For the rest of that day, the group of dandies all stayed at this private estate of Prince Yu's Manor, drinking and making merry. Although Ling Qiyan, the eldest legitimate son of the Emperor, had no significant position in the court and was unrestrained, flamboyant, arrogant, and domineering, he loved to have fun and knew how to do so. He was the leader of this group of dandies in the capital, and they were all happy to flatter him.

There were many forms of entertainment at the banquet, but the one Ling Qiyan was most enthusiastic about, and also the dandies' favorite, was the game of pitch-pot.

The loser not only had to drink wine but also had to forfeit the stakes they had wagered beforehand. Gold, jade, jewels, beautiful maids, and charming ladies, even manors and fields, were all fair game.

Ling Qiyan was an expert at this game, but he rarely participated, preferring to watch from the sidelines. When he encountered someone skilled who pleased him with their performance, he would even bestow rewards.

Ling Qiyan was generous. Although this eldest legitimate son of the Emperor was not favored by the Emperor and The Empress, The Empress Dowager doted on him the most. More than half of the fine things in the Palace of Tranquil Longevity ended up in his Prince Yu's Manor.

Everyone took turns, rubbing their hands in anticipation and using all their skills, having a joyous time. The few students from the Imperial Academy who had been brought along were also among them. After playing with these young masters for a while, they had gradually loosened up, humbling themselves to please them in every possible way.

Ling Qiyan sat high in the main seat, leaning languidly. He held up a wine pot and poured wine directly into his mouth. A large patch on the front of his thin summer robe was soaked, but he didn't care at all, carelessly pulling his clothes even more askew. His face was flushed from the drink, presenting a picture of dissolute abandon.

Wen Ying knelt by the wine table, focused on serving Ling Qiyan food and wine. Occasionally, he would raise his eyes to glance at the unconventional His Highness, Prince Yu before him, but he did not say much.

After three rounds of drinks, Ling Qiyan glanced sideways at Wen Ying and ordered, "Do you know how to play pitch-pot? Go and give it a try, show this prince your skills."

Wen Ying agreed in a low voice, stood up, walked over, and took the arrows.

He did not rush to throw. His gaze was steady as he stared at the mouth of the pot ahead for a while, as if assessing the distance and angle. Someone urged impatiently, "Hurry up, what are you dawdling for?"

Wen Ying paid them no mind. He was different from the other students; from beginning to end, he spared no one a glance except for Ling Qiyan.

Before he made his move, Zhang Yuan smilingly asked Ling Qiyan, "Your Highness, this Scholar Wen is your man now. Since he's going to play, will you be wagering any stakes for him?"

Ling Qiyan shot him a look. "You're the clever one, trying to trick this prince's fine things out of me again. Let's watch first. It's still uncertain whether he can even be this prince's man."

Wen Ying's back was ramrod straight. He raised his eyes to see Ling Qiyan propping his head up with one hand, watching him with a smile, his face full of playful, keen interest.

Wen Ying's gaze returned to the mouth of the pot. Amidst the repeated urging of the crowd, he threw the first arrow crisply and cleanly.

The arrow traced a beautiful arc through the air and landed steadily inside the pot.

Before the crowd could react, Wen Ying switched to his left hand, and the second arrow landed in the pot in the blink of an eye.

The crowd was stunned for a moment, then immediately erupted in loud cheers.

The third arrow, the fourth arrow...

Arrow after arrow hit its mark. He shot the seventh and eighth arrows simultaneously, and they landed in the two "ears" of the pot.

The ninth arrow circled the mouth of the pot and came to rest leaning against the rim.

For the tenth arrow, before shooting, Wen Ying once again raised his head, his dark, deep eyes looking toward Ling Qiyan. Ling Qiyan raised an eyebrow, just in time to see Wen Ying reverse his grip and toss the arrow effortlessly. The tail of the arrow entered the pot, a perfect reverse shot.

After a moment of silence, the onlookers burst into loud applause, their faces flushed red with excitement. Wen Ying, however, remained calm, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on Ling Qiyan.

A look of pleasure finally appeared in Ling Qiyan's eyes. He clapped twice. "Excellent!"

"You are very good. This is the first time this prince has seen someone make a reverse shot. Speak. What do you want? This prince will reward you."

