In the second floor of Drunken restaurant two man are silently drinking tea, one is an old man but the dangerous aura leaking out from him is noticeable. One can see that he is one who experienced few decades of bloodshed events. The other one is a young man of the same age as Qi Ming though young he isn't a simple one considering being able to be calm even smiling faintly at the old man.
"Old General Xi I'm wondering why you suddenly want to meet me?" The young man can't take the silence anymore and started to ask. He just returned in the capital with Qi Ming but was intercepted at the gates by the trusted servant of the old general inviting him for tea.
"Hmp! Is that how you greet your master now?" Old General Xi snorted.
"This one then apologizes to master."
"Good that you learn fast..." the old man serve himself another cup before speaking again. "What is your intention in placing one of your trusted shadow guards in my great granddaughter's court
The next day the commoners are busy admiring the wedding procession of Qi clan's second young miss to Long Fu. Qi Fan is wearing a red wedding dress embroidered with gold threads and phoenix headdress. Witnessing envy in the eyes of the ladies watching the procession her eyes brightens with delight and her smile widens. Qi Lei carry her on his back and helps her to the wedding sedan, he reminded her to always act appropriately since the rules in Long Fu is different with theirs. Qi Fan ignored his brother's reminder for her being married to Long Guanting who is the doted grandson of Left Prime Minister Long is the highest honor she gave to Qi clan and her mother and father in laws likes her. Qi Lei seeing her sister's ignorance can only sigh inwardly. He loves his sister however her and their parents' action towards his third uncle's family, for him is the dumbest thing they did. They could have schemed without hurting Xiuying but they still did, helping Guanting on
After eating most of the desserts Xiuying dab her lips with silk handkerchief and start observing her Qi Lian who is still immersed on eating her share. This cousin of mine is also a foodie! She's so cute like a hamster while eating! Qi Lian noticing her cousin's stare lightly coughs. "Yingjie, these desserts taste so good and they aren't greasy! Can I bring home some my mother likes to eat sweets too, please?" "Of course! Xue can you tell the kitchen to pack around four pieces of each desserts?" "Young miss I have prepared them earlier knowing how fifth young miss loves sweets, I already gave it to her maidservant." "Thank you Xue'er you are really the best!" Xiuying smiles at Xue. "Thank you Yingjie and Xue'er!" Qi Lian cheeks' blushed as she say her thanks to the two. "You are welcome young misses." Xue
Once she entered the room, she is greeted by seeing her own brother on top of a man around the same age as him. Both were frozen in place upon seeing Xiuying entered the room. "Ahem! Big brother should I come back after you finish your business here?" Xiuying's light cough wakes up the two men from being shock and both immediately stand up and fixed their cloths. Qi Ming afterwards approached his sister and flicks her forehead while the other sits comfortably as if nothing happened. "Hey! Why did you that to Ying'er!" The man suddenly shouted at her brother upon seeing Qi Ming flicking Xiuying's forehead. Xiuying who is rubbing her forehead narrows her eyes to observe the guy. Oh feeling close to me already? Hmm he is more handsome than my brother. He looks like a scholar but his hands looks rough it seems this guy is like my brother who loves martial arts maybe that is why they get along. Wow! Such beautiful eyes I bet people who talks with him easily get distracted
*Before Xiuying entered Ming and Xianyao's room* "I can't believe you requested that to his Majesty! What you did is simply handing out my sister in front of wolves!" Qi Ming slammed his fist on the table. Zhao Xianyao just came back from the palace and had a closed door discussion with his brother, the current emperor of Great Yan. Xianyao is the youngest blood related brother of Emperor Zhao Jin. Though there was competition before his brother was crowned it wasn't dangerous as the former Emperor have announced that if one royal family member was killed due to the power struggle he will divide the country and give it to the kingdoms surrounding the Great Yan. Most high ranking officials before were concerned of the citizens thus they acted accordingly. However it was unknown when the changes began that even though the current emperor is competent and still in forties, his sons have started to compete dangerously harming the influential families supporting e
"Is it time?" Xiuying asked Xue upon returning to the third floor. "Yes young miss..." Xue's pitch was two notes higher than usual and her eyes are brightly shining worshipping her young miss. "Xue don't expect too much from your young miss, you're making me nervous..." Xiuying playfully reprimand her maidservant. "Young miss you are so good I bet after this every person here will know that they are wrong!" Xiao Hua exclaimed. "That's true young miss!" Xue seconded both earning a flick on their forehead. "Fine, Xue is it ready?" Seeing Xue nodded she gets up from her seat and push the side of the book shelves causing it to rotate by ninety degrees and revealing the secret passage connected to all floors of Ying Yue Huayuan. "I'll be back soon." Xiuying said to her two maidservants before going down. Xue hurriedly put the book shelves to its original position and open the window facing the stage in the first floor.
