Chapter 36

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Chapter 36:

Li Chunzhou met his gaze and calmly returned it, not rushing to cover up her "improper" attire. Instead, she turned her head back casually.

"I wonder what brings General Gu here?" Li Chunzhou tilted her head and used a wooden comb in her hand to tidy her hair. Her jet black hair made her fair face even more radiant, with her crimson lips adding a touch of red. "At the very least, you should let me change into proper clothes before we talk, don’t you think?"

Gu Jianxi lifted his eyelids to look at her for a moment, then walked in, scanning the decorations in the room before stopping behind Li Chunzhou.

Through the reflection in the mirror, Gu Jianxi’s aggressive gaze met Li Chunzhou’s, and the tension between them did not lessen at all.

He looked at Li Chunzhou in the mirror for a moment, then suddenly smiled, "It’s nothing important, we can talk about it here."

Li Chunzhou completely ignored the words Gu Jianxi used to give her an excuse.

"Chi…" Li Chunzhou started to say a word, then suddenly remembered something and swallowed the words at the tip of her tongue.

Li Chunzhou forced a smile in the mirror and politely said, "What is it, General Gu? Please say quickly, I have to go out to meet guests soon."

General Gu took out a bag of gold from his pocket and tossed it onto the dressing table with a moderate force, "Clear your schedule for others."

Li Chunzhou didn’t even glance at the bag of gold, she knew exactly how to smile to show the dimples on her face, how to walk to make her skirt sway like a lotus leaf, and how to look up at a man’s face, then immediately lower her eyes, appearing gentle and captivating.

But based on their encounter three days ago, Li Chunzhou knew that with her demure, gentle, and non-confrontational qualities, she couldn’t make Gu Jianxi treat her differently.

People like Gu Jianxi, who have grown up being favored and successful, are used to others showing respect to them. The more unique one’s personality is, the more they are valued and respected by others.

Li Chunzhou couldn’t understand why these aristocratic young people had such strange preferences, but she knew that their methods were effective and never failed.

Gu Jianxi is the adopted son of Prime Minister Gu. Prime Minister Gu, who is no longer young, has no biological children, so he adopted a child to carry on the family name.

Throughout Shengjing City, and even in the whole of Daliang, everyone knows about the deep love between Prime Minister Gu and his wife. Despite having no biological children or concubines, they have been faithfully married for over twenty years.

There are many rumors in Shengjing City about why Prime Minister Gu and his wife have no children. The most common belief is that Madam Tian is unable to bear children. Madam Tian, whose maiden name is Tian Ruzhen, faced a difficult marriage with her first husband, who left her after three years of marriage due to her infertility.

Out of spite, Madam Tian’s first husband spread rumors about her infertility, which deterred many families who were interested in proposing marriage to the Tian family.

Within the social circles of the capital city, Tian Ruzhen decided she would never marry again.

However, to everyone’s surprise, in the second month, rumors of Gu Chenxin proposing to the Tian family spread throughout the city. It was said that a storyteller in the busiest tavern in the East Market told the story of their relationship for almost half a year. It was believed that Prime Minister Gu and Madam Tian had been childhood sweethearts who grew apart as they got older, but fate brought them back together after Tian Ruzhen’s divorce.

Tian Ruzhen’s wedding for the second time was even more grand than the first. Since the new emperor had ascended to the throne, Prime Minister Gu’s status had risen significantly due to his close relationship with the emperor from childhood. The Gu family’s power in the capital was unparalleled.

In the official world, Gu Chenxin didn’t avoid suspicion, openly and secretly causing troubles for his wife’s ex-husband’s family. They only left Shengjing City when they were transferred, then Prime Minister Gu let go of the grudge.

Madam Tian’s ex-husband’s family hasn’t returned for over ten years.

Another rumor is that it’s not Madam Tian who can’t have children, but Prime Minister Gu. However, this rumor is kept hidden, as it’s said that due to his long service to the country, his health deteriorated early on, leaving him incapable of having children.

Whether it’s true or false remains unknown.

According to Li Chunzhou, she believes the second rumor is true. It’s hard to find such a good man in this world. Prime Minister Gu marrying Madam Tian was likely just to hide his infertility. Why wait until rumors about Tian Ruzhen’s infertility spread before proposing, after knowing each other for so many years?

Madam Tian’s life might be like drinking water – she knows best about her own struggles. This has somehow enhanced Prime Minister Gu’s reputation for being deeply in love.

