Beauty Trap

Yue Xiao's fingers froze in mid-air. Looking down at Yue Jia's confident expression, he frowned in disgust.

He recalled the soap the butler had shown him earlier; not only was the color unappealing, but the smell was also disgusting. Compared to Rongguang soap, it was worlds apart. The cloth shop had suffered heavy losses, and without a new money-generating business to replace it, all his plans would come to nothing.

After thinking it over, Yue Xiao curled up a cold smile, "I never knew that the Crown Prince was such a compassionate and kind saint."

Yue Jia remained unmoved, saying, "It depends on who you're comparing me to. Compared to my second brother, I am indeed kind."

Yue Xiao's face turned even uglier. "You—" He caught a glimpse of the paper on the table out of the corner of his eye, and suppressed the anger in his eyes. "Someone, bring him here."

Yue Jia's palm remained pressed on the paper, and he gave the butler a wink.

The butler understood, and after leaving the main hall with a full teapot, he turned and went into the next room. "Xiaoxiao, Yue Xiao has agreed to change the person. They will pass by here in a while. Check if the person is right."

Jin Xiaoxiao handed a gourd of wine that she had prepared beforehand to the butler. "Thank you, Uncle Zhu. This is wine that my brother and I brewed ourselves. We're giving it to you to try. If you like it, I'll send you some more."

Butler Zhu beamed with joy as he took the gourd, his gaze towards Jin Xiaoxiao filled with even more affection than that for his own grandson.

"Yes, Uncle, you must try it."

Xiaoxiao would bring him something every time she came, whether it was pastries, tea, or even her favorite little toys. With her thinking of him so much, it was hard for Butler Zhu not to like her.

Ji Jun's ears twitched, interrupting the warm atmosphere between the two, "They're here."

The three of them looked towards the door in unison. There stood Manager Zhao, his face bruised and swollen, limping as he was helped in by a woman with a full head of silver hair. If Jin Xiaoxiao hadn't known him well, she probably wouldn't have recognized him. Moving her gaze, she saw another young woman behind Manager Zhao, holding a child tightly nestled in her arms, too afraid to move. Jin Xiaoxiao glanced at their swollen faces and clenched her fists.

Butler Zhu was not surprised; it was already extremely lucky that they hadn't lost any limbs in Yue Xiao's hands. Looking down at Jin Xiaoxiao's angry expression, Butler Zhu quickly squatted down to comfort her, "Xiaoxiao, they only have some superficial injuries, nothing serious."

Jin Xiaoxiao only relaxed her fist and regained her composure when they were out of sight. "Uncle, it's Manager Zhao."

"Alright, Uncle will go and tell the young master right away."

Butler Zhu picked up the teapot again, stepped out of the room, and turned into the main hall.

Yue Jia glanced at the Zhao family and then focused her gaze on the Zhao family. “Your master asked me to exchange four recipes for Rongguang soap for your family’s lives. You are very lucky; your master is a kind and compassionate person.”

Manager Zhao looked up in astonishment, his eyes stinging, and he stammered, unable to speak.

At this moment, Butler Zhu came in with a teapot and poured Yue Jia a cup of tea.

Yue Jia released his hand from the paper and naturally began to drink his tea.

Yue Xiao crossed his arms and sneered, "Are you sure?"

Butler Zhu handed four prescriptions to Yue Xiao, who took them and turned to leave.

Jin Xiaoxiao and Yue Xiao left the courtyard and arrived at the main hall.

As soon as Manager Zhao saw her, he knelt down before her, saying, "Miss, I... I'm sorry to my employer."

When his mother saw this, she also wanted to kneel down to Jin Xiaoxiao.

Jin Xiaoxiao sighed and quickly helped them up. "Manager Zhao, my brother said it wasn't your fault and he doesn't blame you."

Jin Xiaoxiao borrowed a carriage from Yue Jia and had someone send Manager Zhao and his family back.

