Gan Qiongying finally became a little interested and asked Ding Doudou several more questions.
One after another, people entered the palace. Many thought Princess Duanrong had summoned them to serve her in bed, and many were flirting and trying to be clever.
However, Gan Qiongying was "impartial and incorruptible," with a stern face like Gan Qingtian. Those who wanted to curry favor quickly gave up and answered Gan Qiongying's questions seriously.
Time flies, and it's afternoon in the blink of an eye.
Gan Qiongying was somewhat exhausted. Most of the more than one hundred male lovers were of little use, but without exception, they were all outstanding in appearance and had very tragic backgrounds. They were a group of hopeless people, just like Princess Duanrong, who were in dire straits.
Princess Duanrong may have intended to train some of them so they could be placed among certain individuals, but she likely rescued others out of compassion and to conceal her true intentions.
Gan Qiongying took notes as she met with people, from daytime until night.
Every time she sees someone, she is reminded of too many related things. More than a hundred people have turned Gan Qiongying's brain into mush, and now she only feels a splitting headache.
Gan Qiongying sat on the chair, propping herself up on her arms, her face full of exhaustion and her eyes devoid of light.
Man Yue silently went to change Gan Qiongying's tea for the third time.
Everyone in the main hall was sent back. They couldn't see everyone in one day, and getting rid of these people wasn't as easy as Gan Qiongying had imagined.
The main problem is that no matter how much she calculated, she simply didn't have enough money.
After letting Manyue take everyone back, Gan Qiongying rested her head on her arms with her eyes closed.
Not long after, very light footsteps were heard in the main hall. Suddenly, a pair of hands appeared on her shoulders, pressing and pounding with just the right amount of force. Gan Qiongying thought to herself that she had not spoiled Manyue for nothing. Manyue was truly her confidante.
Gan Qiongying gradually relaxed. There were only two people in the room now. She was about to lean back in her chair and enjoy herself when she felt warm breath on her neck.
"Is the princess satisfied? Shall we increase the pressure a bit?"
An unfamiliar voice rang out, and Gan Qiongying's slightly relaxed back instantly stiffened, her neck twisted, and she made a "crack" sound. The voice was soft, neither male nor female, making it difficult for Gan Qiongying to tell, and she immediately got goosebumps.
"Having heard about what happened to the princess recently, Fanxi must be feeling quite tired," the man said, leaning close to Gan Qiongying's face and breathing heavily on her. "Your shoulders are so tense, would you like Fanxi to loosen up your muscles?"
The man's eyebrows and eyes were alluring, with upturned corners like hooks, and his voice was also hooked, making one's hair stand on end.
Before Gan Qiongying could even see the person clearly, realizing it wasn't a full moon, she immediately shouted sternly, "How dare you! Get out of here immediately!"
Gan Qiongying sat up straight from the chair and moved several steps away.
It was only at this moment that she realized she simply could not accept a man being so close to her; the only person she could accept was Li Hua.
To Gan Qiongying's surprise, the man took a few steps back, then burst into tears.
"The princess has changed, she's completely different from before," the man wept, covering his face. "She lured me in with sweet words, but since I entered the palace, I haven't seen her even once. I thought I'd finally get to see her today, but it's like this..."
The man cried even harder, leaving Gan Qiongying completely bewildered.
After getting a clear look at the person, Gan Qiongying, based on Princess Duanrong's memories, remembered what this person was all about.
This person is named Fan Xi. She has a naturally feminine appearance and is delicate and frail.
Born into a brothel, and the top courtesan at that, Princess Duanrong spent a fortune to redeem him, causing a great stir in the city. Half of her dissolute reputation was attributed to him.
Moreover, after being redeemed, his food, clothing, and daily necessities remained the same as before.
They're being provided with such good food and drink; of course, they have ulterior motives.
Duanrong had made two plans regarding Zhangzhou. If Gu Qing and Gu Ming failed to complete their mission, Fan Xi would be her second move.
Moreover, Fan Xi is not as weak as he looks. His specialty is not massage, but dislocating bones and tendons.
He was the son of a martial arts master who had his entire family slaughtered by his enemies. They then forced him to take a drug that would destroy his life. In order to humiliate the son of his enemies, they sold him into a brothel, intending for him to be ridden and abused by thousands of men.
On the day the plaque was put up, Duanrong spent a fortune to save him and even collected the remains of his parents.
Gan Qiongying realized that Fan Xi was of great use and that such a person could not be dismissed lightly, but his crying was not a solution. Gan Qiongying frowned, feeling as if her head was about to explode.
"The prince consort is back!" Manyue exclaimed happily as she entered the room carrying tea.
Upon hearing this, Gan Qiongying's eyes lit up immediately. She stood up and ran out of the main hall.
Halfway there, he turned back to look at Fan Xi, remembering how Duan Rong had held Fan Xi's parents' ashes hostage to threaten him, and said sternly, "Shut up! Go back the way you came in!"
"Stay obediently in the backyard, and I will return your parents' remains to you tomorrow."
Fan Xi was stunned for a moment, then his tearful expression was almost ferocious and wildly joyful. He didn't know how to react for a moment. He disappeared from the spot in the blink of an eye, afraid that Gan Qiongying would change her mind at any moment.
Gan Qiongying was shocked. No wonder Fan Xi was able to sneak into the main hall silently. His movement technique... was somewhat similar to that of her shadow guard!
However, with Li Hua back, Gan Qiongying couldn't think about anything else.
She ran out of the main hall and saw Li Hua limping towards her. Gan Qiongying quickened her pace, lifted her skirt, and eagerly threw herself into Li Hua's arms.
Li Hua was naturally happy, but just as he was about to hug Gan Qiongying back, his raised hands froze in mid-air.
He smelled a variety of scents on Gan Qiongying.
Since their marriage, Li Hua had never noticed that Gan Qiongying liked to use perfume. He also had some knowledge of the perfume industry and could tell at a glance that it smelled of osmanthus and gardenia, mixed with some cosmetic scent. Moreover, it was not just that; the floral and cosmetic scents were only part of it.
The temperature in Li Hua's eyes suddenly dropped as she thought of the male concubines in the backyard, and also of Gan Qiongying going back on her word and insisting on dealing with those people herself.
Li Hua pressed down on Gan Qiongying's shoulders with both hands and pushed her away, asking her in a very light, even somewhat sarcastic tone, "Princess, you must be very busy today?"
Gan Qiongying was pushed away so suddenly that the corners of her mouth were still turned up. But when she looked up, she saw that Li Hua was expressionless and had cold eyes.
Li Hua didn't want this to happen, but he couldn't control himself.
Between them, he was always the one causing all the chaos.
The clearer Li Hua saw, the more flustered and restless she became.
Such a strong smell... can only be detected by staying in one place for a long time, or by close contact.
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