Ming Tan seemed to hear Jiang Xu praise her as cute for the first time. She gazed at him, momentarily stunned.
In that instant, her clothes were half-removed as the man approached with his familiar, domineering aura.
Their last intimate encounter had been at Mount Pang. Days had passed without such activity, and this sudden closeness made Ming Tan inexplicably shy and somewhat uncomfortable. This feeling seemed related to her realization, after the boathouse fire incident, that her affection for her husband went beyond mere marital duty.
Her soft face flushed slightly, her eyelashes fluttering as she lowered her gaze shyly. Her small hands gently pushed away, only intensifying the desire in Jiang Xu’s eyes.
As the inner chamber filled with the atmosphere of spring, a sudden announcement came from outside: “Your Highness, the Prefect seeks an audience.”
This being the prefect’s residence, the “sir” mentioned by the maid undoubtedly referred to the Prefect himself.
Jiang Xu, on the verge of action, initially intended to ignore the interruption. However, Ming Tan pushed against his chest, her breath uneven as she said, “For the Prefect to come at this hour… it must be… urgent business.”
He paused, turning his head towards the door, and asked in a low voice, “What matter?”
“This servant doesn’t know. The Prefect only instructed me to announce his request for an audience, Your Highness.”
Desire still lingered in Jiang Xu’s eyes as he finally rose from the bed, adjusting his disheveled clothes. Before leaving, he leaned down to pinch Ming Tan’s cheek, his voice husky: “Wait for me to return.”
Ming Tan covered her pinched right cheek, using her other hand to sit up on the bed. Embarrassed and flustered, she wiped away the marks left on her body.
Outside, Jiang Xu strode past the courtyard gate, not even glancing at the Prefect as he spoke coldly: “This had better be a matter of utmost importance.”
The Prefect broke into a sweat. If possible, he wouldn’t dare disturb the formidable Prince either. Unable to offend the Su family, he could only navigate this precarious situation.
Bowing deeply, he said anxiously, “Your Highness, a lady calling herself Qing Yu from Hui Lou requests to see you.”
“Is that all?”
The Prefect nodded, looking troubled. “This Qing Yu refuses to leave, insisting she has urgent business with Your Highness… This official didn’t know how to turn her away, so I had her wait in the flower hall.”
He knew exactly how to turn her away; if truly ignorant, he need not have acted, as the guards would have stopped her. However, since she came bearing Yû Bozhong’s name, he didn’t want to offend the Su family. Thus, he invited her to the flower hall and came to inform Jiang Xu.
As the Prefect anxiously awaited Jiang Xu’s response, someone behind Jiang Xu stepped forward calmly, saying, “Since she’s here, there’s no harm in meeting her.”
Ming Tan, noticing Jiang Xu had left his seal behind and thinking important matters might require it, had hastily changed clothes and followed. She hadn’t expected to overhear the Prefect’s words upon arrival.
Only then did she remember her earlier anger, which had been completely forgotten amidst the recent distractions.
True, he had dismissed those beauties, but what about this Qing Yu? He never explained her situation. Now, instead of him going to her, she came to their doorstep. Ming Tan was determined to see what made this person so remarkable.
Without waiting for Jiang Xu to speak, she asked the Prefect to lead the way.
In the flower hall, Qing Yu, dressed in a light blue gown, sat waiting. As the Prefect entered, she rose. Her joy at seeing Prince of Beiding barely surfaced before confusion set in at the sight of an unfamiliar woman.
The woman had snow-white skin and flower-like features, with bright eyes and pearly teeth. Her graceful steps exuded such beauty that one couldn’t look away. She seemed like a rare treasure, delicate and fragile, causing others to instinctively hold their breath.
Ming Tan also observed the woman before her. This woman was exceptionally beautiful, yet Ming Tan felt a subtle sense of familiarity as if she had seen her somewhere before.
Lan Fei, the Empress, Bai Minmin, Zhou Jingwan, Shen Hua, Yun Yi… Many familiar beautiful faces flashed through her mind, even recalling her reflection in the mirror. But none matched.
Yet those eyes…
Before she could pinpoint the resemblance, Qing Yu suddenly knelt before her, kowtowing three times, her back straight, maintaining a dignified air.
“This servant greets the Prince and Princess.”
On her way, she encountered her companions who had been sent back to Hui Lou earlier, learning that the Prince of Beiding had come to Lingzhou with his wife. The woman before her must be the Princess.
Still kneeling, she continued, “This servant knows her lowly status makes her unfit to serve Your Highness. However, under pressure from the Maritime Trade Commissioner, if Your Highness refuses to accept this servant, I…” She kowtowed several more times towards Ming Tan. “I beg the Princess for mercy. This servant is willing to serve as a beast of burden in gratitude, never overstepping boundaries.”
This act made that subtle sense of familiarity vanish once again.
As Ming Tan pondered the source of that familiarity, Qing Yu mistook her silence for interest and continued, speaking of her hardships since childhood at Hui Lou, subtly hinting at her desire to escape both Hui Lou and the Su family.
Ming Tan sat at the head seat, about to speak, when her gaze fell upon the “Nymph of the Luo River” painting hanging on the right side of the flower hall. In a flash of insight, she remembered something and instinctively looked towards Jiang Xu.
