Chapter 81, "Knocking on the Clouds" Side Story (Word Count Supplement) Knocking on the Clouds...

Kow Yun took a shortcut through a path completely hidden by a dense bamboo forest to the southeast corner of the mansion, where he saw Cheng Liwu waiting at the other end of the bamboo forest.

When Cheng Liwu saw her coming, he ran towards her without waiting for her to come over.

"Send this letter out." Kouyun said, while taking out a short, thin bamboo tube from his hand.

Cheng Liwu took the bamboo tube and put it in his arms. He knew in his heart where to send it without the princess having to tell him.

Seeing that Cheng Liwu had put the bamboo tube away, Kouyun took out another item in a small box and handed it to Cheng Liwu along with the box: "This is for Xinghuafang."

After delivering the goods, Kouyun was about to leave when Cheng Liwu hurriedly stopped her: "I'm going to the West Market. What would you like to eat? Pine nut candy, chrysanthemum cake?"

No matter how tall bamboo grows, it can never block out the sun like a tree. Bright sunlight dripped from the tips of the bamboo leaves and fell on the two of them.

When the wind blows, there's a rustling sound all around, and the shadows of the leaves flicker in my eyes, which is rather annoying.

Kouyun blushed, turned her head away and scolded, "There are no snacks in the manor. If you want to eat, eat by yourself. Don't drag me along."

Cheng Liwu wasn't annoyed, he just chuckled and said, "How about I bring you some candied cherries?"

Kouyun has a sweet tooth and enjoys eating all kinds of candied fruits and pastries. Due to a chronic illness, the princess has been taking medicine for many years, and her diet has always been light. She cannot eat anything too sweet or greasy, so the mansion rarely prepares candied snacks.

Kouyun hesitated for a moment, then nodded almost imperceptibly, which was considered an agreement. Even if she didn't agree, Cheng Liwu would still buy it. Over the years, Cheng Liwu had given her a lot of snacks and cosmetics, and Kouyun had never asked for any of them.

Seeing Cheng Liwu about to leave, Kouyun couldn't help but call out to him. When he turned around, she realized she had nothing to say. She lowered her eyes and softly said, "Be careful when you're out there."

"Hey, don't worry." Cheng Liwu readily agreed, grinning and waving to Kouyun, "You can go back now, I'm leaving."

Kouyun stood still, watching Cheng Liwu disappear around the corner, before turning around and walking back.

The swaying bamboo leaves brushed against her face, tickling her. Kouyun was startled and realized that she had unknowingly strayed off course and was about to fall into the bamboo forest.

Honestly, the wind is making the branches and leaves rustle, and it's making people's thoughts wander too.

Kouyun stopped in her tracks, finding it increasingly amusing. How could someone her age still walk without looking where she was going? It was truly embarrassing. Seeing no one around, she chuckled to herself at the bamboo for a while before patting her cheeks, composed herself, and turned back.

"What are you doing? Why are you in such a hurry?"

As soon as I stepped into the courtyard, I saw a young maidservant pacing back and forth in a hurry.

The maid turned around and saw Kouyun. As if seeing a savior, she poured out her heart: "Sister Feiqing asked me to go to the storeroom to get something and gave me a key. But I tripped and fell on the way and accidentally chipped a corner of the key. When I got to the storeroom, I couldn't open the lock..." The maid spread her hands to show Kouyun a brass key. Near the end of the key, one of the teeth was flattened, as if it had been hit by something.

The lock cylinder structure of the mansion's storeroom is exquisite; even the slightest imperfection will render it unusable. If the key teeth are damaged, it will certainly be unusable.

The maidservant pursed her lips, her face filled with anxiety, and she looked like she was about to burst into tears. Kouyun understood immediately; the maidservant probably felt she had made a grave mistake and didn't know how to explain herself, which was why she was hesitating here.

She smiled and reassured him, "It's okay if the key is broken, as long as it's not lost. I have a spare key; you can take it to get your things first, so as not to delay your use. You can have the broken one."

The maid was overjoyed to hear what Kouyun said. She followed behind Kouyun and thanked her repeatedly. As soon as she got the new key, she hurriedly lifted her skirt and ran to the storeroom.

Kouyun locked up the broken key and told the princess to find a day to have the craftsmen in the manor destroy the key, and that would be the end of the matter.

In the evening, Kouyun applied face cream in front of the mirror. The cosmetics used by her close maids were specially made in the manor, without fragrance, so as not to overpower the princess. Kouyun was always meticulous and rarely used face powder, but she used face cream all the time because of the dry weather.

Dai Ling lay on the table, her eyes darting around.

"These candied cherries were just bought today, have some and try them." Kouyun saw Dailing's appearance through the mirror and took the initiative to greet her.

Dai Ling was indeed a little tempted, but she also knew that these dried fruit snacks were for Kou Yun, so she was too embarrassed to eat too much and only picked a few to taste.

Seeing this, Kouyun simply put the dried fruit in the shared cupboard in front of Dailing: "I've put it here, take it if you want to eat." As she spoke, she took off her cloak and put it on, and then instructed Dailing, "It might be windy tonight, remember to close the doors and windows before you go to bed, otherwise you tend to kick off the covers at night and will catch a cold."

Dai Ling has an unusual sleeping posture; she always kicks off the covers, yet she sleeps soundly and is impossible to wake. Kou Yun always gets up at night to tuck her in and adjust her sleeping position.

The four of them were supposed to take turns keeping watch over the princess at night, but Kouyun was worried that Dailing might not hear her while she was asleep. Since the princess was in poor health and would not be able to call for help if she coughed at night and wanted a drink of water, she volunteered to take over Dailing's night watch.

Today is also Kouyun's turn to be on duty.

Seeing that Kouyun was about to leave, Dailing hurriedly told Kouyun to take an extra warm coat.

Kouyun verbally agreed, but did not turn around to get her clothes. She just joked, "Don't worry, there's no warmer place in the manor than the princess's room. No matter how strong the wind is, it won't make me cold."

The candied cherries were still unfinished when the weather turned cold. With the Double Ninth Festival approaching, Kouyun arranged the festival gifts for Lanniang according to the usual amount. Hearing that Lanniang's husband had recently strained his back, the princess instructed that some suitable medicinal herbs be sent along with the gifts, so Kouyun took advantage of the free time at noon to bring people over to select the herbs.

It's unclear how Cheng Liwu found out about Kouyunlai's medicine storehouse, but he secretly followed us there, insisting that the storehouse was messy and moving things around would be tiring, and that he wanted to help.

