The most dissolute couple in the capital

When the new year comes, Cui Qinghui will be thirteen. It's still too early to talk about marriage, but the incident that Cui Qingyi caused before her marriage has made Li Shi somewhat wary.

With Cui Qingyi's marriage, Granny He also returned to the palace. So, Madam Li assigned a mature and experienced nanny to Cui Qinghui's side, hoping to correct Cui Qinghui's frivolous and spoiled nature.

Lately, Cui Qinghui has been confined to the courtyard, spending her time either embroidering or practicing the zither, and she is feeling extremely bored.

"Miss, come quickly! Madam has specially sent someone to deliver some fine things to you!"

Cui Qinghui didn't even lift his eyelids upon hearing this: "What good stuff could there be? It's just some new calligraphy copybook from some bookstore, or some new embroidery thread I bought, something to calm my mind."

"These are truly rare finds!" Bai Li untied the silk handkerchief, revealing several shimmering glass bottles inside. "They're cosmetics from the Agarwood Pavilion! These are treasures that are priceless in the capital these days; even the daughters of wealthy families line up but can't buy them!"

Upon hearing "Agarwood Pavilion," Cui Qinghui immediately stood up. Seeing that it was indeed a glass bottle, he was overjoyed: "Where did Mother get this rare item?"

"It was specially sent by the eldest young lady and His Highness Prince Liang when they returned to the manor today." Bai Li knew that her mistress had some conflicts with the eldest young lady, so she didn't dare to mention it. "Madam dotes on you, so she sent you all the most precious items."

Upon hearing the words "young lady," Cui Qinghui's smile faded slightly.

"So it was her who sent it." Cui Qing sneered sourly. "She got lucky, like a blind cat catching a dead mouse!"

Even so, she couldn't take her eyes off the crystal-clear glass bottle.

She knew very well that if it weren't for her sister, the princess, she would never have been able to afford the cosmetics from Chenxiang Pavilion, let alone such exquisite ones.

She was unaware that the Agarwood Pavilion was actually set up by her own sister and brother-in-law.

Bai Li quickly followed her mistress's lead and carefully comforted her, "Miss is right. Madam dotes on you the most and always gives you the best things. With Madam planning for you, your future will definitely be better than that of the eldest young lady."

Hearing these words, Cui Qinghui's pent-up anger dissipated slightly.

She turned her head and looked at herself in the bronze mirror. The girl in the mirror had gradually matured, her features becoming delicate and vibrant, far more endearing than Cui Qingyi's feigned dignified appearance.

Yes, Cui Qingyi, a stepdaughter without a mother's support, managed to become a glamorous first-rank princess through a flower-viewing banquet. I am my mother's own flesh and blood; how could I possibly be worse off than her in the future?

When she is ready to marry in two years, her mother will surely choose a husband for her who is more powerful, handsome and ambitious than the Prince of Liang!

When the time comes, she will also return to the mansion with a retinue of people, adorned in gold and silver, and she will never let Cui Qingyi steal all the limelight!

Thinking of this, Cui Qinghui raised her chin and arrogantly ordered, "Although she brought it, since it's a token of Mother's affection, it's just gathering dust here. Put this cosmetic away for me. I'll use this next time I go to a banquet. I want to show those people outside that our Cui family doesn't lack such precious things."

-

Cui Qingyi was naturally unaware of this turmoil in the Cui family.

She was currently sitting comfortably with Li Chengjing in the carriage on their way back to the Liang Prince's Mansion, leaning back against a pillow and resting with her eyes closed.

Today's schedule was packed: early in the morning, we went to do the wedding dress ceremony, saw the bride off, and went back to the bride's parents' home. It took most of the day, and now I'm too lazy to even lift a finger.

Was I this easily tired in my past life? Why do I feel like I'm not as good as I was in my forties now that I'm in my teens?

That's hard to say...

"I'm going back to sleep for an hour first," Cui Qingyi announced with her eyes closed. "I won't see anyone."

"Okay," Li Chengjing readily agreed.

The carriage swayed and rattled as it entered the gates of the Liang Prince's Mansion.

As soon as Cui Qingyi stepped into the main courtyard, she saw Liu Lu running over with a troubled expression.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, Young Master He has come to visit and has been waiting for a while."

Cui Qingyi paused in her steps.

What happened?

"Did he come alone?" Li Chengjing asked.

"Yes." Liu Lu hesitated for a moment, "Moreover, Young Master He didn't look too good. He came in and said he wanted to see the Prince, saying he had something urgent to discuss."

Li Chengjing and Cui Qingyi exchanged a glance.

The two walked together toward the front hall.

He Li sat on the armchair in the front hall, looking dejected, without touching the tea beside him.

He usually dressed in flashy clothes, but today he was only wearing a light blue round-necked robe that was neither new nor old.

"What's wrong?" Li Chengjing plopped down opposite him. "Who bullied you? Tell me, I'll get revenge for you."

He Li raised his head, looked at Li Chengjing, then at Cui Qingyi, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly.

"Boss," he finally managed to squeeze out, "could you... lend me some money?"

Cui Qingyi raised her eyebrows slightly.

It's not uncommon for He Li to be short of money. Although the He family is the residence of the Prefect of the Capital, He Li's mother is very strict, only giving him a fixed monthly allowance. However, He Li is the kind of person who spends as much as he has and often squanders it, so he spends a few days each month freeloading off Prince Liang or Wang Chengyuan.

