Chapter 103: Princess of Beiyu, Only Wants a Free Ride, Everything Left to the Secretary
“Not possible.”
Shen Yanzhou did not hesitate at all. He shook his head directly, and all the traces of drunkenness seemed to vanish in that instant.
Ning Kui seemed unprepared for such a decisive refusal. She froze for a moment, then unwillingly asked again, “Why?”
“I do not ask for any status,” she said softly, “I only wish to have a stable home by your side, my lord.”
“I cannot give you a home,” Shen Yanzhou replied. His voice remained calm.
Ning Kui lowered her gaze slightly, as if hurt. “Is it because my body is unworthy in your eyes, my lord? Though I have spent many years in the brothel, I have always kept my chastity…”
“No, that is not what I mean. You only see the glamorous surface of my life, but not the burdens and the dangers I must shoulder. Now, though I seem to be in glory, in truth there are countless eyes in the dark watching me, waiting for the chance to drag me into hell.”
Shen Yanzhou interrupted Ning Kui, looking at her intently. His tone carried deep emotion as he clasped her delicate hand tightly.
Ning Kui seemed to lose herself in his tender gaze, stunned and unmoving.
“I can give you a title, take you as my concubine, and give you a home—but not now. Once others learn of our connection, you will become my weakness.”
“In the vast whirlpool of the Imperial Capital, what do you think will happen if an ordinary woman like you gets caught in it?” Shen Yanzhou sighed.
“My lord…”
Ning Kui stood in a daze, moved by his words.
“I understand. I must not cause you any trouble.”
After a moment, she lowered her gaze, as if she had taken his words deeply to heart.
Only then did Shen Yanzhou smile, drawing her into his arms, holding her soft hand tightly as he leaned in again to kiss her.
But Ning Kui turned her head gently, still avoiding him, showing slight resistance. “My lord, then what will become of our relationship? Do you not mind that your woman must still smile and entertain other men in this brothel?”
“How could I mind?” Shen Yanzhou said seriously. “In my eyes, you are like a blue lotus growing from the muddy pond—untainted by filth, cleansed by pure waters yet never alluring. Knowing your true heart is enough for me; how could I bear to make things hard for you?”
Negative emotion from Ji Ningyun +8 +8 +8…
“…”
Ning Kui seemed deeply moved by his words, her eyes reddening as she sniffled softly. “My lord, you are so kind. Meeting you is the greatest blessing of Ning Kui’s life.”
But soon, she changed the subject.
“However, my lord, I bear a ‘Chastity Mark’. Madam Hua watches me day and night. If I suddenly vanish tonight, she will surely question me and trigger it. Should the owner behind Chunshui Pavilion learn of it, I may be forced to entertain guests—or even be beaten to death…”
Her voice was filled with pity, her eyes misty, lashes trembling, looking heartbreakingly delicate.
“Then there’s really no helping it,” Shen Yanzhou said with apparent regret.
“Yes…” Ning Kui nodded slightly, struggling to rise from his embrace—but was quickly pressed back down by him.
“But I feel uncomfortable right now. What should I do?” Shen Yanzhou asked her.
Ning Kui looked troubled. After a moment’s thought, she glanced toward the door and tentatively said, “Shall I go call a few of my sisters to serve you, my lord?”
Shen Yanzhou frowned slightly, seeming displeased, though he restrained himself and asked gently, “In your eyes, am I such an impatient man?”
Am I wrong?
Ning Kui thought inwardly, but outwardly she smiled faintly and replied, “Of course not. In my eyes, my lord is humble, gentle, and courteous—never one to look down upon my lowly station.”
“Truly?” Shen Yanzhou asked, looking into her eyes.
Ning Kui could no longer avoid his gaze. She could only meet his eyes directly, nodding earnestly. “Truly.”
Shen Yanzhou smiled. “If you are lying, I won’t let you off easily…”
With that, he leaned in once more.
How could he possibly let such an advantage slip by?
This time, Ning Kui truly couldn’t dodge. If she rejected him too forcefully, all her earlier efforts would go to waste. Gritting her teeth, determination flickered in her enchanting eyes as she tightly shut them—pretending she was merely being bitten by a dog.
