The Dumb Prince of the Ming Dynasty

A cool breeze blows along the Qinhuai River.

The river was dotted with painted boats, and the faint sounds of string and wind instruments drifted over, mixed with the laughter of women.

Li Jinglong stood on the shore, dressed in a simple long robe, his hands behind his back, the evening breeze making his robe flutter.

Three people were walking towards us from a distance.

They came at the invitation of Li Jinglong. The leader was Wang Huidi, the Minister of Justice, the one next to him was Guo Huan, the Vice Minister of Revenue, and the third was a stranger, in his forties, with fair skin.

"Lord Wang, Lord Guo, you've arrived!" Li Jinglong clasped his hands in greeting.

Wang Huidi returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Since Lord Li has invited us, how could we dare not come?"

"Who is this?" Li Jinglong asked, looking at the unfamiliar face.

Wang Huidi introduced, "This is Vice Minister Mai Zhide of the Ministry of Works. I figured that since Lord Li is building a manor, he must have a lot of construction-related matters to consult, so I brought Lord Mai along as well."

Li Jinglong's eyes lit up, and he quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "So it's Lord Mai, I've heard so much about you."

"Greetings, Young Duke." Mai Zhide returned the greeting.

Guo Huan chuckled from the side, "Lord Li finds the Young Duke too flamboyant, so just call him Lord Li."

"Yes, yes, no need to call me Young Duke, just call me Lord Li, it sounds more friendly." Li Jinglong waved his hand, "Today I'm the host, let's go on the pleasure boat and have some fun."

"Lord Li, you are in mourning. Going on a pleasure boat? If the censors of the Censorate find out, they will impeach you, and that will be no joke," Guo Huan said with concern.

Li Jinglong scoffed: "Investigate me? Who dares? I'll beat them to a pulp."

Wang Huidi laughed heartily: "Look, this is the style of Lord Li!"

As they were talking, a small boat came ashore.

The four boarded the small boat, and the old boatman poled a bamboo pole against the bank. The small boat slowly drifted away from the shore and headed towards the largest painted boat in the middle of the river.

A gentle evening breeze caressed his face as Li Jinglong stood at the bow of the boat, hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering in the wind.

Soon, they boarded the painted boat.

Li Jinglong took the lead, lifting the cabin curtain and rushing inside. He imagined the scene: music playing, dancers gracefully moving, and girls coming to greet him like beautiful birds.

When the hatch opened, they were dumbfounded.

The huge cabin was completely empty; there wasn't even a maid to serve tea or water, let alone dancers.

"Where are the girls? Where are the dancers?" He asked, his face full of disappointment.

Last time, the dancers on this pleasure boat danced gracefully, their sleeves fluttering, while the girls leaned against the gentlemen, pouring wine and feeding them, their smiles enchanting.

What's going on today? Did we get on an empty ship?

"Lord Li, the investigation has been very strict lately," Wang Huidi said.

Li Jinglong shrugged: "That's so boring. If I had known it would be like this, I would have preferred to go to the brothel."

"The Imperial Music Bureau is also cracking down hard," Wang Huidi said with a smile. "Don't worry, Lord Li, there's a hidden gem here."

"Old Wang, stop keeping me in suspense." Li Jinglong glared at him.

Wang Huidike waved to the three of them and walked deeper into the cabin.

Passing through a beaded curtain and around a screen, a private room comes into view.

"Where is this hidden paradise?" Li Jinglong looked around.

Wang Huidi raised her hands and clapped them gently twice.

The beaded curtain rustled, and a young woman carrying a zither walked in with her head bowed.

She wore a long, sheer dress, her long hair half-up, with a few strands falling beside her ears. She sat down by the window, placed the zither across her lap, and lightly plucked the strings with her fingertips.

With a tinkling sound, the music of the zither poured out like a spring.