Kouyun found it amusing. How heavy could a few medicinal herbs be? Even a three-year-old could carry them. He had made up all sorts of reasons for this.

The maid who came with Kouyun was very happy. With Brother Cheng around, she only needed to say a few words. Even if it wasn't a tiring job, it was good to be able to slack off.

The maidservant followed Kouyun with her hands tucked in, and quietly asked Kouyun, "Today I saw Brother Cheng talking to someone at the side gate, and they looked very intimate."

Kouyun replied nonchalantly, "They are probably the brothers and sisters of the Cheng family. Duke Cheng has many children, but only his two brothers live in the mansion."

The maidservant said "Oh," paused for a moment, and then suddenly asked Cheng Liwu, "Young Master Cheng, I heard that the Duke used to be a high-ranking official. With such a good family background, why are you working in the manor?"

The maid spoke tactfully, implying that Cheng Liwu, being from an official family, should not be sold into slavery.

It was not appropriate to explain the inner workings of the household to these maids who did odd jobs, so Cheng Liwu simply accepted his status as a servant and used some unimportant words to appease her: "It's so good to stay in the household. You don't know how much my mother wants us to stay. We don't have to worry about food, clothing, or shelter, and we can even study and learn to read and write with the tutor in the household."

He peeked at Kouyun through the gap in the medicine shelf and saw that Kouyun was listening attentively. He wasn't afraid of being laughed at, and all the embarrassing things he did as a child came flooding out.

“I have many siblings, and money is needed for everything. When I was little, my mother often scolded me for being a little debt collector. Back then, I learned some martial arts from my father, and my clothes and shoes wore out quickly. Every time my mother found out that we had torn our clothes, she would curse and threaten to hit us. Fortunately, we had four sets of clothes every season and made them every year according to our measurements. Otherwise, my mother would have been worried to death just about clothes and shoes.”

Cheng Liwu selected the medicinal herbs, packed them into an empty box in the storeroom, and handed them to the maid: "My mother said that when the three of us don't eat at home, the rice in the rice jar can last for half a year longer, and even the mice in the house are fatter than those in other households."

The little maid chuckled as she held the box. Kouyun pretended to be marking things in the archives, but kept her head down and pursed her lips, secretly laughing.

Cheng Liwu urged the maid to go first: "The princess is probably in a hurry to use it. You're fast, so take the medicine back first. We still need to check the records and lock the door here, so we'll have to stay a while."

Without thinking much, the maid nodded in agreement, picked up the box, and left first.

Cheng Liwu waited for Kouyun to finish handing over the goods to the warehouse guards before joining her and walking slowly back side by side.

“My mother said I’m getting old and it’s time for me to get married. The family has already prepared the dowry and is just waiting for me to find a good girl to arrange the marriage.” Cheng Liwu blushed as he spoke, and didn’t dare to look at Kouyun’s expression. He just kept his head down and walked forward.

"I...I know this is offensive, but I can't think of anyone else. I don't know if you'd be willing." Cheng Liwu stammered, barely managing to get his words out, and waited with bated breath for Kouyun's reply.

Kouyun was surprised that he would suddenly bring up marriage. She was both embarrassed and annoyed. Seeing that he was almost as red as a ripe shrimp, Kouyun wanted to agree, but the little maid's words somehow came to mind, like a warning bell striking her mind.

"Young Master Cheng, with such a good family background, why are you working in the manor?"

She forgot that Cheng Baoding had once been a fifth-rank official, and Cheng Liwu came from a respectable family; he could easily pass the imperial examinations and enter officialdom. With his background, even if he wasn't a good match for a lady from a prominent family, he absolutely couldn't be burdened by his wife's family.

Kouyun felt so sad she wanted to vomit. Why did it have to be her? Why did she have to betray such a good heart? Why couldn't she have such good feelings?

Cheng Liwu cautiously glanced at Kouyun, then mustered his courage to ask again, "You're the only one in my heart. If you agree, I'll do whatever you say."

Kouyun felt like she was suffocating, her chest was heavy, so heavy that she couldn't utter a single word, so heavy that she was dragged back to those past events she didn't want to acknowledge.

In the entire mansion, she was the only one who was different; she was unlike any of the other maids in the mansion.

Fei Qing and Yi Hong are guest women from the household servants. Although they are not of good birth, they are the princess's private slaves. As long as the princess releases them from their status, they can immediately become good women.

Dai Ling was originally from a good family; her home was in the suburbs of the capital, a half-day round trip by horseback. It is said that when she was born, her family was delighted that their rough farm family had gained such a beautiful girl, so they named her Shui Ling (Water Spirit). It was only later, when registering her household registration, that her father read the name "Dai Shui Ling" repeatedly and felt that with the surname added, it was really hard to pronounce, so he slapped his forehead and changed her name to "Dai Ling".

If it weren't for the fact that there was absolutely no food and they were afraid their child would starve to death at home, Dai Ling's parents would never have been willing to send her away. Later, by chance, she came to the princess's mansion, where she didn't suffer any hardship and was able to live a life of luxury that peasant families had never seen or even imagined. Whenever Dai Ling's parents mentioned it, they would proudly say, "Our Shui Ling is the most blessed."

Although Dai Ling was sold into servitude to the family at a young age, she signed a contract with a fixed term. She belonged to a respectable family, following the traditional social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants.

Kouyun was not a respectable young lady from a well-regarded family like Dailing, nor was she a guest woman, a contracted servant, or a registered official slave.

Her original name wasn't Kouyun; it was Jin Chuan'er.

She came from Yangzhou, from the red-light district.

Kouyun didn't know who her father was, or rather, Jin Chuan'er didn't know who her father was.

Her mother's name was Yaoniang, but she had no surname, her place of origin was unknown, and no one knew where the name Yaoniang came from; it was just what people coming and going called her.

After arriving at the Princess's residence, Kouyun searched through all the characters pronounced "yao." "Yao" was a name Kouyun chose herself. She understood that in such a brothel, a young lady's name should be alluring and seductive, but she didn't want her mother to be called "Yaoniang" or "Yaoniang." "Yaoniang" was the most suitable, because her mother was so far away; calling her "Yaoniang" was best, because being far enough apart meant they would never see each other again.

Yao Niang was probably very young. In Kou Yun's hazy memory, she was petite and lithe. Her face had not yet been etched with the marks of time, and her waist was one of the thinnest in the brothel, even though she had already given birth to a child.

Being young, one is less attentive to detail. By the time Yao Niang noticed changes in her body, she was already four months pregnant.

