Chapter Ninety-Five: Wise Words of Counsel

Just as the two of them stood there in awkward silence, they suddenly heard a voice ask, “Has Master Yang arrived?”

They turned toward the sound and saw a man emerging from behind a screen, clad in brocade and jade-colored robes, graceful and refined. It was none other than Prince Zhu, the very man they had seen that night in the central square.

Lu and Yang hurriedly clasped their hands and bowed. Yang Cheng said, “Greetings, Your Highness. I am Yang Cheng of Yang Family Furnishings.”

Zhu Wushang came over to inspect him from head to toe, then said with surprise, “I have heard the tale many times in the marketplace about how Master Yang, even as a child, set his heart on studying woodworking. I even bought your furnishings myself and experienced them firsthand. They were indeed extraordinary. I never expected Master Yang to be so young. It is quite a surprise.”

Yang Cheng replied, “You flatter me, Your Highness. They are only rumors from the marketplace, nothing worth mentioning.” In his heart, however, he thought that in his former life, telling stories was simply one of the standard tricks of business.

“No, no, no. There are countless craftsmen in this world. Given a little talent and decades of patient refinement, anyone may become a master artisan. But Master Yang is one of a kind. You have opened the way for a new generation of furnishings. Such ability cannot be accumulated by time alone; it requires imagination and uncommon genius. With Master Yang in Wuzhou, it will be Wuzhou’s good fortune. And Yang Family Furnishings will surely become a local specialty known throughout the land.”

Seeing that the prince seemed to hold him in high regard, Yang Cheng did not suppose that a debauched royal like this would truly care about the prosperity of Wuzhou City. Curious, he asked at once, “May I ask why Your Highness summoned me? If you require furnishings, you may choose freely from the shop at Yang Family Furnishings.”

Zhu Wushang was entirely without airs. On the contrary, he seemed especially warm, pulling Yang Cheng aside and saying, “Please sit, Master Yang, sit.” He seated both Yang Cheng and Lu, then called out, “Someone, bring wine and dishes.”

“Master Yang, there is no need to rush. We can drink and talk at our leisure. By the way, what do you think of the song and dance in my manor?” As he spoke, Zhu Wushang pointed to the singing girls dancing gracefully in the center of the hall.

Yang Cheng had never seen the song and dance of this world before, and found it novel. The singing girls were all lovely and alluring, supple and graceful; as they moved, red sleeves fluttered like blossoms in the wind. They were surely carefully selected beauties by Zhu Wushang. He could not help thinking with feeling that this was the true high, rich, and handsome life: extraordinary status, immense wealth, a harem of beauties, an undisputed winner in life, a master of reincarnation.

Seeing Yang Cheng watch in fascination, Zhu Wushang said no more, only lifting his brows with a trace of satisfaction.

After a while, the wine and dishes were brought in. The tables before the three of them were soon laden with food, much of it unfamiliar to Yang Cheng. He thought to himself that the food of the upper class was indeed delicate and refined.

Then he suddenly remembered the gift he had brought and said with folded hands, “Your Highness, I nearly forgot. Since there is fine food and drink, I have also brought a small token today: some wine I brewed myself. I wonder if Your Highness would care to sample it?”

Zhu Wushang thought to himself, I am a prince of the imperial house; what kind of wine have I not tasted? Since what you have brought is merely wine and not some precious treasure, it is probably already been tossed into a corner by the servants. Still, since he needed something from Master Yang, he could hardly slight him. So he ordered a servant to fetch it quickly.

When the wine was brought over, Zhu Wushang found the outer packaging most interesting: two rectangular boxes, each decorated with a landscape painting personally drawn by Old Master Luo at Yang Cheng’s request, with the words Ice-Clear Jade Dew Wine written in bold crimson characters. Beside it was a symbol identical to the one used by Yang Family Furnishings, and below that, in smaller print, Yang Family Wines.

The material of the box was unusual, though he had seen it before. Some newly imported snacks that the servants in the manor had bought him not long ago had come in packaging made of the same sort. For the moment, he had no mind to investigate the material. He opened the box and found inside a blue-and-white porcelain bottle, likewise decorated with a landscape and several lines of small writing.

Seeing how exquisite the bottle was, Zhu Wushang felt a surge of curiosity. As soon as he removed the wax seal from the stopper, a rich, mellow aroma of wine burst forth. He could not wait and poured himself a cup. To his delight, the liquor was utterly clear, without the slightest impurity, truly worthy of the name Ice-Clear Jade Dew.

