23 Thank you for your hard work.

Jing Chen rewarded all the guards and soldiers of the Jingzhao Prefecture. The rest of the group returned to the Prince’s mansion in high spirits, carrying the substantial wealth.

Li Lingli had already sent for the Eldest Princess Jing Lan, Xiao Pang, Jing Se, and Xiao Lin’er. Yu’er and the other maids, including Chunxiang, had already prepared a midnight snack. In the spare moments, everyone present at the mansion received a reward of fifty taels of silver. Zhang Meng brought Ma Han before Jing Chen and said, "Your Highness, Princess, this man is from my hometown. His martial arts are no less than mine, and he is a fierce warrior. He is not good with words, but he has handled all the training of the mansion’s guards. I am willing to stake my life to recommend him as one of your personal bodyguards." Jing Chen nodded with a smile and granted the request. Zhang Meng, Zhao Hu, Wang Chao, Ma Han, Long Yi, and the Thirty-Six Tiangang were each rewarded with one hundred taels of silver. Jing Lan and Jing Se were treated differently. Everyone was overjoyed. Jing Chen then had Qian Jiaojiao pay her respects to Li Lingli.

Five whole roasted lambs, grilled catfish, grilled crucian carp, roasted eggplant, and roasted potatoes were served, filling the courtyard with the aroma of food and wine. Jing Chen told Li Lingli with a heavy heart about Zhao Feiyan throwing herself into the well, and also mentioned his direct confrontation with Jing Wei. Feeling guilty toward Zhao Yun, Jing Chen felt stifled. Li Lingli comforted him and suggested betrothing Chunxiang to Zhao Yun. Jing Chen agreed, instructing that Chunxiang’s wishes must be respected. Chunxiang was a close maid to Jing Chen, and she and Li Lingli managed many affairs in the mansion.

In the courtyard, Jing Chen sat at a table with Li Lingli, Yu’er, Jing Lan, Jing Se, Xiao Lin’er, Xiao Pang, and Qian Jiaojiao. Jing Chen proposed transforming the Liyuan Casino into a hot pot restaurant named "Ruyi House." He suggested having blacksmiths forge copper pots for gathering around the hearth for late-night chats, enjoying wine warmed by green plums—a truly unique experience. Yu’er would oversee the Happy Burger shop, his sister-in-law Wei Hongying would manage the Prince’s Cake shop, and Li Lingli would guard Ruyi House, with unified planning and management. Everyone shared their thoughts, discussing excitedly and dreaming of a bright future. Qian Jiaojiao felt the warmth and happiness of a home for the first time.

Jing Chen emphasized one point: business is business, and personal relationships are separate; they should not be mixed. Only Jing Lan seemed uninterested. Jing Chen comforted her, "Imperial Sister, do not worry. You may set your heart at ease. If you have no idle worries on your mind, then it is the best season of human life!" Jing Se’s eyes suddenly widened, and she was shocked: *Isn't this the poem Huang Yulang wrote for me? Could he be Huang Yulang? That shouldn't be possible!* Seeing Jing Se’s expression, Jing Chen suddenly realized he had made a slip of the tongue in his haste.

Li Lingli, acting like a woman deeply in love, felt wonderful being cherished and cared for. She chatted endlessly with Jing Lan and Jing Se, filled with laughter. When everyone left, Xiao Pang deliberately lingered behind and tugged on Jing Chen’s sleeve. Jing Chen looked at him in confusion, and Xiao Pang slipped a note into his palm, winked, and left. Jing Chen glanced at it quietly; it contained only six words: *Save us, Wanwan.* It was a plea for help from Dong Wanwan. Jing Chen suddenly remembered what Xiao Pang had said before: Dong Wanwan was skilled in music, and Su Xiaoxiao was talented in poetry; their abilities were top-tier.

Tomorrow was the day of the literary contest. He needed the Eldest Princess to ask the Emperor to let the two of them compete on her behalf to choose a husband. Thinking of this, he hurried to catch up with the Eldest Princess’s carriage. Li Lingli asked worriedly, "Your Highness, why don't you send the Eldest Princess back to her mansion?" The Eldest Princess was in low spirits and had drunk quite a bit; she was already intoxicated. Inside the carriage, she looked at Jing Chen with blurred eyes. Suddenly, she threw herself at him, holding him tightly and kissing him while sobbing, "Seventh Brother, hold me tight, will you? I am your woman. We have no blood relation, and the Empress has betrothed me to you. I don't want to leave you. What should I do? I don't care about the title of Eldest Princess; I just want to protect you. Don't leave me..."

Jing Lan fell asleep on him. Jing Chen’s heart trembled. Ever since the Empress committed suicide, Jing Lan’s gaze toward him had changed; he had felt it clearly. He believed her; she was a very rational person, with a mature, dignified aura, quite different from the delicate and submissive Jing Se. Jing Chen knew they had been intimate before. Lost in thought, they arrived at the Eldest Princess’s mansion, and he carried her into her room. He had the maids bring water and ordered them to leave the courtyard. He slowly removed her clothes, revealing skin like congealed fat, a well-defined figure, and long, straight legs without a hint of excess weight. Jing Chen washed himself and snuggled up beside her, falling asleep without realizing it.