She didn't know what to do. Prostitutes in brothels weren't allowed to have children. If a woman became pregnant, the madam would bring a gaunt old man to take her pulse. After the pulse diagnosis, he would brew a strong medicinal soup. Once the soup was drunk, the entire brothel would hear her heart-wrenching screams.

Once the bodies landed, the madam would wrap the misshapen pieces of flesh in a white cloth and bury them in a place only she knew. Many unborn children had been buried in that spot before, and the girls in the brothel tacitly agreed not to inquire or mention it.

If it doesn't land, that's fate.

Yao Niang was afraid. She was afraid of the screams that would continue for a day and a night, afraid of the dripping blood. So she hid and concealed it, saying that she had just gained weight. When she could no longer hide it, the madam, with a gloomy face, brought in a gaunt old man.

Kouyun was obtained through Yaoniang's begging. She kowtowed to the madam while crying, until her forehead turned blue.

The madam coldly stared down at the weeping Yao Niang, and after a long while, she finally uttered a single sentence: "You'll regret this."

Yao Niang's belly grew bigger day by day. The regular customers in the brothel saw that Yao Niang had taken off her flower cards and clamored to see her. Although Yao Niang did not receive customers, her room was never quiet. The familiar customers joked with each other, threw wine and gambled, guessing whose child she was carrying.

Chunlan forced a smile, grabbed the guests' arms and tried to push them out, but was instead pulled into someone's arms and given a hard kiss on the cheek. The drunken man rubbed her belly and teased her, "Chunlan, don't be impatient, I'll plant one in your belly tonight too."

Yao Niang didn't know whose child was in her womb. With so many people coming and going every day, how could she possibly tell? But no matter who the child's father was, she was still the child's mother.

The madam came to see her again, still coldly saying, "It's not too late for you to regret it now."

Yao Niang shook her head. This was her first child, and the longer she carried the pregnancy, the more reluctant she became to part with it. She felt a connection with the child; how could she be so heartless as to take its life?

After that, the madam never bothered her again. Chunlan went to the madam and asked her to stop the guests from going to Yaoniang's room so often.

The madam snorted and glanced sideways at Yao Niang's room: "She brought it on herself."

Yao Niang still cried out for a day and a night, and the amount of blood she brought out from her room was no less than that of others. The only difference was that Jin Chuan'er was wrapped in soft cotton cloth and did not turn into a small mound of earth in the ground.

The girls in the building took out their own savings to buy fabric and clothes for the baby, and expensive milk. The delicate and warm swaddled baby was passed from one woman's hand to another, and everyone wanted to hold it. Through the baby in the swaddling clothes, everyone thought of the children they had no chance to have.

Only the madam refused to hold the baby. She tilted her body and looked this way. Chunlan smiled and handed the swaddled baby over, and the madam frowned and dodged away.

"And there will be times when you regret it." The madam said sternly, whether she was scolding Yao Niang or someone else, it was unclear. "Being born into a place like this is truly a sin."

Regardless of whether they had committed any sins, the girls named the child together. In this hypocritical den of extravagance, gold was the best and most precious thing, so they named her Jin Chuan'er (Golden String). Little Jin Chuan'er, obedient Jin Chuan'er, was their gold.

Jin Chuan'er grew up day by day. Yao Niang didn't have time to look after her all the time, so she became everyone's child. Gradually, everyone around knew that there was a precious Jin Chuan'er. If any girl held her in her arms, no one else was allowed to touch her. Only when the girl found someone to entrust Jin Chuan'er to and put her down would she be allowed to drink and play with others.

"What valuable treasure is more important than me?" the guest shouted, annoyed that the woman was late.

"How could I possibly go past you? I was just afraid of disturbing you and spoiling your mood." The woman swayed her hips and leaned closer, apologizing in a gentle voice.

With the cloyingly sweet, cheap incense burning and a few drinks down the drain, no one would dare to turn against the beauty in their arms. A gentler posture and a sweeter voice would melt away even the fiercest temper.

Over time, even the guests who came here got used to having a precious little girl. Some of the more generous ones would even toss in a handful of coins to buy the girl candy, or they would buy her pretty little clothes or delicate treats.

Everyone was looking forward to Jin Chuan'er growing up, but the madam got angry when she saw that Jin Chuan'er's clothes were a bit too short.

"I'll throw you away sooner or later," the madam said viciously more than once, and the girls kept an even closer eye on Jin Chuan'er.

When Jin Chuan'er reached the age to learn to speak, countless voices surrounded her every day, with everyone offering their own advice. But no matter how much they taught her, they only taught her two words: "A-niang" (mother).

The soft, indistinct "A-niang" at the end, the crisp, juicy "A-niang" that's even more delightful than a melon, the "A-niang" with its altered local accent.

"Oh dear, how is Jin Chuan'er supposed to learn if you teach her like this?"

"Exactly, exactly, I'm getting confused listening to this."

The girls discussed it for a while and decided that they still had to learn Mandarin. Only by speaking Mandarin could they avoid being misunderstood or unable to speak it properly, no matter where they went.

So they brought Chunlan out. Chunlan was the most learned woman there, with beautiful handwriting, fluent Mandarin, and the ability to compose poems.

Chunlan took on the task of teaching Jin Chuan'er to speak and read. Unfortunately, Chunlan didn't hear Jin Chuan'er's first "A-niang" (mother). Those who heard "A-niang" happily kept repeating it for many years.

When Jin Chuan'er grew a little older, she would run around following behind everyone.

When she was learning to speak, everyone rushed to teach her "A-niang" (mother), but now they don't want Jin Chuan'er to call them "A-mu" (aunt). They want Jin Chuan'er to call them "A-jie" (elder sister), because "A-mu" sounds old-fashioned, while "A-jie" is different. Being called by a child's tender voice makes it seem as if they will never grow old.

Jin Chuan'er was very obedient. She would help her older sisters by serving them tea and snacks, and help the maids in the building by serving drinks to the guests. Her older sisters wouldn't allow her to go out and play alone, and she had no other playmates. She had nothing to do in her room every day, so she might as well run errands for her older sisters.

Guests would glance curiously at a tiny, pink-and-white figure carefully carrying a tray of drinks and placing it on the table with an air of importance. Then there were the burly men, as imposing as iron mountains, who would reach out and grab Jin Chuan'er like a chick, placing him on their laps. With a quick pinch of their club-like index fingers and thumbs, Jin Chuan'er's little face would scrunch up.

The burly man laughed heartily, asked the little girl how old she was, patted her head with his large hand, stuffed a few coins into her hand, and told her to take them and play with them.

