Chapter 23 Rejection of Love
"Princess, I heard that the eldest son of the Pei family was rejected in his love affair and fainted in the street due to excessive grief."
Feiyan looked at Qin Jinzhi with a gossipy expression.
Qin Jinzhi flipped through the sketchbook she had stolen from the Empress without raising her head or opening her eyes.
"Yeah, I heard about it. It's really awful."
Feiyan immediately said, "You haven't left the house for the past two days, how did you know?"
Qin Jinzhi turned a page. "Isn't it being talked about in the palace?"
Feiyan thought about it for a moment, and indeed, news of the eldest son of the Pei family being rejected in courtship could be heard everywhere today.
She blinked again and said, "Isn't he engaged to Miss Cui? Why is he still proposing to her? Isn't he afraid of angering Prime Minister Cui?"
Qin Jinzhi said casually, "Maybe he doesn't want to marry Miss Cui anymore."
Upon hearing this, Fei Yan's gossip spirit ignited, "Doesn't the princess want to know who rejected that young master Pei?"
Qin Jinzhi put down her sketchbook and popped a grape into her mouth.
"The one who fainted in front of the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion was, of course, rejected by this princess."
"What?!"
Feiyan immediately stood up. "He fainted in front of the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion?! What was Young Master Pei doing at the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion?!"
Qin Jinzhi raised an eyebrow. "You want to see me, don't you?"
Fei Yan was filled with questions. Had this Young Master Pei lost his mind?
Then she realized, "Princess, how do you know everything?"
Qin Jinzhi pinched her little face, "Guess why it's already spread throughout the palace before noon, even though Pei Jinnian fainted in front of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion this morning."
Feiyan frowned, "Because Young Master Pei has a great reputation in the capital?"
"Nonsense, of course it was your princess who spread the word."
Feiyan's eyes widened. "So Young Master Pei really fell in love with the Princess? He even fainted from heartbreak after being rejected. He must be deeply in love! Could it be that Young Master Pei was just pretending all along! Just to get your attention, Princess? After three years apart, he realized that your feelings for him were no longer the same, so he immediately conveyed his feelings to you!"
Qin Jinzhi curled her lips in disdain, "I bet you can support yourself just by writing stories after you leave the palace."
Feiyan chuckled, "When I left the palace, I took my little bundle and went to the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion. The princess said she would take care of me for the rest of my life."
Qin Jinzhi smiled and said, "Alright, I can afford to support ten princesses like you."
Feiyan leaned closer to her and said, "Princess, if Young Master Pei wasn't going to express his feelings, why would he go to the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion?"
"Because he can't enter the palace, but the people from the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion can. If he wants to see me, he can only go to the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion."
"Then why did he want to see you? And why did he faint?"
"What else could it be? They must know that I got poisoned because of his father."
Feiyan said with an "I see" look, "Ah! I know, he was trying to save Minister Pei, and he fainted because he was so anxious."
Qin Jinzhi touched her nose and didn't say anything.
She must have been hit too many times. That small body of hers was struggling to walk around despite the injuries, and she even fainted in front of her house. That was probably the limit.
"Have someone in the manor send a message to Pei Jinnian: meet at Tianxiang Tower at 7 PM. No waiting after that time."
Feiyan's eyes widened. "Princess, are you leaving the palace?"
Qin Jinzhi sat up. "Go and call Liu Yiyi here."
Her cold poison could flare up at any time, and without Liu Yiyi, she really couldn't go out freely.
Outside Tianxiang Tower at night.
Pei Jinnian was already waiting outside Tianxiang Tower before the hour of Xu (7-9 PM).
He never expected Qin Jinzhi to arrange to meet him here.
Keming was kicked by a servant of the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion and vomited blood. The thought of his young master having to meet that wicked princess made him feel annoyed and disgusted.
This might just be a scheme set up by that wicked princess to get her hands on their young master!
In a sense, he was right.