It’s hard to distinguish truth from rumor, but the Gu family’s power is undeniable.

The position of Upper General in the Jinwu Guard is primarily given to royal family members or to appease local leaders. Throughout history, aristocrats’ sons have often held this position. Gu Jianxi’s rapid rise to his current position at a young age is undoubtedly linked to his father and the Gu family’s influence.

His upbringing as an aristocratic son is evident in his behavior. He lacks the cunning strategies of self-made individuals and proudly displays his family’s standing. He looks down upon those in lower social classes, like prostitutes.

"What does General Gu want to say?" Li Chunzhou glanced at him, urging him to speak again.

There were only two people in the room, a man and a woman. Gu Jianxi’s demeanor was not as cold as when they last met, but rather carried a hint of frivolity.

Gu Jianxi stared at her intently, his gaze scrutinizing as he approached her and asked, "On the day Minister Liu died, your carriage was parked in front of the Shangshu Mansion for half an hour. What was the reason for that?"

"My carriage did indeed stop there for a while, but it was at the command of Minister Liu. He said there was an urgent matter and asked me to wait in front of the gate for a moment as he would be there shortly. So, I waited for half an hour."

She did not finish her sentence, but the implication was clear – who could have thought that the fleeting moment would suddenly turn into a permanent departure.

"You mentioned earlier that Liu Yuming contacted you, implying that he wanted to take advantage of investigating the case to harm you. However, there are rumors among the servants of the Shangshu Mansion that Liu Yuming has a penchant for men and has close relations with the guards. Even his personal attendant has never seen him visit a brothel. Your testimony seems a bit weak, do you have any evidence?"

"I have no evidence." Li Chunzhou fell silent for a moment, then lowered her eyes and replied, "Anyway, in such matters, it is always the women who end up suffering once they get involved."

There was a hint of mockery on her face, "Aren’t you the same? Just because I am a prostitute, you think I am a habitual liar, that whatever I say must be false, and of course, you don’t consider showing me any respect."

Gu Jianxi stared straight at her reflection in the mirror and calmly said, "I have never said such a thing."

"You didn’t say it, you just did it for real," Li Chunzhou said firmly, "If I were just an ordinary daughter, would General Gu barge into my room to interrogate me like this? In other words, General Gu, you are no different to me than Liu Yuming."

Gu Jianxi didn’t speak, he just looked deeply at her. He had never met a girl like Li Chunzhou before. He was somewhat intrigued after their last encounter. He had brought gold this time hoping to see her greedy side, to make himself clear-headed, but ended up getting more entangled.

The more unattainable something is, the more it makes people itch with desire.

If a person cares too much about themselves, this feeling will also subtly spread to those around them.

Gu Jianxi was used to faces full of flattery, so being demanded respect to his face for the first time was quite amusing to him.

Li Chunzhou set the pace just right. Seeing Gu Jianxi’s silence, she softened her tone and said, "But if you want to know the truth of this matter, I do have some speculations. For the investigation of the headless body case, it might be best to focus on the first case twenty years ago and Minister Liu’s residence. Don’t waste too much effort elsewhere."

Gu Jianxi raised an eyebrow in surprise, "How did you find out about these things?"

"Just speculating based on what’s in the official gazette, it’s common knowledge. It’s hard not to know," Li Chunzhou replied.

Li Chunzhou picked up the bag of gold on the table and handed it to Gu Jianxi, saying, "I’m about to meet His Royal Highness the Second Prince, General Gu, do you have anything else?"

Seeing that she was using the statue of Second Prince as a shield, Gu Jianxi realized he shouldn’t push her too far. He gave the bag of gold back to Li Chunzhou and insisted she kept it. Then, he noticed a round wooden bird carving in the corner.

Li Chunzhou stared at him, confused. Gu Jianxi acted as if the unpleasant situation hadn’t happened and said with a playful smile, "This…"

He paused, saw Qi Leyuan standing by Li Chunzhou, and thought the wooden carving must be a pet. He continued, "You keep the gold, I’ll take this wooden chicken. If your guess can help the court make progress in the case, I’ll make sure you get credit."

Gu Jianxi’s strange attitude left Li Chunzhou puzzled. Even though he was the Prime Minister’s son and the leader of the Jinwei Guard, what recognition could he offer to a prostitute other than freeing her from slavery?

Li Chunzhou wasn’t particularly interested in being freed from slavery, but she was surprised by how much Gu Jianxi was considering her. After all, Gu Jianxi wasn’t known for being sensitive.

