Chapter 139 Shen Yulou is simply a beast!
Shen Yulou left the market with his hands behind his back, leaving the Ninth Prince alone and disheveled in the evening breeze.
Ninth Imperial Prince's backside was burning with pain; he dared not sit, and standing made his legs ache.
His palms had several blisters.
Although he wasn't hungry anymore, the steamed buns and wild vegetables were incredibly coarse and made his stomach uncomfortable.
Is this the life a human should live?!
"Your Highness, Lord Shen has left."
The attendant, Gaosheng, cautiously approached.
He had followed the Ninth Prince for nine years. Normally, they were the ones bullying others and getting their way. When had they ever suffered such indignity?
Seeing His Highness's miserable state, he didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
Ninth Imperial Prince gritted his teeth in anger, his eyes seemingly ready to spit fire.
"Left? Does he dare to come tomorrow?!"
Gaosheng shrank his neck and whispered softly.
"Lord Shen said he would come again tomorrow and that you should continue to work here until your debt is paid..."
"Damn it!"
Ninth Imperial Prince kicked over a small stool nearby.
"What does he take this Prince for? A long-term laborer?!"
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, and the more he felt something was amiss.
"Gaosheng, tell this Prince the truth. Did that Shen fellow treat my Eighth Brother the same way? Did he also pull down my Eighth Brother's pants and spank him in the street?"
Gaosheng shook his head blankly: "Your Highness, I haven't heard anything like that.
I only heard that Eighth Prince Zhao Lü and Mr. Shen had a very enjoyable time at the Brothel yesterday and played at his residence all day today. I haven't heard anything about him being beaten."
"What?!"
Ninth Imperial Prince's eyes instantly widened. He felt like a fool abandoned by the whole world.
Why?!
They were both the Emperor's sons, both taught by a Shen, so why was the treatment so vastly different?
His Eighth Brother was enjoying himself in a world of pleasure, while he himself was a laborer on the street?
This was too damn biased!
Ninth Imperial Prince felt extremely unbalanced.
"No, this Prince must go find my Eighth Brother and ask him clearly!"
"Where is he now?"
Gaosheng quickly replied: "Your Highness, tonight is the night Miss Suyin, the courtesan of Drunken Immortal Tower, performs. Eighth Prince Zhao Lü must be there now."
Upon hearing this, Ninth Imperial Prince became even more enraged.
Good heavens, this Prince is here working himself to death shelling walnuts, while he's there enjoying romance and listening to music?
"Help this Prince to Drunken Immortal Tower!"
...Drunken Immortal Tower, the most enchanting place in the Imperial City.
Ninth Prince, Ninth Imperial Prince, was supported by Gaosheng, limping as he walked in.
His current appearance was simply too horrible to look at.
His brocade robe was covered in dirt and vegetable leaves, his hair was as messy as a chicken's nest, there were several dark smudges on his face, and both his hands were red and swollen, looking exactly like a beggar who had crawled out of a mass grave.
The Madam initially wanted to drive him away, but upon seeing Gaosheng behind him, she immediately recognized him as the Ninth Prince's attendant. Frightened, she quickly swallowed her words and bowed repeatedly, inviting them inside.
In a private room on the second floor, Ninth Imperial Prince found his carefree and happy Eighth Brother.
At this moment, Eighth Prince Zhao Lü was embracing several girls, playing a game of passing paper strips with their mouths, having the time of his life.
"Imperial Brother!"
Ninth Imperial Prince called out weakly.
Zhao Lü turned at the sound and was instantly dumbfounded when he saw Ninth Imperial Prince at the door.
He rubbed his eyes, a look of disbelief on his face.
"Damn it, Old Ninth? Did you fall into a cesspit?"
Ninth Imperial Prince:... Upon hearing this, Ninth Imperial Prince's accumulated grievances from the entire day instantly erupted, and tears were almost flowing.
He rushed over, pushed away the girls next to Zhao Lü, and cried out with a mournful face.
"Eighth Brother! You must uphold justice for me! It's all that Shen fellow's doing!"
With snot and tears, he exaggeratedly recounted his afternoon's ordeal, from being publicly stripped and spanked to being forced to work for a whole street of commoners to pay off his debt. It was a tale that would sadden anyone who heard it and bring tears to their eyes.
"Imperial Brother, that Shen Yulou is not human! He's an animal! He almost beat me to death today!"
"Did he hit you?"
Zhao Lü looked at his brother's miserable state, his mouth twitching. Amidst his sympathy, he also felt a little like laughing.
He shook his head.
"No, Mr. Shen treats me like his own younger brother."
"First, he took me to play passing paper strips with these girls, and then he went to my residence to teach me a strategy card game called three kingdoms kill. It was incredibly interesting!"
Zhao Lü grew more excited as he spoke.
"Oh, right, he also wrote a wonderful poem for me, saying that tonight I'm guaranteed to win over Miss Suyin!"
Ninth Imperial Prince listened, dumbfounded, completely bewildered.
Playing games? Chasing girls? Writing love poems?
This... is this really the same tutor?
A huge sense of injustice welled up in Ninth Imperial Prince's heart, and he almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.
"Why?! We're both princes, why does he treat me like this?!"
Zhao Lü patted his shoulder and said earnestly, "Maybe it's because I'm more handsome."
"Get lost!"
Ninth Imperial Prince rolled his eyes, angrily plopped down on a chair, grabbed the pastries on the table, stuffed them into his mouth, eating and cursing at the same time.
"It's unfair! It's too damn unfair! If I had known this, I might as well have gone back to study!"
"Study?"
Zhao Lü shook his head, "Don't even think about that. Mr. Shen said he strictly forbids me from touching any books. Anyone who dares to let me read will be punished."
Ninth Imperial Prince was stunned, forgetting to swallow the osmanthus cake in his mouth.
"He told me the same thing, not to let me study, only to let me work!"
The two brothers stared at each other, both seeing a hint of confusion in the other's eyes.
This Mr. Shen's way of thinking was truly peculiar.
The former Grand Tutors and Junior Tutors used to chase them with rulers, forcing them to study every day.
This one, however, did the opposite, strictly forbidding them from studying.
What exactly was he up to?
How would they explain this to the Emperor after seven days?
Zhao Lü lowered his voice, leaned in mysteriously, and said.
"Old Ninth, let me tell you, even though Mr. Shen doesn't let me read, I secretly went to the Imperial Library Pavilion the night before last."
He vividly recounted his adventure of exploring the Imperial Library Pavilion at night, being caught as a thief, and finally stealing three books on military strategy.
Ninth Imperial Prince was shocked: "You? Reading military strategy? Do you understand it?"
Zhao Lü said proudly: "To win against him in three kingdoms kill, what's there not to understand? And seriously, after reading military strategy, I was absolutely dominant in cards this afternoon. The feeling, tsk tsk, it was so fulfilling!"
"I now suspect Mr. Shen doesn't let me read military strategy because he's afraid I'll learn too much and then beat him."
Ninth Imperial Prince listened with a speechless expression.
Reading books for the sake of playing games?
His Eighth Brother was also quite eccentric.
And himself?
Now he didn't even have a chance to play games; Shen Yulou just made him work for those commoners every day!
"Once these seven days are over, I will definitely impeach him to the Emperor! I'll make sure he pays for this!"
Ninth Imperial Prince said fiercely, "Torturing people like this, I'd rather have that old Wang Shushi teach me!"
"Hey, Old Ninth, I think you should just bear with it."