The merchant's rebirth led to the complete downfall of the Marquis's mansion.

Qin Yao was invited to the welcoming banquet hosted by Prince Lan.

As night fell, guests arrived in droves.

Qin Yao did not choose to come alone, but arranged to come with Liu Qingping.

Qin Yao was also surprised when she received the invitation, after all, this Prince Lan had always been in the north, and she had never been there.

The only connection is probably her increasingly extensive business empire in recent years.

She revived the abandoned businesses in the north, and the Qin family is now almost as prosperous as it was in the past.

Prince Lan only needed to ask around a little to find out about her.

But this was just her guess.

What if not?

After all, this Prince Lan's reputation is really not good!

The day before he returned to the capital, news came from the north that two maids had died in the Prince of Lan's mansion.

As for how he died, everyone knows the truth. For years, the Prince Lan's mansion has been a forbidden place for prostitution.

Regardless of gender.

People are saying privately that you're not necessarily safe when you get old!

Therefore, Qin Yao didn't dare to gamble and preferred to stay with the princess to make him more cautious.

At the banquet, amidst the clinking of glasses, Qin Yao didn't sit at the front with Liu Qingping, but at the same table as Prince Lan. It's possible that she was forgotten but also remembered.

She only needed someone to remind her that she had the Princess's Mansion as her backer.

Qin Yao felt uneasy because she wasn't very familiar with the people around her, and she had no intention of making any friends.

The banquet was just so-so, especially now that it's autumn. The dishes got cold soon after they were served. It was just for the people drinking and having fun; eating cold dishes was really not very interesting.

Qin Yao tried her best to minimize her presence, keeping her head down and staring at her bowl and chopsticks, praying that this agonizing banquet would end soon.

The person at the head of the table started another round of toasts. Qin Yao raised her glass with everyone, and as soon as she sat down, she heard the person at the head of the table clap their hands.

Just as I was wondering, I heard the sound of string and wind instruments.

A dancer slowly approached.

They were dressed provocatively and heavily made up. The women had never seen anything like it before, and most of them turned pale and covered their faces with handkerchiefs.

The male guests also frowned. Although they had all seen it before, this kind of behavior in a brothel was really inappropriate for a formal occasion.

However, Prince Lan obviously did not think so.

Seeing everyone's reaction, Prince Lan laughed heartily, "Such a graceful figure is something that none of you here can appreciate. Today, I'm hosting, so please take a good look!"

He then burst into laughter again.

Many people laughed along, but many more felt embarrassed and angry.

Prince Lan didn't seem to care much about this.

He had been stationed away for a long time, and his relationship with Kyoto was no longer what it used to be. Moreover, he would not be transferred back to Kyoto, so he had no vested interests with these powerful figures and there was no need for him to curry favor with them.

So of course he does whatever makes him happy.

Qin Yao lowered her head and took a sip of the fruit wine in her glass, sighing inwardly.

This Prince Lan is too arrogant. Most of the people who come here are powerful and influential, and there are even members of the royal family like Liu Qingping.

By doing this, he is putting everyone under his feet.

Although he held military power, such feuds inevitably meant that someone would try to sabotage him in secret.

He's too arrogant.

"A dog will always eat shit!"

Qin Yao looked up in surprise, and the girl who was talking beside her also happened to look over.

The other person awkwardly looked away.

Qin Yao wholeheartedly agreed; what the girl said... was indeed true.

The Prince of Lan's lechery is probably hereditary; it's rumored that his father was banished to a remote area for forcibly taking a woman from the capital...

An heirloom dog...

After the dance ended, Prince Lan waved to the lead dancer and beckoned her over.

Before the woman even got close, he pulled her into his arms.

"Come, come, come and see our courtesan."

Prince Lan laughed loudly, ripped off the woman's veil, grabbed her chin, and turned her to face the crowd.

The woman smiled along, but the pain in her eyes revealed that Prince Lan's grip was quite strong.

"I'm in a good mood today, so this courtesan is yours! Haha..."

Prince Lan continued to laugh heartily, while the courtesan could only smile awkwardly, her gaze darting around, searching for her target.

She can't escape it now, so she might as well find a former client.

Although men and women sat separately, they were not far apart.

Most of the male guests also come with their families. If there are only male guests, it's fine, but it's just a romantic affair.

Now... the female guests all have expressions of anger that they dare not express.

The courtesan eventually ended up in the arms of a vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

The poor Vice Minister of Revenue, being quite old, couldn't refuse despite his distress, but his wife was more assertive and got up to leave the table.

Sure enough, Prince Lan glanced meaningfully at the Vice Minister of Revenue who was still embracing the courtesan.

"The wife of the Vice Minister truly lives up to her reputation as a descendant of a military family..."

This sentence made the Vice Minister of Revenue, who was originally planning to coax his wife, give up his idea.

"She's getting old, but she's still so jealous. Your Highness, please forgive her. I'll definitely teach her some manners when I get back!"

The Vice Minister of Revenue spoke earnestly, and Prince Lan looked away, which put his mind at ease.

If you were targeted by Prince Lan, you would be lucky to escape with your life.

After he said that, Prince Lan probably didn't bother to do anything to them anymore.

The Vice Minister of Revenue glanced at the woman still in his arms, then resignedly sat down.

"Thank you, sir!" the courtesan said softly.

The Vice Minister of Revenue simply shook his head.

There was nothing between him and the courtesan; he had simply spoken up for her once when someone was making things difficult for her.

I don't want to cause trouble.

Hopefully, his wife, the "tiger mom," will listen to his explanation later.

"Come, come, everyone, go and toast these gentlemen!"

Prince Lan dismissed all the dancers.

Now everyone was on edge.

This is going to drag everyone down with them!

Some of the female guests couldn't hold back any longer and glared at their husbands, while the male guests felt like they were being pricked by needles.

The dancers were naturally obedient, which made things difficult for the adults. The dancers went from table to table offering toasts, and the adults dared not look around, for fear that their wives would leave like the wife of the Vice Minister of Revenue.

After the toasts were finished, as expected, Prince Lan started again, letting the dancers choose someone to spend the night with.

The dancers removed their veils and walked toward the men they desired.

How can we tolerate such blatant gift-giving, disregarding etiquette and the meetings between these officials and noble ladies?

Several ladies stood up.

Although the male guests dared not move, they were also unwilling in their hearts.

"Snapped!"

"Let's see who dares!"

Someone shouted something, and several ladies from the female guests' side strode over to their husbands.

Suddenly, the scene became somewhat chaotic.

"Let's go, let's go!" Liu Qingping crouched down and came over at some point, pulling Qin Yao out.

Upon arriving at the garden, the two stopped, with Liu Qingping leaning against a pillar under the eaves.

"Honestly, I told you I didn't want to come, but the princess's mother insisted that we had to come. I really don't see the point."

"Didn't we find out his true colors?" Qin Yao pointed behind her.

Lustful, unrestrained, and arrogant.

Once ambition takes hold, it will surely become a major threat.

……