The street was bustling and lively.
Yu Tingwan wouldn’t dare to go to the execution ground to watch heads rolling, a bloody scene.
She was enjoying a rare mont of leisure at a tea house across the street, waiting for Wei Zhao to finish his business. However, she noticed a throng of people below the window, with many won heading next door.
It was quite lively.
"What kind of shop is that?"
Tan Jiang said, "I’ll go and find out."
The waiter bringing over the tea snacks noticed Yu Tingwan’s fine attire and smiled, "You may not know, but that’s a rouge shop, just opened a few days ago, and it’s doing unusually well."
"The prices are steep, but the quality of the rouge is outstanding. They have goods from Jiangnan and the Western Regions. There’s a vast array of styles."
No wonder.
Yu Tingwan nodded, indicating she understood, but had no urge to go down and purchase anything.
After the waiter left, Yu Tingwan picked up a piece of pastry and took small bites.
Every so often, she looked out the window. Then... she locked eyes with Shen Zhiyi, the one who loved beauty the most, squeezed into the crowd downstairs buying rouge.
After about half a stick of incense’s ti, the door to the private room was pushed open, and Shen Zhiyi sat down opposite her.
"Having fun outside, why didn’t you call ?"
Yu Tingwan said, "Watch your language."
She slowly said, "I’m a decent person."
Shen Zhiyi glanced at her.
Didn’t seem like it.
She thought of sothing and brought up a matter, "Just as well to see you. Are you free the day after tomorrow? Accompany to Changdu Temple outside the city."
Yu Tingwan lazily leaned back, starting to peel the peanuts on the table: "What, are you going to donate incense money?"
"No, there’s a Daoist at the foot of Changdu Temple who’s recently arrived. His fortune-telling skills are impressive."
"A few days ago, a woman took her child on a long journey to Shangjing to see a doctor. The child was a bit skinny but could jump and run, seed fine, but suffered from chest pains at night. Passing by Changdu Temple, the woman wanted to bow to Buddha, and happened to encounter that Daoist."
"The Daoist took one look at the child and imdiately told the woman to go back and stop the treatnt. The money for treatnt was cobbled together, and it wouldn’t work anyway; the child only had three days at most."
At the ti, many people visiting Buddha heard it and scolded the Daoist.
Accused him of being alarmist.
Accused him of trying to make money and deliberately saying such things.
Shen Zhiyi leaned forward slightly, "Guess what? The child indeed died."
"Now, people swarm to that Daoist for fortune-telling, and not a single person says he’s inaccurate. It seems the man has skills."
Yu Tingwan’s eyes flickered.
A familiar person.
Daoist Bao Pu.
Already working for Wei Zhao.
Yu Tingwan agreed: "Are you seeking a marriage fate?"
"Yes!"
Yu Tingwan pondered, then grabbed another piece of pastry and casually said, "Why don’t you have a fan with you today?"
Normally, she rarely parted with one.
"Don’t ntion it, Xiao Huaian took it."
Yu Tingwan beca interested.
Xiao Huaian is making a move?
"Why did he take your fan?"
First the fan, next will it be the heart!
"He complinted that my fan was beautiful."
Yu Tingwan asked, "Did he praise your looks too?"
Shen Zhiyi chose a cold laugh when inexplicably puzzled.
"He said he borrowed it to cover his face."
As soone who’s skilled at sweet talk, how could Yu Tingwan not understand Xiao Huaian’s intentions?
If he borrowed it, he wouldn’t return it, right?
They’d et again soon.
Shen Zhiyi, "A lot of girls rushed to the excitent before the execution was carried out."
See Wei Zhao.
Even though he’s married, he’s still attractive and capable, loved by many won.
Then look at He Xuran.
Not married yet and capable; what’s wrong with admiring him!
Plus, it’s rare to see such a spectacle at an execution ground.
Ordinary people wouldn’t see so many officials gathering, and not minor officials at that.
Shen Zhiyi wryly, "Xiao Huaian is worried about too many girls at the execution site today, so he covers up to avoid being noticed. What trouble."
Yu Tingwan: ?
"He even asked if, seeing him today, I had the slightest temptation to violate him."
Yu Tingwan: ??
A real expert!
Shen Zhiyi spread her hands, "Who knows what kind of madness, I’ve never seen such cheek. As if anyone took a fancy to him, they’d bind him right up and send him to the bridal chamber,"
"But..."
Shen Zhiyi changed her tone.
"General Wei isn’t in good health."
Yu Tingwan blinked, "What happened to him?"
What’s the uproar! Tell about it.
"The princes were the last to arrive. The relationship between the Second Prince and the Fifth Prince is bad to begin with. Who knows what happened on the way, but the Second Prince was embarrassed, turned around and mocked the timid Fourth Prince."
"There were many people, so he held back and didn’t make things too difficult. Not yet at the execution ti, he cozied up to the Grand Tutor. The Fifth Prince Ying Yin, however, chatted with your husband."
"But General Wei ignored him, stating he felt dizzy and breathless, absolutely not that looking at him made him want to vomit, just genuinely uncomfortable, and asked the Fifth Prince to keep his distance."
Yu Tingwan: "...And then?"
"That I don’t know. Noon was approaching, the executioner was ready, the scene was bloody, I wouldn’t dare to watch."
While the two of them were talking, a low-key carriage stopped in front of the rouge shop next door.
A young maiden got off the carriage first, dressed plainly, her jewelry not fashionable, but her eyes were charming. She raised her hand to support the woman exiting the carriage.
"Cousin, be careful."
The woman patted her hand, "Alright."
After getting off the carriage, she affectionately tucked the girl’s stray hair behind her ear.
"Let’s go, cousin will pick so nice rouge for you. Now that you’re engaged, you should dress up nicely."
"I haven’t t your future husband afterward, but your father has a good eye. Only enforcing the law impartially led to the family falling apart..."
The woman stopped here, realizing it wasn’t appropriate, quickly stopped talking.
She tightly held the hand of the girl whose eyes had darkened.
"Look at , speaking nonsense."
"Let’s go, let’s check out the shop."
Tan Jiang squinted, gesturing Yu Tingwan to look over there, "Madam."
She whispered, "The girl’s surna is Chun, she’s the fiancée recently engaged to Yang Weiweng’s Mr. Yang."
Yu Tingwan’s eyes widened, she had to take a good look.
But her back was to her, not very clear.
Yu Tingwan prepared to go downstairs for a closer look.
Anyway, she wouldn’t feel awkward, whether that girl would feel awkward...
Yu Tingwan thought hard, very sincerely concluding, it’s not her business.
Tan Jiang: "There’s another one..."
She added, "It’s the much talked-about Second Madam Cao, the real daughter of Imperial College’s Mr. Shu."
Yu Tingwan was stunned.
Just at this mont, Second Madam Cao and Chun Yao were stopped by a sharp-tongued woman adorned in silks and satins.
"Oh, I wondered who it was. Second Madam Cao taking her cousin to pick rouge?"
Second Madam Cao lowered her eyes, holding Chun Yao not wanting to bother, intending to bypass her.
But the person deliberately blocked the way again, using a handkerchief to cover her mouth, riddled with cynicism and mockery.
"If I were Second Madam Cao, I’d have no face to go out."
"Waking up in the eldest brother-in-law’s bed, even if set up, a woman’s chastity is paramount. If it were , I’d have slit my throat long ago. You’re good, reporting to the authorities and demanding a divorce."
"It’s a sha your father is still the scholar of the Imperial College, yet allows you to behave recklessly?"
"Now it’s turned into a laughing stock across all of Shangjing, you tell , why go to the trouble?"
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