some visitors. The only visitors Ninth Prince Lin Yun had were sparrows chirping at his gate.

Over the past year, the number of sparrows had only increased. He would scatter seeds all over his yard every day to attract the birds.

Legend had it that Emperor Lin Mubai happened to pass by the residence one day. Feeling thirsty, he decided to go inside for a drink.

However…

He was ‘chased out’ by the flock of birds inside.

He didn’t even get to drink the tea.

Since then, there was no one who stepped foot inside this ‘birdhouse’. Other than Ping Yang, who discussed horse racing with him when she was bored, no one talked to him.

“Young Master Fang, Young Master Yan, how are you?” Ninth Prince Lin Yun stood up to say hello.

The others shook their head when they saw this.

“Why is he greeting them first? He is a prince!”

“Haish… forget it. It’s a good thing that he isn’t contesting for the throne. He may still be able to be a Lord in the future.”

“That’s true. He is of royal blood. He can just laze around for the rest of his life.”

The crowd continued to discuss their views openly. They didn’t even try to keep their volume down. After all, a Prince with no allies didn’t concern them.

Even if he was of royal blood!

So what?

There were more than a hundred people with royal blood.

To put it bluntly, the Ninth Prince probably met with the Emperor less than a rank three or even rank four official.

“Hello, Ninth Prince.” Fang Zhengzhi smiled and ignored the opinions of those around him. After all, he had interacted with the Ninth Prince and even raced him before.

“Hello.” Yan Xiu nodded.

Wen Dabao was a little stunned when Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu replied. However, he recovered quickly and greeted the Ninth Prince as well.

Then, they took their seats.

At that moment, music began to fill the air. Everyone turned their attention to the seven white jade floating platforms.

This was what they were here for.

The music continued to play as the lights in the Seven Star Lane were dimmed. Eventually, only the seven days of light shining on the platforms were left.

“It’s about to start!”

There was fire in the eyes of the crowd as they waited excitedly for the show to start. They loved having this sense of mystery.

Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu also looked at the platforms and waited for people to appear.

The music became clearer and crisper.

Then, the ray of green light began to spread to the entire platform, staining the white jade a pale green.

Then, a figure dressed in green floated down. Her eyebrows were picturesque and she held a pipa in her arms. Her dress danced lightly in the breeze.

“Ding!”

The sound of the pipa cut through the air and the music stopped.

The air seemed to freeze as the sounds of the pipa reverberated through the room.

“On the frontiers!”

“Oh my! Bihua us performing ‘On the frontiers’ tonight! What a great choice to come tonight!”

“Yes! She is renowned for her rendition of ‘On the Frontiers’! She rarely performs it… I never expected her to perform it tonight.”

“I bet that she would be performing today!”

Many of the people in the crowd began to clap and sing praises of the lady in green.

At that moment, the sounds of the pipa began to die down and a second light became brighter, lighting up yet another platform. This was a blue light.

“Youxue is going to perform!”

“Bihua and Youxue rarely appear together. Bihua performed ‘On the frontiers’. I wonder what Youxue would perform to complement that.”

“I can’t wait!”

The crowd looked on in anticipation at the lady in blue. They watched the Erhu she held in her hands excitedly.

After the lady in the blue dress landed, she bowed to the crowd below and smiled sweetly.

The crowd was electrified by her smile. All of them shuddered couldn’t sit still in their seats.

After Youxue smiled, she began to play the Erhu. The music was slow and calming and it filled the room within moments.

“It’s ‘Autumn Moon over the Han Palace’!”

“‘On the frontiers’ is an emotional piece that elicits sadness in the audience. ‘Autumn Moon over the Han Palace’ is a piece for emotional release! This is a great combination!”

“I made the right choice to come today!”

All of them were intoxicated by the sadness in ‘On the frontiers’. When they heard ‘Autumn Moon over the Han Palace’, it was almost as though they found an outlet for release.

The crowd was satisfied after the two performances.

And then…

The third ray of light lit up yet another platform. This was a pale purple light.

“Wa! This is the first time I’m seeing three of them!”

“What a rare treat! Three in a night is something that only happens once every fortnight!”

“Hahaha… I am bound to win my bet tonight! I bet that Youxue, Bihua, and Yuzi would be the main act tonight!”

Chapter 505: Only possibility

When the lady in purple appeared on the platform, the atmosphere inside the Seven Star Lane reached a new high.

Three girls in a night was a fortnightly treat!

The crowd was extremely excited to have witnessed this.

The music from the erhu died down and Yuzi, dressed in a pale purple dress, bowed to the crowd.

