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Chapter 71 - Chapter 307: Qing Ci

Princess Ankang silently closed her eyes in response to the Fifth Prince's sincere plea.

She had been waiting for Li Xuan to write the rest of the content for her, but now Li Xuan had his head buried in her lower belly, laughing incessantly like a little tractor, yet showing no intention of continuing to write.

Princess Ankang, anxious, pinched Li Xuan's backside, urging him to quickly write the rest.

Didn't he see that the Fifth Prince was almost going mad?

Princess Ankang was afraid that if she stimulated her Fifth Brother any more, he wouldn't be able to take it.

Seeing that Princess Ankang was so anxious she was about to pinch his Little Cat bell, Li Xuan quickly used his tail to write on Princess Ankang's hand:

"I've forgotten the rest."

This was the honest truth.

After Li Xuan finished his college entrance exams, he returned all his knowledge, becoming a university student with eyes full of wisdom. How could he remember the subsequent verses?

He remembered the opening line only because it was so famous.

As for the rest of the content, he couldn't recall a single word.

Receiving such a reply from Li Xuan, Princess Ankang's expression also stiffened. She opened her eyes and turned to look at the Fifth Prince, but didn't know how to explain it.

Seeing Princess Ankang's reaction, the Fifth Prince gritted his teeth, cast aside all his pride, and pleaded:

"Your… Sister, I beg you."

"I was a bit rude earlier, I apologize."

Although the Fifth Prince was deeply shocked, he was willing to sacrifice his dignity to pursue his ideals.

Among the Imperial children, the Fifth Prince was considered the most diligent student, and his literary talent was definitely outstanding.

Unfortunately, tonight he encountered Princess Ankang, who had Li Xuan's assistance.

Princess Ankang sighed silently in her heart, then merely shook her head gently.

She felt that no matter what she said, the Fifth Prince would find it difficult to accept.

Therefore, it was better to remain silent.

The Fifth Prince was stunned when he saw Princess Ankang shake her head, his face filled with pain.

He felt ashamed of his previous superficiality.

It turned out that Princess Ankang, who had always been discriminated against in the palace, possessed such literary talent.

Even so, she never showed off, always maintaining a calm and indifferent attitude.

The Fifth Prince recalled his past disdain for his brothers and sisters, coupled with his previous dark thoughts, which made him utterly mortified.

The more he felt this way, the more he realized his dream was drifting further and further away.

"I… I understand."

"Excuse me…"

The Fifth Prince eventually turned and left, looking dejected.

He could understand Princess Ankang's thoughts.

He once thought how ignorant the other Imperial Princes and Princesses were; now Princess Ankang probably saw him in the same light.

Even more so… The Fifth Prince knew that, at his current level, he was not qualified to hear the subsequent verses.

He also felt ashamed of his earlier presumption.

"That's right, I can't even complete a couplet, yet I wanted to hear such poetry."

"What nerve!"

"But I won't give up, Ankang."

"One day, I will definitely hear the rest of the poem!"

The Fifth Prince secretly vowed, realizing his shortcomings, which could be considered a sudden awakening.

He led his people directly out of Brothel and disappeared into the night, heading to an unknown destination.

But the Fifth Prince's final gaze was exceptionally firm, as if he had found a new direction.

Li Xuan couldn't help but look up at the Fifth Prince's retreating figure, feeling that this guy's change of heart was quite fast.

A moment ago, he was excited and half-dead, but now he had calmed down again.

At this moment, Princess Ankang rubbed Li Xuan's backside and asked grumpily:

"Li Xuan, were you deliberately teasing Fifth Imperial Brother just now?"

Li Xuan shook his head repeatedly, claiming he was wronged.

He was not a literary enthusiast, nor a doctor in a related field. He couldn't recite the Three Hundred Tang Poems backward and also remember some obscure verses.

Given Li Xuan's semi-illiterate state, it was already quite good that he could pull out these few bits.

"Essays are naturally formed, by a skilled hand they are occasionally gained."

What came next, Li Xuan truly couldn't remember.

He had memorized it when he was in school, but now he couldn't recall any of it.

