Our role model
Murong Huanyun pulled Ruan Yunsheng into Xiangfei Pavilion. The warm fragrance and the sound of stringed instruments that greeted them were not as gaudy as they had imagined.
The interior of the building is elegantly furnished. The rosewood screen is embroidered with ink and mist, and the glazed lamps hanging in the corridor cast a hazy glow. Several women holding pipa lower their eyes and gently pluck the pipa, singing the Jiangnan folk song "Picking Lotus Ballad".
"Your Highness!"
A graceful woman came briskly towards him, her hair adorned with red gold hairpins. Her smile was warm but not flattering. "What brings you here? Do you want to listen to music or watch a dance today?"
Murong Huanyun casually threw a gold ingot and said, "Call the most handsome zither player here, and open a beautiful room, the one facing the water called 'Listening Snow Pavilion'."
The woman agreed and led the two of them through the corridor. Ruan Yunsheng looked around curiously along the way and saw that all the guests in the pavilion were well-dressed. Most of them were drinking tea and listening to the piano. There was no unpleasant scene, so he felt relieved.
Fortunately, it is a decent brothel.
When you open the window of the elegant room, you can see a pond of white lotus. The moon is reflected in the water, which is so quiet that it doesn’t seem like a romantic place. Not long after, a young man in white clothes holding a Jiaowei Qin bowed in. His eyebrows and eyes are picturesque, and his temperament is as clear as spring water.
Murong Huanyun leaned against the soft couch, tapping the table with his fingertips: "How is it? This is the top star in the building."
When the sound of the zither began, it was like the sound of pine waves passing by his ears. Ruan Yunsheng gradually relaxed. Seeing her calm and skilled appearance, he couldn't help but ask in a low voice: "Your Highness often comes here?"
Murong Huanyun raised his eyebrows and smiled: "Although this is a brothel, we sell art but not our bodies. You don't mean to..."
"Absolutely not!" Ruan Yunsheng denied it hastily, his ears red.
Murong Huanyun laughed and poked her forehead with his fingertips: "I didn't say anything, don't be so nervous~"
As he spoke, he clapped his hands three times, and the pearl curtain of the elegant room rang softly. Four beautiful young men with different styles came in one after another: one held a zither with lowered eyes, one held a fan and smiled softly, one held a glass of wine and danced gracefully, and one held a flute and stood tall.
"These are the Four Wonders of Xiangfei Pavilion," Murong Huanyun lazily propped up his chin, "Qin Jinghe, Shan Yaoyun, Jiu Qingyue, Xiao Yinhuang. Today, you will serve our Miss Ruan."
Ruan Yunsheng was suddenly in a panic. When Qin Jinghe massaged her shoulders, she was as stiff as a rock. When Jiu Qingyue handed her the glass cup, she choked and coughed. When Xiao Yinhuang smiled and wanted to massage her legs, she was so scared that she jumped up from the embroidered cushion!
Murong Huanyun laughed so hard that her body shook with laughter: "Could it be that my sister already has someone she loves? Why are you so shy?"
Ruan Yunsheng muttered softly, "That's true... Besides, that jealous guy at home is really strong."
"Men need to be taught, not spoiled!" Murong Huanyun waved his hand casually. "With our status, what's wrong with keeping a few actors? In my palace..."
She held up three fingers.
Ruan Yunsheng asked tentatively, "Three?"
"Thirty!" Murong Huanyun raised his eyebrows. "That's enough for a whole month to have a new one every day, so everyone gets treated equally~"
Ruan Yunsheng gasped, with stars of admiration in her eyes: "Change one every day! Sister is awesome!"
A role model for our generation!
But thinking of Song Tinghe's jealous look, she immediately became timid: "I'd better be devoted to him... I'm afraid he will tear the roof off my house."
Murong Huanyun shook his head in frustration, "If you find someone you like in the future, feel free to come find me. I want to see who dares to gossip about you."
A cold light flashed from her fingertips, and the silver hairpin fell on the corner of the table. "This is the result of talking too much!"
Ruan Yunsheng was so touched that she announced that the eldest princess would be her biological sister from now on!
Seeing that Ruan Yunsheng was really unable to let go, Murong Huanyun did not force him and waved his hand to let the group of actors leave. In an instant, there were only the two of them in the room.
Ruan Yunsheng looked at the flying willow catkins outside the window and asked softly, "Your Highness, why did you protect me so much that day?"
Murong Huanyun scoffed, his fingertips casually fiddling with the ashes in the incense burner. "I simply can't stand those who are two-faced."
