The troublemaker
girl was wearing a plain white mourning dress, and she really looked like she was selling herself to bury her father.
But she was sobbing and kneeling on the ground, kowtowing continuously: "Gentlemen, please be kind, I can work like a cow or a horse for you, but I really can't dance..."
Li Hengmao frowned and wanted to say something, but before he could speak, Qiuzhe on the side had already kicked her over, sneering: "You still have the right to refute? Do you know who my eldest brother is? Do you know who my younger brother is?... It's good enough that my eldest brother likes you, and you dare to cry?"
Although he didn't like Qiu Che, the other party was on the rise recently. When Qiuzhe went out, he often used her name to bully others.
Several young men nearby were also famous dandies in Chaojing.
Upon hearing this, they immediately agreed, "That's right!" Qiuzhe became even more arrogant. He arrogantly raised two fingers and said, "I'll give you two choices. Either go up and dance and enjoy a lifetime of happiness with my eldest brother, or, not only will you not even have money to bury your father... my eldest brother will make it impossible for you to survive in Chaojing!" As soon as he
finished speaking, Qiuche supported his forehead and sighed.
The girl cried even harder, her whole body was shaking, her face was flushed, but she still refused to give in.
Yaotai stood by and stared at Qiuzhe with a strange look. After listening to a few comments from passers-by, he realized that this group of people wanted the girl to go up and dance a striptease.
Not to mention the glory and wealth in the second half of her life, even if she could become a queen in the future, in this era where rumors can eat people, a girl from an honest family would have no face to see people in the future if she danced this kind of dance in front of so many people.
What's the difference between this and asking her to die?
Yaotai held the pipa and tried to figure out the situation. After watching for a while, she saw Qiuzhe was about to go up and forcibly pull the girl's clothes, so she stepped out and raised her voice: "My fellow gentlemen, forcing a weak woman like this is not what a real man should do? I wonder how she has offended you to suffer such humiliation?"
"Who are you?"
Yaotai bowed politely and said with a smile: "I am Hongxiu waving to Yaotai. At the invitation of the owner, I came to Linglong Pavilion to entertain the guests present."
She and Li Qingwu are both women, one is a brothel girl and the other is an eldest princess. No matter who is exposed to the news of investing in Linglong Pavilion, they will be criticized. Even if
they don't care, it will inevitably affect the business of the store.
Linglong Pavilion is not their own industry, but they only invested in it midway, so neither of them officially appeared as the owner today.
"... the Xiang Yaotai who danced in the capital?"
Qiuzhe turned his head, looked her over, licked his lips, chuckled, and turned back to Li Hengmao to ask for credit: "My Lord... Big Brother, this woman is indeed more beautiful."
Li Hengmao glanced at him gloomily and said impatiently: "... So what?"
Qiuzhe was stunned for a moment, rubbed his hands carefully: "Uh... What I mean is, why not let her dance..."
He obviously flattered the wrong way. Li Hengyu didn't seem interested in this proposal, but he still said lazily: "You can do whatever you want."
After saying that, he found a clean seat and sat down directly, his expression was very irritable and impatient. It seemed that
if he delayed for a moment, he would get angry.
Qiuzhe couldn't understand how a man could see such a beautiful woman in the world and still remain indifferent.
Isn't this prince quite fond of bullying men and women?
Why is he unhappy now that he is flattered?
Of course, he didn't know that it was true that the prince was fond of doing those stupid things, but the situation was different now.
He had been ignored by the emperor for nearly a month, and he was already upset. Now he just wanted to finish the process quickly, so as not to let the news spread and reach the emperor's ears.
Qiuzhe had no idea what he was thinking at all, and thought it was just an ordinary game of dandies to attract attention, and looked at Yaotai again.
Yaotai smiled slightly: "Sir, are you done talking?"
"We're done talking," Qiuzhe raised his chin frivolously and said, "Since you want to take care of this trivial matter, well, then go and dance yourself, and we'll let this girl go."
Everyone present fell silent, curiously observing the next development.