Watching Gu Jianxi leave with confident strides and the heavy gold still in her hand, Li Chunzhou muttered to herself, "He’s crazy."

…

Gu Jianxi walked out of the room, where four martial scouts stood in a row, blocking the door. A tall girl dressed as a servant was nearby, holding a jug of water and looking coldly from the steps.

Chihong raised her head and glanced at Gu Jianxi as he emerged.

Gu Jianxi happened to meet her eyes, and saw the murderous intent in the maid’s eyes. He was surprised for a moment, then squinted his eyes.

Inside the house, Li Chunzhou’s voice calling someone was heard, Chihong quickly lowered her head and carried the water for Li Chunzhou’s washing into the house.

Gu Jianxi walked outside with four bodyguards, a young martial scout squeezed his way over, grinned, and jokingly asked, "General, how does it feel to be alone with a beautiful woman in a room? Is even the smell in the room fragrant?"

"Get lost," Gu Jianxi kicked him coldly, touched his chin, and said, "But… why did she scold me so harshly? Playing hard to get? Ha, I knew she must care about me."

Bodyguard, "Ah…?"

Just as Gu Jianxi walked out of the gate of the Spring Flowers Tower, he put away the last hint of a smile on his face and ordered his subordinates beside him, "Check the maid next to Li Chunzhou who has a scar on her face."

***

Li Chunzhou didn’t have many guests today. After lunch, she took Qi Leyuan out to the street to join in the fun.

The emperor acknowledged three illegitimate children back to the palace yesterday, which was certainly not a small matter. Although there was a bit of an incident in the Peaceful Heart Courtyard, the announcement of this event to the public today was not postponed, only the three new princes became two.

The people in the town were talking about the matter, Li Chunzhou stood a little away from the crowd, quietly watching the excitement.

Suddenly, a man’s hand rested on her shoulder. Before Li Chunzhou could turn around, the hand swiftly moved from her shoulder to cover her eyes, and the man whispered, "Guess who I am?"

Li Chunzhou gently placed her hand on his hand, warm and soft, touching his hand gently.

She smiled and whispered, "I guess… it’s the prince."

Mi Hongbao let go of her, happily circling around Li Chunzhou, and asked in surprise, "How did you know it was me?"

Li Chunzhou smiled and replied, "Because I think about A’bao every day, and when you think about someone so much, they appear before you!"

– She recognized him from his familiar voice.

Mi Hongbao laughed so hard that his teeth almost showed. He hadn’t made any progress in the few days they hadn’t seen each other. Li Chunzhou made him feel dizzy again. He took off the jade ring on his finger and gave it to Li Chunzhou to hold, then gently held her hand.

This time Mi Hongbao came alone, with only a servant boy by his side. The servant boy, seeing the two of them being close, lowered his head and averted his eyes.

Li Chunzhou looked away from the servant with a smile in her eyes. Her pretty face looked even more charming. She lifted the corner of her veil and smiled at Mi Hongbao.

Mi Hongbao always looked like a mischievous and carefree young man with an empty mind. Because of this, his rebellious and carefree teenage vibe was unmatched by anyone else.

Li Chunzhou didn’t particularly like his personality at first. However, everything is relative. Compared to Liang Changfeng and Gu Jianxi, she preferred to be with Mi Hongbao.

Li Chunzhou asked, "Where is the young master going?"

"Oh, there’s a gathering," Mi Hongbao suddenly remembered. "Are you free this afternoon? I can take you with me."

It was presented as a discussion, but it was more of a statement. Li Chunzhou didn’t immediately agree but pretended to think for a moment before saying, "Actually, I have guests this afternoon… But for A’bao’s sake, I can cancel on them."

Mi Hongbao’s smile widened as he confidently placed his hand on Li Chunzhou’s shoulder, proudly saying, "Exactly! How much are those unsavory characters worth? If you don’t make money from them, I’ll make them pay you!"

Li Chunzhou embraced Mi Hongbao’s arm and looked at him with a smile.

Mi Hongbao enjoyed her dependence on him like a nestling, feeling so delighted by the brightness and vitality in her sparkling eyes. He felt he really liked her a lot, so much!

Mi Hongbao felt joyful and light-hearted, so he held Li Chunzhou’s hand and walked quickly through the crowd.

The afternoon sunlight fell on Li Chunzhou’s face, making her look like a carefree fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl instead of a young courtesan in the brothel.