asshole
Shen Er chuckled and leaned closer to whisper, "Sir, I'm not afraid you'll laugh at me, but this woman is a match for my deceased brother."
“My brother is dead, so this whole family fortune is mine. I have to find him a good match.”
The official said, "You're really going all out."
In the practice of arranging marriages between the living and the dead, the girls are often bought from impoverished families or from brothels, which can cost a considerable amount of money.
Shen Er: "Let me tell you the truth, this woman is sick. She said she ran away from that plague-stricken village in the south. She won't live long and is very cheap."
"If she weren't quite good-looking, I wouldn't have spent this much money."
Upon hearing that it was a plague, the guard took several steps back in disgust, covering his mouth and nose, and said with revulsion, "Plague?! Get away from me!"
Shen Er took a few steps back in fear: "Sir, I'm so sorry, but could you please let me go first? Otherwise, if this woman dies here, none of us will be alright."
The guard hesitated for a moment and glanced into the distance.
The captain of the guards was examining the group of girls one by one. The real mission this time was to catch Princess Jialing in the act of pleasure at Yinxiang Pavilion and to confirm her crime of adultery. The others were insignificant.
Shen Er slapped Zhu Qinghe's butt and said in a harsh voice, "You're not dead yet, are you?"
Zhu Qinghe coughed in anger, her face turning red.
You bastard, you just wait, you're dead!
Shen Er looked at the guard obsequiously, "Sir, what do you think of this...?"
The guard stepped aside, waving his hand dismissively: "Go on, go on!"
Shen Er bowed and scraped as he went out the back door, then turned through several alleys to a secluded spot before finally putting the person on his shoulder down.
The moment her feet touched the ground, Zhu Qinghe rushed out like a firecracker, not even having time to fix her hair, and punched him in the shoulder.
Shen Er didn't move at all. Zhu Qinghe glared at him and asked, "Why didn't you dodge?"
Chen Er: "Weren't you just holding back, waiting to beat me up? Why did you dodge?"
Zhu Qinghe was still unconvinced and wanted to say something more, but Shen Er pulled her away to hide. "Stop making a scene, someone's coming."
Zhu Qinghe was forced to shrink into his arms. Heavy, orderly footsteps approached, and someone grabbed a passerby and asked, "Have you seen a beautiful girl dressed in gorgeous clothes?"
"..." The two of them looked down at the gray linen overcoat Zhu Qinghe was wearing. After a night of drinking and sleeping, it was wrinkled and looked like pickled cabbage in a jar.
In the silence, Zhu Qinghe posed a crucial question: "Are you sure they're really looking for me?"
The guards probably never imagined that Princess Jialing of the Dali Dynasty would become the new queen of the Yinshan tribe.
When going out to have fun, they can dress like a beggar.
Zhu Qinghe scoffed at this, saying, "Anyone who goes out to a brothel dressed in revealing clothes is just asking to be ripped off."
Can't they all use their brains?
But this is a good thing.
This greatly reduces the chances of being discovered.
The guard turned into the alley, his eyes flashing sharply – someone was there!
He led his men over and found a man and a woman embracing each other intimately, their heads covered with clothes.
"Who goes there!" he demanded sharply.
The man peeked out from under his clothes: "B-Big Brother, w-what's wrong?"
Well, he still has a stutter.
These days, even stutterers like to have affairs outside.
The guard waved his hand: "Go search the next place!"
As the footsteps faded into the distance, Zhu Qinghe angrily pushed the person in front of her away, combing her hair with her fingers without saying a word.
"Is the princess angry?" Shen Er looked down to examine her expression.
"Ha!" she exclaimed.
In just one hour, she went from being a woman who had contracted the plague and was about to arrange a ghost marriage for the dead to someone who would have illicit affairs with men in dark alleys.
They really know how to assign her a status.
"It's an emergency, so we'll have to act quickly. It won't happen again next time," Shen Er comforted her.
"There will be a next time?!"
Zhu Qinghe turned and walked back, her sleeves fluttering. She had been in a good mood yesterday listening to the story, but after all this commotion, she was completely sobered up.
"Where is the princess going?"
"I'm going back to my bedchamber!"
When I got back, everyone was there.
Mu Chengwen clicked his tongue in amazement: "The other day I came back late, and you all joined together to criticize me."
"What happened yesterday? You two didn't come home all night."
She slammed her hand on the table, not too hard, but not too soft. "Now, tell me the truth!"
Mu Chengwen stood with his hands on the table, in an interrogation posture.
Liang Youan crunched on the red berries from the fruit plate.
Bai Qiuru was sitting opposite them, with no one next to her. She sighed and went over to sit down.
"Tell me first, where did you go last night?" Mu Chengwen asked Zhu Qinghe.
Zhu Qinghe: "Yinxiang Pavilion".
Goodness, everyone looked over in surprise, feeling quite uncomfortable with their gazes fixed on his face.
Even Ya'er, who was cleaning nearby, looked over.
"Then... what about Young Master Shen?" Liang Youan asked hesitantly.
Mu Chengwen interrupted her: "What Young Master Shen? That's all in the past. What about the Little Prince?"
"Wow, Qinghe, your romantic history is so complicated!" Mu Chengwen concluded with great interest.
"Oh dear, it's not what you think." Zhu Qinghe said speechlessly, "I went to gather information and just happened to hear a story."
"What did you find out?" Bai Qiuru steered the conversation back to the main topic.
Mu Chengwen wasn't going to let them off so easily. "Qiu Ru, don't try to change the subject. I haven't asked you yet, where did you go last night?"
