But why would she impersonate a courtesan from the Spring Breeze Tower to participate in the Courtesan Competition? There must be some unspeakable secret.
The madam thought of this, her heart trembling with fear. Her greedy eyes gazed at the banknotes in her hand, and in the end, she gritted her teeth and placed them on the table.
This business, she dared not accept.
A cold smile tugged at Qingyao’s lips. With a movement, she landed behind the madam, her slender hand reaching out to grasp the madam’s chin. A pill was stuffed into her mouth, and a palm strike to her back sent the pill smoothly down her throat.
The madam’s face turned deathly pale, her plump hand pointing forcefully at Qingyao.
“What did you give me?”
“Poison. Now, five thousand taels of silver plus a life. Can this deal be made?”
Qingyao spoke with a blank expression, her pupils radiating a bloodthirsty aura. The madam couldn’t help but shiver, her heart pounding and her teeth chattering. With a thud, she knelt down.
“Please spare me, I will cooperate with you. Spare me this once.”
“Don’t worry, this poison won’t kill anyone immediately. If you cooperate with us, I will give you the antidote. Moreover, what I do will have nothing to do with your Spring Breeze Tower. You can simply say you don’t know who I am, and no one will bother you. Even if I participate in the Courtesan Competition, I may not win the title of Courtesan Queen. If I do win, all the prize money will go to you. What do you think of this arrangement?”
Qingyao spoke unhurriedly. The madam felt like dying. Whether she agreed or not, she had to agree. These people looked like ruthless individuals, and she might lose her life at any moment.
“Alright, alright.”
The madam stood up and picked up the banknotes from the table. Since she had agreed to let her participate, she might as well take the money.
Besides, even if she participated, she wasn’t guaranteed to win the title of Courtesan Queen. The title had always gone to the courtesans of the Shy Flower Tower; it was rarely won by others. She didn’t believe Qingyao could be an exception.
“This matter is settled. Don’t tell your boss behind this, or I won’t give you the antidote either.”
A cold voice sounded from behind. The madam nodded her head like a pounding garlic, not daring to harbor any other thoughts.
The three of them then took up residence in the Spring Breeze Tower. The madam personally arranged a room for them in the most secluded part of the entire building, at the end of the second-floor corridor, a room at a turn that few people frequented.
Quiet, silent.
The Courtesan Competition would be held in three days.
The Spring Breeze Tower at night was filled with an ambiguous atmosphere, with occasional soft moans that made one’s face blush and heart pound.
Qingyao was already familiar with the matters of men and women, so she remained composed. However, it was a pity for Mo Chou and Mo You, who were at the age of burgeoning desires but found themselves in such a place, making them feel uneasy.
Fortunately, the three days would pass quickly.
The night before the Courtesan Competition, something happened at the Spring Breeze Tower.
The Crown Prince’s Consort, Shen Xuxue, led a group of people and barged into the Spring Breeze Tower, violently attacking the people inside and smashing everything in the establishment.
Who was Shen Xuxue? Everyone in the capital knew her. The Shen family was the foremost noble family in the Qing Luo Kingdom, enjoying immense favor from the Emperor. Shen Xuxue’s father and brothers were the pillars of the court, holding up half the sky of the Qing Luo Kingdom.
Therefore, let alone smashing things, even if Shen Xuxue had demolished the entire Spring Breeze Tower, no one would dare to say a word.
The madam, leading her subordinates, bowed and apologized profusely. She had no idea why Shen Xuxue had stormed into the Spring Breeze Tower.
“May I know the reason, Your Highness?”
“Bring out that little whore! How dare she bewitch the Crown Prince?”
Shen Xuxue’s face was ugly and sinister, her teeth gritted as she roared angrily. Upon hearing Shen Xuxue’s words, the madam’s face instantly turned the color of a pig’s liver.
So, the handsome man who had patronized Nianyao was none other than the Crown Prince.
Good heavens, may lightning strike her dead! She truly had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai, and she had even accepted a large sum of money from the Crown Prince.
Shen Xuxue’s angry eyes blazed with fire, completely losing her usual composure, her hands on her hips like a shrew.
She was genuinely infuriated. Today, Prince Yin had paid a visit, and she had learned that that scoundrel Changsun Zhu had, behind the backs of all the women in their harem, taken a prostitute in the Spring Breeze Tower.
The dignified Crown Prince doing such a thing made her furious. Although she was angry, she hadn’t dared to cause trouble at the Spring Breeze Tower.
However, the more she thought about it, the more unwilling she became. Ever since the Crown Prince went to the Xian Yue Kingdom and became infatuated with the Empress of Xian Yue, he had completely neglected them, the women of his household. Now, he would rather consort with women from brothels than favor them.
Just listen to the woman’s name, Nianyao. The thought of it drove her to the brink of madness. She would rather have a fish die and the net break with Changsun Zhu.
Since he no longer favored them, they were essentially living as widows. Such a life was not worth living.
Shen Xuxue glared with anger. The madam, hearing her words, was in a difficult position. Now that she knew Nianyao belonged to the Crown Prince, how could she hand Nianyao over?
No matter what, she could not hand Nianyao over, because the true manager of the Spring Breeze Tower was Nianyao. She was merely the publicly advertised manager.
In secret, everything in this establishment was Nianyao’s business. Nianyao’s original name wasn’t Nianyao, but Qingcheng. The Crown Prince had changed her name on a whim, and Nianyao had gone along with it.
For a moment, the madam found herself in a dilemma.
Suddenly, a clear voice sounded from the second-floor railing.
A woman was seen gently touching the white jade railing, her entire being exuding charm as she casually swept her gaze over the crowd below, speaking unhurriedly.
“Consort Shen, you are truly displaying the full extent of a shrew’s image. I truly doubt the upbringing of the foremost noble family!”
Upon hearing this, the entire hall erupted in an uproar. Who would have thought a prostitute would speak so arrogantly? Was she truly relying on the Crown Prince’s backing? Otherwise, she wouldn’t dare to act like this.
Shen Xuxue, standing below, was extremely displeased by the mockery from above. Her killing intent filled the air, and she shrieked in anger.
“Nianyao, you slut! Today, I’m not done with you!”
After speaking, Shen Xuxue led a group of servants from the Crown Prince’s mansion and charged upstairs.
Many of the patrons in the hall were frightened, but they couldn’t miss this exciting spectacle. Moreover, who would have thought that the Crown Prince would frequent a brothel? This was truly the nature of men.
In the Qing Luo Kingdom, even if the Crown Prince frequented brothels, it wasn’t something shameful. This was why Shen Xuxue dared to openly confront them.
Chaos ensued on both the lower and upper floors.
Qingyao, reading in her room, frowned slightly and called out, “Mo Chou, what happened?”
Mo Chou, who had been leaning on the railing watching the commotion, immediately walked in upon hearing her mistress’s question and said slowly.
“Mistress, it’s Shen Xuxue from the Crown Prince’s mansion leading a group of people to settle a score with a prostitute. That prostitute is actually named Nianyao.”