Jin Chuan'er then cupped her little hands and brightly wished the strong man good health and longevity, which was met with a deafening burst of laughter.

The madam saw this and came to chase Jin Chuan'er away again, telling her to go back inside and not to come out casually.

Jin Chuan'er has her own small room, which used to be a place to store miscellaneous items. The room was too small to be suitable for entertaining guests. Now that Jin Chuan'er is here, it has been cleaned up so that she can stay in it when she has nothing to do.

Most of the time, Jin Chuan'er would sit alone in her small room, flipping through the few comic books she had already read many times.

If Chunlan had free time, she would come and teach her to write. She rolled up her sleeves, revealing Chunlan's slender wrists, as well as the crisscrossing red marks on them.

Jin Chuan'er nestled against Chunlan and pointed to her wrist, saying, "Sister is injured."

Chunlan took off her sleeve, covering the red mark completely: "Sister, you bumped into it carelessly. Did it frighten Jin Chuan'er?"

Jin Chuan'er shook her head, staring at her wrist covered by her sleeve: "Sister, it hurts."

Chunlan wanted to laugh, but she had been laughing for too long and her smile had become stiff. She tried to force a smile, but couldn't manage a proper curve. So she pulled Jin Chuan'er into her arms, stroked the little tuft of hair on her head, and gently comforted her, "Sister, it doesn't hurt."

Jin Chuan'er once thought that life would continue like this, with her mother, her sisters, her always stern-faced aunt, and guests with good or bad tempers by her side.

However, when she was eight years old, everything changed.

Her mother said she had some good snacks and invited her to eat, so Jin Chuan'er left her little house and went to her mother's house. Just a few steps away, she happened to run into a guest who was coming out of a room.

"Whose are you?" The disheveled man blocked her way and reached out to pinch her cheek.

Jin Chuan'er took a few steps back to avoid him, hesitating whether she should walk past his legs or turn around and walk back.

Are you from here?

The man's question was vague, and Jin Chuan'er didn't know how to answer, so she could only say, "My name is Jin Chuan'er."

"Jin Chuan'er, what a fine name. Let me see if you have any gold on you."

Jin Chuan'er didn't manage to escape; she didn't even have time to scream before being dragged into the room.

There was also a woman in the room, not fully dressed. She used to be the youngest here, and even now she was only sixteen. Seeing the guest leave and then return, she didn't have time to think and greeted him with a charming smile and a twist of her waist. But when she saw Jin Chuan'er pinned to the bed, she screamed and pounced on him without thinking.

Jin Chuan'er stood by the door, which was tightly closed, and a crowd of people surrounded her outside.

The flimsy wooden door couldn't block out the madam's angry roar. Jin Chuan'er knew that her mother was scolding her mother because of her.

"This time it was just a lucky coincidence, but what about next time? What kind of place is this? Do you really expect to raise honest, upright young men here?"

A commotion came from the stairs, and everyone turned to look. They saw a gaunt old man being led into a room.

Her older sister got a good beating from that man because of her, and the madam called a doctor to prescribe medicine. Jin Chuan'er quietly rubbed her arm; her hand hurt too. A little rubbing would make it better. She had already caused her mother a lot of trouble today.

The roaring continued in the room.

"Think it through yourself. If you can find a good family, I won't stop you. You can be a phoenix if you want, or a lady if you want. But have you found one all these years?"

There was no response from Yao Niang inside the door, only intermittent sobbing.

“What’s the use of crying? I’ve tried to persuade you before. Since you can’t come up with a solution, then listen to my advice.”

The sounds inside the room subsided, and some curious people pressed their ears against the crack in the door to listen. Jin Chuan'er wanted to listen too; she understood that her mother was talking to her mother about her affairs.

She hesitated whether to go forward, but before she could decide, the noise inside the house started again.

A dull thud, like something being pushed to the ground, obscured the first half of the madam's sentence.

"...It's fine if you don't want to sell her, just write her name down. In two years, I'll find her a man who knows how to cherish people..."

Jin Chuan'er couldn't hear what was said after that. Chunlan hugged her tightly and covered her ears.

"There's candy in my sister's room, shall we go and have some?"

Jin Chuan'er's cheek was pressed against the somewhat worn fabric, deeply buried in Chun Lan's warm breath. When Chun Lan spoke, she could even feel the vibrations inside her body on the other side of the fabric.

Jin Chuan'er never stepped out of the room again. She stayed in the small room, waiting for her fate.

Early that morning, Chunlan opened the door to the room again, but this time she didn't come to teach Jin Chuan'er to read or to feed her. She abandoned her usual gentleness, grabbed Jin Chuan'er's arm, and pulled her outside.

For the first time, Jin Chuan'er felt panic. She desperately grabbed onto anything she could, wanting to stay in the familiar little house. But Chun Lan was so resolute. She forcefully pried Jin Chuan'er's hands apart and dragged her out without a word.

Jin Chuan'er cried and begged all the way, and many older women peeked out, but not one of them spoke. They watched helplessly as Jin Chuan'er was dragged away, and when they met her desperate eyes, they turned away and pretended not to see her.

Jin Chuan'er was eventually thrown outside the gate. In front of her, Chunlan closed the gate tightly, locking her out of the building completely.

The madam, who had been waiting outside, came over and took the hand of the stunned Jin Chuan'er.

A dark-skinned, thin woman and a cart were waiting for her.

"This is Granny Zhang. You'll be working with her from now on." The madam pointed at the woman and pushed the gold bracelet into the cart.

Grandma Zhang came over, turned Jin Chuan'er's face up, looked her eyes, teeth, and ears over, and then held her hand and looked at it from both sides before finally showing a satisfied smile.

"What do you mean?" Granny Zhang asked the madam.

The madam took out a piece of paper and handed it to Granny Zhang: "This is a travel permit for your place of origin. Don't sell it to people in the surrounding areas; the farther away, the better."

Grandma Zhang unfolded the paper and clicked her tongue twice: "I can't explain such rough work to anyone."

The madam knew that the fake contract was rather clumsy, but she couldn't come up with a better one for the time being, so she could only take out the silver she had prepared in advance from her bosom and stuff it into Granny Zhang's palm.

"Since we've met, please put in some effort. If your family suffered a disaster and everyone died, or if your young daughter was abandoned after losing her virginity, there should be some explanation. Just make sure no one knows I come from a place like this."

