Chapter Fifteen: Encounter at Lotus Lake

  On the second day, an imperial edict arrived at the Guo Gong Fu, conferring the title of Snow County Princess on Pang Luo Xue. Countless precious treasures and antiques were bestowed upon her, until she saw that she had also been awarded 50,000 taels of gold and 100,000 taels of silver, as well as various golden hairpins. Her eyes sparkled instantly. Except for the money, all other imperial gifts had to be enshrined and worshipped, becoming mere lifeless objects. Only these riches could truly benefit her. Although Duke Pang was dissatisfied with Empress's punishment of his eldest daughter, after all, it was she who had erred first. This matter also brought honor and reward to his legitimate daughter, so he considered himself vindicated and led his family to receive the imperial edict and express their gratitude.

  After receiving the favor, she registered the lotus root and lotus leaf with her belongings and put them in a small warehouse. Someone from the other courtyard came to say that Qi Gu Niang had invited her. Pang Luo Xue had a plan in mind, knowing that Qi Yao had already figured it out. Qi Yao was more suitable for external operations than herself. She was just blinded by hatred. To take revenge, she needed a partner, and Qi Yao was the most suitable one. So she changed her clothes and hurriedly left from the back door, today is also to proceed with my next step carefully.

  As I expected, Qi Yao was already waiting in the mansion. After all, the Qi Mansion was her home, and every place had memories of her growth. It was here that Lotus mistakenly bought the Qi Mansion's house. It seemed that there must be a connection between them, and fate was indeed a wonderful thing. I adjusted the veil on my face and walked over. "I've seen Miss, thank you for saving me, Qi Yao. From now on, my life belongs to you, as long as you can help me avenge myself, I'm willing to die for it." Qi Yao knelt down and said sincerely.

  I saw that she had come to her senses after this incident, so I went forward and helped her up. After a moment's consideration, I said: "That day, I already told you that my enemy is also your sister's enemy. If you don't care about your own life and kill him, what will happen if something goes wrong? How can we face the spirits of the Qi family in the afterlife? Letting him die isn't the best way to avenge ourselves. Since you're following me, I must make him regret his actions. From now on, you'll live here, and the Qi Manor will be our home. This mansion is yours."

  This is Qī Yāo's home, and upon hearing this, Qī Yāo was instantly moved to tears, vowing to follow him to the death, and hiding the hatred in her heart.

  I smiled and said, "Revenge must be taken, life must go on. Today we'll go out for a stroll. The grass is growing, the swallows are flying, such a beautiful day, how can you let it slip away, sister?"

  Qī Yāo naturally agreed, covering her face with a veil and carrying lotus leaves and roots as we headed out. The Qi estate was not far from Lotus Lake, where although the lotuses had yet to bloom, the water lilies were already in full blossom. With an air of elegance, they seemed to be saying that even in the midst of turmoil, one must not sleep through life's opportunities. On this chilly day, the lake's painted pleasure boats and wine shops were bustling with activity. As Qī Yāo and I strolled hand in hand along the lake's embankment, we soon approached the largest wine tower in the capital, built right on the riverbank. It wasn't until later that I discovered the true owner of this Linjiang Tower was none other than the King of Jin himself. Wine shops had always been places where information was gathered and wealth accumulated - essential for someone who sought to buy people's hearts with a large sum of money in order to claim the throne. Smiling, I asked: "Sister, are you interested in learning about the wine business? This Linjiang Tower is one of the King of Jin's properties; why don't we go take a look?"

  Qing Yao was secretly shocked, the young master may be young but he knew a lot, since she had confidence, I would put my life and property on it, so I smiled and said: Miss, since you have the heart, I will naturally follow. My family has some industries that have been passed down for generations, and I have learned to manage them with my mother for some time. Since Miss's identity cannot be made public, I will help Miss manage the industry in her name.

  Pan Luo Xue thought to herself that she had indeed found the right person, and Qi Yao would be her greatest help in her quest for revenge. The two of them, accompanied by their maid, entered the Wang Jiang Lou, chose a private room with a window overlooking the lotus flowers on the lake, ordered some delicate pastries, a small pot of wine, and began to drink. I watched closely with Qi Yao, and indeed, even the song girls here were hidden dragons and crouching tigers, each one beautiful and captivating. Officials from the imperial court also came and went in large numbers, truly making this place a hub for gathering and transmitting information.

  I had a full meal with Qi Yao, and we strolled along the lake shore. Coincidentally, I saw Jin Wang, or rather, I saw the maid beside him. That maid was indeed one of the maids who had been by Pang Luo Yu's side, named Ju Qing. No wonder Pang Luo Yu said they knew each other before and were in love before. The two of them are truly a match made in heaven, with such strong endurance that they even teamed up to deceive me. I don't know when you started dating, but since you're in love, I'll help you out, sister. Qi Yao also saw Jin Wang, and although she had intentionally suppressed the hatred in her eyes, the aura of a martial artist still leaked out. I gently pulled her and said: The maid beside Jin Wang is my sister's maid. It's better to meet by chance than to ask for an invitation. However, looking at these two sneaking around, they must not want us to see them. Since they can't be seen in public, we'll just have to be open and aboveboard. So the two of us pretended to be ladies admiring the scenery while strolling around the lake. When we were about to reach their side, I gave Qi Yao a signal with my eyes, and she understood intuitively, using her internal energy to stir up a gust of wind that blew off my veil. As I bent down to pick up my veil, I caught a glimpse of Ju Qing and Jin Wang's surprised faces out of the corner of my eye. Ju Qing quickly left under the cover of Jin Wang's tall figure, while Jin Wang walked towards me with a smile.

  "Goodbye, Your Highness." I bowed slightly and prepared to leave.

  "Second Miss is so enthusiastic about coming out to tour the lake, but the wind by the lake is strong, Miss should take care of her body. Second Miss is now the county master of my East Qin State, and I haven't congratulated Second Miss yet. I will definitely visit your residence another day." - King Jin

  A wave of nausea washed over me, and I looked down to see that the King of Jin was wearing a brand new perfume pouch on his waist, exquisitely crafted. It seemed that Pang Luoyu had already woken up, and Cong Zhi would not be able to escape her father's punishment. The only maid by her side who could still be used was Juqing. Looking at the perfume pouch, I knew it was new, and it seemed that Pang Luoyu also had a crush on this person. I smiled slightly: "Thank you, Your Highness, but my sister has been injured recently, so it's not convenient for us to stay. We won't disturb your pleasure, so we'll take our leave first." With that, I didn't wait for him to react and led them away.

  The King of Jin looked at Pang Luo Xue with a thoughtful expression, although she was still young and unmarried. He liked her, but as the illegitimate daughter of the Duke's household, it was necessary to have their support. This second miss was indeed worthy of being called the Princess of Jin, the little girl was naive and stubborn, if raised for a few more years, she would surely surpass her mother. Having thought this through, he had made up his mind.

  Pang Luoxue covered her face with a silk handkerchief and came to the most prosperous street in Beijing, where there was a house called Yihongyuan. Qi Yao and the others were still unmarried girls after all, and they couldn't help but blush and feel hot, as it wasn't proper for young ladies to visit brothels. Pang Luoxue smiled lightly but didn't explain.

  It was deserted during the day, and all the girls were asleep. When I saw a few girls coming in, my eyes almost popped out, and after rubbing them for a while, I said: "I don't know what brought you ladies here?"

  Pan Luo Xue glanced at Dan Dan and said: "There are some things I want to discuss with Mother, prepare a room."

  Nature does not dare to slack off, so he took us to a elegant room on the second floor...