The Regent Keeps Flirting With Me - Chapter 32

Shen Lingyan was still “rocking the streets,” while Su Zhaozhao and Yun Zhu had very discreetly walked up to the entrance of the Spring Apricot Courtyard. The Spring Apricot Courtyard, usually bustling with activity, was as lively as ever. Many gorgeously and scantily dressed courtesans stood at the entrance, sweetly calling out to the wealthy young masters who passed by.

This was the common sight of a courtesan house, but Yun Zhu was still quite unaccustomed to it. She had always stayed in the restrained and disciplined Imperial Palace, and suddenly arriving in this pleasure quarter was truly disorienting.

“Come in, Miss,” Su Zhaozhao wore a long-lost smile. Coming here felt like returning home. The courtesans soliciting customers at the door saw Su Zhaozhao and were pleasantly surprised, hurriedly inviting her inside.

No matter how uncomfortable Yun Zhu was now, she had to follow, as this was crucial to finding evidence to bring down the Prefectural Governor.

And so, the two women walked into the Spring Apricot Courtyard in full view of everyone. The Spring Apricot Courtyard was larger than it looked from the outside. The main hall was brightly lit and dazzling, but the small rooms next to it were dimly lit by candles, with sounds of suggestive imagination coming and going.

Yun Zhu’s face flushed all the way to her neck. Her delicate little face showed an expression of awkwardness for the first time. She followed closely behind Su Zhaozhao, only to hear the content of the conversations ahead becoming even more explicit—things about receiving guests and whether someone was “up to it”…

Yun Zhu didn’t know why she understood, and her face instantly turned red again.

After walking for what felt like ages, they finally arrived at a small room on the third floor. Su Zhaozhao finally seemed to remember Yun Zhu and enthusiastically pulled her to introduce her to her sisters: “This young lady is Yun Zhu, she is…”

Before she finished speaking, Su Zhaozhao stood up, walked to the door, peered left and right to confirm that no one was around, and then tightly closed the wooden door before sitting back down.

One of the courtesans almost laughed upon seeing Su Zhaozhao’s nervousness, and she asked carelessly, “This third floor is restricted to idlers. What is it that you’re so worried about?”

Su Zhaozhao quickly made a ‘shush’ gesture, signaling the other courtesans to also quiet down.

The woman who had just spoken was Zhao Yinan, considered the one who got along best with Su Zhaozhao in the entire Spring Apricot Courtyard. In the past, they were collectively known as the “Two Talented Women of Liangzhou,” possessing unparalleled talent and beauty that no daughters of prestigious families in Liangzhou could ever rival.

Unfortunately, of this pair of talented women, one was ruined by Li Xiuxian and had no choice but to return to the Spring Apricot Courtyard to receive guests, and the other had just been released from prison.

Zhao Yinan looked around. No one dared to speak anymore, and she sensed that the matter might be quite complicated, so she asked quietly, “What exactly happened? And how did you get back? I heard Madam say it would take some time before she could get money to redeem you…”

Su Zhaozhao simply smiled wryly and pointed at Yun Zhu. She recounted the whole story of meeting the Empress, Shen Lingyan, in prison and how she was able to escape from jail. Those listening seemed somewhat confused…

“Wh-what? You mean, you were only in prison for a few days, and you met Her Majesty the Empress, whom ordinary people might never see in a lifetime?! And the Empress and the Regent were both locked up in jail?!” The speaker was Zhao Yinan again. She was so astonished that the way she looked at Yun Zhu changed considerably.

Seeing this, Yun Zhu knew it was her turn to speak. She slowly stood up, her flushed cheeks finally returning to a calm and normal color: “Please excuse me for making a spectacle of myself, ladies. It is only out of dire necessity that I have come to implore the assistance of you all…”

Thereupon, Yun Zhu thoroughly explained where they were needed. The courtesans looked troubled.

“Of course, we are willing to testify for Her Majesty the Empress, but we are just afraid that if we cannot bring down Prefectural Governor Li Xiuxian, then how will Madam’s Spring Apricot Courtyard continue operating in the future…” This sentence weighed like a giant stone upon the hearts of the ladies.

Indeed, risking their lives was no matter, but they were all orphans from childhood, abandoned by parents who couldn’t raise them, and then taken in and raised in the Spring Apricot Courtyard. After they grew up, the old proprietress didn’t force them to receive guests; those unwilling to serve guests could perform arts instead.

Things had carried on like this for more than twenty years, until the new Prefectural Governor Li Xiuxian took office, and everything was disrupted. However, they still cared deeply for the old proprietress and this Spring Apricot Courtyard; they didn’t want it to be implicated no matter what.

Yun Zhu noticed their concerns and very timely added: “Because Prefectural Governor Li Xiuxian imprisoned both Her Majesty and His Highness, this is already a great crime of disrespect, and it is utterly impossible for him to survive.”

The implication of these words was that Li Xiuxian would, under no circumstances, be able to trouble the Spring Apricot Courtyard again, effectively giving the ladies no future worries about testifying.

Zhao Yinan and the other courtesans looked at each other, subconsciously touching the scar beneath their right earlobes. Everyone had been pulled out of such a place; some were as pure as before, while others had already begun receiving guests…

Zhao Yinan was adept at livening up the atmosphere. She now stood up directly and loudly rallied the spirits: “In that case, we should all help our Empress! We’ve been fed up with that Prefectural Governor Li Xiuxian for a long time!”

With a start, the exasperated courtesans were about to head straight to the Prefectural Governor’s residence, but they were thankfully stopped by Yun Zhu.

“For now, ladies, please do not go so quickly. We need to sit down and discuss things properly…” Yun Zhu furrowed her brows.

Meanwhile, the “rocking the streets” Shen Lingyan had already arrived at the Prefectural Governor’s main hall. Dai Junwu had led his men to heavily surround the entire hall. The moment Shen Lingyan entered, she could see Li Xiuxian, who was already bound almost out of shape.

Li Xiuxian became extremely agitated the moment he saw Shen Lingyan enter. He flailed and came crawling to her feet, sobbing woefully. Shen Lingyan disgustedly moved her foot away and, with the symbolic assistance of her maid, sat on the main seat of the hall.

Dai Junwu walked over and removed the cloth stuffing from Li Xiuxian’s mouth. Li Xiuxian could finally speak: “A-a-a-ah… It was this insignificant one who was blind and failed to recognize Your Majesty’s noble presence. I truly deserve to die…”

He cried intermittently. Zhou Jin listened for a moment and then impatiently raised his hand: “Too noisy…” The next second, Li Xiuxian’s mouth was stuffed with the cloth again.

Shen Lingyan also found it noisy. She gently placed her fingers on Zhou Jin’s shoulder. Only the solid feeling of his presence gradually calmed her anger. She looked at Li Xiuxian with a forced smile, as if waiting for him to speak.

After waiting for a long time and not hearing a single word, there was only a faint whimpering sound in the main hall. Shen Lingyan pretended to be regretful and said, “So you’re shy, are you? Then shall I speak?”

Shen Lingyan received a look from Zhou Jin.

“Should we start with the forcible abduction of innocent women, or should we start with defrauding the imperial court and embezzling disaster relief funds?”

Cold sweat poured down Li Xiuxian’s back. Even though it was the height of summer, he felt cold as if plunged into an ice cave.