Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

"Master, where are we going?"

Qi Xiao moved into a separate courtyard in the east wing of the guild hall, Yangxizhai. After packing up his things, Qi Xiao changed his clothes and was about to go out.

"Just strolling around." Qi Xiao laughed, "Zong Sheng, you are from Yuanjing, right?"

Zong Sheng nodded. Every year, Wudu Prefecture would select a group of impoverished children with clean family backgrounds to train in the camp. The best of these children would have the opportunity to join the Xuanji and Tiance camps, or become attendants to the princes, accompanying them in their studies and martial arts training. Zong Sheng was one of them.

"Please show me around. I've never seen the real Yuanjing."

Zong Sheng wanted to nod, but his face was hesitant. "From the city gate all the way to the Tong Guild Hall, the streets looked familiar, but they were very different from what I remembered. I'm afraid Yuanjing has changed so much that I can't recognize the road anymore."

"I remember you joined the camp when you were six, right?"

"Yeah." Once the children selected by the Five Capitals enter the camp, they can no longer have contact with their families, nor can they leave the camp. By this calculation, Zong Sheng has not walked on the streets of Yuanjing for fifteen years.

"Do you miss your family? Why don't we go look for them? You are no longer under the jurisdiction of the Wudu Prefecture, so it's not a bad rule."

Zong Sheng shook his head: "My parents are long gone. My aunt couldn't afford to raise me, so she sent me to Wudu Prefecture. If I go back, I'm afraid my aunt will be upset. I'd rather not go."

Qi Xiao smiled lightly and said nothing more. Zong Sheng usually spoke little, but he was not a cold-hearted person. It was just that he experienced too much and suffered too much in his youth, which led to his current personality. But there was nothing wrong with it.

The east and west wings of the guild hall each had a side door for entry and exit. The two men had walked out while talking. The streets of Yuanjing were bustling with people. Qi Xiao was in a good mood and just thought that it would be even better if he could ride a horse.

"Master, where are we going?" Zong Sheng asked again while standing at the intersection. The capital of Yuan was very big, and if they just wandered around casually, they would have no idea where they would end up. They didn't ride horses, sedan chairs, or cars, and they might not even be able to come back until tomorrow morning.

"Go... wherever there's a lot of fun."

"Where?" Is there any place in Yuanjing City that is not lively?

"Which of the two markets, East and West, has the most wine shops and music halls?"

"Ah?" Zong Sheng was stunned. Qi Xiao often went in and out of those places in Yongcheng. He actually didn't like it, but for the sake of his reputation as a bohemian prince, he had to go through the motions. But Zong Sheng didn't expect that less than two hours after entering Yuanjing, why would Qi Xiao go to those places again?

"Ah what? Lead the way."

There were wine shops and music halls in both the East and West Markets, and they were quite numerous. However, the West Market had a complex population, a mixed bag. The East Market was closer to the Imperial Palace, and most of the people living nearby were high-ranking officials. The Jiaofangsi was also located in the East Market, not far from the Tong Guild Hall. Zong Sheng thought for a moment and decided to take Qi Xiao to the East Market. Zong Sheng came from a poor family. He had lived in Pingchangfang since childhood, in the southwest corner of the Yuan capital. In fact, he had never been to the East Market, but only knew the general location.

"I just returned to the capital. If I were to show up in the West Market, it would be detrimental to my status..."

Qi Xiao was worried about Zong Sheng's bad reputation after hearing what he said, so he couldn't help but laugh: "Don't overthink it. I remember Lu Fangjin mentioned Wanqinzhai. It's in the East Market, right? Let's go to the East Market."

Fortunately, Qi Xiao didn't really need Zong Sheng to lead the way. He had never been to Yuanjing, but he had seen the map and remembered every street and alley clearly. But when he actually walked there by himself, everything seemed new to him.

"Master..." Zong Sheng lowered his voice and asked, "Master, do you want to see General Lu?"

Qi Xiao raised an eyebrow: "We are just strolling around."

