Chapter 36: As long as I am hurt this badly, I can get your...
Fang Yilan sat in her study, lost in thought as she stared at the mostly empty room. Shuxue brought over an exquisite wooden box. With a cautious look on her face, she said softly, "Miss, um...the earrings you ordered earlier have been returned."
Fang Yilan took the box and opened it. The various jeweled earrings within shone with a cold, brilliant light, yet it stung her eyes. She glanced at them briefly before slamming the box shut and tossing it into the drawer, pretending she hadn't seen them.
I don't know why, but I thought about the wound on that person's wrist again. I just accidentally scratched him, so why hasn't the wound healed after three days?
Just at this moment, Xunyun arrived and handed Fang Yilan a secret letter to bring his thoughts back.
"General, we've found some clues about He Huaijiu."
It turned out that He Huaijiu's properties in the capital also included the renowned Yixianglou. Last year, Gao Qianhu, who had been buying on credit at the Kangrao Restaurant, had also secretly sold prisoners of war to this establishment.
So the person sent to assassinate her at that time might also be related to He Huaijiu?
It just so happened that Fang Yilan didn't want to think about the troubles about that person anymore, so she decided to go to Yixianglou in person to find out.
In the north wing of Yixiang Tower, crimson silk draped from the ceiling in layers. On the stage, graceful singers sang and danced. The air was thick with the fragrance of cosmetics.
Inside the north wing of Yixiang Tower, layers of crimson silk draped from the ceiling. The rich aroma of cosmetics filled the air, making this place of decadence even more alluring.
The graceful singer on the stage danced gracefully with her sleeves fluttering.
He Huaijiu was dressed in gorgeous brocade clothes and sitting on a carved pearwood chair in the elegant room. The eight-immortal table in front of him was filled with delicacies.
Two officials were sitting opposite them. The three of them were toasting each other and chatting casually about trivial matters that had happened in the capital recently.
"There's been a lot of unrest in Shangjing lately," the official said with a sigh, putting down his glass. "The Xiling envoy was inexplicably killed, and the cause remains unknown. I'm afraid the Crown Prince is having a hard time. And the Seventh Prince suddenly returned. Could he have sneaked back in among the envoys?"
He Huaijiu held the jade cup in his hand, raised his head and drank a cup, a scornful smile appeared on his face: "With the Seventh Prince's ability, can he escape from a place as dangerous as Xiling?"
"She just used some unsavory and seductive tricks to get into Fang Yilan's bed, coaxing our great general into a happy mood, and then brought him back to the capital, didn't she?"
"I heard that he was kicked out of Fang Yilan's house. With nowhere else to go, he had no choice but to return to the palace." He Huaijiu swirled the wine in his glass and sneered, "Yeah, the palace is a place that's so cruel, who would want to go back after escaping from it?"
"That's right," an official stroked his beard and nodded hurriedly in agreement. "His biological mother was just a lowly palace maid. How could she have had a good life?"
Another official beside him chimed in, "In my opinion, he'd be better off being the headliner at Yixianglou, rather than living in fear in the palace all day."
At this point, several people burst into laughter. Little did they know that the person sitting in the next private room heard their drunken words clearly, and the chopsticks in his hand snapped in two with a sound.
An official laughed, then suddenly froze. "But, wouldn't it be... inappropriate for us to speak so freely here? What if someone has ears and leaks the news? What will we do then?"
He Huaijiu put down the wine glass in his hand, and a few drops of wine splashed out. "Hmph, don't worry," he said with a hint of arrogance in his eyes. "Even if he knows, what can he do to me? I have..." The words were on the tip of his tongue, and He Huaijiu was startled. He realized that he had almost said something drunk, and hurriedly coughed to cover it up. After calming down, he continued, "Anyway, just relax, I'll hold up the sky if it falls."
Upon hearing this, the official smiled flatteringly and said, "Of course, from now on, I'll have to rely on you, Lord He!"
"That's right, come on, let's drink, don't ruin the fun over such a small matter!" Everyone raised their glasses, and the atmosphere became lively again as they drank.
After three rounds of drinking, everyone was feeling tipsy. The madam came over, swaying her waist, and said in a gentle voice, "I'm sure you gentlemen have had enough to eat and drink. The rooms on the top floor of our Yixiang Tower are the most quiet and elegant. If you are happy today, I will take you upstairs to rest. I guarantee that you will be satisfied."
The madam led the way, followed by several officials, as they walked towards the top-floor compartment with unsteady steps, occasionally bursting into vulgar laughter along the way.
