Dong Shi
"benefactor?"
A-Luan looked at her suspiciously, wiped away her tears, accepted the thin piece of paper that seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, and asked in a trembling voice, "Why are you treating me so well?"
Having just met, how could he spend a fortune to get her a contract of indenture?
Amidst the filth, Xie Lingxi pushed aside the mess, and as soon as she sat down, she propped her chin up, saying, "It's only because I have a kind heart."
“Ah Luan, that Duan Lang keeps saying he loves you, but he has never redeemed you from your servitude.”
He teaches people to elope with him in the dead of night, yet he's unwilling to pay for their redemption. If they're discovered and Ah Luan is dragged back to the brothel, he won't have to do anything; he'll just gain a reputation for being a devoted lover.
She didn't mean to make sarcastic remarks, but instead offered a suggestion: "It's fate that we met today. He threatened you, coerced you, and there's that Prince Jin... It's not easy for a woman in this world. I'm willing to give you a clear path. What do you think, A-Luan?"
This brings us to the secrets concerning the Prince of Jin.
A thought flashed through Ah Luan's mind, "Every time I go to his residence, I am blindfolded and led to a waterside pavilion, where I play the zither and recite poetry for the nobleman..."
At the time, she did not understand why the Prince of Jin had summoned her only to teach her to do these refined things.
At first, she could only stay for one song, but gradually she was allowed to stay overnight at the Prince's residence. The Prince of Jin had a strange temper, sometimes as gentle as water and sometimes as raging as thunder. During this time, he forbade her to see other guests and even suppressed her indenture. Even though he rewarded her with a lot of gold and silver jewelry every time, it was of no use at all.
Humans are greedy; once they are no longer worried about food and clothing, they want freedom.
She had had enough of being subservient to the Prince of Jin, so she had a relationship with Duan Shike.
Some secrets she now feels uneasy thinking about, and she dares not tell Xie Lingxi, let alone the cold-faced young man standing behind her.
She shivered as a gust of cold wind suddenly blew in through the crack in the window, and mumbled incoherently, "That man is a madman... Thank you, Madam, for redeeming me. What if he finds out...!"
Ah Luan looked worriedly at her wife sitting at the table. The latter still looked calm and composed, while the handsome young man behind her helped her up and coldly said, "This brat deserves to die!"
Xie Lingxi: "..."
After a long silence, she clapped her hands and said, "Well said."
Then he turned to A-Luan and asked, "I came here by chance today, and there's something else—the other day, the heir of the Marquis of Yongyi spent a fortune on the courtesan, which aroused the jealousy of the Prince of Qin. Afterwards, the two met in a narrow alley and a fight broke out. Is the lady aware of this?"
The King of Qin, the Crown Prince... Ah Luan knew about this.
She happened to be passing by that day when she saw Li Zheng, supporting his drunken wife, push open the door and enter. Then, a figure in dark robes stumbled inside. She heard clearly the sound of something falling and screaming coming from inside. She hesitated for a moment, wanting to go in and stop them, but was stopped by the owner.
Liu Rumei said at the time, "Everyone has their own karma, why should A-Luan meddle in other people's business?"
Xie Lingxi paused, "What do you mean by cause and effect?"
Ah Luan shook her head, one hand gripping the hem of her lotus-colored dress tightly. "I don't know either. About an hour later, the two of them left one after the other, and then I heard... that thing happened..."
A hint of fear flashed in the young woman's eyes; it was unclear what she had seen.
Xie Lingxi tapped her fingertips erratically on the table. "Do you know where that courtesan is now?"
Ah Luan shook her head again: "I haven't seen Sister Qingyun since that day."
After these words were spoken, the room fell silent.
A warm fragrance wafted from the red tent, and the blossoms outside the courtyard, blooming and falling, drifted tenderly into the room, swirling before everyone's eyes.
