Making you a son-in-law is not about making you conquer the world.

The answer to the question is obvious: the prefect must have deliberately retaliated against Lu Hongling by forcing her into the brothel.

Although the status of the Jiaofangsi was much higher than that of the Wutongyuan, the women there had even less freedom. If a high-ranking official or nobleman asked Lu Hongling to serve him, she had no choice but to comply.

Lu Hongling smiled and said casually, "The Jiaofangsi is the real place of etiquette and music."

While it was true, her forced smile was full of helplessness.

The Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau) might be a place many courtesans dream of, after all, it offers shelter from the wind and rain and a life free from worries about food and clothing, but it is definitely not a place Lu Hongling wants to stay.

"In another half month, Ling Sha will be going to the capital to celebrate the emperor's birthday." Before Lin Ping could speak, Lu Hongling said with her head down, her words filled with sadness and helplessness.

Once a courtesan enters the palace, she becomes a palace prostitute. If she is not favored by the emperor, all is well. But once she is favored, there is no possibility of leaving the palace. With Lu Hongling's looks and talent, it would be difficult for her not to be favored by the emperor.

Therefore, this farewell may very well be a final goodbye.

Lin Ping felt a pang of bitterness. If it weren't for helping him, Lu Hongling wouldn't have entered the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution), let alone gone to the palace to celebrate the emperor's birthday.

Everyone has their own destiny, and there are some things that Lin Ping cannot stop. Besides, he is the son-in-law of the city lord's mansion and the husband of the princess. How can he fight against fate for a courtesan?

At this moment, Lin Ping fell silent, thinking of offering some words of blessing, but not knowing how to begin.

Finally, he glanced at Lu Hongling's jade-like feet and smiled faintly: "Perhaps Miss Lu could try landing on her toes next time she spins."

The reason Lu Hongling fell just now was because she was practicing a spinning move. Her feet were moving too fast and ended up getting stuck together, causing her to fall.

Actually, this way of constantly crossing and changing the position of the two legs is not called rotation, but at most it is called turning in circles.

What Lin Ping was referring to was a classic ballet move: standing on the tip of one foot, which is both graceful and prevents falling.

Of course, Lin Ping was a complete novice when it came to dancing and was afraid of misleading the other party, so he was just offering his own suggestions.

After speaking, Lin Ping turned and walked away, not knowing what else he could say to Lu Hongling.

"Touch the ground with your toes?" Lu Hongling did as Lin Ping instructed, puzzled. Her whole body spun lightly, her white dance skirt fluttering like a blooming snow lotus.

Unfortunately, after spinning around a few times, Lu Hongling experienced a sharp pain in her toes and had to stop.

"What an interesting young master." Lu Hongling smiled as she looked in the direction where Lin Ping had disappeared.

"Miss, why did you deliberately fall?" Xiao Nong asked, pouting. She knew Lu Hongling's strength very well; there was no way she couldn't complete such a simple spin.

“Otherwise, how could I have gotten such a beautiful dance from Young Master Lin?” Lu Hongling replied with a smile. Even she herself didn’t know why she would lose her composure whenever she saw Lin Ping, and even have to find an excuse to fob Xiao Nong off.

Lin Ping spent the entire morning searching for the secluded inn where the Embroidered Uniform Guards were staying. He was even sweating profusely from running around. He said to himself, "What a load of crap, the Embroidered Uniform Guards! They might as well be called the Earth Rat Guards. Wouldn't it be more secretive to just crawl into a crack in the ground?"

Fortunately, Lin Ping activated his right eye and finally found the inn through layers of thick courtyard walls.

"Husband, you're back!" Jiang Yunying, who was looking out from the rooftop, immediately spotted Lin Ping and asked with eyes full of affection.

"Of course! How could a few men in black possibly trouble my husband!" Lin Ping said, patting his chest, about to fabricate a legendary story from the previous night.

To be honest, he was worried that Jiang Yunying would ask too many questions, after all, his actions last night were too strange, and he shouldn't have willingly offered himself up to the men in black.

But he couldn't reveal Lin Xiaomei's identity, so he deliberately made up an excuse about being lame.

“Yes, my husband is the best. Let’s go back to the city and talk as we go!” Jiang Yunying nodded vigorously, without the slightest doubt in her eyes.

Lin Ping knew Jiang Yunying wasn't a fool. The more she acted like this, the more guilty he felt, always feeling sorry for her. Even his usual eloquent manner seemed to have diminished.

"Doesn't my wife have anything to ask?" Lin Ping asked anxiously after finishing a story.

Jiang Yunying stared at Lin Ping with her beautiful eyes full of doubt, even touching his forehead, and asked in confusion, "Didn't my husband already finish speaking? Besides, Yunying doesn't care what my husband went through, as long as my husband returns safely, that's enough!"

The best explanation is simply that you are safe and sound!

Lin Ping's heart was breaking. He took Jiang Yunying's left hand and said solemnly, "Don't worry, my wife. I, Lin Ping, will not only protect myself, but also the entire City Lord's Mansion!"

As the saying goes, "One who stays near vermilion gets stained red, and one who stays near ink gets stained black." After spending a lot of time with Lin Ping, Jiang Yunying also learned his tricks.

Her concern for Lin Ping stemmed not only from affection but also from self-interest; she wanted to keep Lin Ping firmly in order to help the City Lord's Mansion overcome its difficulties.

Therefore, what Jiang Yunying most wanted to hear was not "I want to protect you," but "I want to protect the City Lord's Mansion."

She really wanted to know what happened between Lin Ping and Su Lianlian yesterday, and even more so what happened between him and the man in black.

However, Lin Ping did not answer proactively, which proved that he did not want to answer. Jiang Yunying did not want to force him to do something, and only needed to grasp the other party's sincere heart.

Lin Ping was a master of manipulation, so how could he not know Jiang Yunying's thoughts? He deliberately emphasized that he would help the City Lord's Mansion in order to win Jiang Yunying's favor.

"Sigh... I'm tired..." Lin Ping shook his head helplessly. He longed to put down all his courage and have a peaceful, lasting relationship with Jiang Yunying.

Unfortunately, the other party was burdened by his status and also got caught up in this struggle. He was determined to play his part well, and only heaven knew when he would truly win Jiang Yunying's heart.

After returning to the main city, Jiang Yunyu and Li Mingxuan waited patiently, their lewd eyes filled with admiration.

They boldly speculated about what had happened between Lin Ping and Su Lianlian, but they never expected that Jiang Yunying would let him hold hands. The blessing of having two women is the life that men yearn for most.

Lin Ping glared at the two of them, meaning: If a pot of water that is not boiling is lifted up, it will only have one effect, which is to scald it... indescribably.

The two nodded in understanding, thinking that they should ask Lin Ping for advice later. The art of managing a wife was indeed a subject worth studying.

Jiang Yunying did not return to the city lord's mansion with the others, but went directly to the military camp. After the events of the past few days, she had an increasingly strong feeling that a storm was brewing.

To ensure the safety of the main city, Lin Ping's sharp tongue alone is far from enough; a strong military backing is essential.

Moreover, Jiang Yunying needed to distribute the confiscated equipment to maximize the strength of her private army.

After returning to the city lord's mansion, Lin Ping didn't rest. He hurriedly summoned Wang Xiao'e and drew a swan dress and a pair of dancing shoes on Xuan paper as a parting gift for Lu Hongling.

Wang Xiao'e was amazed by Lin Ping's imagination, but his painting skills... were still abstract.