He Huaijiu staggered into his own room and sat down heavily at the table. He squinted his eyes, reached out and groped for the wine jug on the table, filled a glass for himself, and just as he raised the glass to his lips.
Suddenly, everything went dark before his eyes, and a rough black cloth was thrown over his head. A flurry of punches and kicks landed on his body, knocking him to the ground.
"Who is it? Help!" He Huaijiu shouted in horror, waving his hands in the air but unable to catch anything.
"Stop hitting me, stop hitting me!" He howled in pain, curling up into a ball, trying to avoid the barrage of attacks. But the punches and kicks showed no sign of stopping, hitting him again and again, making him see stars.
He Huaijiu's screams continued to be heard, finally alarming the thugs outside.
Fang Yilan did not delay any longer. She gave He Huaijiu a final kick, turned around, flipped out the window, and jumped onto the corridor of the south wing.
The south wing of Yixiang Tower is decorated in a quiet blue, and the silk embroidery on the curtains is simple and neat, which is very different from the extravagant red and luxurious gold and jade decoration of the north wing of Yixiang Tower.
The sound of footsteps echoed in the corridor, and He Huaijiu's guards followed Fang Yilan's trail. Fang Yilan was unfamiliar with this area, and seeing that there were also thugs from the Red Mansion coming up to attack, he could only sidestep and randomly break into a wing room.
Inside the house, a female doctor was treating an injured male prostitute. The man was covered in blood and flesh from being whipped with rattan. His face was covered in cold sweat and he had fainted from the pain.
When the female doctor saw Fang Yilan suddenly breaking in, there was no fear on her face. Her eyes were calm and she just raised her hand and pointed at the pear wood wardrobe in the room.
Fang Yilan immediately clasped her fists, quickly hid in the closet, and gently closed the door. Immediately, there was a rapid knock on the door outside. The female doctor calmly stood up and went to open the door.
The door opened, and only her cold, spring-like voice could be heard: "I see."
Fang Yilan heard it clearly from inside the cabinet, and her heart tightened instantly. Then she heard the female doctor continue to say slowly, "He ran to the west."
Not long after, a soft sound of footsteps approached. The woman returned to the bed and sat down. She picked up the ointment again and continued applying it, saying softly, "Come out, they're gone."
"Thank you, young lady."
Fang Yilan raised her eyes and carefully examined the female doctor in front of her. For some reason, an inexplicable sense of familiarity came over her. She felt that this woman seemed familiar, but she couldn't remember who she was.
Seeing Fang Yilan staring at her, the female doctor smiled faintly: "Second Miss, don't you remember me?"
"Who are you..."
Fang Yilan frowned slightly and tried hard to search for the corresponding information in her mind, but after racking her brains for a long time, she still had no clue and could only look at the other party with confusion.
"I'm Yuan Qingjun." The woman's eyes were frank, but as she looked at her, they seemed to be covered with a layer of mist.
This name is like the sound of a mountain bell, awakening fragments of memories that do not belong to me.
Isn’t this the girl that Fang Yicen loved to tease the most when he was a child?
In Shangjing, the Ding'an Marquis Mansion and the Taifu Mansion happened to be located next to each other. Fang Yicen had been a restless person since he was a child. He liked to climb over the wall to go out and play, but he often ran into Yuan Qingjun who secretly went out to collect herbs, and they got to know each other after a few visits.
Fang Yicen is a naughty boy. He feels uncomfortable if he doesn't run a few laps all day. Sometimes, on a whim, he will accompany Yuan Qingjun to the mountains to collect herbs.
Yuan Qingjun was naturally gentle and could not argue with Fang Yicen, often being teased by him. However, Fang Yicen had his own way of coaxing his sister. Although most of his tricks were cunning and petty, they always worked. He would quickly coax Yuan Qingjun into laughing, but it wouldn't be long before he would be angered and tearful again.
Fang Yilan remembered a time when Fang Yicen, engrossed in his spear practice, accidentally knocked over some herbs that Yuan Qingjun had carefully dried. Yuan Qingjun was so angry that her face flushed red, and she ignored Fang Yicen for several days.
Fang Yicen knew he had gotten himself into serious trouble. To make amends, he removed the Ruyi locket he'd worn since childhood and took it to a pawnshop to exchange for silver. The pawnshop owner took the locket, glanced at the inscription, and his face paled with fear. Unable to accept it, he hurriedly returned it to the Marquis's residence. Naturally, he couldn't escape a beating, and afterward, Fang Cang had to take him to the Yuan family to apologize.
Yuan Qingjun shyly hid behind her father, but her eyes went over the side of her father's clothes and kept looking at the young man with his head lowered and a face full of regret.