Granny Zhang held the silver in her hand and weighed it in her hand. She said with some difficulty, "You know, selling a maid and selling a prostitute are not the same price. She is of an age that is neither young nor old. If we don't send her to a brothel, it will be difficult to sell her."

The madam gritted her teeth, took out another silver ingot, and stuffed it into Granny Zhang's hand: "Consider it a favor."

Grandma Zhang reluctantly agreed.

Jin Chuan'er sat on the cart and saw the madam about to leave. She wanted to call out but dared not.

The madam noticed that she was staring in their direction, so she walked over, took off the scarf around her neck, and wrapped Jin Chuan'er's little face completely.

She sighed, her wrinkled and mottled hands slowly wiping away the tears on Jin Chuan'er's face: "Don't blame your mother for being heartless, but we really can't keep her here. From now on, you'll be all alone. You have to be diligent and sweet-talking. If you suffer any injustice, just bear with it. There's no hardship worse than here."

After saying that, she touched the back of Jin Chuan'er's head through her scarf: "Go, go far away, and never come back."

Jin Chuan'er didn't utter a single word in the end. She silently followed the unfamiliar Granny Zhang and left the town that should have been her hometown.

The bed outside was made of wooden planks and straw mats, and the meals outside were millet flour and cold water. Jin Chuan'er had blisters on her feet and lice on her head, but she never complained.

After walking for an unknown distance, Granny Zhang handed her over to a short, fat man with a large beard.

The man complained, "Once the person is in my hands, it's none of your business where I send them."

“If you agree, you’ll have plenty of business to do in the future. If you don’t, I can’t speak for other places, but you won’t be able to find any good goods in Yangzhou.” Granny Zhang threatened him calmly and without fear.

The short, stout man curled his lip. He was a middleman, not a local bigwig. If Granny Zhang didn't give in, he probably wouldn't get a chance to do any good business in Yangzhou.

Seeing that he was still unwilling, Granny Zhang advised again: "Look at this girl's appearance. If you train her well for a few years, you can send her to a high-class family. A hundred or eighty taels of silver would be easy to come by. Isn't that more than what they give in brothels? You've been in this business for quite a few years now. Think long-term and don't always focus on those few pittances in brothels."

The short, stout man slapped his thigh: "Now that you mention it, I actually know a place to go."

He shoved the contract haphazardly into his pocket, didn't even look at it, and went to pull the gold bracelet.

Jin Chuan'er was resold once again. No one asked her opinion. She was shoved into a dilapidated donkey cart and sent off in an unknown direction.

When Jin Chuan'er stepped onto the smooth long street, her legs ached as if pricked by needles, and she could only move forward step by step.

The small donkey cart was crammed with more than a dozen people like Jin Chuan'er, waiting to be sold. Jin Chuan'er didn't even have room to turn over; she was curled up in a ball and pressed tightly against the rickety cart wall.

The short, stout man herded everyone else into a small room, leaving only Jin Chuan'er behind. He looked around, grabbed a tattered cloth from under the windowsill (its original color was indistinguishable), soaked it in the last bit of water from the jar, and wiped Jin Chuan'er's face a few times.

Looking at Jin Chuan'er's clean face, he nodded in satisfaction. Although she was a little thinner than before, she still had the right features.

Boss Hu was a renowned figure in the capital. Anyone trained by him was exceptional in every way, from appearance and figure to poetry, music, and etiquette. For wealthy and powerful families in the capital looking to buy a maid or servant, Boss Hu was their first choice.

The short, stout man had sent girls to Boss Hu before, but Boss Hu had high standards and thought the girls he accepted weren't respectable enough.

"Look at this." The short, fat man pinched Jin Chuan'er's chin, making her tilt her head back. "I'm not bragging, but with a face like that, you might not meet another one in a year."

Boss Hu was in a frenzy when a distinguished guest came to select young maids. Boss Hu, with his sharp eyes, immediately recognized the visitor as no ordinary person. He couldn't afford to offend anyone who could afford such servants, so he quickly and carefully selected all the suitable girls he had on hand. Unfortunately, he had recently sent a batch of newly trained maids to two different places, and was currently short of replacements. Boss Hu searched and searched, but felt something was missing; he feared they wouldn't meet the distinguished guest's standards.

Annoyed, he didn't want to pay attention to the short, fat man. But when he heard the man rambling on and on and refusing to leave, Mr. Hu glanced at him impatiently. In that one glance, he was both surprised and delighted.

He approached with a stoop, examined the man carefully, and tilted his head to ask, "Where are you from?"

The short, stout man made up a story: "She was taken in from the south. Nobody wanted her when she was born, so a poor family picked her up as a child bride. But they were short of money, so they sold her."

Mr. Hu smiled enigmatically. This girl had fair skin and clean hands. Which child bride wasn't raised to do chores from a young age? How could she be raised to be so refined?

Speaking of looks, Mr. Hu had handled many more beautiful women, but this girl seemed quiet and well-behaved, quite endearing: "Can you talk? What's your name?"

Jin Chuan'er bowed timidly: "My name is Jin Chuan'er."

Mr. Hu raised an eyebrow. Knowing the rules and speaking official language would save him a lot of trouble.

"How much money do you want?" he asked the man as he straightened up.

The short, stout man held up a number.

Mr. Hu glanced at it sideways and shook his head.

The short, stout man was a little anxious. It was his first time doing business with Boss Hu, and he wasn't sure about the price. He could only tentatively say, "It's really not much. I brought it all the way from the south. Boss Hu has to let me earn some money for my hard work."

"Let me see the household registration certificate," Mr. Hu said casually.

Speaking of the household registration certificate, the short, fat man was unsure. He had fabricated the child's background, and it didn't match the crudely made certificate that Granny Zhang had given him at all.

Seeing his hesitation, Boss Hu understood and held up one finger: "I know it's not easy for you to run back and forth like this, so I won't lie. This amount, if it works out, great; if not, forget it."

Mr. Hu immediately lowered the price by 20%, which stung the short, stout man a little, but even with the price reduction, he still made more than he would have earned in the building.

Jin Chuan'er stood aside watching Boss Hu count the money for the short, fat man. It was the first time she had ever seen so much money; even her mother couldn't save that much in a year.

Jin Chuan'er secretly thought to herself, "So this is how valuable I am." Then she thought of the silver that her mother had given to Granny Zhang, and wondered which of those coins was more valuable.

Jin Chuan'er didn't stay at Boss Hu's place for long. When she was led to the room, she was able to calmly accept her fate of being sold again. What kind of person would the buyer be this time?

He is a handsome man.