Jiang Xu met her gaze, silently confirming her thoughts.
Ming Tan composed herself, the weight lifting from her heart. She picked up her teacup, took a dignified sip, then looked at the kneeling Qing Yu and asked gently, “Miss Qing Yu, you wish to leave Hui Lou, correct?”
“Yes,” Qing Yu responded without hesitation.
She had finally convinced Yu Bozhong to let her try this, and she was determined to seize any chance to stay by the Prince of Beiding’s side, even if it meant betraying the Su family.
Ming Tan pondered, “The prince’s manor is not a refuge. If we were to take in everyone who asked, it would soon be overcrowded. However, Miss Qing Yu, your appearance is quite pleasing. If you truly wish to leave Hui Lou, I could assist you this once.”
Qing Yu suppressed her surging emotions, showing only gratitude on her face, immediately preparing to kowtow in thanks.
She had gambled correctly; these pampered young ladies were indeed soft-hearted. When dealing with them, it was better to adopt the humblest posture to gain their sympathy.
But Ming Tan continued, “Miss Qing Yu, there’s no need to rush your thanks. I can help you leave Hui Lou and ensure that Master Yu won’t trouble you over this matter. But my favor extends only this far. After leaving Hui Lou, whether you face poverty or wealth, lowliness or nobility, it will depend entirely on you. Of course, the choice to leave or stay is also yours alone.”
So, she could help her leave Hui Lou but wouldn’t allow her into the prince’s manor? Qing Yu looked up, meeting Ming Tan’s gentle gaze.
“Princess, this servant—”
“Miss Qing Yu, there’s no need to answer hastily. I’ll give you a day to consider carefully. If you decide to leave Hui Lou, arrangements will be made for you before sunset tomorrow.”
Qing Yu was momentarily speechless. She couldn’t help but look towards Jiang Xu, hoping he would speak on her behalf.
Earlier at Hui Lou, the Prince of Beiding had given her a second glance, proving he wasn’t entirely uninterested. Where had things gone wrong?
After a long moment, Jiang Xu spoke, but not for her benefit.
“Someone, escort her out. Whether she accepts the Princess’s kindness or not, I don’t wish to see this person in front of me or the Princess again.” His voice was cold, and he didn’t even look at her, clearly indifferent.
On their way back to their quarters, silence reigned. Ming Tan carefully considered what to say, but didn’t know how to begin. Her earlier emotions had dissipated, leaving only a vague concern for her husband.
When she had suddenly glimpsed the beauty in the painting at the flower hall, she finally realized why Qing Yu’s features seemed familiar – they resembled the portrait of Prince Heir Min Cong’s consort, hidden behind a rolled-up curtain in the prince’s manor’s study.
She had accidentally seen it once. The painting was likely done when her mother-in-law was appointed as the Prince Heir’s consort, depicting her in formal attire. The facial features and expressions were painted in exquisite detail, lifelike, and unforgettable in their beauty.
While Qing Yu’s beauty and bearing fell far short of her deceased mother-in-law’s, a glance revealed a striking similarity in their eyes and brows. No wonder her husband had allowed her to stay.
Her husband must deeply miss his mother.
He was less than a year old when his father unexpectedly passed away, never experiencing a father’s love. His mother died of melancholy when he was five—
“My mother was from the Yi family of Lingnan, a prestigious clan. She was groomed from childhood to be the future empress,” Jiang Xu suddenly spoke, unprompted.
The Yi family of Lingnan? Indeed, a prominent clan.
“After my father’s death, the Sheng family intended to support the Crown Prince’s son. But my mother didn’t want me to become a pawn in their power struggle. She only wished for me to live a peaceful, prosperous life.
“Her choice brought considerable misfortune to the Yi family. The family patriarch once berated her, saying she was unworthy of being a Yi family daughter. Perhaps she wasn’t a qualified Yi family daughter, but she was… a very good mother.”
When she was first to marry into the Prince of Beiding’s family, Ming Tan inquired about his past. Her uncle had indeed mentioned that his survival as the former Crown Prince’s son through two power transitions owed much to the Crown Prince’s consort’s protection. However, she hadn’t delved deeper then, not even knowing her mother-in-law was from the Yi family of Lingnan.
She hesitated for a moment. “My lord, about Miss Qing Yu, perhaps we could…”
“She bears only a slight resemblance. How could she compare to my mother? There’s no need for concern or further attention.”
Ming Tan nodded slowly, silently hoping that Qing Yu would make a wise choice and, with her vaguely similar appearance, opt for a smoother life path.
However, things didn’t go as she wished. The next day, Ming Tan received news that Qing Yu had chosen not to leave Hui Lou.
As Hui Lou’s most outstanding courtesan, leaving would mean having nothing but her face. Unable to find a more powerful patron than the Su family immediately, she decided to stay. The Su family held absolute sway in Lingzhou, and with her skills, gaining favor after entering the household wouldn’t be difficult.
Learning this, Ming Tan felt inexplicably melancholic. Each person has their fate, and she couldn’t say Qing Yu’s choice was necessarily wrong.
However, her husband’s business in Lingzhou seemed to be concluding, and they would soon depart. As she packed their belongings, Ming Tan found herself deep in thought. Was there anything she could do for her husband?