She suddenly turned her head, her eyes sharp as a knife, "What's more, a concubine's daughter who climbed into the upper class by climbing into the bed is worthy of bullying the legitimate daughter of Luohe County Master?"
Ruan Yunsheng's fingertips suddenly tightened: "Your Highness knows my background?"
"What kind of secret is this?"
Murong Huanyun raised an eyebrow. "Your mother, Princess Luohe, was a talented woman famous throughout the capital. Her song 'Breaking the Formation Music' could make all the scholars in the Hanlin Academy bow down to her. It's a pity that you were blind enough to fall for such an ungrateful person."
She sneered, "Ruan Jichuan was just a horse slave in your mother's house. He happened to block an arrow for the princess and was favored. The princess pushed him into the army and used her connections in the palace to pave his way. Who knew that this lowly slave had been hiding a mistress, Liu Ruyan, in the countryside and had a child with her."
"When your mother was weak after giving birth, Liu Ruyan dared to bring the child with her to the palace. The princess was so angry that she vomited blood and died within three months." Murong Huanyun slammed down his teacup. "And yet, that pair of bastards threw a banquet while your mother was still in mourning. It was a complete disgrace to our family!"
Ruan Yunsheng trembled all over when he heard this, and his nails dug into his palms until blood oozed out. Although he had no memory of this mother, he was still heartbroken for the woman he had never met.
Murong Huanyun suddenly held her trembling hand and said, "If you need to deal with that scumbag family in the future, just come to me."
The corners of her lips curled up ruthlessly, "We should also let some people know that a pheasant that crawls into the phoenix's nest will eventually fall back into the mire!"
To appease Ruan Yunsheng, Murong Huanyun took her shopping in the capital's bustling streets, buying her tons of rouge, powder, jewelry, and silk. Finally, he gave her a box of imperial-made golden candied dates and said with a smile, "Sister, you're happy today. Come visit me often!"
Ruan Yunsheng returned to the Ruan Mansion briskly with a bunch of gifts in his arms. He was still thinking about which snacks he could share with Song Tinghe, but as soon as he stepped into the front hall, he was shocked by the scene in front of him and stopped in his tracks.
Ruan Jichuan was seen sitting in the main seat with a gloomy face, while Ruan Qinghe was huddled in the corner with an unconcealable look of gloating on his face.
The room was dead silent, even the crackling of the candlelight seemed harsh.
“Kneel down!”
Ruan Yunsheng didn't move.
Ruan Jichuan slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacups to clang. His eyes were filled with fury, and his hands were shaking as he pointed at the pile of brocade boxes in Ruan Yunsheng's arms. "You rebellious girl! How dare you deceive Murong Huanyun and humiliate Qinghe in public? You're throwing the Ruan family's reputation on the ground!"
Before Ruan Yunsheng could speak, Liu Ruyan suddenly sighed softly, "Master, please calm down. Yunsheng grew up in the countryside, so it's normal for him to not understand the rules of the capital. It's just..."
She raised her eyes with tears in her eyes, "The eldest princess embarrassed Qinghe in the street today. Everyone is afraid of this now. Qinghe's reputation is probably..."
She looked at the master with embarrassment, obviously wanting him to make a decision.
Ruan Yunsheng faced the overwhelming pressure in the room, his back straight, and said in a sharp voice: "Today in the clothing store, Third Sister deliberately humiliated me with vulgar clothes. The eldest princess saw the injustice and helped me. If Madam Liu really wants to talk about family education..."
Her gaze swept across Liu Ruyan like a knife. "Why don't we first ask, who taught her own daughter to bully her elder sister in public?"
Ruan Qinghe immediately threw herself at Ruan Jichuan's legs and cried, "Daddy! Second sister is clearly relying on the eldest princess's support to embarrass me on purpose! She even forced me to eat dirty food from street vendors..."
Ruan Jichuan's face grew increasingly gloomy, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged as he clenched the family whip tightly. "Evil creature! You contradicted your elders and bullied your sister, and you still dare to quibble!"
The whip whistled and was about to strike -
“Bang!”
Ruan Yunsheng suddenly pulled out a red-gold token from his bosom and slammed it heavily on the table! The pattern of a phoenix with outstretched wings on the token shone brightly in the candlelight, and on the back was the seal of "Murong Huanyun".
"The eldest princess and I have a good relationship. This is the Phoenix Order she personally gave me." She looked around at everyone, a sarcastic smile on her lips. "Who dares to touch me today?"