Ying Yue Huayuan became famous since the first day they've opened, some even ask if they can talk to its owner for partnership or collaboration. Xiuying always visits her tea house every three days playing two songs, the customers can't get enough of it and are amaze how the young lady plays different songs each time not repeating the ones played previously. This caused for the avid listeners to reserve private rooms either individually or in groups so they can afford the cost, resulting to having all customers wait for two weeks or a month for a private room be available that it became a way to show off one's status and wealth. Few music fanatics always gather every three days to listen and observe all customers to look for the mysterious young lady and some speculate that she is related to the owner. Some ladies from prominent families and even daughters of government officials reserve the stage to show off their skills or compare with each other. They requested to not use
"That wrench! I will make sure you will suffer and regret offending me today!" Qi Fan shouted and grips on her skirt. The shout startled her maidservant Jin, looking at her young madam she immediately went to the private room where the young masters are. Jin lightly knock and was greet by Guanting's servant Lou. She whispered that the young madam needed her husband. Seeing the worried look of Jin, Lou approach Guanting and whispered the message to him. They excused themselves from the rest, thankfully they are done discussing the important matters. Opening the door Guanting was welcomed by the crying Qi Fan. He feels like something is gripping his heart hard, making it difficult for him to breathe. He slowly sit beside his wife, fix the strands of Qi Fan's hair and placing it behind her ears. "Fan'er what happened you were just happy bonding with your friends and cousin?" Guanting's aggrieve tone reached Qi Fan's ears and she slowly look up. Her beautiful eye
Qi Fan noticed that her husband wasn't himself and in daze these past month. Though he always pay attention to her and always visit her courtyard she noticed that there are times when his eyes isn't seeing her but another person. This shaken her confidence as a woman and began to worry if Guanting is planning to take in a concubine. Guanting isn't any better as well, he keeps on remembering the musician of Ying Yue though he loves Qi Fan. These past month he felt his grandfather's disappointment to him, thinking that the old man have a great impression of Ying Yue's owner he started to think that if the musician is his then her connection to the owner would be his as well. Unfortunately despite asking Manager Ba a few times, his request to meet the owner and musician is always declined. His grandfather's birthday banquet is in two weeks but his plans to make him be glad again to him is fruitless. Meanwhile in Qi Chen's family residence Xi Hui has been worried since r
After two months of being away from the capital Long Guanting came back in Long Fu and is currently in Qi Fan's courtyard. Qi Fan have been six months pregnant and being taken care of the two wet nurses assigned by Patriach Long.Looking at the woman resting in front of him, he can't help but feel disgusted. Discovering all the schemes done by Qi Fan and her parents to Qi Xiuying behind his back, he is helpless at the retribution he is facing. His supposedly wife whom he now love can be engage to another man that is most probably be Jun Wang, as he heard of the frequent visits of the prince to Ying Yue and in Qi Chen's residence. Now he recalls what his grandfather told him when he went to Ying Yue during the first banquet held for the closest aides if the emperor.The road I chose indeed is one without a way out huh... He can't help but mock himself for being a fool. He loved Qi Fan and is sure of it but discovering that all the instances they have met were all fabric
"Young miss Old Hu came..." Xiao Hua said while looking at Xiuying who busily checking the month's revenue of Ying Yue."Bring him in." Xiuying instructed without removing her attention to the account books."Young miss..." the old man from the slum bowed respectfully."Elder Hu you came is there anything urgent?" Xiuying looks up seeing the man's appearance far from he usually looks like when she visits the slums. He was wearing a decent attire of Ying Yue's employees and with a stern bearing, people who don't know him would assume right away that he have the same position as Manager Ba."One of our people in Fang Fei courtyard found this." He gave the sachet decorated with white lilies. Xiuying sniffed the faint fragrance from it, her expression changed drastically. "Did you know who gave it to Fang Fei?""It was given by Qi Chang's
Qi Lei accompanied Qi Fan in returning to Long Fu, she still can't believe that her father killed Fang Fei and is now in jail she have lost her support. Although their grandfather is still alive he is in critical condition and there's no guarantee that he will wake up soon. If he does by then Qi Bai have already stabilized his position as the heir since her brother is still too young. "Qi Lei... I need your help we can't let uncle take control of Qi Fu... I will lose my support to stabilize my position here in Long Fu!" Qi Fan said while biting her nails as they arrived in her courtyard's receiving area. Qi Lei just stared at his sister before taking steps to leave but he heard another scream from her. "Qi Lei! You ungrateful bastard you shouldn't have been born if father didn't need a heir!" Instead of walking towards Long Fu's gate Qi Lei went to Patriach Long's study and sees the housekeeper guarding it. "May I ask if Patriach Long will have few minutes to spare?"
