Hurry, go save her
“Young General Qin…” Ci Ke began to speak, but before she could finish her sentence, Qin Wang suddenly pushed her with force, causing the teapot to hit her waist. The pain was sharp, and not only that, some hot tea spilled on her.
Ci Ke tightly held onto the teapot’s handle.
“Based on Ye Youqing’s personality, how could she think of foxes?”
“Ci Ke, the reason I kept you by my side was indeed out of fondness for you, but given the circumstances now, it makes me doubt.” Qin Wang spoke, pulling Ci Ke closer suddenly, forcing her to bend over, almost falling.
She remained silent, her hair hiding the hidden murderous intent in her eyes. Her hand slowly moved up to her hairline but stopped midway.
She could kill him, but then what? She would be executed as an assassin, and the injustice of the Zhou family would never be avenged.
She had found something crucial, so she needed to spare his life. Ci Ke harshly lowered her hand, her voice soft, “Young General Qin, why do you think this way? You know Miss Ye dislikes me.”
“Perhaps in the past, but now, I don’t see it,” Qin Wang said in a low voice. “Ci Ke, it’s a pity. I can’t afford any hidden dangers.”
The darkness was suffocating, but in the light, Ye Youqing was helping Zhao Qingrou back to their seats, while the Empress Dowager held the snow fox, her face rosy and youthful like a young girl.
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As she passed by Concubine Xiao and the others, she intentionally raised her red lips in a mocking smile. Concubine Xiao’s beautiful face twisted in a way that seemed almost like suffocation, seeing her expression.
“Well done.” Duke Liang’s hearty voice mixed with joy came, and Ye Youqing politely nodded in his direction.
No one noticed what was happening in the corner as the birthday banquet continued. However, afterwards, the Empress Dowager did not lift her head to acknowledge any of the gifts, instead, she was engrossed in playing with the snow fox.
After some time had passed, the eunuchs were instructed to move the gifts back to the side hall. The Emperor respectfully bowed his head and asked the Empress Dowager, “Which gift would please Mother the most?”
The Empress Dowager smiled and raised her head, motioning towards Ye Youqing and said, “Let that girl come out.”
The originally dignified Empress Dowager had a very kind smile on her face. Her white hair under the phoenix crown shone like silver. As Ye Youqing approached, the Empress Dowager asked with a smile, “What is your name?”
“Replying to the Empress Dowager, Your servant is Ye Youqing.” Ye Youqing replied with a smile.
“Spring departs, leaving summer still clear. A good name indeed. Truly sharp-witted, worthy of being Duke Liang’s daughter.” The Empress Dowager embraced the snow fox, “Tell me, what do you desire? A title perhaps?”
The entire hall perked up, listening intently, as this was the Empress Dowager’s promise.
The two who were whispering beside her earlier started gossiping again, “They say Miss Ye fancies Young General Qin. Will she ask for a marriage decree through this?”
“Surely not. How can a woman propose such a thing? If she’s clever, she should ask for the title of a county princess from the Empress Dowager, so she can marry into a good noble family in the future.”
Ignoring the discussions around her, Ye Youqing lowered her head and said, “Thank you, Empress Dowager. Your servant only seeks a reward of silver.”
As soon as these words were spoken, a stir rippled through the crowd, and Duke Liang, who had been smiling just moments before, immediately turned dark.
No one expected that she would be so covetous of money after such an important promise. It was known that noble households like the Duke’s were bestowed with vast estates, with countless acres of land. Wasting such a crucial opportunity on silver was seen as foolish.
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Thus, the image of the Duke’s daughter as poor and stupid was further solidified through the discussions.
Despite hearing the words around her, Ye Youqing acted as if she hadn’t heard, still bowing her head. She always knew what she was doing. In ancient times, titles and status were important, but without the power to threaten others, they were merely empty shells.
Even though Ye Youqing was originally the Duke’s legitimate daughter, she was still bullied into that appearance. She couldn’t rely on the status and estate given to her by others; she needed to depend on herself.
