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墨書 Inktalez
Seeing Mei Shuang hurriedly fleeing, Empress Dowager Mingxi grew anxious. In this life-and-death moment, no one could remain calm; she hoped the child wouldn’t do anything foolish.
Moreover, while there were many men in the palace, whom did she know? This was no trivial matter that could be resolved by simply pairing up with someone on the street!
Empress Dowager Mingxi pondered for a moment. Could it be that she was heading to Zhao Prince?
Sigh, it was possible. But if there truly was the kind of danger Mei Shuang mentioned, her temperament would likely prevent her from harming him.
So where would she go?
Time was running out, and if something went wrong, it would be troublesome.
Mei Shuang breathed a sigh of relief as she hurriedly exited the Empress Dowager's quarters.
Taking advantage of the Empress Dowager's hesitation, she rushed out, ensuring that she wouldn’t have to wait until the last moment when Xiao Luo might refuse and ruin everything.
Since ancient times, it had been difficult to guess a ruler's heart. The reason Xiao Luo had consistently denied her was easy to surmise.
Not to mention her previous difficulties with his beloved, Chu Xiruo; it was hard to guarantee that Xiao Luo wouldn’t take this opportunity to retaliate. Furthermore, having inadvertently uncovered secrets from the Secret Edict, he might want to silence her for confidentiality or other purposes...
Mei Shuang’s mind raced with various possibilities, each one sending chills down her spine. She wished she could sprout wings and fly out of the palace.
As she neared her residence, she saw Lin Tian'er rushing back, drenched in sweat.
Lin Tian'er waved the small bag in her hand from a distance, looking quite pleased with herself. Mei Shuang's eyes lit up at the sight, and she hurried over, exclaiming, "That was quick! Things went smoothly, huh?"
Lin Tian'er glanced around to ensure no one was watching before she approached Mei Shuang and whispered excitedly, "Zhao Prince isn't in the palace. I heard he was sent out on the Emperor's orders. Luckily, the guards recognized me. Look, this waist token is the same one Zhao Prince gave me last time. As soon as I mentioned that Zhao Prince allowed me to leave, they didn't ask any questions and handed it over right away."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Mei Shuang said, eyeing the waist token in her hand. She wished she could attach some magical wheels to her feet to speed things up.
Lin Tian'er hesitated for a moment. "It's easy to leave the palace now, but it's the middle of the night. Where are we supposed to find someone ready to help us? Besides, time is tight; what if they refuse?"
Mei Shuang had already taken a step forward and decisively replied, "We can't worry about that right now. If it comes down to it, we'll just spend some silver."
Lin Tian'er was left speechless.
This Lin Shoutong was truly extraordinary! Instead of staying with the Empress or being a proper royal consort, she wanted to go out and find a matchmaker!
It had always been men who sought companionship; she had never heard of women doing such a thing!
Just for this audacity alone, Lin Shoutong's bold words and actions were worthy of admiration.
Mei Shuang and Lin Tian'er took off running. Fortunately, they were in a secluded area, so their sudden sprint didn't attract much attention, and they made good progress.
It wasn't until they exited the palace with the waist token that Mei Shuang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The hot weather was humid and stifling, and after running so much, both of them were drenched in sweat, panting like dogs under a tree on a scorching summer day.
"What time is it?" Mei Shuang asked while bending over to rest her hands on her knees, gasping for air.
Lin Tian'er was a martial artist and didn't feel particularly tired.
As she watched Mei Shuang sprinting towards her, matching her speed effortlessly, she thought to herself that this person truly had remarkable explosive power in times of danger.
"Lin Shoutong, we should make it in time. Look, there's a carriage over there."
Once they boarded the carriage, Mei Shuang tossed out ten taels of silver without hesitation, stipulating that they reach Miaochun Tower within half an hour.
Two beautiful young women heading to a place of entertainment in the middle of the night raised the driver's eyebrows, but that wasn't his concern. The glimmering silver was motivation enough; without further ado, he cracked the whip and set off.
Lin Tian'er curiously asked, "Lin Shoutong, how did you know to go to this place?"
Mei Shuang glanced outside casually. "You don't know? That's a place frequently visited by Zhao Prince."
Lin Tian'er gasped and covered her mouth in shock. "Ah, he actually goes to such places?"
"What did you expect?" Mei Shuang replied dismissively. "A garden flower never smells as sweet as a wildflower. It's said that the concubines in Zhao Prince's palace can line up from the east to the west of Purple Dawn City, yet they still come out to seek pleasure."
As she spoke, Mei Shuang noticed Lin Tian'er's changing expression and couldn't help but sigh for her.
Ever since she had made an offhand joke about Lin Tian'er on the boat last time, she realized that Lin Tian'er seemed to have developed some feelings for Nangong Nuo.
However, perhaps due to what she had heard about Nangong Nuo wanting to marry him and his indifferent attitude, Lin Tian'er's feelings seemed limited to mere concern.
