Entering the game
Gu Jinghong had a very long dream in which she returned to three years ago.
Three years ago
In the dead of winter in Beijing, snowstorms rage and winds howl.
The most famous restaurant in Dayong, Zhuoyuelou, was covered with a thick layer of white snow, making it look even more elegant and refined.
The place was bustling with visitors, all of them wealthy and influential, who ate, drank, listened to music, and watched dances, their enthusiasm undiminished by the cold weather.
However, the "high-end restaurant" was just a protective shield; it was also the hideout of "Qianyuan Pavilion," the largest intelligence hub in the martial arts world.
At this moment, in a private room on the fourth floor of Zhuoyue Tower, the air was filled with the gentle fragrance of incense from a brazier.
Qin Jin, one of the four Grand Secretaries of Qianyuan Pavilion, whose job was to collect intelligence and screen information, had a chill between his brows.
He had long, dark hair and wore only a smoky gray robe. He leaned against a small table, resting his head on one arm.
The Pavilion Master was suffering from a serious illness that was difficult to cure, and medicine was ineffective. The doctor asserted that only the "Nine-Turn Resurrection Grass" deep in the secret chamber of the Prince Jin's mansion could offer a glimmer of hope for his life.
It is no pity for the Pavilion Master to die, but if he were to give up now, the position of Pavilion Master... would probably fall into the hands of that madman Xie Yan.
Xie Yan, one of the four Grand Secretaries, was acting as Grand Secretary, in charge of intelligence execution, assassination, interception, protection, and so on. He was not an easy person to deal with.
Unfortunately, the secret chamber of the King Jin's mansion was like an impenetrable abyss.
This is the third time.
Qin Jin's most elite spies tried every means possible, including poisoning, disguise, and traps, but all their efforts were in vain.
The Jinwang Mansion was impregnable, and Jinwang Xiao Chengyan was a cold, aloof, and imposing man. The people of Zhuangmu Pavilion could not even get within ten steps of him, let alone find out the location of the secret room.
Qin Jin's eyes were deep and dark. His fingertips traced a cold arc along the rim of the cup before he finally sighed deeply—it seemed that he would still have to let that little hussy Gu Jinghong do it.
Thinking of this, Qin Jin suddenly spoke in a deep voice: "Summon Manager Gu."
A short while later, the door of the pavilion opened and closed slightly.
A slightly chilly breeze, carrying the faint scent of plum blossoms, swept in, and a graceful figure quietly stood at the foot of the steps.
It was Gu Jinghong, the manager of Zhuangmu Pavilion.
She wore a simple, moon-white dress. The finest brocade, cut into flowing cloud patterns, made her figure appear even more slender and aloof.
Her cloud-like black hair was loosely tied up with a silver hairpin, with a few stray strands falling beside her cheeks, adding to her ethereal and otherworldly beauty.
She lowered her eyes and adopted a respectful posture, yet her serene beauty still abruptly captured people's attention.
"Minister Qin." She stood with her hands at her sides, her voice low yet clear, like the gentle clatter of shattered jade.
Qin Jin slowly stood up and walked towards Gu Jinghong.
He circled around her again, his gaze slowly sweeping over her straight back, her drooping hands, and her slender neck, a chilling smile slowly spreading across his face.
Finally, he stood in front of her, suddenly raised his hand, and gently lifted Gu Jinghong's delicate chin with a cool index finger, forcing her to lift her face.
Their eyes met.
Gu Jinghong's eyes were calm, like a cold pool in late autumn, reflecting Qin Jin's eerie smile.
"Secretary Gu, I'd like to test you. What is the connection between Prince Jin, Xiao Chengyan, and the butterfly?"
Gu Jinghong pondered for a moment, then spoke in a calm and even voice: “Reporting to the Grand Secretary, Xiao Chengyan once had feelings for Princess Yongning. And that princess… had a bright red birthmark on her collarbone, shaped like a butterfly with outstretched wings.”
Qin Jin's smile deepened slightly, and he withdrew the finger that had been supporting her chin.
"Good memory. Lou Yi's daughter is indeed extraordinary. With your clever mind, it's a waste to only be relegated to the position of clerk."
Gu Jinghong remained calm: "This humble servant dares not. This humble servant... will always be the Grand Secretary's dog."
Qin Jin chuckled with satisfaction, finally taking a step back and standing with his hands behind his back.
The smile on his face vanished instantly: "Listen, I want you to bring the 'Nine-Turn Rejuvenating Grass' from the King of Jin's mansion at all costs to cure the Lord's illness."
