Ruoshui told me about her time-travel experience.
I was somewhat surprised. "You...you...you are Consort Li?"
Ruoshui said calmly, "Yes, that was one of my previous identities. Palace intrigue and stuff like that, it's just troublesome... one wrong move and you could lose your life..."
After being sacrificed in the palace intrigues, Ruoshui transmigrated into the body of Ruoshui, the most beautiful courtesan in the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
Ruoshui: "Think about it, in my previous life I was so miserable, fighting with hundreds of women for one man. I was thinking, in this life I'm going to have a bunch of men chasing after me."
I suddenly realized, "Besides Luo Lie, who else could it be?"
Ruoshui thought for a moment, "His two older brothers, the emperor and general of the Jin Kingdom, and Yu Fusang, a wealthy merchant from the Three Kingdoms... um... that's about it..."
I was a little surprised. "Aren't there any from your own country?"
Ruoshui smiled and thought for a moment, "Maybe... no."
Me: "You want to build a matriarchal kingdom, don't you?"
Ruoshui smiled happily, "I do have that plan."
Regarding Luo Lie's tendency to yell at and scare away my customers every now and then, I spoke with Ruoshui about it once, and they drew up a contract.
"Add another sentence: If you want to enter, you must first pay one hundred taels of silver."
Ruoshui laughed radiantly, "Xiaoyue, do you want me to help you make a fortune?"
"Yes." I didn't shy away from the question at all.
Ruoshui said, "You're quite ambitious. When Fusang comes sometime, I'll introduce him to you."
I quickly grabbed her leg and said, "Miss Ruoshui, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."
"You brat, what are you doing?!"
The door collapsed suddenly.
Luo Lie rushed in through the dust, his face exceptionally dark.
"Ruoshui, save me."
Ruoshui glanced at him sideways and said, "Get out and stay put."
I stared blankly as he obediently walked out.
Me: "You, you, you..."
Ruoshui smiled alluringly, "A woman's skill... lies in bed..."
I'm truly ashamed.
"Miss, are you going to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion again?"
"Yes, what's wrong?"
Ping'er said, "It's about Master Meng. I saw Master Meng when I went out shopping today. He was dressed in rags and said that Steward Hu had someone threaten him, forbidding him from coming to the door again, or else they would beat him to death."
How could I have forgotten? "Where is he now?"
I followed Ping'er through several streets.
As I walked through an alley, both sides were lined with people dressed in filthy, disheveled clothes. Some sat on the ground, groaning in pain, others gambling...
Several of them even rushed up and almost surrounded us.
Where is this place?
Ping'er said, "This is the refugee street. It's usually people who have fled from other countries, or people who are seriously ill and whose families are so poor that they can't afford to eat. They all gather in this one place."
"Beat them! Give them a good beating!"
Suddenly, I caught sight of a group of people ahead, led by a burly man with a scruffy beard.
The person on the ground was beaten until he had no strength left.
The man yanked the object in his hand, saying, "You still won't give it to me." He then poured out the silver inside.
"Walk!"
Ping'er couldn't stand it anymore, "Miss..."
"Let's go take a look."
I walked a few steps away from him.
The man on the ground slowly stood up.
Ping'er walked over at my prompting.
"Young master, this... please take it..."
The man was surprised for a moment, then glanced at me.
Suddenly, it ran away as fast as it could.
Ping'er was taken aback, then complained, "This person... he gave me money and ran away without even saying thank you..."
"Alright, Ping'er, don't be angry. Let's go."
Ping'er and I went into a small house.
All that could be heard from inside was a murmur, "Ten years have passed, and we are separated by life and death; I try not to think of you, but I cannot forget you..."
I paused for a moment, wondering where this was copied from.
"Miss, this poem was written by Consort Li back then. It even spread to the common people, and talented scholars from all walks of life have been singing it..."
Okay, I'm speechless.
Meng Yun murmured sadly, two lines of tears falling down her cheeks.
Ping'er: "Master Meng, the Fourth Miss has come to see you."
Master Meng awoke as if from a dream, and quickly got up, "Fourth... Fourth Miss..."
Quickly wipe away the tears on your face.
When she saw him, she wanted to kneel down and bow, but he said, "No... no need for such a grand ceremony. This is fine."
Meng Yun was taken aback for a moment, then gave up.
I asked, "Can't you still forget my second sister?"
Mencius said, "Yes, every time I wake up in the middle of the night, I can recall her playing the zither under the tree, smiling as she plucks a flower..."
A pang of sadness welled up inside me. "Then I'll arrange for you two to meet."
"Thank you, Miss Fourth, thank you..."
"Miss, do you really want Master Meng to see the Second Miss?"
"Yes, is there something wrong?"
Ping'er shook her head, worriedly saying, "I think the Second Miss doesn't think much of Master Meng. If that's the case..."
I laughed and said, "My Ping'er, she has the heart of a Bodhisattva. But Master Meng doesn't understand. If he sees it, he will naturally understand even if we don't say it."
Ping'er nodded. "Miss is right."
As soon as I entered the courtyard, I saw Madam Mei.
"Aunt Mei, what are you doing in my courtyard?"
Bai Mei smiled and said, "My family sent some fruit over. I thought we didn't have much in our household, so I brought some over for Yue'er to try."
I looked up and saw, "There are grapes too..."
Bai Mei exclaimed in surprise, "Yue'er knows this? She must have read books. My third brother does business in another country and brought some back with him."
I smiled and said, "Thank you, Aunt Mei."
"Moon, why are you thanking me? Come, sit down and try my Yunxiang cake."
I took a bite, and thought, "Not bad."
Bai Mei smiled happily.
"By the way, Yue'er is going to the palace to study with Princess Qianxi tomorrow, right?"
Chapter 14 Startled While Riding a Horse
I took another piece of Yunxiang cake. "Yes, it was the Emperor who sent me."
Bai Mei smiled and said, "How about this, let Shi'er go with you. Let her go to the palace to see and learn something."
“Isn’t that inappropriate?” Ping’er said from the side. “His Majesty only ordered that Miss go alone.”
"But it didn't say we couldn't bring other people, right, Yue'er?"
She glanced at Ping'er's displeased expression, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "Yes, Aunt Mei."