After Cracking Three Madmen’s Skulls - Chapter 4

I picked up the military tally and curled my lips at my fox of a father.

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained, Father. Clean up the mess.”

Once his initial panic passed, Shen Yan looked almost excited.

“What next?”

I tore a strip from my skirt and wound it around the crown prince’s neck.

“Burn down our estate. Ling Zhao and I will take him to the pleasure house.”

The pleasure house towered high, bright sleeves fluttering from its windows. Perfume carried for miles. Men and women exchanged drinks, laughter and flirtatious murmurs filling the air.

Xiaohe, a makeup artist for every occasion, went all out and turned me into a brothel madam.

Great padded breasts, a false backside, towering hair, a face painted every color, and an enormous matchmaker’s mole.

Ling Zhao followed behind me disguised as a brothel attendant.

He was still dazed.

“Will this work?”

We went around to the back door. I slipped a few banknotes into the doorkeeper’s hand, while Ling Zhao produced a lecherous grin.

And just like that, we smuggled the crown prince’s limp corpse inside, draped over his shoulder.

People came and went, but everyone was talking about the same thing.

“Have you heard? There’s a huge fire at the Shen estate! Everyone on the street went to help, but they can’t put it out!”

“They’re screaming like ghosts in there. So many people have burned to death!”

“I heard the crown prince went in earlier and hasn’t come out. The Court of Judicial Review has sent search parties everywhere!”

“General Pei has blocked every exit from the capital. You can come in, but nobody can leave!”

…

“Hey, you over there. What new goods have you brought today? Uncover them. Let us have a look.”

Several young gentlemen surrounded us, reeking of wine. One lifted his fan to flick off the black hood covering the crown prince’s head.

“What’s that strange smell?”

I stepped in front of Ling Zhao and forced a fawning smile.

“Gentlemen, this is someone important, requested upstairs. If you uncover him now, this old woman will lose her head. Please have mercy!”

“Get out of the way!”

One of them shoved me to the ground.

“I’d like to see what sort of goods I’m not allowed to inspect!”

“Hahaha! Brother Li, hurry up!”

“If it’s a beauty, we’re in luck!”

Ling Zhao froze, at a loss.

At that critical instant, a languid, delicate woman’s voice floated down from above.

“Who’s making trouble in my house?”

It was Mudan, the star courtesan.

She looked me over twice and spat in my direction.

“Get moving! You’re hurting my eyes.”

Warmth flooded back into my body. I scrambled away with Ling Zhao.

My brother had once saved Mudan’s life. That was an important reason I’d chosen this place to dispose of the body.

We hurried upstairs. Knowing the way, I led Ling Zhao straight into Mudan’s room.

I pressed a switch at the head of her bed and hid the crown prince beneath the wooden boards.

Ling Zhao remained in a trance.

He was still caught in the moment of killing the crown prince with his own hands. His whole body trembled faintly.

I held him firmly.

“Don’t be afraid. Let’s get ready. Pei Yi will find his way here soon.”

“Now do exactly as I say.”

Ling Zhao nodded.

“Pei Yi is ruthless and suspicious by nature. The first thing he’ll do on entering a room is replace the water and tea and throw out every incense burner. But there are things he can’t replace.”

I pointed to a concealed flexible pipe at the base of the wall.

“A common trick in pleasure houses. They blow a drug through there. It would knock out an ox.”

Ling Zhao looked puzzled.

I rubbed my hands together.

“So we’re going to reroute the pipes.”

I took out a sheet of paper and a charcoal pencil and sketched a simple floor plan.

Then I passed it to him.

“Can you remember this?”

He nodded.

I pointed to several places.

“These rooms have the main pipes. Take the three on the left and run them into Mudan’s room. I’ll handle the rest.”

“After that, it’s up to you.”

Ling Zhao nodded solemnly.

I tossed him a bottle of antidote pills.

Three quarter-hours into the xu watch, Pei Yi traced us to the pleasure house.

Following my instructions, Ling Zhao stood with reddened eyes and a helpless expression, a small patch of pale collarbone showing.

The very picture of a distant, untouchable beauty, shattered.

Pei Yi didn’t seem in any hurry to find the crown prince. He shut the door and began flirting with Ling Zhao with considerable interest.