He forgot to invite Master Yang first, took a small sip, smacked his lips, then tilted back his head and drained the cup in one gulp. Immediately, he felt as though his chest were scorched by flames. Letting out a long breath, he cried, “Excellent wine! Deep aroma and fierce potency. I have never drunk such fine wine. Master Yang, did you brew this as well?”

“Indeed. However, this wine has only recently been made and still needs some time in the cellar to mature. Once aged, its fragrance will deepen and it will go down even more smoothly. Since I was coming to see Your Highness today, I brought it out at once, eager for you to taste it.”

“Haha, then it seems I am the first person under heaven to drink this fine wine.” Zhu Wushang laughed, then added, “Master Yang truly is extraordinary. With Yang Family Furnishings and this skill in brewing, you could easily make a fortune anywhere.”

“Not at all. Your Highness is too generous.”

Zhu Wushang had the servant open the other bottle and pour some for Lu and Yang as well. The three of them drank, admired the dancing, and chatted idly.

After several rounds of wine, Zhu Wushang and Yang Cheng grew more familiar, and he spoke plainly of his purpose.

It turned out that as a prince, Zhu Wushang had been sent to Wuzhou City before he had even come of age, and was not permitted to leave his fief for the rest of his life. He missed his imperial father and his mother consort deeply. Recently, having seen that Yang Family Furnishings was not only exquisitely made but also exceptionally comfortable, and moreover unmatched anywhere under heaven, he had suddenly wanted Master Yang to personally design a set of furnishings to be transported to the Emperor and the Noble Consort as a token of filial devotion.

Yang Cheng naturally praised the prince for his filial piety. The two of them then discussed how to design something that would suit the dignity and nobility of the royal house while being even more comfortable.

They talked for a long time and drank quite a bit. As the wine took hold, Zhu Wushang became increasingly talkative and less restrained. Through their conversation, Yang Cheng gradually formed a rough understanding of the prince’s character. Though Zhu Wushang was a spendthrift playboy, he was not a bad man at heart.

Yang Cheng was silent for a moment, then took a sip of wine and said, “Your Highness, there is something I wonder whether I ought to say.”

Zhu Wushang had been chatting happily, privately imagining whether his imperial father would think of him and praise him when he saw these things. After all, the Emperor had too many sons; it would already be fortunate if he could remember him at all. In high spirits, he replied carelessly, “Master Yang, speak freely.”

“I wonder what Your Highness’s relationship is like with the current Crown Prince?”

Zhu Wushang froze. “The Emperor has many sons beneath his knees. Many brothers and sisters have only met a few times and are not particularly close. The Crown Prince is much the same.”

“I see.” Yang Cheng understood at once. He had seen plenty of palace intrigue dramas in the past, and said, “Then if Your Highness sends furnishings across rivers and mountains as a gift, you may indeed win the Emperor’s praise, but you may also invite disaster.”

Zhu Wushang was startled. “What do you mean by that, Master Yang? Please be direct.”

“From what I can tell, Your Highness’s heart is full of sincere filial piety and not the least bit of desire to compete for favor. But if you send this furniture only to the Emperor, others may think you are deliberately currying favor with His Majesty. Especially with the Crown Prince, who is always guarding against his many brothers seeking to seize the throne. You, Your Highness, already reside in a remote place and could live a life of wealth and honor without anyone taking notice. But this would only draw attention to you. I am merely a businessman and would not presume to speak rashly of court affairs. Yet having met a man of Your Highness’s character today, I could not bear to see you take the wrong path, and so I offered this warning.”

Cold sweat broke out on Zhu Wushang at once. He clasped his hands and said, “Thank you for your reminder, Master Yang. Then what should I do?”

Yang Cheng said, “Either send nothing at all, or, if Your Highness truly misses His Majesty and the Noble Consort and wishes to show your filial devotion, then send a set to the Crown Prince as well. That way you can express your original intention and at the same time build goodwill with the Crown Prince. Even if you do not win him over, it will at least make him believe that Your Highness bears him no ill will and remove his suspicions.”

After thinking it over, Zhu Wushang clasped his hands again and said, “Thank you, Master Yang, for your frank counsel. Very well, I shall send them all.” After all, the Crown Prince would one day rule the court; this concerned his own safety and could not be taken lightly. To outsiders, royal kin seemed incomparably noble, but in truth they walked on thin ice. One careless step, and ruin could follow.