Chapter 42: Everything She Desired

She stepped out of the courtyard, and Dieyi draped a cloak of pure white fox fur over her shoulders, wrapping her in a layer of warmth.

"What if, one day, the Princess has everything she desires?"

She looked up at the sky. A bright moon hung high, veiled in a mysterious, ethereal mist. In that moment, as the moonlight grew hazy and time seemed to stand still, Yun Qiantian felt as if she could glimpse the future within that lunar glow.

Her voice, carrying a touch of ethereal detachment, drifted softly into the night: "When that day comes, I shall be free of all constraints. I will hold the reins of my own destiny, and that will be the time for them to depart."

Dieyi’s eyes widened in shock. She couldn’t help but rub her ears, wondering if she had misheard. Did the Princess just say…

Gui Xiang Pavilion was one of the premier brothels in the Tianyuan Dynasty, situated in the most prosperous section of Willow Lane. A place of glitz, glamour, and unbridled indulgence, it was a favorite sanctuary for high-ranking officials to squander their gold.

Stepping inside, one was greeted by a warm, crimson carpet. Above, crystal lanterns cast a cool, shimmering light, perfectly calibrated to bathe the establishment in a hazy, suggestive ambiance, while rows of erotic paintings adorned the walls.

The brothel spanned three floors, with status rising in tandem with the elevation. As night fell, the house was predictably bustling, filled with a deafening roar of voices. With a sharp eye, Yun Qian’ge even spotted several court officials amidst the throng, dallying with young men in their arms.

Always one to prefer quiet, she detested the clamor of such places. Had it not been for the urgent matter at hand, she would never have wasted a moment here.

Yun Qian’ge ascended to a private room on the third floor, where she found the disguised Xiangcao standing to the side. Wang Liang was lounging with a man on each arm, teasing them, her hands wandering restlessly over them while a retinue of attendants massaged her shoulders and legs.

"Little Sister Qian’ge, you’re here! Come, sit." Seeing her arrive, Wang Liang beckoned enthusiastically before kicking the men beside her. "What are you standing there for? Go and serve Sister Qian’ge!"

Wearing a veil, Yun Qian’ge waved a hand in mock helplessness. "Sister Liang, you know how it is. My man is strict. Just visiting a brothel is one thing, but if he found out I’d been sleeping with the courtesans here, he’d tear this place down by tomorrow morning."

"I think you should just divorce that tiger of a husband," Wang Liang retorted indignantly. "You’d be better off taking a few boys home from Gui Xiang Pavilion than staying with him."

Wang Liang was the finest engraver in the capital; every token used in the Imperial Palace passed through her hands. A few days prior, she had been on her way to the General’s Mansion to deliver an engraved token when she was set upon by thugs. Had it not been for Yun Qian’ge’s chivalrous intervention, snatching the token back from the bandits, she wouldn't have had enough heads to appease the General’s wrath.

In her eyes, Yun Qian’ge was a noble benefactor who had not only helped her but treated her as a sister, even inviting her to the most expensive establishment in the capital—a place far beyond the likes of the Liufang Pavilion she had frequented before.

"I cannot, I simply cannot," Yun Qian’ge sighed, taking a sorrowful sip of wine. "To be honest, sister, I am a matrilocal son-in-law. My family was poor, and my father married me off into a wealthy house to make ends meet. Otherwise, how would I have the money to treat you to drinks here?"