Although Lan Linxue turned and left, Qin Kou'er did not leave. She glanced at the things that had been overturned on the ground, and a slow smile appeared on her lips.
Standing up, Qin Kou'er saw Jun Yannuo hurrying in, and immediately went to meet him, stopping him, and the two walked out together.
"Master, what happened?" Jun Yannuo had already noticed the mess of cups and plates on the ground and asked softly from behind Qin Kou'er.
"Nothing happened, it's just Lan Linxue throwing a tantrum," Qin Kou'er said quickly as she walked. "Where's Gao He?"
"I followed Lan Linxue to the back. But judging from Lan Linxue's expression, she doesn't look well, so I guess no one will be able to help her for a while!"
Qin Kou'er nodded, "What I want is this opportunity to stay out of their sight!"
They hurriedly took Jun Yannuo to the back courtyard where Lan Linxue was resting, and sure enough, they saw eunuchs and palace maids standing outside with their hands at their sides. Gao He was scolding the servants below him from a distance from Lan Linxue's bedroom.
Seeing her chance, Qin Kou'er quickly put on a somewhat apprehensive expression and said with a smile to the eunuch guarding the gate, "Please, sir, Qin Kou'er from Qin Tian Pavilion requests an audience with Eunuch Gao. Please inform him of this."
As she spoke, Qin Kou'er gave Jun Yannuo a wink, and Jun Yannuo smiled and quietly slipped a silver ingot into the little eunuch's hand.
The young eunuch, being pragmatic, secretly hid the silver ingot and said with a smile, "Please wait a moment, Master. I'll go and report to Eunuch Gao now!"
Soon, Gao He walked out with an arrogant air, exuding the demeanor of a servile nobleman.
"Sect Master Qin, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but the fact that the Crown Prince is staying at your residence is truly a testament to the good deeds your ancestors must have performed. You seem to be a respectable person who knows how to speak and handle affairs, so how did you manage to offend the Crown Prince for no reason?"
Before Gao He had even stopped, he began to criticize Qin Kou'er, to which Kou'er, of course, smiled and agreed repeatedly.
"Your Excellency is right. We are, after all, from a small place and are unfamiliar with the rules of the royal family. We have offended the Crown Prince, which makes me very uneasy. However, Your Excellency has always been a favorite of the Crown Prince, and we hope that you can put in a good word for us. Your word is worth more than a thousand of our words. Otherwise, my little Qin Tian Pavilion cannot bear your wrath!"
As she spoke, Kou'er secretly spat out what was hidden in her sleeve and placed it discreetly in Gao He's hand, whispering, "There's nothing else good about Jiangnan, except that some of the courtyards have a certain charm. Kou'er knows that you've devoted yourself to the palace for many years, saying countless good words and taking on so much trouble for us! So, I specially chose a place for you to stay by West Lake. Although it's not as luxurious as the palace, it still has some of the charm of the Jiangnan water towns. Especially the few young female singers you keep who perform Pingtan (a type of storytelling and ballad singing) – their voices are quite good, and they're clever too. When you have some free time, you might as well come to Jiangnan to relax and let us roughnecks learn some manners from you, so that we won't be laughed at when we go out!"
Gao He's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing Kou'er's words. He subtly slipped the house and land deeds into his sleeve, a warm smile spreading across his face. With a delicate gesture, he said, "Oh dear, what are you saying?! Serving the Crown Prince and managing affairs for the Pavilion Master—isn't that what we should be doing? Ultimately, it's because Pavilion Master Qin has such a discerning eye that she understands the hardships of people like us. The land and water of Jiangnan are truly unique; I suppose I'll be able to enjoy a life of leisure thanks to Pavilion Master Qin!"
Qin Kou'er and Gao He immediately burst into laughter, the meaning of which was self-evident.
Qin Kou'er turned to Jun Yannuo and instructed, "Prepare wine and dishes at the Elegant Abode. I want to reward our loyal Eunuch Gao!" Then, Qin Kou'er turned back and asked Gao He with a smile, "Is this convenient for you, Eunuch Gao? Will it interfere with your official duties?"
"Convenient! Convenient! The Crown Prince is angry right now, he won't calm down for a while!" With that, Gao He instructed the head eunuch behind him, then turned back and said, "Alright, let's go, Your Highness. I still need to personally discuss the Crown Prince's food, clothing, and other necessities with you to avoid any mistakes!"
Qin Kou'er immediately smiled and raised her hand, "Please, Father-in-law!"
Gao He didn't stand on ceremony and took the lead in walking outside.
Inside the elegant residence, Qin Kou'er prepared an exquisitely prepared meal for Gao He.
As Qin Kou'er poured wine for Gao He, she said, "There's nothing special here, just some ordinary food and wine. I hope you won't mind!"
"I don't mind at all. As long as it's the Pavilion Master's banquet, even if it's just simple mountain dishes, it's fine! Hahaha—"
Qin Kou'er and Gao He both laughed, making the atmosphere even more harmonious.
After a few rounds of drinks, Qin Kou'er deliberately sighed and slowly put down her chopsticks.
Gao He was an old hand in the palace, so he was naturally very familiar with such scenes. He figured Qin Kou'er was about to spend a fortune.
He smiled slightly and put down his wine cup. "Is the Pavilion Master facing some difficulties? Why not speak frankly with me? I dare not speak of other matters, but I do know a little about the Crown Prince's affairs!"
Qin Kou'er smiled gratefully at Gao He, but her face still showed worry. "Eunuch, His Highness the Crown Prince doesn't seem to like me. I don't know what I did to offend him. Just now, I was serving him a meal, and it was going well, but for some reason, he suddenly got angry. He not only threw down his chopsticks but also threw the plate down. It really terrified me. I hope you can give me some pointers so I won't make the same mistake next time!"
Gao He laughed heartily, "Sect Leader, don't worry too much. Our Crown Prince has always been unpredictable, and he does lose his temper occasionally. As long as you don't do anything wrong, the Crown Prince will never get angry!"
"Oh? What did you do wrong?" Qin Kou'er immediately became interested and asked with her eyes shining.
Gao He slowly extended his finger and said, "First, you must never mention his background in front of the Crown Prince. This is a major taboo. The Pavilion Master must remember this."
Second, never think you're clever enough to send women to the Crown Prince! Never send any kind of woman! Otherwise, you'll only be met with a cold, sharp blade.
Third, never give the Crown Prince anything black or with a strong flavor; otherwise, even if you offer him the best of everything, you will only become his enemy!
After hearing these three points, Qin Kou'er felt a surge of excitement. "Lan Linxue, your secret is about to fall into my hands. This time, you really can't escape."
Picking up the wine pot, Qin Kou'er poured wine for Gao He with even greater enthusiasm, "Eunuch, please give me some pointers. The matter of the Crown Prince is our top priority right now!"
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