Chapter 159: Three Women and the Aftermath

Hearing Wang Dazhi's words, Zhu Hao was slightly moved. However, he did not say anything immediately, choosing instead to wait for Wang Dazhi to continue.

Immersed in his own account, Wang Dazhi naturally did not notice Zhu Hao's expression and went on, "However, when your subordinate found these two women, they both claimed they were not members of Qian's household, but rather had been forcibly seized by Qian Qianyi. Your subordinate has never encountered such a situation before, and thus could not make up his mind on the spot as to what should be done. After pondering it over and over, I concluded that Your Highness must make the final decision, which is why I brought the two of them here to see Your Highness!"

After Wang Dazhi finished speaking, Zhu Hao took a deep breath and said, "So that's how it is! Commander Wang, please rise first."

In truth, Zhu Hao understood very well that Wang Dazhi was simply using a pretext to present him with beauties. The notion that "these two women are my own people" was completely a gimmick! Yet, Zhu Hao himself had little resistance against the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai, and primarily, a sense of compassion had stirred within him. He did not wish to see these two brilliant beauties meet the tragic fates recorded in history books, and therefore, Zhu Hao chose not to expose Wang Dazhi's intention.

In official circles, things often worked this way: you knew, I knew, and everyone knew, but it could not be spoken aloud. Once someone laid the matter bare in words, it merely revealed that person's emotional intelligence to be far too low.

After Wang Dazhi stood up, Zhu Hao pondered for a moment and then said, "Since this is the case, issue them travel expenses and let the two young maidens return home!"

By saying this, Zhu Hao was actually testing the waters to see what the two women truly desired. If he were to directly state that they should stay by his side, he felt he would be no different from Qian Qianyi—a predator of women—and Zhu Hao disdained associating with such individuals. Although he was testing them, if the two really wished to return home, Zhu Hao would be quite happy to see it happen, for he currently had no mind to spare for romance.

Unaware of Zhu Hao's true intentions, Wang Dazhi felt a surge of secret admiration upon hearing these words, deeply impressed by Zhu Hao's apparent indifference to feminine beauty. Yet how could Wang Dazhi understand that, in this regard, men did not fundamentally differ all that much? No one was truly a modern-day Liu Xiahui capable of remaining unmoved by stunning women; rather, it was due to the constraints of ritual laws and societal boundaries that some men could restrain their behavior and become gentlemen, while others failed to exercise self-control and became philanderers.

Unaware that his probing remark had caused Wang Dazhi to admire him, Zhu Hao looked toward Liu Rushi and Chen Yuanyuan, awaiting their reactions.

When Zhu Hao finished speaking, Liu Rushi, who was relatively bolder of the two, spoke up first, "Your Highness, this humble maiden is already left with no home to return to. If Your Highness does not disdain us, this maiden is willing to follow by Your Highness's side and serve you!"

Following closely behind, unwilling to be left behind, Chen Yuanyuan also spoke, "This humble maiden likewise has no home left. I earnestly implore Your Highness to take me in; I am willing to stay by Your Highness's side as a lowly servant!"

Listening to the two women's replies, the corners of Zhu Hao's mouth twitched slightly before he said, "In that case, you may temporarily take up residence within the temporary command headquarters!"

Hearing this, Wang Dazhi noted that while Zhu Hao allowed the two women to stay at the headquarters, he did not assign them as servants. This thought-provoking arrangement immediately led him to speculate maliciously about Zhu Hao's true intentions. The admiration he had felt moments before for Zhu Hao's supposed immunity to beauty vanished instantly. Yet, in his heart, he still sighed in wonder, "Your Highness, this game of playing hard to get is truly executed with marvelous skill!"