Xie Lingxi picked up the fallen flower, smelled the azalea scent, and a lingering suspicion arose in her heart—
Was it really just a coincidence that a courtesan disappeared without a trace and a nobleman suffered losses on both sides?
What a coincidence!
What exactly is the cause and effect that Liu Rumei mentioned? If we only read the literal meaning, besides the discord between the King of Qin and the Crown Prince over the competition for the courtesan, could there be any other rift between them...?
After thinking it over, Xie Lingxi looked up at Liu Xu, and both of them realized that Liu Rumei was a man of the Prince of Pingnan.
With the death of the Prince of Pingnan, what should this wealthy shopkeeper think? The struggle for imperial power has always been cruel. In this previous contest, the princess had a slight advantage. There will always be those who are pragmatic and want to be the true "heroes".
...
"surrender?"
Yan Ying picked up a glistening grape, put it in her mouth, her movements languid, yet her gaze was sharp. Opposite her sat a man with a frosty expression, his eyebrows sharply arched, who slowly opened his lips and said, "Is Your Highness satisfied with the fate of the King of Qin?"
How could it not be satisfactory? Severing her arms and legs without harming her life fulfills her wish without disregarding any familial bonds—such a brilliant solution!
Yan Ying sat up straight and smiled, "I've received Manager Liu's pledge of loyalty. But I don't understand, there are countless capable people out there, why did you specifically choose me?"
"The princess possesses great talent and ambition."
Liu Rumei took the bamboo slip from Zhu Yu and smiled slightly: "From the very beginning, I bet you could win."
Although Zhu Yu was ostensibly under the command of the Prince of Pingnan, after working together for several days, she realized who his true master was behind the scenes.
The ruthlessness of kings and nobles is too strong, unlike the gentle and virtuous nature of princesses. People choose to serve a good master, and naturally they should think more about their own interests.
Since the princess used her Qilou to kill Cui Jue, she didn't mind adding another stroke to the princess's merit list.
“The Prince of Pingnan is dull-witted and cannot see clearly, but I understand that although Xiangshan is a good place to kill and bury the body, it is not as fierce as the bustling streets and markets… to attract attention and force people into the trap, all kinds of schemes are admirable.”
Yan Ying was pleased by the praise, but still waved her hand and said, "No, you're overthinking it."
"Is that so?" Liu Rumei raised an eyebrow. "Then this time, it's not just wishful thinking on my part, is it? With the Qin King deposed, the Lu family can only rely on the princess. Even though the princess is a woman, she might as well fight for the family's glory."
"Is that what Your Highness thinks too?"
The courtyard is filled with beautiful scenery and fertile fields. Two beautiful women sit facing each other. On the beams and by the water, there are fresh and beautiful flowers. It is clearly a simple and elegant painting of ladies.
Yan Ying's eyes burned with an untimely ambition. "What do you seek?"
Liu Rumei chuckled three times: "I am just a businessman. I do not seek fame or fortune. I only want to be a wealthy and leisurely person."
Living in Chang'an is not easy. For people like her, the protection of a benefactor is the foundation for a secure life.
"That's easy."
Remembering something, Yan Ying suddenly leaned over and said softly, "Does that young master of the Marquis of Yongyi's mansion have a grudge against you? Or is he just an unlucky fellow who was wrongly accused?"
Just like Liu Xu back then, he was randomly chosen and given the title of scapegoat.
Liu Rumei obviously remembered this matter as well, and felt a little more relaxed. When the princess saw this, she simply called over Zhu Yu and brought out melons, fruits, and flower cakes. The three of them sat around and chatted.
"Lord Liu, I'm so sorry to him—but both were drugged. One only suffered a minor leg injury, while the other was kicked by a horse and is still unconscious..."
Liu Rumei sighed, "This is the difference between a smart person and a fool."
Liu Xu, being from the same clan as her, truly inherited her intelligence. As for Li Zheng, he was immediately captivated by her beauty and fragrance, disregarding everything else.
The princess narrowed her eyes. "I've heard that Li Zheng already has a wife. With his current predicament, won't his wife be weeping bitterly?"
