People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 121, The Purple Maiden Who Was Taken for Free (Bonus Chapter! Requesting Monthly Tickets!)
Enjoying Zi Nu's exquisite technique, Xu Qing's brows relaxed, revealing a look of ease and enjoyment.

Looking back on his journey from time to time, he has been walking on thin ice every day, fearing that he might crash and burn at any moment.

These past few days I've been deeply embroiled in court infighting, and my nerves are constantly on edge.

Smelling the faint fragrance of orchids emanating from Zi Nu and enjoying the perfectly balanced massage, Xu Qing completely relaxed.

Although Zilan Pavilion could not completely guarantee his safety, with Zi Nu and Wei Erzhuangzi next door, he could still relax for a moment.

Upon hearing that Zilanxuan had a chance to escape this calamity, Zinu's face lit up with a look of surprise and delight.

"Is it really true? Does Zilanxuan have a way to escape this calamity?" Zi Nu asked hurriedly.

"Of course, if we want Zilanxuan to escape this calamity, we will need to find a benefactor to help us," Xu Qing said in a relaxed tone.

"Help me, noble man?"

Looking at Xu Qing, who was thoroughly enjoying himself, Zi Nu regained her rationality. Her narrow eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, revealing a charming smile.

"The esteemed person the Imperial Physician spoke of, could it be you yourself?" Zi Nu's alluring, mature voice carried a hint of danger.

Looking at the elegant and charming woman with a hint of danger, Xu Qing felt a little uneasy.

He hadn't expected Zi Nu to react so quickly, but he quickly composed himself and said...

“Miss Zi Nu has misunderstood. My mentor once told me that those who observe celestial phenomena should not save themselves, nor should they interfere in the fate of others.”

"To predict the future is to reveal heavenly secrets. If one forcibly interferes in the fate of others, the backlash will be even more severe."

Zi Nu looked at Xu Qing suspiciously upon hearing this. She felt that Xu Qing was just making a last-minute excuse after she had seen through him, but looking at Xu Qing's tired yet serious expression, it didn't seem like he was faking it.

"Is that so? Then who exactly is this benefactor you speak of? And how can I find them?" Zi Nu continued to ask.

"What is destined to be yours will be yours, and what is not, you should not force. There is no need to search for it deliberately; it will appear naturally in due time."

“The time is not right. Even if we find it, it will not only fail to avoid disaster, but will also affect our fortune, turning good luck into bad luck,” Xu Qing said.

Zi Nu looked at Xu Qing with a doubtful expression. Her beautiful eyes darted around, and finally she sighed helplessly, choosing to believe Xu Qing's words.

"Thank you for your guidance, Imperial Physician. You've worked so hard tonight," Zi Nu said with a hint of apology.

"If Miss Zi Nu wants to thank me, she might as well help me alleviate the backlash so that I can at least walk out of Zi Lan Xuan standing up."

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow slightly, his voice light and frivolous, making him seem like a playboy.

"Pah, that's so frivolous. How can you say such frivolous things?"

Zi Nu gave Xu Qing a charmingly disdainful look, a seductive smile playing on her lips, and continued to massage Xu Qing with her small hands.

Zi Nu ultimately felt that she was the one who caused Xu Qing to become like this, and that it was only right for her to help alleviate his condition.

"You've really misunderstood me. Miss Zi Nu should know the young master of the Zhang family, Zhang Zifang, right?" Xu Qing asked in return.

“Young Master Zhang, a gentleman of modesty and gentleness, who in Xinzheng does not know him?” Zi Nu said.

“Zifang and I hit it off immediately and became close friends. Prime Minister Zhang even sent him personally to my home to express his gratitude, the meaning of which is self-evident. If I were truly a reckless and frivolous person, would Prime Minister Zhang have allowed Zifang to become such a close friend of mine?”

Xu Qing defended himself earnestly, considering himself a decent person. After all, he had gone through nine years of compulsory education and three years of high school before attending two universities, so his character was acceptable.

Zi Nu naturally understood the deeper meaning behind Zhang Kaidi's suggestion that Zhang Liang send a gift to Xu Qing. If Xu Qing were not a decent person, Zhang Kaidi would certainly not have done so.

However, based on her interactions with Xu Qing these few times, she felt that Xu Qing was not a decent person at all, yet everything seemed to suggest that Xu Qing was a true gentleman.

For a moment, even Zi Nu couldn't quite figure out what kind of person Xu Qing was. Just as she had talked to Wei Zhuang before, Xu Qing's background was still too complicated.

"You guy."

Zi Nu had mixed feelings and didn't know how to evaluate Xu Qing.

Actually, it's not Zi Nu's fault. In this era, no matter what people are like, their moral bottom line remains unchanged, only varying in degree. It's unique for someone like Xu Qing to have such a flexible moral bottom line.

