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"How beautiful!" Pang Yuanying looked at Qin Yaru incredulously, treating her words as if she were dreaming. "What do you think you are? What does Qin Wenyuan amount to? My father and brother wouldn't care about you at all."
That said, after hearing Qin Yaru's somewhat profound words, Pang Yuanying couldn't help but let his gaze flicker, unconsciously recalling the time he was kidnapped and the threats from the kidnapper.
They were the Pang Family, a Scholarly Family, known for their kindness towards others. Even political rivals held some respect for the Pang Family. It was rare for someone to openly express strong hostility towards the Pang Family like that incident.
At that time, Pang Yuanying had brushed it off, but subsequent events unfolded one after another. Even he, a spoiled young master living off the Pang Family's wealth, could sense the tense atmosphere at home.
Pang Yuanying glared angrily, while Qin Yaru lowered her head submissively, every strand of her hair radiating gentleness, as if she hadn't heard his words. "Please have the Marquis deliver this letter to your brother as soon as possible. Remember, do not let anyone else handle it."
Lord Pang's anger was about to burst forth when Qin Yaru had already personally brought a wine cup to his lips. After downing a glass of wine, his face grew even darker.
If outsiders saw this, they might not be able to hold back their disdain. This Marquis clearly had a beauty by his side yet still wore a face like he was constipated; it was truly infuriating.
Despite feeling tangled and uncomfortable, looking into Consort Qin's gentle eyes made him sigh as he tucked the ordinary letter into his wide sleeves.
Pang Yuanying thought that if he had any backbone, he should stand up and leave with a flourish, then slap the woman in front of him fiercely and tell her that someone like her wasn't even worthy of carrying his shoes and to stop being so self-important.
Just as Lord Pang gritted his teeth and took a deep breath to stand up and confront Qin Yaru, he heard a teasing voice from the bow of the boat: "Oh? Qin Yaru, have you finished talking with our Lord Pang? Hurry up and see the Marquis off the boat; this shabby place is too much for the Marquis's eyes and makes him uncomfortable."
Gao Feng leaned against the doorframe, looking at Pang Yuanying's sullen face with a half-smile. His long robe billowed behind him, his black hair entwined with his blue robe in a striking contrast that was quite pleasing to the eye.
Consort Qin quietly raised her head; the two exchanged glances filled with unspoken tenderness. The atmosphere between them was particularly harmonious, as if no one could intrude.
Pang Yuanying felt a blockage in his chest; he swayed and sat down next to Qin Yaru, defiantly glaring at Gao Feng. "The place may be shabby, but it's spacious enough for watching performances."
Gao Feng raised an eyebrow while Qin Yaru secretly smiled wryly. However, having just asked for help from him, they couldn't simply chase him off the boat. They exchanged helpless glances; Gao Feng decided to ignore him and walked over to pull Qin Yaru up, sitting in her place instead and casually pressing her down beside him.
After sitting down, he didn't let go of the beauty's delicate hand but gently held it in his palm to play with. His movements were relaxed as he held Qin Yaru's hand effortlessly.
Pang Yuanying's gaze swept over the hands of the two intertwined, and for a moment, his expression darkened. The look he directed at Gao Feng was no longer just a poisoned arrow; it had transformed into a fire dragon ready to explode.
Gao Feng, however, seemed completely unfazed by Lord Pang's fury. Qin Yaru could guess without looking that General Gao was undoubtedly feeling quite pleased with himself, putting on a serious facade while secretly chuckling to himself.
At that moment, the boat from the Brothel Management Office finally arrived.
Qin Yaru curiously leaned forward to take a look, while Gao Feng was even more eager. The two stood shoulder to shoulder, mimicking each other's actions. Pang Yuanying gritted his teeth and let out a muffled grunt, "So embarrassing!"
He was a frequent visitor to the world of courtesans, and the courtesans in the Brothel Management Office practically threw themselves at him. He had seen countless such 'flower gatherings' and was long past being impressed.
In the dim night, a faint fragrance wafted through the air as twenty flat boats lined up in two rows, approaching with the wind. Onboard were elegantly dressed women singing and dancing, while in the center stood a pair of seven or eight-year-old celestial children holding flower baskets, scattering delicate flower petals into the Bianhe River. The petals danced in the wind, occasionally landing on the sleeves of passersby, adding a touch of lingering romance to the night.
Following this was the 'flower boat' from the Brothel Management Office.
On the large platform, there were at least a hundred courtesans dressed in luxurious garments, gracefully dancing amidst various musical instruments—pipa, guqin, bamboo flutes, and large drums that could support someone standing on them.
Every courtesan participating in such an event from the Brothel Management Office was beautiful, but without a doubt, one stood out above all others.
That person didn't even bother to stand up; she sat atop a large drum made of green skin, barefoot and draped in a long gown strung with pearls, lazily singing her song.
She seemed to be no longer young, older by two or three years than Yan Xixi, the oldest among the current leaders of the Brothel Management Office. A thirty-year-old woman in this era could easily be considered a grandmother.
Yet beauty truly knows no age; there are indeed women who remain beautiful from youth through maturity into old age.
Gao Feng took a deep breath, his eyes brightening as he leaned closer to Qin Yaru's ear and whispered, "That is Ouyang Yue. She has become an instructor now and rarely appears at such events."