Yet, the anxious heart of a young girl in love was evident in her eyes and brows. Mei Shuang shook her head; she couldn't openly advise her on this matter. Otherwise, Lin Tian'er might think she was being petty and worried about competing for affection, which would be a misunderstanding. By bringing up this situation now, it served as a subtle reminder for Lin Tian'er: I've helped you with this hint; make sure you grasp your feelings well. If you're serious about Nangong Nuo, consider the serious consequences yourself.
The carriage sped along, with both individuals lost in their thoughts until they reached the entrance of Miaochun Tower, where Lin Tian'er remained silent.
After getting off the carriage, Lin Tian'er snapped back to reality, standing at the entrance of Miaochun Tower. She looked at the luxurious surroundings and the bustling crowd of men and women, feeling a mix of shock and embarrassment. "Lin Shoutong, what are we going to do?"
Mei Shuang was also feeling anxious. Although she had been to this place before, passing by was entirely different from entering with a purpose.
But she had chosen this path and this place herself; why did it suddenly feel overwhelming, making her scalp tingle and her body feel unsteady?
She decided not to dwell on it. To stick her neck out meant risking a cut, while pulling back could mean losing her life. There was no need to weigh the options; life and death were at stake, and everything else was trivial!
Mei Shuang encouraged herself, quickly arming her resolve. Then she lifted her head and stepped into Miaochun Tower, instantly feeling a sense of heroic sacrifice.
It was the same Madam as last time. Upon seeing the two serious-looking women in veils enter, her first thought was that some lady had come to catch her husband cheating. If they were here seeking refuge at Miaochun Tower, they would have already been taken to the back courtyard.
In just a second, she concluded that these two women, both in appearance and attire, were not ordinary people. They should not be treated with crude methods; instead, they needed to be handled with cleverness and subtlety to dissuade them without causing a scene.
Especially since despite their veils, it was clear that these two women were stunningly beautiful, already attracting curious glances from several men seeking pleasure. She felt an urgent need to act quickly.
The Madam approached with a charming smile. "Oh my, who are these lovely ladies? I think you might have come to the wrong place."
With a flourish, a silver note appeared before her. The Madam's eyes widened immediately; after glancing at the amount on it, she broke into a wide grin. "Hehehe, what does this mean, my dear?"
Mei Shuang raised her wide sleeves to cover her mouth and leaned closer to Madam, speaking in a voice that only the two could hear, "A clean room, a clean man!"
Madam was taken aback and looked at Mei Shuang again, puzzled. "Sister, what do you mean? We only have girls here..."
Mei Shuang shook the silver note in her hand again, and Madam's eyes followed it, quickly nodding as she took the note and tucked it into her sleeve. She said mysteriously, "Are you still a virgin?"
Mei Shuang widened her eyes. What the hell? I'm the one here to spend money, and you're being picky?
Seeing that Mei Shuang was unhappy, Madam hurriedly explained, "Sister, let’s talk privately for a moment..."
In a luxurious room near the staircase, with the window half-open, a man holding a folding fan watched the scene unfold.
His face partially obscured by a veil, his distinctly black-and-white eyes looked familiar. He furrowed his brows slightly and quickly remembered—it was the woman standing at the bow of the ship. He became interested; what was she doing here?
After climbing the stairs and entering a secluded room, Madam closed the door and explained, "Sister, please don't be angry. Since we started this business at Miaochun Tower, this is the first time for something like this. I was a bit hesitant earlier; agreeing to your request might not sound good for our Miaochun Tower if it gets out—it would break our rules..."
"What rules? Only men are allowed to seek women, while women can't seek men?" Lin Tian'er stepped forward angrily. How pretentious! They had already accepted the money but were still making things difficult.
Madam paused in surprise. "What? Is there another one? How many men do you want?"
Lin Tian'er was taken aback while Mei Shuang waved her hand. "Just me. Time is tight; the sooner, the better."
Madam nodded repeatedly. "I understand, but we only serve male customers here; no women have ever come before. However, there is a way around this—I'm not sure if you're willing?"
Upon hearing this, Mei Shuang understood that they intended to treat her as one of Miaochun Tower's girls to entertain the men who came seeking pleasure.
It meant that her identity had transformed, from a consumer seeking pleasure to a service provider. What was frustrating was that while others earned money providing services, she had to pay out two thousand taels of silver, which was quite painful!
Madam watched Mei Shuang's ever-changing expression without rushing to persuade her, simply waiting for her to nod.
Sure enough, Mei Shuang nodded with a grim face.
Madam was overjoyed; this silver came too easily. She immediately smiled broadly, "You came at the right time tonight. There happens to be an Esteemed Guest who has been picking for a long time without finding anyone suitable. I have a feeling that you are just right. Wait here, I will arrange it right away."
Madam walked away with a flirtatious smile.
Today was indeed a good day; the Esteemed Guest was generous, willing to pay five thousand taels for a maiden, and now heaven had sent one right to her door, making an easy profit of two thousand taels.
After Madam left, Lin Tian'er asked, "Lin Shoutong, where did you get the silver? That's quite a loss."
Mei Shuang sighed; how could it not be a loss? The emergency private funds she brought from the palace were now gone. She never expected to spend them here, buying herself the title of a special service provider at such a high price. This kind of blood-sucking deal would make anyone laugh in disbelief.
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