Help! The cunning and treacherous minister and I were reborn together!

Seeing Yuanzhi's resolute expression, Madam Wei decided to explain the pros and cons to her.

"Do you know that your father bought a courtesan from a brothel and is going to send her to the palace? I've seen that vixen. Although she's not as beautiful as you, she's the type that men like at first sight, and His Majesty is no exception."

She's not a member of the Yuan family, so she certainly won't side with them. If she gains power, not only will you brothers and sisters not benefit, but you'll also have to kowtow to a prostitute. And if her identity is exposed, the consequences—confiscation of your property and execution—are no joke!

Yuan Zhi didn't care at all. "Didn't you say that I'm not a child of the Yuan family? What does the Yuan family have to do with me?"

Having reaped what she sowed, Madam Wei quickly said, "I was just talking nonsense, don't take it seriously. Of course you are a daughter of the Yuan family, the real fifth young lady of the Yuan family!"

"Where's the evidence?"

What kind of evidence do you need?

Yuan Zhi peeled a salted peanut and popped it into his mouth. "Your brain isn't even as big as a peanut. Even if I handed Wei Xueyao over to you, do you think you could make her outshine all those ladies and become a favored concubine?"

Lady Wei was dumbfounded: "You...you knew I was going to send her to the palace?"

"if not?"

Knowing she was in the wrong, Madam Wei said, "I can leave Xueyao behind, but please let me talk to her. Xueyao is a very stubborn child, and I'm afraid she won't want to enter the palace."

Yuan Zhi took a sip of her flower tea. "You don't need to worry about that. She has already agreed. Perhaps she has come to her senses after suffering so much at the Leopard Guard."

"What will it take for you to let me see her?"

"Alright, stop with the aunt-niece sentimental act. You want to see her because you're afraid she doesn't care about the Wei family's lives and can't rescue Yuan Ying, right? I don't do unprofitable deals. Hand over all your assets, and I'll arrange your meeting."

Madam Wei slammed her hand on the table, "Don't go too far!"

Yuan Zhi touched the smooth tabletop. "If you don't agree, then there's no point in talking!"

Anyway, if Wei Xueyao is sent to the palace, she and the county princess can do it, so why does the stepmother need to interfere?

With past grudges unresolved, it's impossible to let bygones be bygones. If the stepmother is willing to offer up the family fortune, she might be happy and help her out! If she's still unhappy, leaving her money and kicking her out would be perfectly reasonable.

Seeing Yuan Zhi's current aura, which was exactly the same as Xiao Zong's, Wei couldn't help but feel afraid.

"I'll give it to you." She swallowed hard. "I'll send someone to bring the money tomorrow!"

A day later, the Wei family indeed delivered the gold, silver, jewelry, banknotes, and jade artifacts.

Yuan Zhi counted money until his hands cramped, thinking that his stepmother had prepared such a generous dowry for Yuan Ying, and that there were so many treasures, which showed that the family was very wealthy.

She stroked her chin. The Marquis of Yingchuan's mansion is really rich!

In a better mood, she took pity on Wei Shi and allowed Wei Xueyao to meet.

"aunt!"

"Xueyao! You've suffered so much. Are you hurt? How are your father and grandfather?"

Wei Xueyao shook her head. "I wasn't injured. The women were being held in solitary confinement. I didn't see my father and grandfather. They should... still be alive."

"Will do."

Tears welled up in Wei's eyes. "Aunt has come here to ask you for a favor."

Yuan Zhi scoffed: "The exact same excuse, can't you come up with something new!"

Wei Xueyao's handkerchief was wet with tears. "Aunt, please speak."

"I want you to enter the palace to serve His Majesty and rescue your family. Are you willing?"

Wei Xueyao recalled what Xiao Zong had said to her, and a look of helplessness appeared on her face.

Like duckweed, one can only drift with the current, never in control of one's own destiny.

"I am willing! Aunt, rest assured, I will do my utmost to gain His Majesty's favor and beg His Majesty to forgive the Wei family."

"You are a good boy."

The aunt and niece embraced and wept bitterly.

After a long silence, Madam Wei said, "I only recently learned that your uncle had an affair with a courtesan when he was young, and they had a daughter together."

She's the same age as you and will also be entering the palace to be selected. Although she's a courtesan, she's extremely knowledgeable about matters of love and sex; you might not be her match.

Wei Xueyao understood what she meant. "Aunt, no one is born knowing many things. I can learn them."

Madam Wei hugged her, patted her back, and said in a choked voice, "Auntie is so sorry!"

Yuan Zhi walked over and said, "Alright, stop getting sentimental! The selection is just around the corner, if we don't practice now, it'll be too late!"

The three disguised themselves and sneaked into the brothel.

The madam, a woman of wide experience, saw them and asked with a smile, "You all have fair skin and pierced ears, you must be women?"

Yuan Zhi, dressed in men's clothing, felt it inappropriate to perform the proper daughterly etiquette, so she clasped her hands and said, "Mother has good eyesight!"

"You've come here... to catch them in the act?"

"No, no," Yuanzhi stuffed a gold ingot into her arms, "Our lady has been raised in seclusion since childhood and is very particular about etiquette. But that's fine outside, but at home... it doesn't please her husband. Do you understand what I'm saying, Mother?"

"Understood! Understood!" The madam took a bite of the gold ingot and said with a beaming smile, "Come in, please!"

The three were assigned to a room at the very end of the second floor, a quiet place that was convenient for teaching.

A short while later, the madam led in several scantily clad women. Some were alluring, some were coy and demure, and others were shy and hesitant.

Yuan Zhi's heart itched with desire, and she thought to herself: No wonder men love to visit brothels; even a woman like her can't resist these beauties!

Several women helped Wei Xueyao take off her clothes, and the one in the lead held a folding fan and slowly traced its curves.

"The first step to seducing a man is to let go of your sense of shame..."

Yuan Zhi listened for a while, then felt drowsy. She picked up her cup to drink tea, but a younger girl stopped her. "There's something added to it. Please wait a moment, I'll go make some tea."

Yuan Zhi nodded. "Thank you."

The girl was efficient and quickly brought over the tea.

Yuan Zhi drank two cups but was still sleepy. The girl exclaimed, "Oh dear, I forgot, there's still love incense burning in the incense burner."

She poured the tea on it and reassured Yuanzhi, "Don't worry, Miss. This medicine won't harm your body. It just makes your limbs weak, but you'll feel better in a little while."

Yuan Zhi responded, feeling that the room was filled with the scent of "love fragrance," making it hard for her to breathe.

She opened the door, went out, and leaned over the carved railing to look down.

The dancers spun rapidly, their waists so slender they could be encircled by a single hand, their movements graceful and seemingly about to take flight, their skirts spreading out like umbrellas, drawing cheers from the audience.

The fragrance of clothes and the sway of hairpins, the clinking of glasses and the revelry—all this fleeting pleasures can last only a moment.

As she was reminiscing, the door was suddenly kicked open from the outside, and a group of armored men rushed in, splitting into several teams and dispersing.

Yuan Zhi saw two groups of people coming upstairs and turned around to report the news. Suddenly, an arrow shot from below and pinned her sleeve to the railing.

Unable to break free, she could only bend down and tear at it. The brocade ripped open with a "rip" sound, and she ran back. The familiar voice came from behind her.

"Stand there!"

Yuan Zhi turned around and saw Xiao Zong dressed in bright yellow armor, looking heroic and spirited. His handsome brows and eyes held a stormy sea that could overturn the heavens and the earth.