Chrysanthemum Ruined, Wounds Everywhere
Prince Charles Chu of the Kingdom of Chu arrives, and the Capital Constabulary is instantly thrown into chaos.
Zhao Yanchuan lay in a side room in the backyard, his rear aching so much he nearly cramped up. As if things weren’t miserable enough, it only got worse—he could hear chaotic footsteps and hushed voices everywhere outside the room. The voices were low, but Zhao Yanchuan, trained in martial arts with sharp hearing, caught every single word!
“Whoa, is it really Prince Charles Chu in there?!”
“Of course! The one who just reported to the officials—did you see how he walked, swaying his hips like a woman? Tell me, why do men from Chu walk like that? Even our country’s young ladies aren’t that flamboyant.”
“You don’t know? Oh, right, you weren’t there last time when we went to Rabbit Lounge to catch fugitives! We all saw it—when Prince Charles Chu opened the door, goodness, seven or eight big men were hanging off him. It was wild! Blood everywhere! What do they call it in those racy novels? Oh, right—‘Chrysanthemum Wreckage, Wounds All Around.’”
“Yikes—my goodness, Prince Charles Chu really knows how to play!”
“You bet! The whole Rabbit Lounge incident was written into those novels and picture books. All of us bought copies—so exciting! Come on, I’ll show you later.”
“Great! You’ve got to let your buddy have a look!”
“……”
Listening to all the gossip about himself outside, Zhao Yanchuan felt more and more humiliated. Furious, he pounded the bed and shouted, “You idiots! Stop standing around gossiping and get out there to catch the criminals!”
Outside, the crowd buzzed with nervous excitement. "Yikes, we’ve been spotted! Time to scatter—run for it! When they come to confiscate the books, I’m going to squirrel away a few for myself. Who knew they’d go after such spicy stories? What a crying shame!"
"Right? It’s a tragedy for book lovers everywhere!"
Everyone outside scattered like startled birds and beasts. Meanwhile, Zhao Yanchuan was left inside, clutching his rear and wincing so hard his whole body nearly cramped up. Furious and in pain, he mentally sent a barrage of curses to Su Li—Lily Evans herself, the queen of chaos—and Alexander Hayes, her loyal partner-in-crime, wishing their ancestors a lifetime of stubbed toes and sleepless nights. Still aching, he dug out some healing ointment, slapped it on his poor, battered backside, and flopped down like a beached fish to await his fate.
The Capital Constabulary’s patrolmen assembled, and under the captain’s lead, marched toward the Chu envoy’s palace.
As soon as they reached the gates, every member of the Capital Constabulary was stunned.
Goodness—there must have been nearly a thousand citizens gathered outside, men and women of all ages. Even an eighty-year-old granny was waving several racy novels in the air, hawking them to the crowd. The place was as lively as a marketplace!
To make things even more entertaining, some Jin Dynasty nobles sent their servants to buy the racy books at high prices, just to see the Chu folks embarrassed.
So the townsfolk spontaneously set up stalls along both sides of the road, turning the area into a makeshift Prince Charles Chu Racy Novel Market. Besides knockoffs of Mrs. Penny’s original illustrated editions, there were plenty of homemade, upgraded versions written by literate locals looking to make a buck—each one more scandalous and spicy than the last!
Staring at the scene, the Capital Constabulary patrolmen gulped. This was going to be a tough assignment!
It wasn’t just commoners—nobles, officials, and stewards from all the prestigious families had mingled into the crowd too.
“Chief, what do we do now?” the patrolmen asked.
The captain, troubled, patted his head. What a mess—if he cracked down, he’d offend too many people; if he didn’t, how would he explain himself to Zhao Yanchuan? In the end, he braced himself and started trying to disperse the crowd.
But the crowd refused to budge. The old women, especially, clung to their books with fierce determination, refusing to let go even if someone tried to snatch them away.