Dawn of the Empire

Chapter 39: Leisure

“Just earn enough for the dowries of two girls, and that’ll be that.” Liu Chenyong spoke casually; it was unclear whether he truly believed this or was simply trying to reassure his junior. In this day and age, the so-called “bride price” for courtesans was merely a euphemism for the “ransom” paid before the Republic era. Since the founding of the Republic, after madams and courtesans had severed their personal ties of dependence, the price had indeed dropped significantly—but that applied exclusively to those dashing young gentlemen and literati who were particularly favored by the courtesans. It was now quite common for the girls to dip into their own savings to subsidize relationships with such men. As for rough-and-tumble men like Huang Junxian—who knew nothing but fighting and killing—perhaps in ten years, after being weathered by the hardships of battle, he might catch the eye of some mature madam who still retained her charm. But as for those delicate, willow-like courtesans at the top of the ranks? Forget it—they weren’t his type. Throwing money at the problem was indeed a better idea—at least it was more realistic than the young lady from the Zuo family whom Huang Xiaopai Jia had once admired. But to earn enough in just two years to cover the betrothal gifts for the two top courtesans of Yingchun Tower… Ou Yang could only think: “Little Huang Junxian doesn’t have much time left.” Song Wenmu, on the other hand, was more straightforward: “We’ve pretty much wrapped up our business. Why don’t I treat you today, and we’ll check out the Yingchun Tower again? Senior Ou didn’t go the first two times, which isn’t good. If a member of the Junwei Company has never even been to the Yingchun Tower, people back home will think we ditched Senior Ou along the way.” On the first night and last night, Huang Junxian had treated him to two visits at Yingchun Tower. The expense was considerable, so much so that he no longer felt it was worth holding a grudge over his minor friction with Huang Qianzong—after all, they’d gone through one of the “Four Great Bonds of Manhood” together. However, Huang Junxian himself truly appreciated this kind of consolation; the thought of seeing the two courtesans again soon quickly lifted his spirits. A few colleagues chatted and laughed; everyone had been living quite comfortably these past few days. The attendants accompanying Ou Yang and the others had all been arranged by the Commander-in-Chief’s office to stay in vacant courtyards belonging to the military near the city walls. These were military properties, functioning much like inns, and were mostly used to host local officers visiting Junwei City along with their slaves. The Commander-in-Chief’s office had even sent word to waive the lodging fees——all four men had brought female slaves with them this time, and it wouldn’t look good if they were simply left to spend the night by the city walls and ended up being harassed by others. Needless to say, Liu Chenyong, Song Wenmu, and Huang Junxian were indulging in the pleasures of the Yingchun Tower, while Ou Yang, staying in the school dormitory, was getting along quite comfortably. Last night, he even saw a few students with nothing better to do playing Xiangqi (Chinese chess). Ou Yang had been quite skilled at this game in his previous life, so when the mood struck him, he squeezed into the crowd and routed his opponents without leaving a single piece standing. Upon learning that he had already earned the title of “Xiu Cai,” served as a military officer, and even seen combat, the young men began shouting and calling him “senior” this and “senior” that, offering him cigarettes and pulling out snacks from their personal stashes. Ou Yang didn’t smoke and wasn’t fond of sweets, but these juniors were excellent listeners. Without even realizing it, he exaggerated the one-point danger he’d faced during his last campaign into a ten-point ordeal. After several nights of this, the juniors were practically ready to prostrate themselves before him. Such a comfortable school life made Ou Yang even consider giving up his position as the top-ranked student and spending a few years studying at First High School first. Of course, such an immature thought lasted only one night. School life was wonderful, but to preserve that beauty, he had to ensure the Empire maintained a firm foothold in Lingxi. Ou Yang hadn’t forgotten the imminent threat of the Beastman Empire; now was not the time to rest on his laurels. Around nine o’clock, the school bell rang to signal the start of class. Perhaps because the school was so large and there were so few high school students on Lingxi Road, the classroom was still completely empty. However, Ou Yang had no intention of staying there any longer—when the sound of students reading drifted in from other classrooms, Song Wenmu’s face lit up with longing, but Liu Chenyong and Huang Junxian both became restless. If they stayed there any longer, they wouldn’t even be able to speak properly. It would be too rude to stay behind and let them leave first, so they might as well all go out together. After all, Song Wenmu was treating everyone, so they could head to Yingchun Tower to relax first. As for Ou Yang, he still had