Chapter 52: An Honored Guest in the Inner Chamber

Tan Qingjiu blinked. “Back in the Valley of Skilled Hands, I always thought Sixth Master was rather indifferent to fame and fortune, unconcerned about most things. Why did you become the Grand Adviser of Qingning then?”

“Who said that?” Li Xiao laughed softly. “Why would I be indifferent to fame and fortune? Power is wonderful—enjoying prosperity, manipulating life and death, making others fear to insult you, forcing them to kneel and look up at you.”

“Everyone is drawn to power; I am no exception.”

“You’re right not to acknowledge me openly.” His eyes and brows softened, as if the mocking expression just now had been nothing but Qingjiu’s imagination. “This way, I can still help you secretly.”

“If others knew our relationship, they’d be more wary of you, which would hinder your quest for vengeance.”

Tan Qingjiu’s lips curled up. “Isn’t it? This is called hiding one’s strength.”

“You can’t reveal all your cards right at the start—that would be far too dull.”

Li Xiao watched Tan Qingjiu’s mischievous expression and couldn’t help but smile. He bent his finger and tapped her forehead. “You, you.”

“The last few times I corresponded with your other masters, they said the Valley has lost its charm since you and the two little ones left. They’re planning to travel north together to the capital.”

Tan Qingjiu’s pupils widened in shock. “What? They’re all coming?”

“Better not, perhaps? If they all come, who knows what chaos the capital will descend into.”

Those masters of hers… were truly terrifying.

Relatively speaking, Sixth Master was the only normal one among them.

Li Xiao was amused by Tan Qingjiu’s reaction and laughed heartily. “Actually, I’m rather looking forward to it. The capital will be much more interesting then.”

Midway through his laughter, he suddenly grew serious, his gaze coldly sweeping toward a nearby thicket, where a head quickly ducked out of sight.

Li Xiao squinted and nodded toward that direction. “Someone’s spying on us.”

Tan Qingjiu remained unconcerned. “It’s nothing—not one of Tan Yun’s people. As long as Tan Yun firmly believes what you said before, they won’t be able to stir up much trouble.”

Li Xiao responded, “Let’s go, time to head back. There are eyes everywhere here, even talking is inconvenient.”

“Very well.”

Li Xiao returned to the main hall, his expression settled back to normal. “I spoke at length with Second Miss Tan. Indeed, her fortune awakened suddenly more than six years ago. Such a phenomenon is unparalleled in the realm. Lord Tan is truly blessed.”

“Thank you, Grand Adviser.”

Li Xiao’s expression was tinged with compassion. “Amitabha.”

As Tan Yun personally escorted Li Xiao out, the others in the household dispersed.

Chen Yueju returned to her room, where her nurse whispered something in her ear.

“Is that true?”

The nurse nodded. “Absolutely. The people I sent saw it with their own eyes—the Grand Adviser and Tan Qingjiu were very close, laughing and talking. Li Xiao even made this gesture to her—”

The nurse bent her finger and tapped Chen Yueju’s forehead, then hurriedly stepped back two paces. “Who would do such a thing—especially between a man and a woman—upon first meeting, so intimate?”

“Tan Qingjiu and the Grand Adviser must be old acquaintances.”

“Not only old acquaintances—their relationship is clearly extraordinary.”

Chen Yueju bit her lip in secret. “I knew it! No wonder Li Xiao suddenly paid a visit, claiming Tan Qingjiu was some sort of lucky star, praising her as if she were unique in heaven and earth. This is clearly Tan Qingjiu’s plot!”

“Tan Qingjiu certainly takes after her mother, who died young—a fox spirit, always bewitching men, making them lose their senses. Shameless creature.”

“She’s full of tricks—from that Divine Physician Lin, to Prince Duan, and now the Grand Adviser. I bet all of them are her secret lovers, and as soon as she sighs in bed, they come running to help her.”

The nurse’s eyes widened. “Madam suspects that Tan Qingjiu and those men all…”

“What else could it be? Between men and women, what other relationship can there be? I believe all that talk of medicine, of being a divine physician, is just a cover. She uses it to approach the city’s elites, then seduces them…”

“Fox spirit, shameless.” Chen Yueju gritted her teeth. “Her methods are quite clever.”

The nurse frowned. “If that’s the case, perhaps we should tell the master? If it’s true, then Tan Qingjiu surely harbors ulterior motives. We can’t let the master fall for her tricks.”

“What would be the point?” Chen Yueju recalled Tan Yun’s earlier words and felt a surge of resentment. “We have no evidence—everything is mere speculation. The master trusts the Grand Adviser deeply. If we say anything now, he won’t believe us, and will scold us for slandering Tan Qingjiu.”

“In that case, it would only damage his opinion of me. I’ve tried this before—I won’t make the same foolish mistake twice.”

“If we want him to believe, we must lay the facts before him, let him see and hear for himself what his so-called divine physician daughter is really like.”

The nurse nodded. “Madam’s words make sense. What should we do, then?”

Chen Yueju’s eyes darted, quickly forming a plan. “It’s not difficult. Tan Qingjiu likes to use her medical skills as a pretext to approach the city’s powerful and seduce them, doesn’t she?”

“Then I’ll bribe a noble, have him seek Tan Qingjiu for a consultation, and then…”

Chen Yueju’s eyes were full of calculation, and though she didn’t finish her sentence, the nurse quickly understood her implication. “A clever scheme. But where will we find a noble willing to serve as bait?”

Chen Yueju had already thought it through. “I can’t find one, but Yunge can. She’s the heir’s wife. Send her an invitation, and arrange to meet at Mingyue Pavilion.”

“Yes, madam.”

The next day was the birthday of Princess Ding. Tan Qingjiu had just finished breakfast when a servant came to report, “Second Miss, Prince Duan has arrived to escort you.”

Tan Qingjiu was startled. She had indeed agreed to visit Princess Ding’s residence with Prince Duan to offer birthday greetings, since she had no invitation and could only go with him.

But Prince Duan came in person?

As she was pondering this, Qindai muttered beside her, “Prince Duan has twice rescued Mistress, and now comes to escort her personally. Could it be… he likes her?”

Tan Qingjiu tapped Qindai’s head. “What nonsense! Grab the gifts, let’s go.”

Tan Qingjiu, accompanied by Qindai and Zisu, left the residence. The carriage from Prince Duan’s household was parked at the gate. As she approached, she heard Prince Duan’s voice from inside the carriage: “Quick, bring a step stool for the princess.”

Tan Qingjiu nearly stumbled. What on earth?