With the departure of the Fifth Prince, people from Brothel soon invited Princess Ankang upstairs.

It seemed Qing Ci was already prepared.

In the past, if someone else became Qing Ci's guest, other patrons would cast envious glances.

But today's guest was a lovely young girl, and these patrons, regardless of gender, all wore ambiguous expressions, chuckling strangely, as if Qing Ci was the one who got a good deal today.

Seeing this situation, Li Xuan's vigilance rose to the highest level.

"Hmph, no matter what methods Qing Ci has, bring them all upon me!"

"If she wants to touch Ankang, she must first get past me."

Li Xuan silently prepared for sacrifice, determined to protect Princess Ankang tonight and let Qing Ci know that he, this Little Cat, was by no means an easy target.

Brothel was only three stories high, but the area of each floor was not small.

The second floor housed the residences of the mentors, and guests would be entertained in the mentors' quarters.

But don't misunderstand, not all guests would have the opportunity for intimate contact with the mentors.

Most guests merely had the chance to exchange skills with the mentors.

Only if one possessed great charm would the mentors be captivated, and only then could deeper exchanges occur.

The Three Little Ones were led into Qing Ci's room; the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs could only guard outside the door.

Qing Ci's room was decorated predominantly in white, elegant and generous, with great style.

Yu'er pushed Princess Ankang and Li Xuan into the room, and they saw a screen embroidered with a delicate landscape painting blocking their view.

Behind the screen, misty steam continuously emanated.

On the screen, shadows flickered, suggesting many people moving on the other side.

However, most of those figures were graceful and curvaceous; just by looking at their silhouettes, one could tell they were beauties.

"Oh, this…"

Li Xuan swallowed, not expecting this place to be much more professional than Hu Yu House.

Just in terms of atmosphere creation, it was streets ahead of Hu Yu House.

At this moment, a figure emerged from behind the screen; it was Qing Ci.

However, she now had her previously tied-up hair flowing down like a waterfall, her dark, soft, and shiny hair clinging to the curve of her waist and hips, exceptionally alluring.

At this time, she was only wearing a plain white undergarment, with a matching dudou (bodice) subtly visible at the neckline.

"Miss, I hope I haven't kept you waiting."

Qing Ci slightly squatted in a bow, perfectly exposing the view inside her garment even more fully to the Three Little Ones.

"Hiss—"

"Slurp."

Li Xuan gasped, and ended up swallowing his own saliva.

"By the way, Qing Ci still doesn't know Miss's name."

Princess Ankang sat in her wheelchair, smiled slightly, and then replied:

"My surname is Li."

Hearing Princess Ankang's answer, Qing Ci's eyes flickered, and she immediately smiled:

"So it's Miss Li, Qing Ci apologizes for the oversight."

Qing Ci could also understand Princess Ankang's reluctance to reveal her real name.

Princess Ankang traveled with so many guards; her identity was probably not simple.

As a mentor in Brothel, Qing Ci was naturally well aware of these rules and would never casually inquire about guests' information.

After settling on the address, Qing Ci invited Princess Ankang to look behind the screen.

Yu'er pushed the wheelchair, and the Three Little Ones arrived behind the screen, where they saw a huge bathtub.

The bathtub was covered with flower petals, and the aroma was intoxicating.

Steaming hot water continuously rose, making the place seem dreamlike.

Beside the bathtub stood several maids, each graceful and beautiful, a delight to behold.

"Oh, going straight to the main topic right away?"

Li Xuan understood in his heart.

Sure enough, Qing Ci continued:

"Miss Li must be tired today. Why not take a bath to relax first, and then we can discuss literature thoroughly and have an in-depth exchange."

Li Xuan immediately narrowed his eyes, understanding Qing Ci's implied meaning.

Qing Ci had not touched a drop of wine, yet she looked dazed and alluring, clearly about to be flirtatious.

Li Xuan quickly gave Yu'er a look, and Yu'er immediately understood.

Yu'er said with a smile:

"Miss Qing Ci, my lady is accustomed to bathing herself. I alone will be sufficient to attend to her later."

"As for any other irrelevant persons, please dismiss them all."

Qing Ci was startled and turned her gaze to Yu'er.