"It seems I misunderstood. I wonder if Prime Minister Zhang will encourage the young master of the Zhang family to become closer to you once he learns that you have come to my Purple Orchid Pavilion," Zi Nu said with a light laugh.

The thought of Xu Qing bringing Zhang Liang to Zilan Pavilion one day, and Zhang Liang discovering that his carefully cultivated successor had been corrupted by Xu Qing, made Zi Nu chuckle. She thought the scene would be quite amusing. "Don't worry, I won't be the one corrupting Zifang, and Prime Minister Zhang won't fight me to the death," Xu Qing said calmly.

Zhang Liang's pure and innocent nature doesn't need to be corrupted. It's almost September, and Han Fei will be back in a few months.

At that time, Zhang Kaidi will have to watch helplessly as the outstanding successor he has painstakingly cultivated begins to do nothing but stay around Han Fei all day and night, following Han Fei in and out of Zilan Pavilion.

"Oh? Judging from what the Imperial Physician said, someone is really trying to corrupt the young master of the Zhang family?" Zi Nu asked curiously.

"Who knows? The fledgling will eventually fly high. The vast sky is not just about the bright sun and pure white clouds, but also about storms and dark clouds. You can't survive if you don't learn to be tactful."

Seeing the emotion on Xu Qing's face, Zi Nu didn't ask any further questions and started chatting with him.

About half an hour later, Xu Qing had enjoyed Zi Nu's massage enough and prepared to leave.

"Let's stop here for today. Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Zi Nu. Let's continue our conversation another day."

Xu Qing paused the conversation at the appropriate time; it was getting late, and he had to leave.

If they keep chatting idly, he probably won't be able to leave Zilan Pavilion tonight. If word gets out that he's spending the night at Zilan Pavilion, those two jealous women in the harem will probably explode again.

Although they usually playfully engage in BDSM or S&M with Chao Nv Yao, and Hu Meiren sometimes pauses their playful banter, these are just little games to add fun to their relationship.

But if the jealousy gets out of control, it's no longer flirting, it's deadly.

Xu Qing reluctantly got up from Zi Nu's lap and began to tidy his clothes.

Zi Nu placed her hands together lightly on her lower abdomen, and with a slight exertion of her waist and calves, she rose up with extremely elegant movements, gently tidying up her clothes and black stockings that Xu Qing had messed up.

The two hadn't actually done anything, but for some reason they seemed unusually intimate, as if they had just finished a major battle and were cleaning up the mess.

After tidying up, Zi Nu stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Xu Qing's, leaning against him like a sweet little lover.

Xu Qing didn't say anything, and led Zi Nu outside.

Since he intended to make Zilan Pavilion a place for his power transactions, the first step was to solidify the ambiguous relationship between him and Zi Nu.

As the two descended the stairs, they immediately attracted the attention of the dignitaries in the hall.

Looking at the refreshed Xu Qing and the rosy-cheeked Zi Nu, these powerful officials understood the situation and became even more certain of the relationship between the two.

These powerful officials thought to themselves, "It seems that if we want the Imperial Physician to help us in the future, we'll have to cultivate a good relationship with Zilan Pavilion on a regular basis."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Zi Nu escorted Xu Qing out of Zi Lan Xuan.

As Xu Qing's carriage drove away, the smile on Zi Nu's face gradually disappeared.

She suddenly shuddered, realizing that tonight's conversation had been entirely orchestrated by Xu Qing.

Aside from the initial cooperation, whether it was palm reading, fortune telling, or casual conversation, it was all just talking about pointless nonsense.

The so-called cooperation didn't specify any concrete implementation plan; it was more like a pie in the sky that Xu Qing was dangling at her.

She even forgot the real purpose of inviting Xu Qing to the banquet, and failed to extract any useful information from him.

"Did I get ripped off for free?"

Zi Nu stretched her slightly sore hands, a look of bewilderment appearing on her charming face, making her look somewhat adorable.

"This guy is definitely not to be underestimated."

Zi Nu shook her head slightly as she watched the carriage disappear, and couldn't help but think of how Xu Qing had been lying on her lap, chatting and laughing with her just now.

Given Xu Qing's appearance, she wasn't exactly being taken advantage of. She could just consider it payment for Xu Qing keeping her company while she chatted. They were essentially getting something for nothing.

Thinking of this, Zi Nu's lips curled up slightly. She was completely unaware that she not only didn't feel disgusted by Xu Qing's freeloading method, but was actually looking forward to it.

It's like someone who has been wearing a mask for a long time suddenly encountering someone who can make her drop the mask and reveal her long-lost true self.

Even if the two of them were just chatting about trivial things, the relaxed and pleasant atmosphere that allowed her to reveal her true self was enough to make her feel satisfied and hopeful.

(End of this chapter)