Chapter 30: Volume 1, Chapter 30: Men All Love Keeping Mistresses

Early the next morning, Rong Luoge took a carriage straight to Xi Cheng. She hadn't even shown her face to the three newly bought maids—she did this deliberately.

The carriage bumped along the whole way. After turning past the long alley, the carriage reached the main road and immediately picked up speed.

Rong Luoge lifted the carriage curtain. Looking out from here, it was just two streets away to the Zhen Guo Gong Fu.

That place had once been where the original owner most yearned for familial love, but unfortunately such love had cost her very life.

She was about to lower the curtain when her gaze narrowed slightly—she spotted Rendong, the maid beside Rong Dai, hurrying along with her head lowered, furtive and sneaky. Judging from the direction Rendong had come from, it should be the Zhen Guo Gong Fu. So what was she doing leaving the residence this early and acting so evasive?

Rong Luoge was not a particularly curious person, but she was especially cautious when it came to Rong Dai and her ilk. She called Jing Chu over and gave a few instructions. Jing Chu nodded. "Don't worry, Miss, I'll keep a close eye on her."

"If you truly can't keep track of her, don't alert her by tipping her off," Rong Luoge said.

"Understood." Jing Chu nodded and immediately followed after her.

Rong Luoge lowered the carriage curtain and leaned against the soft cushion, her mind occupied with thoughts of the Zhen Guo Gong Fu.

This was one of the downsides of ancient times—filial piety was greater than heaven. Severing this blood tie with the Zhen Guo Gong Fu was truly rather difficult.

When the proper path wouldn't work, naturally one had to think of unconventional means. Dealing with that family who had little regard for face required harsher methods.

Rong Luoge had no idea that the moment she left, the Protector Duke sent someone to her door right after—naturally finding no one home.

Cang Yun didn't go to open the door. She just sent the newly bought little maid Yanzi to relay the message, telling the visitor that the eldest young lady had gone out of the city to burn incense and pray for blessings and wouldn't be back for a while.

Though Cang Yun didn't know what the person from the Zhen Guo Gong Fu intended, she knew it definitely wasn't anything good. After sending the person away, she thought it over and still wrote a letter, having a guard deliver it to Xi Cheng.

By the time Rong Luoge received the letter, it was nearly noon. She opened it, glanced at it, and frowned slightly. What could the Protector Duke want with her at a time like this? This cheap father of hers never thought of her when there was anything good.

However, she didn't intend to pay it any mind. Since it wasn't anything good, she certainly wouldn't go looking for trouble of her own accord.

Tossing the letter aside, Rong Luoge changed into men's clothing and prepared to go out for a stroll. Men's clothing was more convenient for getting around. Perhaps her luck was bad today—as soon as she stepped out, she spotted a familiar figure.

Ming Yuhua!

What was she doing here?

Rong Luoge quickly turned sideways to shield her face. Watching Ming Yuhua's hurried pace, she had a bad premonition—surely her cover wouldn't be blown on the very first day of moving in?

After a moment's thought, she decided to follow and take a look. How could a young lady like Ming Yuhua appear here?

Moreover, she had only brought two maids with her—it didn't look reliable no matter how you looked at it.

From the corner of her eye she caught Ming Yuhua walking far away, and only then did she turn around—only to receive another fright.

She didn't know when someone had appeared at the neighboring door—and it was an acquaintance!

The Crown Prince!

She should have checked the almanac before going out today!

Perhaps the expression on Rong Luoge's face was simply too easy to read. Han Xinglan laughed outright. "Miss Rong... Young Master, why are you here?"

Rong Luoge was quite annoyed. She had worked so hard to find a new nest, and now that she'd just moved in, she ran into acquaintances one after another. How was she supposed to live in seclusion like this?

Hearing that Han Xinglan had the sense not to expose her identity as a woman, she breathed a slight sigh of relief, thinking that someone this sensible probably wouldn't go blabbing about her move.

"I saw an acquaintance who looked like something was wrong, and I was planning to follow and check. Young Master Han, I'll take my leave first." Afraid that Ming Yuhua would get too far ahead to follow, Rong Luoge said hastily and strode off.

At these words, a flash of surprise crossed Han Xinglan's handsome face, but in an instant he followed after her, catching up to Rong Luoge and saying, "Young Master Rong, you're probably not familiar with this area. Let me lead the way."

Rong Luoge's mouth twitched. Did the Crown Prince really have this much free time?

But she could no longer see Ming Yuhua's figure, and didn't have time to spar with Han Xinglan. She asked directly: "She went in from here and disappeared. Do you know where she went?"

Before them was a fork—one path led to the main street outside, the other turned into a deep alley within.

"This way." Han Xinglan pointed toward the deep alley.

Rong Luoge's nose twitched slightly. Unfortunately, her keen sense of smell from her previous life hadn't followed her here. She couldn't smell anything—only the aroma of rice porridge from some porridge shop drifted around her nose in the early morning.

She immediately hurried after him. As she walked, Rong Luoge explained to Han Xinglan, "It's Ming Yuhua, the eldest young lady of the Grand General's residence."

Han Xinglan was very surprised. "You're on good terms with her?"

"The enemy of an enemy is a friend. She had a falling-out with Rong Dai, so for now she's temporarily a friend of mine," Rong Luoge explained in a sentence.

If something happened to Ming Yuhua, there would be one less key fighter against Rong Dai. How could Rong Luoge not feel the loss? So she still needed to follow and see if she could lend a hand.

Han Xinglan looked at Rong Luoge and said, seemingly casually, "You and Prince Qi have already divorced—why still entangle yourself in these matters?"

Rong Luoge sighed. "I don't want to either, but I have to take precautions. I don't know what Han Yifeng will do, but the Zhen Guo Gong Fu and Rong Dai will definitely keep causing trouble for me. Think about it—as long as Rong Dai causes trouble for me, Prince Qi will protect his precious darling, and might end up causing trouble for me too."

Han Xinglan:...

He actually couldn't argue back. It sounded quite reasonable.

To think that he, the grand Crown Prince, had never tailed a woman like this before. But ever since meeting Rong Luoge, he kept running into all sorts of strange situations.

The matter of tailing someone didn't seem all that hard to understand after all.

Sure enough, after turning into the long alley, Rong Luoge saw the hem of Ming Yuhua's garment disappear behind a courtyard gate.

She quickened her pace to follow. Before she even got close, she heard waves of smashing and shouting coming from inside.

"Beat them! If you beat them to death, I'll take the blame!"

Ming Yuhua's arrogant voice carried through the wall and fell upon Rong Luoge's ears, making her frown involuntarily.

Right after, she heard a somewhat frail woman's voice crying out: "Eldest Young Lady Ming, I know full well my lowly status. I've never thought of entering the residence. I've always stayed outside and kept to myself. Why must you drive me to utter ruin?"

"Pah! To be someone's kept mistress and still have the shamelessness to say such things! If you were truly keeping to yourself, how could you have borne a son? If you didn't want to enter the residence, how could you have let the people in the residence know about you mother and child? Don't take everyone for fools! Beat them! Beat them hard!"

Rong Luoge turned to look at Han Xinglan.

Han Xinglan looked at Rong Luoge suspiciously. "What are you looking at me for?"

Rong Luoge said mildly, "Wild flowers are sweeter than house flowers. Sure enough, men all love keeping mistresses!"

Han Xinglan:...

It wasn't his doing, but he felt wounded!