Rumble——
A dull thunderclap sounded above the city, the rain suddenly became heavier, and a crosswind blew up.
Near Ranfang Street, Ye Jingtang held an oil-paper umbrella with one hand to block the wind, hugging Sister Ning in his arms. He used his body to block the raindrops that were flying horizontally and couldn't help but mutter a few words:
"This rain is like what happened the night before yesterday with you... Sizzle——"
Luo Ning shrank under Ye Jingtang's arm. At first, she was quite touched that the little thief had taken the initiative to shield her from the wind and rain. But when these words came out, her cold and beautiful face instantly turned into one of shame and anger. She pinched Ye Jingtang hard on the waist:
"Little thief, if you dare to mention such things again, try it! I didn't do it on purpose... I even bought you a new bedsheet to compensate!"
Ye Jingtang apologized with a smile, using his sleeve to block the wind and rain, as if nothing had happened.
Since they were almost home, Ye Jingtang quickened his pace and wanted to rush directly into Ranfang Street.
However, Miss Luo in his arms seemed to have been irritated by that unrestrained remark and was about to turn around:
"I'm going to Wang's Medical Clinic and will boil the medicine for you later."
"It's raining so heavily. Let's go tomorrow."
"No way! You, this little thief, are becoming more and more excessive. I'm not anyone special to you. It's fine if you don't show gratitude, but you're even pushing your luck..."
"Shh, there's a carriage ahead."
Ye Jingtang walked forward quickly. Because the rain was too heavy, he only heard the snorting of the horses when he reached the entrance of Ranfang Street. He raised his umbrella and looked over. A luxurious carriage was parked by the street to take shelter from the rain.
There were guards outside the carriage, the window was open, and there was a light inside.
The heroic and beautiful Princess Dongfang Liren was sitting upright in the carriage and looking at him through the window with a strange look in her eyes.
Niaoniao, which had been hiding from the rain on Ye Jingtang's shoulder, quickly raised its wing to greet them:
"Chirp chirp~"
When Luo Ning saw the noble woman in the carriage, her face changed slightly. She bowed like a shy young woman and then took the umbrella and quickly ran into Ranfang Street.
Whoosh whoosh...
The heavy rain came down in torrents, making Niaoniao shiver.
Ye Jingtang couldn't talk properly while standing in the heavy rain. He quickly came to the outside of the carriage:
"Your Highness, why are you here?"
Dongfang Liren's gaze was on Miss Ning, who had run away with her head down, and she said calmly:
"I had something to come and find you just now. Miss Ning's little maid said you were out, so I took shelter from the rain here. Come in."
Ye Jingtang jumped onto the carriage, lowered his head, and entered. The sound of the rain outside became quieter, and only the soft crackling sound of the rain hitting the carriage roof remained.
Dongfang Liren was wearing a dragon-patterned robe. She sat upright on the couch, and her gaze was still on the street entrance:
"What were you talking about with Miss Ning just now? She seems to be angry and hitting you."
Ye Jingtang sat down by the window. It was not easy for him to talk about the story of Miss Luo wetting the bedsheet, so he just said casually:
"I just made a joke."
Dongfang Liren took a white sweat towel from beside the couch and handed it to Ye Jingtang, whose face was covered in rainwater:
"Did you say lewd words to tease Miss Ning?"
Ye Jingtang took the towel and wiped his face:
"It was just a joke. How can it be called teasing?"
"Hmph..."
Dongfang Liren guessed that Ye Jingtang had said some lewd words like "Ning'er, do it yourself", and she didn't pursue it further. Instead, she changed the subject:
"Minglongtan is beneficial for your martial arts practice. I want you to do something, and I need you to improve your strength as soon as possible. So I put in a good word with His Majesty, and you can go to Minglongtan with a token at any time in the future..."
Ye Jingtang was taken aback. Remembering what Miss Yu Hu had said yesterday, he was very surprised and asked:
"Chengan Hall is His Majesty's bedroom. Did Your Highness personally bring this up?"