Bai Qiuru: "...This is a long story." She subconsciously borrowed the words of Prince Qi.
Mu Chengwen pressed on: "Then make this quick."
A gentle voice rang in her ears, carrying a barely perceptible hint of amusement, teasing her without any subtlety or tact.
Bai Qiuru suppressed the memories in her mind: "I got lost while I was following them. They detained me and only let me come back after they proved my identity."
"Who put the cap on you?" Zhu Qinghe asked.
Bai Qiuru pursed her lips: "...It's Prince Qi."
"The Prince of Qi's return this time is probably not just for congratulations."
"Have you found the person I asked you to find?"
The hand wearing the black jade thumb ring removed the lampshade and ignited the secret letter in the candle flame.
The man in black kneeling on the ground said respectfully, "We've found her. Qing Que, the number two female assassin on the Tianxuan Pavilion's assassin list, has been crafted into a persona of a talented woman skilled in music, calligraphy, and painting, according to Prince Qi's preferences. Her background has also been fabricated."
"Number Two? So, there's also Number One?" the man asked.
The man in black said, "Number one is Adele, the shadow guard who was with the little prince."
“They really are monsters,” the man sighed, half-jokingly, while covering his forehead. “How can I entrust the Silver Tenon Tribe to them?”
"Yes, the king of the Silver Tenon tribe can only be you."
According to the information Zhu Qinghe gathered, Yin Luoha also had a cousin, whose father and the king were blood relatives of the same grandfather.
However, this prince was obsessed with martial arts and loved to travel, so we haven't heard much about him over the years.
"Hey, why do you care so much? If he doesn't come back, he's no threat. What I'm more curious about now is that Prince Qi, but Qiu Ru won't say anything no matter how I ask. I'm really getting frustrated!" Mu Chengwen wailed.
“Everyone has secrets,” Liang Youan said, speaking up for Bai Qiuru.
"Alright, what's the next task?" Mu Chengwen finally remembered the important matter.
"The Sky Lantern Ceremony is coming soon, and all the prominent figures of the Silver Tenon Tribe will be attending. It's said that the King is choosing a bride for His Highness Prince Qi. We'll act accordingly then."
I haven't seen Yin Luoha for several days. Although she is the nominal queen, I should still send my greetings.
Moreover, there are questions about the sky lantern ceremony.
She stopped one of Silver Lohar's maids and asked, "Where is the little prince?"
The maid was clearly nervous and said uneasily, "Your Highness, the prince... he must be busy right now. If there's anything you need, I can pass it on to you."
"Oh ho," Zhu Qinghe raised an eyebrow. "Looks like something's not right."
A slight smile played on her lips as she mischievously continued, "This princess has important matters to discuss in person. Why are you so nervous? Is the prince with another woman?"
The maid was so frightened that she knelt down on the ground with a thud. "Your Highness, please spare me! It's not another woman, it's Adele. She is the prince's shadow guard, not what you think."
Zhu Qinghe was startled and scratched her cheek, wondering if she had been too fierce and had frightened the little girl.
"Alright, get up now."
Since he's with Adele, it's not appropriate to disturb him.
She's not blind; the relationship between Yinluoha and Adele is definitely not that simple.
This was also her consideration when she accepted the mission; it was a good thing for her that Yinluoha had someone she liked.
Adele sheathed her dagger and looked at the person not far away: "What are you doing here?"
Brown deerskin boots crunched through the fallen leaves as Yin Luoha walked up to her: "Don't you practice here every day?"
Adele lowered her eyes: "If you have something to say, just send someone to tell you. Why bother coming here in person?"
"Would you have seen me if I hadn't come in person?"
Yinluoha chuckled self-deprecatingly: "You were supposed to be my shadow guard, but you're more like my master than I am."
"Adele wouldn't dare."
"Then tell me, why have you been avoiding me all this time?" Yin Luoha took a step forward, the distance between them shrinking infinitely. She was surrounded by a familiar yet longed-for aura, but all she wanted to do was escape.
This wasn't her temperature, and she couldn't let herself indulge in it.
She has her own mission; her destiny is the blade, blood, the desperate cries under the long, dark night, and a bloodied, unresolved death.
Adele wanted to back away, her heels grinding against the fallen leaves and gravel on the ground. That sluggish resistance was her last attempt to hold on and her reluctance to leave.
The wind ruffled her hair, which clung tenderly to the crook of his arm, and he followed his heart and took her wrist.
What's on your mind? Why can't you tell me?
A gentle tone seems capable of dissolving all coldness and resolve.
Adele would rather he were more hateful and unlikeable than be so gentle with her. Because every time, she had to force herself to stay strong and not collapse into his arms and cry.
But this is her own business, and she can't ask anyone for help.
Even him, especially him.
“Your Highness,” she slowly withdrew her wrist, “we are not children anymore, my affairs are none of your concern.”
"Of course, you can't help me either."
She gripped the dagger at her waist and said indifferently, "I have things to do, and you have things to do."
"It was just support when you were young. You've paid it all back over the years."
“You don’t owe me anything. Just be with the new queen…” A sudden, sharp pain in her chest made her pause, but she still managed to finish her sentence.
After a long silence, just as Adele was about to leave, Yinluoha spoke up.
"In that case, accompany me to Tianxuan Pavilion one last time tonight to say goodbye to the past."
Tianxuan Pavilion.
Images from the depths of her memory flooded back, causing her body to tremble slightly.
After a long silence, she finally spoke, "Okay."
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