Chapter 174
After a good night's sleep and a meal, she headed towards Chu Feng Pavilion.
But she still didn't see Qinglin.
Xu He looked helpless and apologetic, saying, "Princess, I am truly sorry, but the Princess also requested Qing Lin's name. As you know, we really cannot afford to offend the Princess."
"How about this, you can choose any male prostitute other than Qinglin, and the fee will be waived as an apology from Chufeng Pavilion."
If you can't afford to offend the eldest princess, you can afford to offend this county princess, since she's just a county princess.
Tao Tao smiled faintly and said, "If that's the case, then let Qing Lin's servant come over."
She then ignored his surprised expression and went straight upstairs.
Xu He thought he had misheard, so he quickly ran up to her and asked, "Princess, were you referring to Qing Lin? Or Qing Lin's servant?"
Her face turned cold, and she said indifferently, "What? Not even Qinglin's servant is acceptable?"
"No, no." He quickly waved his hand, then called someone to lead her to the side room.
He said respectfully, "Princess, please wait in the side room. I will call the person here immediately."
She looked him up and down, then turned and continued walking forward.
The two waited in the room for a while when suddenly there was a knock on the door. Leng Qiao went to open the door, and Xu He led in a handsome man.
"Your Highness, this is Qinglin's servant, named Xiquan."
Tao Tao stood on the steps, looking down at the two people in front of her from her high position. She found that looking at people from a high place was different from looking up at them. It gave people a sense of control.
Xu He and the other man didn't feel there was anything wrong with them bowing and making obsequious gestures; they simply waited quietly for her instructions.
She gave a brief, perfunctory "hmm," and Xu He, knowing the situation, tactfully withdrew: "Then I'll take my leave."
After closing the door, Tao Tao slowly walked down and circled around him, looking him over.
Xi Quan was feeling a little uneasy. He didn't know what this noble county princess saw in him. He was really shocked when he found out earlier.
In his memory, he didn't think he had ever seen her before.
"County, County Lord".
Tao Tao pursed her lips, turned around and sat down at the table, picked up her teacup and took a sip.
The empty room was eerily quiet; Tao Tao didn't speak, and no one dared to utter a word.
Half an incense stick later, she rested her chin on her hand, lazily looked up at his uneasy appearance, and said in a low voice, "Are you always by Qinglin's side? Never leaving his side?"
Upon hearing the sound, Xiquan looked up and replied softly, "Yes, Your Highness."
"Then you must know quite a bit about him, right?"
Suddenly, Xi Quan stood there, stunned, feeling a little disappointed. He realized that she hadn't come to see him after all. It was because of Young Master Qing Lin that the county princess had taken a liking to him and had summoned him.
He forced a smile: "What does the county princess want to ask?"
"Who does he usually associate with? I heard he hasn't been entertaining clients lately, except for the current eldest princess?"
Hearing this, he shook his head in confusion: "Young master has always received guests normally, and the people he has been in contact with are all high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants. There has never been a case of him refusing to receive guests."
Tao Tao frowned immediately. What was going on? How could this be different from what Miao Ling had said?
"Did he show any particular fondness for a guest?"
Xi Quan thought about it carefully, and then shook her head: "No, Young Master has always been very polite to these people."
Did he ask you to deliver a letter?
Suddenly, his eyes flickered, and a strange expression appeared on his face, but he still denied it outright.
"Princess, no."
She narrowed her eyes slightly, a cool smile playing on her lips. She propped herself up with her hands behind her back, leaned back, and gazed intently at the person in front of her who was feigning composure.
"I have long admired your son Qinglin and wanted to know what kind of woman he likes so that I could find the right match. Knowing that he is so virtuous in private, I am relieved."
"Has your young master considered buying his freedom?"
Xi Quan chuckled a few times and said, "Your Highness is joking. Redeeming Chu Feng Pavilion is as difficult as climbing to heaven. Not only is it difficult to issue official documents, but the amount involved is also astronomical."
"At least, I have never seen anyone here who has been redeemed and has a decent set of skin."
Upon hearing this, Tao Tao immediately gripped her teacup tightly, her expression changing slightly.
So Miaoling has really been deceived. Who is it? The answer can no longer be Qinglin. How much money does Tu Miaoling have? Even after borrowing money, she only owes five hundred taels.
Perhaps this amount of money is nothing to someone like Qinglin who is used to wealth, but it is a real astronomical figure for an ordinary person. If he were to work alone, he would not be able to pay it back in several lifetimes.
She suddenly turned her gaze to him and said with a smile, "I think you're not bad-looking either. Your son is so popular, so you must be pretty good-looking too."
He smiled shyly: "Your Highness is too kind. How could someone of my looks possibly catch the eye of a noble person?"
"Are you short of money?" she suddenly asked.
Xi Quan paused for a moment, then remained silent, stammering as if he were short of money.
Tao Tao took out a silver ingot from his purse and placed it on the table. Instantly, his eyes were drawn to the silver on the table, and he stared at it intently with obvious longing in his eyes.
"If you help me get a letter written in your young master's own handwriting, the contents are fine with you, this ingot of silver is yours."
Upon hearing this, he nodded in agreement without hesitation: "Your Highness, rest assured, this servant will certainly do it."
She raised her chin, indicating that he could take it. "What I want is a letter written in your young master's own handwriting. If I, the county magistrate, find out that the letter is fake, you will spend the rest of your life in prison."
After she finished speaking, she stood up and walked towards the door, her confident words echoing behind her.
"Princess, rest assured, this servant has obtained the letter written by the young master himself."
After leaving Chu Feng Pavilion, she headed straight for Wu Fu Gambling House, where she unexpectedly spotted a figure on the first floor.
At the gambling table, the gamblers stared excitedly at the dice cup in the dealer's hand, shouting loudly. Tu Miaoling, dressed in men's clothing, mingled among them, her eyes fixed on the open cup.
Upon seeing the numbers on the dice, his face immediately changed, and he watched with a gloomy expression as the dealer collected all the money from the table.
Tao Tao stepped forward, angrily grabbed her arm, and pulled her out.
Caught off guard and already in a bad mood, Tu Miaoling impatiently shouted, "Who is it! What are you doing? Are you crazy?!"
She turned her head and glanced at a cold yet familiar face, causing her heart to skip a beat.
I couldn't help but call out, "Tao'er?!"
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