Yaotai paused, then looked at him with the same indescribable look, and gently opened his lips, unable to help saying: "You look like a dog, but how come you can't spit out ivory from your dog's mouth?"
Someone in the crowd laughed a few times.
Qiuzhe was furious: "You are so bold, do you know who I am--"
He took a few steps forward and was about to attack again.
Yaotai stepped back and just missed his outstretched hand.
At the same time, a soft voice sounded from the other side of the crowd: "Gentlemen, are you going to smash the signboard on the grand opening day of my Linglong Pavilion?"
Li Hengmao's impatient tapping of his fingers also stopped abruptly.
Along with the voice, a figure walked out from the gap left by the crowd under the gaze of everyone.
The prince turned his head to look at the newcomer, staring at her heavy veil for a moment, and still felt that her eyebrows and eyes were very familiar.
Thinking of the news that he had received earlier that Linglong Pavilion was invested by Qiu Che, Li Hengmao narrowed his eyes and uttered: "Fourth sister?"
Yaotai frowned and looked at Li Qingwu worriedly.
Qiuzhe didn't see it at first, and was still unhappy when he was interrupted. Hearing this, he also looked at Li Qingwu in surprise: "Why are you here?"
Does her being here mean... Qiu Che is also here?
Thinking of this, Qiuzhe's face suddenly changed, he stepped back a few steps and stood behind the prince.
ââLast time, his father warned him again and again, asking him to be quiet and not to provoke Qiu Che, lest the other party go crazy and put them in jail again.
Although Qiuzhe was unhappy, he did have some psychological shadows on Qiu Che, almost to the extent that he would turn pale when the name was mentioned.
Half of it was disgust, and half of it was fear.
Seeing that Li Hengmao revealed his identity, Li Qingwu was not in a hurry. He lifted the veil, ignored the surprised or fanatical gazes from all directions, and saluted him.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince is safe."
She was not calling the second brother, but the crown prince.
It is hard not to suspect that she was taking revenge on Li Hengmao for revealing her identity.
There was an uproar all around.
The fourth sister of the crown prince, isn't that the eldest princess?
How come so many legendary bigwigs came to a small Linglong Pavilion today?
Li Hengmao's face changed. He ignored the sudden noisy discussions around him and said unhappily, "Fourth sister, what do you mean?"
Li Qingwu lowered his eyes and said softly, "Brother Crown Prince, should I ask you what you mean - you brought so many people here today, and forced a weak woman in public like this. Are you deliberately causing trouble?"
"What does it have to do with you?" Li Hengmao said with a cold face, and slammed the table, "I just want to watch her dance, how can it be called forcing?"
"I am the owner of Linglong Pavilion now," Li Qingwu said lightly like thunder, "If brother Crown Prince knew, it would be great. If he didn't know before, he should know now... Second brother, you won't even give fourth sister this face, right?"
In the public eye, how could rumors of discord between royal brothers and sisters spread?
The emperor was very concerned about his reputation, and was most afraid of this.
If Li Hengmao persisted, and today's incident spread out, the emperor would definitely make him pay for it.
Of course, Li Qingwu's deliberate insistence would not end well.
Unexpectedly, she was usually quiet, but turned out to be so eloquent.
Li Hengmao was speechless, with anger in his heart nowhere to go. Just as he was about to get up and leave, Qiuzhe beside him suddenly said, "We didn't hit or scold anyone, we just came to watch the dance, how can we say that we are ruining the place?"
He held it in for a long time, secretly glanced around, and made sure that there was no figure of Qiu Che around, and finally couldn't help but speak: "Your Highness the Princess... You are my sister-in-law after all, why are you always trying to be so mean? I don't mind, but His Highness the Crown Prince is your brother. Are you accusing him of doing something wrong?"
"The eldest brother is like a father. You are a woman who has been exposed in public, and it should be His Highness who should condemn you. When is it your turn to speak?"
As soon as these words came out, many women present changed their faces.
Now is the early stage of the reform. The decree has been implemented for less than half a month. Many women who have long intended to resist are either preparing to divorce their alcoholic and domestic violence husbands, or preparing to start their own businesses.
