2 Chapter 2 The Sucker
"Really?" Yuliu's eyes were filled with a hint of ridicule.
West Chang Street
A carriage with simple and understated decorations wobbled through the crowd. Yuliu sat quietly inside, looking out through the curtains. She watched children chasing and playing on the roadside as they crossed paths in the opposite direction, listened to the noisy hawking in the market, and the storytelling in the tea stalls.
"Alas, the Fourth Prince's wife is a virtuous and kind person, why does she have such a miserable life? I heard that she was still pregnant when the accident happened. I hope the gods will protect the royal bloodline of the Xiao Kingdom!"
"Haven't you found her yet? That's just unfortunate. You came all the way from Song State to marry into a foreign country, but your mother's family fell into decline. You have no support in a foreign land, right? Look, she fell off a cliff right after. We haven't found her in over half a month. I think she's doomed! But I heard that the captain guarding the Song State seems to have resigned. I have a bad feeling... Is there going to be a war?"
"Do you really need to worry about the affairs of the royal family every day? Remember when a brothel was burned down here, you were all so pessimistic. Who could have imagined that a 'Spring Breeze Flush' would be built on this very ground? Look at how magnificent and prosperous it is! Speaking of which, there's a stage set up in Spring Breeze Flush today. They say there's a new play. Do you want to go and listen?"
"Of course we'll go! Let's go!"
Yuliu held the script in his hand, and as for this discussion among the people, he listened with one ear and let it out with the other, and just smiled it off.
However, when they talked about the cremation of the brothel, Yuliu's mind couldn't help but think of the terrifying red color like purgatory when the fire was raging. She couldn't tell whether it was the firelight or the color of blood. In short, just imagining it made her forehead hurt slightly.
Therefore, Yuliu was inexplicably stimulated by the slight pain and thought of the person who was probably still lying in the weeds in front of her door, covered in blood.
She took a deep breath and asked, "Is there a doctor from Tongjitang coming to see you today?"
Seeing the gilded plaque with the words "Spring Breeze Blowing Through the Railings," Yumei called out to the driver to stop and turned back to say, "The doctors at Tongjitang are all kind-hearted, and we pay them generously. That's why we come back every day for consultations, without missing a single day!"
Yuliu nodded calmly.
I hope that the doctor, considering his financial resources, can take the man away for treatment as well.
Otherwise, with such a blood bag, who knows what kind of things will be involved behind him?
Yuliu understood the principle of self-preservation very well, and she never wanted to get into trouble beyond the plot points.
As Yuliu was thinking, suddenly a piece of white gauze floated in front of her.
She looked over and saw Yumei getting off the carriage, lifting the curtain and handing over a veiled hat made of plain white gauze. "There are many people in the West Market, and Miss Yu is so beautiful that we might cause trouble. Please wear this."
Yuliu looked at the veil and laughed in her heart.
The customs of the Xiao State are open, and women are even allowed to do business outside. The restrictions on women are no longer as severe as they were a hundred years ago when they had to cover up everything when going out. Nowadays, which young lady is not open and confident when going out?
What's more, the Lantern Festival had just passed, and the festive atmosphere was still echoing in the West Market. Everyone was more relaxed and outgoing than usual.
In other words, wearing this hat, Yuliu will become the most handsome guy on the street.
But, so what?
Yuliu took the half-foot-long veil hat and used it to cover herself completely.
Anyway, she had no intention of keeping a low profile when she went out today!
Yuliu took Yumei's hand and slowly stepped down from the carriage. Her voice was even weaker than the spring breeze in February. She asked worriedly, "Yumei, do we have enough silver?"
"Enough, of course it's enough!" Seeing this, Yumei didn't think anything else and quickly took the opportunity to flatter Yuliu. With a proud tone, she looked up and said, "Miss, you followed the Fourth Prince, so he will naturally not treat you badly. Since you have come out with great difficulty, just go ahead and buy as much as you can. With the banknotes you brought today, you can even buy half a street in the West Market!"
Yumei grew up in the palace since she was a child. The Fourth Prince arranged her to be with Miss Yu, so she naturally understood what the Fourth Prince meant.
The Fourth Prince does have some true feelings for the Fourth Prince's wife, but it's a pity that the Fourth Prince's wife has a hot temper. If she is not taught a lesson early, she would not be able to jump off the Cliff of Broken Love now, and who knows what ridiculous things she would do in the future.
As for this woman, even if she is a little arrogant at the beginning, she will inevitably use various means of jealousy and competition in the future. After a long time, she will naturally understand that as a wife, she must put her husband first in everything and rely on her husband's support to live the best life.
——As the saying goes, the husband is the leader of the wife.
It’s a pity that the identity of the princess who is married to a foreign country is special, and the fourth prince’s backyard cannot openly check and balance the backyard by taking in concubines, otherwise, wouldn’t it be a clear chill on the sincerity of the Song State in seeking peace?
