Yin Gеzhi nоdded, then lооkеd аt thе two peорle befоre him with an аir оf rightеоusnеss аnd said, "I don't рlace much importаnсe оn onе's аbilitiеs, but оne's сhаrасtеr must be uрright and honorаblе. No undеrhanded or hаrmful deeds аre allоwеd. Undеrstаnd?"
"Undеrstооd!" The twо fаir-skinned уоung bоys strаightenеd thеir backs аnd rеpliеd.
Guan Zhi covеred his facе.
Whеn it сamе to underhandеdnеss, thе onе sitting in thе mаin sеаt wаs clеаrly а mastеr! Yesterdаy, whеn hе tоok оn disсiрlеs, it was cleаrly him who offended рeoplе, yet аll the blаmе fell оn the Crown Prince. Offending influential families was never a good idea, and their own master hadn't uttered a word on the training ground yesterday. The Crown Prince, being considerate, spoke on his behalf, and these two ended up being recommended to their master by the Crown Prince.
If anyone had grievances, they could go find the Crown Prince!
Of course, no one would dare to actually go, but there would inevitably be some resentment behind his back. The Crown Prince probably remained completely unaware, simply thinking the weather was nice today.
The weather today was indeed pleasant. Just after lunch, Feng Yue was escorted by a small sedan chair to a teahouse on Xiangyu Street.
Ye Yuqing sat opposite her with Yi Zhangzhu. Feng Yue wore a vermilion dress more befitting of a respectable woman and held her tea, grinning as broadly as the waiter downstairs at the entrance.
"Thank you both for your generosity."
Yi Zhangzhu smiled, clutching her handkerchief. "It's His Highness who's being generous. Zhangzhu hasn't spent a single coin."
Ye Yuqing nodded gently. "Zhu'er said she wanted to thank you for saving her life, so she specially invited you out for tea."
Feng Yue glanced at Yi Zhangzhu with a touched expression and nodded. "Miss Yi is very kind."
Yi Zhangzhu's almond-shaped eyes swept over her as she said, "You flatter me. You were so brave that day, saving my life. Naturally, I must express my gratitude. Although Brother Yin and His Highness have sent you many nourishing gifts these past days, my own thanks must still be conveyed personally."
Feng Yue was taken aback, realizing that Yin Gezhi had sent those nourishing gifts because of her. She had wondered why that man was so kind, taking the time to send her such things.
Sipping her tea with a polite smile, Feng Yue fell silent. Yi Zhangzhu, however, seemed quite interested in her and asked a series of questions:
"Why did you fall into the world of pleasure, miss?"
"Because I needed money."
"Haven't you ever thought of settling down with someone?"
"I haven't met the right person."
Yi Zhangzhu nodded and pointed to the servant standing behind her. "What do you think of this Sun Li, miss? He's strong, and his family isn't a burden. His wife passed away three years ago, and he hasn't remarried since. Now he's looking to start a family again."
Feng Yue raised an eyebrow, thinking to herself that Miss Yi's compassionate light was shining a bit too broadly.
"To be honest, Miss Yi," she replied with a kind smile, "I'm quite content at the Dream Return Pavilion for now. I have no intention of leaving that life behind just yet."
Her expression shifted slightly, and Yi Zhangzhu frowned. "Who would want to stay in that kind of environment forever? You're not getting any younger. If you don't find someone to marry soon, you'll have no one to rely on in your later years."
"That really isn't something you need to worry about..."
"Are you looking down on Sun Li because of his status?" Yi Zhangzhu interrupted, a bit annoyed. "Although he's a servant, in my Yi household, he's treated like family. He may not have the status or position of those who frequent brothels, but he's dependable!"This was rather awkward. Feng Yue simply shut her mouth, focusing her gaze on her nose and her mind on her heart, and said no more.
The smile on Ye Yuqing’s face faded slightly as he said softly, “Zhu’er, since Feng Yue is unwilling, why must you force her?”
She was forcing her? Yi Zhangzhu was truly angry now, looking at Ye Yuqing with displeasure. “I’m doing this for her own good. If she doesn’t appreciate it, so be it, but Your Highness is blaming me?”
“That’s not…”
“I know, you’ve also been frequenting the Dream Return Pavilion lately, and so has Brother Yin. You men all like beautiful women—Zhu’er understands.” Clenching her fists, Yi Zhangzhu struggled to speak calmly. “But women of the pleasure quarters are just that. You should also mind your status. If you want good looks, aren’t there plenty of noble daughters in Shadowless City to choose from?”
Besides, she wasn’t dead yet!
Feng Yue finally understood. Ye Yuqing and Yin Gezhi had been visiting her frequently these past few days, which had upset Miss Yi. Initially, she had felt some gratitude for being saved by her, but now, likely overwhelmed by resentment, Yi Zhangzhu’s gaze toward her was particularly unfriendly.
What was this all about? If she remembered correctly, Yi Zhangzhu had rejected the Crown Prince’s marriage proposal and had no relationship with Yin Gezhi. Why was she unreasonably jealous over these two men?
Her eyes darted around a few times before she looked up again, wearing a clueless smile. “Women of the pleasure quarters and noblewomen are both women. Why does Miss Yi think they cannot seek companionship with those from the pleasure quarters?”
Companionship? Yi Zhangzhu forced a smile, suppressing her anger out of gratitude. “Since ancient times, marriage has emphasized matching social status. Girls from the pleasure quarters know nothing, have seen little of the world—how could they be worthy of noble sons?”