She then looked at Princess Ankang and, finding her expression normal, understood.

"It seems this little maid is very favored."

"And she seems quite wary of me."

Although Qing Ci was thinking this in her heart, she had already agreed with a beaming smile.

"So that's how it is. Qing Ci will give the orders immediately."

Qing Ci immediately led her maids and obediently withdrew, her compliance surprising both Li Xuan and Yu'er.

"Oh, she's that easy to talk to, huh?"

With only the Three Little Ones left in the room, it suddenly became quiet.

"Oh, I told you Miss Qing Ci didn't have any ill intentions."

"You two are too tense."

Princess Ankang said this, then stood up from her wheelchair and, with Yu'er's help, began to undress.

She hadn't been able to take a proper bath for days, so now that she had the chance, she was naturally impatient.

Before, Jingyang Palace didn't have the facilities, but after they raised the Golden Pig, they had hot water every day. Princess Ankang gradually grew fond of taking a hot bath before bed each night.

Speaking of hot baths, the Three Little Ones all remembered the Golden Pig, who was left alone to guard Jingyang Palace.

After Princess Ankang took off her clothes with Yu'er's help, she sat into the bathtub and asked with some curiosity:

"Sister Yu'er, will the Golden Pig be alright by itself at home?"

Now that it was just the three of them, Princess Ankang spoke much more casually.

"It should be fine. I filled the water tank to the brim, and I even left a gap for the Golden Pig to sunbathe."

"No, no, no, Sister Yu'er, I mean, will the water in that tank boil dry?"

"Uh..."

Yu'er was suddenly speechless.

To be honest, she really hadn't thought about that question.

"It shouldn't, right? If the Golden Pig runs out of water, it should control the heat it produces."

The more Yu'er spoke, the less confident she sounded.

If the Golden Pig had even a shred of self-discipline, it wouldn't have gotten so fat.

Li Xuan heard them worrying about the Golden Pig and smiled heartlessly.

Li Xuan didn't know if the Golden Pig could control the heat it emitted.

This was a good opportunity to conduct an experiment.

Moreover, the Golden Pig could survive without eating or drinking, just by sunbathing.

Li Xuan had even heard that the Golden Pig's original homeland was a sea of fire, with no water at all.

So, whether the water in the tank boiled dry or not probably wouldn't affect the Golden Pig much.

Li Xuan wasn't worried about the Golden Pig's life or death at all. Seeing Princess Ankang enter the bathtub, he also impatiently jumped in with a 'whoosh', splashing a large amount of water and drenching Princess Ankang and Yu'er, quite in the style of a certain diving team.

"Li Xuan, you're just being mischievous!"

Princess Ankang and Yu'er simultaneously splashed water back at Li Xuan, unwilling to be outdone, instantly submerging him in the bathtub.

Li Xuan gurgled out a string of bubbles underwater and only resurfaced after a long time, spitting out a large mouthful of bathwater.

"Pfft—"

"This water has a lot of good stuff added to it."

"It smells so good!"

Li Xuan paddled in the bathtub, casually chewed a flower petal, and found it sweet.

"Sister Yu'er, why don't you come in and soak for a bit too?"

Princess Ankang coaxed.

"No, it would be troublesome if someone saw us."

After all, they weren't at home, so Yu'er felt it was better to be cautious.

After Yu'er finished speaking, she helped Princess Ankang massage her shoulders and scrub her back, making her soak more comfortably.

Although Yu'er didn't join them, the Three Little Ones still had fun.

Princess Ankang and Yu'er would occasionally team up to have a water fight with Li Xuan, splashing water everywhere from the bathtub.

Although Yu'er didn't get into the bath, her clothes were drenched.

Her wet clothes clung to Yu'er's body, looking particularly alluring.

"The children have all grown up now."

Li Xuan couldn't help but sigh.

But just then, there was movement outside the door. Someone entered the room and then walked directly towards the back of the screen.

With Flower-Clothed Eunuchs guarding the door, the Three Little Ones weren't afraid of any scoundrels.

The next moment, they saw Qing Ci come in carrying a bucket of freshly heated water.