to make a trip to the Student Government to submit his membership application and resume; these documents, along with his letter of recommendation, needed to be sent by Wei Xuezheng to the Xijing branch of the Scientific Society. What Ou Yang hadn’t anticipated, however, was that his plan to visit the Yingchun Tower would be delayed once again. The four of them had just led their mounts out of the stables at First High School and stepped through the main gate when they saw Zuo Hengbai and Zuo Shuijing coming toward them. It was just the two of them; they weren’t on horseback, nor were they accompanied by their usually skilled slave attendants. “Brother Ou,” Zuo Hengbai called out to him from a distance, sounding somewhat impatient. Upon closer inspection, the young girl walking beside him had her lips puckered so tightly they could have held a bottle of light soy sauce—she was clearly throwing a tantrum. ‘What’s going on?’ Ou Yang wondered. ‘Did he lose a verbal sparring match the other day and now wants me to go and save face for him?’ Today, the young girl was still dressed like a “Big White Rabbit,” but Zuo Hengbai had changed into a white bearskin coat that matched Zuo Shuijing’s outfit, with a white jade sash at his waist, making him look incredibly elegant. Ou Yang muttered to himself: “Do all of you Zuos like to dress in such white? It’d be perfect as camouflage in the snow—no wonder you’re a military family from the Northwest.” As they drew near, Zuo Hengbai was the first to clasp his hands in a bow. But instead of speaking, he gently nudged the young girl beside him, who was still sulking. “All right, stop nudging me—I know what to say now~~~” Zuo Shuijing pouted, mimicking her cousin’s gesture with a clasped-hands bow: “My master has personally prepared a vegetarian feast today and humbly invites Magistrate Ou to grace us with his presence.” Liu Chenyong and the other two stared at Ou Yang with wide eyes, their expressions seeming to ask, ‘When did you reconnect with this little girl’s master?’ Ou Yang was no less shocked than they were. Could it really be just as he suspected? Was all this really worth it just for a lowly “Pai Jia” like him? Seeing that his younger cousin was throwing a tantrum and refusing to explain herself clearly, Zuo Hengbai had no choice but to step in: “Your words, Brother Ou, were like a bolt of lightning—they truly opened my eyes. Master Yu has been losing sleep for several nights, worried about the future of the Magical Arts Society, and was just hoping to ask Brother Ou for your unique insights on the matter. My father also hopes Brother Ou can offer some advice regarding my younger sister’s studies. That is why he specifically sent me and Crystal to invite Brother Ou to visit our residence.” His words were extremely polite, and he adopted an unnaturally humble demeanor. However, given the current situation, it was likely true that Master Yu was genuinely concerned about the future of the Magical Arts Society. Yet he certainly didn’t deserve the honor of being consulted by General Zuo and Master Yu—these polite formalities shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Perhaps they were simply asking him out of a “let’s give it a try” mindset? If he could truly gain some insight, that would naturally be best. Even if he didn’t get what he wanted, it was just a meal—and inviting an officer who was about to join the Scientific Society wasn’t exactly a loss. After all, Ou Yang’s line of argument that day had taken a very novel approach—historical facts are a form of truth, and when you let the facts speak for themselves, it’s impossible to refute them without resorting to tantrums or underhanded tactics. In Master Yu’s eyes, this matter likely concerned the future of all spellcasters in the Empire, didn’t it? Liu Chenyong and the others were beyond words with astonishment. They stared at Zuo Hengbai with their mouths agape. Ou Yang, who had come from Qi Province, might not be aware of it, but these officers from the Northwest all knew the illustrious name of Master Yu Xuanji. She was a Grand Sorceress whose fame thundered through every province and circuit under the jurisdiction of Xijing; rumor had it she had already set one foot through the gates of becoming a Grand Master of Sorcery. In her youth, she’d even been the subject of some scandalous rumors involving General Zuo, and she was also the personal spell-casting mentor to General Zuo’s own granddaughter. And yet, such a legendary figure was actually cooking personally to treat Ou Yang—a mere low-ranking soldier—to a meal!? Ou Yang glanced at them briefly and found it somewhat amusing. If these men’s mouths were any wider, their jaws would probably drop into the snow and be lost forever. He really wanted to see the look on their faces if they knew that Master Yu had repeatedly threatened to teach him a lesson with his “Thunderbolt Palm” that day. ‘Never mind. It’s not a trap anyway. I’ll just say whatever comes to mind when the time comes. If they refuse to heed my advice because of my lowly status, they’ll have no one but themselves to blame. I’ll have done my part.’ Ou Yang made up his mind silently and bowed his hands toward the Zuo siblings, saying, “I respectfully decline your invitation.”