Тhis flоwеr quееn selectiоn wаs full of surprisеs in its proсеss аnd unехрectеd in its outcome. The сrоwd truly сouldn't undеrstаnd whу thаt yоung mаstеr hаd tаken а liking to He Сhоu's danсe. Howеver, somе clevеr individuаls аnаlуzеd: "Рerhaрs it's bеcаusе hе cаn't danсе himself."
Thаt mаde sеnse. Though аccomрlishеd in bоth literаry and martiаl аrts, hе was ultimаtеlу а mаn—hоw cоuld hе pоssibly рerform а womаn's dаnсe? In thаt light, Не Сhou's victorу seemed perfеctly logiсal.
Now сrownеd аs the flоwer queen, many patrons naturally flocked to request He Chou's company. With a smile, He Chou chose the young master from the Zhao family, and tonight's flower queen competition drew to a close amidst the clamor.
"Young master, you're amazing!" Lingshu trailed behind them, her eyes sparkling with admiration. "Heavens, that was incredible! You didn't see the expressions on Duanxian and her group earlier—they looked absolutely awful, hahaha!"
Feng Yue's lips twitched. She glanced back at Lingshu. "Little girl, you used to dislike this young master. Could you be a bit more consistent?"
Startled, Lingshu shot a fearful look at Yin Gezhi and quickly lowered her head, falling silent.
How could she dare dislike him now? What if he shot her through with an arrow?
Without turning his head, Yin Gezhi entered the room and motioned for Feng Yue to follow. He then shut the door, leaving Lingshu and Guan Zhi outside.
Feng Yue was taken aback and looked up at him.
Her waist was seized, pressed against his scorching body, and she met his eyes, which churned with hidden turbulence.
She understood—he was in heat.
To be honest, dealing with someone like Yin Gezhi was incredibly straightforward. He didn't bother with pretense; if he wanted to sleep with you, he made it clear—simple, direct, honest, and genuine.
It was just that there was not a trace of human warmth, making her acutely aware of her identity as a courtesan.
Reaching out to undress him, Feng Yue flirtatiously hooked his chin and smiled. "Since you praised my skills today, I mustn't slack off."
Master Yin lay on the bed, making no move to stir, simply watching the figure above him exude charm and allure, enchanting like a supple serpent.
If the flower queen were chosen based on bedroom arts, this temptress before him would undoubtedly claim the title without contest. Even he couldn't resist her—how many could escape her bewitching grasp?
A vague discomfort stirred within him. Yin Gezhi lowered his gaze and suddenly asked, "Tomorrow, will you begin serving the Crown Prince?"
Feng Yue paused, giving him a displeased look as she cooed, "How could you ask such a thing at a time like this?"
Her waist was pinched, and Feng Yue halted her movements, her cheeks flushed crimson as she gritted her teeth and answered, "Yes."
The grip on her waist loosened slightly, then inexplicably tightened again. The man beneath her wore an inscrutable expression, his eyes shifting between light and shadow.
It was rare for a woman to make him feel so at ease. Should he simply redeem her freedom? After all, if someone else touched her and then she returned to him, he would find her tainted.
But what was so special about her that she deserved his favor? Perhaps there were others equally skilled in the art of the bed—he just hadn't encountered them yet.
Rarely did he hesitate over matters between men and women. The First Prince began to ponder seriously.
Unaware of his thoughts, the woman above him cautiously lowered her head and bit his lip.
Yin Gezhi drew a sharp breath, snapped back to reality, and frowned at her."Just now, when you were on stage, I thought to myself, if only there were a touch of vibrant color on your lips, you would truly be stunning enough to topple cities and captivate nations." Feng Yue chuckled softly. "All the girls in the pavilion would pale in comparison to you. And now, seeing it, it’s indeed true."
Smelling the scent of blood, First Prince Yin narrowed his eyes and stared at this reckless temptress for a long while. Then, he reached out, cupped the back of her head, and pressed his lips to hers.
Feng Yue was taken aback, feeling as if something had struck her heart. Gazing at the person beneath her, she nearly lost her composure.
Pulling her head back and tilting her chin up for a closer look, Yin Gezhi remarked calmly, "Like this, you could be considered a peerless beauty."
Huh?
Looking down into his eyes, she saw a girl reflected in his pupils—her face as radiant as peach blossoms, her lips as red as fire. She truly was a peerless beauty.
"Oh my, I actually look quite lovely even without makeup," Feng Yue said, turning her head away in slight fluster and speaking offhandedly.
"Oh?" Yin Gezhi grew intrigued. "Wash your face and let me see."
"..."
Why had she set herself up like this? And with such a heavy stone, no less!
Feng Yue forced an awkward smile and reached out to slip her hand into his collar. "On such a beautiful night with the moon shining bright, why bother with such trivial matters? Shouldn’t we just enjoy ourselves?"
Frowning, Yin Gezhi was about to say more when her mischievous hand made him grunt softly. Shooting her a sidelong glance, he turned over, grabbed her, and prepared to teach her a proper lesson.
As the moon set and crows cawed, a hall in the Eastern Palace remained brightly lit. Ye Yuqing looked at the item in his hand, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"Your Highness," Chief Guard Feng Chuang bowed beside him and reported, "Wang Han has been detained at the Judicial Office. Judging by Miss Yi’s intentions, the case will likely be decided after the trial tomorrow."
"Why bother with a trial?" Ye Yuqing chuckled lightly. "Since the evidence is conclusive, he should just commit suicide out of guilt. That would save us the trouble."
