Taking her into his tent, he incurred the wrath of a powerful and mad minister, from which he could

Back at Shuangxu Garden, Mingyi dismissed the others and then pulled out the tiny folded note from deep within his wide sleeve.

The note contained only a few words: "Tomorrow at 1:00 PM, I'll be waiting for you under the old locust tree."

She glanced at it and, without a moment's delay, went straight to the charcoal brazier in the corner of the room and threw the note into the flickering embers.

I lowered my eyes and watched quietly as the white paper rolled up with black words, then curled up and burned to ashes in an instant, before I finally felt at ease.

She kept the wooden jade rabbit hidden away.

That afternoon, Mingyi took Ning Shuang and Ning Xue out for a stroll on Zhuque Street, the most bustling street in the capital.

She made two sets of clothes and also went to Ningxiangfang to buy the rouge and perfume that were popular among young ladies at the time.

In just over an hour, they returned to their residence by carriage.

Where she went and who she spoke to that day could not escape the eyes and ears of Zong Xian.

As the second day approached its 3 PM, Mingyi found an excuse to go out again.

Granny Feng could tell that Mingyi was in a good mood, and couldn't help but smile and say, "Look at how radiant you look today, Miss. You must have been cooped up in the mansion for too long. Going out for a walk has made you feel much better."

Caiyun, standing beside her, chimed in softly, "The young lady is only eighteen, an age when she loves excitement and can't stand being alone. It's bound to be stifling to stay cooped up in the garden all the time."

Granny Feng said, "It seems that the young lady has figured it out, so I can rest assured."

-

Under the old locust tree stood a tall, slender shadow—it was Xie Huaiyu.

He arrived half an hour early. In the woods not far away, there was an inconspicuous blue carriage, with a servant waiting beside it.

Xie Huaiyu raised her eyes, her gaze falling on the gnarled and intertwined branches, with layers of red ribbons tied to the branches, swaying gently in the wind.

There is a beautiful story behind this locust tree, so it is also known as the "Tree of the Matchmaker". Every red ribbon on the tree is a wish for marriage made by talented men and beautiful women in the world.

When Xie Huaiyu first arrived in Kyoto, his classmate mentioned this matchmaking tree, so he specially led Ji Mingyi to this place.

The two stood side by side, tying a red ribbon to the branch together; the expectations and tenderness of that time seemed as fresh as yesterday.

After waiting for an unknown amount of time, a beautiful figure finally appeared in the distance.

However, the person who came was not Ji Mingyi, but her personal maid, Yuegui.

Yuegui curtsied and said softly, "My young lady is unable to attend the appointment in person due to her own circumstances. If you have any words to say, please feel free to instruct me to convey them to you."

There was a hint of disappointment in Xie Huaiyu's eyes, but he didn't show it.

He knew Ji Mingyi's predicament in not being able to keep the appointment in person, and he didn't blame her.

Xie Huaiyu looked at Yuegui, his voice slow and deliberate: "You are Mingyi's most trusted maid, and you know her best. Tell me the truth, is it her own wish for her to be with Second Uncle now?"

"no!"

Without thinking, Yuegui blurted out, her eyes instantly reddening. She hurriedly explained for her young lady, "Young master, you don't know this. When you left the capital on business, the second master had already set his sights on you. Even the old lady was openly and secretly trying to persuade you to change your mind."

"The young lady was terrified, so she thought of taking the young master away from the capital and heading to Qingzhou to find him. But unexpectedly, things changed halfway through the journey, and the second master came after her and forcibly detained her..."

At this point, Yuegui could no longer hold back her tears. "The young lady had no choice but to submit to the second master in order to protect those around her and to have a chance to reunite with the young master in the future."

It turns out that she really was forced.

Xie Huaiyu closed his eyes, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his heart filled with deep regret.

If he knew that Ji Mingyi would suffer such humiliation in the capital, he would rather give up his career and rush back to take her away!