"Master, Fang Fei was killed by Qi Chang this morning but it was concealed that the first madam died due to illness as for Eleven she is safe and ready for your next task while Qi Bao is currently in critical condition." "Is Qi Bao concious at least?" Xianyao smirked as he listened to the report of One. "Yes." "I see, advise Qi Bai to make sure he will be the one to inherit everything in Qi Fu. Have Qi Fu's physician declare that Qi Chang became insane due to what happened. Have the city peacekeeper detain Qi Chang. About Eleven tell her to leave Qi Fu, her role as second wife of Qi Chang's done." "Master, should we tell Mistress about this?" One asked since both of them are causing problem in Qi and Long Fu, his master should at least show off his efforts to the Mistress. "She doesn't need to know, she'll be mad at me once she knows I laid my hands on her enemies."
Xiuying is currently walking near the slum with her maidservants and guards with baskets full of food from Ying Yue. It has been a habit of hers to visit the slum to provide food on weekly basis though she only go personally once a month. While Xue'er and Xiao Hua are handing out the food to the people, Xiuying had Ping, one of father's shadow guards go with her and rest in the same residence of the old couple. "Thank you for helping me out these past months." Xiuying elegantly bowed to pay respect and thanks the old couple. "You don't need to thank us at all Young Miss as what we did give us benefits to help the children here finally go to school and physician to check their health." The old man stated, few months ago Xiuying went to them to hire them to sabotage the stores of Qi Chang and Long Guanting. Though they just needed to reveal the dirt in Qi Chang's stores they took time to do it so it wouldn't arouse any suspicion. Despite being an asshole it is not surprising t
"I don't mind staying like this forever you know?" Xianyao said after few minutes of not getting a reply from Xiuying. Xiuying can only grit her teeth not looking at the rogue. They have been in this position for almost half an hour and it looks like the man doesn't have any plans of stepping away from her in fact he is enjoying her current predicament. Light knocks were heard from the other side of her office's door. "Young Miss are you there? Madam is already waiting in the private room with Young Master for your lunch." She heard Xiao Hua's voice, she almost forgot about the lunch date she promised her mother to taste the new dishes in Ying Yue's menu. "Hmm they are already waiting Ying'er." Xianyao whispered in her ear sends shivers and she can't help but blush more. "Yes they are, so release me now... please!" She almost shouted but lowered her voice for Xiao Hua's still outside waitin
"No no no no, impossible!" "Why her of all people?!" "Guanting won't leave me right? Yes he won't he loves me that he even hired someone to kill that bitch!" Qi Fan keeps on murmuring after waking up while walking back and forth, seeing this the servants around her didn't dare disturb their young madam. She remembered her conversation with her husband after the banquet. "Husband... you won't leave me right?" Qi Fan hug Guanting who was about to leave from behind. They just returned from the banquet and her husband accompanied her till the receiving room of her courtyard. "Did you... did you know about this from the start?" Hearing Guanting's question she was startled. She hugs him tightly before faintly answering with a no. It was almost a whisper that Guanting won't hear it if not for their current position. Guanting removed her arms around his waist and faced Qi Fan. He gently c.a.r.e.s.s her hair before tucking the strands on her ch
The news about Qi Xiuying being Ying Yue's musician spreads out in the capital right after the banquet that even those in the streets can almost re-tell what happened during their performance. Even though she is now known as one of the ladies that excels in arts, Xiuying still play songs in Ying Yue though it was reduced to once a week and can be seen talking with the children and elders passing by their residence and establishments earning more admirers. However there was no line of proposals in their residence as along with the news of her being an expert musician, the news of her being pursue by Jun Wang spreads out thus scaring the families who wants Xiuying to be married to their sons. No one wants to provoke the war lord of Great Yan. "Ying'er why don't you rest for a bit you have been helping out in our family businesses aside from managing Ying Yue..." Xi Hui nags the subject of the news seeing her daughter yawning while reading the account books of Ying Yue.
Princess Xiang looks at Xiuying, the latter was grateful for the princess checking with her if it is alright to announce her name. She lightly nod her head earning a smile from the princess. Princess Xiang turn back facing the imperial family and spoke two words... "Qi Xiuying..." Upon hearing the name the ladies especially the ones gossiping about the known hidden daughter of Qi Chen, are all flabbergasted and cannot help but spill out their thoughts. "Did Princess Xiang say that woman's name is Qi Xiuying?!" "Oh my! Maybe it is someone that have the same name right?" "Is Princess Xiang joking? If she is then that is the best joke I have heard! Who doesn't know the thrown former fiance of Young Master Long?" "But the voice of the princess is loud and clear..." "Hey! Did you notice the instrument she used