Chapter 51

Tap-tap-tap……

Along the Chongming River, the streets teemed with traffic; two figures raced forward in sequence, heading swiftly toward the clinic.

Inside the house, Lin Wanyi's eyes were full of sourness, but once outside the compound, her face turned flustered and furious; as she walked, she muttered silently:

This big pork knuckle…

You said you'd just deal with a few officials, but now every named official in Danyang showed up—how am I supposed to show my face again?

And even if this is just acting, why is she "radiant beyond this world," while I'm just "a maid on the ground"?

I'm only two years older than her—where am I inferior to her?

So young, and doesn't know the value of an older sister…

If it weren't for you saving me yesterday, I'd have already put a curse on you…

…

Meanwhile, a hundred paces behind.

Linghu Qingmo chased after him, sword in hand, her steps hurried yet never closing the distance; her gaze was a tangle of emotions as she pondered inwardly:

Xie Jinhuan, you've got such a beautiful companion—why write about me?

Fine, write about me if you must, but praise me so lavishly while treating your old lover so carelessly…

Will Lin the Physician scratch my eyes out?

Last time I saw two ladies from Wencheng Street fight over jealousy, they pulled out whole handfuls of hair…

…

Though she had never experienced such a situation, she couldn't let it go unclarified.

After biting her lip repeatedly, Linghu Qingmo finally caught up from behind:

"Lin the Physician, wait."

Lin Wanyi didn't know whether to keep playing along with the pork knuckle's act; being called out left her deeply awkward, and she clenched her teeth into a cool, indifferent expression:

"Miss Linghu, do you need something?"

"It's nothing much."

Linghu Qingmo stepped closer, forcing her gaze to remain calm:

"Xie Jinhuan was just writing for fun—I have no relationship with him, Lin the Physician…"

"I have no relationship with him either."

Lin Wanyi folded her hands at her waist and gave a light huff:

"I merely thought he was skilled and righteous, and a fellow townsman, so we chatted a bit. I never imagined he secretly wrote such nonsense."

Linghu Qingmo truly had a compassionate heart; even now, she wanted to speak well of Xie Jinhuan to prevent her beauty from abandoning him:

"A gentleman judges actions, not intentions. Xie Jinhuan only wrote privately—it's nothing serious. If you're displeased, I'll sever ties with him from now on—no private contact, only official dealings."

Lin Wanyi was only playing along—she had no intention of acting like the rightful wife and driving Linghu Qingmo away:

"No need. Xie Jinhuan and I are just ordinary friends. I'm angry because he wrote nonsense like 'a bowl in the sky'—anyone would be furious! I have no ill will toward Miss Linghu."

Is that so?

I just saw you glaring at me with sour envy…

Linghu Qingmo wanted to explain further, but Lin Wanyi turned and hurried off in small steps, vanishing into the street:

"The clinic's furnace is still burning—I can't stay longer. Goodbye."

"Hey?"

Linghu Qingmo wanted to say more, but Lin Wanyi vanished like the wind; helpless, she sheathed her sword and turned to stride back, determined to confront Xie Jinhuan!

But Xie Jinhuan secretly wrote beautiful things about her kindness and beauty—what grievance could she possibly have?

He never published it or spread it around—it was the government office that found it by accident.

She couldn't possibly warn him never to think she was beautiful or kind.

That would be insane.

Linghu Qingmo pondered briefly, recalling how her master, called "the Dao's First Beauty," simply laughed it off and paid it no mind.

As her disciple, she too should be a steadfast ice-maiden of the Dao, untroubled by such worldly trifles.

But why did Xie Jinhuan praise me so thoughtfully, yet write so carelessly about Lin the Physician…

Could it be… in his heart…

Lost in such idle thoughts, Linghu Qingmo didn't even realize where she'd wandered…

—

Night fell, and Taoxian Fang lit up once more with brilliant lanterns.

Wu Wei Pavilion stood beside the West Courtyard Lake, built along the wall, only two stories tall, its tiles dark green, the second floor open with only pillars supporting it.

Though named "Wu Wei Pavilion," the second floor was filled with small tables and soft couches; at the far end stood a room with a balcony, where a full moon hung just beyond the railing, complemented by the lingering glow of Taoxian Fang's lanterns—a picturesque scene.

Shhh…

The maid Doudou slid open the door, knelt beside the small table with a tray in hand, wearing a pale yellow sheer palace gown that revealed a vast expanse of creamy white skin, her large eyes blinking with striking charm:

"Young Master Xie, what kind of wine do you prefer?"

Xie Jinhuan, clad in a cloud-patterned brocade robe, sat upright and straight-backed on the left side of the table, gazing into the tray.

