fraud
Five days later, Ping An led Qiu Yan, who had just received a scathing lecture from her, to Sihailou.
—She had virtually no foothold in the palace, while Qiu Yan, though useless, was one of the few people she could rely on.
Upon hearing the innkeeper say that Lin Yimo had been waiting for a long time, Ping An strode up with a hint of urgency. After entering the private room, he went straight to the girl next to Lin Yimo without even saying hello, and lifted her chin to examine her closely.
“No,” Ping An thought of Fu Rui’s stunningly beautiful face and loosened his grip with some disgust: “He would never like such a bland face.”
Although Lin Yimo knew there was a misunderstanding between Ping An and Cui Shenzhi, he did not expect that as his wife, Ping An not only did not know Cui Shenzhi's feelings, but also thought that Cui Shenzhi was a lustful person, so he did not react immediately.
Qiao Siyu, the girl Lin Yimo brought along, couldn't help but chuckle softly at the sight.
She lowered her head and curtsied to Ping An, saying, "Miss, you are mistaken. You think I am bland... but that person may not think so."
Hearing this, Ping An scoffed and turned away, intending to mock Qiao Siyu for overestimating herself, but was stunned by the scene before her.
Qiao Siyu's face was still the same, but her eyes and expression were completely different from before, giving her a bewitching charm that was more like a demon than a human. Even Ping An, who was also a woman, couldn't help but be mesmerized when they looked at each other.
Ping An quickly turned his head away, and after composing himself, he turned back around, but he didn't dare to look at Qiao Siyu anymore. Instead, he looked at Lin Yimo and said sincerely, "Lin Yimo, I know you are capable, but I didn't expect you to be this capable. You were able to find such a beauty. But you were willing to give her away instead of keeping her for yourself. You wouldn't be... impotent, would you?"
Lin Yimo was also seeing Qiao Siyu like this for the first time, and was a little stunned. Then he heard Ping An's words and saw the undisguised suspicion in Ping An's eyes. His face turned red and then dark and then red again.
"Miss, watch your words!" Lin Yimo, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, couldn't control her voice and shouted at Ping An, "I'm just not interested in beautiful women!"
Qiao Siyu blinked, regained her previous composure, and said with a light laugh, "Yes, Your Highness, please rest assured, Lord Lin... is very capable. It's just that Lord Lin doesn't like my 'plain' manner."
Ping An thought about Qiao Siyu's alluring appearance just now and asked more sincerely, "Lin Yimo, you can't even find someone like her attractive? Are you planning to grow old alone? Or are your eyes not very good?"
Before Lin Yimo could answer, Ping An turned to Qiao Siyu and said seriously, "How do you know if Lin Yimo is up to the task? You wouldn't... Let me be frank, he met someone he liked a few days ago, but he didn't make a move because that girl came from a brothel. If you also lose your innocence, even if you can bewitch everyone, he might not like you."
"Don't worry, young lady. Nothing happened between me and Lord Lin. The reason I know that Lord Lin is very good is because he was once drugged with aphrodisiacs. I saw with my own eyes whether he is good or not. It's just that Lord Lin doesn't like someone like me. Even if he was drugged and we were alone in a room, he wouldn't touch me with a single finger. So my innocence is still intact."
Ping An breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Lin Yimo with a hint of admiration.
Lin Yimo's face flushed red. He stammered for a long time but couldn't say anything. He stormed off in anger, but didn't go far. Instead, he stood at the door waiting. After all, Ping An hadn't said that he would bring Qiao Siyu into the palace, so he had to make sure Qiao Siyu was sent back properly.
As Qiao Siyu watched Lin Yimo's departing figure, a bittersweet expression appeared in her eyes.
Ping An raised an eyebrow, looking at Qiao Siyu with a scrutinizing gaze.
"You... like Lin Yimo?"
"I wouldn't dare deceive you, Miss," Qiao Siyu sighed softly. "But my status is not respectable, I can't have children, and I don't have a good family background. Why should I hinder a promising court official?"
"So you're willing to enter the palace to serve Lin Yimo for his future?"
"Why should you care whether it is true or not, young lady? In any case, I can help you win that man's favor, so what if I also whisper sweet nothings in his ear while I'm doing the same for Lord Lin? You and Lord Lin have no conflict of interest."
"Besides, aren't you going to cooperate with Lord Lin? What's the difference between me helping him and helping you? And don't you think I'm better off this way?" Qiao Siyu looked at Ping An, her eyes full of sincerity: "I have someone in my heart, so I will never fall in love with that person. I won't have children, and I will never bring them into the open. You never have to worry about me becoming a threat to you, and you have no reason to do anything to harm you."
Ping An thought about it and felt that it made some sense, but not much.
"Just because you don't like him and won't have children doesn't mean you won't have selfish motives. After all, you have other family members. You seem to be quite sentimental, but who knows what audacious things you might do for your family."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Siyu's expression vanished completely.