He paused, lowering his voice even further, "If we can't get them back... Zhuoyue Tower will lose a singer, and Qianyuan Pavilion will also lose a manager."
A blatant threat.
Gu Jinghong scoffed inwardly—it was nothing more than a threat. She had become a secretary under the petty and narrow-minded Grand Secretary Qin Jin, so she was already used to such threats.
"yes."
She agreed readily. She turned around immediately, her moon-white skirt brushing silently against the cold floor tiles, and her figure quickly disappeared into the deep corridor leading to Feihong Pavilion.
Upon entering Feihong Pavilion, a warm feeling immediately greets you.
Gu Jinghong instructed the woman in blue martial arts attire standing to the side: "Qingwu, summon Yunni."
Yunni arrived very quickly.
This top courtesan of Zhuoyue Tower had a pair of beautiful eyes that were naturally alluring, yet deep within them lay a clear-headedness that had seen it all.
"Is there something important that you summoned me, Master?" Yun Ni bowed respectfully, her voice as melodious as a nightingale's song.
Gu Jinghong succinctly stated Qin Jin's requirements.
After listening, Yun Ni frowned slightly: "Does the headmaster mean... that he wants his subordinates to use a 'honey trap' with the target being that Prince Jin, Xiao Chengyan?"
Gu Jinghong raised an eyebrow at her: "What, is there a man in the capital that our Miss Yun Ni can't win over?"
Yun Ni shook her head slightly, her tone carrying a hint of frustration and certainty.
"You may not know this, sir. Xiao Chengyan is a cold and aloof man, like a piece of jade that has been frozen for a thousand years. I have observed him secretly in the building many times. When he is present, he never orders singing girls to serve wine, and even ordinary maids serving tea cannot get within three feet of him."
Gu Jinghong's gaze fell on Yun Ni's eyes: "Is it possible that she's faking it?"
Yun Ni seemed to recall for a moment, then shook her head firmly: "His gaze has never lingered on any woman for even a moment. Having been in the world of romance for many years, I know that this aloofness is not an act, but a kind of indifference that belongs only to those in power, etched into their very bones."
Gu Jinghong: "The indifference of those in power?"
“To him, we might not be people, but rather like the writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones on his desk, or the swords and spears on the battlefield—just things that exist…” Yun Ni smiled, “and perhaps, not even as ‘useful’ as those tools.”
Gu Jinghong pressed her jade-like fingers against the location of her temple, deep in thought.
Suddenly, Yun Ni's gaze fixed on Gu Jinghong's face.
She stepped forward and examined Gu Jinghong's face with utmost seriousness—
After a long pause, Yun Ni slowly said, "The beauty of the Master is truly unparalleled in my life. Her skin is as smooth as ice and jade, her aloofness like the bright moon in the heavens, yet a red mole at the end of her eyebrow adds a touch of natural allure to her cool demeanor. Such beauty cannot be described by the word 'beauty' alone; she is truly a peerless beauty! Although King Jin is not interested in women, if he sees such a beauty..."
She paused slightly, "The head clerk might be able to give it a try! I can arrange a chance encounter at the lantern festival; perhaps there will be an opportunity. However, the risk is extremely high. If it fails, it might alert the enemy, leaving no room for maneuver."
Gu Jinghong's heart stirred slightly.
Yun Ni's assessment was not unfounded. She was not entirely unaware of her own appearance, but she never imagined that one day her appearance would be used as a weapon before her intelligence literacy.
After a moment's thought, Gu Jinghong said, "Go and call the best tattoo artist to prepare."
Yun Ni bowed and accepted the order, then returned shortly with two other people, carrying a pile of brightly colored clothes and jewelry.
Gu Jinghong sat calmly at her desk, repeatedly flipping through the files in the archives concerning Xiao Chengyan and the Prince Jin's mansion. Yun Ni, accompanied by two skillful maids, busied herself behind her, combing her hair, drawing her eyebrows, applying rouge, and adorning her with pearls and jade…
When the night was deep and quiet, Gu Jinghong was finally led to the huge full-length bronze mirror.
The person in the mirror wore a flowing, crimson brocade dress with wide sleeves, the fabric shimmering like a sunset under the lamplight. Her hair was styled in a high bun, adorned with pearls and jade, her eyebrows were like ink paintings, and her lips were like touches of vermilion.
That face, devoid of its usual cool and aloof demeanor, was breathtakingly beautiful and radiant with its meticulous makeup.
