Chapter 109: The Flower Queens

The two women walked to the center of the room, their every step exuding a fragrant breeze. They curtsied gracefully and greeted in sweet, melodious voices, “Chenxiang (Xixiang) greets the esteemed officials. May you both be blessed with good fortune!”

It took Wang Wei and Gao Junya a moment to recover from their astonishment before they hastily gestured for the women to rise. After greedily sizing up their alluring figures, Wang Wei turned to Li Shimin with curiosity. “And these two are...?”

Li Shimin smiled. “These two are the most renowned flower queens of the Wanhua Pavilion. They are twin sisters, not only identical in appearance but also deeply attuned to each other’s thoughts. Knowing that you’ve traveled a long way and must be weary, I specially invited them here to entertain you.”

Upon hearing the name Wanhua Pavilion , the two officials immediately understood what kind of establishment it was—they frequented such places often. Gao Junya asked curiously, “Deeply attuned? Is that truly possible?”

“I would never dare deceive Lord Gao,” Li Shimin replied smoothly. “If you don’t believe me, feel free to test it right now.” Intrigued, Gao Junya and Wang Wei eagerly urged him to demonstrate.

Li Shimin nodded and instructed someone to blindfold Xixiang and have her turn her back. Then, a red lacquer tray adorned with golden patterns was brought in, displaying more than ten jeweled hairpins. He instructed Chenxiang to select two pins silently, return them to the tray, and then signaled Duan Zhiming, who stood beside Xixiang. “Alright, remove the cloth from her eyes.”

Just as Duan Zhiming was about to do so, Wang Wei suddenly interjected, “Wait a moment.”

Under everyone’s puzzled gazes, Wang Wei picked one of the hairpins Chenxiang had just chosen and slipped it into his sleeve. Only then did he nod and say, “Now, proceed.”

After Xixiang adjusted to the light, Li Shimin gestured toward the tray filled with hairpins. “Select the two your sister chose earlier. If you succeed, there will be a reward for both of you.”

“Yes,” Xixiang replied sweetly and stepped forward. She quickly identified one hairpin but hesitated when choosing the second. Reaching out several times, she withdrew her hand, visibly confused. After a while, she looked up and asked, “Second Master, my sister truly selected two hairpins?”

“Indeed,” Li Shimin confirmed. Xixiang studied the tray again before shaking her head. “No, apart from this one in my hand, none of the remaining hairpins were selected by my sister.”

Wang Wei deliberately remarked, “But we all saw your sister choose two. Could it be that your connection isn’t as strong as claimed?”

Xixiang immediately countered, “Impossible. My sister and I have been able to sense each other’s feelings and preferences since childhood. If there were another pin my sister liked on this tray, I would surely have felt it.”

Lady Wan chuckled softly. “Lord Wang, it seems you’ve lost.”

Wang Wei burst into laughter and admitted, “You’re absolutely right—it seems I’ve lost.” With that, he retrieved the hidden hairpin from his sleeve and personally placed it in Xixiang’s hair. “Here’s your reward!”

Xixiang blushed and curtsied deeply. “Thank you, Master!”

“No need for formalities.” Wang Wei helped her up, lingeringly holding her hand. Meanwhile, Gao Junya stared intently at Chenxiang.

While Wang Wei and Gao Junya were distracted by the twins, Li Shimin subtly gestured for Yunyi to withdraw.

Understanding his signal, Yunyi quietly led Jiang Caiping and the others out of Lanyue Tower. Just before leaving, she overheard Li Shimin say, “You sisters must attend to these esteemed guests carefully. If there’s any neglect, I won’t visit the Wanhua Pavilion to support you in the future.”

Only after returning to her room did Yunyi finally exhale deeply, still shaken. It had been a close call—she’d almost been seen by Imperial Physician Zhu. She resolved to remain cautious until Wang Wei and his group left Honghua Prefecture. Fortunately, she could return home for a couple of days starting the day after tomorrow and wouldn’t return until the second day of the new year.

Jiang Caiping didn’t notice Yunyi’s unease. Sitting down, she began chatting idly. “I’ve heard people talk about the twin flower queens of the Wanhua Pavilion before. So that’s what they look like! To be honest, I don’t think they’re as beautiful as Sister Yunyi. But their ability to sense each other’s thoughts is truly remarkable.” Pausing, she added disdainfully, “Did you see how those two officials ogled them? Their lecherous gazes were unbearable! Who would have thought high-ranking officials from the capital could behave like that? And Second Master—I always thought he was a man of integrity. Yet, he brought courtesans to the residence. Judging by how confidently he spoke, he’s probably visited the Wanhua Pavilion more than once. Remember what he said about ‘supporting’ them when we left? Clearly, he frequents the place. Such men, always chasing after women, are utterly despicable.” Suddenly, she stood up, alarmed. “Oh no! Earlier, Lord Wang insisted on having Sister take off her mask. Do you think… do you think he might have taken a fancy to you?”

Yunyi couldn’t help but smile bitterly at Jiang Caiping’s delayed realization. “Finally figured it out, have you?”

“I… I didn’t expect them to be so depraved,” Jiang Caiping muttered, clutching her chest in relief. “Thank goodness those two flower queens arrived when they did, or you’d have been in trouble. Sister, you must be careful in the future and avoid those men at all costs.”

“I know.” Even without Jiang Caiping’s reminder, Yunyi had already decided to go to great lengths to evade them and avoid unnecessary complications.

After a brief silence, Jiang Caiping said, “What worries me now is whether they’ll summon us to perform at Lanyue Tower again tomorrow. If those two officials haven’t sated their lust, then Sister…”

Yunyi interrupted her. “Tomorrow morning, I’ll speak with Nurse Yang and ask her to let me leave early.”

Jiang Caiping nodded. “That’s the best option for now. Hopefully, by the time we return on the second day of the new year, they’ll already be gone. Speaking of which, Second Master…”

At the mention of Li Shimin’s name, Yunyi felt an inexplicable surge of irritation. Cutting her off, she said, “Don’t mention him. It’s late—let’s rest.”

After washing up, Yunyi lay in bed but couldn’t fall asleep. Li Shimin’s final words kept echoing in her ears, refusing to fade. It wasn’t until much later that she drifted into a restless slumber.

________________________________________

The night passed uneventfully. At dawn, Yunyi hurried to see Nurse Yang, only to find someone had beaten her to it. Surprised, she exclaimed, “Second Master?”

It was indeed Li Shimin. Smiling faintly, he said, “Let me guess—you’re here to request Nurse Yang’s permission to return home today, aren’t you?”

Yunyi lowered her head. “Yes. My father is alone at home, and I’m quite worried about him. I wish to return sooner to keep him company.”

Li Shimin remained silent, smiling knowingly. Standing nearby, Nurse Yang chimed in cheerfully, “Meixue, you’re a bit late. Second Master has already made arrangements. Not only you, but everyone from the Music Pavilion is granted leave to return home today. You may all come back after the fifth day of the new year—and each person will be rewarded with five hundred coins!”