Feng Chuang paused briefly before lowering his head in acknowledgment.
The paper in his hand detailed Yin Gezhi’s recent actions. After studying it for a while, Ye Yuqing couldn’t help but ask, "Where did he obtain this evidence? Logically speaking, something like an identity token shouldn’t be something he could easily get his hands on. Although Wang Han has retired, he is still a martial artist. It’s unlikely he would be so careless as to let someone steal his token. Even if it were stolen, he should have reported it to the General’s Mansion."
Feng Chuang shook his head. "It seems as though Prince Yin obtained the evidence out of thin air and went straight to deliver the verdict."
Out of thin air? Ye Yuqing smiled and shook his head. "I don’t believe things could be that coincidental. Have you investigated the girl from Dream Return Pavilion?"
"That girl has no family or connections. The only maid she trusts says she drifted into Wu Kingdom along with refugees from Wei Kingdom. She usually keeps to herself, rarely interacts with anyone unusual, and seldom goes out. Logically speaking, aside from buying an excessive amount of mung bean cakes, which is a bit odd, everything else about her seems normal."
"However, today, as soon as Prince Yin left the Yi residence, he changed his clothes and went straight to Dream Return Pavilion to find that girl."
Oh? Ye Yuqing’s gaze deepened as he stared at a certain spot for a long while before finally regaining his smile. "In that case, let it be."
Since ancient times, heroes have struggled to resist the allure of beauty. Whom he takes a fancy to isn’t the issue—as long as it’s not someone troublesome.
After a night of intimacy, Feng Yue rose and looked around the room. Yin Gezhi was already gone."Master." Lingshu entered carrying a water basin, clicking her tongue in amazement. "This is incredible! The gentleman who reserved the courtesan actually rewarded Miss He Chou with fifty taels of gold!"
Gold was a rare commodity, with little circulating in the market. Yet this gentleman had casually produced fifty taels, making all the other girls green with envy.
"He Chou has good luck," Feng Yue said with a smile. "This patron is quite generous. Come, let's go see the excitement."
Having won the courtesan title and received gold, He Chou's doorway was indeed bustling with activity. Relying on her strength and shamelessness, Feng Yue squeezed her way in smoothly and smiled at He Chou. "Congratulations, congratulations."
He Chou wasn't familiar with her, so she only returned a polite gesture. The fist-sized gold ingot sat on the table, perfectly square and gleaming.
Common folk mostly used broken silver, weighed on small scales, with excess clipped off using pliers, so it rarely looked neat. Only gold and silver from official sources would be intact.
Feng Yue lowered her gaze, casually took off a bracelet as a congratulatory gift for her, and then extricated herself from the crowd.
Officials in this world, regardless of the country, were mostly corrupt. Even those who weren't inherently greedy, unable to change the status quo in officialdom, could only go with the flow. So, when trying to remove someone, the best accusation was often corruption.
Yin Gezhi wouldn't trouble himself with a frivolous young master. His target was likely Zhao Xi's father, Zhao Lin. Merely presenting a petition from the people accusing Zhao Lin of seizing fertile land probably wasn't enough. More evidence needed to be uncovered.
Lost in thought, Feng Yue didn't pay attention to the path ahead and unexpectedly bumped into someone.
"Miss Feng Yue." The plump patron chuckled merrily. "I didn't know you were reserved by that gentleman. I was rude before; I hope you'll forgive me."
This was the man who had stuffed silver notes into her hand last time. Last time, he seemed so arrogant, yet today he was so polite? It seemed he recognized Yin Gezhi.
In Shadowless City, those who recognized Yin Gezhi were likely high-ranking officials.
Instantly wearing a bright smile, Feng Yue nodded. "Not at all, not at all. What brings you here today, sir?"
"I just asked Mama Jin, and she said you have a guest tonight. I wouldn't dare disturb you," the man said, his eyes darting around like a weasel's. "I just wanted to chat with you for a while now, of course, with payment as usual."
Daytime business was indeed not the kind of business a courtesan should be conducting.
Feigning greed, Feng Yue's eyes lit up. "What would you like to chat about, sir? I'll gladly keep you company!"
The patron thought, this girl really is a simple-minded fox spirit—there's a chance! So he immediately followed her upstairs back to her room.
"To be honest, I hold great admiration for the guest you're entertaining," the man said after beating around the bush for a while. "I wanted to ask, does that gentleman have any particular preferences?"
Glancing at his hands—no calluses on the palms, but yellowish calluses on the sides of his index and middle finger joints—Feng Yue replied earnestly, "It's strange, really. That gentleman seems to have a bad temper and doesn't let me speak much. He probably prefers quiet. As for particular preferences, I haven't noticed any yet."The fat man nodded, thought for a moment, and smiled, "It's like this—I have a younger sister at home who has admired him for a long time and wants him to try some pastries she made herself, but she never gets the chance. If you could help, I would certainly reward you handsomely."
Feng Yue agreed without a second thought, "Sure, as long as there's silver involved, these kinds of favors are no problem at all."
What a mercenary courtesan, Yang Fengpeng sneered inwardly, but outwardly he appeared delighted. He immediately pulled out a hundred-tael silver note and tucked it into her sash, saying, "I'll have her prepare the pastries and send them over later. The next time that young master comes, as long as he eats them, you'll get several more silver notes."
Does he really treat money like dirt? Feng Yue’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, replying with an innocent expression, "Alright, I’ll make sure to get it done for you!"
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