After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 103

“You said… something we both find fun…” Zhou Xun tried to suppress the twitching of his brows. “Is that having a meal here?”

They were currently sitting in a private room upstairs at the Return Intent Pavilion, overlooking the bustling traffic of the capital below.

The Emperor sat across from him, and between them was a bouquet of roses and two candles. As Zhou Xun spoke, the Emperor was contemplating the note Chu Yunkuo had passed him earlier.

“Be a bit more domineering.”

Be more domineering???

Was this advice from emotional experts?

Had he been too non-domineering earlier?

Hearing Zhou Xun’s question, the Emperor waved his hand and said, “Of course not. Let’s just have a casual lunch today, and in the afternoon, we’ll go to a place that we both find fun.”

“What place?”

Zhou Xun considered that the “place that both of us find fun” could be a number of things. Although he didn’t have a particular favorite, he considered options like “a scholar’s academy,” “a temple,” “a racetrack,” or “a garden.”

But to his surprise…

“Of course, it’s the courtroom!” The Emperor decisively said. “That’s a place we both find fun!”

Zhou Xun: …

He couldn’t help but laugh: “That’s called…”

“I should clarify,” the Emperor said seriously, “It’s not schadenfreude. It’s about appreciating the light of justice! It’s about participating in the national legal process as a citizen!”

Zhou Xun: “Sure.”

The Emperor: “Hehe.”

Zhou Xun laughed!

And laughed quite happily!

The Emperor felt very accomplished and thought that the quality of his date today had improved, even if just a little bit.

Dishes were served one after another. Zhou Xun noticed the Emperor looking at the food with a troubled expression and asked, “What’s wrong?”

The Emperor replied without thinking, “I’m trying to figure out how to eat in a more domineering way.”

Zhou Xun: …

… Well, he was already used to the Emperor’s frequent grandiose remarks.

Zhou Xun twitched his lips and began using his chopsticks.

By the time the Emperor came back to his senses, his plate was already piled high with a pig trotter, a pig’s foot, half a pork hock, and most of a fish.

Emperor: ??

“To match, I’m letting you eat in a more domineering way,” Zhou Xun said.

Emperor: …

The two of them enjoyed a very domineering meal upstairs, but things were not so peaceful downstairs.

Return Intent Pavilion had many diners, and Wei Yuanzhou had gone through many selections to find a table far from the crowd for Zhou Cai. Besides Zhou Cai and Wei Yuanzhou, their party included the grandson of the Protector of the Country and another friend of Wei Yuanzhou’s. Even so, many diners kept glancing over at their group.

In fact, people weren’t necessarily curious about Zhou Cai. Zhou Cai himself felt self-conscious, and even though no one said anything, he felt embarrassed. He walked down the street feeling like everyone was staring at him, recognizing him as the famous Zhou Zhuangyuan of the capital, and watching him like a joke.

But this uncomfortable feeling was self-inflicted. Zhou Cai was indeed famous, but not to the extent that everyone would recognize him. People in the court might know him, but outside, in restaurants, he was just another well-dressed young man. In fact, his attempts to avoid others’ gazes made people more curious, wondering if he had done something shameful, resulting in his awkward demeanor.

As they sat at the table, Wei Yuanzhou felt a pang of sympathy for Zhou Cai. Seeing the surrounding people frequently glancing at their table, Wei Yuanzhou asked the waiter, “You said earlier that the private rooms upstairs are all full. Is there still no availability?”

“Sir, it’s still the same. All the private rooms upstairs are fully booked,” the waiter said respectfully.

“Fully booked? Not even a single table left?” Wei Yuanzhou questioned. “It’s not a peak travel season today. When I was here a few days ago, the rooms were never fully booked. Why is it all booked today?”

The waiter looked troubled: “Well…”

Before Wei Yuanzhou could respond, the Protector of the Country’s grandson, Li Miao, scoffed. Li Miao had always relied on his distinguished family background and was used to being domineering. Today, coming here for lunch, he was doing so both out of respect for Zhou Cai and because Return Intent Pavilion was renowned, which suited his status.

“This young master has never dined in a noisy place with others before. The Protector’s residence has come to Return Intent Pavilion several times before, and never was there a lack of space,” Li Miao said. “How is it that this time, you don’t recognize someone from the Protector’s residence just because we changed clothes?”

He used his identity to pressure others. In the past, this approach would have been very effective. But now, the waiter knew he could not offend the person who had booked the entire third floor. He had no choice but to look pained and said, “Booking a table is a matter of first-come, first-served. We can’t do anything if the guests upstairs don’t leave…”

“Ah Miao,” Zhou Cai said in a hoarse voice, “Forget it, let’s…”

Zhou Cai’s remark caused Li Miao’s temper to flare. Having suffered a major loss earlier at the Jingwei Department, now he was being inconvenienced even during a meal. Li Miao casually took out a hundred-tael silver note and said, “Go up to the private rooms and pick any one. Tell them to clear a space for us. This money will be their compensation.”

“Indeed,” Wei Yuanzhou agreed, “With so many private rooms upstairs, there must be one willing to accommodate us.”

