Mei Niang acknowledged with a sound. “I heard it became fashionable from there.”

Yan Sanhe immediately turned her head. “Xie Zhifei, what kind of place is the Jiaofang Si? What’s the difference between it and Lichun Courtyard?”

“Every time something comes up, you ask me…”

Xie Zhifei smiled roguishly. “Yan Sanhe, can I ever rehabilitate my image with you?”

Yan Sanhe was speechless. “Third Master, is now the time to discuss this?”

“Don’t change the subject. Just say whether I can rehabilitate or not.”

“I can, I can, I can.”

Yan Sanhe’s pale face flushed with exasperation.

Xie Zhifei, seeing her so annoyed, smiled inwardly with satisfaction. “To truly speak of it, the Jiaofang Si isn’t just a place for seeking pleasure.”

“Then what is it?”

“The Jiaofang Si manages palace and court ceremonial music and performances, as well as supervising music households. But music households are divided into two types—one is performing artists, the other is official courtesans.”

With his explanation, Yan Sanhe grew more confused.

“Those who understand music theory, excel at song and dance, know variety arts… these people are called performing artists. Don’t look down on them—they eat the court’s stipend, count as official people, and only sell their art, not their bodies.”

Xie Zhifei continued unhurriedly.

“But those young, beautiful female relatives of criminal officials, female prisoners captured in wars, and pretty young ladies bought from outside are all official courtesans. Official courtesans don’t have such good fates. To put it bluntly, they accompany people for pleasure.”

Yan Sanhe said, “Then Jingchen…”

Xie Zhifei thought for a moment. “I guess… most likely the latter.”

Former status as official courtesan, later status as nun. Yan Sanhe’s spirit suddenly lifted. “Mei Niang, please continue.”

“Miss Yan, there’s really not much more to tell.”

Mei Niang explained, “After the maid inquired and returned, I immediately had someone make a pair, spending a full five taels of silver.”

Five taels for one pair of shoes?

Yan Sanhe asked, “Why so expensive?”

Mei Niang answered, “Mainly the embroidery thread is expensive. This kind of thread is only supplied to imperial relatives and nobility. Common people, let alone buying it, even seeing it is difficult.”

Yan Sanhe pressed, “How did you buy that thread?”

Mei Niang smiled. “Miss, fish have fish roads, shrimp have shrimp roads. In this capital, as long as you have silver and are willing to spend it, someone’s hand can always reach what’s needed.”

“It’s those little eunuchs from the palace.”

Xie Zhifei didn’t hide or conceal anything, speaking openly.

“These little eunuchs can’t save much silver in a year, and they have to honor the senior eunuchs. So they think of ways to supplement their income. Selling thread from the palace is just one of the most insignificant methods.”

The ins and outs here are truly complex!

Yan Sanhe looked deeply at Xie Zhifei before asking again, “Mei Niang, how long did these shoes keep you popular?”

“Don’t even mention it—barely a month.”

Mei Niang laughed self-mockingly.

“Those dog men said I was like an ugly woman trying to imitate a beauty—better not to wear them at all. Those shoes were thrown into a chest before long.”

Yan Sanhe understood.

The men official courtesans accompanied were either princes and generals or various officials.

Most of these people were scholars. Scholars played at elegance.

A young lady in gauzy clothing, stepping out from behind a screen step by step, in the lamplight, that round moon on her feet appearing and disappearing.

Literati and poets often used cold clarity, loneliness, and elegance to describe the moon.

The most beautiful, most seductive person trampling coldness and elegance underfoot—for men, what a visual impact!

“Mei Niang, do you still have those shoes?”

“When Third Master redeemed me from Lichun Courtyard, I left as just myself, taking nothing else.”

Mei Niang sighed softly. “Things from the mud pit—just leave them in the mud pit.”

Things from the mud pit, leave them in the mud pit?

Yan Sanhe felt her heart tighten at these words, and the joy that had just surged up diluted considerably.

If Jingchen was from the Jiaofang Si, if this outfit was from the Jiaofang Si, why did she still bring it to Water Moon Nunnery? Why wear it before dying? This was very contradictory!

Yan Sanhe shook her head. Overthinking was useless—better to investigate first.

“Mei Niang, thank you.”