Qin Yaru's eyes flickered. Even in her previous life, despite being in such a reclusive environment, she had heard of Ouyang Yue's great name. She learned that Ouyang Yue was originally from a prominent family in Jiangnan. She began her education at three years old, studied the Book of Songs at five, mastered historical texts by seven, and by eleven was already renowned as a talented woman in Jiangnan. In her twelfth year, she painted vibrant plum blossoms on her family's outer wall using rouge, attracting swarms of bees and butterflies.
The talented young man from Jiangnan waited all night outside the gate of the Ouyang Family, unable to sleep just to catch a glimpse of her.
In her previous life, Qin Yaru had heard the rumors and couldn't help but secretly admire this remarkable woman. Later, when she arrived in the Twenty-First Century, having seen and learned much, she speculated that perhaps this girl had added something sweet like honey to her rouge, which wasn't particularly surprising.
If everything had gone smoothly, Ouyang Yue would have likely married a considerate husband like many young ladies from affluent families in this era, bearing children and living a happy and healthy life. However, misfortune struck her family; when she was fifteen, her entire household was slaughtered overnight, and she was the only one to escape. She then encountered kidnappers and was sold to the Brothel Management Office as a Lady-in-Waiting.
From there, Ouyang Yue climbed her way up like the heroine in an inspirational drama. She never became a Courtesan but met Zhao Zheng, who was not yet the emperor at that time. They got to know each other, and when Zhao Zheng ascended to the throne, she became an important figure who could influence the emperor, even if she remained unknown to the public.
With her presence, during those years at the Brothel Management Office, the Courtesans dared to show their faces even to officials, and even the lower-tier Courtesans lived much better lives.
Qin Yaru gazed intently, feeling not envy but rather pity for this woman. Perhaps it was because Ouyang Yue reminded her of herself and her own circumstances.
Her own circumstances...
Qin Yaru was taken aback as her gaze fell upon a girl in a long robe with wide sleeves on a flower boat, holding a basket and scattering flower petals. The girl was very beautiful, with peach blossom eyes and dimples at the corners of her mouth. Unfortunately, her face was too thin now; it was no longer the round and lovely oval face from years ago.
Her heart raced faster and faster, almost as if it would leap out of her throat.
Gao Feng clearly sensed the tremor of the girl beside him. He frowned slightly and whispered, "What's wrong?"
Qin Yaru swallowed hard, biting her lip. After a long while, she said, "...It's nothing. We'll talk later." It wasn't that she hadn't thought about the possibility of her sister being at the Brothel Management Office; after all, when Xiu wrote to her back then, she had clearly mentioned being a Lady-in-Waiting in an affluent family and that she had grown older with a man she loved and was about to get married.
That year, she had been gravely ill and couldn't even get out of bed. Seeing her sister's letter had lifted her spirits somewhat; she managed to send some of her hidden savings through someone to Xiu, hoping for her sister to marry and have children and live happily ever after.
Her elder brother went to prison while Xiu ended up in the Brothel Management Office.
Qin Yaru leaned against Gao Feng with sorrow in her eyes: "Did I come back to life just so my siblings would suffer more than in my previous life?"
Gao Feng was both amused and helpless as he gently patted Qin Yaru's forehead. "Worried about Wen Yuan? What are you thinking? I guarantee that within three days, your brother will be safely released from prison. You know me; I always plan thoroughly before taking action. If I hadn't made complete preparations, why would I act so easily?"
That night, Pang Yuanying was filled with thoughts, but Qin Yaru was destined to be sleepless.
This year's Hundred Flowers Festival was much livelier than in previous years, with Ouyang Yue personally overseeing the event. It continued until late at night, with singing and dancing only stopping when the flowers fell and the music ceased. As the splendor faded and dreams were interrupted, Qin Yaru felt an overwhelming loneliness. Only by holding Gao Feng's hand did she find a bit of peace in her heart.
Upon returning home, Qin Yaru suppressed her desire to watch the show and focused on her brother's matters instead. She went to visit the prison in Kaifeng Prefecture but did not meet with Qin Wenyuan, only worrying about his discomfort.
She didn't know whether Pang Yuanying had delivered the letter to Pang Yuanzhi and Pang Chunzhi, but the Pang Family had not taken any action. Gao Feng had not come to Nangyun Study for several days, seemingly very busy, leaving her without the opportunity to ask him.
As the day of her brother's court appearance drew nearer, Gao Feng hired a lawyer who appeared confident, which somewhat eased Qin Young Lady's worries.
Qin Yaru remained anxious, and even the scholars coming and going from Nangyun Study noticed that this Lady Zhai Master seemed a bit unusual; they felt that the atmosphere in Nangyun Study was quite oppressive.
They thought Qin Yaru was worried about Chen Wenyue since there had been rumors lately that Chen Wenyue had gone mad. The Xiangyang Wangfu was actively seeking a divine doctor to treat Chen Wenyue, while the Gentle Blue Princess cried all day long, causing her eyes to deteriorate. This made Xiangyang Wang very concerned, and he couldn't help but show it during court sessions, alarming even the officials.
If it were any other time, Qin Yaru would have definitely inquired about this matter. However, she wasn't in the mood for it now. Unexpectedly, the issue that had troubled her daily came to an end quite quickly and without much fuss.
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