"I have no official duties tonight"
Xie Yu was not stupid. Of course she understood the hidden meaning behind Shen Changyin's words.
But they were a political marriage, and they had agreed on three rules.
How could she say something like that?
Xie Yu widened her eyes and waved her hands repeatedly. "Not with you… I don't… really, I don't… please don't!"
Silence fell.
Shen Changyin said, "You refused four times in a row."
The young regent dressed in silver-white silk had no smile on her face, her expression calm. "Fortunately, I had no intention of inviting Your Highness to accompany me anyway."
Hopefully she really meant that.
Xie Yu nodded frantically. "Yes yes! Good! We will each mind our own business!"
She turned to leave, got halfway, then ran back and snatched an invitation card from Shen Changyin's hand.
Facing Shen Changyin's gaze, she forced a guilty smile. "I'm not going to a tavern, really. Just a teahouse. A teahouse."
—
That evening, the sun had just dipped below the horizon, leaving a final wash of orange-red light. The streets were already lively as every household came out to celebrate the arrival of another spring.
Xie Yu skipped dinner and took the young maid and the little dog with her.
Since Flower Month had begun, the steward arranged rotating shifts for the household staff. One group worked, the other rested.
Those on break all went home for the festival. Only the twelve-year-old maid had nowhere to go. Even off-duty, she had no home to return to.
So Xie Yu brought her along to have some fun.
Spring warmth had settled in, so Xie Yu removed her heavy winter clothes. She wore only three light layers today, choosing a pale blue outer robe with a cream inner collar that suited the season well.
"Little Wan, come here." Once they exited the prince's residence, she beckoned the child over and placed a silver piece in her hand. "Eat whatever you want, play whatever you like. Don't ask me. Just buy it yourself."
The child hugged the little dog, smiling brightly. "Thank you, Your Highness!"
They went straight to the largest night market in the capital. Many stalls, stages, and lantern frames were still being set up. There were no performances tonight, but plenty of food and trinkets filled the streets, lively enough on their own.
Most people had flower marks painted on their foreheads to celebrate Flower Month. The shapes varied widely. Aside from the common peach blossom, even intricate iris designs were available.
Curious and delighted, Xie Yu found a flower-mark stall and paid for both herself and little Wan.
Little Wan chose apricot blossoms. Xie Yu chose a pear blossom.
The vendor was skilled. She first covered the center of Xie Yu's forehead with a pear-blossom-shaped paper cutout, dusted pale pink rouge around it to leave a blank pear shape, then added the delicate flower mark.
Afterward, Xie Yu stared into the mirror for a long time. It really did look better than the bright red dot kids wore for kindergarten performances.
The two of them and one dog walked while eating, buying little trinkets as they went. They ate from the start of the street to the very end, then circled back to the third shop selling fresh flower cakes.
"I've eaten down the whole street, and your pear blossom cakes are the best." Xie Yu pursed her lips and asked the shopkeeper to wrap some up.
Little Wan stood beside her with cheeks puffed full of food, nodding while struggling to chew with her mouth closed. The little dog in her arms had no such manners and chewed noisily.
The shopkeeper wrapped the cakes in oiled paper and said, "Good taste, miss. Our pear blossom cakes are made from a family recipe."
"But our business is small. We dare not boast too much. The best pear blossom cakes in the capital belong to Mingyan Pavilion. Unfortunately, Mingyan Pavilion is closed to the general public for the entire month. Only guests with invitations may enter. If you go next month, they'll be using stored pear blossoms instead of freshly picked ones. Not as fragrant as now."
Xie Yu's eyes brightened.
She did have an invitation.
And Mingyan Pavilion sounded like a clean, proper teahouse.
Half an incense stick later, she and little Wan stood in front of a dazzling tavern glittering with gold and decorated with silks and bamboo instruments. Music drifted from within.
Xie Yu said nothing.
"Your Highness, this place doesn't look like a teahouse." little Wan frowned. "It looks like the kind of place the palace tutors warned us never to enter before adulthood."
"Little Cui in the palace said her nanny told her that places like this usually have a drug that makes your whole body heat up after eating it, and the only way to cure it is to take off your clothes and kiss someone."
Xie Yu nearly fainted. "You're only twelve! Who taught you that? What kind of nanny teaches this!"
"The tutoring nanny! All the princesses listen to her too. Your Highness, were you daydreaming when Granny Cui taught this lesson?"
Little Wan patted her own chest with pride. "I pay attention in class. I can teach you."
Xie Yu stared at her for a long moment before understanding that in this women-only world, even children received a unified sex education course.
From palace maids to princesses, even children outside the palace had teachers for the same lessons.