“Mm…”
But very soon, Ning Kui realized she had made a grave mistake. Tonight’s “dog bite” would clearly be far from simple.
…
Clumsy, even to the point that he bit her a little—
That was Shen Yanzhou’s first impression.
At the same time, thoughts churned in his mind.
The Beiyu enchantress before him, whose true name was Ji Ningyun, was in the original story one of the Empress of Beiyu’s most trusted aides, equal in fame to that commerce-savvy daughter of fortune, Chanzi Jin.
In addition, she held another identity—she was of the Beiyu royal family, the Empress’s niece by blood.
In terms of noble rank and status, she stood even higher than Chanzi Jin.
As for why she had hidden her true identity, taking on the guise of a courtesan, painstakingly coming to the Imperial Capital of the Great Qian Dynasty, and even deliberately approaching him…
That was unknown.
Shen Yanzhou could not figure out why she was so determined to become his concubine. Anyone could see his position was anything but stable.
What benefit was there in following him?
If he failed to handle the case of the Northern Sea Heaven-Transforming Human Pill Technique, he could very well lose his head—even if Emperor Mingde currently favored him.
But the will of the emperor was the most fickle of all; who could know when it might change?
Or perhaps… she wanted to use him to get close to someone else?
A princess from Beiyu—what was her true aim in coming here?
He would have to return home later and probe the Princess Consort for clues.
Negative emotion from Ji Ningyun +14 +17 +19…
Shen Yanzhou’s thoughts returned as he glanced at the system panel’s prompts. He hadn’t expected that woman to provide him with so much negative emotion. At least tonight’s “performance” wasn’t in vain.
After a while, watching Ning Kui excuse herself to “rinse her mouth” and leave, he did not stop her. After tidying up briefly, he summoned a servant to prepare the bath.
The situation was now roughly clear—the owner behind Chunshui Pavilion was most likely that Chanzi Jin.
Only her current whereabouts remained uncertain.
“For now, it seems Beiyu intends to quietly take root within the Great Qian Imperial Capital as a hidden foothold. The Empress’s birthday is approaching, and Yu Chenyu still wants me to travel to Fanzhou to retrieve the Seven-colored Monastic Robe from the Floating Sky Temple. But I still have an unresolved case in hand…”
“The schedule is rather tight.”
Shen Yanzhou estimated that even if he set out immediately, the round trip—plus any unforeseen events—would take seven or eight days.
Before that, there were still several matters he needed to handle.
He also needed to figure out the situation of that Heaven’s Mandated Protagonist, Ye Xingchen. If possible, he could cultivate him into a new “crop” for harvesting.
By now, most of his negative emotion points had been used up, leaving only two in reserve.
…
At that moment, within a chamber fragrant with perfumed incense, behind the screen, Ning Kui dismissed the maids and knelt before the waste bucket. Beside her lay several emptied teapots. She retched repeatedly, pressing her slender fingers down her throat, as though she wished to vomit out her very heart and lungs.
By the end, she brought up nothing but bile and bitter water.
She picked up another teapot, lifted her pale neck, and poured the tea into her mouth—only to vomit it all out again with a loud gasp, as if that made her feel slightly better.
“…”
Ning Kui let out a long breath, then sat dazedly on the floor, her expression vacant. Even now, she could hardly believe how much she had endured, or the price she had been willing to pay.
At first, she had thought that a few tricks would be enough—that Shen Yanzhou would fall easily into her hands.
But his mind was no less sharp than hers. Those seemingly sincere, affectionate words of his would have easily deceived any naïve girl.
Yet it was clear…
He had only wanted a free ride. His words were sweet, but when it came to his own interests, he would never yield.
She had only asked for a name, yet he had found every excuse imaginable.
In the end, he simply refused—always keeping his guard up.
“As expected, he cannot be underestimated. For one who has survived this far under the guise of a false heir, how could he possibly be as shallow and foolish as he appears?”
“I almost let him fool me at the start. Fortunately, in the end, nothing went wrong—he probably hasn’t suspected me.”
Ning Kui’s brows furrowed. Though she had paid a heavy price, it had not been without result.
At the very least, she had succeeded in dispelling Shen Yanzhou’s suspicions.
Buzz!!!