Yue Jia put down her teacup. "Xiaoxiao, Yue Xiao now has four soap recipes, so we can't cut off his source of income."

A sly glint flashed in Jin Xiaoxiao's eyes. "If I can give him four recipes, I can give others forty. He wants to steal my business? No way! I'll make sure his soap business is ruined."

Jin Xiaoxiao's extraordinary skill and decisiveness once again surprised Yue Jia. A hint of amusement flashed in his eyes, and he looked forward to the day when the world would know the name Jin Xiaoxiao.

Jin Xiaoxiao bid farewell to Yue Jia and returned to the Jin family home, heading straight for Jin Minzhi's courtyard.

When she met Kim Min-ji, she told him about it.

Jin Minzhi pondered and said, "It's right for Xiaoxiao to exchange the prescription for someone else, but if she gives the prescription to someone else, I'm afraid Yue Xiao will get angry and do something unexpected."

Jin Xiaoxiao's mind conjured up the swollen faces of Manager Zhao's family. "Brother, he went too far. He even beat Manager Zhao's mother and young son. We have a deep grudge against him. He's an inhuman person who would only grind his enemies to dust. He won't let us go just because we back down."

Jin Minzhi was persuaded by Jin Xiaoxiao, "Xiaoxiao, what do you plan to send the prescription for?"

"Once Yuexiao's soap is finished in a month, I'm going to give him a big surprise."

Jin Xiaoxiao ignored the matter and looked at her brother with admiration, "Congratulations, brother, on becoming the last disciple of Master Zhou."

Kim Min-ji smiled faintly, "Thanks to Xiaoxiao."

Jin Xiaoxiao wanted to praise her brother a few more times when Shumo came in to report, "Young Master, Miss Yuan has arrived."

Jin Xiaoxiao and Jin Minzhi exchanged a glance and stood up at the same time.

Jin Yuanyuan had lost weight, but her eyes were bright. Jin Xiaoxiao had a feeling that something was different about her aunt.

"aunt."

Hello, Auntie.

Jin Yuanyuan skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point, "Minzhi, Xiaoxiao, your aunt wants to see General Han Qing. Can you help her?"

Jin Min subconsciously looked at Jin Xiaoxiao, and Jin Yuanyuan also turned her gaze to her.

Jin Xiaoxiao felt a sudden pressure as her aunt stared at her with bright eyes. "Aunt, the Emperor has ordered General Han to repent behind closed doors and not to leave without permission. It's probably not a good time for you to see General Han right now. You'll have to wait until the Emperor lifts General Han's confinement order before you can see him."

Jin Yuanyuan squatted down in front of Jin Xiaoxiao. "Xiaoxiao, you must have a way to get me to see General Han, right?"

Jin Xiaoxiao stared at her aunt, tacitly agreeing.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Jin Yuanyuan took out a book and said, "Xiaoxiao, I've found a way to break the love curse."

Jin Minzhi walked over excitedly, half-kneeling down as she looked at the book in her hand, "Auntie, is what you said true?"

Jin Xiaoxiao took the book and began to read it with some skepticism. After finishing, she casually handed it to Jin Minzhi, saying, "Auntie, the method of removing the curse mentioned in the book is just the author's speculation."

The book wasn't thick, so Jin Minzhi read it quickly. After finishing it, he also disagreed with the methods described in the book. "Auntie, doing this is too risky. I've now become a disciple of Master Zhou, and his family has many books. Perhaps there are records of how to remove the love curse in them."

Jin Yuanyuan slowly shook her head. "I've collected all the medical books and miscellaneous books, and only this book, 'The Travels of the Bei Rong,' records this. Do you know how disgusting it is to have your mind controlled by a worm, constantly thinking about a man? Especially at night, I can't help but want to go to him. Now I can only fall asleep with my hands and feet tied. I have a feeling that in at most six months, the worm will replace me and become Jin Yuanyuan, whose mind is filled with only that person."

