The Minister of Punishments' Son

In a brothel.

"Brother Du, why are you doing nothing but drowning your sorrows? Come, come, I found a few kindred spirits for you. See if any of them catch your eye."

"Oh, leave Brother Du alone. He's probably been worried about his family's grain shops these past two days. Really, why would that person at the top suddenly set up a porridge stall? I hear they'll be handing it out for half a month, too. Won't that mean most of Xiling won't need to buy grain? Business will be bleak for Brother Du's family."

"Shh, keep your voice down. Walls have ears."

"Pfft, what are you afraid of? Brother Du is related to the imperial family, and the empress dowager dotes on him. What's a little thing like this?"

A few richly dressed young masters were drunk at the moment, some holding beauties in their arms and others gambling and drinking. One and all, they clustered around a youth in a dark purple brocade robe.

Everything they said was meant to flatter him.

"Hmph, it's only half a month's business. My Du family hardly cares about that." The youth in the dark purple brocade robe, Du Chengji's eldest son, Du Yutao, wore an arrogant look on his slightly flushed face.

The people around him seemed drunk, but they could still read his expression. Though he claimed not to care, they spotted the venom in his eyes and instantly understood something. One after another, they smiled and fawned over him.

"Of course. The Du family is flourishing these days, with the empress dowager's protection and His Majesty's favor. It's only natural that you wouldn't think much of this, Brother Du."

Du Yutao was used to being flattered and lapped up their words.

Before long, someone suddenly cried out in surprise.

"That woman truly is a fairy descended to the mortal world!"

The private room they occupied was near the city moat, with a bustling street just outside the window. As the man drank, he glanced down and spotted a girl in white who stood out from the crowd.

"Pfft, what nonsense are you talking about? What beautiful girls haven't we seen, especially Brother Du? Come, Brother Du, let's go see just how pretty she is."

Du Yutao not only loved taking credit and seeking glory, but also lusted after beauty. Otherwise, he wouldn't have frequented brothels.

"Hmph, fine, let's have a look. Never mind fairies, I've even seen the consorts in the imperial harem. What could there possibly be that I haven't seen..." His own words piqued his interest, and he stepped over to peer down from the window. The drunkenness in his eyes cleared somewhat, and his words caught in his throat.

Amid the crowd, beneath the festive lanterns and decorations, a strikingly bright, fairy-like figure in white wandered the mortal world. Her lovely eyes glanced about, and those eyes alone were enough to draw attention.

And as luck would have it, while the people upstairs watched in anticipation, a strong gust of wind blew the white veil from the girl's face. Their pupils all contracted, and they were left in a daze.

Her breathtaking face, cool and tinged with frailty, shone brilliantly beneath the moonlight and lanterns. The aloof pride and noble dignity between her brows were majestic, like a crescent moon high beyond reach, to be admired only from afar, leaving people able only to gaze up and yearn for her.

The girl seemed startled. She quickly raised a hand to put the fallen veil back in place, then hid uneasily in the crowd, looking around for someone.

"Brother Du, Brother Du, what do you think? Isn't that face stunning? Tell me, is she prettier, or are the ladies in the imperial harem?" Someone had drunk too much and started speaking without restraint.

Du Yutao gazed at the girl in white below, entranced, and didn't even react. Only when someone nudged him a moment later did he come to his senses, and he immediately turned.

He ran straight downstairs.

"Hey, Brother Du, wait for us!"

The others followed, eager to watch the fun.

Noticing that the people at the window seemed to be coming down, Di Qingyu, who had been deliberately putting on an innocent little white flower act in the street, quietly gave a soft cough. A trace of calculating malice colored her eyes.

Sometimes beauty could be a blade too, couldn't it?

Di Qingyu stood where she was, pretending to admire the lanterns, and was soon approached.

"Miss, I am Du Yutao, son of the minister of punishments. I would like to invite you to admire the lanterns with me. Would you be willing?"

Du Yutao and several other young masters stood before Di Qingyu. With people watching, he looked every inch a respectable gentleman.

"Huh?"

Di Qingyu seemed startled. She shook her head, her voice reserved. "No, thank you. Sorry, I should go home."

With that, she made to turn and leave without lingering.

But the moment she turned, her fingertips moved slightly within her sleeve. A faint fragrance suddenly drifted on the wind into Du Yutao's nostrils, stirring heat in his heart.

Unwilling to let the beauty slip away, Du Yutao hurried forward to block her. "Miss, I'm not a bad man. I only want to get to know you. Please give me a chance."

But being stopped like that made Di Qingyu lose her temper. Her face turned cold as she looked askance at him.

"I said I don't want to know you. Are you hard of hearing, or can't you understand human speech? You're dressed up like a decent person, yet you behave like such a thug. And you call yourself the minister of punishments' son? Does your father know he has a son like you? Get out of my way before I use force!"

She seemed to be mustering her courage, trying to frighten them off.

"You..."

Her scolding made the onlookers burst into laughter, and Du Yutao immediately lost face. His expression darkened somewhat, but he soon smiled again.

"Miss, I spoke to you perfectly politely. Why would you humiliate me like this? Never mind. Since we aren't fated to meet, please go as you wish." He raised a hand in a gesture of invitation, apparently letting Di Qingyu leave.

"Hmph, at least you know what's good for you."

Di Qingyu gave a soft scoff, then flicked her sleeve and turned away.

"Brother Du, don't take it to heart. That woman doesn't know what's good for her."

"Exactly. That woman's nothing special anyway. Come on, let's go back and keep drinking."

Seeing Du Yutao lose face, the people around him felt that things were going badly. Smiling and joking, they tried to persuade him to return.

But contrary to their expectations-

"Wait." Du Yutao raised a hand to refuse them, narrowing his eyes with cold, envious hatred. "If you still consider me your brother, come with me."

There wasn't a woman he couldn't get his hands on.

With that, he watched as the people around them gradually dispersed and stopped paying attention. Then he silently followed in the direction Di Qingyu had gone, with two servants behind him.

The other young masters froze at the sight. Even a fool could tell he was going after her for revenge, and the matter suddenly felt like a hot potato.

"Well, are you coming or not?"

"Of course. She's just a young girl. Du Yutao probably won't go too far, and we're only going to watch the fun."

"Then let's go."

"Let's go!"