Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Where’s Ren Baqian?” The empress was getting bored in the palace and came out to get some fresh air. The sky outside was just getting dark, but the palace was brightly lit.
Hong Yuan, who was carrying the empress’s wine pot and following her every step of the way, said softly, “He was invited by Minister Tong to House Yunyan and came just now to inform Your Majesty.”
“Oh?” The empress recalled that Ren Baqian did come over, but she was watching a television show at a critical point in the plot and didn’t pay much attention to him.
She thought about it and cried out, “That old b*stard! He is dragging him to House Yunyan again!”
“Ren Baqian knows how to behave with propriety,” Hong Yuan said with a grin.
The empress thought of a phrase commonly said in television shows and blurted out, “All men are cats and cannot resist stealing fish!”
“Well… Do you want to take a look?” Qing Luan instigated. She liked to watch Principal Ren get tormented by the empress.
The empress paused midway and looked anxious.
However, a phrase from another television show came to mind: “Men can’t be pushed too hard and must be given some space.”
Then, a different phrase popped up in her mind: “You can’t give them the chance to fool around.”
She struggled to decide and then laughed freely. Why bother to think of these things and behave like the ladies in the market?
Anyone in this world who did Qi Zixiao wrong would be hung from the rampart to air-dry before being buried in the palace square to accompany that erhu.
“I don’t think he has the guts,” the empress said coldly. He couldn’t be expected to hang around her in the palace every day, and it wasn’t a bad idea to let him mingle with the people from the Ministry of Works.
She still trusted Ren Baqian.
After speaking, the empress turned around, headed back to her bedroom, and said, “I’m bored. Dress me in a man’s outfit, and let’s go to the brothel to have some fun.”
At this moment, Ren Baqian was looking strange in House Yunyan, and it was unknown whether he was enjoying himself, feeling compassionate, or something else.
The big hall was filled with officials from the Ministry of Works, such as Feng Hou and Ge Yihong. Although they didn’t go wild, they were dancing like demons.
There was nobody to either side of Ren Baqian—he was only having a drink and chatting with others about recent developments.
He discussed topics such as the blast furnaces and hydraulic forge workshops at the Nineteen Streams. He also mentioned the promotion of peanuts and pumpkins in the coming year.
He needed a better vantage point to see the situation of the farmers and workers of Dayao in order to plan for them.
However, he was surprised to see someone familiar among the group of ladies who had just entered.
She had beautiful features, fair skin, a slightly wide forehead, and a heroic disposition. A touch of makeup made her look more gentle. She was dressed in an aqua-blue traditional Jing costume with flowers embroidered on it and wore a few silver bracelets.
This group of ladies came from Tianjing Basin. After Xi Wanya had stabilized Tianjing Basin, he selected some young ladies from the relatives of the prisoners and sent them to this brothel in Lan City.
In House Yunyan, this batch was the best, they had just finished training, and today was the first time they were sent out to receive the guests. He had heard Feng Hou telling him about this the moment he entered House Yunyan, but he hadn’t paid much attention.
He was stunned to see this lady among the group that came in and initially suspected that it was someone else who resembled her.
It wasn’t until he saw the shock, shyness, and hatred in her eyes that he confirmed it was her.
He had forgotten her name, but definitely not the person. At that time in the hidden village, there was a group of old experts and some of their disciples.
This lady was one of the disciples. If he wasn’t mistaken, her teacher was an old lady who later invited a Spirit Wheel expert that used an umbrella as a weapon to strike others. Ren Baqian still remembered the name of the master who was called Chang Tian.
After Chang Tian’s death, that old lady took his corpse and disappeared, so Ren Baqian forgot about this matter.
After all, an Earth Wheel expert wasn’t worthy of his attention in that type of situation.
He didn’t expect to see her disciple here.
“Where’s your master?” Ren Baqian asked.
The girl hesitated, then sighed and said, “She’s dead.”
“Why are you here?” Actually, Ren Baqian wanted to ask why she was still alive. His impression of the people from the hidden village was good because they were people who were willing to shed blood for their ideals.
Rather than having to see such a young lady falling into a place like a brothel and serving as a toy doll, he would rather see the people of the hidden village surrender or perish
He was about to say this, but felt that he shouldn’t be so mean since not everyone had the opportunity to choose.
Anyway, it wasn’t wrong to want to live.
“You actually have an acquaintance here!” Feng Hou laughed heartily. As he patted Ren Baqian on the shoulders, Ren Baqian heard the chair under him creaking
“Are you thinking of asking me why I didn’t die together with my mentor?” That girl seemed to know what Ren Baqian was implying and raised her eyebrows when replying. In a voice filled with hatred, she said, “That was my initial thought, but now, I want to continue living so I can see how those traitors die and how all of you perish!”
As soon as the words were spoken, there was silence around her as all the people in the room looked at her with spurious smiles. In Lan City, even Spirit Wheel experts could come in, but they weren’t able to get out.
Moreover, a Man Wheel expert and an ordinary man were no different. Nobody took any notice of her, but her thoughts determined her fate.
Others with the same status as her hastily kept their distance from her and lowered their heads in silence.
“I will take you with me in a moment and let you continue living in limbo.” Feng Hou laughed and the fate of the girl was decided.
“If you want to live, you shouldn’t say such things. Do you want to die? Are you still vacillating between living in humiliation and ending it all in death? You have been training for three months in House Yunyan, but you still don’t understand? You survived through three months of training and still haven’t figured it out.” Ren Baqian shook his head.
The girl bit her lip and obstinately stared at Ren Baqian.
“Don’t take her with you. I will handle it,” Ren Baqian turned and said to Feng Hou. If Feng Hou were to take her, although he wouldn’t let her die, he wouldn’t give her an easy time as she was even less than a toy doll to these people.
If she were to have both legs cut off and be locked up in a courtyard, then it was better to kill her and be done with.
“If Her Majesty learns about this, you will be in trouble,” Feng Hou said before laughing.
“Her Majesty will not care about a small matter like this.” Ren Baqian waved his hands and got his bodyguard to bring that girl to another room.
…
Xing Rong, with one eye and one arm missing, was sitting in a room.
“Principal Ren Baqian is here and wants to take away one of the trained personnel whom he seems to know,” a disabled man said.
“He’s here again?” Xing Rong frowned. The last time Ren Baqian was here, half of House Yunyan had almost been destroyed.
“Is it Minister Tong again?” After thinking about it, only Tong Zhenye would dare to invite Ren Baqian to the brothel.
“He has to pay if he wants to take someone. Get someone to inform him that 500 taels of silver will be required,” Xing Rong said after some consideration.
A moment later, someone came in to report and said, “Three women that are dressed as men have just arrived, and one of them looks like Her Majesty…”
Xing Rong’s face turned black upon hearing this.
Why is Her Majesty here again…
Right from the start, he shouldn’t have let Ren Baqian in.
