cold clothes

“Until Aunt Hu found me, brought me from the brothel, and told me the even darker truth.”

“My father is indeed innocent. Not only that, but all the families that were on good terms with the Xie family were framed, and the court underwent a reshuffle. Mama Hu said that after the Xie family’s power collapsed, whoever benefited the most was the culprit. That is the current Wang family of the Duke’s Mansion.”

"The Wang family that Wang Yiqing is from?" Leng Yi exclaimed in surprise.

Nongyue nodded and said, "Five years ago, Consort Xie was poisoned during her pregnancy. The emperor was furious and banished the former empress, Empress Lin, to the cold palace for mismanagement of the harem. Soon after, letters between Prime Minister Xie and the former Duke of the State were exposed, revealing their plot to rebel. As a result, the Xie and Lin families were implicated and their entire clans were exterminated. Anyone who pleaded for the Xie and Lin families was also implicated, including my family and the family of Weifeng Wuxue."

"So your revenge... is to bring down the Wang family?" You think you can take it all down with women, children, and prostitutes?

Leng Yi held a skeptical attitude. She knew that in this patriarchal feudal society, women's power was negligible. The "femme fatale" stories in history books were merely tools used by historians to embellish the tyranny of monarchs, blaming women for all the faults and thus diverting attention from the fundamental contradiction of monarchical autocracy and the common people that led to the downfall of the country.

"That's what Mrs. Hu said."

"So you think becoming the most beautiful courtesan will allow you to get revenge?" Leng Yi asked.

Nongyue remained silent for a few seconds before hugging her arms and replying, "I don't know, but if I don't become the most beautiful courtesan, I might not be able to live any longer; I will die."

Leng Yi was speechless. Although she had a thousand words swirling in her throat, she didn't know how to express them. She could only say, "You're right."

“I’ve told you everything I know. Listen, Xia Hua is a member of the Xie family, and so is Mama Hu. As long as Mama Hu doesn’t fall, Xia Hua will have no worries. But we’re different. If we don’t become the top courtesan, we’ll be discarded like trash. So think it over and form an alliance with me so we can survive.” Nong Yue held out her finger: “Let’s pinky swear.”

Leng Yi looked at Nong Yue's outstretched hand, still hesitant. Combining what Nong Yue had said with what she had heard before, she had a clearer understanding of her situation. For example, why Yun Mei died, why Wu Xue said that Mama Hu was the greatest avenger of Fengxiang Tower, and why Yun Qiu was willing to harm Qing Chun to seduce Wang Yiqing. All of this was because Fengxiang Tower had gathered a group of women burdened with deep-seated hatred, who were willing to die for revenge. And the reason Mama Hu treated her differently was to have her help Xia Hua avenge her, so that Xia Hua could be properly protected.

This is the value of "Ningbi".

But can a woman's sacrifice of her beauty and life truly become a deadly dagger? Leng Yi didn't believe it at all; Yun Mei was a prime example! Her death couldn't even convict Liang Shuyun; it was nothing more than a moth drawn to a flame, tragically tragic. Liang Shuyun's cause of death remains a mystery, but it was definitely not because of Yun Mei.

Therefore, whether it is "Azure Green" or "Summer Flowers", or "Moonlit Night" or "Gentle Breeze", they are all the same and there is no difference.

Do they really think that a woman's beauty can pierce the barrier of male power? It's just a rose adorning a prosperous era.

Leng Yi gently pushed Nong Yue's hand away.

Nongyue's face darkened with anger, her eyes flashing with danger as she said, "Are you refusing to be my ally?"

"Don't misunderstand, we can be friends, but," Leng Yi said calmly, "we don't need to risk being punished by harming Xia Hua. I think your plan is to injure Xia Hua before the big exam, right?"

"..." Nongyue remained silent. Since Lengyi had not shown any intention to cooperate with her, she would not say anything that would give others a handle to use against her.

"This is too dangerous. If we get caught, Xia Hua might be seriously injured and we could be doomed. Why don't we use Aunt Hu's help to send Xia Hua away?"

Nongyue was slightly surprised: "You mean..."

"Let Mrs. Hu personally cancel Xia Hua's eligibility for the major exam, or let Xia Hua give up on her own."