Xiao Rou looked at the vibrant liquid before her, hesitating to drink it, as if it were poison! But seeing her mistress enjoying it, she thought it might taste good. Closing her eyes, she took a small sip. The taste was strange. She took another uncertain sip – ah, it was sweet with a hint of sourness, refreshingly light, with a subtle plum fragrance lingering at the tip of her nose. She had never tasted such an unusual tea before, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
“Miss, this fruit tea is truly wonderful, perfectly balanced between sweet and sour, with a fragrant flavor,” Xiao Rou said adoringly. Looking at her self-satisfied mistress, Xiao Rou smiled contentedly.
“Who is making such a loud noise here?” Yu Wansu said sternly. Speaking was a beautiful woman of eighteen or nineteen, dressed in a purple lotus flower dress, wearing a phoenix hairpin, with snow-white skin and a peach-blossom complexion. Elegant and graceful, with a voluptuous figure, she was the current imperial consort.
Her maidservant Jin Zhi, holding her arm, said, “Reporting to my mistress, it’s Mei Fei.” Her tone was full of contempt. As the personal maidservant of the imperial consort, she felt she had the right to look down on others, knowing her mistress was currently the most favored.
Mei Fei! The once-renowned first beauty of the capital, Mei Siyu, who was kicked off the imperial bed on her first night and rumored to have a strange appearance. She was now residing in the Cold Palace’s Yang Feng Hall!
“Thrown into the Cold Palace, yet still laughing so brazenly. How typical of her,” the maidservant said boldly, emboldened by her mistress’s status.
The imperial consort simply smiled faintly and did not stop her maidservant’s rudeness. “I must go pay respects to the empress dowager. Let’s not linger here,” she said softly.
Supported by her maidservant, she moved gracefully towards the empress dowager’s palace.
Inside the room, the mistress and servant remained unaware of the turmoil outside, immersed in their joy. “Miss, won’t our noise disturb others?” Xiao Rou, having lived in ancient times, understood the need for discretion.
“Don’t worry, where are we? A place where not even birds would defecate! Who would come here?” Mei Siyu said helplessly. She had been living here for almost two months, with no birds flying by and no people in sight – how pitiful!
Oh, when would she have the chance to see the outside world? Stuck in this remote Yang Feng Hall, she missed her free life – delicious zhajiang noodles, cute mini skirts, bustling night markets! Thinking of these, her previously excellent mood sank back into gloom.
Tonight, she planned to “scale the wall” and see what would happen! Ha ha, just thinking about it was exciting! She immediately began preparing her wall-climbing tools, with Xiao Rou unknowingly becoming her accomplice.
In no time, a multi-hooked lock was completed, tied with a hundred-strand rope, waiting for the dead of night to make her escape! Wow, truly an unbeatable clever girl! She was quite skilled at getting things done.
Xiao Rou looked at the strange contraption, full of questions. “Miss, what is this for?”
“It’s for… exercising my arm strength,” Mei Siyu said vaguely. If she told her the real plan, would Xiao Rou agree? Of course not! So for the sake of Xiao Rou’s heart, she could only tell a white lie!
When the moonlight became hazy and Xiao Rou was fast asleep, Mei Siyu quietly brought her tools to the palace wall. “It’s so high. Is it sturdy enough? What if I fall halfway?” she muttered to herself. Having done no safety tests, she was running purely on enthusiasm!
How long had she been climbing? She was only halfway up! If the patrolling guards discovered her, she’d be done for! She must speed up – climb, climb, climb!
“What a bold little thief, where do you think you’re going?” a male voice called from behind her. Startled, she lost her grip and fell heavily to the ground. Just as she tried to get up, a foot pressed her down, immobilizing her.
Fearing she might be hacked to death, Mei Siyu quickly clasped her hands. “Spare me, good sir!
Hey, it was really painful just now, but I’m much better now.” Mei Siyu said shyly. When she fell just now, she landed on all fours, and her little face was forced to kiss the ground – how embarrassing!
Ming Leng Yun gently wrapped his slender waist and leaped up, and in the blink of an eye, they were outside the palace. “Wow, I didn’t expect your lightness skill to be so good!” Mei Siyu’s almond eyes were full of admiration and reverence.
His hand reluctantly left her waist – such a slim waist, this was his conclusion. Bringing her out, he had his own selfish motives. That brief encounter in the palace, her appearance, demeanor, and ethereal temperament had deeply attracted him! Most importantly, her unusual behavior and speech were unforgettable – a pure and restrained person; someone once rumored to have peculiar preferences, had actually lost his heart so easily!
“Where do you want to go now?” Ming Leng Yun said softly.
“Let me ask you, what’s still open now?” Mei Siyu responded with a counter-question.
Ming Leng Yun asked in confusion, “What does ‘open’ mean?” She often inadvertently blurted out words he didn’t understand, and he wondered where she had learned them.
“Ah, slip of the tongue, I mean ‘open for business’, haha.” Mei Siyu stuck out her tongue, feeling awkward. She had been here for two months and still couldn’t adapt to life here – how inappropriate! She realized she needed to be more careful when speaking, or people would think she was a stranger.
Ming Leng Yun shook his head, indicating there was nowhere open. The night market had probably dispersed, and there was nowhere to go.
“Then we can only go to the brothel, yes, let’s go there!” Mei Siyu said excitedly. Although it was inappropriate for a woman to go to such a place, she didn’t care about those complicated Confucian rules – as long as it was fun!
Without waiting for his agreement, Mei Siyu grabbed his arm and walked towards the lights, knowing that must be where the brothel was. Ming Leng Yun allowed her to pull him along, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, his deep eyes sparkling with intense focus on this charming woman! In the world, there was actually such an unusual woman – a woman visiting a brothel was unheard of!
[Text: 015 Visiting a Brothel 2]
Arriving at the entrance, they saw a gilded plaque hanging with the words “Drunk Immortal Courtyard”, high above, with large red lanterns hanging on both sides – quite a spectacular sight, suggesting the business here was quite good.
Mei Siyu felt the sweat in her palm and shyly let go of Ming Leng Yun’s hand. “It really looks great, so lively!” She said sincerely, staring at the passersby.
“Yes, this is the most famous brothel in the capital, so it’s naturally crowded,” Ming Leng Chen said cryptically. A heavily made-up woman, swaying her hips somewhat awkwardly, approached them and said familiarly, “Oh, Young Master Ming, you haven’t visited in a long time. Please come inside.” She pulled his arm towards the brothel, and seeing Mei Siyu, she laughed lightly, “A woman coming to such a place!”
“Do you still want to go in?” He didn’t rush inside but turned back to ask her opinion, his eyes full of tenderness. He noticed she seemed hesitant and was considerate enough to ask.
First, he had been here before and was even a regular customer, which made Mei Siyu a bit jealous. “Go in, of course we’re going in. We’re already at the door, how can we not enter?” She pouted cutely.
Clearly not wanting to go in but trying to save face – such a stubborn girl! Guided by the madam, they finally entered the courtyard. Before even entering the room, a strong powdery scent assaulted them, almost choking Mei Siyu.
