The restaurant is popular with people from all directions, especially during the winter months when it's so crowded that it's often described as "as numerous as the stars in the sky."
Today, the banquet hall was packed with people. Countless people saw the beautiful fourth young lady beat up the powerful and wealthy with a soup spoon, and countless people heard the powerful and wealthy mocking and ridiculing this girl.
But one should not be too complacent.
The smug sons of the powerful and wealthy waited to see Wei Pingxi humiliated—but what they wanted to see didn't happen, and what they didn't want to see actually did.
The female official, holding the token of the Princess's residence, slapped those who clamored "the righteous will find many helpers, the unrighteous will find few" across the face, leaving them swollen and utterly silent.
The crowd scattered like birds and beasts.
Looking at the suddenly quiet Yan Sifang, Wei Pingxi smoothed his sleeves and said with emotion, "There are still more good people in the world."
Ji Rong, who was busy coaxing old friends thousands of miles away, probably never expected that she would be praised as a "good person" by a junior. Ji Rong straightened her appearance and raised her hand to knock on the door: "Yan'er".
People and events in this world each have their own hardships and twists and turns. The rights and wrongs are like the vast sky and sea, stretching as far as the eye can see.
People can only live in the present, enjoy the present moment, and live life to the fullest.
The lady-in-waiting smiled and said, "Fourth Miss, you may put down the soup spoon now."
The soup ladle has a legendary name—"Destroy the Hypocrites." The copper ladle used to scoop soup was given a grand and noble mission by the Fourth Miss—to exterminate all hypocrites in the world.
Wei Pingxi wasn't in a hurry to put down her "destroying the official's clothes." Her phoenix eyes smiled, exuding a charming and elegant aura, like a reincarnated immortal: "You're here to help me?"
The female official nodded and then shook her head: "To be precise, it's the eldest princess who wants to come back and beat you herself. If she wants to beat you, she won't allow anyone else to beat you before her."
"I see." She suddenly understood: "The Princess is so majestic and domineering."
"You flatter me, Fourth Miss."
The useful soup spoon was still in her hand. Using a grip to lift it, Wei Pingxi, holding her "disguised" clothes, raised an eyebrow and asked, "So, I'm leaving?"
"The Princess also said," the lady-in-waiting said, taking a deep breath, "that the Princess advised the Fourth Miss that bad people are struck by lightning, and that she should be a good person."
"A good person? Forget it, there are plenty of good people in the world, who am I? Being a good person is too tiring. Why don't you go to Lingnan Prefecture and ask around? I have a strange temper, I'm naturally rebellious, and I like to do the opposite of what people want."
Having said what needed to be said, the female official said respectfully, "Fourth Miss, please."
...
The three-story VIP rooms were empty, with only the aroma of hot pot lingering in the air.
Yu Zhi followed the Fourth Miss away from Yan Sifang and headed to Nuanshui Pavilion.
Why would the eldest princess help you?
"It's possible that, as the lady-in-waiting said, she wanted to come back and beat me up. Think about it, if I were beaten up by someone else and then she beat me up, wouldn't it seem less impressive? If it were me, and someone else beat me up the person I really wanted to beat up, it would feel like being fed a fly."
"Why would you think that way? If someone beats up the person you want to punch, wouldn't everyone be happy?"
Wei Pingxi said righteously, "Everything has its order. If I want to beat someone up, of course I'll beat them up myself. If someone else beats them up, that's their business. If I beat someone up first and then beat them up, how can that be satisfying? It's as if I've already suffered half a blow, so I have to beat them up right after them."
Yu Zhi didn't understand the intricacies of the matter. In her view, when it comes to beating someone up, you should do it in the easiest way possible, regardless of the order.
After thinking about it, she had a vague guess: it was probably because of their different status. People with status would beat someone up if they wanted to do it well, make a name for themselves, and get their revenge.
People are really different.
The eldest princess and the fourth young lady were born into privilege and were of the same ilk, so the fourth young lady understood the eldest princess's thoughts.
She and the fourth young lady were not on the same path.
Yu Zhi's mind wavered: "Why have you been carrying that copper spoon the whole time?"
Wei Pingxi hooked her little finger around her finger: "Don't you think this spoon is quite handy? It's too scary to keep drawing a sword all the time. Fighting and killing will ruin my fairy-like temperament."
"Look, I'm carrying a spoon, so no one will say I'm bullying anyone. That way, when I actually do bully someone, the effect will be different. I've even given this spoon a name; it's a shame to throw it away, so I'll keep it."
"But...that's the spoon we use to scoop soup..."
"Heroes don't care about their origins, and neither does a spoon. Whatever it did before, now that it belongs to me, I call it 'Destroy the Hypocrites,' so who knows how many hypocrites it will smash in the future."
"Once it came with me, it was no longer just an ordinary soup spoon."
The fourth young lady's beautiful eyes flickered slightly as she leaned closer and pinched the delicate chin of the beauty: "Do you understand?"
Just as with spoons, so it is with people.
As long as she's happy, it doesn't matter if she used to be a flower seller or a poor little girl struggling to make a living in Liushui Lane.
What does it matter if Jing Heliu is happy? What does it matter if the Empress Dowager doesn't like it?
That's enough for her.
Her affection cannot be promised to last forever, but during the duration of her affection, no one can take it away from her.
