Watching him cover his abdomen and leave without a word, Lian Xin quickly ran to the door and peered out…

Indeed, she saw him truly walking farther and farther away. She slowly retreated, feeling somewhat lost after the fear passed.

Would he die?

If he died, it would serve him right – who told him to treat her so despicably, standing up for Li Huaisu!

But why could someone do this for Li Huaisu?

Even with such a serious injury, he didn’t kill her, only asked her to keep her promise.

No one has ever treated me this way…

She suddenly stopped, sat back down, picked up the wine she hadn’t finished earlier and drank several mouthfuls, thinking: Would Mother treat me this way? But she seems to value Sixth Brother more… Would Sixth Brother treat me like Wuqing treats Li Huaisu? No, he wouldn’t – he’s the emperor, how could he easily take risks… Ninth Brother plays well with me too, but he…

No one likes me… Sixth Brother also dislikes me now…

No one in this world would treat me this way.

But isn’t this Wuqing Li Huaisu’s subordinate? Could he also love Li Huaisu like Sixth Brother does?

People inside and outside the palace treat me well only because I’m a princess…

Thinking this, she felt the oppressive stuffiness in her heart grow deeper. The wine pot had been overturned earlier, spilling all the wine. She went out to call for more wine and drank heavily with her head down.

When she drank to the point of confusion, her tears also flowed more fiercely.

It turned out that all these years she had been like a fool, thinking herself impressive, but even if she died now, no one would grieve for her or shed tears for her.

“Young master, you’ve been drinking for quite a while. Do you need me to find some girls to serve you?”

Just as she was feeling sad, she saw the madam enter with a procurer, both wearing obsequious smiles as they inquired.

This was like adding fuel to fire. She immediately pointed fiercely toward the door: “When I was shouting earlier, none of you came to save me, but now you come so eagerly for money. Get out! If you say another word, I’ll cut out both your tongues and feed them to dogs!”

The madam had already been displeased that she hadn’t ordered any girls for company for so long. Now being shouted at like this, her face immediately turned cold. Standing close to her, she could see clearly – this person had delicate eyebrows, white and smooth facial skin. Where was this a man? This was clearly a woman disguised in men’s clothing!

Her expression immediately changed as she sneered: “Whether you want girls or not is up to you, young master, but you’ve consumed quite a lot of good wine. Please settle the wine bill first!”

Lian Xin gave a cold snort and reached into her clothes for money, but where would she have any money – she was a princess, and when going out, servants naturally carried silver. Today she had acted on impulse, commanding a courier station servant to remove his clothes for her disguise. It was impossible for her to be carrying silver, let alone silver – she didn’t even have a single valuable item on her!

Seeing her unable to produce anything after a long time, the madam realized this person looked refined and elegant at first glance, but was actually a deadbeat!

She immediately ordered the procurer to grab her and personally searched her. After searching for a long time, while Lian Xin drunkenly flailed and screamed threats about destroying entire families and exterminating nine generations, they couldn’t find a single copper coin.

“Madam, how should we deal with this girl? Should we take her home to get money or—”

“I misjudged. Look at this dead girl wearing rough cloth clothes – just happens to be pretty, but how could she have any money! I was afraid she might be some wealthy young lady disguised as a man seeking pleasure, but think about it – which wealthy family’s young lady, even if dressed as a man to see the sights, would wear such coarse, inferior clothing? Judging by her accent, she’s probably an outsider who came to our Minshan to make a living. Since she’s not wealthy and is a foreigner, there’s even less need to worry. Fortunately… she’s female!”

Before the procurer could finish speaking, he was harshly interrupted by the madam. She analyzed the situation and soon broke into a broad smile, reaching out to touch Lian Xin’s face: “But with such looks, such tender skin and fragrant body, she’s even more beautiful than our top courtesan – quite worthy of covering this wine debt.”

She spoke while pulling the hairpin from Lian Xin’s hair. A head of soft, beautiful hair cascaded down like a waterfall of smoky clouds. Her smile grew even broader as she explored Lian Xin’s chest area, becoming even more certain she was indeed a genuine young woman.

The procurer understood her meaning and knew the madam intended to keep this woman as a prostitute. He leered with a smile, revealing half a mouth of blackened teeth, his face growing flesh, and heavily groped Lian Xin’s face several times. Feeling how smooth and soft it was, he swallowed his saliva and continued groping.

