Prince and His Fool

Chapter 22: Sly As A Fox

Rong Zian was knee-deep enjoying the festivities as he indulged like a gluttonous pig with no care in the world that was until he heard the sound of giggling girls. With his curiosity at its peak, he followed the sound and his gaze landed on that handsome warrior with gorgeous hair chatting it up with some beautiful maidens. 'That's the man I should acquaint myself with,' he thought to himself his eyes lit up like Christmas lights.

'Oh grandmaster, grant me the honour of being your disciple,' he thought while frantically wiping his mouth. Just as he stood up, he felt the back of his collar being grabbed and forced him to sit back down preventing him from leaving. He tried to stand up a couple of times with no avail so he faced his oppressor with a puzzled expression, "Your Highness?"

The prince gave him a threatening dark stare sending shivers down a cowardly Rong Zian's spine. This wasn't new, the prince had given him this kind stare numerous times but this time he swore he could see sapphire flames glittering in his eyes. Wu Yange only uttered one word, "Behave," like a parent cautioning an unruly child. He instantly sat back down and drank an entire cup of wine in one go calming his wrecked nerves.

At the last drop, he was startled by the chief's hoarse cough grasping his attention. "I see our hero has a good eye for beautiful things though beauty without virtue is like a flower without fragrance," said the roguish chief yet again caressing his beard like a villain petting a cat.

A confused Rong Zian could only settle his cup on the table and let out a nervous laugh, "as is with any man, I am sensitive to beauty but I am confused why the chief would see it upon himself to point out my bad behaviour?"

The chief signalled for a gorgeously slim and supple maiden with a face that could easily mistake her for a deity. Her smile made Rong Zian's heart flutter as though touched by an angel. Mesmerised out of his mind, he didn't even feel the intense gaze coming from Ying Tie boring into his skin. "This is my niece Ying Tianshi, wouldn't you say she's a reigning beauty, elegant and poised?" he said as he poured wine from a jar.

Rong Zian though enchanted by her beauty, he couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity. Sensing something was off, he scrutinised her eyes, her nose and by the time he looked at her lips, it had finally dawned on him. 'Shit! She's brother P's sister,' he thought as he withdrew his gaze and eyed Ying tie in his peripheral view. The malevolent stare scared Rong Zian, he could only hide his face, in shame, with his hand sincerely hoping he wouldn't be strangled in his sleep.

He cleared his throat and fretfully stammered, "Well.....I...ah....think it's inappropriate to.....ah," unable to finish his sentence still shielding his face from Ying Tie. 'Oh god, I am dead, I am dead, I am fuckin' dead,' he wept within secretly lighting a candle for himself.

The old man handed the cup of wine to Ying Tianshi whispering something in her ear and just as she stood up, Ying Tie leaned over to her as though trying to stop her but the chief sat him down with a look that tamed him into silence. The graceful beauty made her way to Rong Zian and knelt before him, with her head down. Both her hands stretched out, she offered him the wine.

Gravely puzzled by her actions, he couldn't help by scout around, his eyes swaying back on forth. "Uh....miss.....you don't have to kneel before me but.....uh....thank you," he said accepting the cup still aware of the fiery gaze now sizzling through his skin like a kebab on a grill.

Just as he was about to drink, the cup when a hand grabbed the cup out of his grasp and watched as the contents of the cup were split to the ground. "What the fuck Wu Yange!" he said extremely vexed by his rude behaviour. Wu Yange didn't look at him but reprimanded the chief instead.

"Chief Ying...Just because he is oblivious to your customs, it doesn't mean I am as well. Did you mean to take advantage of his nave nature?" said the prince as apathetic and cold like always.

Shamefaced but still as sly as a fox, he justified his actions, "it's only logical especially after beating up my niece's fiance, he has to take responsibility and replace him."

Rong Zian was baffled by this new revelation, it turns out if he had drunk that cup of wine, it would have served as an agreement of marriage. He couldn't fathom the desperation for marriage in this era, why was he always getting proposals when he didn't want to be tied down? Feeling abused he asked for a refill and drank straight from the jar with no restraint. It seemed as though Yue Lao the deity of marriage was gunning for him wherever he went.

The prince stood up and excused himself with his hand firmly clutching to his sword. He was fairly certain that if he didn't leave now he would strike down the old man and wouldn't be able to explain it to his father.

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