Chapter 167 - Bullying
Liang Qi, with a charming woman in one arm and a drink in the other, observed Zuo Shaoqing quietly eating and remarked, “It's my first time seeing a patron from the literati in a brothel!”
Zuo Shaoqing paid him no mind, finding it acceptable to sample a few dishes. Consequently, he requested rice and planned to depart after the meal.
Some of the earlier arriving officials had already retired to private chambers with Lady Mei, while the remaining guests indulged in drunken revelry, each with a companion.
Nowadays, the mingling of intellectuals and courtesans was considered sophisticated rather than crude; thus, faced with the romantic ambiance, Zuo Shaoqing found it tolerable.
Having never experienced intimacy with a woman in either of his lifetimes, Zuo Shaoqing remained unaffected by the amorous displays around him.
Liang Qi nudged the woman aside and joined Zuo Shaoqing's side, casually remarking, “Looks like Lord Zuo's previous words were accurate, don't you think?”
“Which words?” Zuo Shaoqing inquired, setting down his chopsticks.
Liang Qi glanced suggestively at Zuo Shaoqing's groin and grinned, “There are only two types of men who can't lose their composure.”
Understanding his implication, Zuo Shaoqing arched an eyebrow, poured himself a drink, and began to imbibe.
Unperturbed, Liang Qi placed a hand on Zuo Shaoqing's shoulder and whispered, “One, a mere boy with no hair yet, and the other…” “Those from the palace, hehe…”
Zuo Shaoqing chuckled dismissively, “No, there's another.”
“Hmm?” Liang Qi's response was sluggish, influenced by alcohol.
Zuo Shaoqing scrutinized him closely, noticing Wu Tie's surprisingly tidy appearance after grooming, his chin devoid of stubble, and his formerly unkempt hair now neat.
Leaning closer to Liang Qi, as if to touch noses, Zuo Shaoqing provoked a reaction; however, Liang Qi's attempt to push him resulted in his own stumble to the ground.
Amused by Liang Qi's startled expression, Zuo Shaoqing laughed heartily, pounding the table, “Lord Liang… Haha… Surely, I don't need to spell it out for you?”
Liang Qi shook his head vigorously like a rattling drum before finally rising from his seat after a prolonged period. Seating himself on a stool, he grasped Zuo Shaoqing's chin, surveying their surroundings with a clucking sound. “Such a waste…,” he muttered, “Who knows which lucky creature might benefit from such beauty.”
Zuo Shaoqing arched an eyebrow, mentally substituting the last two words with Lu Zheng. His eyes narrowed dangerously as a wicked smile played on his lips. “Lord Liang, care to join me for a few drinks?” he proposed.
At the mention of drinking, Liang Qi's eyes immediately gleamed. He gestured eagerly, summoning someone to bring a pot of fine wine. “Come, come! I won't stop until I'm thoroughly intoxicated,” he declared.
Zuo Shaoqing chuckled at this. Taking hold of a wine jug, he poured them each a glass. Initially, he even drank on behalf of Liang Qi, but eventually, he simply filled their cups and fully committed to getting Liang Qi drunk.
It goes without saying, Liang Qi had an unexpectedly high alcohol tolerance. He only collapsed unsteadily after three jugs of wine had been emptied.
Zuo Shaoqing tossed aside the empty wine jug, extracted a silver note from his pocket, and handed it to the girl chosen by Liang Qi earlier, whispering in her ear.
“But what if Vice Minister Liang wakes up tomorrow…” the girl began, looking concerned and casting a glance at the inebriated Vice Minister Liang sprawled on the table.
“Don't fret. You can tell him that. Let him come to me if he's able,” Zuo Shaoqing assured.
With reassurance, the girl relaxed and exited the room. Shortly after, she returned with another woman.
“My lord, can you assess her suitability?” the girl asked cautiously, stepping aside to reveal the woman behind her.
Initially, Zuo Shaoqing had only caught a glimpse of pink fabric and assumed her to be a young girl. Now, he realized he had encountered a middle-aged woman lacking in allure.