The room suddenly fell silent. Liu Ruyan's hands froze as she twirled her Buddhist beads. Had this damned girl truly been favored by the Grand Princess? Why would she hand over such an important item?
Ruan Qinghe's cries were stuck in her throat. Feng Lingruo was here in person, and hurting the person holding the order was like killing a royal relative!
Ruan Jichuan suppressed his anger and forced a stiff smile: "Sheng'er, why didn't you tell me earlier? I didn't know you were so close to the eldest princess."
"I wonder if Your Highness has mentioned anything recently about the border food and fodder deployment?" A gleam of light shone in his eyes. "I, your father, am also concerned about state affairs..."
Ruan Yunsheng scoffed and slowly put away the token: "If father wants to know, why not ask the princess in person?"
After saying that, he turned around and left, leaving behind a group of angry people.
Liu Ruyan's voice trembled with allure, "Master, think carefully. How could a person like the eldest princess so easily give the Phoenix Order to Sheng'er, whom she had just met? I'm afraid that this child, in order to protect herself, has used some fake thing to scare others..."
"Shut up!"
Ruan Jichuan slapped her across the face with a backhand, so hard that her hair was disheveled. "The red gold quenching pattern on the Phoenix Order is a unique craftsmanship of the Imperial Household Department. The strokes of the word Murong conceal seven anti-counterfeiting marks. Do you think I've been working in the Ministry of War for nothing all these years?"
Ruan Qinghe was so frightened that he rushed over to support his mother, tears streaming down his face: "Daddy, calm down! I'm just worried..."
"And you!"
Ruan Jichuan pointed at her nose and angrily scolded, "The Ruan family has raised you with luxurious clothes and delicious food for fifteen years, but you are not even as good as a country girl! You can't even get the favor of the princess, and you can only cry and gossip. What a waste!"
He flicked his sleeves and said to the servants, "Order! From now on, the Second Young Lady's food and expenses will be treated like those of a legitimate daughter. Four guards will be assigned to guard Qingyi Garden day and night. If there is any negligence..."
He swept a cold gaze over Liu Ruyan and her daughter, "You are the only ones who are asking!"
After Ruan Jichuan left angrily, Liu Ruyan collapsed to the ground, her nails digging deeply into her palms. Ruan Qinghe tried to help her in a panic, but she grabbed his wrist.
"We can't delay any longer."
Liu Ruyan's eyes were filled with venomous fire. "That girl must be dealt with as soon as possible. Contact her tomorrow..."
Within two days, the news that Ruan Yunsheng had won the favor of the eldest princess spread throughout the powerful circles in the capital. The threshold of Qingyi Garden was almost trampled down by the servants delivering invitations, and the dressing table was piled with various gold-plated invitations. Even the imperial concubine in the palace sent someone to deliver a pair of jade ruyi to test the market trend.
As Liu Ruyan walked into Qingyi Garden, clutching two gilded peony invitations, the smile on her face was stiffer than the artificial flowers outside the window. "Sheng'er, Minister Li is hosting a flower viewing banquet in a couple of days, and he's sent an invitation to our family."
She gently placed the invitation on the table, her fingertips tightening imperceptibly, "The Li family is a prestigious family. You two sisters should come with me so that you can see the world."
Ruan Yunsheng was trying on the ruby earrings Murong Huanyun had given her in the mirror. Hearing this, he glanced at Liu Ruyan in the mirror and said, "Thank you for your concern, mother. I've been feeling tired lately, and I'm afraid I'll spoil everyone's fun."
"Why are you refusing, sister?"
Ruan Qinghe suddenly flashed in from outside and took Ruan Yunsheng's arm affectionately. "The crabapple blossoms in Li Garden are the best in the whole capital. Wouldn't it be a pity if you don't go and see them?"
She dug her nails into Ruan Yunsheng's sleeves, "Besides, I heard that the eldest son of the Sun family will also be attending the banquet."
Liu Ruyan immediately responded, "Yes, General Sun invited Linxi to practice archery at the training grounds early this morning. If you can get closer to the Sun family at the banquet, it will also be beneficial to your brother's future."
Ever since the last falling out, Liu Ruyan didn't even bother to act anymore and directly stated the purpose of this trip.
A sneer flashed in Ruan Yunsheng's eyes. It turned out that he was waiting here, using her brother's future as a pawn to force her to become a pawn of the Ruan family to curry favor with the powerful.
But since you came to her on your own initiative, don't blame her for being rude.
She gently brushed the tassel of the invitation with her fingertips: "Since mother and sister are so kind, I will go."
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