Jin Chuan'er didn't know many characters, and her limited vocabulary couldn't find any other words to describe the man in front of her. His skin was more delicate and fair than a woman's, and his eyes were more hazy and pitiful than misty rain.

The man glanced briefly at the room, then slowly sat down, neither touching the snacks on the table nor drinking the tea that Boss Hu had specially prepared.

With a forced smile, Boss Hu called forward one by one the girls he had prepared.

When it was Jin Chuan'er's turn, she bowed respectfully and cautiously. Her mother had taught her to be diligent, obedient, and to do more and talk less when she was out in public, and she remembered all of that.

"What's your name?"

Jin Chuan'er heard the man ask.

“My name is Jin Chuan’er,” she answered, her head bowed.

"Your Mandarin is quite good," the handsome man complimented casually. "Where are you from?"

Mr. Hu quickly added, "I'm from the south, and I have no one else in my family. As you know, things haven't been going well for the past two years."

The man didn't say anything, but glanced at Boss Hu out of the corner of his eye.

The brothel was a melting pot of all sorts of people. Jin Chuan'er, who had lived there for a long time, knew how to read people's expressions. The person who came was unhappy with Boss Hu interrupting, so he didn't seem to have a good temper.

"Go and pour me a bowl of water," the man instructed her.

There was a cup of tea on the table, which was originally poured by Mr. Hu. The man didn't even reach out his hand, so Mr. Hu could only awkwardly place it on the table.

Jin Chuan'er didn't think much of it; she just did whatever she was told. She picked up another cup, poured in most of it with tea, and steadily held it up to the man, cup and saucer.

The man refused to take the cup, and Jin Chuan'er couldn't just put it down like Boss Hu did. She had no choice but to keep holding it up. Fortunately, the water wasn't too hot, and there was a tea tray between them. Otherwise, her fingers would have been burned and she wouldn't have been able to hold it up before her arm got sore.

After an unknown amount of time, Jin Chuan'er loosened her grip. The man took the tea and placed it on the table beside him: "She'll do."

After saying that, the man got up and left. Boss Hu hurriedly followed, smiling broadly as he saw the man out. Only then could Jin Chuan'er raise her head. The empty chair was cold, without any remaining warmth or fragrance. Two cups of tea were placed side by side on the table, untouched.

Jin Chuan'er only learned much later that the person who bought her was from the Princess's mansion, and that the handsome man was a eunuch. She spent a long time learning etiquette from a sister named Doumiao, including manners, sitting posture, speech, and manners, down to the temperature of the water for washing hands and how to cover the teapot without making a sound.

Jin Chuan'er tried her best to do everything well. Sister Doumiao taught them that there was a young master in the mansion, and they would be the young master's maids from now on, taking care of the young master's daily life, playing with the young master, and most importantly, listening to the young master's words.

Jin Chuan'er excels at doing things and being obedient.

However, staying in the manor is not enough; it's not enough to just do things and be obedient.

Jin Chuan'er stood in the hall, facing Qin Zhongguan, the official who had bought her. The large room contained only the two of them; the doors and windows were tightly closed, making it dark and empty.

"Jin Chuan'er, you're from Yangzhou. Do you know that prostitutes are the lowest of the low, and even if they redeem themselves, they are still considered lowly?"

Jin Chuan'er looked up in horror, staring at the person in front of her in disbelief.

Qin Zhongguan sneered: "Those fake household registrations bought by human traffickers can only fool ordinary families. But who your birth mother is, how you came to the capital, and who you passed through along the way can all be found out with a little investigation."

A chill seeped from Jin Chuan'er's back, and she was once again enveloped in panic. She couldn't utter a single word of explanation, and if she opened her mouth, it seemed as if you could immediately hear the clattering of her teeth.

“I can let you stay,” the man’s tone was icy, like the two neatly arranged, untouched teacups, each drop striking Jin Chuan’er’s heart, “but if I find out you have any disloyal intentions, then go back to your Yangzhou.”

Jin Chuan'er didn't know whether to be grateful or relieved. Like a guillotine, it stopped just before it hit her neck, and Jin Chuan'er could only watch helplessly as the guillotine was pulled up again and continued to hang above her head.

She worked even harder, just so she wouldn't have to go back to Yangzhou.

It seemed that fate had finally smiled upon her. On a drizzly day, she was taken to a magnificent house along with other girls of similar age.

On a tatami mat covered with soft plush cushions, a girl of about six or seven years old leaned against a small table, playing chess by herself. When they entered, the girl on the tatami mat turned her head and listened lazily as they introduced themselves.

When it was Jin Chuan'er's turn, she stepped forward steadily and bowed with dignified elegance, saying, "This servant's name is..."

“Her original name wasn’t good.” Qin Zhongguan, who was hidden in the shadows, suddenly interrupted her and said to the low couch, “Let’s choose a new one.”

"Really?" Jin Chuan'er heard a clear, melodious voice, like the tinkling of bells in the wind, coming from in front of her. The princess, leaning against the small table, looked at her with a smile: "Then how about... Kouyun?"

From then on, there were no more gold beads from Yangzhou in the mansion, only the most exquisite and proper knocking clouds.

Those past events were so long ago, so long that Kouyun deliberately tried to forget them. When she first left Yangzhou, she would miss her mother and sisters day and night, hoping to return one day.

But as the longing faded, those joyful times were blown away like sand on a rock. The image of Yao Niang, haphazardly draped in her outer garment, numbly counting money while leaning against the bed, became clearer and clearer. She could see the hair hanging down by Yao Niang's ears and hear the clinking sound of the coins clashing together.

All she had left was fear. She was afraid of everything in Yangzhou, afraid to think of her mother and sisters, and afraid that the door that Chunlan had closed would open again.

She had gotten used to being called Kouyun and had completely forgotten that Jin Chuan'er was her real name.

She couldn't agree to Cheng Liwu's request. The "Household and Marriage Law" stated: "Those of miscellaneous household status are not allowed to marry free men; violators will be punished with one hundred strokes of the cane. Free men who marry women from official households will receive two degrees of punishment." If this was the case for both miscellaneous and official households, how much more so for a prostitute, who was even lower in status? If they were discovered, not only would Cheng Liwu be implicated and lose his promising future, but he would also be forced to "return to his original status," and she would be sent back to Yangzhou.

Kouyun staggered, trying to escape. She was like an insect or rat hiding in a dark crevice, never seeing the light of day, guarding her shameful past and deceiving everyone.

"Kouyun?" Cheng Liwu called her softly when he saw that she looked unwell.