“Pfft…” Zuo Shaoqing inadvertently sprayed out a mouthful of tea, hastily covering his mouth and coughing. “Alright, alright… take him away and tend to him well.”
The woman acknowledged the instructions with a smile, her blood-red lips parting as she saluted before assisting the inebriated Liang Qi into the prepared room.
Zuo Shaoqing couldn't help but imagine Liang Qi's reaction upon awakening the next day to find the “flower and moon beauty” beside him. The spectacle was sure to be amusing!
Daring to liken his family's Lu Zheng to a beast, Zuo Shaoqing pondered who the true beast might be.
Observing his colleagues engrossed in their tasks, Zuo Shaoqing lost interest in remaining seated. Though he intended to depart upon rising, a sudden surge of alcohol fumes overwhelmed him, causing dizziness.
He had imbibed heavily in an attempt to intoxicate Liang Qi. Nonetheless, he maintained his personal limits, knowing that such a level of inebriation wouldn't hinder his journey home.
Brushing off the offer of assistance from a woman, Zuo Shaoqing exited through the door in his usual manner.
The Spring Breeze House thrived at this hour, bustling with lewd chatter and permeated by the potent scents of cosmetics and sesame oil, amplified by the odor of alcohol.
Zuo Shaoqing wrinkled his brow, puzzled by the attraction to such establishments.
Descending the stairs gracefully, he was intercepted midway by a corpulent man staggering towards him.
The inebriated man attempted to focus his blurred vision and, with a whiff of alcohol on his breath, propositioned, “Hey, new face? You're quite handsome. Why not accompany me tonight?” Extending his arms, he moved to embrace Zuo Shaoqing.
Zuo Shaoqing recoiled, his frown deepening. He retorted coldly, “You're mistaken!” Did this man mistake him for Chu Feng?
“Mistaken?” The notion amused the drunkard. “Impossible! My Eyes of Truth never deceive! Come with me upstairs… I'll reward you generously if you serve me well!”
Zuo Shaoqing's lips curled into a cold smile. Swiftly, he raised his leg and sent the rotund man tumbling down the stairs with a forceful kick.
“Ah…” The staircase, though not tall, was unforgivingly wooden. The man, though unlikely to perish from the fall, lay bleeding profusely, having landed headfirst.
Dusting off his attire, Zuo Shaoqing descended the stairs methodically, nudging the fallen man aside. “Don't impede my path!”
At that moment, four burly men emerged, rushing to the man's aid. “Master, did you break his leg?”
The pain roused the drunken man to full consciousness. Shoving away the helpers, he clutched his forehead with one hand and pointed accusingly at Zuo Shaoqing with the other. “Stop! How dare you! Do you know who I am?”
Without waiting for his command, two of the men moved to restrain Zuo Shaoqing.
Zuo Shaoqing, brimming with anger, found amusement instead. He cast a disdainful glance, remarking, “Do you even know who I am?” [Why does this pretentious young noble persist with such a question?] It was as though he expected universal recognition.
“I couldn't care less about your identity!” “Ouch, that hurts!” “Seize him at once! How dare he inflict intentional harm! I demand his arrest!” The portly individual displayed a modicum of intelligence by refraining from declaring his intention to personally detain him.
Zuo Shaoqing deftly eluded the pursuit of the two men. Only after toying with them did one manage to land a punch, sending him sprawling.
After enduring the tutelage and training under Lu Zheng for so long, failing to handle two of his minions would be a profound embarrassment to Lu Zheng.
Before Zuo Shaoqing could incapacitate the remaining two, Hua Niang arrived with a group of thugs. “What's going on here? Who dares to offend our distinguished guest?”
Upon seeing the arrival of the newcomer, the portly individual became brazen. “Hua Niang, you've come at the right time. Seize this brat immediately. He dared to push me down the stairs. Look at the wound on my head. Ssssssssss…” This is utterly outrageous.”
At that moment, Hua Niang also recognized the young man as someone Vice Minister Liang had brought. He must be an official, causing her to hesitate momentarily.