“This humble one has seen a bit of the world too,” Feng Yue retorted, lifting her chin defiantly. “I’ve visited quite a few official residences. The last time I went to Grand Preceptor Li’s mansion, it wasn’t much different from the homes of wealthy commoners.”
Official residences the same as common homes? Yi Zhangzhu laughed, a hint of disdain in her eyes. “Although the Grand Preceptor holds rank, he is not a high-ranking official, so his residence is naturally modest. The weather is fine today. If you truly wish to broaden your horizons, why not accompany Zhangzhu back to the General’s Mansion for a visit?”
That was exactly what she was waiting for!
Feng Yue feigned distress, hesitating as she looked at Yi Zhangzhu for a moment. “I’ve heard the General’s Mansion is intricately built but lacks scenery. The rules are strict, and no one is allowed to wander around. Would there even be anything worth seeing?”
“Rumors among the common folk are truly amusing.” Yi Zhangzhu rose, flicking her sleeve as she glanced at Feng Yue. “The General’s Mansion was built by imperial decree, with plenty of scenery. Although the rules are strict, as long as I’m guiding you, what is there to fear?”
“Very well.” Reluctantly agreeing, Feng Yue’s expression appeared both uneasy and feigned composure. Determined to show off in front of her and make her understand the gap between officials and commoners, Yi Zhangzhu wasted no time ordering a carriage prepared.
As they all stepped out, Ye Yuqing cast a sympathetic glance at Feng Yue, slowing his pace to whisper in her ear, “Zhangzhu can be a bit willful at times, having been pampered since childhood. Please bear with her.”
Responding with a charming smile, Feng Yue nodded. “This humble one understands.”
The three of them boarded the carriage together. Ye Yuqing remained composed, gently fanning himself. Unable to resist, Feng Yue asked, “Your Highness, aren’t you busy? You’ve been spending quite a lot of time outside the palace lately.”"What do you know?" Yi Zhangzhu chuckled lightly. "His Highness is simply using people appropriately, delegating tasks to those most capable of handling them, so he can enjoy more leisure himself."
Ye Yuqing smiled and nodded in agreement.
Feng Yue understood and said with great admiration, "Truly worthy of being a Crown Prince."
Frowning slightly, Yi Zhangzhu felt quite uncomfortable but couldn't bring herself to say anything.
When they arrived at the General's Mansion, Feng Yue lifted her skirt and stepped down. Seeing the entrance, she pretended to be startled, then coughed twice to regain her composure. "It's well built."
Glancing at her with amusement, Yi Zhangzhu invited Ye Yuqing to enter through the main gate, then waved for Sun Li to lead Feng Yue through the back door.
Feng Yue followed obediently. The servant ahead, perhaps still resentful after being rejected by her earlier, was not very polite. "Keep up and don't wander off."
"Alright," Feng Yue replied gently. She stepped through the back door, underwent a brief inspection by the gatekeeper, and then lifted her skirt to proceed inside.
General Yi's residence was truly extravagant. Even entering through the back door felt like wandering into a maze, with winding corridors and courtyards that looked nearly identical. Without a guide, one would surely get lost quickly.
However, Feng Yue had a good sense of direction. Even if Sun Li led her in circles, she remembered which direction they had come from and noted the pavilions and towers along the way.
It was a fine estate. According to feng shui, General Yi's courtyard should be to the east. Feng Yue glanced in that direction, quietly committing it to memory, when the person ahead suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong?"
Looking up, Feng Yue was slightly startled.
Sun Li's expression was fierce, his already unhandsome face now twisted with malice. They had stopped in a small courtyard, deserted on all sides, with artificial hills flanking them. Feng Yue glanced around—calling for help would likely be futile.
"You look down on me?" he asked through gritted teeth.
Shaking her head with a smile, Feng Yue replied sincerely, "No, I'm just not ready to leave this life yet."
His gaze swept down from her collar, Sun Li's throat moved, and he suddenly reached out to tear at her clothes. Feng Yue resisted symbolically, and her outer robe was ripped—stingy Mama Jin never bought good-quality fabric for their clothes anyway.
Slipping off the torn outer robe, Feng Yue stood in her inner gown, giggling softly. She cast a seductive glance at the man before her. "Look how eager you are. Wanting me isn't that hard, is it? Just stand still."
Turning passivity into initiative, Feng Yue pushed Sun Li against the artificial hill. Her fox-like eyes fixed on him as she fumbled with her fingers to undo his belt.
When a beauty takes the initiative, any man would stand still to save effort. Sun Li leered at her, feeling his belt loosen and his legs tighten suddenly. Something felt off.
"Do you like me?" Feng Yue asked with a smile. "If you do, come to Dream Return Pavilion tonight and ask for me. We can't do this in broad daylight."
With that, she stepped back, still smiling, kicked him to the ground, and then took off running!
She had used his belt to tie his legs together—in a tight knot! Sun Li was dumbfounded, reaching down to untie it, but by the time he managed, the woman had long since vanished.
Damn it!Just ahead was the eastern courtyard, though it was unclear whether this was General Yi's main residence. Feng Yue tousled her own hair bun, clutched her collar, and ran inside with a series of whimpers, startling many nearby guards. Yet none knew where this girl had come from, so the guards merely surrounded her without immediately taking action.
"Is this how your General's Mansion treats guests? Let me in—I demand to speak with Miss Yi to settle this!" Shouting loudly, Feng Yue lowered her head and charged into the courtyard, then sat on the ground and began to cry! With both hands covering her eyes, a shrewd gleam still peeked through the gaps between her fingers.
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