Kouyun bit her lip hard, forcing back her tears, and said with all her might, pretending to be calm, "The princess is waiting for my reply, I should go."

"Kouyun?" Cheng Liwu was puzzled, but Kouyun had already left quickly, leaving him behind without looking back.

Kou Yun continued her night shift as if nothing had happened, only becoming silent.

"Kouyun, has something happened to you lately?" Even the most carefree Dailing noticed that Kouyun seemed to be preoccupied.

"No, no," Kouyun quickly forced a smile.

When Dai Ling saw that Kou Yun denied it, she immediately started chatting happily with Kou Yun, putting her doubts to the back of her mind. Kou Yun was the smartest and kindest person, and would never lie to anyone. If she said it was nothing, then it must be nothing. Dai Ling trusted Kou Yun completely.

Kouyun felt like a fish on a hot plate, slowly being roasted by a tiny candle flame, neither killing her nor making her suffer. She had gained the princess's trust and reliance for over a decade through a false household registration, achieving a transcendent status in the household and winning Cheng Liwu's sincere affection. But all of this was stolen; it belonged to Kouyun, not Jin Chuan'er.

This is the debt she owes, and she will have to pay it back eventually. If she's destined to be exposed, she might as well admit it herself; at least she won't be so embarrassed.

Thinking this through, Kouyun finally made up her mind and knelt before the princess: "I have something to hide from the princess."

Fu Sui had just finished lunch, which was supposed to be her afternoon nap time, but unexpectedly, Kou Yun entered the room and suddenly knelt down to admit his mistake. She yawned, leaned back comfortably on the armrest of her chair, and said nonchalantly, "Tell me about it."

Kouyun pressed her forehead against the cold ground, took a deep breath, and told everything in a trembling voice: "The registration certificate I used when I came to the manor was forged. I am originally from Yangzhou, but I am a lowly courtesan."

Fu Sui waited for a while, but heard nothing more. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "That's it?"

Kouyun was taken aback by Fu Sui's question. Wasn't this serious enough? Forging household registration was a serious crime, and she had served the princess for many years in a lowly position. If this were to be discovered, it would definitely have an irreparable impact on the princess's reputation.

Seeing that she had nothing else to say, Fu Sui waved her hand to get up: "I thought it was something important. Is this really something that has made you so anxious for so many days?"

Kouyun then realized what was going on and asked hesitantly, "Does the princess know?"

Fu Sui certainly knew that Qin An had personally investigated the irregularities in the Kouyun Register. Since Qin An knew the truth, how could she not know?

In fact, Qin An had already noticed at Boss Hu's place that Kouyun's hands were free of calluses and her face was clean without sunburn, indicating that she was definitely not the poor girl Boss Hu claimed she was sold. However, Fu Sui and Qin An didn't care about her background; they only required her to be obedient and loyal.

That day, Boss Hu mistakenly thought that Qin An was selecting beautiful maids for a nobleman. The people he selected all had their own ulterior motives. Only Kou Yun, who was new to the place, did not know the inside story and really regarded Boss Hu's place as a place to sell rough maids. She only wanted to show that she could do the work.

Later, when Qin An discovered that Kou Yun had given birth to a child through prostitution, he wondered if keeping her would affect Fu Sui. However, Kou Yun was pure-hearted, diligent, and hardworking, and it would be difficult to find someone as considerate as her. In addition, with Doumiao as a guarantor, Qin An considered it again and again and finally decided to keep Kou Yun.

Qin An never hid these things from Fu Sui; Fu Sui knew Kou Yun's real name and background from the very beginning. She never expected that after so many years, Kou Yun would still be troubled by her past.

Fu Sui found it amusing. Seeing Kou Yun's panicked and worried expression, she couldn't help but laugh louder and louder.

Kouyun stood there dumbfounded, at a loss. Fu Sui laughed so hard he choked and coughed a few times. Kouyun immediately walked quickly to the table, touched the outside of the teapot with his finger, felt that the inside of the pot was slightly hot, and then poured a cup of water and handed it to Fu Sui to soothe his throat.

Fu Sui grabbed Kou Yun's hand and pulled her closer, gesturing for her to sit down: "I'm asking you, if the manor purchases new servants, how should they be registered and reported?"

Without hesitation, Kouyun replied, "First register them in the household personnel register, then report them to the government office for filing." If a new person is added to the princess's side, the news will be reported to the government office and then to the palace. If one does not want the palace to know, there are naturally ways to avoid registering them in the official records.

"If that's the case, have you ever considered that when you accompanied me in and out of the Forbidden City, did the palace ever question your identity?"

Kouyun blinked, somewhat puzzled, "Why does the princess ask such a question..." Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly realized. She was the princess's personal maid; how could the palace not know her background? If the palace knew she was born to a courtesan, they would certainly not allow her to serve the princess.

Her eyes widened, and she stammered, "Why...why is this?"

Fu Sui smiled and looked at the dumbfounded Kou Yun, explaining, "Because I've never had any gold bracelets around me, only a lady named Liu who comes from a farming family in Wugong County."

"Madam Liu's family had been farmers for generations, but the family was small, with only one son in three generations. By the time of Madam Liu's father, only one son remained. Unfortunately, Madam Liu's parents accidentally ate poisonous wild vegetables and died. Madam Liu had no choice but to live with her distant uncle. Her uncle was poor and often complained about Madam Liu. With no other option, Madam Liu worked for a wealthy family to earn some wages to support herself. By chance, she came to my house."

"This Madam Liu's full name is Liu Kouyun."

Kouyun pondered these words repeatedly before looking at Fu Sui in disbelief, her eyes gradually welling up with tears.

She thought that the name Kouyun was just a convenient name given casually by her master. She carefully maintained the dignity of "Kouyun". Little did she know that what the princess had given her was not just a name, but a brand new identity, an identity that would allow her to hold her head high.

Tears welled up in her eyes. Kouyun was overwhelmed with emotion. She had so much to say, but when she opened her mouth, she could only tremble as she called out, "Princess."

Forging a "genuine" household registration might not be easy for a slave trader, but it wouldn't be difficult for a powerful member of the imperial clan. When Kouyun arrived, Fu Sui was young and had been ill for many years, so Doumiao and Qin An had been managing the household most of the time. She originally thought that Qin An had already explained the household registration matter to Kouyun, but she didn't expect that Kouyun would be worried for so long.

Fu Sui pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Kou Yun: "Why are you crying? Hurry up and wipe your eyes. If people see you with swollen eyes, they'll think I'm bullying you."