Dongfang Liren originally wanted to nod and make Ye Jingtang owe her a big favor. But the actual situation was that she had never thought of allowing Ye Jingtang to spend the night in Minglongtan. It was last night when her sister was going to bed that she said, "If you want Ye Jingtang to practice martial arts in Minglongtan, there's no need to do it secretly. Just give him a token to freely enter and exit the imperial palace."
Dongfang Liren had always been straightforward in character. She didn't really want to take credit for something she didn't do, so she replied:
"His Majesty heard about the matter of you risking your life to investigate the case and thought that you were loyal and capable and worthy of cultivation, so he allowed you to practice martial arts in Minglongtan. But remember, the people who have received this honor in previous dynasties were all die-hard loyalists of the court. When you go there, you have to fulfill this responsibility."
Ye Jingtang asked doubtfully: "Your Highness said that only the true Son of Heaven can enter Minglongtan. Who else has entered it?"
"Quite a few.Eunuchs Cao of our dynasty, Eunuchs Xue and Wei of the previous dynasty..."
When Ye Jingtang heard a series of eunuchs' names, a certain part of him felt a chill. He thought to himself: To practice this skill, one must first castrate oneself. So this is what it means...
"Only eunuchs can spend the night there? Actually, I think it's okay to practice slowly outside."
"As long as you know your limits, don't listen, look, or talk, and practice martial arts honestly, you won't be castrated. Come over tomorrow, and I'll take you into the palace and teach you the rules first."
Ye Jingtang thought for a while: "I'm afraid I can't go into the palace tomorrow."
"Do you have something else to do?"
"I have some private matters these two days. The Baoyuan Gate in Yunzhou has taken over some of Honghua Tower's properties, and I have to help Honghua Tower sort it out. Also, Iron Buddha Ridge tried to beat me up today, and I have to go and intimidate them. I'll be out for three to five days."
Dongfang Liren obviously had a bit of an opinion about such trivial matters:
"Why do you have to go there in person for such things? I'll give an order and let She Long and Shang Jianli go..."
"No need. This is a small Jianghu matter. It's making a mountain out of a molehill to ask Your Highness to intervene. I've learned the martial arts of Honghua Tower, so it's only right for me to go there."
Seeing this, Dongfang Liren didn't say much more: "Then go and come back quickly. Pay attention to your safety outside. Remember to teach me the Overlord Spear when you come back. Do you want me to arrange some guards for you?"
"No need. I've always been steady in my actions..."
"You've been killing all the way as you go and you say you're steady?!"
Ye Jingtang smiled: "I know what I'm doing. Your Highness doesn't need to worry."
Dongfang Liren didn't say anything more upon hearing this.
Ye Jingtang thought for a moment and then remembered the previous topic. Judging from Benben's words, the idea of letting him stay in Minglongtan to practice martial arts wasn't Benben's. It was very likely that Empress Yu Hu had really whispered in the empress's ear...
Miss Yu Hu didn't seem to be a lesbian. She just had no choice as a palace person and was forced to be intimate with the empress. She was so worried that her hair had turned white...
But this matter was uncertain.
After a little thought, Ye Jingtang asked:
"Your Highness, are you familiar with the palace maids?"
Dongfang Liren was taken aback. She thought that Ye Jingtang had finally come to his senses and was going to ask for a few beautiful palace maids as maidservants. She asked:
"I'm familiar with some of the more outstanding ones. Have you taken a fancy to a certain palace maid or a maid in the prince's mansion? I'll give an order and send them to you..."
Ye Jingtang shook his head: "No. I just met a palace maid recently. She doesn't seem to like life in the palace and is always worried..."
Dongfang Liren was a bit puzzled. She thought to herself: Is he feeling sorry for the unfavored palace maid and wants to play the hero to save the beauty? She asked:
"What's her name?"