But he never actually asked to borrow it.

Li Chengjing clearly noticed the abnormality as well, and he looked at He Li with unusual seriousness.

"How many?"

"Uh..." He Li's gaze darted around, "Fifty...fifty taels?"

Li Chengjing didn't speak, but looked at Cui Qingyi.

It means asking her if I can borrow it.

Cui Qingyi didn't reply immediately, but said, "Young Master He's monthly allowance is quite substantial, and today is only the thirteenth, not even halfway through. What happened?"

He Li shrank further into the chair.

He's always been a talkative person, unable to keep anything to himself. But today, his hesitant demeanor suggests that even he himself finds it difficult to bring this up.

"Did you gamble?" Li Chengjing frowned.

"No!" He Li jumped up as if his tail had been stepped on. "I swear I didn't gamble! Boss, when have you ever seen me gamble?"

"So that means visiting brothels?" Li Chengjing guessed again.

"No, not at all!" He Li's face turned red with anxiety. "I...I—"

"Don't rush, tell us slowly." Cui Qingyi's tone softened a bit. "No matter what it is, we'll listen."

He hesitated and struggled for a long time before finally saying it:

"Well... a few days ago, I met a girl while I was taking shelter from the rain in Willow Lane in Nanshi."

"Oh?" Li Chengjing's eyes lit up, and he even straightened his posture a bit. "A hero saving a damsel in distress? Isn't he handsome?"

"Boss, don't get the wrong idea! I don't have any dirty thoughts!" He Li hurriedly waved his hand, but a righteous gleam appeared on his face. "That girl's name is Qianqian. She's only sixteen or seventeen years old, and she's so thin and frail, like she could be blown away by a gust of wind. You have no idea how pitiful she is!"

He Li slapped his thigh and began to recount his "chivalrous deeds" with great emotion: "She was originally from out of town. She went to the capital with her elderly father to seek refuge with relatives, but they couldn't find any. Instead, her father fell seriously ill and passed away. She was a weak woman, all alone and destitute, with no money to bury her father, so she knelt on a street corner. I happened to pass by and saw some local thugs groping her. How could I, with my fiery temper, tolerate that? I immediately ordered my servant to beat those scoundrels away and gave her ten taels of silver to buy a coffin."

Cui Qingyi picked up her teacup, gently blew on the floating leaves, and said nothing.

Selling oneself to bury one's father—that's perfectly normal.

"I thought that was the end of it," He Li sighed, his face full of regret. "Who knew that two days later, I ran into her again when I passed by the City God Temple. Guess what? Her heartless landlord had stolen her money and was about to throw her onto the street! Her lips were turning purple from the cold, but she stubbornly refused to beg for help. I couldn't bear to see her like that, so I gave her another twenty taels of silver and told her to find an inn to settle down."

"Tsk tsk tsk, that landlord is a real scoundrel." Li Chengjing listened with great interest. "And then?"

"And then it was the day before yesterday!" He Li cried out in anguish. "She said it was to repay a debt of gratitude, and insisted on embroidering a sachet for me, personally delivering it to the teahouse I frequent. But as soon as she stepped out, she ran into that thug from before. That thug somehow got hold of a forged IOU, insisting that Qianqian's father owed them gambling debts and that he was going to sell her to a lowly brothel to pay them off! Qianqian cried her heart out, clinging to my leg and saying she'd rather die than go to such a place, and that she'd repay me in her next life..."

He Li's eyes were red, clearly deeply moved by his own imposing figure: "I threw all the silver I had at the time, but that thug demanded an exorbitant eighty taels! My monthly allowance was almost gone, and I only managed to scrape together thirty taels from my secret stash. Now, I'm still fifty taels short. That thug threatened that if he doesn't see the money tonight, he'll come to the inn to take him away!"

He Li suddenly stood up, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Li Chengjing: "Boss, you always teach us to be chivalrous! Fifty taels is just a drop in the ocean for you. Lend it to me, and I'll go tear up that indenture and see this through to the end!"

The lobby was quiet for a moment.

Li Chengjing slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Outrageous! Is there no law in broad daylight?! Come on, give me the money! Today, I'm not only going to lend you money, but I'm also taking Liu Lu and the others to break that thug's legs!"

He Li was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes: "Boss! You are truly my second parents!"

Cui Qingyi sat beside them, listening to the passionate speech of the two brilliant strategists, and silently put down her teacup.

On the first day, he sold himself into servitude to bury his father; on the third day, a heartless landlord; on the fifth day, a thug demanding repayment with a forged IOU; and he even managed to arrange to deliver the purse at the teahouse He Li frequented…

The plot is really well-structured.

This isn't just encountering a pitiful innocent girl; it's like being abandoned by a white dove!

"Your Highness, please wait." Cui Qingyi finally spoke.

Li Chengjing paused, turned to look at his princess, and blinked: "What's wrong, Qingyi? We can afford fifty taels in our household. We can deduct it from my wages."

Cui Qingyi gave Li Chengjing a forced smile before turning to He Li: "Young Master He, ten taels of silver for a coffin, twenty taels for a room at an inn. A fine nanmu coffin in the capital costs only five taels, and a top-class room at an ordinary inn is only a few dozen coins a night. Are you sure her name is 'Qianqian,' and not 'Pipi' or 'Xiuxiu' or something like that?"

He Li was stunned: "Huh? This..."