Suddenly, the square jade disc upon the dressing table beside her lit up with a glow. Ning Kui’s expression immediately regained its usual arrogance and cold indifference as she stood and walked over, her movements full of reluctance.
When her fingertip touched the surface, a hazy image appeared within the disc—mist shrouded a blue-bricked bath filled with floating petals, revealing the smooth, jade-like back of a woman.
A lazy, husky female voice came through, “Well? I heard the fish has taken the bait?”
“Chanzi Jin, if your rotten idea causes me to return to Beiyu in disgrace, I won’t forgive you,” Ning Kui said coldly, her tone sharp and unkind.
“Tsk, tsk… judging from that tone, could it be that our proud, aloof Princess Ningyun of Beiyu has actually been eaten up?”
“Hahaha, I didn’t expect this day to come—you’ve finally fallen.”
That languid voice burst into unrestrained laughter.
Ning Kui’s expression was far from pleasant. Tonight, she had suffered a great loss—perhaps the most humiliating experience of her life.
“It’s not that bad. Best not to mention it,” she said coldly, not wishing to recall it. Her lips still felt sore, visibly swollen.
“Sigh, I originally intended to go myself,” the lazy voice said, now tinged with regret. “But you know my identity is inconvenient. I already have a fiancé.”
“Don’t make it sound noble. All of this is for Beiyu. That useless fiancé of yours—can he really stop you?” Ning Kui said icily.
“Enough, I won’t argue with you. Likely next month, I’ll secretly accompany the Beiyu delegation to the Great Qian Dynasty.”
“The Empress’s birthday is coming soon—that will be our chance,” the lazy voice turned serious.
“I know,” Ning Kui’s expression softened upon hearing that the other woman would also be coming. She had merely arrived early to probe the current situation within Great Qian.
There was, however, another matter of greater importance.
“That man surnamed Shen—if he’s truly the lost son of Emperor Mingde, why not just bring him back to Beiyu directly? Why must I draw close to him step by step and win his trust first?”
“After all, when war inevitably breaks out between Beiyu and Great Qian, his background won’t help him seize the throne. An illegitimate prince who cannot be acknowledged—how will he be any different from a commoner once battle begins?”
“Isn’t this unnecessary trouble?” Ning Kui’s tone turned cold. This was what she never understood—why even the Empress of Beiyu arranged things this way.
“We must trust the prophecy of the Witch Ancestor: when men harbor killing intent, Great Qian will perish. Beiyu cannot destroy Great Qian—but if Great Qian is to fall into chaos, it must begin from within.”
“Years ago, that mysterious Great Sacrificer hidden in the Imperial Capital risked everything to secretly swap that stillborn child from the old monk Yun Zang’s hands, sending it to Beiyu, where our two Grand Ancestors revived it. Was it not all for this very day?”
On the other side of the jade disc, the languid woman lifted water from the bath, sprinkling it over her smooth, ivory back as her expression turned solemn.
Ning Kui clearly knew of this secret, though she had been but a newborn at the time.
A prince who should have died was pulled back from the brink by the hands of Beiyu’s two Grand Ancestors.
In this world, only those of the Shamanic Path who had reached the First Rank possessed the qualification and courage to seize a fragment of soul from the Netherworld itself.
Only a Grand Shaman would dare defy heaven and earth—gods and ghosts alike.
Though the highest Daoist cultivators of the First Rank might wield similar power, even they would never violate the cycle of life and death. To do so would be to oppose the Heavenly Dao, staining oneself with endless karma and damaging one’s Dao Fruit.
“This chess piece buried for twenty years should finally come into play.”
“The mysterious Great Sacrificer hidden in the Imperial Capital will cooperate with us then—causing heaven and earth to overturn.”
“For now, all you need to do is gain his trust.”
“With Emperor Mingde’s temperament, the fact that he has shown Shen Yanzhou such favor likely means he already knows the truth.”
“I understand. Everything is for Beiyu, and for the Witch Ancestor,” Ning Kui said, taking a deep breath.
…
The next morning, before Shen Yanzhou even stepped into the Thousand-Household Command Post, Wu Ruyue—who seemed to have waited the entire night in some obscure corner—blocked his path.
“Miss Wu, did you not sleep well last night?”
Shen Yanzhou looked surprised at the faint red veins in Wu Ruyue’s beautiful eyes.
