Heart palpitations

Hearing Qiao Siyu's question, Ping An stopped speaking.

She turned to look at Qiao Siyu, and said with a half-smile, "He is good to me, but people are also attracted to food and sex. Cui Sugong liked Shen Meiwu so much, but that didn't stop him from having a huge harem. He grew up under Cui Sugong's influence. How much self-control do you think he has when it comes to beauty?"

"And as I just said, he fell for a brothel prostitute a few days ago. If that woman hadn't come from Tingfeng Tower, she would have lost her chastity long ago. She's seen too many people and wouldn't be suitable to serve in the palace. He might have already forgotten about me and gone traveling with a beauty."

A deep sense of doubt appeared in Qiao Siyu's eyes.

Is Choi Shin-ji unable to resist the allure of beauty?

Since Cui Shenzhi turned fifteen and became the crown prince, starting to participate in court affairs, countless people have tried to curry favor with him. However, he rejected them all, whether they were from noble families or humble backgrounds. Even Fu Xiuzhu from the Fu family, who used Fu Yunjin's name as an example, was not accepted by Cui Shenzhi.

Not to mention that after his trip to Nanzhou, Cui Shenzhi's reputation among the people soared to unprecedented heights. There were countless girls who admired him. On his way back to the capital alone, he encountered no fewer than five women who offered themselves to him. While not every one of them was stunningly beautiful, those who dared to approach him must have had something to rely on. However, he rejected them all without exception.

If this is considered a lack of self-control, then what is? A monk? Or a eunuch?

However, Ping An's expression was very confident, which must have a reason. Judging from what she said earlier, her bedroom affairs with Cui Shenzhi must have been quite harmonious, which is why she concluded that Cui Shenzhi had no self-control when it came to beautiful women.

Could it be that she thinks that Cui Shenzhi has to abide by the rules and not get close to the girl he likes and is legally married to in order to show self-control?

This is really...

Qiao Siyu couldn't help but smile and shake her head.

Seeing this, Ping An frowned and said somewhat unhappily, "What do you mean? Do you think I'm talking nonsense and slandering him?"

"Miss, please don't misunderstand. It's not that I don't believe what you're saying. I'm just thinking that rumors are indeed unreliable. Everyone says that the person who risked his own safety to go to Nanzhou to help the disaster victims and even made a promise of a thousand pieces of gold for the people of Nanzhou is a gentleman with the world in his heart. But it turns out that he's just a lecherous scoundrel."

Upon hearing about the trip to Nanzhou, Ping An's heart couldn't help but stir a little emotion, after all, everything had changed after that trip.

Before that, everything was under her control.

Cui Shenzhi valued her more and more and grew closer to her. Cui Lingxian's relationship with Lu Fengping progressed, and Lu Fengping was frightened by the lies she fabricated and tried every means to separate her from Cui Lingxian. As a result, Cui Lingxian's relationship with Cui Shenzhi gradually became distant, to the point that Cui Shenzhi had no one else by his side except her.

But everything changed after Cui Shenzhi returned from Nanzhou.

She was only worried that she couldn't compete with the woman Cui Shenzhi brought back from Nanzhou, so she pretended to be bullied by Shen Meiwu, trying to gain Cui Shenzhi's pity while sowing discord between him and Shen Meiwu. However, she unexpectedly got involved in a series of events.

After that, things spiraled out of control.

First, she became Fu Yunjin's daughter, and Cui Shenzhi, who was once her best choice, became her stumbling block. Then, Cui Shenzhi claimed to be clearing Fu Yunjin's name but ended up seizing the throne. Next, Cui Shenzhi learned of her identity and her schemes, pretended to be drunk, and ruined her reputation. Then, Qingya foolishly went to the main hall to commit suicide, and Cui Shenzhi took the opportunity to expose the evil deeds committed by Cui Sugong and Shen Meiwu.

Fortunately, the ending was relatively satisfactory. Her previous efforts were not in vain. Cui Shenzhi's feelings for her temporarily outweighed his anger at her deception. He not only restored her identity but also claimed to be the emperor's son-in-law, preventing her from falling into the embarrassing situation of a princess of a fallen kingdom. Although the future is uncertain, at least for now...

Wait, what about the woman Cui Shenzhi brought back from Nanzhou?

Ping An suddenly thought of something.

Cui Shenzhi brought that woman back to the capital from afar, clearly showing he cared about her. Yet, he never mentioned her in front of her. Why? Was it because he thought she might be a threat to that woman, so he hid her away?

With such worry, concern, and defensiveness, it seems that Cui Shenzhi has truly fallen for that woman. No wonder he looks down on Yuan Shuang and Yu Qin, whom she has chosen. But can Qiao Siyu succeed in doing so?

Ping An suddenly felt a little unsure.

"Speaking of the trip to Nanzhou, did Lin Yimo go along as well?"

Qiao Siyu nodded.

"Then he... I'm not talking about Lin Yimo, I mean 'him', have you heard Lin Yimo mention that he brought a woman back from Nanzhou?"

"I've heard of it. That person even had Lord Lin arrange accommodations for that lady..."