Following one's heart's desires without wavering is Wei Pingxi's unwavering life motto.
Compared to her domineering insistence, Yu Zhi's previous anxieties were shattered into dust.
Miss Wei certainly has the spirit of "I don't care if you're one of us or not, if I say we are, then we are."
Yu Zhi was a little happy, hooked her arm around hers and gave a loud "Mmm".
"While the princess is still away, I want to have some fun with you."
"..."
Adding "you" after "play around" would definitely get you beaten up if you said it out loud.
If Wei Pingxi had said those words, the line of men offering themselves as his bedmates might have stretched from the Grand Tutor's mansion to the city gates of the capital.
This person has a strange, innate charm; he can attract men without making a sound, and attract women with just a few words.
Not to mention the capital, where the ladies of noble families are mostly reserved and their pretentiousness is so sophisticated that you would probably have to dig into their hearts to know what they are thinking. If the fourth young lady of Lingnan Prefecture said she wanted to play with women, even if you really squeezed, there would be no chance for Yuzhi.
Yu Zhi's cheeks flushed, and without uttering a sound, she followed the Fourth Miss into the precious Nuanshui Pavilion.
Nuanshui Pavilion was privately known by the people of the capital as a "paradise on earth," implying that even immortals who came here would not want to leave.
It was Yuzhi's first time here, and everything seemed new and exciting.
Wei Pingxi, used to her country bumpkin appearance, smiled brightly and said, "Do you like it? I like it too."
A waiter in white robes stepped forward: "How many distinguished guests are there?"
"The two of you."
She rummaged through her sleeve pocket and pulled out a round nameplate about the size of a cat's paw.
The waiter looked slightly surprised upon seeing the nameplate.
In the warm water pavilion, where steam rises and elegant music lingers, after passing through a series of long corridors, a door at the very back is pushed open: "Honorable guest, please."
He bowed and withdrew.
In less than a quarter of an hour, waiters brought out a variety of fresh fruits and tea snacks. Yu Zhi looked around at the "heavenly paradise" that the Fourth Miss had mentioned, and for the first time, she had a sudden realization: even the hot springs of the emperor's family were no better than this!
She shared this idea with someone, who laughed so hard his eyes disappeared: "Do you think this Nuanshui Pavilion belongs to anyone?"
"Whose is it? It couldn't be His Majesty's, could it?"
"Almost, almost." She picked up a piece of fruit and put it in her mouth.
Yu Zhi suddenly realized: "You mean, Nuanshui Pavilion is the Empress's residence?"
The juice was sweet and refreshing. Wei Pingxi flicked her forehead with his finger and said, "You're not too stupid."
She took off her clothes and stepped into the hot spring pool. The water kissed the fourth young lady's delicate, porcelain-white skin, and her beautiful hair cascaded down her jade-white back.
Her snow-white skin and black hair captivated Yuzhi's eyes.
Ignoring the pain in his forehead, that pain was nothing compared to the shock of seeing the fairy.
Even if it's not the first time I've seen it, but...
Yu Zhi's body became agitated.
This was the first time her body had been so aroused that she had lost all composure.
"The nameplate was a gift from my aunt. It was a room specially reserved for me when the Nuanshui Pavilion was built a few years ago. I can play around with it as I please, without spending a penny."
"It's free."
Wei Pingxi turned around to face her, her slender, soft arms resting on the edge of the pool, her eyes gentle and bright: "What should I do? Your country bumpkin smell is bothering me again."
"..."
Yu Zhi took a deep breath in embarrassment, not understanding why someone could say things that made someone want to jump into the river, in a tone that sounded like someone drowning.
"Country bumpkin."
"I'm not a country bumpkin."
The fourth young lady was waiting for her to say this, and she pressed her advantage: "Then take it off and show me. I want to see what kind of filling you have hidden inside without the bun skin."
Some men are having a blast with their concubines in the warm water pavilion, while others are quietly listening to the wind and snow on the snow-sweeping street.
"Who stepped forward? Have you taken a note of who did?"
"I've noted it down. The one who started it was the youngest son of the Song family. He got his mouth full of blisters from being burned by the fourth young lady with a piece of meat. After that, the one who led the trouble was the eldest son of the Zhang family..."
The head palace maid Ning You handed over the list of those who had provoked Wei Pingxi at the banquet.
The Empress has a photographic memory; she can remember something after seeing it only once: "The Song family and the Zhang family are both prominent families who once petitioned His Majesty to expand the imperial harem."
"These people suppressed the Fourth Miss, not only because they were dissatisfied with her, but also because they were hoping that Her Majesty would step in to protect her. They never expected that Princess Yunzhang would catch them off guard."
"They're just small fry."
Ning You glanced at her face and said in a low voice, "The Empress Dowager went to Jiaoyue Palace and came out smiling."
“Ayou.”
"This servant is here."
"How many years have you been by my side?"
Without hesitation, she replied, "I have been serving Your Highness since I was thirteen, and it has been twenty-three years now."
Twenty-three years is quite a long time.
Yan Xiu turned to look at the vast天地 (heaven and earth). The vastness of the天地 always reminds people of their insignificance. Even the Empress Dowager has many things that are beyond her power.
She asked, "Tell me, is Yao'er my daughter?"
Ning You was taken aback, then knelt down in alarm: "Your Majesty! This is no joke!"