Wu Ruyue had wanted to ask what Shen Yanzhou had been doing at Chunshui Pavilion last night, why she hadn’t seen him leave—but when the words reached her lips, she only said, “I didn’t sleep well.”
“Did the surveillance yield any results last night?”
Shen Yanzhou smiled, patting her shoulder lightly. “I know you have a strong sense of justice, but this case involves many threads. You won’t uncover much in just one night. You should rest more—you’ve even got dark circles now.”
Although Wu Ruyue knew he was expressing concern, the thought of him possibly spending the night in a private room with that so-called courtesan from Chunshui Pavilion—alone, a man and a woman—filled her with inexplicable irritation.
After all, Li Yunpeng and the others had all left early.
“Was the courtesan of Chunshui Pavilion beautiful?” Wu Ruyue asked suddenly, her tone faint and quiet.
Shen Yanzhou was momentarily stunned, as if not expecting her to ask that. He then chuckled. “She wore a veil. How would I know what she looks like?”
“What, are you jealous that I went to meet her?” he teased.
“You…”
“Don’t talk nonsense. I was just curious. I only wanted to know what she looked like. Everyone in the capital is talking about the new courtesan of Chunshui Pavilion—how she’s said to be stunningly beautiful…”
Wu Ruyue’s cheeks flushed instantly as she stammered to defend herself.
“She’s probably not as beautiful as you,” Shen Yanzhou said directly, studying her refined, exquisite face closely.
“I wasn’t trying to compare myself to her…” Wu Ruyue denied hurriedly, yet her heart couldn’t help but warm with a faint joy.
As they talked, they arrived at the Thousand-Household Office. There, Liu Ci, the town pacifier, was already present. Li Yunpeng and several other Chilin Guards who had accompanied Shen Yanzhou to Chunshui Pavilion last night were also standing quietly at the side, cold sweat on their foreheads.
Clearly, the events from the previous night had already reached Liu Ci’s ears.
After all, many prominent figures from the capital had been there—though they hadn’t shown themselves for the sake of face.
That very morning, several voices filled with displeasure had reached Liu Ci’s desk, urging him to discipline the Chilin Guards, to restrain their arrogance.
The matter wasn’t huge—but it wasn’t small either. The Chilin Guards already had a poor reputation, and a few more complaints hardly mattered… but the problem was, the arrogant one this time was Shen Yanzhou.
“Commander Liu…”
Seeing Liu Ci’s expression, Shen Yanzhou immediately knew what he wanted to say. He stepped forward to apologize. “About last night—I was just about to report it to you.”
Liu Ci knew that Shen Yanzhou was highly valued by the Commanding Envoy. Over such a minor issue, he couldn’t possibly reprimand him harshly.
“I know you’re ambitious, but last night at Chunshui Pavilion, you may have offended quite a few high-ranking figures…”
“Beyond capturing criminals and solving cases, one must also learn the art of human relations.”
“Do not act like that again.”
He sighed and patted Shen Yanzhou on the shoulder.
“Commander Liu, I understand your meaning. But Chunshui Pavilion’s origins are suspicious. Though I appeared brash and arrogant last night, it was all to mask my true intent—to investigate. If I’d gone quietly, they would have been wary. But by acting recklessly, I lowered their guard,” Shen Yanzhou explained earnestly.
Liu Ci froze for a moment.
Li Yunpeng and the others, who had been scolded earlier, were also dumbfounded.
So it could be explained like that?
Hadn’t Shen Qianhu simply been lusting after that courtesan, afraid someone else might take her first?
“What did you find, then?” Liu Ci asked.
“Nothing for now,” Shen Yanzhou replied.
Liu Ci chuckled helplessly and couldn’t help but ask, “How was the courtesan?”
“Soft,” Shen Yanzhou said without hesitation.
Wu Ruyue’s beautiful eyes widened instantly.
“…” Everyone fell silent.
Early in the morning, and Shen Yanzhou had already harvested plenty of negative emotions—he figured his luck would be good today.
After a light breakfast, he returned to his office. His desk was piled with case files, potted plants lined the side, and his brushes were arranged neatly in rows.
In Shen Yanzhou’s view, aside from the major case personally assigned to him by Emperor Mingde, all other cases were small matters—hardly worth the attention of the Chilin Guards.