At night, Yuan Qingjun was still worried. She sneaked out of her house through the back door quietly, came to the wall of the marquis's mansion, picked up a few stones, and gently smashed them at the window of Fang Yicen's room.
Fang Yicen had just been beaten, and his lower back was covered in bruises and swelling. He could only lie on the bed groaning and crying. But when he heard the noise outside the window, he forced himself to get up and limped out the door.
Fang Yicen sat on the steps at the back door of his house, his shirt half-undressed, and asked Yuan Qingjun to apply medicine to his wounds.
It was not until the year Yuan Qingjun came of age that Fang Canghong went out to fight again, taking his family to the northwestern border.
Fang Yilan still remembers that day. Fang Yicen went out early in the morning. When he came back, his lower lip was bitten, and there was a bright red slap mark on his face, which was very eye-catching. The Ruyi lock hanging around his neck was also missing.
After Fang Yicen returned to the team, he couldn't suppress his smile, and his eyes sparkled. Then, he would turn back from time to time, looking in the direction of Shangjing, his eyes revealing a hint of loss.
Fang Yilan's thoughts returned, and her brows relaxed. "Sister Qingjun! Why are you here?"
Yuan Qingjun's hands worked non-stop, tending to the wounded man. Without looking up, she softly explained, "Most of the prostitutes in this building are poor souls. They're short on money and can't afford a decent doctor. You know my family's situation. We can't open a clinic, so medical treatment is cheap. The madam asked me to help with the treatment." She raised her eyes to Fang Yilan, questioning, "But you, why did you come to this place of pleasure? I heard you got a male lover in the northwest. Are you tired of him?"
Only then did Fang Yilan realize why the South Wing was so different from the North Wing.
Also, why does it feel like everyone in the capital knows that I have a male lover?
Seeing that she was speechless, Yuan Qingjun guessed that this was not a convenient place for her to speak freely, so she stopped asking questions, smiled gently, and turned her attention back to the injured man.
Yuan Qingjun carefully spread the ointment in her hand evenly, then stood up and said to Yi Lan, "Please help me take care of him here first. I have to get some scar removal medicine and will be back soon."
"After I give him the medicine, let's go find a quiet place to have a good chat."
Fang Yilan happened to have some doubts and wanted to ask Yuan Qingjun for answers, so she happily nodded in agreement.
Yuan Qingjun's footsteps had just faded away when a sudden commotion was heard outside.
"Oh, Your Highness the Seventh Prince, this is unacceptable!" the madam cried anxiously, "There are only male prostitutes here, you must not trespass."
The secret guards under Zhao Huaixu stopped the madam behind her. Looking at the cold light crossing in front of her, the madam didn't dare to say another word.
Fang Yilan suddenly became alert and found a secluded corner in the inner room to hide. He pricked up his ears and listened to the approaching footsteps, his heart hanging in his throat until the familiar figure came into his sight. The moment he saw who it was, his taut heartstrings snapped, and were replaced by endless anger.
She came out from the corner and demanded sharply, "What are you doing here? Don't tell me you've been spying on me."
Zhao Huaixu froze. "I just want to see you. Is it true that A-Lan doesn't want to see me?"
"Is there any reason why I should want to see you?" Every word hit the other person like ice.
He wanted to bite her throat again, so that she could not utter a word that would cause him pain and torment.
Zhao Huaixu looked at the unconscious prostitute on the bed and wanted to grind him into a pulp: "As long as I'm injured this badly, can I get your pity?"
"If I stab myself, will Alan forgive me?"
Zhao Huaixu raised his hand, and his wide sleeves slid down, revealing the mark on his wrist.
Not only did it show no signs of disappearing, but it became even more red and swollen than before, like a twisted centipede, ugly and glaring, which made people feel unhappy.
Fang Yilan's tone could be described as annoyed: "What the hell are you doing?"
"If you just need someone to accompany you for entertainment, why don't you come to me? Who knows what A Lan likes better than me?" Zhao Huaixu's eyes seemed to be burning with two clusters of ghostly flames, staring straight at Fang Yi Lan.
His words of disparagement made Fang Yilan even more furious: "You are a high and mighty prince, how could I be so foolish as to commit the crime of disobedience?"
The door was suddenly pushed open from the outside. Yuan Qingjun walked into the room with a medicine tray in her hand and saw Fang Yilan, like a little beast on full alert, staring at Zhao Huaixu, who was sitting opposite her with a dejected look on his face.
The atmosphere in the room was heavy, so Yuan Qingjun decided to take the initiative to break the deadlock.
"Haha, it's so lively..."
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