He soon realized this little maid was mischievous—she held the tray level with her chest, the rim resting right against her soft, pale cleavage and deep valley…

He wasn't at home—he couldn't just touch the maid. He glanced briefly and saw Wu Wei Pavilion's wine selection was thoroughly prepared: from children's fruit wine to century-old brews worth a hundred taels per bottle, all engraved on jade plaques, most unfamiliar to him.

"I'm the guest—I shouldn't overstep. Serve whatever the Princess prefers."

"Of course~ The Princess is changing clothes now—she'll be here soon. What tune would you like to hear? We have refined melodies, and if you want something risqué, I can sing that too~"

So you're the one singing?!

I was saying the sound was so familiar...

It seems the landlady has no ordinary people under her command...

Xie Jinhuan had been listening to licentious songs these past few days and truly wanted to see this girl's skills; recalling a bit, he picked a song:

"Song of Righteous Qi."

"Ah?"

Duoduo's rosy cheeks froze; she looked at the current environment, then turned to gaze at the many maids accompanying her behind:

"Is Young Master sure you want to hear this?"

"Mm. Can Miss not sing it?"

"Uh... I do know a little."

Duoduo rose holding the tray, handed it to the maid waiting outside for orders, then fetched a painted pipa, sat sideways on the spring bench, and lightly plucked with her pale hands:

"Dang~ dang dang—"

"Many glorious sights in the majestic mountains! A thousand years of righteous Qi fill the chest! The long river surges with the momentum of a dragon, high ridges and cloud shadows wrap around the peaks..."

Clear pronunciation, bold tones, heroic spirit soaring to the heavens!

Because her chest was full and her breath steady, it truly carried a flavor of stirring emotion.

Xie Jinhuan's eyes widened in surprise; he felt this girl indeed had some skill—if only he could buy her and take her home...

After waiting a moment, a sound came again from outside the sliding door.

Tap tap...

Princess Changning, changed into a home dress, came upstairs with her maids, found Duoduo wailing like a ghost, and frowned:

"What are you singing?"

Duoduo shrank her neck: "Uh~ Young Master Xie wanted to hear this."

"Is that so?"

Princess Changning sat sideways before the Kong Que screen: "Your tastes are quite special; having young ladies sing these in a brothel is just like those... um..."

Duoduo helpfully added: "Hypocritical scholars."

Princess Changning blinked her eyes, but clearly approved of the meaning.

Xie Jinhuan paid no mind to the joke, raised his cup, and said:

"Just playing around. I, Xie, am new here, yet I receive such courtesy from Your Highness the Princess; I am truly grateful. Let me toast Your Highness first."

Princess Changning lifted her wine cup and drained it in one gulp, then gestured to the dice cup on the table:

"Drink as you will, but don't forget the main matter; you try first to see if it works."

Xie Jinhuan set down his wine cup and picked up the gambling tools to study them, but seeing a large group of maids gathered around curiously staring, he showed a hint of difficulty:

"Your Highness, this art is a top-secret skill; if it were to get out..."

Princess Changning understood the meaning and raised her hand slightly:

"You all withdraw first; without my order, do not come upstairs, nor eavesdrop."

"Yes."

Duoduo still wanted to stay and drink with them; seeing this, she was very regretful, reluctantly rose, and closed the sliding door.

As the footsteps faded away, only the two sitting opposite remained in the room.

Princess Changning looked left and right, then noticed something was missing:

"Where is that big bird of yours? Still looking for a bowl in the sky?"

"It sleeps quite early, so I didn't bring it."

After casually explaining, Xie Jinhuan picked up the seemingly ordinary red-lacquer dice cup to examine; it felt very light in hand. He tried to infuse it with Qi, but could not invest any; it must be made from an object similar to Ice Soul Silk.

The dice were also very special: entirely transparent, with no raised or recessed dots on the faces, only red and green colors distinguishing the numbers.

While Princess Changning poured wine for herself, she helpfully explained:

"These gambling tools were crafted by the Armory, specifically to deal with those of profound cultivation; even the Wang Fu's honored guests would find it hard to discern the numbers inside. You try."

Xie Jinhuan felt this set of gambling tools was of great value; after a slight inspection, he swept the three dice into the dice cup and shook it back and forth:

Dong dong dong...

The collision sounds were dull and not uniform, sounding like iron lumps wrapped in rubber.

The vibration in his palm was also strange; the frequencies were uneven, as if the dice were all the same size.

In such a situation, not to mention guessing the numbers, it was hard even to tell how many dice there were.

Dong—

After shaking several times, Xie Jinhuan set the dice cup down on the table, and the noise stopped abruptly.

Princess Changning leaned forward slightly and asked:

"What numbers?"