Clearly, though the Chilin Guards were mainly responsible for apprehending criminals and handling judicial matters, some of their assigned cases were no different from those handled by a neighborhood mediation committee in his previous life.
Things like a stolen undergarment at home, a woman’s embroidered shoe mysteriously found in a carriage, or a neighbor complaining that the house next door was too noisy at night while its owner was supposedly away on business…
Of course, the people filing these complaints were almost always influential ministers of the court.
The Chilin Guards had neither the time nor the inclination to deal with commoners’ trivial matters—unless it involved a major murder case.
Shen Yanzhou treated it merely as a way to pass a dull morning. He casually asked Li Yunpeng to brew him some tea—but the one who entered with the cup was Wu Ruyue.
Her black hair, which had been loose in the morning, was now neatly tied with an ink-colored ribbon. Though the Chilin Guards’ uniform was loose-fitting, it could not conceal her tall, graceful figure—especially her full chest. Shen Yanzhou guessed she probably hadn’t bound herself today.
His eyes subconsciously swept over her long, slender legs.
Tsk. If she paired that uniform with yesterday’s black silk stockings, the look would be… rather striking.
“Today, you’re my secretary,” Shen Yanzhou said, taking the tea. The temperature was perfect. How thoughtful.
“Secretary? What’s that?” Wu Ruyue asked curiously. It was her first time hearing such a term.
“Hmm, it’s a position for someone who handles affairs for me. I read about it in a book.”
“When there’s work, the secretary does it,” Shen Yanzhou explained.
“Oh…” Wu Ruyue nodded as if half-understanding. “Then what about when there’s nothing to do?”
“Guess,” Shen Yanzhou said with a teasing smile.
…
Within the serene rear courtyard of the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion, incense smoke curled gently in the air.
“Who are you? Why are you speaking to me?”
A startled voice broke the silence. Shen Tian, who had been unconscious for two days, suddenly opened his eyes, pulling off the brocade quilt with trembling hands and a bewildered look.
“The heir… the heir is awake!”
“Wonderful! Quickly, inform the prince!”
The maids who had been tending to him exclaimed in surprise and ran out. Soon after, several figures rushed into the lavish room.
“What did you dream of?”
Shen Jingxiao’s expression was deep and unreadable as he gazed at the trembling Shen Tian, who sat upright on the bed.
“F-Father…”
“My head hurts… I saw someone in my dream. I couldn’t see his face clearly, but he spoke to me. He said he would come to find me.”
Shen Tian’s voice quivered. The figure in the dream had been hazy, yet there was an inexplicable pull—an urge that made him want to draw closer.
“No cure for it?”
Elder Shen Zhigao and several clan elders watched Shen Tian’s current condition with sorrow. This is our Shen family’s child…
“I will go seek an audience with the Empress. The Cui Clan of Hejian has a secret art known as the ‘Seeking Life Technique.’”
“If we use it, we can determine exactly what is wrong with Tian’er’s soul,” Shen Jingxiao said calmly before leaving the room.
Shen Zhigao and the others looked at Shen Tian’s still-dazed face and sighed softly. “Poor child—he just returned to his family, only to end up like this.”
“That Yu Chenyu too… Tian’er has been unconscious for two days, yet she hasn’t come to see him even once. When did her heart become so cold? Has she forgotten that this is her and Jingxiao’s real son?”
Their dissatisfaction with the Princess Consort Yu Chenyu was now open and unrestrained.
What kind of mother ignored her own son, favoring instead a false heir?
…
The palace where the Empress resided was called Palace of the Yearly Rites, magnificent and imposing, with flying eaves and glazed tiles shimmering green beneath the sunlight.
Before the hall lay a bronze pool shaped like a crane’s head, filled with rising mist that flowed across the steps, making the palace look like a celestial hall upon the mortal realm.
After his arrival was announced, Shen Jingxiao waited outside the hall.
“Mother, what brings Shen Jingxiao here today? He must be seeking something from you,” said Crown Prince Xia Chongming, who was massaging the Empress’s shoulders in her study.
The Empress, Cui Jingyi, was reading a Buddhist scripture. Dressed in a casual robe embroidered with colorful phoenixes, her noble, elegant bearing showed no trace of age.