But now, no amount of regret can undo the damage.

After a long silence, Xie Huaiyu suppressed his surging emotions and finally spoke: "Please go back and tell her that no matter what happened to her, she will always be pure and innocent in my heart. It was my incompetence that prevented me from protecting her."

"I only regret that I am currently outnumbered and powerless to rescue her from my second uncle's side, but if she wants to leave the Zong family mansion, I will do everything in my power to take her away!"

"Guilin, you must tell her every word, and tell her that I will always wait for her, and that my promise will never change!"

After returning home, Yuegui relayed Xie Huaiyu's words to Ji Mingyi.

Upon learning that he still thought of her, Mingyi was deeply moved.

The Zong Mansion was a den of demons to her, and she wanted to escape it every moment. She would never let go of any opportunity she had.

However, she couldn't bear to do it if the price was to drag Xie Huaiyu into danger.

Zong Xian wields immense power and is ruthless; if he is implicated, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Moreover, Zong Xian is keeping a close eye on her right now, and the slightest disturbance will immediately alert that person, so Mingyi has to be extremely cautious.

Yuegui whispered, "Young master instructed that if the young lady has made up her mind, she should send someone to Zhiweizhai to convey a message that the matter of helping the young lady escape can be discussed in detail."

...

After hesitating all night, Mingyi's urge to escape the den of demons finally overcame everything.

The next day, as he was leaving, he instructed Yuegui to deliver a message to Zhiweizhai.

Mingyi, on the other hand, continued to pretend to go out for a walk and wander around.

To put Zong Xian at ease and prove that she had no ulterior motives, she went to Songhe Garden to look for him that night.

At that moment, Zong Xian was about to enter the bathhouse to take a bath and was about to undress when she saw her lift the curtain and enter. She raised her eyes slightly and called out to her to come closer and serve her.

Mingyi was already quite skilled at serving him. She reached out and removed his hair ornament, loosened his belt, and neatly draped his outer garment over the mahogany table.

When only one silk undergarment remained, Zong Xian calmly said, "Looks like you're in a good mood today, and you've taken the initiative to come find me."

Mingyi paused her hand on his undergarment, then continued to undress him without responding.

After removing his inner garment, the man was tall and imposing, with a sharp and distinct waistline. A thin layer of muscle covered his bone structure, unlike the exaggerated, bulging muscles of a martial artist. Instead, he exuded a unique sense of refined elegance and aloofness.

But this noble and aloof demeanor would vanish instantly upon catching a glimpse of the hideous old scar on his chest, leaving only a chilling and terrifying aura.

Mingyi never dared to ask about the origin of these scars. She had no intention of prying into his past, and she also knew the truth that the more you know, the faster you will die.

Even though they had been intimate countless times, Mingyi still couldn't help but tremble slightly in her fingertips when facing the person in front of her.

Zong Xian stepped into the bathtub and sat down, the water rippling with his movements.

Mingyi rolled up her sleeves, took the bath powder from the porcelain jar, and carefully wiped him clean, avoiding the hideous scars.

Zong Xian leaned back slightly, resting against the edge of the bucket, and closed his eyes to rest.

As she bent down to serve him, a strand of her dark hair fell loose from her temple, drifting down lightly and brushing against his firm chest.

It brought a tingling sensation.

Zong Xian slowly opened his narrow eyes, his gaze falling on the girl's beautiful face.

A misty haze hung between them, and the soft candlelight fell on her lowered brows and eyes, making her appear docile and obedient.

A sudden thought stirred within him, and he realized that she was more beautiful than ever before.

As if possessed, he reached out and grasped the woman's snow-white, soft hand.

What's wrong now?

Mingyi paused, looked up and met the man's gaze, only to find that his eyes were extremely gentle at that moment.

She had seen that look in Xie Huaiyu's eyes before.

Before Mingyi could think it through, a melodious and gentle female voice suddenly rang out from outside the door, and she gently knocked on the door twice.