Then, an egg-shaped instrument appeared in her hand.

Xun!

This was not a common instrument but it had a long history. This was made from clay and was as big as a goose egg. The base was flat and the sides had six holes.

“Woo!”

A very full and high-pitched sound filled the room. It blended it wonderfully with the atmosphere and gave everyone the feeling that they were floating amongst the clouds.

The crowd fell silent when they heard this. They perked up their ears and closed their eyes to fully immerse themselves in the music.

Even Ping Yang closed her eyes, her lips parting and pursing with the music. It was almost as though she was humming along.

Yan Xiu was also nodding away with the rhythm.

As for Wen Dabao, he had been completely mesmerized a long time ago. He even forgot that he wanted to take a girl home tonight. He salivated as he watched Yuzi…

Fang Zhengzhi turned to look at Ninth Prince Lin Yun. Lin Yun’s eyes were open and he was wide awake.

Does he not appreciate music?

Fang Zhengzhi didn’t think that was possible.

After all, as a member of the Royal Family, he would have learnt to appreciate music. The only possible explanation was that something was on his mind.

“Ninth Prince, is something bothering you?” Fang Zhengzhi smiled.

“No… no there isn’t!” Ninth Prince Lin Yun shook his head when he heard Fang Zhengzhi’s question. He turned to look at the platforms, “I just think that the atmosphere today is slightly strange.”

“Strange? I think it’s quite normal.” Fang Zhengzhi chuckled.

“Is that so?” Ninth Prince Lin Yun was taken aback but he chuckled. “I heard that you make a mean hot pot. I wonder if I will have a chance to try it?”

“Of course.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

“Then… is this a good time?” Ninth Prince Lin Yun was excited to hear this.

“Now?”

“Yes, if there is any problem with the ingredients or the equipment, we can go to Ping Yang’s residence now.” Ninth Prince Lin Yun replied excitedly.

“Haha, no way. I placed a bet on all seven appearing today.” Fang Zhengzhi shook his head.

“All seven? This… is that even winnable? How much did you bet? If you didn’t bet much, I can buy over your ticket.”

“30,000 silvers!”

“That much?! Okay… okay then. Young Master Fang, you can hand me the ticket and I will have people send the silvers to Ping Yang’s residence tomorrow!”

“Thank you for the offer, but I am planning on winning some silvers with this ticket…” Fang Zhengzhi chuckled and rejected the offer.

“You plan to win that bet?” Ninth Prince Lin Yun’s mouth twitched when he heard that. He wanted to say something but he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Fang Zhengzhi didn’t explain any further, neither did he look at Ninth Prince Lin Yun again. He simply looked up and enjoyed the music.

The tune from the Xun filled the air.

After some time, the tune of the Xun died down. All of a sudden, there was a huge commotion! A fourth platform had lit up!

This platform was different from the others. There was a large red drum on the platform.

“It’s Lanyi!”

“I haven’t seen Lanyi in five days! She’s performing tonight!”

“This… this is the fourth star…”

“Yes, this is the fourth star! Four in one night is something that only happens once every two months! Those who didn’t come here tonight would beat themselves up over it!”

The crowd was on its feet when everyone saw the figure descending on the platform. To have four stars perform for them in a single night was a treat not to be missed.

More than a year ago, to see one star would take many days of wait. Even so, people were satisfied with that.

When the Seven Star Lane was set up, the people were treated to at least one star every night. On some nights, there will be collaborations between stars!

Yet, it was rare for four of them to perform in one night.

Even though this happened once every two months, most people could not afford to come here every day just to wait.

After all…

Every visit to the Seven Star Lane was very expensive.

Those who could afford to come once every three to five days were considered some of the richest and most influential in the city.

It was no wonder they were so excited.

Seeing four stars in the main act was something that they could brag about. For those from out of town, this was an especially rare treat.

This was a day that they would never forget.

The boom of the drum echoed through the air.

It was powerful and resonated through the room. During the quicker segments, it sounded like raindrops whilst during the slower segments, it resonated like thunder. Her talent was clear for all to see.

The crowd was mesmerized.

Then, their eyes widened and their jaws dropped. At this time, a fifth platform lit up.

The drums had yet to stop but the light was already shining.

At the same time, a shapely figure descended, holding an instrument as large as the Guqin in her arms.

Se!

This was a duet between the drums and the se!

The fifth star was Yueqing.

This was something that no one in the crowd had expected. Yueqing’s performance meant that there were already five stars tonight.

“Five stars!”

“Five in a night!”

“My god, how is that possible? I managed to see five in one night?!”