Jin Xiaoxiao hadn't expected the Gu worms to be so powerful. Looking at Jin Yuanyuan's pleading eyes, she nodded, "Okay, I'll think of a way."

After seeing Jin Yuanyuan off, Jin Xiaoxiao quickly wrote a letter and had it delivered to the palace.

After receiving the letter, Wan Niang ordered someone to send a bowl of lotus seed soup to the emperor.

The emperor had not yet arrived, but Consort Sun had already arrived.

Consort Sun stepped into Fanghua Palace and saw countless ice chests displayed there. She said sarcastically, "Oh, it's even cooler here than in the Empress's palace."

Wan Niang greeted her at the door. When she entered, she curtsied and said, "Greetings, Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine."

Consort Sun glanced at her belly, her eyes turning cold. "I cannot accept your courtesy." She said this, but did not tell her to get up.

Wan Niang maintained her posture and said softly, "There is a distinction between superiors and inferiors. It is my duty to pay my respects to the Noble Consort."

Consort Sun narrowed her eyes. "You are nothing but a commoner. Don't think that just because the Emperor is backing you up, I won't dare to touch you. In this palace, it would be easier for me to crush you than to crush an ant."

Wan Niang lowered her head and said, "What the Imperial Concubine says is true."

The more submissive and respectful Wan Niang was, the angrier Consort Sun became. She raised her hand and slapped Consort Xuan hard across the face. "You slut, is this how you seduce the Emperor?"

The Emperor happened to see Consort Sun persecuting Consort Xuan, and he quickly stepped into Fanghua Palace.

Consort Sun's face lit up with joy when she saw the Emperor, but then she remembered that he had come here to see that vile Consort Xuan. Her lips curled into a vicious sneer as she glanced at Wan Niang, who was kneeling on the ground.

The emperor had no time to guess her thoughts. He grabbed Consort Sun's wrist and said, "Enough! How could you become so despicable?"

Consort Sun frantically pounded on the emperor's chest, "I'm despicable? Ha! I've become like this all because of you! You not only took away my position as empress, but also my right to be a mother. I hate you!" By the end, the light in her eyes had completely disappeared, leaving only numbness.

The emperor's eyes were filled with deep weariness. He pushed away Consort Sun, picked up Consort Xuan, and said coldly with his back to Consort Sun: "Consort Sun is unworthy of her position. From this day forward, she is stripped of her title of Consort and demoted to the rank of Consort. She is not allowed to leave the palace without imperial decree."

As he entered the dormitory, he added, "Call the imperial physician."

With a single sentence from the emperor, the once high and mighty Consort Sun was reduced to a mere concubine being roughly dragged out of the palace gates by eunuchs.

Watching this scene, Wan Niang told herself that if she wanted to live well in this deep palace, she should not fall in love.

The emperor placed Wan Niang on the bed. Seeing that she covered her face and refused to see anyone, he ordered her, "My beloved concubine, raise your head and let me see your face."

Wan Niang slowly released her hand, revealing a pair of affectionate eyes, and pleaded, "Your Majesty, my face is not pretty anymore. Please wait a couple of days until I am better before showing it to Your Majesty, okay?"

The emperor pried her hands off and tenderly stroked her swollen cheek, saying, "My beloved concubine's face is still beautiful."

Wan Niang's eyes lit up. "Your Majesty isn't just teasing me?"

The emperor embraced her. "I didn't comfort my beloved consort. I'm sorry I'm late and caused her suffering. What compensation do you wish for?"

Wan Niang gently nuzzled the emperor, "Your Majesty, you are so good to me, I have nothing to lack."

She took the emperor's hand and placed it on her abdomen, a satisfied smile on her face. "Besides, Your Majesty has already given me the best gift."

The emperor laughed heartily and said indulgently, "The compensation I'm referring to doesn't refer to these inanimate objects. My beloved consort, please feel free to make any requests, and I will grant them all."