Before dawn, Jing Lan clung to him like an octopus, kissing his forehead, eyes, nose, and lips. Suddenly, Jing Chen opened his eyes. Jing Lan was startled and instinctively pulled back. Jing Chen held her tightly and kissed her back. Jing Lan responded passionately, tears sliding from the corners of her eyes. She whispered, "My husband, I want to kiss every inch of you!" Jing Chen whispered back, "I do too..." Then he murmured into her ear. Jing Lan blushed deeply, climbed onto him, turned around, and buried her head down. With a stifled moan from Jing Lan, the two became one. At times like a violent storm, at times like a gentle stream, at times shaking the earth, at times softly moaning... It felt like a century had passed before they calmed down.

Jing Lan snuggled in his arms and told him of the Empress’s final wishes. Jing Chen held her tight and explained his actual situation. Jing Lan was so shocked she sat up, only then realizing she was naked, and climbed back onto him to ask many questions. Jing Chen told her that to save Dong Wanwan and Su Xiaoxiao, he would need their help in the mansion later. He suggested that tomorrow, Jing Lan should feign illness and ask the Emperor to allow them to compete in her stead. He himself would disguise himself as "Leopard Head" Lei Bao to enter the contest, and after winning, he would decline the status of the Princess’s consort on the grounds of being too old. Jing Lan said worriedly, "Why don't I write two poems for you? And I’m worried about your musical skill." Jing Chen slapped her bottom, pretending to be angry, "This is the law of my mansion. You don't even trust your husband’s words? You deserve a spanking!" Then he comforted her, "It’s all right, don't worry! I have everything under control." Jing Lan looked at him with burning eyes again, and Jing Chen understood...

They kissed deeply. Like two snakes entwined, they were inseparable, lingering in love and taking from each other. As dawn broke, Jing Chen got up. Jing Lan was fast asleep. He kissed her gently, tucked the quilt around her, and left quietly.

Today was the day of the Eldest Princess’s literary contest. Emperor Hong intended to send Jing Wei to suppress bandits at Fulong Ridge, but Jing Wei recommended the Third Prince, Prince Qi Jingming, for the task, claiming it was better to share the duties so his younger brothers could have a chance to shine. Jingming was overjoyed and set off with two thousand soldiers.

In the palace, banners blocked the sky and colorful flags fluttered. The civil and military officials were seated on both sides. The front was filled with fruit platters, delicacies, and fine wine. This was a major event for the world today, and for the first time in the history of the Great Yin Dynasty, the brightest young talents from various countries had gathered. Jing Chen told Li Lingli that he would transform into "Leopard Head" Lei Bao to compete in the palace, both to prevent the Eldest Princess from being married off far away and to rescue the two courtesans. Seeing "Lei Bao," light returned to Jing Lan’s eyes.

Jing Lan had drunk too much the night before and had been restless, feeling weary and dispirited. Emperor Hong had agreed to her request and summoned Dong Wanwan and Su Xiaoxiao. He asked her with concern, "Lan’er, what topic would you like for today?" Whether it was psychological or because she had become Jing Chen’s woman, Jing Lan felt a bit afraid to meet the Emperor’s gaze. Remembering the Empress’s words, she avoided his eyes and said absent-mindedly, "Whatever you decide, Father."

The Emperor was pleased. Three gongs sounded, and the whole venue went quiet. The Emperor announced, "Today is the day for my Great Yin Eldest Princess Jing Lan to select a husband. We are fortunate to gather here. As the saying goes, 'A fair lady is a good match for a gentleman,' and a good match is made in heaven. Today, let the topic be Jing Lan herself; compose a poem to praise the Eldest Princess. Since this is for selecting a husband, I hope for a harmonious union, so compose a lyric on the theme of love. Each of you has two sheets of rice paper before you; please write upon them." This was a test of both poetry and calligraphy.

Jing Lan kept staring at Lei Bao. He seemed to feel it; disguised as Lei Bao, Jing Chen looked back at her and winked playfully. Jing Lan covered her mouth to hide a smile. Her maid, Xiao Ya, looked surprised, thinking, *No way? Does the Eldest Princess like this old man? He’s not seventy, but he must be over sixty, right?* Jing Lan took a cup of wine, handed it to Xiao Ya, and whispered something. Xiao Ya carried the cup to the center of the arena, drawing all eyes. She reached Lei Bao’s table, blushed, and said, "The Eldest Princess says thank you, you’ve worked hard!" Everyone burst into laughter, teasing, "Indeed, you’ve worked hard, old man. It’s not easy to come to the capital at such an age." "Living for it, dying for it, struggling for it all one’s life; going crazy for it, mad for it, busy for it all one’s life!" "Old Man Lei is truly a romantic soul even in death." "Lei Bao" had a dark expression; his usually calm and rational Imperial Sister had a mischievous side. Only he understood the true meaning of "you’ve worked hard." He really had worked hard last night...