"Then let's go find her quickly!" Ping An interrupted Qiao Siyu before she could finish speaking: "Let me tell you, he likes that woman. You have to imitate that woman's behavior to win his favor."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Siyu's face went blank for a moment.

Cui Shenzhi likes Gu Xi?

Can these three words form a sentence?

She remained silent for a while before blinking and saying dryly, "Miss, are you sure you haven't made a mistake?"

"A mistake? Where did I make a mistake? If he didn't care about that woman, why would he bring her all the way back to the capital? Besides, he's already married to me, but he's never mentioned that woman to me. Isn't it because he's afraid I'll harm her? Protecting her so carefully, what else could it be but love?"

Qiao Siyu choked up.

Ping An's words don't seem quite right, but then again... it doesn't seem like there's anything seriously wrong?

Cui Shenzhi truly cared about Gu Xi—he was worried that she might commit suicide, and he did indeed bring her back to the capital from afar. As for not mentioning her in front of Ping An, that was even more normal. She wasn't anyone special, and Cui Shenzhi had already arranged for her to have a place to live and a job to make a living in the capital with Lin Yimo, so why bother telling Ping An?

In other words, Ping An was right in everything except for the conclusion.

Qiao Siyu wanted to offer an explanation, but after thinking about it, she kept quiet. After all, Ping An would know how absurd this guess was once she met Gu Xi, so why should she bother?

*****

Ping An fell silent upon seeing Gu Xi.

Gu Xi looked at the several elegantly dressed young girls in front of her, somewhat bewildered.

She wiped her hands nervously with her apron: "Miss, the proprietress said you and your companions would like to see me. Is there anything I can help you with?"

“You and…” Ping An paused, “Are you from Nanzhou?”

Gu Xi's unease faded somewhat, replaced by reminiscence and relief: "Yes, I come from Nanzhou. Does the young lady ask this because she has relatives in Nanzhou and wants to inquire about the situation there?"

Looking at Gu Xi's expression, Ping An suddenly didn't know how to speak. He hesitated for a long time but couldn't say anything. He could only look at Qiao Siyu helplessly.

Qiao Siyu could tell that Ping An didn't want Gu Xi to know about her relationship with Cui Shenzhi, so she stepped forward and made up a story: "Our young lady's fiancé serves the Emperor. Before he went to Nanzhou, he talked about our young lady all day long, but after going to Nanzhou, he started talking about the Emperor all the time. Our young lady is a little dissatisfied and wants to ask you what happened in Nanzhou."

Hearing this, Gu Xi thought of those who were working tirelessly for the disaster victims alongside Cui Shenzhi, and quickly comforted them, "Miss, don't worry. Your fiancé is a good person, and His Majesty is a good person too. He's just saying that His Majesty has never met such a noble person who cares about us so much."

Gu Xi sighed, with a hint of nostalgia, and said, "You don't know, when we were in Nanzhou, His Majesty wore the same coarse linen clothes as us and helped us almost day and night. It was His Majesty who dug out my husband and several children for me. His Majesty also helped many people dig out their relatives buried under the ruins and helped with the preparation and burial, such as Uncle He's family."

“Besides, His Majesty would also rush to help when he saw people clearing ruins and rebuilding their homes,” Gu Xi chuckled a few times at this point. “But His Majesty is such a noble person, how could he do that? So before his identity was exposed, there were many people who disliked him. They all said that there was a fool causing trouble, so you must not let him touch the house.”

"His Majesty was worried that those of us who had suffered calamities and lost our loved ones might be unable to think straight, so he took the initiative to propose building temples. He also made it clear that we had to go in person before he could help us carve the names of our loved ones on the stone tablets so that they could enjoy incense offerings for generations. It was this thought that kept us, who had no will to live, alive."

"I'm not afraid to tell you this, but you'll laugh at me," Gu Xi said with a hint of embarrassment. "At the time, I really wanted to go with my husband and daughter. It was because of His Majesty's actions that I managed to stay alive. His Majesty was worried that I would do something foolish, so he brought me to the capital and took good care of me. I didn't help His Majesty at all, but I received His Majesty's care. I really feel bad about it."

"Besides that, there's that story that's been told all over the world; I'm sure you've heard of it, young lady."

Gu Xi stared intently at Ping An, the emotions surging in her eyes making Ping An feel flustered.

A promise worth a thousand pieces of gold.

"His Majesty didn't have to do that. He had already done enough. Even without making that promise, the people of Nanzhou would have been grateful for his kindness. But in order to prevent the people of Nanzhou from resorting to cannibalism, he sacrificed his reputation and the inevitable troubles that would follow to ensure the peace and stability of the people of Nanzhou."

"Such a good person, let alone your fiancé who is by His Majesty's side and has seen everything with his own eyes, even those who have never seen such a person in Nanzhou... no, His Majesty has seen every single person who survived in Nanzhou with his own eyes, and the people of Nanzhou will never forget him for generations to come. They pray day and night that His Majesty will live a long and healthy life."

Ping An felt even more panicked, nodded haphazardly, and took her leave.