Wen Ying said in a deep voice, "Thank you, Your Highness. This student needs nothing else. To receive Your Highness's appreciation and support would be my greatest satisfaction."

Zhang Yuan clicked his tongue and bantered with Ling Qiyan, "Your Highness, listen to what this fellow is saying. He's latching onto you."

Ling Qiyan looked at Wen Ying impassively. Their eyes met, and Wen Ying remained calm and unafraid. Ling Qiyan tapped lightly on the wine table, his eyes narrowing in thought.

Everyone was waiting for Ling Qiyan to speak. He suddenly curled his lips into a smile and crooked his finger.

Wen Ying walked forward and knelt back down by the wine table. Ling Qiyan glanced at him from the side, his finger tracing a circle on his chest. His voice was ambiguous, "Do you really want to follow this prince?"

Wen Ying lowered his head, his gaze falling on Ling Qiyan's long, fair knuckles for a moment. "Your Highness, this student has said, if Your Highness is willing to support me, this student will definitely lead the charge for Your Highness in the future."

"Lead the charge, offer your life and soul, but you just aren't willing to be this prince's intimate guest, is that it?" Ling Qiyan said with a half-smile.

"Your Highness can have anyone he desires. Someone like this student is truly not worth mentioning. There is no need for Your Highness to force this student like this."

After a moment of silence, Ling Qiyan's face suddenly turned cold, and he splashed the wine from his cup onto Wen Ying's face. "Who do you think you are? This prince is forcing you? It's your good fortune that this prince has taken a liking to you. If you're going to be so shameless when I'm giving you face, then get lost."

A dark look flashed through Wen Ying's eyes. He raised a hand to wipe his face. "Your Highness, please quell your anger."

His mood ruined, Ling Qiyan stood up, flicked his sleeves, and left.

Leaving everyone to look at each other in dismay, a person beside Zhang Yuan stepped forward and slapped Wen Ying across the face. "Shameless thing! Yesterday, you were the one begging me to bring you along, and now you're acting all lofty and pure in front of His Highness? Who gave you the nerve?"

The person cursing was the son of the Vice Minister of Rites, named Liu Qingxi. He had the lowest status among this group of dandies, but because he was well-connected and often acted as a pimp for the others, he got along very well within the group.

Liu Qingxi was furious. As he cursed, he raised his hand for another slap but was stopped by Zhang Yuan. "That's enough. It's useless to hit him. Save your strength."

He felt that His Highness might not have completely lost interest in this person and might still want him later. If they damaged him, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to answer to His Highness.

Wen Ying stood up. He was a head taller than Liu Qingxi and stared at him with a sinister gaze, as if he would retaliate if Liu Qingxi dared to strike again.

Meeting his gaze, Liu Qingxi became even more enraged and continued to curse, "What? I hit you, and you're not going to take it lying down?"

"This is His Highness, Prince Yu's private estate," Wen Ying reminded him coldly.

Liu Qingxi was taken aback. "Who doesn't know this is His Highness, Prince Yu's estate? What the hell do you mean by that, you brat?!"

Someone chimed in with a laugh, "This brat is telling you that even when you beat a dog, you must consider its master."

Liu Qingxi laughed in anger. "You brat, you should see if His Highness, Prince Yu, will even accept a dog like you. And here you are, already claiming him as your master."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Qiyan's head eunuch, Jiang Lin, came over. He interrupted their argument with a cough and gestured to Wen Ying. "Come with me. His Highness wants to see you."

Liu Qingxi's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Wen Ying ignored him and left, following behind Jiang Lin.

Jiang Lin first took Wen Ying to bathe and change his clothes. "In your current filthy state, I'm afraid you will offend His Highness's eyes. It's best you clean yourself up before seeing him."

Wen Ying didn't say anything more. He bathed when told to bathe and changed when told to change. Dressed in brocade and silk robes he had never worn before, he showed no discomfort. His eyes did not wander, and he didn't spare a second glance at the beautiful maids who served him as he changed.

Jiang Lin clicked his tongue inwardly. He hadn't expected this poor scholar from the countryside to look so distinguished when dressed in these fine brocade robes. He was not in the least inferior to those young masters from noble and prestigious families. No wonder His Highness had taken a fancy to him.