Li Zheng brought this upon himself, and his insistence on switching allegiances and fighting endlessly with the King of Qin is understandable. However, if his actions resulted in the birth of another pitiful woman who lost her husband at a young age, it would be quite lamentable.
Liu Rumei: "Weeping bitterly? Your Highness is joking. How could I weep bitterly when I am far away from that lowly person?"
"Oh? You bitch?"
It seems there really is some grudge?
The two men stopped what they were doing, waiting for Liu Rumei to continue, when the woman looked around and suddenly asked, "Is Madam Xie here?"
The princess slowly pondered her words, discerning a slightly unusual meaning. "Thank you, Madam... Xie Lingxi?"
"You know her?"
Liu Rumei: "Today, Madam Xie came to my place and took away the indenture of a young lady from Qilou. That young lady had once been married to Prince Jin. I have also heard some rumors about Madam Xie and Prince Jin, so I know her."
The princess asked in surprise, "Why is she suddenly so kind again?"
The latter shook his head. "Speaking of Li Zheng's matter, it is also somewhat related to Lady Xie. Does the princess know about the scandal involving Li Zheng's cousin, Lin Jun, and Princess Qixia at the Xie family banquet?"
The matter spread like wildfire, and everyone in Chang'an knew about it.
How could Yan Ying not know that this was Xie Lingxi's doing, for the sake of a past event? She not only glimpsed her past life, but also specially sent people to investigate. At this moment, she nodded: "Yes."
Liu Rumei continued, "Because of this, the princess harbored resentment and caused Li Zheng to abandon Gu Niangzi, with whom he had secretly pledged his life, and only then did he marry his current wife, following the orders of his parents and the words of the matchmaker."
"His current wife is named Zhang Yuan. Because he often visits Qilou, Zhang Yuan would sometimes come to ask someone to deliver soup. Over time, we became friends. I dislike prodigal sons and hate unfaithful men even more. I can't stand Li Zheng, so this time I'll teach him a lesson."
Upon hearing this, the princess remained silent for a moment, then said, "I see."
With the story finished, Liu Rumei stood up and slowly bowed. "Thank you for your hospitality today, Your Highness. Now that the matter has been settled, there are many things to attend to in Qilou, so I will take my leave now."
The princess also stood up and nodded slightly.
After everyone had gone, she glanced at Zhu Yu, who was carefully munching on two pieces of cake, and summoned someone. The guard landed silently and spun the fallen leaves on the ground into a sharp point.
"Why bring up the spirit rhinoceros for no reason... Go and see what Madam Xie is doing."
...
The night was dark.
A light rain occasionally fell, pattering on their faces. Liu Xu took off his outer robe and wrapped it tightly around his wife as they walked hesitantly through the alley.
What A-Luan said today, concerning the Prince of Jin, sounded very clear, but Xie Lingxi still didn't believe it.
Knowing Yan Ji as she did, how could she allow herself to frequent brothels and nightclubs? Even in her current predicament, that hypocritical and sanctimonious man would certainly not be able to let go of the reputation he had painstakingly cultivated.
"Ah Luan and I don't look alike at all, you can tell, right?"
Liu Xu held Xie Lingxi's hand tightly, "Mmm."
He recalled the deliberate makeup, his voice particularly muffled in the night rain, "Just a poor imitation."
Until he left the brothel, Liu Xu was still so enraged by A Luan's words that his blood boiled and his vision blurred. Her foul language, whether true or false, was nauseating to hear.
Even if Yan Ji's wicked intentions are different from what A Luan said, his previous verbal coercion of Xie Lingxi followed by his secret poisoning is infuriating!
Xie Lingxi grasped her husband's hand in return, "It's nothing."
"Liu Rumei gave us A'luan's indenture so easily. I'm afraid the two of them are birds of a feather. What exactly is she trying to do by escalating the conflict between us and Yan Ji?"
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