Another friend concurred. But the waiter hesitated, “Normally, that might work, but now the entire third floor has been booked by one person.”

“One person???” Wei Yuanzhou was astonished, “One person has booked the entire third floor for a meal?”

The waiter nodded. Wei Yuanzhou pondered for a moment and said, “Please ask that person if they can free up a spot for us in a corner of the third floor. We are all scholars and won’t make any noise.”

The waiter was still unsure when Li Miao raised an eyebrow, about to speak. Wei Yuanzhou quickly took out a silver ingot and handed it to the waiter, saying, “Please make a trip for us.”

The waiter, now smiling broadly, went upstairs. Li Miao seemed displeased. Wei Yuanzhou fanned himself and said, “Why not use a small price to solve the problem?”

“I’m curious about who’s so wealthy to book the entire third floor. Return Intent Pavilion’s food isn’t cheap; only the rich and powerful come here…” said one of the scholars.

Li Miao sneered, “Zhu Xiong, in the capital, money alone isn’t enough. Whoever booked the third floor didn’t just use a few hundred taels of silver. Do you understand?”

Zhu Xiong was at a loss for words. Wei Yuanzhou then said to the silent Zhou Cai, “You’ve had a tough time these days. Just enjoy the food here and relax.”

Zhou Cai nodded, apologizing with a smile, “Sorry for causing you trouble.”

He paused and continued, “In times of adversity, you realize who your true friends are… Today, Zhou Cai toasts to all of you.”

“Forget about adversity,” Li Miao said, patting Zhou Cai’s shoulder, “My grandfather supports you in the court, and we have many days ahead. Also, Zhou Hong’s issue is minor. He’s just a younger brother; his mistakes are not yours. Once the storm blows over, you’ll still be Zhou Hanlin. And those…”

He sneered disdainfully, “Those small people, living in the gutter, still can’t see the light. Just because he’s won the Emperor’s favor doesn’t mean he can act arrogantly. He’s just a plaything.”

At the mention of that “small person,” the group expressed their mutual animosity. Wei Yuanzhou recalled how Xie Zhengqing had argued with him for Zhou Xun’s sake and said disdainfully, “He’s just a courtesan. From what I see, his good days won’t last long.”

Zhu Xiong asked curiously, “Do you know some inside information?”

“This person is incredibly bold. As a male courtesan, he secretly visited brothels behind the Emperor’s back.”

“He, he’s that daring?!”

Wei Yuanzhou smirked, “It’s a sordid matter, but I saw him early one morning visiting a brothel. It’s indisputable.”

No one at the table had avoided brothels, but at this moment, they all seemed to become virtuous, showing expressions of contempt.

“A brothel?”

Zhou Cai’s wine cup moved slightly. Hearing that Zhou Xun had secretly gone to a brothel, he felt not disgust but a secret thrill, akin to prying into private matters.

Yet, he pretended to be ignorant: “What did he go to a brothel for? Isn’t he now the Emperor’s…”

“I think,” the person named Zhu said mysteriously, “Don’t be fooled by his outward appearance. He might be suffering privately under the Emperor’s temper. You know the Emperor’s disposition… He probably endures constant humiliation and punishment. He’s just a plaything, not worthy of respect. Perhaps he went to the brothel secretly because he couldn’t stand it anymore and needed to find some other outlet.”

The group exchanged knowing smiles. Zhou Cai said, “This matter should not reach the Emperor. After all, if the Emperor finds out…”

“You’re too kind,” Wei Yuanzhou said coldly, “If it were me, I’d make sure the Emperor knows his true nature eventually!”

While the others imagined Zhou Xun suffering and enduring humiliation, Zhou Xun was actually on the third floor, where they least expected.

The Emperor: “Hey, this fish is delicious. Have a piece.”

Zhou Xun: “Hmm.”

The Emperor: “This soup is good. Have a bowl.”

Zhou Xun: “Hmm.”

The Emperor: “By the way, in a few days, I’ll take you to that black shop we visited before. Do you remember it? It was that brothel. I’ve reformed it into a new type of water bar, integrating performance viewing, tea drinking, live streaming, and chatting. If you want to see it again, we can go. It’s just that the water bar needs a name. What do you think we should call it?”

Zhou Xun was speechless: “Why are you thinking of going there again? It’s not a good place.”

“I was thinking,” the Emperor continued, “that the girls there are quite pitiful. By thirty, they lose their looks and automatically become unemployed, leaving them with health issues. If it weren’t for lack of options, who would choose such a profession? With some spare money on hand, I want to improve their situation. With new opportunities, who would still want to work in such a field? Don’t you think?”

Zhou Xun was taken aback and said, “I was shallow before.”

Though the Emperor spoke of others, Zhou Xun felt warm inside, realizing how fortunate he was to be with such a person.

“And,” the Emperor continued, “Their previous work was dangerous, and most had to retire in their twenties. But now, with this transformation, they can move to backstage roles if they can’t perform anymore, extending their career lifespan significantly. What used to be a twenty-year career can now be fifty years, serving me… serving the country.”

Zhou Xun: …

The Emperor: “It’s truly a profitable… no, a reforming venture!”