Xie Jinhuan's gaze was focused, as if he were casting a celestial art; after a moment, he replied:

"Three, five, six."

The dice cup was opened, and indeed it was so.

"Heh~ It really works."

Princess Changning's eyes lit up; from her expression, she was already imagining the satisfying scene of taking revenge!

Xie Jinhuan smiled modestly and raised his cup to toast again:

"I am but a commoner; being able to help Your Highness with a mere trivial trick is also my fortune. Let me toast Your Highness again."

Princess Changning felt she had been drinking a bit too quickly, but she was happy in her heart, so she raised her cup and responded every time.

Xie Jinhuan's goal on this journey was clear: to find a way to get Princess Changning drunk and look for an opportunity to escape.

He started drinking in earnest, his skill rivaling that of top-tier male courtesans and nightclub male models!

When Princess Changning saw Xie Jinhuan causing a scene at the Peony Pool, she thought he was a cold, unsmiling young hero; now, discovering he drank with great gusto and was "handsome, sweet-talking, and knew how to handle things," she felt unexpectedly surprised.

Didn't see it coming; a noble lady in the hall, and under the hall...

They exchanged cups and glasses; because Xie Jinhuan drank so swiftly, and Princess Changning was no timid, fussy young lady, in less than a quarter-hour, the pot of wine was empty.

As a result of drinking too fiercely, Xie Jinhuan felt a bit floaty, and the princess across from him slumped against the small table, her cheeks flushed crimson:

"That's enough, that's enough; when drinking with a young lady, who drinks so fiercely? You should have chatted about wind, flowers, snow, and moon to ease the pace."

"Apologies; in the past, while wandering the Jianghu, I got used to drinking from large bowls."

Seeing the timing was about right, Xie Jinhuan glanced subtly at the Zhenglun Sword on the table.

Ye Hongshang, ever ready, naturally activated his power at this moment.

"Hoo~~"

Princess Changning felt the wine rising to her head, a dizziness coming over her mind; she closed her eyes and gently rubbed her forehead:

"Why is the wine so strong today?"

"Your Highness might have drunk too quickly; why not rest? Shall I sing two little songs for the princess?"

"Ah?!"

Princess Changning's eyes went blank; she thought she had drunk too much and misheard. Opening her eyes, she looked at the cold, extraordinary young master in white robes across from her:

"You, with such thick eyebrows and bright eyes, can sing songs?"

"Hearing and seeing it every night, even if I didn't know, I'd know now; just don't make fun of me, Your Highness."

After the white-robed young master finished speaking, he cleared his throat, then raised his hand to lightly keep the beat:

"Wind moves fallen flowers in the deep path~ Sun bakes the quiet courtyard of the small villa~ In the shadow of green willows, orioles cry chaotically, where scattered red petals are hard to settle..."

Actually, the voice was clear and the tune was on point; very pleasant to hear.

It's just that his eyes were a bit flirtatious, like a succubus...

Princess Changning felt Xie Jinhuan had become a different person, but couldn't say what was wrong; her eyes were now surprised, she sat upright and listened intently, and after a moment praised:

"Really didn't see it coming; you, a young hero full of righteous energy, can actually sing brothel tunes; you must have practiced quite a bit in private, right?"

"Just singing for fun. How about I sing a verse, and the princess sings the next; whoever can't continue drinks?"

"Agreed!"

Princess Changning got into the spirit, filled her wine cup, and waited expectantly...

Meanwhile, inside the room.

Xie Jinhuan rose on tiptoe, moved to the terrace door, saw the scene inside the room, and suddenly understood why Meiqiu had exploded!

The small table was in the middle of the room; he was clearly no longer in his original position.

But Princess Changning still slanted against the small table, her eyes hazy as she gazed at the opposite side, a smile curling her lips; after a moment, she even began singing a song to herself:

"Leaning alone on the railing, gazing with sorrow~..."

Although she still possessed graceful elegance and overwhelming nobility, her demeanor was abnormal; talking to herself to thin air, she truly seemed possessed.

After confirming the Ghost Wife's charm illusion technique was working, Xie Jinhuan looked out the window.

The Princess's mansion had guards, but they only occasionally listened for sounds downstairs and would not come upstairs to disturb.

But the Ghost Wife was just a ghost; she could only pretend he was still there and couldn't cause physical effects; if it went on too long, she would likely be exposed.

To save time, Xie Jinhuan did not linger; he quietly closed the terrace sliding door, confirmed the shadow wouldn't be exposed, and flipped back down to his own courtyard below.

However, before leaving, Xie Jinhuan felt uneasy and thought silently:

The Ghost Wife won't mess around and ruin my image, will she?

Never mind; urgent matters come first; we'll talk about it when I return...

——

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(End of this chapter)