9 Chapter 9

◎Don't I still have someone I'm infatuated with?◎

The news that Xie Yutang had rejected Su Xiaoshizi spread quickly, reaching the Third Prince Lin Tan almost the very next day.

Lin Tan had been neglected by Xie Yutang recently, and he had been harboring a lot of resentment in his heart. However, he was too ashamed to take the initiative to seek reconciliation with Xie Yutang. He could only watch helplessly as Xie Yutang bought new clothes for that little bastard, promoted him to be his personal bodyguard, and even took him with him to banquets.

He was already seething with anger, and now that he heard that the little bastard had fallen out of favor and was being given away to someone else like a discarded object, he felt incredibly pleased.

Although Xie Yutang had taken in another prostitute named Fang, Lin Tan was somewhat relieved—that woman was just a passing fancy, and in the end, the one who could truly win her over was himself.

Now that Su Lu had lost power, it would be difficult to vent his hatred without kicking him a few times. Lin Tan was about to call his men to give that little bastard a good beating, but was persuaded to stop by Xiao Fuzi, who was serving him.

"What is that little bastard's identity? He's just a lowly thing who sells his body. Your Highness, wouldn't it dirty your hands to do it yourself?"

Ever since Xiao Fuzi was so frightened at Happy Valley that she wet herself, she has harbored a grudge against Su Lu. Now that she has learned of this opportunity, she is also eager to make a big splash.

"Besides, if we find a secluded spot and beat him up, even if we beat him up badly, no one will see him in such a pathetic state. Wouldn't that save his face?"

Lin Tan paused in her fan-wielding, then looked up at him and asked, "Do you have a better idea?"

Xiao Fuzi had been waiting for this question, and with a chuckle, she reached out and whispered in Lin Tan's ear.

...

Fang Guan originally thought that following Xie Yutang to the princess's mansion would lead to daily pleasures and nightly revelry with the princess, and even a more intimate encounter in bed. However, after several days, although he did sing and play the zither in the courtyard every day, he barely saw the princess's face.

Fang Guan thought about it carefully and realized that Xie Yutang was not as close to him as he had been during those few days at the palace in the suburbs.

He pursed his lips, checked again to make sure no one was around, and quietly slipped half a packet of medicine powder from his sleeve and poured it into the teacup in front of him.

He spent a lot of money to find this medicine powder, and as long as Xie Yutang drinks it, then tonight... with his skills, he will definitely make her very happy.

He carried the teapot all the way into the study.

"Your Highness, this is maple dew tea brewed with snow water swept from plum branches a few days ago. It's exceptionally refreshing and has a sweet aftertaste." Fangguan placed the tray carrying the tea set on the table and said softly, "You've been reading for two hours now. Would you like to have a cup of tea to refresh yourself?"

Xie Yutang was reading "A Collection of Policy Essays" when he heard this. He looked up from his book and saw Fangguan fill the teacup and push it towards him.

Her gaze followed Fang Guan's fingers all the way down to his face.

Fangguan felt very uncomfortable being stared at. Just as she was about to say something, Xie Yutang raised his hand, took the teacup, and brought it to his lips.

Fang Guan had just breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the teacup pause in front of Xie Yutang for a moment before being handed back to her.

"It's kind of you to have come all this way, so please have this cup of tea."

Fangguan's face stiffened, and she smiled, "Your Highness, wouldn't it be a waste to give me such good tea?"

"Is that so?"

Xie Yutang looked at him with a half-smile, toying with the teacup in her hand. "You seem so nervous, is there something in the tea?"

Fang Guan trembled in fright, scrutinizing Xie Yutang's expression but unable to discern the truth. If this act of drugging someone to gain favor were discovered, he would be punished at best, and expelled from the manor at worst. Neither consequence was something he could afford to bear.

Fang Guan forced a smile and composed herself: "Your Highness, what are you saying? This is just normal—"

"Wo Yu".

Before Xie Yutang could finish speaking, he shouted in a deep voice, and Wo Yu, who had been waiting for a long time, kicked Fang Guan in the back of the knee, causing her to fall to her knees with a thud.