Kouyun wiped her eyes again and again, the more she tried to stop them, the less her eyes obeyed her, and tears streamed down her face. Kouyun simply covered her face with her handkerchief, turned her body slightly to the side, and sobbed silently.

Fu Sui stroked Kouyun's back and slowly said, "If you want to see Yangzhou, I will grant you leave and allow you to go for a few days. But you are not allowed to stay too long. You must come back quickly. No matter how good Yangzhou is, it cannot keep Kouyun in the capital. Besides, if you go to Yangzhou, you will not be able to see such a beautiful young lady as me."

Kouyun was wiping away her tears when she heard the last sentence. She burst into laughter through her tears, her voice still trembling with sobs, but the corners of her mouth had already turned up: "The princess is right. No young lady in the whole world can compare to the princess's fairy-like beauty."

Fu Sui was very pleased and said proudly, "Our Kouyun has good judgment and loves to tell the truth."

When Kouyun finally stopped crying, Fu Sui hesitated for a moment, then decided to ask clearly all at once: "Cheng Liwu came to see me. He said he didn't know what he did wrong to make you angry, and he wanted to ask me to mediate."

Kouyun lowered her eyes, unsure how to answer.

Even without her saying it, Fu Sui could guess: "Are you avoiding him because you're afraid that marriage between people of different social classes would violate the law?"

Kouchun nodded almost imperceptibly.

"What do you really think?" Fu Sui's own marriage was still undecided, and this was her first time acting as a matchmaker. Rather than weighing the pros and cons, she hoped that Kou Yun could genuinely face his own feelings.

He bowed his head even lower and whispered, "It's all up to the princess to decide."

Fu Sui chuckled lightly: "What right do I have to make decisions? He's not even worth me acting as his advocate. If you're interested, tell him to prepare a grand wedding procession with eight sedan chairs. Our Kouyun has both beauty and talent; marrying him would be his greatest fortune. If you're not interested, just refuse directly. Although you're both in my household, affection is affection, and duty is duty. You need to be clear about this, and so does he."

Kouyun was naturally clear-headed, and it was precisely because she was clear-headed that she had other worries: "I am the princess's close attendant, and he manages the spies in the mansion. If I am of one mind with him, wouldn't he control both inside and outside the mansion, which would be detrimental to the princess?"

Fu Sui laughed heartily, and even Kou Yun began to consider the balance of power: "Between me and Cheng Liwu, who do you choose?"

“Naturally, it’s the princess,” Kouyun blurted out.

"Mutual checks and balances are important, and internal and external unity is also not impossible. Now that your beliefs are firm, why worry about vague possibilities? If one day you feel that you can no longer choose between me and Cheng Liwu as you do now, you can tell me directly. I have quite a few estates and shops under my name. It would be good for me to go out and be a manager."

The tears she had managed to hold back welled up again, and Kouyun's little face was covered in tears, but there was no longer any confusion or sorrow in her eyes. She stood up and knelt down respectfully to kowtow to Fu Sui.

Seeing this, Fu Sui quickly pulled her up: "What are you doing? It's not the New Year yet, I don't have any reward money for you. Think it over and go tell him. If you ignore him, he'll probably be so anxious that he'll bother me every day."

More than a month later, Cheng Liwu finally had a chance to have a proper talk with Kouyun. He ran to the East Market to buy a bag of chestnut pastries, and then ran all the way to Zhaoshui Pavilion, where Kouyun had arranged to meet him. He even jumped up and down a few times on the way.

When they arrived at Zhaoshui Pavilion, Kouyun was already waiting inside. Cheng Liwu hurriedly apologized for being late and took out a paper package from his pocket, handing it to Kouyun: "These are freshly baked chestnut pastries from a newly opened shop in the East Market. I heard they're delicious. Try them while they're hot."

Kouyun didn't answer. She concealed the turmoil in her eyes and tried to speak calmly, "There are some things I want to make clear to you about our relationship. I hope you can listen to my explanation before making a decision."

Cheng Liwu was somewhat bewildered. Kouyun's tone was so solemn and serious that his intuition told him not to listen; he might not get the answer he wanted. But his feet seemed nailed to the ground, preventing him from turning away, leaving Kouyun alone, heartbroken.

He took a deep breath, sat down next to Kouyun, straightened his clothes and sleeves, placed his hands on his knees, and then said, "Go on, I'm listening."

The sun had already begun to set, its dazzling light turning golden-red, reflecting on the shimmering water like a warm, burning flame beneath the surface. The water, hidden behind the rock formations, remained deep and still, like a bottomless cave, locked in a stalemate with the flames.

Kouyun gazed quietly at the ever-changing water surface. Those past events that terrified her, those nights that filled her with anxiety, had roared and flowed for ten years, but now they were as calm as the lake.

At first, her words were a little hesitant, but the more she spoke, the more fluent she became: "Before coming to this manor, my name wasn't Kouyun, it was Jin Chuan'er..."

Kouyun talked a lot, about her unbearable mother, her sisters who each had their own unique charm, and her aunt who always had a cold face.

They talked about the talkative Granny Zhang, the short, fat man with a short temper, and the shrewd Boss Hu.

They talked about her unknown background, her chilling nightmares, and her self-deceiving concealment.

The sun, like a red pill, sank into the clouds, and the heat in the lake was extinguished by the cold, but the lake was not swallowed by darkness.

The bright moon hangs high, the dazzling stars hang high, and the lake embraces the starlight, sparkling and rippling, radiating a jewel-like brilliance.

“I deceived everyone and came to the princess’s mansion with a forged identity. The princess did not punish me and gave me a completely new identity. I can use this new identity to live an innocent life, but this is not the whole me. Now, I will tell you the real me.”

Kouyun finished speaking with a sigh of relief. The two sat side by side, with a narrow gap between them. The night breeze passed through the gap and flowed silently into the distant sky.

Cheng Liwu sat silently for a long time before finally snapping out of his reverie and reaching into his clothes: "The chestnut pastry is still warm. Do you still want some?"

Under the moonlight, two long, thin shadows stretched across the pavilion, past the low stones, and through the flowering branches.

A bird perched on a plum branch was startled awake by the moonlight. It shook its wings, causing the branches to tremble. Two figures swayed back and forth on the shaking branches, gradually drawing closer together.

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Author's Note: Because I owe the serialization rankings a certain number of words, I wrote one paid bonus chapter. This is the only paid bonus chapter; all subsequent bonus chapters in this novel will be free bonus chapters.

The Household and Marriage Law is quoted from the Tang Code with Commentary.