Chapter 909: The Worshipped Casanova

This case was clearly a ploy byEmperor Xizong to eliminate Prince Chansheng, yet Song Qingshu had “recklessly” declared the prince innocent—wasn’t that just provoking the emperor’s wrath?

Moreover, Wanyan Liang was also eager to get rid of Prince Chansheng as soon as possible. With these two joining forces, how could Song Qingshu possibly escape unscathed?

However, this was exactly what he had anticipated. He simply smiled and turned to walk back to the imperial prison. His composed demeanor left the imperial guards dumbfounded—they had never seen such a cooperative prisoner before. One moment, he had been a high-ranking official, and the next, he was reduced to a convict. Such a drastic fall from grace was something few could handle calmly. Over the years, these guards had witnessed many similar scenes, but without exception, those disgraced officials had either been arrogant one moment and utterly broken the next, or they had groveled in fear.

Though the world was full of filth, and these guards were hardly virtuous men themselves, everyone harbored some degree of admiration for heroes in their hearts. Song Qingshu’s unshaken composure in the face of disaster secretly earned their respect. Without a word, they unanimously decided not to give him a hard time. They politely escorted him to his cell, even skipping the usual procedure of shackling his hands and feet.

Once inside, Song Qingshu sat cross-legged on the stone slab, meditating as he refined the final details of his plan.

Meanwhile, the prison guards had gathered again, buzzing with gossip about the latest events:

“I told you! When Lady Taohua visited last time, something must have happened between them. Otherwise, why would he dare to defy the world and declare Prince Chansheng innocent?”

“If it were me, I’d have done the same! You know what they say—better to die under a peony than live a dull life!”

“Die under a peony, my ass! His own wife is no less beautiful than Lady Taohua. This just isn’t worth it.”

“Tch, after he’s gone, I wonder who’ll get to enjoy his devastatingly gorgeous wife…”

“And that stunning sister-in-law of his.”

“What goes around comes around, huh?”

“Even if it does, it won’t come around to us. Why bother worrying about it?”

“True. Honestly, I’m more curious about how long Lady Taohua stayed in his room that night. Don’t you think it was… a bit too short?”

“Now that you mention it… Hah! Who would’ve thought? This Tang Kuo Bian looks strong and sturdy on the outside, but turns out he’s just a silver spearhead—pretty to look at, but useless where it counts!”

“D*mn, it’s so unfair! A man like him gets such a beautiful wife? What a waste!”

“What, are you studying for the imperial exams now? Why the sudden literary flair?”

“What’s wrong with being cultured? My grandfather was a scholar back in his day!”

The group burst into raucous laughter.

“Do you think those stunning women will visit Tang Kuo Bian again after this disaster?”

“Probably. Even if the others don’t, Princess Daiguo is his wife—she’ll definitely come.”

“Not necessarily. You know the saying—‘Husband and wife are birds of a feather, but when disaster strikes, they fly in opposite directions.’ Princess Daiguo is the emperor’s own sister. After Tang Kuo Bian dies, she can just remarry. Why would she risk angering the emperor?”

“Princess Daiguo isn’t that kind of person!” Someone immediately protested, still deeply impressed by Gebi’s demeanor from the night before.

One of them suddenly looked up and tugged at his companions. “Stop arguing! Look—two more devastating beauties are here!”

The others turned to see two breathtaking women walking toward them—one mature and voluptuous, her swaying hips making them involuntarily gulp, and the other a youthful, radiant girl whose flawless beauty made these burly men feel ashamed to even meet her gaze.

“I bet these two enchantresses are here for Tang Kuo Bian.”

“No sh!t! You think they’d come for you?” After the recent parade of stunning women visiting, the others could only nod in agreement.

The reactions of the guards left the two beauties exchanging puzzled glances. After a brief hesitation, the younger girl skipped forward with an innocent smile. “Big brothers, we’d like to visit Prince Consort Tang Kuo Bian. Could you make an exception for us?” She blinked her large, bright eyes—a trick she had mastered over years of navigating noble circles.

“Of course!” the guards chorused. “But we have one condition.”

“What is it?” Her voice remained sweet as a nightingale’s, but a cold glint flashed in her crescent-moon eyes.

“Could you ask His Excellency to answer a question for us later?” The guards looked at her eagerly.

The girl was taken aback. She had expected some lecherous request, but this? “I… suppose that’s fine,” she replied, figuring Tang Kuo Bian wouldn’t refuse such a small favor.

“Right this way, ladies!” The guards eagerly led them inside, their enthusiasm leaving the two women utterly baffled.

Song Qingshu, deep in thought, heard the commotion and slowly opened his eyes. Seeing the two strikingly beautiful women—one older, one younger, with similar delicate features—he raised an eyebrow. “What brings you here?”

If there were any women in the capital who could rival Gebi and Daiqisi in beauty, who else could it be but Wanyan Chongjie and her mother?

Wanyan Chongjie wrinkled her nose in annoyance. “Hmph, we just wanted to see what was going on with you…” She hesitated, then gestured to the guards. “These men said they have a question for you.”

Song Qingshu turned to the guards, who promptly dropped to their knees in excitement.

“Your Excellency, these past few days have been an eye-opener for us! Princess Qi, Princess Daiguo, Lady Taohua, and now these two—all the most famous beauties in the capital have come to see you, one after another. Any one of them is more stunning than all the women we’ve seen in our lives combined! You have to teach us—how did you win the hearts of so many peerless beauties? Sisters, even a mother and daughter… Tsk tsk tsk! If we could learn even a fraction of your skills, we might not even have to pay when we visit brothels in the future—”

At first, Wanyan Chongjie and her mother were secretly pleased by the guards’ praise of their beauty, though they were also shocked to hear of Song Qingshu’s connections with so many women. But when the guards lumped them together as “his women,” their faces turned livid with rage.