"Yes." Zong Sheng lowered his head, knowing that he had said the wrong thing. The fact that Qi Xiao and Lu Fangjin were familiar with each other was a secret. Once people knew about it, both he and Lu Fangjin would be in big trouble.

***

Wanqinzhai is well-known in the capital of Yuan Dynasty, all thanks to the top-ranked girl, Miss July, who won the once-in-three-years top-class beauties selection. She became famous overnight and has been visited by many customers ever since.

This Miss July was not only famous for her beauty, but also for her talent. It was widely rumored in the capital of Yuan Dynasty that Miss July was good at playing the zither, and her lingering music was comparable to the sound of nature. Everyone who heard it was intoxicated by it and could not forget it for a long time. In order to listen to Miss July's music, many people waited in Wanqinzhai every day.

Seeing that it was still early, Qi Xiao and Zong Sheng wandered around the East Market. There were jade shops, calligraphy and painting workshops, rouge and powder shops, silks and satins of all kinds. There were quite a few people who pretended to be cultured, and most of the merchants who came and went were generous. Qi Xiao did not stand out among the crowd.

As the sky gradually darkened, Qi Xiao brought Zong Sheng into Wanqinzhai. There were already many guests inside. The main hall was spacious with a fan-shaped water platform. The girls danced barefoot, like fairies.

The waiter led Qi Xiao inside and said, "This young man doesn't look familiar to me. Is this your first time in our Wanqinzhai?"

"Yes, I heard about Miss July's talent when I first entered Yuanjing, and I wanted to see her."

The waiter smiled knowingly. Nine out of ten men who came to Wanqinzhai were there for Miss Qiyue. He nodded and said, "Please come in, sir."

The waiter led Qi Xiao through the main hall and into the inner courtyard. Unexpectedly, the further in they went, the more people there were. Climbing the stairs, they could see another pavilion at the end of the corridor not far away. It was a larger fan-shaped pavilion. After passing through the doorway, they could see clearly that it was a two-story circular tube building. The atrium was the stage, and the seats were partitioned so that they would not disturb each other.

Qi Xiao followed the waiter inside. There was a sign outside each compartment. Some of them had names written on them. They were probably seats reserved for distinguished guests, and among them was Lu Fangjin's name.

Qi Xiao stopped and asked the waiter for a room next to Lu Fangjin's. Just as he sat down, before even the tea was served, someone entered the next compartment.

"Seventh Master, this one..."

"Lu Fang has made his decision. It's clearly written on the sign. I can see it. I'll wait for him here."

"This……"

"Why, are you going to kick me out?"

"I dare not, I dare not. Please sit down for a moment, Master Qi. I will serve you some refreshments right away."

Qi Xiao pricked up his ears to listen to the sounds next door, and gave Zong Sheng a wink. Zong Sheng nodded, went out to check the situation, and came back with tea in a few minutes.

Zong Sheng whispered beside Qi Xiao, "There are people on duty outside. I dare not get too close. Look at the badge on the waist. It's the Seventh Prince's men."

"Seventh Brother? No wonder he sounds so young." Qi Xiao took a sip of tea and smiled. He didn't expect that there would be such a good show to watch as soon as he arrived.

The Seventh Prince, Qi Ting, was two years older than Qi Xiao and shared the same mother as the Sixth Prince. His biological mother, Concubine Zhao, had the support of her maternal clan, the Gongsun clan, and was the only force in the court capable of challenging Empress Qin. Two years prior, the Sixth Prince suffered a loss at the hands of the Qin clan and was relegated to the frontier. Now, the Qin and Gongsun clans were at loggerheads, their feud raging.

At nightfall, the lights in Wanqinzhai were as bright as day, and the dancing and music started. Qi Xiao replaced tea with wine and leaned on the couch, looking like a wealthy guest who came to the music house to spend money lavishly. Only Zong Sheng knew that Qi Xiao's whole mind was on the next door.

"Why are you here?"