"you--"

Fang Guan winced in pain, and before she could even speak, her right wrist was gripped by You Yu. You flipped up her sleeve and found half a packet of medicine powder that she hadn't finished taking, which you then presented to Xie Yutang with both hands.

Xie Yutang took it and glanced at it, a half-smile on his face: "Are you telling me this on your own initiative, or should I ask Physician Liu from the Imperial Hospital to examine it?"

Fang Guan knelt on the ground, her face deathly pale.

If the imperial physicians are alerted, this matter will no longer be able to be kept secret.

He trembled as he confessed everything, his eyes brimming with tears as he looked at Xie Yutang. "Your Highness, please understand! I absolutely had no intention of harming you! It's just... it's just that Your Highness has never been close to me. The long nights I spent alone in my empty room were unbearably lonely. I was momentarily blinded by greed, and that's why..."

"So you're upset that I've neglected you."

Xie Yutang suddenly realized and said "Oh," tapping the page with his finger. "Then you can come to the inner palace to serve tonight."

Fangguan was overjoyed. That very night, she washed, bathed, and changed her clothes. She arrived at Xie Yutang's inn early in the morning and waited expectantly for half an hour before Huaijin led two servants over.

The servant was carrying two wooden basins. As they drew closer, Fangguan could see that one basin contained beans and the other was empty. The basin with beans had a mixture of red and green. Confused, he looked at Huaijin and asked, "What's this?"

Huaijin smiled politely: "Miss said that since you find the long nights alone in your empty room unbearably lonely, we'll find you something to do."

She pointed to the empty bowl and said, "Please separate these two colors of beans. Put the mung beans in the left bowl and the red beans in the right bowl. Go back to sleep when you're done filling them."

Fangguan could hardly believe her ears: "So many beans, won't it take a whole night to pick them?"

When Fangguan saw Huaijin's expression that said, "Since you know, why don't you hurry up and do it?", she felt as if she had been struck by lightning. So this was the punishment waiting for her.

Fangguan collapsed to the ground, hesitating several times before finally resignedly picking up the beans. Huaijin left two candles, and before leaving, he finally remembered something and turned back to say, "Oh, right."

Fang Guan looked up in surprise, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"The young lady also said that you should keep your voice down when you are picking beans, so as not to disturb her sleep."

...

Fang Guan didn't finish picking the two basins of beans until dawn. The next evening, as usual, she went to the inner palace to wait, thinking she would finally see Xie Yutang. But Huai Jin poured the two basins of beans together, stirred them, and then handed them to her with a smile.

...

Fang Guan had been picking beans for several nights in a row, and was already dizzy, unsteady on her feet, and felt like vomiting at the sight of beans. She had completely lost the arrogant attitude she had when she first arrived.

Let alone trying to curry favor with Xie Yutang, they would rather avoid the inner palace gate altogether.

Huaijin reported this matter to Xie Yutang and earnestly added a suggestion: "Miss, Fangguan is becoming more and more skilled at picking beans. I think she is also a clever, skillful, and sensible person."

In front of Xie Yutang was a sheet of Xuan paper, and he was writing a political essay assigned by the school teacher with a small wolf-hair brush.

This political essay required considerable thought, and she would stop writing every few lines to concentrate and ponder. She would casually fiddle with the jade pendant in her left hand. When she heard Huaijin's teasing, she just kept playing with the jade pendant and didn't respond at all.

The jade pendant was crystal clear, without a single impurity; it was the very same one that Su Lu had taken from her waist and placed in her palm that day in the Pepper Chamber.

The gauze curtain outside the screen was lifted, and Woyu entered with a secret letter. She then said, "In that case, why not let that courtesan come in and serve you?"

“That won’t do.” Huai Jin glanced at the ink stick in her hand: “This is the thing. Last time, Fang Guan came in and tried to touch it, but she was so scared by a look from Miss that she almost knelt down.”

"You treasure it so much?" Woyu exclaimed, puzzled. "But didn't Prince Su use it to grind ink every day before?"

