Chapter 237: Flower Queen Contest

Sang Qian started, "How did you know?"

"If you don't want others to know, don't do it in the first place," Sang Hong snorted. "A honey trap—how could you even think of that!"

Sang Qian looked embarrassed. "I was just trying to take over the Plum Blossom Gang's assets, you know. We also secretly set up a gambling house..."

"Enough," Sang Hong said impatiently. "Don't let me know about those things."

"Oh~" Sang Qian muttered to himself, thinking, *You're so high-minded and never greedy for money, but the expenses of official life are so high; how can a meager salary cover them?* He then added aloud, "Great men aren't bothered by trifles. Besides, history proves that honey traps are quite effective."

Sang Hong glared at his son. "Are you stupid? Those who use honey traps employ carefully trained female spies, not their own fiancées!"

Sang Qian gave an awkward smile. "I couldn't find anyone suitable at the moment, so I asked Zheng Dan to try. Don't worry, she's always been gentle and reserved, and she's smart. She won't let Zu'an take advantage of her."

"I don't know where you get your confidence from," Sang Hong snorted. "You're playing with fire. One misstep and you'll lose both your wife and your troops."

"Don't worry, Father," Sang Qian said proudly. "Zu'an, whether it's his looks, family background, or ability, how does he compare to me? Miss Zheng has always had high standards; how could she possibly be interested in a guy like him?"

Seeing his son's casual attitude, Sang Hong secretly frowned. He felt his son was overly confident. However, he had met Zheng Dan before; she appeared gentle and docile, but deep down, she was very opinionated and came from a wealthy family. It was highly unlikely she would fancy a live-in son-in-law like Zu'an.

With that thought, he finally relaxed. "Alright then. In that case, give her another task: see if she can get any information from Zu'an about the mysterious master behind him."

Sang Qian was taken aback. "Didn't you tell me and that masked man to investigate separately?"

Sang Hong shook his head slightly. "If that mysterious master intends to remain hidden, we might not find anything at the Chu family. The same goes for your side. So, it depends on whether Zu'an gets infatuated by her charms and accidentally spills some information."

He looked worried. For some reason, he had been 100% confident about their trip to Mingyue City, but after learning about this mysterious master, he felt his otherwise sure victory had gained an unpredictable variable. It might even ruin things for him in the future, so he had to eliminate this uncertainty beforehand.

"Okay, I'll talk to Zheng Dan," Sang Qian agreed readily, though he felt a bit awkward. Just moments ago, his father had lectured him about not using his fiancée for a honey trap, and now he was actively encouraging it.

Sang Hong hesitated, then said, "Oh, by the way, there's something I should warn you about. If Zheng Dan actually does anything to betray you while on this mission, what do you plan to do?"

"She wouldn't dare!" A vivid image of his fiancée being defiled by Zu'an flashed in Sang Qian's mind, making his eyes widen in fury. "If she dares to betray me, I'll wipe out the entire Zheng family!"

"The wrath of a common fool!" Sang Hong angrily rebuked him. "If something like that really happens, you must remain calm and composed..."

Sang Qian interrupted before Sang Hong could finish, "Wouldn't that make me willingly accept being a cuckold?"

"Of course not!" Sang Hong said, exasperated by his son's lack of ambition. "To achieve great things, you must endure what others cannot. If something truly happens, you cannot blame Zheng Dan without considering the full context; that would only push her into another man's arms."

"What you must do is outwardly comfort and tolerate her, completely put her at ease, and let her work wholeheartedly for you. Only when the major affairs are settled should you settle scores with her later."

Sang Qian was somewhat unconvinced, but his father had always been strict, so he didn't bother to argue. "Got it."

Hearing the perfunctoriness in his tone, Sang Hong frowned, but said nothing more. He only hoped that Zheng Dan was truly smart enough not to make any mistakes.

"By the way, are you going to that courtesan competition tonight?" Sang Hong sat back down and leisurely sipped his tea.

"That's right. I heard that tonight, Qiu Honglei, the courtesan from the Immortal's Abode, is holding a contest to choose a guest. Miss Qiu is peerless in both beauty and talent; countless men have fallen for her. Yet, for all these years, she's remained a pure courtesan, never receiving clients. The men in the city have been craving her for a long time, so of course, I have to try my luck tonight..."

Midway through, he suddenly noticed his father's almost fiery gaze. Sang Qian awkwardly stopped speaking. It was indeed inappropriate to discuss such matters with his father.

Sang Hong gave a heavy snort. "You're not going tonight. What kind of dignity does a respectable court official have, frequenting places of prostitution?"

"Visiting courtesans is a refined pastime in itself. What's undignified about that?" Sang Qian scoffed.

"That Qiu Honglei is not simple," Sang Hong said deeply. "I even sent people to investigate her..."

"So you're also interested in her, Father?" Sang Qian's face showed understanding. "No wonder you don't want me to go. Are you afraid I'll compete with you?"

Sang Hong knew what he was thinking just by looking at his eyes, and his face turned as black as charcoal. "Nonsense! I'm simply trying to complete this mission and gather as much information as possible. This woman is so famous in Mingyue City, of course I had to investigate her. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything significant; she just seems like an ordinary courtesan."

"She *is* just a courtesan, isn't she?" Sang Qian was a bit slow to catch on.

"That's the strange part," Sang Hong said, his gaze drifting out the window towards the south of the city. "She is incredibly beautiful and her reputation is widespread. If she were just an ordinary courtesan, how could she have maintained her purity for so many years?"

"Huh~" At his father's words, he also realized something was amiss.

Sang Hong then added, "Furthermore, you've just become engaged to Miss Zheng. Going to seek out a courtesan now, where would that leave Zheng Dan's, and even the Zheng family's, reputation? We need the Zheng family's strong support to deal with the Chu family this time. I don't want our cooperation to go awry because of you. Stay at home today; you're not allowed to go anywhere!"

Sang Qian looked disappointed, but he also knew his father's command couldn't be disobeyed. He could only gaze wistfully towards the Immortal's Abode in the south of the city, wondering which lucky man would pluck that peerless celestial flower tonight.

Meanwhile, at the Chu manor, after seeing off Ji Dengtu, Zu'an returned to his room to meditate and cultivate. Since Qin Wanru was guarding Chu Chuyan's side, he couldn't go over there anyway.

Not long after he sat down, there was a knock at the door. "Ah Zu, are you there, Ah Zu?"

Zu'an paused, the voice sounded familiar. After a moment's thought, he recalled that it was Chu Yucheng, the son from the Third Branch. He had seen him during the clan competition against the Yuan family and had encountered him a few times in the Chu manor, but they hadn't really interacted before then.

"What does this guy want with me?" Zu'an wondered, rising to open the door. Sure enough, a chubby, spherical-looking youth stood smiling at the entrance.

His eyes were practically slits.

Zu'an didn't dare underestimate him in the slightest. During the clan competition, this guy had been like a small tank, his layers of fat acting as the best human shield, beating his opponents so they couldn't fight back at all.

Even more surprisingly, another person stood beside him, arms crossed over his chest, holding a sword with a cold expression. It was Chu Hongcai, the son from the Second Branch.

"What can I do for you two?" Zu'an asked curiously.

"Good news, of course!" Chu Yucheng walked right over and slung an arm around Zu'an's shoulder, wearing a smile that all men understood. "The Immortal's Abode is holding a courtesan competition tonight. Care to join us?"