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On the seventh day of the seventh month in the fourteenth year, at Proton Manor, there was a banquet attended by more than ten people. Prince Yan enjoyed wine and drank from a large cup. Suddenly intoxicated, he loosened his clothing and danced, saying, "Let wine enhance the joy."
Young Master Zhao and Wei Gongzi were startled and tried to cover him with their clothes. However, the prince was strong and pushed Young Master Zhao down, caressing his cheek and boldly expressing his affection.
Young Master Zhao was astonished, but soon a look of joy appeared on his face.
Wei Gongzi, feeling embarrassed and angry, held his hand and asked, "Why do you not admire me?"
The prince replied, "Your face is dark."
From then on, Wei Gongzi often applied powder to his face and continued for several months.
"Yan Family — Crown Prince Yan Dan Chapter Three"
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San Chun did not know how great his ambitions were, but she knew he was that kind of person—once he had a goal, he would not rest until it was achieved. He seemed much more spirited than when he was in the village; back then, he resembled a fir tree growing in the mountains—receiving sunlight but not growing much, probably due to a lack of nutrients.
In fact, sometimes having ambitions to pursue is also a form of good nourishment. Suppressing desires and living in that mountain village must have taken a lot of determination for him to make such sacrifices. Now that Zhu had left, it was not necessarily a relief for him. He could let loose and pursue those grand things he had always dreamed of. And she would definitely help him achieve what he wanted, as a way to repay him for taking her in over the past two years.
She had never seen him with such gentle eyes before; Qing instinctively shivered. In such heat, being looked at with her warm gaze was truly hard to accept.
He pretended to glare at her fiercely and smiled coldly, "Don't think that just because I am close to you means I like you."
He had said this countless times before; every time she tried to get close to him, he would say this and then push her away forcefully.
In the past, San Chun hated him for this behavior. However, at this moment, she changed her previous resentment and playfully said, "You only know love; can you understand having joy without love?"
Qing was taken aback and did not immediately grasp her meaning.
In fact, San Chun's words were quite clear: she liked him but did not love him. Previously, she always clung to him, but it had nothing to do with romantic feelings; it was because he was the only one around her. There was too much loneliness and solitude; her heart flew around like dust but could not find a place to settle down and could only cling to him for emotional support.
Now she would learn to stand up for herself, learn to live independently, and learn to face everything from the past…
Due to her avoidance of the subconscious, she missed many things. It was time for her to regain the lost memories; she needed to know which bastard had caused her so much suffering. Then she would hit him hard on the head, making him understand what amnesia truly meant.
The moment their gazes met, they were interrupted by the crowd. Qing Wuxia pondered what she meant, but for some reason, a faint sense of loss suddenly filled her heart... It felt as if a daughter she had raised for a long time suddenly wanted to get married.
He gritted his teeth, secretly regretting his thoughts. He wasn't even married yet; where did he get a daughter from?
In such an extremely crowded situation, it was unclear how this convoy managed to enter the city. They moved slowly, traveling from noon until dusk. As the sun began to set in the west, the convoy finally stopped; they had arrived at their first stop in Ying City.
The Steward had already arranged accommodations. It was a spacious courtyard that could comfortably house hundreds of people. With the influence of the Shang Family, many nobles were willing to provide lodging, and this large courtyard was offered by a noble who was infatuated with her.
The rooms here were exquisitely decorated and elegantly furnished, and the food was incredibly delicious. Compared to their previous journey of eating and sleeping outdoors, it felt like living in paradise. San Chun couldn't help but feel a bit envious; being a woman meant one should be like the Shang Family, relying solely on personal charm to make countless men fall at their feet, with all expenses covered—what a bargain!
Seeing her biting her chopsticks, Qing knew what she was thinking and tapped the chopsticks on her head. "Don't think about those unnecessary things; not everyone can be a Kabuki performer."
"How so?" San Chun asked in confusion. Wasn't Kabuki just singing and dancing?
Qing gave her another hard tap. Did this girl really think that opportunities would just fall into her lap? To achieve that, one had to pay a price.
He deliberately said, "To be a Kabuki performer, you need beauty. Do you have it?"
"Of course," she replied proudly, lifting her chin. Her looks were top-notch.
"You need an excellent figure—curvy on top and bottom. Do you have that?"
San Chun shyly tucked in her chest; while she had curves below, she certainly couldn't compare to Quail Orchid up top. Really now, why bring this up? It made her feel quite embarrassed.
Just as Qing was about to give her another reality check without caring whether she felt shy or not, he said, "Kabuki isn't just about singing and dancing; there are many other things you might not want to do. Can you handle that?"
San Chun asked earnestly, "Like what...?"
Seeing her eager expression for knowledge made Qing want to pour cold water on her enthusiasm even more.
"Such as... sleeping together, or being given as a gift."
His words were relatively subtle; in reality, Kabuki were merely playthings for the nobles. When they wanted to enjoy themselves, they would indulge; if not, they would discard them like old shoes, leaving them to fend for themselves. Killing them or giving them away was an easy matter. In their eyes, they were not even human, at most just beautiful dolls. Courtesans fared slightly better, but male entertainers had it even worse. A man who had been with another man in such a way was looked down upon no matter what he did.
It wasn't just these Kabuki; women in this era could face similar fates. As long as they were not the legitimate wives, being a concubine meant they could be treated as gifts. The courtesans around the Noble Ministers were merely decorative on the surface; in reality, they were just someone else's concubines, and any children they bore were considered bastards. When welcomed into a household, there was no need for a wedding ceremony, and when dismissed, no divorce papers were required.
In such a patriarchal world, women and lowly servants could both be treated as less than human. It was a joke for women to be literate; it was an even bigger joke for women to know swordsmanship. Because of this, Qing found it particularly strange—what kind of family could raise a daughter like San Chun?
She lacked the skills that a woman should possess but had gone through his books and scrolls stored in the cabinet. The swordsmanship she learned from renowned masters was also astonishing. He had become a disciple of a Master by chance, and even royal families from various nations would not seek out a Master to teach a princess. She was filled with questions, mysterious and perplexing, and now not only did she want to know who she was, but he was also somewhat curious.
San Chun felt uncomfortable under his gaze and touched her nose, asking, "Is there something on my face?"
Qing shook his head and simply said, "Don't think that the Shang Family is glorious; in the eyes of others, she is just a plaything." Otherwise, why did Feng Lingjun show so much affection for her back then yet never express any intention of marrying her? It was precisely because of her low status that she was deemed unworthy.
San Chun seemed to half-understand what he said. It appeared she had never experienced being a woman; at least from her memories, she had no idea how women lived. She was even unclear about the boundaries between men and women; in her eyes, what men could do, women could do too—there was essentially no difference.
"Oh." She yawned and decided to go to sleep first; as for his teachings, she would consider them later.
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