Chapter 16

"Liu Rongrong, you really are quick-witted and catch on at the first hint."

"...In that case, I suppose I should thank the Prime Minister for sparing my face and not publicly berating me as a dirty courtesan." Liu Rongrong sneered. She had known that this conservative, rigid old fox wouldn't have good intentions when he sent a formal invitation out of the blue to Chunfen Pavilion asking her to play music for his birthday banquet. He had left her sitting off to the side during the celebration, forbidding her from either playing or taking a seat, and forcing her only to silently endure the pointed stares and gossip of the people around her. He wanted to remind her to recognize her current status, that she was no longer a minister's daughter, but merely a courtesan who came and went at anyone's beck and call, right? Hmph...

"Since Miss Liu sees things so clearly, let's stop beating around the bush. How much silver will it take for you to cut ties with my wayward son?"

"For the Prime Minister to so strongly oppose my association with your esteemed son, could it be because... I've been getting in the way of the young master's studies?" Since he dared look down on her, she simply refused to make things easy for him!

Li Chenjing had lingered in Dongxu Mansion multiple times, squeezed off the emperor's list for promotions and entry into court. As days passed, the imperial court was already buzzing with discussion, everyone speculating on the hidden reasons behind it. They wondered whether the Li household had fallen out of favor with the emperor, and whether this seat of the prime minister should change hands. Counting the days, this Prime Minister should indeed be feeling restless and unstable.

Yet—what did that have to do with her? She was indeed the Little Courtesan of the Capital's Pink Pavilion, summoned at a moment's notice, but she was determined to prove to this Prime Minister that his son was even more hopeless than she was, willing to come at her beck and call and be dismissed at her whim--she, a lowly courtesan looked down upon by all!

"Prime Minister, please forgive Rongrong for being unable to comply, because... Rongrong simply cannot bear to leave Chenjing." With a clever smile and a naturally alluring bone structure, she picked up her zither stand and prepared to float away, but was blocked by several guards who had broken through the door, causing her to turn back and glare in fury.

"Prime Minister, what is the meaning of this?"

"Since Miss Liu refuses to listen to reason, then I, as Uncle Li, can only fail to be a proper host. Someone, take Miss Liu down."

If the soft approach wouldn't work, he was resorting to force. Could it be that he wanted to murder her to silence her? What a fine current Prime Minister Li Xiangfan was.

"Prime Minister, this humble woman sells her own smiles and artistry, and everyone in the world is a patron. Whether they are frivolous aristocrats or scions of noble houses, as long as they are willing to spend a thousand pieces of gold for Rongrong's smile, Rongrong has no reason to turn them away just because of whose son they are. We open our doors wide to do business, and your son is willing to do Rongrong the great honor of buying her smiles. Romance between a man and a woman is entirely reasonable and fair, built on mutual consent. If you want to arrest me, then tell Rongrong where I have violated the laws of the realm!"

"Miss Liu, you want things to be reasonable and fair, do you? That Young Master Piao is my reason and fairness."

"..."

"Entanglements with that wayward son of mine are not worth mentioning, but--if you get involved with that Young Master Piao given your humble status today, even by the slightest margin, this Prime Minister can use the pretext of 'bewitching the Emperor and harming the dragon's body' to petition the court and have your head removed!"

"You wouldn't dare! He would never allow you to—"

"If Miss Liu wishes to test the weight of Li's standing in the imperial court and in the Emperor's heart, you are more than welcome to try!" Cutting off her words, Prime Minister Li spoke immediately.

Author's Note:

The previous two chapters were locked, but I finally managed to unlock them, QAQ. To make up for it, I have a double update today~~~ Then I'll probably be spending the whole day traveling, so I'll have to disappear and resume updates tomorrow. By the way, Liu Rongrong always has so much drama whenever she appears~~

Chapter 17: Chapter 16

Liu Rongrong took a deep breath, feeling as though her weak spot had been pinched, and her trembling lips dared not speak another word. The various items displayed and arranged all around this study were imperial bestowals--century-old ginseng, millennial ganoderma, a birthday Ruyi scepter, and a painting of pines and cypresses for a birthday celebration inscribed in the Holy Emperor's own hand. Every single one of them proclaimed the Prime Minister's noble and extraordinary status--he was not only a prime minister who had served two emperors, but also the pivotal chief statesman who, upon learning the late emperor had no sons, invoked the succession of a younger brother to an older brother, personally selected the current Holy Emperor from among the young princes of the late emperor's own brothers, and assisted the current Holy Emperor in ascending the throne smoothly. He was tantamount to bestowing the dragon chair and imperial throne upon the Holy Emperor, and his weight was clear for all to see. How could she possibly compare...

"Miss Liu, have you thought it over now? When will you be willing to stop your entanglements and stay away from my son?"

"..."

"It's fine. If you haven't figured it out, take your time. Someone, invite Miss Liu down to rest."

"Yes, Master!" The guards lowered their heads in obedience, blocking Liu Rongrong without another word, aggressively snatching the zither stand from her hands and shoving her toward the study door with bad grace.

"Move, move, move! Faster! What are you dawdling for!"

"Don't touch my zither stand! Are these crude hands of yours anything to casually lay on it!"

"What are you putting on airs for! You're just a woman wearing flashy silks, plucking little tunes, and looking somewhat decent! Painted up like a vixen, and you still dare to hinder our young master's official career!"

"You!"

"Glare all you want! Oh ho! Unconvinced, are you? If not for Master's benevolence, according to the rules of our estate's Young Master Support Society, we would have dragged you down to the drainage ditch to get rid of you long ago! You'll just stay in the firewood room and enjoy yourself these next few days. When our Support Society President returns from official business outside the capital, hehehe! He'll know how to deal with you properly." Pushing and dragging her along, the guard looked as though he wanted nothing more than to kick her straight into the firewood room.

"...Don't touch me, I can walk myself!" Flicking her water sleeves, Liu Rongrong angrily crossed the threshold. The moment the tips of her shoes touched the ground, she collided head-on with a chest radiating wisps of faint fragrance. That familiar, delicate scent instantly caused the corners of her cherry lips to curve upward into a triumphant arc. Behind her came urging shouts, but Liu Rongrong said nothing, raising her head to look at the person before her with a face full of brimming sorrow, allowing those crude men to push and pull her aggressively.

"Hey, hey! Why did you stop moving! I'm warning you not to pull any tricks... Young, Young Master!?"

The guard, who had been arrogant and overbearing just a moment before, suddenly lost all his steam, and his tugging hands instantly pulled back from Liu Rongrong. He saw that their own refined and outstanding Young Master was already standing gracefully outside the door, taking in the entire scene of them bullying a weak woman in such a tyrannical and unreasonable bully-like manner.

Ranking List

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Historical Romance

Woman Dressed as a Man