Huo Jin stepped into the room to inform Yin Na about Prince Wanxi's request to meet her. "Prince Wanxi wants to meet you," he said.
Yin Na stood up and asked him about the reason.
"His Highness did not tell me," Huo Jin answered. "Follow me," he said and turned to leave when Yin Na's question stopped him.
"Would you not ask how the meeting went with Xu Wenhai?"
"It must have gone well," Huo Jin replied when Yin Na came in front of him.
'Huo Jin, I will be betrothed to him, if you do not intervene. Am I that bad to you? Why can you not see me as a woman?' She asked him but only in her mind.
"I thought you would be sleeping," Huo Jin said.
"I could not," she said and walked out of the room. Huo Jin walked after her and asked her about the Xu Residence's people.
"They seemed good. Since it was the first day, I cannot tell who is good and who is bad," she stated. "You do not need to teach me archery anymore."
"Why?" Huo Jin asked in bewilderment.
"Xu Wenhai offered his mentorship. He told me that it can be learned in a few months rather than years," Yin Na answered. "You are a slow learner, that's why you took a long time to learn it," she remarked and lifted her skirt a little as they approached the stairs.
"Did Xu Wenhai say that?" He queried her.
"The earlier statements were his and the last statement is mine," she asserted and descended the stairs with him.
Huo Jin did not like the way Xu Wenhai told Yin Na about archery. Why did he want to teach her archery? Wasn't he a Court Minister? He should be busy with the Empire's work rather than this.
"You two became close in just a day," Huo Jin said.
"He told me not to be formal with him," Yin Na answered.
"You hardly get comfortable around the men who are unknown to you," Huo Jin was curious to know how she ended up being comfortable around Xu Wenhai.
"He is honest with me, that's why. Also, I did not get uncomfortable around him. I do not know why. Xu Wenhai is a good person," Yin Na stated.
"That's a relief," Huo Jin answered.
Yin Na wondered why Huo Jin did not get jealous. The answer was simple: he did not feel anything towards her. However, Yin Na did not want to accept it. She somewhere had the faith that Huo Jin would consider her feelings at least once.
Oppositely, Huo Jin was irked when Yin Na praised Xu Wenhai. Their first meeting was not pleasant at all. Xu Wenhai did his best to trouble him and when he stopped him from going to the main hall, he pushed him. He neglected that thing but why did he tell Yin Na that he would become his mentor. It indeed annoyed him but did not let it show on his face.
~~~~~
In the main courtyard, Lei Wanxi and Xu Wenhai were in a serious conversation. When Lei Wanxi asked him why he was not working expeditiously towards the work assigned to him, he felt stuck.
Indeed, the increased brothel houses were to be limited but then many upper-class officials did not want this. He could not either make the officials angry since his position in the court was still new.
"Minister Xu, Brother Sheng is busy these days because Sister Lili is pregnant, but his younger brother is always free. He has his eyes everywhere. That's why I have decided to work on this with Minister Xu," Lei Wanxi stated.
"His Highness does not need to trouble himself. I have some paperwork left, that's why it is getting delayed," Xu Wenhai answered. He did not want Lei Wanxi to be a part of his work.
"Minister Xu, let's come straight to this point. I know many officials go to the brothel houses to seek pleasure and cheat on their official wives. Some even abuse the women in the brothels. Sister Yin Na underwent such a thing in the past and even a few days ago. That's why Brother Sheng wanted to limit them. If you cannot work on it, then tell me," he suggested to him.
"It is not that I do not want to work, Your Highness. I am afraid that the officials might raise their voices. In the past, many women were taken from brothel houses to the Palace as the Concubines too and as entertainers," Xu Wenhai expressed his concerns.
"Minister Xu, do you know why you are appointed to the court? You indeed scored great in the exam, but there is one more reason," Lei Wanxi stated and found the bewildered look on Xu Wenhai's face.
"Minister Xu, your father worked with the Late Emperor and ended many evil things. One among them was limiting these brothels," Lei Wanxi affirmed.
"I have been looking into this matter and found unknown sales of young women have increased. You need to find the cause. If you need assistance, I am ready to be a part of this. Let's work together to end such evils," he suggested to him and stood up as he saw Yin Na coming from the front with Huo Jin.
He put the fan inside his sash while Yin Na and Huo Jin came near him. Yin Na bowed before him and greeted him warmly.
"How is Sister Yin Na doing?" Lei Wanxi asked her. "Please have a seat, Sister Yin Na," he gestured towards the chair, moving his hand in the air.
"Thank you, Your Highness. But I am not supposed to sit before the Prince," she said humbly.
"Sister Yin Na, I am the Prince inside the Palace. Inside General Wang's Residence, I am Lei Wanxi. A lady must sit first," he stated and then grabbed her sleeve to make her sit on the chair, which startled Yin Na.
Huo Jin took out a small wooden box from inside his sleeve and presented it to Yin Na, who skeptically glanced at him.
"It is given by the Empress. She can not come here, but I can. She gave me this yesterday, but I was busy with work," Lei Wanxi informed her. "Take it," he said.
Yin Na took the box and thanked him.
"Check it inside your room," Lei Wanxi opined when he heard a voice that was the scariest for him.