"Nanny also said that this kissing drug isn't inherently wrong, but we must wait until we're grown up to buy it and only use it with our future wives. We must never use it casually on others."
Xie Yu let out a long breath. Relief mixed with unexpected warmth. "Good. Your nanny is absolutely right."
"But I need to correct one thing. There is no such drug in the world that requires taking off your clothes and kissing someone to detoxify."
She lifted little Wan's hand. "Repeat after me. We believe in science."
Little Wan repeated it. Then asked, "So should we still buy the pear blossom cakes inside?"
Xie Yu pulled out her invitation. "Of course. I'll buy them. You go back to the residence first. I'll pack some for you."
After thinking for a moment, she handed little Wan the invitation. "Try to see if they'll let you in first."
Little Wan approached the entrance and was immediately blocked by the guards. "No children allowed."
Xie Yu felt satisfied. If they blocked children, at least the place had some standards.
She took back the invitation, sent little Wan and the dog home, and swaggered into the tavern herself.
The grand hall was splendid, elegant, filled with exquisitely dressed beauties. Flowing skirts brushed past, carrying sweet fragrances.
"Welcome, honored guest!"
A servant from across the hall noticed the number on her invitation and rushed over before anyone else could, smiling as she introduced the place.
"You must have smelled it already. The fragrance here is made from fresh flower nectar, light yet unique and long-lasting. A guest once walked out and attracted a butterfly that refused to leave her shoulder."
Xie Yu examined the hall carefully. Though the guests were laughing and flirting, they all appeared clear-headed. So the fragrance truly had no aphrodisiacs mixed in.
She finally relaxed.
She handed over the invitation. "Bring me two servings of pear blossom cakes."
"Certainly. Would you like to wait in a private room?"
Xie Yu remembered the decadent private room décor described by Minister Zhang and shook her head violently. "No. I'll wait in the hall."
The servant forced a pitiful smile. "Miss, the hall is only for receiving and sending off guests. There aren't even chairs. You'll be tired. If my mistress sees me neglecting you like this, she'll dock my salary. Please be kind to me."
"…Fine."
Xie Yu followed the servant up five floors. Compared to the bustling hall below, the upper floors were quiet. Many doors were closed, with only faint sounds behind them.
"This private room is yours."
The servant stopped at a secluded door. "Everything inside is newly replaced. The finest carpets from the Western Regions. Elegant furniture from Jiangnan. All prepared exclusively for you. Drinks are ready inside as well. Enjoy yourself. The two servings of pear blossom cake will arrive shortly."
"Pack two extra portions." Xie Yu instructed.
The attendant agreed and left.
Xie Yu pushed the door open and was surprised to find that this was exactly the kind of mirror room Minister Zhang had described.
Only this one had more than just a huge long-pile white carpet on the floor and a spotless clear mercury mirror on the ceiling—there were eight additional full-length mercury mirrors placed around the room.
Xie Yu stared at her reflection and swallowed.
If a couple really came here, wouldn't their bare bodies pressed together be reflected from every direction?
This was way too embarrassing.
But the furnishings were indeed interesting. Beside the carpet was a small low table and two low-backed seats, all placed directly on the ground.
On the small table sat two delicate porcelain pots and two tiny wine cups.
Xie Yu opened each porcelain pot to sniff. One carried the scent of alcohol; the other only the fragrance of roses, likely something like pure floral distillate.
She was cautious—she poured only half a sip of the liquor and tasted it. It was just sweet rice wine.
The floral distillate was wonderfully fragrant, not too sweet, and very refreshing. She drank more than half a cup in one go.
The attendant knocked and stood outside with two plates of pear blossom cake.
Xie Yu stood up, took the plates, shut the door, set the cakes on the table, then sat back down on the soft carpet, leaning against the comfortable cushion. A faint fragrance of fresh flowers drifted from the incense burner in the corner, and the distant singing seemed to float in the air.
This was the kind of enjoyment rich people got to have.
She let out a long breath, picked up a piece of pear blossom cake, paired it with the rose distillate, and began to relax.
—
"Little Wan, why are you back alone? Where's Her Highness the Third? Never mind, come with me quickly. Master Shen wants to know why Her Highness still hasn't returned."
Little Wan had barely stepped through the Jin Princess's Manor gate and put Little Flower down when the steward hurriedly pulled her along.
There was a small side courtyard in the manor, rarely used, but today Master Shen had taken it over, lit lanterns, and was entertaining a few officials.
As soon as little Wan reached the doorway of the study being used for discussion, she heard a middle-aged woman fawning.
"Master Shen is truly wise and decisive, far ahead of me."
Little Wan looked up—it was that very annoying middle-aged minister.
The Third Princess disliked her, so little Wan decided she would dislike her too.