Had Zhu Hao known the wicked interpretations spinning in Wang Dazhi's mind at that moment, he undoubtedly would have sent him flying with a kick. Being completely unaware of it, however, he spoke pleasantly to Wang Dazhi, "Commander Wang, you have been exceedingly diligent and hardworking over these past few days investigating and confiscating properties; I am well aware of it. Once I return to the capital, I will truthfully memorialize this to the imperial court and commend you! Very well, you should return to reunite with your family and rest well for a few days. I shall not keep you any longer."

Naturally, Wang Dazhi understood that this was Zhu Hao's polite way of seeing him out. He prudently declared, "This subordinate takes his leave! May Your Highness preserve your precious health; this subordinate shall not disturb you further!"

Wang Dazhi's parting phrase—"May Your Highness preserve your precious health; this subordinate shall not disturb you further!"—carried an exceedingly rich and suggestive subtext. The moment Zhu Hao heard it, he understood completely. A wave of irritation washed over him, and he let out a heavy snort that frightened Wang Dazhi so much he spun around and fled out of the room like a wisp of smoke, never once looking back.

Watching Wang Dazhi's departing figure, Zhu Hao could not help but smile wryly, thinking to himself, "What has gotten into the people around me? Having Wei Xiaobao fret over my future harem is already quite enough, and now another Wang Dazhi has been added to the mix. Are they all so terrified that this prince won't find a wife? Truly meddling in matters that are none of their concern!"

With these thoughts, Zhu Hao shook his head slightly to clear the chaotic clutter from his mind. He then summoned an inner attendant and instructed, "Prepare two rooms in the western wing so that the two young ladies can settle in first." Upon receiving the command, the attendant led the two women away from the headquarters study.

Ever since Liu Rushi and Chen Yuanyuan moved into the headquarters, Zhu Hao truly came to understand over the next few days what it meant when people said three women made a crowd.

When Zhu Hao first interacted with the two women, they remained relatively reserved, addressing themselves as lowly servants. Later, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with this form of address, Zhu Hao told them they did not need to call themselves servants, as he had no intention of treating them as such.

Ever since those words were uttered, the two women grew progressively bolder. Initially addressing Zhu Hao as "Your Highness" with respectful formality, Liu Rushi soon took the lead in calling him "Brother Youjian." From then on, neither of the women ever addressed him as Your Highness again, universally opting for "Brother Youjian."

At first, Zhu Hao found nothing particularly amiss with this, as such an address sounded quite intimate to his ears. However, before long, the two women began competing for his attention. After Zhu Hao once recited a plagiarized poem to Liu Rushi, she began pestering him daily to compose verses and poetry together with her.

Seeing this development, Chen Yuanyuan, unwilling to be left out of the excitement, also began clinging to Zhu Hao every day, demanding that he listen to her sing operatic tunes.

As if that were not enough, Ziyan—who had initially stood by sneering and making sarcastic remarks whenever Zhu Hao and the two women lingered together—also joined the fray of competing for Zhu Hao's attention. Worse still, Ziyan's form of address for him was even more outrageous. Refusing to call him Your Highness, and declining to imitate the other two by calling him Brother Youjian, Ziyan addressed him directly as "Husband." Each heartfelt cry of "Husband" from Ziyan gave Zhu Hao a massive headache, yet because the two of them had indeed formally performed the wedding ceremonies before Heaven and Earth, he could find no valid counter-argument.

Finally unable to bear it any longer, Zhu Hao gathered all three women together and, wearing a stern expression, emphasized that they were forbidden to call him Husband, nor were they allowed to call him Brother Youjian. Though the three women verbally agreed upon hearing this, Ziyan wore a frigid expression, Liu Rushi pouted her lips, and Chen Yuanyuan's eyes brimmed with tears. Seeing this, Zhu Hao forcefully steeled himself and refused to back down.

Realizing that Zhu Hao was unresponsive to their tactics, the three women ultimately resorted to their ultimate trump card, simultaneously proclaiming, "Husband/Brother Youjian doesn't love us anymore!" Following this, each of them wept as bitterly as rain falling on pear blossoms. This proved entirely too much for Zhu Hao to handle; not only did he completely abandon his attempt to change how they addressed him, but he also had to scramble to comfort each of them individually.