Though Lian Xin was half-drunk, she wasn’t completely unconscious. Seeing the man before her – over forty years old, ugly, with lewd eyes – being touched by the madam was already unbearable, but now this was beyond endurance. She immediately kicked at the man.

This procurer had brutalized many good family girls and was quite experienced. He immediately slapped her hard. Lian Xin’s almond eyes widened. Having just seen Wuqing’s resolute departure and felt moved to tears thinking of her own situation, she now didn’t cry or make a fuss but spat at him and fought viciously like a small beast.

The man had been careless and couldn’t quite control her, getting his face scratched by her.

The madam immediately called several more procurers in. No matter how fierce Lian Xin was, she couldn’t match the strength of several grown men and was soon caught securely.

“You have such nerve! Do you know who I am? I am Princess Lian Xin! The emperor’s only sister! How dare you treat me this way? Release me immediately and kill yourselves in apology – perhaps I’ll consider sparing your nine generations. Otherwise, I’ll have Mother and Sixth Brother kill you all, exterminate your entire families…”

Lian Xin shouted fiercely, but everyone found it amusing. The madam sneered and spat on her: “If you wild girl are a princess, then I’m the current Empress Dowager! Looks like she’s still a virgin too – can fetch a good price. Take good care of her, but don’t break her body – understand!”

“Yes, Madam!”

Several men were overjoyed – they hadn’t seen such fine goods in a long time and were immediately excited.

Even drunk, hearing this sobered Lian Xin considerably: “I really am a princess! If you dare touch me, it’s a capital offense. I’ll spare you all – don’t you believe me? Just take me to the courier station and you can verify my identity…”

The madam wouldn’t listen to her. Her red lips curved: “Oh my, this sounds quite real – even bringing up the courier station. But aside from your looks, do you seem like a princess at all? If all princesses were like your vicious appearance, then every maid in the world would be a princess! Would a princess come to a brothel? Would a princess wear such clothing? Would a princess have no servants with her?”

Seeing her disdainful expression, Lian Xin was filled with rage. Having been pampered by Xiao’an since childhood, when had she ever suffered such humiliation? The alcohol surged, and regardless of her situation, she simply said quietly: “I have silver hidden on me. Take it and let me leave.”

The madam didn’t believe her at first, but seeing her eyebrows and bearing did indeed have some proud, magnificent air, she was momentarily intimidated and bent down to search inside her clothes. But Lian Xin’s hands were held by several big men – her mouth wasn’t. Her eyes darkened as she bit toward the madam’s face and ear.

The madam screamed loudly. Fortunately, seeing Lian Xin’s strange expression, she had dodged quickly. Even so, Lian Xin bit viciously and still tore off a small piece of skin and flesh from her face, making it immediately bloody and causing her to shriek in pain.

“Going to be disfigured! This damned wretch!”

Several big men panicked, knowing her beautiful face was still useful. Two free men punched Lian Xin hard in the stomach.

Lian Xin spat out the skin and flesh from her mouth, breaking into cold sweats from pain. Knowing shouting was useless, she didn’t shout. Her stubborn temper rose – she wouldn’t beg for mercy either, thinking that if these people beat her severely, she couldn’t serve customers and might escape this calamity. Perhaps after a while, when Ninth Brother and the others discovered she was missing, they would search for her. Though they didn’t know her location, if they searched all of Minshan Prefecture thoroughly, they would eventually find her.

But having never been beaten or scolded before, she truly underestimated this pain.

“Hold her down – I’ll beat her!”

The madam tightly covered her face and fiercely ordered the big men, kicking toward Lian Xin’s lower abdomen.

Lian Xin was in such pain she sobbed quietly, nearly fainting.

The madam, seeing her pale face and frightened expression, felt slightly satisfied and spat on her several more times: “Let’s see if you dare be arrogant again!”

She coldly told the procurers: “This girl is yours to play with – serve her well!”

“Don’t worry, Madam!”

Several men nodded in succession.

Watching the madam leave with cold laughter, slowly closing the door, several big men released her like cats playing with a mouse and approached with leering smiles. The lust and excitement in each man’s eyes were undisguised. Lian Xin finally began to feel real terror, suddenly thinking that what Wuqing had done to her earlier wasn’t so bad – she shouldn’t have stabbed him but should have left with him. She screamed and tried to run while covering her stomach, but several ugly, burly men had already surrounded her like clouds and fog…