Huaijin sighed, "Once you've seen the ocean, you can't be satisfied with a river. Our young lady is used to having beautiful women by her side, adding fragrance to her sleeves. She used to be able to let us serve her, but now..."

Woyu nodded: "We know we can't compare to others in terms of thoughtfulness and attentiveness. I wonder when Prince Su will be able to return."

The wolf-hair brush paused on the rice paper. Xie Yutang looked up and glanced at the two sisters who were singing in unison: "You two miss him that much?"

Huaijin: "Yes, yes, it's all because we miss him."

Woyu: "We should severely punish that annoying courtesan, for daring to publicly slander Prince Su."

Huaijin: "We were so fond of Su Shizi's jade pendant that we would even handle and play with it while writing political essays."

Woyu: "We deliberately let him come to the inner palace to pick beans every night, just to make others think that he is very favored, so that Prince Su will not be suspected."

Snap—

The wolf-hair brush rested on the shelf. Xie Yutang said expressionlessly, "Get out, all of you."

"Yes, miss."

Huai Jin clasped her hands and turned to leave, saying, "It's a pity that the information that Lieutenant Yan went through so much trouble to gather about Prince Su was never delivered in time..."

"etc."

Xie Yutang closed his eyes, took a breath, and reached out.

The adjutant, Yan Jun, used Sun's tailor shop as a cover to spread his spies throughout the capital. After Xie Yutang returned from the palace, he specifically sent a secret letter to Yan Jun, instructing him to keep an eye on the situation of the patrol battalion.

Yan Jun learned that the patrol battalion would be holding a martial arts test in a few days.

Xie Yutang found the martial arts test's timing odd, as if it had been arranged suddenly without precedent. But when he read the line "The Third Prince, Lin Tan, will also be present in person," he instantly understood—

He was after Su Lu.

Xie Yutang embarrassed Lin Tan at the racecourse and has become increasingly cold towards him. Most of these grievances are probably attributed to Su Lu. Lin Tan's kindness and benevolence have always been a facade. It is likely that the entire martial arts competition was set up by him to settle personal scores.

Xie Yutang ran her fingertips along the edge of the jade pendant. She had no choice but to participate in this martial arts test.

“But Miss, you’ve already—disliked Prince Su.” Woyu was the first to worry on her behalf. “If you go like this, it’s the same as openly defending the Prince in front of everyone. Wouldn’t all this charade be for nothing?”

"Who said I was going to defend him?"

Xie Yutang's gaze lingered on the name "Lin Tan" for a moment, then she curled her lips into a smile. "Don't I have someone I'm infatuated with?"

For the first time, I feel like my past life's romantic brain is still somewhat useful.

With a deft touch of her wolf-hair brush, she drew a circle on the perpetual calendar beside her desk: "After the martial arts competition comes the Lantern Festival. I have always been obsessed with the Third Prince and cherish him dearly. Wouldn't it be a pity to miss such a beautiful festival?"

The Lantern Festival is a folk festival that originated in Dayan County and has always been very popular among the people. Young men and women who are interested in each other often choose to go out together on this day to enjoy the lanterns.

She invited Lin Tan to go out the next day, and he wouldn't refuse.

Xie Yutang asked Woyu to bring out the gold-embossed invitation, wrote a passage on the paper, stamped it with his personal seal, sealed it with sealing wax, and handed it to Huaijin.

Huaijin reached out with both hands to take it, but couldn't budge it.

The envelope was firmly pressed between Xie Yutang's fingers.

"Miss?"

Looking up, I saw Xie Yutang with her eyebrows slightly furrowed, as if she was troubled by something.

Her red-painted fingertips tapped lightly on the mahogany table: "You said this letter... we can get it back eventually, right?"

She felt like vomiting just reading such nauseating words.

Huaijin wondered if she had misheard: "Huh?"

Xie Yutang took a breath and waved his hand: "Never mind, take it down."

Huai Jin respectfully agreed, took the princess's letter, and was about to leave when he was called back.

Xie Yutang straightened his clothes and sat upright in a high-backed carved chair.

“Tell the Third Prince that I was determined to see him that day.”