The Fourth Prince needs an obedient pet, and Yuliu happens to be able to play such a role.
Yumei looked at Yuliu and saw that she was always acting delicate and weak, and she didn't think she was a man of integrity.
——A girl who grew up in a place with willows and has some beauty would probably want to be a master of the house.
Then as long as she stays by Yuliu's side, telling her in many ways the benefits of following the Fourth Prince, giving her some gold, silver, jewelry, gold hairpins and jade rings from time to time, and hinting at the Fourth Prince's love for her in her daily conversations, as time goes by, this girl will surely slowly become completely devoted to the Fourth Prince!
Once this woman is completely devoted to the man, there will be no need for the Fourth Prince to take action personally. Yuliu will naturally dare to challenge the principal wife by relying on her so-called "favor".
The face under the elm willow veil hat was expressionless, and he looked at Yumei coldly with eyes full of calculation, but his tone was full of inexperience and flattery: "Ah... really?"
Yumei smiled broadly and coaxed him, "Of course."
Yuliu replied politely, "It's just the beginning of spring, and I thought, why not take advantage of this opportunity to go out and buy some clothes myself?"
"Clothes?" Yumei was stunned for a moment, then looked Yuliu up and down.
Normally, Yuliu stayed at home sick, and her clothes were simple and plain, but this beauty had a charming appearance and a unique charm to her.
After hearing Yuliu's words, Yumei realized that Yuliu's "clean-sleeved and impeccable" attire was indeed an embarrassment to the Fourth Prince. She hurriedly said, "Haha, young lady, you are right. The Fourth Prince had asked me to buy some things for you some time ago. It's a pity that you were not well and have been delayed for a few days. However, we are in Chunfeng Fulan, a treasure house where you can buy anything you want. I heard that they have purchased several batches of high-quality Shu brocade today, which is perfect for us to buy together. What do you think, young lady?"
Yu Liu thought to himself, this is exactly what I want.
She came today to make plans for the upcoming return of the heroine.
However, the main quest only has one reward, which is to return to the world line, unlike the rewards for the side quests which are paid out in a timely manner. Therefore, she decided to "ask" for a salary from the protagonist first.
However, even though Yuliu was calculating in her mind, she still spoke in a flattered and fearful tone.
The two of them pulled each other into the Spring Breeze Fence.
The layers of buildings and pavilions, the carved beams and embroidered windows, the lyrics on the stage passed by, and immediately won a round of cheers and applause.
Yuliu only took a quick glance and then took Yumei through the front hall where entertainment and reception were held. As they walked in, the building was decorated more finely, with beams and pillars painted with gold powder, and flying eaves and brackets adding a subtle fragrance.
Shengyun Pavilion, nestled within the Spring Breeze Fence, was the largest clothing store in the capital of the Xiao Kingdom. As soon as Yuliu stepped through the threshold, several beautiful maids immediately came to greet her. "We've just received several bolts of top-quality Shu brocade today. With your graceful figure and radiant complexion, you're a perfect match. Would you like to take a look?"
Taking advantage of the fact that someone was willing to pay for it, Yuliu just nodded and said, "Thank you."
The maid warmly invited Yuliu to go upstairs, pointing at the cloth and Yuliu and praising them effusively.
Yuliu leaned against the nanmu armrest, lowered her eyes and looked at the young ladies gathered in the center of the pavilion, chattering in low voices about the Lantern Festival not long ago. Her mind was not on choosing the cloth at all. She just nodded occasionally to deal with it, but didn't say anything else.
The maid had almost run out of words, but when she saw that the master and servant had no other intentions, her smile faded a bit: "Young lady, are you here to buy ready-made clothes or to have them custom-made?"
Although there are many famous and prominent families in the capital of Xiao State, there are countless poor people.
Many people come to Shengyun Pavilion every day just to look at the things they like, but when they are asked to pay for them, they suddenly come up with many excuses to refuse.
This maidservant welcomes guests every day, so naturally she has seen a lot.
Just now, she had seen the master and servant from afar at the door. They were both very impressive, dressed in white like ethereal fairies. The maidservant who accompanied them was also well-mannered and well-educated, and it was obvious that they were not from a humble family.
But when she thought about it carefully, the young ladies raised in the famous families in the capital were either dignified and elegant, or as plump and beautiful as pearls and jade.
When did such a skinny and frail character like Liu Ruofufeng appear?
I thought it was a big deal, but it turned out to be a waste of time.
Seeing the woman in white still staring into the pavilion with her head lowered in a trance, the maid secretly felt unlucky and the smile on her face suddenly fell. She sent her away in a cold tone: "If you want to make an appointment, you can go to the tailoring room outside the building to be tailored."
Yuliu pretended not to hear the hidden meaning of these words, and stood up with a hint of apology. When she was about to say something else, she was stopped by Yumei.