“Why thank me, Miss? I’m merely following orders.”

Following whose orders—need that be said?

Wasn’t it the man beside her, his body casually leaning, hand propping his head, eyes full of romantic charm?

Yan Sanhe said, “Buyan, see Mei Niang out for me.”

“Right away.”

Li Buyan walked over and hooked her arm. “Mei Niang, I apologize for when I brought you here—walked too fast. When seeing you out, we’ll walk slowly, try to step on more ants along the way.”

“…”

Mei Niang looked at the arm on her shoulder. For some reason, her throat felt stuffed with cotton, unable to say anything.

…

Not only Mei Niang felt this way—right now Yan Sanhe’s throat was also blocked.

Forget about her injured foot making it difficult to move an inch—even if her foot were fine, without someone leading the way, entering a place like the Jiaofang Si would probably be difficult.

Should she speak up?

She’d owe this person another favor.

Not speak up?

Should she have Li Buyan force her way in?

Her peripheral vision glanced sideways. The calculations in her heart were whether this person could be a bit proactive, like when giving the cane?

But this person was leisurely drinking tea, showing no intention of being proactive at all.

After a moment of silence, Yan Sanhe decided she still needed to speak up.

“Ahem…”

She cleared her throat. Just as she was about to speak, Xie Zhifei beside her curved his lips, showing a half-smile.

“What’s wrong with your throat? Here, let me change you to fresh tea to moisten your throat.”

“No need to bother, I…”

“Huh, why is your face red?”

Xie Zhifei looked astonished. “Are you hot?”

Yan Sanhe was speechless. I’m anxious.

“I actually forgot—our Miss Yan is most afraid of heat.”

Xie Zhifei looked up. “Tangyuan, go ask Steward Xie for a few more basins of ice.”

“Yes, Third Master.”

As soon as Tangyuan left, only two people remained in all of Jingsi Residence. Yan Sanhe decided to throw caution to the wind and lose face.

“Xie Zhifei, could you help with the Jiaofang Si…”

“Yan Sanhe.”

Xie Zhifei interrupted her again.

“Trees need bark, people need face. In outsiders’ eyes, Third Master is worthless, but at root I’m still quite proper. What do you think?”

Yan Sanhe was speechless.

She finally understood—this person was still bothered that when Mei Niang mentioned the Jiaofang Si, she immediately thought of him.

“Mm, I also think you’re very proper!” She gritted her teeth.

“Proper in what way?”

Xie Zhifei smiled improperly. “Proper in sitting calmly with a beauty in your arms?”

“Mm, sitting calmly with a beauty in your arms.” She gritted her teeth again.

“That’s not right!”

Xie Zhifei challenged her. “How can a man sit calmly with a beauty in his arms?”

“…Third Master has willpower.” She continued gritting her teeth.

“Do I? Even Third Master doesn’t believe these words. Do you?”

“…I believe.” She gritted her teeth once more.

“Yan Sanhe, your ears are so red—you’re lying, aren’t you?”

“Xie Zhifei, are you done or not?”

Yan Sanhe was pushed by this person to complete collapse. “Fine means fine, not fine I’ll find someone else.”

“Look at you, getting all fired up. Did I say I couldn’t do it?”

Xie Zhifei looked into her eyes, putting on an aggrieved expression himself.

“Going to that kind of place to inquire about women’s embroidered shoes—people will think Third Master has some special fetish. Don’t you need to sweet-talk me a bit first, give me courage to go?”

Yan Sanhe was speechless.

“Besides.”

Xie Zhifei hummed and hawed. “Who am I sacrificing my reputation for? And who am I putting on a show for?”

Why are my teeth still so itchy after grinding them for so long?

Yan Sanhe took several deep breaths. “Xie Zhifei, do you remember back at the inn, you owed me a favor?”

“No, no, such a big favor—can’t use it here, too wasteful. I’d better keep owing it.”

Xie Zhifei stared intently into her eyes. “But these good words—they still need to be said, Yan Sanhe.”

The fire in Yan Sanhe’s eyes ignited.

“…No.”

Xie Zhifei’s voice grew husky. “Is it so hard to say ‘Chengyu, thank you’?”

Boom!

With this, even the fire in Yan Sanhe’s heart blazed up.