Pei Jinnian hesitated for a moment, but still walked into Tianxiang Tower.
The overwhelming scent of perfume made him frown.
Indeed, Tianxianglou is one of the most famous brothels in the capital.
As soon as he stepped in, he saw several纨绔 (spoiled brats) from powerful families in the capital.
"This young master's attire is quite unique. I wonder which young lady he is looking for?"
The madam at the door swayed over with a smile.
Pei Jinnian wore a mask, obscuring his face, but his handsome appearance and extraordinary demeanor immediately told the madam that he was no ordinary person.
Kemin immediately stepped forward with a cold face, "Is there someone waiting in the top-tier room?"
The madam's smile faded slightly. "So you're a guest in the top-tier room. May I ask if your surname is Pei?"
Kemin said, "That's right, then lead the way quickly."
The madam's face broke into a wide smile again. "This way, young master."
He then led the two to the top floor.
When they reached the entrance, just as the two were about to go in, the madam suddenly stopped Ke Ming and said, "This young man cannot go in. The guests inside said that only Young Master Pei is allowed to enter."
Kemin immediately said, "How can that be? Can you bear the responsibility if my young master encounters any danger!"
The madam chuckled, "These are the rules for the guests inside. If this young man insists on coming in, then you two should leave."
Kemin was absolutely furious. How could one or two of them be so unreasonable!
"Young master, let's go. Who knows what dangers await you inside! You're still injured. If anything happens to you, the master will skin me alive."
Pei Jinnian leaned on his cane and pondered for a moment, then said, "Please find a room for my servant to rest."
"Young Master!"
Pei Jinnian patted him and said, "Go ahead, I'll be fine."
Since Qin Jinzhi chose to meet him outside the palace, she wouldn't make a big fuss.
At the very least, she won't take his life.
Then, Pei Jinnian opened the door and went inside.
Two beautiful women were sitting next to Qin Jinzhi, one feeding her wine and the other massaging her shoulders, looking quite happy.
Seeing Pei Jinnian standing there with a frown, Qin Jinzhi raised an eyebrow. "Why aren't you sitting down? Are you not satisfied with the dishes?"
Pei Jinnian slowly sat down.
Qin Jinzhi patted a beautiful woman beside her and said, "Why aren't you serving Young Master Pei some food?"
The beauty immediately sat down next to Pei Jinnian with a shy and embarrassed expression, her body as limp as if she had no bones.
Pei Jinnian stood up abruptly. "What does the princess mean by this?"
Qin Jinzhi seemed to suddenly remember something, "Look at my memory, Young Master Pei is the most handsome man in the capital, so refined and elegant, come back quickly."
After hearing this, the beautiful woman smiled and sat back down next to Qin Jinzhi.
Qin Jinzhi raised an eyebrow at Pei Jinnian, who was standing blankly to the side. "Didn't you want to see me? You just wanted to see me to watch me eat?"
Looking at Qin Jinzhi's rosy complexion, Pei Jinnian said, "I heard that the princess was poisoned. I wonder how the princess is feeling now."
Qin Jinzhi said casually, "He vomited blood twice, but he won't die."
Pei Jinnian was taken aback for a moment, then said after a long pause, "I heard that the princess was poisoned because there was a Netherworld Flower on the brocade box that my father used to apologize."
Qin Jinzhi tossed a chili pepper into her mouth. "That's right, you Cui and Pei families want me dead by painting the Netherworld Flower on the brocade box?"
Pei Jinnian immediately said, "There must be something fishy about this matter. Please believe me, Princess. Neither the Cui nor Pei families have any intention of poisoning you!"
Qin Jinzhi nodded. "I believe you."
Pei Jinnian was taken aback. "What did you say?"
He didn't finish his long explanation, and Qin Jinzhi just believed him like that?
Just as he was wondering, Qin Jinzhi burst out laughing.
"Of course I believe it, because I poisoned myself."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com