Yun Ni stood to the side, arms crossed, admiring her "masterpiece" with satisfaction. She couldn't help but sigh in her heart: How unfair is Heaven! It gave Manager Gu a brilliant mind and bestowed upon her such a stunningly beautiful face!
However, Gu Jinghong gazed quietly at the unfamiliar yet glamorous reflection in the mirror. There was no hint of amazement or smugness in the depths of her clear, cold eyes; instead, a faint scrutiny swept across them.
A moment later, she suddenly raised her hand—
With a gentle wave of her hand, she unhesitatingly removed the valuable hairpins and ornaments from her hair, which jingled and tinkled as they landed on the dressing table.
Immediately afterwards, she untied the elaborate belt and decisively took off the dazzling, eye-catching crimson gown.
In the end, she was left with only a plain white undergarment.
"The manager?" Yun Ni was taken aback.
Gu Jinghong then took a thin, light gray dress from the clothes rack beside her and put it on deftly. The color was soft and the fabric was ordinary, instantly washing away all the glamour and enveloping her in a simple and elegant beauty.
The woman reflected in the mirror had returned to her meek and submissive appearance, even with a touch more sorrow in her eyes.
Gu Jinghong seemed still not satisfied.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she suddenly reached out and grabbed the fabric on her right shoulder. With a "rip," she tore a hole in the gray-blue skirt, revealing a butterfly tattooed by the tattoo artist, fluttering as if in flight.
"Let it be so."
"Really?!" Yun Ni looked at Manager Gu in disbelief.
This... isn't even as good as the original moon-white dress the headmaster wore!
After a moment of contemplation, Gu Jinghong suddenly pulled out a dagger.
Yun Ni was so frightened that she knelt down on the spot: "Manager, Yun Ni, Yun Ni only knows those tricks of the pleasure quarters, I didn't mean to..."
Before he could finish speaking, Gu Jinghong reached out his hand to Yun Ni: "I wasn't talking to you."
Yun Ni paused for a moment, then took Gu Jinghong's hand and slowly stood up: "That is..."
Gu Jinghong: "To myself."
Yun Ni: "...!!!"
...
Deep within the Prince's mansion, incense burns in the warm chambers.
Xiao Chengyan, dressed in a black casual suit, sat by the window, his slender fingers twirling a cold black jade chess piece.
The raging wind and snow outside the window seemed to be separated from him by an invisible barrier, but his deep eyes, reflecting the snow, were calmer and more undisturbed than the surface of a frozen lake.
"Your Highness," the trusted guard Changfeng appeared silently at the door, his voice extremely low, "there is some unusual activity outside the mansion."
Xiao Chengyan's brows remained unmoved, and his eyes never left the chessboard.
Changfeng thought for a moment and continued, "This is the fourth time. The pattern is different from the previous times. This time it was a person, lying in the snow in the alley outside the side gate, bleeding a lot, almost buried in the snow. The location was chosen too 'perfectly'."
"Just right?" Xiao Chengyan's fingertip landed on the chessboard with a crisp sound.
"My initial investigation reveals that it is a young woman. Her injuries do not appear to be faked, but the timing and location are too suspicious. Your Highness, perhaps..." Changfeng made a gesture of silencing.
According to the usual practice of the Prince's Palace, the simplest way to deal with such potential threats of unknown origin is to eliminate them.
"How can one commit violence so casually in the capital, at the gates of a prince's residence?"
The words, meant to stop the killing, sounded strangely cold coming from his mouth. It seemed that all he cared about was the safety and reputation of the Prince's mansion, while the appointment sign at the gate was completely out of his consideration.
Xiao Chengyan held a black chess piece in his hand, his beautiful phoenix eyes fixed on the chessboard: "It's snowing heavily today. Even if you ignore her, she won't live long."
"Yes." Changfeng shut his mouth and stood guard at the door.
Time slipped away with the sound of pieces being placed.
About an incense stick later, a eunuch bowed and entered, whispering, "Your Highness, the carriage is ready; it is time to enter the palace."
Umrah meeting today.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chengyan slowly tossed the chess piece between his fingers back into the chess jar, making a crisp clinking sound.
He stood up, and Changfeng immediately stepped forward to drape a heavy black cloak over his shoulders.
The group walked silently to the side gate of the Prince's Mansion.
The gatekeeper had already opened the door, and a cold wind carrying snowflakes rushed in instantly.
Xiao Chengyan stepped steadily out of the mansion gate, and with a glance, he saw the "coincidentally" lying at the entrance of the mansion.
He seemed to sigh softly: "Putting yourself into this situation... Changfeng, go check if he's still breathing."
"yes."
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