Yumei had come to help the Fourth Prince win over Yuliu. She waited until the maid started to speak coldly, then stepped forward, raised her eyebrows with a hint of anger, and mentioned the Fourth Prince's name. "What do you mean by that? Is this how you treat the people brought out by Fourth Prince Xiao?!"
Feeling Yuliu's scorching gaze on her, Yumei suddenly became even more imposing: "Miss, just buy whatever you like. The Fourth Prince has your back!"
"Really?" There was a hint of ridicule in Yuliu's eyes, and he thought it was quite outrageous.
People outside said that the princess lived alone in a foreign country without any support, but her husband became the support of others.
What a scumbag.
Alas, she still has to take action.
Seeing Yuliu's worried look, Yumei encouraged her, "Seriously? Just buy whatever the girl likes. Even buying a whole building wouldn't be a problem."
Upon hearing this, Yu Liu smiled sincerely and mischievously: "There's no need to buy a house. Please, I've just introduced this one, this one, and that one, that one, and that one..."
The maid stood there nervously since she heard the royal family's name. When Yuliusu pointed to one item, she took it one by one. After she took about five or six items, the other party changed the subject.
"I don't want any of these." Yu Liu smiled faintly in response to the maid's suppressed shock. "Pack the rest according to my size, two each. One will be sent to Yuqing Courtyard in Liuxiang, East Street, and one to the Fourth Prince's residence. Thank you for your hard work."
Yumei obviously didn't expect Yuliu to be so rude, and her face changed immediately. However, because of what she had said long ago, she had to bite the bullet and pretend to be calm for a moment. She pretended to give a few instructions, then took out the silver note with Prince Xiao's private seal to pay the bill, leaving the frightened maid trembling on the spot.
The maid was stunned for a long moment before she remembered to stand up and serve tea and water to Yuliu. She mumbled, "Just now, just now, I was blind and neglected you! As soon as Shengyun Pavilion has counted these clothes, we will immediately send the whole set to your residence... I just don't know your name, young lady?"
Yuliu said calmly, "Su."
The maid was confused for a moment, as she didn't remember there was such a person named "Su" in the capital of Xiao State. Then she immediately reacted and her face turned pale.
——The princess who married into the Song Kingdom had the surname “Su”!
But, isn’t the prince’s consort... missing?
The maid was extremely panicked. In a flash, all kinds of melodramatic dramas flashed through her mind. She fell silent immediately. She was so frightened that she didn't even bother to put away the precious cloth in her hands. She knelt down to Yuliu and said, "Little, little..."
"I'm not the Fourth Prince's consort, so there's no need to be so nervous." Yu Liu didn't seem to care. Her gaze shifted from the hall to the trembling maid kneeling on the ground. She smiled and helped her up personally, her voice soft and gentle as always. "When you take her to the Fourth Prince's residence, just say 'This is a meeting gift from my younger sister to my elder sister. It's still cold, so take care.'"
However, when the maid heard this, she trembled even more violently.
Since the Fourth Prince married the princess two years ago, there has been no one else in his room. Where did this person who can call the Fourth Prince's wife a sister come from?
Could it be... ?
No wonder everyone doesn’t know.
Not everyone can be a stand-in.
The Fourth Prince was very arrogant, and he could achieve his goal just by showing up briefly, so he must have her support.
Yuliu, Su Yuliu, could originally call the heroine "sister".
It's a pity that my elder sister is the eldest daughter of the Left Prime Minister of Song State and the Princess Yongning appointed by the Emperor himself. In order to establish an alliance between the two countries, she married the fourth prince of Qin State.
But his younger sister was just an accident that happened on a whim when Su's father was on a diplomatic mission to the Kingdom of Xiao. They had been living in a foreign country for many years and had never recognized each other. She grew up in a place of brothels and had only learned the skills of being delicate and charming.
In the original novel, the original body had been staying obediently in Yuqing Courtyard, and there was no need for Yumei to spend real money to win him over. He was already dreaming of stepping on his elder sister to climb to the top of the social ladder, and his mind, eyes, and mouth were all about the Fourth Prince.
If Yuliu wants to advance the progress, the first thing she needs to do is to get rid of the grudges and restrictions caused by the identities of "mistress" and "substitute".
Therefore, she had come out specially today to confess her identity. As for how the capital would talk about her, the "Sister of the Fourth Prince's Consort" in the future, it would depend on what the Fourth Prince was thinking.
If the Fourth Prince still chooses to allow the rumor of "The Fourth Prince has a concubine" to spread to provoke the heroine, he will try to use the rumor to attract Su Yunyue's attention and force her to "correct" her attitude and become his vassal.
Yu Liu could only say that the male protagonist was holding the script of the tragic love story with his own strength. Even if she was the matchmaker who came down to earth, she could only sigh that she could do nothing to help.
【Author’s words】
Yu Liu: You can let me work as a plot worker, but you have to pay me first. I want a salary!
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