Ye Jingtang moved closer and said in a low voice:
"Her name is Yu Hu. Do you know her, Your Highness?"
"..."
Outside the carriage, the rain crackled, and inside the carriage, there was a dead silence.
Dongfang Liren's eyes widened a bit, and the dragon pattern on her robe seemed to puff up visibly. It was hard to tell what she was thinking, but her eyes became more and more fierce. Finally, she raised her hand and grabbed Ye Jingtang's collar, pressing him against the backrest. Their eyes met, and there was a murderous look:
"What do you mean? Do you want me to fulfill you two?"
Ye Jingtang had expected that talking about the palace maid with Benben might make Benben misunderstand.
But he didn't expect that Benben would suddenly be overcome with jealousy and react so strongly!
She even asked me to choose a palace maid in the palace...
This is really a test...
Ye Jingtang was pressed against the carriage and didn't resist. He explained seriously:
"I have no relationship with Yu Hu, and I don't want her to be my concubine. I'm just asking out of curiosity..."
Dongfang Liren stared closely into Ye Jingtang's eyes. After confirming that Ye Jingtang wasn't confessing a romantic relationship with her sister, the nameless anger in her heart subsided a bit, but her eyebrows were still furrowed in anger:
"Do you know who she is?"
Ye Jingtang looked at the beautiful face so close to his and said in a low voice: "She said she's His Majesty's beloved concubine and often sleeps with His Majesty. Is there such a thing?"
??
Sleeping with the emperor?
It's the Empress Dowager who often sleeps with her sister, okay...
What a mess is this?
Dongfang Liren tilted her head slightly. After thinking for a while, she understood the meaning. It must be that her sister had been talking nonsense again and had deceived Ye Jingtang, who was full of chivalrous spirit...
Dongfang Liren originally wanted to explain that her sister wasn't interested in women. But then she thought, making Ye Jingtang misunderstand that her sister liked women didn't seem to be a bad thing...
Dongfang Liren blinked her eyes: "Yu Hu is His Majesty's beloved. His Majesty dotes on her every day. You'd better not have any improper thoughts."
Ye Jingtang had just asked out of curiosity. Seeing this, he sighed:
"This kind of thing is actually quite normal. I don't have any special intentions... By the way, Your Highness is His Majesty's biological sister..."
??
Dongfang Liren took a deep breath and didn't say anything.
Ye Jingtang raised his hand slightly: "I was overthinking. Your Highness obviously likes men..."
!
For this question, Dongfang Liren couldn't nod or shake her head. She could only press down hard and ask in a deep voice:
"Where did you see that?"
Ye Jingtang thought for a while: "Intuition."
"..."
Dongfang Liren felt that this topic was a bit strange. She let go of his collar, sat upright, and exuded the aura of a princess:
"Your talent should be used for investigating cases. What's the point of guessing a woman's preferences? Don't let it happen again."
Ye Jingtang tidied his clothes and smiled:
"I understand. It's getting late. Let me send Your Highness back to the prince's mansion."
Dongfang Liren was going back in the carriage. If Ye Jingtang really sent her, she would have to send someone to send him back. So she directly waved her hand and said:
"You go back. Come back as soon as you finish your business. Pay attention to your safety."
...
A moment later, in the alley.
"Goo goo goo..."
The fluffy Niaoniao shrank under Ye Jingtang's armpit and kept urging him.
Ye Jingtang used his sleeve robe to shield Niaoniao and rushed through the dark alley in the rain. He let out a sigh of relief when he reached the porch.
The courtyard was pitch-black, and only the window of the main room was lit up. He could hear the chatting and laughter coming from inside:
"I went to Minglong Tower today. It seems that Hero Qiu lives on the small street next to the Black Yamen and lives with the people from the Black Yamen. I didn't dare to go over."
"Who told you to run around there?"
"I was just wandering around. I've finished copying the book..."
"I'm going to Baoyuan Gate with your Brother Jingtang. You stay at home honestly these days..."