She looked at Ping An, her face full of sadness, and said, "Miss, you are of noble status. You probably don't know that in brothels, besides those bought, there are also those born."
"Give birth? Who gives birth?"
“Those years are gone, and I haven’t saved enough money to redeem myself, yet I want to leave this life.” Qiao Siyu lowered her head and said softly, “That’s why Lin Yimo sent me to you, Miss. Someone like me, who is rotten and filthy to the core, who knows nothing but pleasing men, and who has been drugged and can’t have children, isn’t that exactly what you need?”
Looking at Qiao Siyu, Ping An felt a sense of looking in a mirror.
What Qiao Siyu said was also talking about her, wasn't it? Her biological father killed her mother, and she was abandoned by both her father and her maternal clan, raised by everyone as an illegitimate child born into a corrupt palace. Wasn't she inherently rotten and filthy? Didn't she only learn how to please men from the deposed concubines in the cold palace? Aside from not being drugged, how was she any different from Qiao Siyu?
Ping An chuckled softly.
"Yes, you are exactly the person I need." She reached out and touched Qiao Siyu's face meaningfully, saying, "Then I'll have to ask you to help me please him when I'm not available."
*****
Lin Yimo waited outside the room for a long time without any movement from inside. Just as he was about to knock on the door, he heard Ping An calling him from inside.
Upon entering the room, he noticed the atmosphere was somewhat heavy. He frowned, about to ask a question, when he saw Qiao Siyu wink at him playfully.
Seeing Qiao Siyu's familiar prank succeed, Lin Yimo felt a pang of heartache. He suddenly felt that sending Qiao Siyu to Ping An's side was a mistake. But among all the people he knew, no one was better at reading people's expressions and speaking to people in a way that suited them.
Moreover, judging from the positions of Ping An and Qiao Siyu, Qiao Siyu has clearly gained Ping An's approval, and it's too late for her to back out now.
He sighed inwardly and cupped his hands in greeting to Ping An: "Miss, do you think the person I found is still usable?"
Ping An nodded, resting his chin on his hand.
"So, should I create an accident to send her to that person, or send her directly to the palace? And what about the cooperation?"
"No need for such trouble. I'll just take her into the palace. As for the cooperation, I've already brought her into the palace, so the cooperation is naturally secured. From now on, I hope Lord Lin will give me your guidance."
"You're too kind, young lady."
After saying that, Lin Yimo straightened up, frowned, and looked at Qiao Siyu seriously.
Qiao Siyu knew this meant she shouldn't act recklessly, and nodded gently.
Lin Yimo finally felt relieved and turned to leave. After all, the person had been delivered and the cooperation had been finalized, so there was no need for him to stay any longer. Then he saw Qiao Siyu make a face at him, which made him very anxious for the next few days. He was always worried that Qiao Siyu would cause trouble in the palace. It wasn't until Qiao Siyu sent good news that he was finally able to relax.
*****
As soon as Lin Yimo left, Qiao Siyu asked about Cui Shenzhi.
"Miss, since you want me to serve that person, could you tell me about his likes and dislikes? After all, if I accidentally offend him, I won't be of any use."
"Lin Yimo didn't tell you? I don't believe Lin Yimo didn't know his likes and dislikes."
"You jest, young lady. Lord Lin is, after all, a man. He only knows about the character and conduct of each person. As for likes and dislikes, of course, one should ask you, his wife. Don't you agree?"
Ping An thought about it and agreed, so she began to recount her daily interactions with Cui Shenzhi.
“He doesn’t have any particularly obvious likes or dislikes. Whether it’s the smell of incense, the type of clothing, the color and pattern of clothes, or even the food he eats, he doesn’t show any dislike. It’s like he likes everything.”
Qiao Siyu thought about what Lin Yimo had told her, and after looking at Ping An, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Lin Yimo said that Cui Shenzhi didn't like incense, but Ping An, who smelled strongly of osmanthus, said that Cui Shenzhi did like it; Lin Yimo said that Cui Shenzhi didn't like extravagance, but Ping An, who wore clothes with gold and silver threads, said that Cui Shenzhi liked it; Lin Yimo said that Cui Shenzhi didn't like ostentation, but Ping An, who was covered in pearls and jade, said that Cui Shenzhi liked it.
interesting.
"As for the person he likes... it should be someone delicate and frail, someone who needs his care, but also has a bit of a temper."
Qiao Siyu's eyes became even more playful.
Delicate and frail, needing care yet with a bit of a temper—isn't that exactly Ping An in front of us? Cui Shenzhi's favoritism is so obvious, yet Ping An feels that Cui Shenzhi would want someone else? What exactly went wrong?
She poured a cup of tea and handed it to Ping An, asking sincerely, "Miss, it sounds like you and that person are getting along quite well. Why would you want to involve someone else?"
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