"Your Excellency, have you taken your rest?"

...

The person outside the door was one of the beauties bestowed upon Zong Xian by the emperor, named Chu Lianyue.

Little did the emperor know that Chu Lianyue had another extremely secret identity: she was Wei Zhao's adopted daughter.

Wei Zhao had meticulously planned to send her to the palace as a concubine, but unexpectedly, the emperor bestowed her upon Zong Xian instead.

The plan changed, and Wei Zhao secretly sent someone to deliver a message, ordering her to lie low by Zong Xian's side and try every means to win Zong Xian's trust and favor.

Since she entered the manor, Zong Xian has only provided her with good food and drink, but he hasn't even spoken a few words to her.

The other beauty who came with her had at least danced for Zong Xian a few times and received rewards, but she made no progress at all.

Chu Lianyue became somewhat anxious.

After a long silence from inside, Chu Lianyue steeled her resolve and bravely pushed open the door.

"Prime Minister?" She looked around but didn't see anyone.

As you walk further in, you can hear the sound of water coming from the shower room.

Chu Lianyue's eyes lit up. It's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early!

She moved with light, graceful steps and said in a sweet voice, "My lord, let me serve you during your bath..."

Before the words were finished, a deep, hoarse male voice suddenly came from behind the screen: "Stop."

A screen depicting pine trees in ink wash painting lay across the room, completely blocking out the erotic and decadent scene inside.

Chu Lianyue had no choice but to stop. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly realized something was wrong.

Two shadows were clearly visible on the screen, but because they were so close that they were almost indistinguishable, their figures overlapped, and at first glance they looked like one person.

The woman's soft, labored breathing drifted through the screen, mingling with the man's slightly rough breath, and reached Chu Lian Yue's ears.

Even if Chu Lianyue was slow to understand, she would realize what was happening inside!

A surge of heat instantly rushed to my cheeks, and I stood frozen in place.

Ultimately, it was because she was too eager for success and her mind was only focused on the task Wei Zhao had assigned her.

Otherwise, with her martial arts background, she would have been able to discern the two distinct auras within the sound simply by calming her mind and listening carefully.

After the warning, the commotion in the bathroom was no longer concealed.

"Jiaojiao, I'm about to die from your body."

Chu Lianyue suddenly came to her senses and hurriedly ran away.

With a "bang," she slammed the door shut in a panic.

Chu Lianyue's face turned so red it was almost bleeding, and her heart was filled with shock.

She never imagined that the seemingly dignified, cold, and aloof Master Zong would actually take a bath with a woman and engage in intimate acts... It was too unexpected!

Chu Lian Yue had never seen such a grand scene before, and she walked back with a blush on her face.

Unexpectedly, he ran into Su Qingyao, who lived in the same courtyard.

Su Qingyao always wore her hair down and dressed in plain white clothes. Late at night, Chu Lianyue almost thought she had encountered a ghost and was startled.

"Where did you go?" Su Qingyao asked coldly.

Chu Lianyue clutched her chest and glared at her. "What's it to you where I went?"

Both of them worked at the music hall and were pawns cultivated by Wei Zhao. However, Su Qingyao was not Wei Zhao's adopted daughter and her status was below that of Chu Lianyue.

Chu Lian Yue seemed to realize something and looked directly at her: "You've been in the courtyard the whole time?"

Su Qingyao: "Otherwise what?"

Chu Lianyue rolled her eyes at her: "I thought you were the one in Master Zong's room!"

Su Qingyao wasn't surprised that she went to Songhe Garden. She followed her into the house, closed the door, and sneered, "It seems that Sister Chu has come up empty-handed again."

Chu Lian Yue was no pushover either, and retorted, "I gained nothing, but what did you gain?"

"Those rewards were only given to you by the master because of His Majesty's sake; they don't really like you. You eagerly go to him every day to dance, but you can't even compare to a maid."

"What maid?"