"Sigh~ Master used to take me everywhere. Now that she has Brother Jingtang, she's playing favorites... Ah! I was wrong..."
...
Ye Jingtang didn't go into the main room to join in the fun. He started washing up and changing into clean clothes. After tidying up, Ye Jingtang stood at the door of the side room. After a moment of hesitation, he thought it really wasn't appropriate to knock Xiao Yunli out again. They could talk about things on the road. So he said:
"I'll probably have to travel tomorrow. Miss Luo, go to bed early. I'm going to sleep too."
"You can go to sleep. I was already asleep, and you woke me up..."
"Master clearly wasn't asleep, ouch..."
The corners of Ye Jingtang's mouth curled up into a smile. He suppressed a little distraction in his heart, closed the door, sat down on the bed, and started practicing the Jade Bone Dragon Elephant Diagram...
——
The night passed without incident.
The next day.
Dong——Dong——
The morning bell rang. After being washed by the violent wind and rain last night, the streets and alleys of the capital were all refreshed.
The shops on Tianshui Bridge had just opened. The escorts in the escort agency were sitting at the wonton stall at the door having breakfast.
Not far away, in Pei's Alley, a chubby horse was parked. On the weapon hook beside the horse, there was a long weapon wrapped in yellow cloth hanging.
Among the white walls and black tiles, Ye Jingtang was wearing a black martial arts uniform. His Chi Dragon Ring-Hilt Saber was wrapped in black cloth and hung on his waist. He stood by the window and said:
"Third Lady, I can handle this small matter alone. Dealing with the Baoyuan Gate, having both the leader and the young master go together would make us a laughingstock if the people in the Jianghu find out..."
Inside the window was Third Lady's boudoir. He could hear the rustling sound of her getting dressed. A woman's voice, naturally with a hint of charm, came from inside:
"The Zhou family is very ruthless. The old master of the Zhou family doesn't manage things anymore. Who knows if they'll set a 'trap' secretly. I'll go with you. I'll feel more at ease."
Ye Jingtang didn't mind Third Lady going with him. But Miss Luo was also going. Last time, the two of them almost tore him apart when they quarreled. If they quarreled again on the way, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to reach Baoyuan Gate alive.
"Ning'er is going with me..."
"What use is she going? She's just the wife of the sect leader and is in charge of internal affairs. Her greatest reputation in the Jianghu is that she's good-looking."
"Ning'er's martial arts are quite powerful..."
"No matter how powerful she is, can she be more powerful than me? You're the young master of Honghua Tower. Knowing that there's a risk in this trip, if I don't care and entrust your safety to the Pingtian Sect, what kind of leader would I be?"
As they were talking, the door opened.
Pei Xiangjun was wearing a purple dress, dressed as a capable and shrewd female member of a merchant family. She walked out of the room:
"You can just ask her to go back. This is a matter of Honghua Tower. If she follows along, I can't even pay her wages."
Ye Jingtang shook his head: "It's already agreed. She's waiting outside. If I ask Ning'er to go back, she'll probably go straight back to Nanxiao Mountain."
"..."
Pei Xiangjun saw Ye Jingtang's dilemma and felt helpless in her heart.
Jingtang was indeed taking a risk by going out to handle Honghua Tower's affairs this time. As the female leader, she couldn't just ignore it. If she even left this to the wife of the sect leader, what else could she do?
Jingtang wanted to take the wife of the sect leader with him, and she couldn't just drive her away...
The wife of the sect leader was at least a grandmaster. The safety of the three of them going out together was always greater than that of two people...
But if she walked together with the wife of the sect leader, Jingtang would only dare to subdue them both with one hand each after taking the medicine. Without taking the medicine, he would probably be completely overwhelmed on the spot...
Pei Xiangjun thought for a moment and felt that she was going to prevent Jingtang from having an accident, not to fight for a man. There was no need to walk together openly. She could just follow secretly,