"Miss Li, the water must be cold. I'll add some hot water."

Li Xuan and Yu'er reacted immediately, desperately covering Princess Ankang's chest.

Yu'er used the towel in her hand, while Li Xuan relied on his fur.

"It's truly too kind of Miss Qing Ci to personally bother with such a small matter," Princess Ankang said, very surprised.

The Three Little Ones could all see that Qing Ci, as a mentor in Brothel, held an unusual status, and they hadn't expected her to personally attend to such a trivial task.

Only Li Xuan and Yu'er knew what she was planning.

"Hmph, still trying to get an eyeful while bringing in hot water? I won't let you succeed."

Qing Ci saw Princess Ankang, who was tightly covered, and a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes, but she quickly hid it and began pouring hot water into the bathtub.

"After all, Miss Li is my guest, and I am the host here, so I naturally need to entertain her well."

Qing Ci said this as she poured hot water into the bathtub, but at this moment, her body leaned forward and she fell completely into the bathtub.

"Alright, so this is what she was waiting for."

The water in the bathtub rippled, creating a surging tide.

Qing Ci, holding back a mischievous smile, emerged from the water and feigned innocence, saying:

"Oh dear, I accidentally fell in."

Qing Ci's clothes were completely soaked, and her hair clung to her skin.

She didn't stand on ceremony, directly moving her small hand to shed her wet clothes, then sat naked into the bathtub.

"Miss Li, do you mind if I soak here with you for a while?"

"I'm afraid I'll catch a cold if I go out now."

Since she said that, what could Princess Ankang do?

After all, this was her home, and they were guests. There was no reason to kick the host out.

Princess Ankang hadn't expected that she merely wanted to freeload a night's accommodation, but instead attracted such trouble.

"Miss Qing Ci, this is your place, so naturally, it's up to you," Princess Ankang said helplessly.

She reached out and supported Li Xuan, who was blocking her chest, holding him tightly.

"Miss Li, it's not that Qing Ci is being rude or presumptuous; it's truly that the literary talent you displayed today has utterly captivated Qing Ci."

"I heard that just before, while Qing Ci was preparing, Miss Li once again said something astonishing downstairs."

"Poetry is naturally formed, and a skillful hand occasionally captures it."

"Such a beautiful line..."

At this point, Qing Ci's breathing gradually grew heavier.

Li Xuan then realized that this person truly loved poetry and prose.

Her covetousness towards Princess Ankang was more for her talent.

Li Xuan silently widened his cat eyes, thinking to himself:

"This Miss Qing Ci is also a fanatic!"

"To be so obsessed with poetry and prose!"

Princess Ankang was also startled by Qing Ci and retreated until her back pressed against the edge of the bathtub.

At this moment, Qing Ci was staring intently at Princess Ankang, her eyes filled with longing.

"Miss Li..."

Qing Ci exhaled like an orchid, panting softly.

"Was there a continuation to that line earlier?"

"Was it a complete poem?"

Qing Ci's gaze was even more fervent than the Fifth Prince's earlier, filled with a craving desire.

If a complete poem were truly produced, winning over Qing Ci would likely be no problem.

"Meow, what was the rest of it?"

Li Xuan tried hard to recall, attempting to seize this opportunity to create a die-hard fan for Princess Ankang.

But it was just as the saying goes, "One regrets not studying enough when it's needed."

No matter how much Li Xuan tried to remember, he just couldn't recall what came after that line.

"Damn it, why didn't I have the habit of memorizing poetry and prose normally!"

"Otherwise, I wouldn't be in such a hurry now!"

Princess Ankang blinked her eyes, looking at Qing Ci's fervent gaze, and thought to herself that she would never lie again.

Being stared at by Qing Ci like this, she almost couldn't help but reveal the truth.

But then she noticed Li Xuan constantly wagging his tail, looking as if he was deep in thought, and wanted to see what kind of trick Li Xuan could pull off.

Li Xuan racked his brain but couldn't recall the second half of that poem. He only remembered that the title seemed to be "Essay," and the first line was the most famous.

But he couldn't remember the rest of it.

"Can I fool her with another poem?"

Li Xuan's heart stirred.

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