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager paused for a while, and there seemed to be a hint of disappointment on her face. She had thought this woman before her was a rare clever seedling but did not expect her to also have a short-sighted view. Her smile faded slightly as a result.
“I will fulfill your request.” The Empress Dowager nodded in response, then waved her hand to dismiss her.
Under the scrutiny of various gazes, Ye Youqing returned to her seat. Having obtained what she wanted, she felt a sense of relief. As the banquet continued, Ye Youqing discreetly touched Zhao Qingrou’s hand and asked softly, “Mother, do you also think I am short-sighted?”
Zhao Qingrou, looking much better in spirits, her usually pale face now showing more vitality, held Ye Youqing’s hand in return, gently patting it, and said tenderly, “Mother knows you have your reasons.”
“Mother allows you to endure too much, so whatever you do now, Mother will support it,” Zhao Qingrou said.
Ye Youqing felt as if she were submerged in hot water, warmth spreading throughout her body. She placed her hand in Zhao Qingrou’s arm, displaying a rare girlish gesture as she leaned on her shoulder.
So, this was how it felt to have a mother’s embrace.
Two days after the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet, Ye Youqing received a thick stack of silver notes and several boxes of gold, silver, and jewelry delivered from the palace, making her almost lose her bearings in joy.
Although her expression remained calm, the slightly lifted steps she took revealed her delight. She spent several days sleeping with the jewels before reluctantly allowing Qin Xin to lock them in a side room.
It had been a long time since Ye Youqing had handled so much money. The first thing she did was to take some out to buy Zhao Qingrou a year’s worth of medicinal herbs and redeem the headpiece she had previously pawned.
At the same time, the original Cuihongzhuang was renamed Jinlingzhai (Golden Rooster Pavilion) and reopened. Ye Youqing instructed Ah Gou to write a stack of “flyers” on good paper. Holding one flyer entitled the bearer to two free dishes. These flyers were distributed around Bianjing, almost causing a stampede through the doors on the first day.
Although subsequent customers were not as numerous as on the first day, there was still a significant increase compared to before. Plus, Ah Gou’s cooking skills were decent, and his Jiangnan cuisine was authentic, attracting some repeat customers.
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A few days later, Ye Youqing went to the city’s tile houses and hired a few people to set up a stage to sing Jiangnan tunes, occasionally playing the pipa. It was a mix of elegance and populism, drawing not only commoners but also aristocrats to the second-floor gallery.
On this day, Ye Youqing rarely rose early and left the mansion to see how Jinlingzhai was doing. Since the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet, Concubine Xiao and others seemed demoralized and had not bothered her, allowing her to enjoy her peace and focus on making money.
The signboard of Jinlingzhai was adorned with bold golden characters, with flower bouquets and red carpets at the entrance. Melodious music accompanied the aroma of dishes wafting out. peering through the door, Ye Youqing saw Shi Li rolling up her sleeves and sweeping with a broom.
The originally unkempt woman now appeared neat, especially with her tall figure gracefully moving between tables and chairs, pleasing to the eye.
Unable to afford lodging costs, she was pressured by Ye Youqing to work as a runner at Jinlingzhai.
Seeing Ye Youqing come, Shi Li stepped out with a broom, lifting the strands of hair from her forehead. Her golden eyes were filled with helplessness. “It’s been so many days. When will you let me go?”
“When you’ve settled your debts. You’ve been stealing from the wine cellar daily, accumulating quite a bit of money owed,” Ye Youqing replied, lips curling slightly, her tone gentle.
Shi Li let out a sigh, about to say something after throwing the broom, but suddenly stopped and raised her chin towards Ye Youqing behind her.
Ye Youqing quickly turned around and saw the round-faced woman running towards her, looking extremely anxious. Before she could dodge, the woman grabbed her sleeve.
“Ah You, please, come with me quickly. We can’t enter the palace, and I can’t think of anyone else who can help her. Please,” she pleaded, trembling as tears fell down her apple-like cheeks.
“If we don’t hurry, Ci Ke will be beaten to death!”