“What are you waiting for? Release him? How dare you let him go? I'll demolish your decrepit establishment!”
Hua Niang's demeanor turned frosty, a hint of impatience flickering in her eyes. She then chuckled and suggested, “No need for that, it was just a misunderstanding. Why don't you allow this young master to apologize?”
Turning to Zuo Shaoqing, she gave him a meaningful look and whispered, “He's the most cherished grandson of Old Madam Zeng. Don't be obstinate.”
Zuo Shaoqing failed to grasp the individual's identity until the surrounding crowd began to murmur. Wasn't Old Madam Zeng from Tutor Zeng's family?
Ah, truly fitting of a despicable family!
Upon hearing this, the portly individual became even more audacious. Leaning on his bodyguard, he declared, “Apologize to him, and unless he spends the night with me, this matter won't be settled!”
Zuo Shaoqing chuckled upon hearing this. Approaching the portly man with a gleam in his eyes, he inquired, “Are you certain?”
The portly man swallowed nervously, his gaze fixed on Zuo Shaoqing's face, and nodded dumbly.
Zuo Shaoqing broke into a wide grin, stunning those around him into momentary silence. It wasn't until a scream pierced the air that they snapped out of their trance.
“Ahhh…” A pained cry reverberated through the room. Observing Zuo Shaoqing's kick, the man instinctively recoiled, imagining the agony if he were the one receiving the blow.
Yet, nobody dared to test it, as the once cocky Fatty now writhed on the ground. The severity of his contorted form spoke volumes about his injuries.
“A young calf isn't afraid of a tiger…” “This lad seems scholarly. Crossing Tutor Zeng's family would spell doom for my prospects…”
Hua Niang hadn't anticipated such roughness from the young man and moved to retaliate swiftly. Surveying the Zeng family scion's feeble demeanor, she enlisted help to encircle Zuo Shaoqing.
If the assailant escaped, wouldn't the Zeng Family retaliate by leveling her establishment?
Observing the scene, Zuo Shaoqing casually fetched a chair and seated himself. “Anyone care to enlighten us?…” “If so, speak up promptly. I'm eager to retire for the night.”
Frankly, had he not imbibed alcohol tonight, he wouldn't have publicly confronted her. Regardless, he'd had plenty of chances to deal with such rabble, so sustaining an injury didn't faze him.
Gazing at the figure rolling on the ground, Zuo Shaoqing couldn't help but reflect: In his past life, he might have suffered in silence and swallowed his pride.
Ah… No wonder ancient playboys relished bullying others. It was quite exhilarating!
Just as Zuo Shaoqing pondered, a door on the second floor swung open. A handsome young man descended the stairs and maneuvered through the crowd toward Zuo Shaoqing. “Shao Qing, what brings you here?”
Zuo Shaoqing scrutinized him closely, his brows furrowing. He rose and saluted: “So Brother Jiung also frequents such establishments.”
“Not at all. I was just summoned by colleagues on my first day in office.”
Zuo Shaoqing laughed carelessly, “Same here!”
Jiung Hengzhou attempted to mask something, scanning the lively scene as he queried, “What's happening?”
Zuo Shaoqing gestured dismissively, exhaling heavily before remarking, “I'm merely imparting a lesson to a few individuals lacking insight.”
Jiung Hengzhou caught a whiff of alcohol emanating from him, pondering whether Zuo Shaoqing had forgotten his marital ties to the Wife of Duke Zhen from the House of Duke Zhen, to dare frequent such establishments.
His gaze flickered with concern as he inquired, “Shao Qing, are you aware that Master Lu is present?”
Unsure of Jiung Hengzhou's intentions, Zuo Shaoqing responded cryptically, “Does it truly matter whether I am aware or not?”
Despite knowing it was implausible for Jiung Hengzhou to be connected to Lu Zheng in any way in this lifetime, Zuo Shaoqing couldn't bring himself to warm up to this individual.
Reflecting, he attributed this sentiment to his initial wariness of Jiung Hengzhou.
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