Although Zhu Hao was hardly skilled in comforting women, fortunately, the three women were not genuinely angry; rather, they were merely making full use of feminine weaponry. In the end, Zhu Hao succeeded in pacifying all three, but the contested forms of address ultimately remained unchanged.

This marked the first and final time Zhu Hao attempted to correct the three women's forms of address for him, and the endeavor ended in his total, unconditional defeat.

Ever since his complete defeat in the battle over titles, Zhu Hao dared not show his face around the headquarters for several consecutive days. Consequently, he was forcibly driven to become a diligent and benevolent prince who cherished the people. For over half a month, Zhu Hao remained stationed within the Administration Commissioner's Office, managing administrative affairs purely as a means to avoid the three women.

Zhu Hao's sudden dedication to official duties proved deeply miserable for the various officials of Zhejiang Province. They were driven by Zhu Hao to squeeze three days' worth of work into a single day, and without exception, every official in Zhejiang lost a layer of flesh from sheer exhaustion over these fifteen days. Every single day, they offered countless prayers, hoping that the new Administration Commissioner and Surveillance Commissioner would arrive swiftly to rescue them from this sea of suffering.

Perhaps their prayers finally took effect, for on a certain day half a month later, the imperial dispatches finally arrived. The candidates for the posts of Administration Commissioner and Surveillance Commissioner of Zhejiang had been finalized and would soon arrive in Zhejiang to assume their duties. This news filled the officials of Zhejiang with boundless jubilation, and some even secretly set off firecrackers in celebration.

Three days after receiving the imperial dispatch, the two newly appointed commissioners of Zhejiang arrived in Hangzhou. All the officials of Zhejiang turned out outside the city gates to welcome them. Compared to the formal and perfunctory manner in which they had welcomed Zhu Hao previously, this time they genuinely and sincerely welcomed the three new leaders of Zhejiang.

Watching the excited officials of Zhejiang, Zhu Hao felt quite happy as well. Prior to their arrival, he had finished handling his final official tasks. He officially dismissed Cai Xianchen, the Zhejiang Commissioner of Education. Cai Xianchen had previously guaranteed that the provincial examination in Zhejiang was completely free of malpractice. Zhu Hao remembered this vividly, and following the death of Li Shoujun, he had intended to penalize Cai Xianchen. However, after repeated investigations, Cai Xianchen at worst served as an accomplice in the examination fraud case—or perhaps not even an accomplice, but merely guilty of dereliction of duty. In the end, Zhu Hao could only dismiss him from office without prosecuting him under the law.

By contrast, another individual met a far more miserable fate: the former Prefect of Hangzhou, Zhang Dake. Ever since Zhang Dake lost his composure during the deliberations at the Administration Commissioner's Office, Zhu Hao had submitted an impeachment memorial against him, yet the imperial court had delayed giving a definitive response. Unwilling to let such a scoundrel occupy a latrine without clearing it, Zhu Hao ordered his men to gather evidence of Zhang Dake's crimes. The investigation revealed that not only was Zhang Dake directly involved in the Zhejiang examination fraud scandal, but his cumulative crimes filled several thick volumes.

Simultaneously, Zhu Hao discovered that Zhang Dake turned out to be the nephew of Xiao Jinhao. Xiao Jinhao himself had not participated in the fraud nor committed any illegal acts; at most, he was guilty of dereliction of duty, his actions largely incited and misled by Zhang Dake. This enraged Zhu Hao immensely. Disregarding how the imperial court intended to deal with Zhang Dake, he flew into a rage and sentenced Zhang Dake to execution without reprieve, with his family members to be exiled to the frontier as military guards. Just before the arrival of the three new leaders of Zhejiang, Zhu Hao had personally presided over Zhang Dake's execution.