But first she needed to answer Master Shen.
"Where is she?" Shen Changyin asked, lifting her eyes.
"Her Highness the Third went to buy pear blossom cake. Mingyan Tower wouldn't let me in, so she told me to come back first." little Wan answered honestly.
Neither of the two noticed that Minister Guo's expression had changed.
"Buying pear blossom cake… and she ended up at a place like Mingyan Tower?" Shen Changyin's tone held a faint, ironic smile.
But after only a breath or two, she sighed softly. "Well… it does fit her style."
Little Wan quickly added, "Her Highness said she's only eating a little and will be back soon. She'll pack some for me too."
She blinked, then added, "She'll pack some for you as well!"
Shen Changyin looked at the twelve-year-old girl helplessly. "Then tell the Third Princess that I am deeply grateful."
Her gaze slid to Minister Guo again—her expression was strange, as if hiding something.
This woman, now middle-aged, had become someone who sought fame through virtue-signaling, pretending to be proper… but when she was young, she too had relied on her family background and behaved like an idle, useless rake. Such an expression was definitely not an outrage over Xie Yu going to a pleasure house.
"Minister Guo," Shen Changyin said, "why don't you speak plainly?"
Minister Guo apologized quickly, then hesitated, as if terrified of provoking Shen Changyin. "Mingyan Tower… their specialty is providing colorless, scentless aphrodisiac incense in the private rooms. It's mixed into the room's incense and food so the guests won't notice."
"And some go even further, mixing the drug into rice wine or flower distillates—its floral scent masks the liquor. Guests won't notice, only think they are overwhelmed by affection, which makes the experience… better."
The room fell silent.
Shen Changyin suddenly stood, striding out, her dark hair sweeping behind her in the wind.
"Prepare the horses."
Her voice was sharp.
—
Music drifted through the private room, the singing girl in the distance now replaced by another, her voice sweet as a spring breeze from Jiangnan.
Meanwhile, Xie Yu only felt thirsty.
Pear blossom cake was a dessert that dried the mouth easily, and the rose distillate came only in a small pot. It had felt refreshing earlier, but now she found it wasn't enough.
Was there something wrong with this private room…?
Using her fingertip dipped in wine, she wrote out a five-digit times five-digit multiplication on the table: 12,548 times 13,569.
The answer: 270,345,617.
She calculated slowly, but she still got it right!
She thought: My mind is clear. I'm fine.
Maybe she had eaten something salty earlier at the night market—too much salt makes you thirsty, right?
She slid the door open and called for another attendant, asking for two more bottles of iced floral distillate.
Too lazy to use the tiny wine cups, she lifted one bottle and drank straight from the mouth of the pot, finishing it in one go.
That helped a little.
Holding the last bottle of pure distillate, she ran her fingertip along the beads of condensation on its surface.
She felt… kind of warm.
And after eating so many carbs, she was starting to feel dizzy.
She hooked her finger under her collar—inner layer, middle layer, outer robe. So many layers! The blue pressed over the beige pressed over the white really did look beautiful.
She tugged at them, pulling them open and closed, trying to fan some air in.
Ugh—this era with no T-shirts and big round collars was so annoying.
She forcefully pulled her collar wider, then rested her chin on the table.
Just a little rest… just a little…
Then her expression changed. She stood abruptly, pointed at a figure that had appeared in the room, and shouted.
"Why did you come in?! Get out!"
"And you!" She pointed in another direction. "An entire gang committing robbery together! Third—class—merit!"
She stormed forward and slapped hard—hitting a cold, flat surface: a mirror.
"Oh!" Her eyes widened, but only briefly.
"I get it. This is the mirror room!"
She slowly walked back to the table, sat on the carpet, and said one word at a time:
"The truth is only one—! You're all just reflections of me!"
"And I… can't recognize faces anymore!"
"It's… it's over."
—
"You're here! Ah—dear guest, what can I get you? Shall I take you to a private room?"
One of Mingyan Tower's attendants bowed with a welcoming smile to greet the newly arrived group of guests.
The leading guest wore silver-white robes, her dark hair tied up, white silk gloves on her hands holding a slender black riding whip. Her features were exquisite, but her expression was cold as frost. Though she looked across the busy hall full of guests, her eyes seemed to be looking at nothing more than corpses.
"Imperial Guard business."
A subordinate in tight black clothes stepped forward behind her, speaking in a flat, harsh tone and raising her badge.
"No one moves. No one enters. No one leaves."
After the soldier Zhu Ting presented the badge, Old Jin entered as well. "The building is already sealed."
Only then did Shen Changyin speak, taking out a card decorated with overlapping purple irises. "An hour ago, you received a guest carrying this invitation. Where is she?"
