Time Travel: Brothel Maid

Chapter 109 Letting go

The small courtyard in Zhuxian Lane has been in silence for the entire afternoon since Fu Qian'an left.

Xiao Guoer stared at the door of the main room that had not been opened for a long time, and she felt more and more uneasy. Finally, at dusk, she could no longer hold back and gently knocked on Yingniang's door.

"Sister? Are you hungry? Want to eat something?"

"Okay, let Yueya set the table."

The female voice coming from the room had a calm and gentle tone, as if nothing had happened. Could it be that Fu Qian had really persuaded his elder sister?

Xiao Guoer gently pushed open the door and walked in. When she turned around, she saw Yingniang sitting quietly on the couch, slowly smiling at her.

Seeing this smile, Xiao Guoer felt an indescribable feeling in her heart. How should she describe it? It seemed to contain a kind of elegant sorrow like lilac flowers, but more of it was the kind of relief and detachment that came after letting go of something that she had been pursuing for a long time but could never get, ethereal and vague.

"Sister?" Xiao Guoer's voice was a little cautious, as if she was afraid of scaring away the rare smile on Yingniang's face.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. What Master Fu said makes sense. I've made up my mind. I won't get entangled with Zhou Lang anymore. From today on, we have nothing to do with each other."

Xiao Guoer was stunned when she heard this. She couldn't believe her ears. Did Fu Qi'an, the playboy, really have this ability? Did he really convince Yingniang?

What did he say that made it so effective?

"Sister, are you really my sister? Could it be that Fu Qi'an has bewitched you?"

You really can't blame her for her strong reaction. She never expected that Fu Qian's mere cup of tea could make Yingniang change so much that she even said something like "it has nothing to do with each other"!

"What did he say to you?" Xiao Guoer saw that Yingniang was still calm, and finally couldn't help her curiosity. She wanted to know where she failed. She had advised her many times in the past.

Yingniang smiled faintly, as if she was as ethereal as smoke and clouds, "He said..."

Fu Qi'an just analyzed the current situation with her. He said that if Zhou Fangye insisted on being with her, the Fu family would definitely not agree. If the Fu family broke off the engagement, the Zhou family's reputation would be completely ruined in Shangjing City. Zhou Fangye would also be branded as a womanizer, reckless, unworthy of marriage, and not a good match. By then, no good family would be willing to marry their daughter to him. Not only his marriage, but also his career in the future would be greatly affected.

She shuddered at what she heard. She didn't want to ruin Zhou Fangye's life, and she didn't want Zhou Fangye to regret and resent her in the future.

So, she chose to let go and let him live his wonderful life.

After listening to Yingniang's retelling, Xiao Guoer was silent for a moment, and just looked at Yingniang with eyes full of heartache.

It turned out that the reason why she changed her mind so easily was entirely because of her love for Zhou Fangye.

Yingniang noticed the change in Xiaoguo'er's expression and knew what she was thinking. She took her hand and held it tightly. Her gentle voice was like the gurgling of water, "Didn't you always persuade me to leave Zhou Fangye? Isn't this just right? I won't be sad for him anymore. I will live a good life, just like you said, eating delicious food, wearing new clothes, dressing myself up beautifully, going out for a walk when I want, seeing the scenery, eating, drinking and having fun. I am free to live however I want."

In fact, Fu Qi'an said something else that she didn't tell Xiao Guo'er. Fu Qi'an said that General Chen had always hoped to have the opportunity to cherish and protect her, and persuaded her that following General Chen was also a good way out.

She refused. She wanted to get married, but she only wanted to marry Zhou Fangye. If it wasn't Zhou Fangye, then there would be no need for her to get married.

Xiao Guoer looked into Yingniang's eyes. The shining light in them was sparkling, it was the light of rebirth.

Although she knew that those eyes must be hiding pain that she didn't want to show to others, it didn't matter, time was the best medicine to heal all pain.

"Sister, in a couple of days, after I have sorted out the chores in the shop, I will take you out to travel and enjoy the beautiful scenery and delicious food of other places."

"it is good."

Just when Xiao Guoer was planning to use distraction to help Yingniang heal her broken heart, and the two agreed to go on a spontaneous trip, a major event happened in Li Dynasty that shocked the court and the public.

The two sisters' trip was also forced to cancel.

In the early morning of this day, the sunlight still shone softly on the golden tiles and red walls of the palace.

The court was solemn, the emperor sat on the dragon throne, and his shrewd and deep eyes swept over the ministers standing in the court as usual. It seemed unintentional, but also intentional, always making the ministers unable to guess what the emperor was thinking.

When the emperor saw an empty seat in the front row, he was slightly stunned, and then he remembered that yesterday evening, the Fourth Prince submitted a letter asking for leave because he had broken his leg and was unable to walk.

As usual, the eunuch beside the emperor made a sharp and high-pitched voice, which echoed in the court, "If you have a petition, please proceed. If you don't, please leave the court."

Minister of Revenue Fu Daoqing took a step forward and said in a clear voice, "I have a memorial to the emperor."

"My dear, please speak."

"Your Majesty, the current situation of the plague in Huaiyang is extremely serious. It has spread to several villages and is showing a trend of continuing to spread. The death toll has also risen from dozens to hundreds. The people in Huaiyang are living in dire straits. Everyone is in danger. A large number of people have fled to avoid the plague. If this continues, the plague will inevitably spread faster. It is extremely dangerous. What should we do? I hope Your Majesty will make a wise decision!"

As soon as the Minister of Revenue finished speaking, the court fell into a deathly silence. You could hear a pin drop. The ministers even held their breath for fear of angering His Majesty.

The day before yesterday, Your Majesty dismissed and executed several local officials in Huaiyang because the plague in Huaiyang could not be controlled and spread. Today, the plague situation in Huaiyang is several times more serious than the day before. I don’t know how angry Your Majesty will be!

Plague has always been an ominous symbol in Li Dynasty, as if it was the wrath of God sent down upon the world.

From officials to ordinary people, everyone would reflect on themselves, and even the emperor would worship heaven when he had no other choice, hoping to receive heaven's forgiveness and protection to save the lives of the people.

However, when the emperor offered sacrifices to heaven, it also meant that he had to admit that he had lost his moral integrity, which would incur punishment from heaven.