Wei Shuwan wasn't sure if her guess was far-fetched, but it was a fact that Li Qingchen had a loyal servant surnamed Gu by his side. Could it really be him who helped her out of this reputation crisis?
But then she remembered what Li Qingchen had said the night he was injured; he said he wouldn't come looking for her again. Although he quickly returned, breaking his promise, it was only because his injuries were too severe. After this departure, he probably really wouldn't appear again…
For some reason, the thought of this ending sent a fleeting sense of loss through Wei Shuwan.
But reason quickly returned. Yes, this was for the best. Getting too entangled with someone like that would ultimately be more trouble than good. All she wanted in this life was a peaceful life, to eat, drink, and enjoy herself, wasn't that it?
*
Zhu Gaozhuo, who had been resting in bed for several days, couldn't resist going out as soon as the white gauze on his head was removed.
This time, he was truly furious! He was furious that the Wei family had used their own methods against him, causing the Jingwang Mansion to be humiliated once again, and he was also furious that his father was so ruthless and heartless as to actually lay a hand on his own son!
No matter how cruel his father was to him, he dared not rebel. But the Wei family was different. Sooner or later, he would find a way to teach them a lesson!
However, his injuries haven't healed yet, so it's not the time to cause trouble again. Letting the Wei family stay put for now won't stop him from venting his anger in other ways...
Zhu Gaozhuo angrily downed a full cup of wine, slammed the empty cup down on the table, and ordered the woman beside him, "Fill my cup again!"
The woman beside him was none other than Feng Wan, the top courtesan of Xunfang Pavilion, who was dressed as Wei Shuwan at Zhu Gaozhuo's request.
Feng Wan poured wine for Zhu Gaozhuo. When the wine was halfway poured, Zhu Gaozhuo suddenly raised his hand and grabbed her pointed chin. Because the force was a little too strong, Feng Wan groaned and her eyebrows furrowed slightly. As Zhu Gaozhuo's fingers loosened their grip, she quickly calmed down and continued to fill Zhu Gaozhuo's wine cup.
The amber-colored wine rippled in the glass. Zhu Gaozhuo held the glass in one hand and pinched Feng Wan's chin with the other, slowly pouring the wine into her mouth.
Feng Wan, well-versed in the pleasures of the entertainment world, did not swallow the wine in her mouth. Instead, she warmed it in her mouth and then fed it to Zhu Gaozhuo mouth-to-mouth.
Zhu Gaozhuo drank the wine and felt a surge of restlessness rush to his chest, his blood boiling! He used brute force to lift Feng Wan from the chair and place her on the table in front of him. With a flick of his long sleeve, he swept all the plates and bowls off the table and pressed Feng Wan flat on them.
The man's strong smell of alcohol assaulted the senses like a violent storm.
Feng Wan's smile remained unchanged, her expression one of rapture, but her gently closed eyes did not open again throughout the entire process.
For the past five years, this has been her daily routine, something she's long since grown accustomed to. But tonight's storm was more intense than usual, unconsciously reminding her of that person—
That person buried deep in my heart, someone I will never see again in this lifetime.
...
After finishing his business, Zhu Gaozhuo got up and dressed, fastening the collar and top button while squinting at the sight of the jade-like body lying on the table, feeling utterly satisfied. He then took out a five-hundred-tael silver note from his pocket and slapped it on Feng Wan's proud breasts.
He said greedily, "Don't go out to entertain guests for the next few days. Get well and serve me well every night!"
Yes~
Feng Wan was still recovering from the sudden rain and strong wind, and her voice was coquettish and weak.
Zhu Gaozhuo had already straightened his clothes and was about to leave, but he was captivated by that voice again. He was immediately overcome with desire and leaned down to make love to her. He lifted his robe and they made love again before finally stopping.
"Little vixen~ If it weren't for the strict rules of the Prince Jing's mansion, and my father's constant watching over me these past few days, he would have kept a close eye on you all night!"
He hooked his fingertip under Feng Wan's chin, then stood up, straightened his robes, and turned to leave.
As he reached the door, Zhu Gaozhuo suddenly remembered something, turned around, pointed at Feng Wan, and instructed her, "Before I come tomorrow night, you should change into this outfit. From today onwards, you will always appear as the Third Mistress of the Wei family in front of me."
This time, Feng Wan did not respond. After hearing the door open and close again, a single tear rolled down her cheek.
...
As soon as Zhu Gaozhuo stepped out of the room, the servant waiting outside rushed up to him and said anxiously, "Second Young Master, there's been progress on the matter you asked me to investigate!"
Zhu Gaozhuo's mood instantly shifted from his previous joy, and his expression became serious: "Speak quickly!"
"The man surnamed Gu who had Miss Fengwan dress up as Princess Yun'an that night seems to be one of the Little Prince Qiaochuan's men!"
"How can we be sure?" Zhu Gaozhuo asked with extreme caution.
“Someone saw him in person at the Prince of Qiaochuan’s residence; they can’t be mistaken,” the servant said with certainty.
“Li Qingchen…” Zhu Gaozhuo frowned deeply, extremely puzzled, “The Jingwang Mansion and his Qiaochuan Mansion have never interfered with each other, what’s gotten into him?”
"This matter is aimed at the princess. Could it be that the princess has unintentionally offended him?"
Zhu Gaozhuo shook his head. "Although Yun'an is willful, she knows who she can mess with and who she can't. She would never make enemies with Li Qingchen."
"Then, what else could it be for..."
"Only Li Qingchen himself knows the reason. Does he really think my Jingwang Mansion is a pushover?!" Zhu Gaozhuo gritted his teeth fiercely and stepped out of Xunfang Pavilion.
*
The setting sun was like blood, and the autumn wind was fierce. Outside the Taiqing Tower of Daye Palace, Li Qingchen had been standing upright and waiting for two hours.
The eunuch who went to announce the news finally came out and whispered, "Young Prince, you should go back first. His Majesty is tired from reviewing memorials and is taking a nap. He also has to have dinner with the Imperial Concubine later, so he probably won't have time to see him today."
Li Qingchen bowed slightly to show he understood, and then left the palace.
As a hostage prince of a vassal state, it was an old custom in the Great Ye Dynasty to enter the palace once a month to pay homage to the emperor. In fact, even when he met the emperor, there was not much to say. He would simply talk about what he had been busy with lately, and the emperor would give him a few words of praise. It was just to give the vassal king, who was thousands of miles away, a respectable image of harmony between the ruler and his subjects.
However, the Emperor did not summon me today.
He claimed it was just a short rest, but with his keen hearing, he could hear the Emperor's whispers from outside the building; it was clear he didn't want to be summoned. However, Li Qingchen himself knew the reason.
A few days ago, the second-in-command of Yandang Mountain betrayed the regime and secretly reported to the Imperial City Guard that he was the mastermind behind the Eighteen Linked Strongholds of Yandang Mountain. He even planned to lure and capture him during his meeting with the leader so that the matter could be finalized.
Although the attempt to capture him failed that day, his arrow wound and failure to return to the palace for two consecutive days would surely arouse the emperor's suspicion.
The Emperor had always deeply abhorred the Eighteen Linked Strongholds, and had sent troops to quell them several times. However, the bandits always managed to receive advance warning and disperse to various mountain strongholds in advance for defense. Moreover, the Yandang Mountains stretched across five prefectures, making a search of the mountains an impossible task. In the end, the troops sent to suppress the bandits could only return empty-handed.
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