The crowd was extremely excited when the fourth platform lit up. However, when Yueqing landed on the white platform, everyone was in shock.

This…

This was an unexpected surprise.

This surprise quickly changed into unbridled joy. Yueqing had begun playing and the music blended in perfectly with the rhythm of the drums.

Even people who didn’t know how to appreciate music were mesmerized by this.

The crowd closed their eyes and savored every moment. Even Ping Yang was completely mesmerized by the music. Her dress and sleeves danced along to the rhythm of the music.

Yan Xiu’s eyes were closed as he savored each moment.

As for Wen Dabao, he had already begun to tremble. If not for the fact that he was afraid of disrupting the music, he would have been rolling on the floor to release the energy inside him.

Fang Zhengzhi looked at Ninth Prince Lin Yun.

Right now, Lin Yun’s expression was much calmer than before. He was squinting slightly. For someone who had been taught to appreciate music from a young age, no issue could bother him enough to make him ignore such an exquisite performance.

Fang Zhengzhi looked around him, surveying every member of the crowd.

Then, he looked away.

Everyone was completely intoxicated by the music. This was an intoxication that simply couldn’t be faked.

The music was just too good.

However…

Everyone’s eyes shot open when a bell tone cut through the air. This didn’t belong to any of the two instruments.

It was the Bianzhong!

This was an important instrument in the royal ensemble!

It was a huge instrument with many different bells of various sizes. No one could carry it by themselves, so it had been placed on the stage prior to the performance.

Those who had come here before knew that there were two different bianzhongs on that platform.

“Six… six headliners!”

“The sixth star!”

“Six of them?!”

The crowd looked at the platform and the beautiful body playing them in shock and awe.

Having six stars perform in one night had happened before. However, it had only happened three times a year.

Three times! Only three times a year!

What were the chances?!

The crowd was shocked that they had the great fortune of seeing six stars perform in the night. Also, they were stunned because…

They would lose all of their bets!

The crowd had placed their bets in many places, but no one had bet on six stars appearing. The chances of that were too low.

“This was something that no one could predict.”

“Yes, that’s true. To be honest, even if we didn’t win our bets, being able to enjoy the music of six stars is a great consolation.”

“I think everyone lost today?”

“No, there is one more possibility, that is…”

The crowd shook their heads and sighed. Then they thought of one other possibility. No one bet on six stars appearing, but there were three people who bet on an even more unlikely outcome…

All seven!

But will all seven really appear?

If they did, it would be utterly unbelievable! This only happened once in the entire history of the Seven Star Lane.

Were they really that accurate?

No one believed that this would happen, but they didn’t have a good feeling about this.

If Fang Zhengzhi, Yan Xiu, and Ping Yang hadn’t bet on it, then no one would have even thought that it was possible.

However…

Since the three of them had bet on it, everyone began to think of the seventh when the sixth one appeared.

“Can this guy’s luck get any better?”

“It’s impossible!”

“If he manages to win this bet, I will strip naked right here!”

“The chances of that happening are much too slim!”

The crowd looked at the lady playing the bianzhong, then turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi, Yan Xiu, and Ping Yang.

“Hey, shameless fella, do you really think that all seven will appear tonight?” Ping Yang’s eyes glimmered as she looked at Fang Zhengzhi.

“What do you think?” Fang Zhengzhi asked.

“I think that six is about as many as we will see tonight. I think that something is wrong if all seven appear.” Ping Yang smirked.

“Why so?” Fang Zhengzhi smirked as well.

“Haha… just think about it. Our combined bets for all seven stars is 130,000 silvers. If we strike, that’s 1,300,000 silvers! The boss of the Seven Stars Lane must know this. I doubt he will be that generous.” Ping Yang replied confidently.

“Mm, you are right. Aiya, why did I forget about that? I told you not to bet with me! Maybe tonight was really the night for seven stars!” Fang Zhengzhi nodded and glared at Ping Yang.

“You’re blaming me? I have 50,000 silvers on that bet!” Ping Yang rolled her eyes.

“I didn’t think of that either…” Yan Xiu’s expression was icy, but it sounded as though he blamed himself.

The crowd was initially stunned when they heard the conversation. Then, they chuckled.

“Hahaha… all seven? How is that possible?”

“Exactly, the boss of the Seven Stars Lane is no dummy! He will never let them win this bet! That’s 1.3 million silvers!”

“I guess everyone is set to lose tonight. However, being able to see six stars in one night is good enough for me!”

Everyone smiled as they looked at Fang Zhengzhi. Even though they lost, they took comfort that Fang Zhengzhi had lost with them.