Ling Qiyan had already returned to his room. Incense smoke curled in the air, and a maid was still playing the zither. Ling Qiyan was leaning on the couch, his clothes still in disarray, resting with his eyes closed.

Wen Ying walked forward, lifted the hem of his robe, and knelt before Ling Qiyan.

Ling Qiyan's gaze turned to him, and he sneered, "When you first came, weren't you unwilling to kneel? You only deigned to do so after being kicked. This prince thought you had some backbone."

Wen Ying kept his eyes lowered, his thin lips pressed tightly together, and said nothing.

"That's right. You students who hold scholarly ranks are exempt from kneeling before officials. But this prince is an imperial prince, a son of the Emperor. Do you feel wronged having to kneel to this prince?"

"This student would not dare."

"I think you're very bold. After this prince left earlier, didn't you almost get into a conflict with that son of Vice Minister Liu? You were hit, weren't you?"

As he spoke, Ling Qiyan pinched Wen Ying's chin and turned his face to examine it. Wen Ying had delicate skin, and the red mark on his left cheek was very conspicuous. It probably wouldn't fade anytime soon.

Ling Qiyan said irritably, "That brat Liu Qingxi truly doesn't know how to cherish beauty. How could he bring himself to strike such a beautiful person?"

He spoke as if he wasn't the one who had splashed wine in Wen Ying's face earlier.

Wen Ying let him hold his chin, not moving.

Ling Qiyan's gaze moved down from his face, landing on his bobbing Adam's apple, and his eyes darkened slightly.

Then he extended his foot, his toes rubbing against Wen Ying's chest. He lowered his voice, "This prince is talking to you. Have you gone mute?"

Ling Qiyan was not wearing shoes or socks. His feet were soft, smooth, and fair, with the slender frame of a youth. His toes were round and delicate, his toenails translucent like plump pearls with a fine luster. Just like that, they rubbed neither lightly nor heavily against Wen Ying's chest through the fabric.

After a moment, Wen Ying grabbed his ankle and pushed it away from his chest, saying coolly, "Your Highness, please have some self-respect."

"Self-respect?" Ling Qiyan looked as if he had heard the world's greatest joke. "You begged Liu Qingxi and the others to bring you to this prince, and now you're telling me to have self-respect?"

Wen Ying averted his eyes. "He never said that coming to Your Highness's place meant having to do such things."

"What sort of things?" Ling Qiyan's eyes were full of mockery. "Appetite and lust are part of human nature. Don't tell me you're a monk?"

Wen Ying did not answer.

Ling Qiyan's expression grew colder. "So what did you come to this prince for? Do you really want to be my retainer? Do you take this prince for a fool? Speak. What are you truly after?"

After a moment of silence, Wen Ying said in a hoarse voice, "This student needs a patron."

As if not expecting him to say that, Ling Qiyan raised an eyebrow. "A patron? You're a tribute student at the Imperial Academy. If you study peacefully, pass the future examinations, and enter the court as an official, a wide-open road lies before you. Why would you need to specifically seek a patron?"

"This student has offended someone."

"Whom have you offended?"

"The Heir of Duke Wei."

Ling Qiyan's eyes darted, and he immediately understood. Duke Wei's Manor was The Empress's maternal family, making the Heir of Duke Wei his older maternal cousin. He was indeed studying at the Imperial Academy. That cousin was also a scoundrel who, upon seeing anyone good-looking, man or woman, would want to drag them into his bed. With Wen Ying's looks, it went without saying how he would have offended him.

Ling Qiyan said, amused, "The Heir of Duke Wei? He's this prince's own cousin. Why would you think this prince would fall out with him over you?"

Wen Ying said bluntly, "He is the Crown Prince's man and is on bad terms with Your Highness."

The pad of Ling Qiyan's finger slowly stroked over Wen Ying's slightly dry lips, his eyes full of frivolity. "That's true. You can only blame yourself for being born with a face that could ruin a nation. You refused to submit to my cousin, yet you are willing to come to me for refuge. Do you think this prince is easier to deal with than he is?"

Wen Ying just looked at him, not replying.

After a moment of stalemate, Ling Qiyan finally withdrew his hand, leaning back lazily on the couch. "Since you're asking something of this prince, you'd better fix your attitude. This prince doesn't like that holier-than-thou, deadpan face of yours. You'd best think things through clearly."