“There are few things Shen Jingxiao would come to beg for,” the Crown Prince continued mockingly. “I’d wager it’s about his son.”
The Empress set down the scripture and said calmly, her phoenix eyes gleaming with quiet intelligence, “His real son.”
“Shen Tian?” Xia Chongming reacted immediately. He had already gathered considerable information about Shen Tian through his retainers.
“Mm. Go let him in,” said the Empress.
Though Xia Chongming disliked seeing Shen Jingxiao, he dared not disobey his mother. He rose and walked toward the hall entrance—but deliberately slowed his steps.
From afar, he saw the mighty Demon Suppression King waiting at the bottom of the steps—this man who ruled over the Southern Border with unmatched power, now humbly standing before his mother’s hall.
The Crown Prince’s steps slowed even more.
One day, he thought, I’ll make this man raise his head to look up at me.
Shen Jingxiao bowed deeply. “Your humble servant greets Your Highness, Crown Prince.”
Xia Chongming nodded. “Come. Mother is waiting.”
Normally, a court official visiting the Empress alone might be seen as inappropriate—but with the Crown Prince present, there was nothing to be said.
The affection between Emperor Mingde and the Empress was widely praised in the capital. The vast harem had no other concubines; even palace maids were few.
Occasionally, only the Crown Prince Xia Chongming would visit.
“Your servant greets the Empress.”
In the grand hall, Shen Jingxiao bowed deeply before the dignified woman on the phoenix throne.
The Empress, still in her simple attire, nodded slightly. “Rise, Demon Suppression King.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Speak. Why have you come?”
Her tone was calm and distant, entirely lacking the warmth of their last meeting at the water pavilion.
“I request the use of the Cui Clan’s secret art,” Shen Jingxiao said directly.
“I must know the reason,” the Empress replied.
“Tian’er was attacked by a reclusive sect from the Southern Border. His soul is incomplete, and his mind unstable. I wish to borrow that secret art to recover his missing soul fragment,” Shen Jingxiao explained.
“You mean the Seeking Life Technique?” the Empress asked coldly.
“Yes.”
“Impossible. That art is one of the Cui Clan’s core secrets. Even direct descendants cannot access it unless they reach the rank of Elder and swear before the ancestral shrine. Even I, as Empress, cannot use it now,” she said firmly.
Shen Jingxiao’s expression remained unchanged. “Your Majesty must have a way.”
The Empress sneered. “And why should I help you? You act with arrogance, ruling the Southern Border with unchecked power. The chaos you’ve brought to Great Qian is your own doing. Are you not yet satisfied?”
Unfazed, Shen Jingxiao said evenly, “The Great Qian realm bears the surname Xia—not Cui.”
“…”
The Empress froze, her gaze instantly sharpening. A cold wind seemed to stir within the hall.
Even Crown Prince Xia Chongming’s expression changed. How dare he?
Was the Demon Suppression King implying that his mother sought to usurp the throne?
“Demon Suppression King, do you truly think I cannot deal with you?” The Empress’s voice was icy.
“Old Peach Courtyard, Sinking Moon Pool, Flower Burial Ground. Your Majesty, do not forget—you still owe me a favor,” Shen Jingxiao said, looking up to meet her eyes.
The moment those words fell, the gusts within the hall died instantly. The Empress fell silent.
Crown Prince Xia Chongming, meanwhile, stood dumbfounded.
What are those places? What could they mean?
Could there be… some hidden connection between his mother and the Demon Suppression King?
His face darkened, a wild thought flashing through his mind.
Could it be that, when she was young… the Empress had some sort of relationship with him?
After all, his father had always been devoted solely to her, never taking another concubine. He’d grown up without siblings. Perhaps… perhaps the Emperor couldn’t have children at all?
The Empress seemed to sense the change in her son’s thoughts. She snatched up a nearby document and smacked him on the head. “Stop that nonsense!”
Then she turned to Shen Jingxiao and said coldly, “I’ll grant your request—but after this, our debt is settled. If you ever try to use this favor against me again, I will not forgive you.”
“Yes. My thanks, Your Majesty.”
Shen Jingxiao’s expression didn’t change. He bowed, then turned and left the hall in silence.