The attendant trembled violently. She had never seen this invitation.
But another attendant nearby suddenly said, "I think I saw little Li receiving a guest earlier with that same card in her hand."
"They went to the fourth or fifth floor, but I'm not sure which, or which room."
"Where is little Li?!" a supervisor hissed. "Hurry and find her!"
"She just switched shifts! She went to the night market with her wife!"
The scene devolved into chaos. Attendants and supervisors blamed each other, arguing about where the one who received Xie Yu had gone.
Shen Changyin lost all patience and swept aside the people blocking her path. "Search."
A small unit of black-clad soldiers moved like her most loyal hunting hounds, clearing the way for her and flashing blades at anyone who dared obstruct them.
The supervisor trembled, trying to slip away to warn the tower owner, but Old Jin blocked her, smirking viciously:
"You. Your tower drugged guests without their knowledge, and now you want your owner to run? Too late."
Shen Changyin strode quickly and reached the fourth floor.
Her soldiers remained stern and disciplined, knocking on each door and issuing three warnings. If no one answered after the third, they broke it down.
From the outside, Mingyan Tower appeared like an elegant establishment with a good reputation—famous even for having the best pear blossom cake in the capital. The private rooms on the lower floors were indeed open to any paying citizen.
But higher up, the rooms overflowed with debauchery—many officers pretending to be upright by day but indulging in pleasure behind their wives' backs at night.
Many rooms burst open to scenes of drunken decadence—thick scents, bare limbs, and even guests waving drunkenly at Shen Changyin's group, inviting them to join in.
Shen Changyin kept her face stone-still. In a moment when no one looked, she frowned slightly in disgust.
The attendant leading the way grew more anxious. Their sweep of the fourth floor yielded nothing. Once they reached the fifth floor, she wiped sweat from her brow.
"Almost there, almost… The rooms on the fifth floor are large but fewer—she must be here. There's the song room, the mirror room, the water room…"
"You said mirror room? Mirror as in… mirrors?" Shen Changyin interrupted abruptly.
"Yes."
"Do your attendants ever take money from guests and assign a specific private room for a specific invitation?"
"There are… situations like that. Our rooms each have a different theme. Some regulars give the attendants extra money when they buy the invitation and ask for a specific room."
Shen Changyin gritted her teeth as she spoke the name of Minister Zhang. Then she turned to Zhu Ting and said, "I know where she is. Leave two women to follow me."
"The rest of you go notify Old Jin and have her lift the lockdown. Do not investigate or question any guests below the fourth floor. Let them leave or stay as they wish, and have the stewards calm them."
"As for everyone on the fourth floor and above, make a full record. I want the name, official rank and identity of each officer and each lover who comes here to indulge themselves."
Then she spoke to the attendant. "Lead the way to the Mirror Room. Hurry."
The closer she came to the Mirror Room, the faster her steps became. While walking, she gave another order to her subordinates. "In a moment, take this attendant downstairs first and have the manor prepare the physician."
She did not know what condition Xie Yu was in.
Although Mingyan Tower claimed that the effects of that drug would do no harm once the influence faded, no one could know how much Xie Yu had taken or how strong the reaction would be.
Standing outside the Mirror Room, she took a deep breath. A flash of chaotic scenes from other private rooms crossed her mind. She pressed her lips together.
She blocked the doorway and pushed the door open.
Inside, there was no lustful atmosphere. It was quiet and fragrant.
The young Princess Jin, the missing person she had been searching for, her own fiancée, was sitting on the carpet. Her arms rested on a small table, her upper body nearly lying across it. Her clothes were still perfectly tidy. Only her collar had been tugged open by herself, exposing a palm-sized patch of luminous white skin. Even her collarbone was only faintly visible.
The pear-blossom forehead ornament on Xie Yu's brow was silver-white and delicate. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. She was pressing her face tightly against a cold porcelain wine jug. The condensation on its surface moistened her skin. Her eyes were dark and glossy yet unfocused. When she heard the door open, she tilted her head in dazed confusion and looked over.
Suddenly, she gave Shen Changyin a smile as fresh as morning dew. "I'm drunk."
Shen Changyin swallowed for no reason, feeling all the heat in her body rush toward her ears.
She shut the door behind her, leaving all noise locked outside.
Then, step by step, she approached.
—
T/N: In case anyone didn't notice, the calculation Xie Yu made is wrong, but she thinks she did it correctly due to the effects of the aphrodisiac in the incense.
If you're enjoying this translation, feel free to check out my Patreon. If you're unable to support financially, you can still subscribe for free and receive chapters two hours earlier, along with updates and announcements. Paid tiers offer early access and daily chapters.
Thank you so much for reading!
patreon.com/Baenz