She began to play the zither, the melody soothing. A river breeze blew in from the window, lifting her sheer long dress. As the wind passed, the dress clung to her body, outlining the curve of her waist, only to be swept away again by the wind. Beneath the thin veil, glimpses of spring were revealed, indistinct and alluring.

Li Jinglong stared intently at the girl.

"Let's drink and listen to music." Wang Huidi raised her glass.

Li Jinglong came to his senses: "I must say, it's more interesting than the brothels."

The girl in front of me is dressed very conservatively, yet her clothes are also thin and sheer; she sits upright playing the zither, yet her figure is partially obscured by the wind; she appears dignified and self-possessed, but she exudes charm in every way.

This is what we call high-end.

"Come on, let's have another one." Li Jinglong raised his glass.

After a few rounds of drinks, he couldn't sit still any longer: "Old Wang, is the only girl playing music here?"

Wang Huidi raised an eyebrow: "Today is a treat for Lord Li, how can we not satisfy him?"

He raised his hands and clapped them three times loudly.

The beaded curtain rustled once more, and five or six girls filed in. Each of them wore a long, thin gauze dress, some slender, some plump.

Li Jinglong's eyes lit up instantly, and he pointed: "I'll choose first, it's the two of you."

The two girls he chose were petite and delicate with almond-shaped eyes and peach-blossom cheeks, and tall and slender with skin as white as snow. They walked forward with charming smiles and sat down on either side of Li Jinglong.

Li Jinglong opened his arms and pulled the two of them into his embrace, hugging them from both sides.

"Lord Li, you're quite adept at this," Guo Huan laughed, looking at his busy hands.

Mai Zhide laughed heartily from the side: "Fellow traveler! Fellow traveler indeed!"

Seeing that everyone was having a good time, Wang Huidi raised his glass again: "Come, welcome Lord Li."

After a couple more rounds of drinks, Li Jinglong's face flushed slightly: "Let's get down to business."

Guo Huan laughed and said, "Lord Li, aren't your hands doing the right thing?"

Li Jinglong withdrew his hand from the girl: "We need your help with the materials for our estate. You officials have been in the court for many years and are familiar with various suppliers. We need your introductions."

"Hey, I thought it was something big. Lord Li is building a manor, what's a little bit of material? I'll talk to the suppliers later and they'll give it all to you." Mai Zhide waved his hand.

Li Jinglong shook his head: "No, no, no, Lord Mai, I'm not a corrupt official."

"It looks quite similar." Guo Huan blinked.

Li Jinglong, with one woman on each side, raised an eyebrow: "Does it look like it? My Li family is related to the imperial family, and our family rules are very strict."

Guo Huan almost spat out his wine.

During your mourning period, you go on a pleasure boat with women on your left and right. Is that what you call strict family discipline?

"Yes, yes, yes," Mai Zhide said, suppressing a laugh. "Since you're not willing to take it for free, then Lord Li can contribute some capital as a token."

Li Jinglong looked up: "Isn't this inappropriate?"

"What's inappropriate about it?" Mai Zhide said. "Those timber merchants, brick and tile merchants, and stone merchants usually can't even find a way to befriend Lord Li. Now that you're building your estate, using their materials is giving them face."

"We can't let our brothers suffer losses," Li Jinglong said. "I, Li Jinglong, believe in loyalty and righteousness."

Guo Huan chimed in, "Lord Li, if you take care of them in the future, they will be eternally grateful."

"That's easy to say," Li Jinglong said with a smile.

"That settles it then," Mai Zhide said. "Lord Li, leave the matter of materials for your estate to me. I'll personally talk to the suppliers and make sure they deliver everything to you at cost price."

Li Jinglong was overjoyed: "Then I'll be in your care, Lord Mai. However, even though the materials are at cost price, the labor costs still need to be paid; we can't let them suffer a loss."

"Lord Li, you know a lot." Mai Zhide said with a playful smile.

Li Jinglong, with his arms around the girl, said earnestly, "I'm really not a corrupt official."

Everyone laughed.