Qiuzhe's words made their already shaken beliefs even more unsteady.
Is it really okay to do this?
Even the princess who does business personally is criticized by people, so what about these civilian women?
Li Hengmao suddenly became enlightened, and his irritable eyes turned into praise. He glanced at Qiuzhe and then said confidently: "Yes, I haven't said that you are still showing up outside after getting married, so why are you blaming me?"
Li Qingwu bowed his head and said: "Second brother misunderstood, Qingwu didn't mean that."
Qiuzhe added fuel to the fire in a weird tone: "Don't you mean that, or don't dare to mean that? Your Highness, it's hard to say."
Li Hengmao's rebellious psychology was also stimulated by Qiuzhe. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that he was a dignified prince, why was he so cowardly?
Unhappy, really unhappy.
He waved his hand, leaned back, and said nonchalantly: "Okay, I don't want to care about you. If you have nothing to do, don't disturb me from watching the dance--"
Qiuzhe, like a lackey, immediately went to grab the girl with a grim smile.
Seeing that the girl was crying hard, he stretched out his hand halfway, rolled his eyes, stretched it out to Yaotai, licked his lips and said: "Miss Yaotai, why don't you dance?"
Li Qingwu stood in front of Yaotai, rarely lowering his eyes, and said: "Yaotai is a distinguished guest invited by this princess. I have been tolerant of you again and again for Qiu Che's sake. Don't push your luck." When
Qiuzhe heard Qiu Che, his face changed again. He was stunned by her cold tone for a while, and subconsciously looked at Li Hengmao's expression.
But the other party was obviously more stressed than him, and his expression was very ugly.
Originally, Li Hengmao didn't care who danced the dance, but just wanted to achieve the purpose of making trouble, and forcing Qiu Che out was enough.
But when Li Qingwu mentioned Qiu Che, he became even more unhappy.
Qiu Che, Qiu Che, it's Qiu Che again!
It's ok that the emperor is partial to the other party, but Li Qingwu is also like this.
As a brother, can't his words be better than that pretty boy?
Li Hengmao gritted his teeth and said angrily: "Okay, okay, fourth sister, you are really promising. You challenged me for an outsider - my patience is limited, you get out of my way. Since you are so stubborn, I must watch this girl Yaotai dance today!"
Without his winks, Qiuzhe immediately pounced on Yaotai after hearing his words.
But because Li Qingwu was blocking Yaotai, his claws would most likely fall on Li Qingwu when he pounced.
Not to mention being married, even if she was not married, she would be pointed at if he pulled her twice in public.
Li Qingwu took a step back, but thinking that Yaotai was behind her, she couldn't move any further.
She just closed her eyes slightly, and Yaotai subconsciously reached out and pulled her anxiously.
But the imagined scene did not happen. Instead, the surroundings suddenly became quiet.
She vaguely heard the sound of wind, and then someone exclaimed: "That person... How did he jump directly from the second floor!"
Li Qingwu opened his eyes in surprise. The next moment, he heard a familiar voice beside him, saying lightly:
"Brother."
Li Qingwu looked up.
Qiu Che had a cold smile on his lips, and did not notice her sight. He still stared at Qiu Zhe and said jokingly: "Long time no see."
She twisted Qiu Zhe's hand, her posture was leisurely and relaxed, and it seemed that she did not use any strength, but Qiu Zhe maintained this posture ridiculously, and could hardly move forward.
Sweeping the other party's expression that suddenly became terrified and stiff, Qiu Che whispered:
"Although it has been a long time since we last met, you are still as disgusting as I remember."
They stood on the stage, with similar heights and almost indistinguishable facial features, like a pair of twins. But their
temperaments and conversations were completely different, and people could tell who was higher and who was lower at a glance.
Li Qingwu looked at her smiling face, and for a moment he thought, how could he have mistaken her?
In her dream, how could she have mistaken the real Qiu Che for the "Qiu Che" pretending to be Qiu Zhe?
Qiu Che was clearly born to be the protagonist.
With her around, Li Qingwu's eyes would never fall on anyone else.