In the next few days, Bai Zhao took Chuntao and Qiulan around every street and alley in Chang’an.
He bought them plenty of jewelry and clothes, and also picked out an expensive, exquisite white fox-fur coat for his mother. After all, although March had already brought spring, it was still rather cold.
For these past few days, Chuntao had followed Bai Zhao everywhere, and the smile on her little face never once faded.
During this time, the overall person in charge of Grass Snake in the capital also came to pay respects to Bai Zhao.
It turned out to be the very same “big sister” Ziyan had mentioned.
Bai Zhao could not help but sigh at how unpredictable life really was.
That “big sister” was actually the top courtesan of First Celestial Pavilion, the most famous brothel in Chang’an, and her stage name was Hongluan. She was twenty-four this year.
As a courtesan, her looks needed no explanation: delicate features, a graceful figure. A pair of seductive fox eyes could steal a soul, and her fiery red lips were breathtakingly alluring.
When Bai Zhao saw her, he immediately remembered who she was. In the Northern Pacification Army, there was an all-female unit called Iron Orchids. Hongluan, still so young, was already a captain in Iron Orchids!
Most of the women in Iron Orchids were war orphans and widows.
Bai Yuan could not bear to see these girls, who had lost fathers, husbands, and brothers, left alone and helpless. On Bai Zhao’s suggestion, he sent people to ask whether they were willing to join the army and avenge their loved ones!
At the very least, it gave them a reason to keep living.
Those who were willing were absorbed into the Northern Pacification Army for training, while those who were unwilling were given extra compensation.
Back then, this matter caused no small amount of conflict within the army. Bai Yuan believed his son, and the results did not disappoint him!
These women had lost their nearest and dearest, the ones they loved most. After training under Bai Zhao’s methods, once they stepped onto the battlefield, they often erupted with unbelievable combat power. Their battlefield instincts and toughness were so strong that even the men feared them!
When Bai Zhao was twelve, he led troops to suppress bandits in Youzhou, and Hongluan was among them.
When Hongluan came to pay her respects to Bai Zhao, she was so excited that her seductive fox eyes held none of their usual flirtation, only bright, sparkling admiration and reverence!
Indeed, in Iron Orchids, Bai Zhao was a genuine idol. In fact, his status in their hearts even surpassed Bai Yuan’s!
After all, he was only a teenager, yet not only was he strikingly handsome and elegant, his command of battlefield tactics was also astonishingly brilliant!
Even while holding a high position, he could eat and sleep alongside the soldiers under his command. His training methods, and even his military regulations, were innovative yet extremely practical!
He treated those female soldiers with great respect, unlike those military ruffians who always looked at them with ill intent.
If not for the strict discipline of the Northern Pacification Army, they would have had no good ending in any other army.
There was also the rumor that the Bai family Heir had been poisoned in the capital with the rare Red Lotus Burning Heart toxin, yet his strength remained terrifyingly formidable. On the battlefield, he was especially brave in slaughtering enemies!
Quite a few women in Iron Orchids secretly cherished deep feelings for their young marshal!
Hongluan had left Iron Orchids three years ago. Because she had learned Bai Zhao’s infiltration and stealth techniques and achieved excellent results, Bai Yuan secretly sent her to the capital to take charge of the Grass Snake organization there.
At that time, Hongluan had already known that as long as she stayed in Chang’an, she would certainly get a chance to see her young marshal. She waited and waited, and at last, she finally did!
Bai Zhao had arranged to meet Chuntao and Qiulan in the backyard of a small tavern in the Eastern Market called Smoke and Rain Guest. The moment Hongluan saw him, she threw herself at Bai Zhao without hesitation, not the least bit like a mature older sister!
That completely shocked Chuntao! Like a little hen protecting its food, she blocked this bad woman and would not let her come any closer!
“This woman is obviously a seductress! She reeks of the brothels! I’ve never seen her before. What kind of relationship does she have with the Heir? The Heir said he wasn’t fooling around! How do you explain this?”
Chuntao glared at Hongluan angrily, and her little mouth kept questioning Bai Zhao. Her cute little face was red with fury.
Beside her, Qiulan’s cool gaze also turned to Bai Zhao, and it seemed even colder than before.
Before Bai Zhao could introduce them, Hongluan was shoved aside by Chuntao. Seeing Chuntao act so possessive, Hongluan narrowed her fox eyes slightly and gently smoothed the front of her rumpled collar, making the curves of her chest even more obvious.
“How infuriating. This woman is cheating!”
Chuntao subconsciously glanced at her own chest, then down at her toes, and grumbled indignantly in her heart.
She then looked at Qiulan’s with envy and felt even more frustrated.
Qiulan’s were big too. So envious, sob sob.
Qiulan also gave Hongluan’s chest a cool, indifferent glance, her eyes clearly saying it was nothing special.
When Chuntao turned back and happened to notice Bai Zhao looking too, she hurriedly covered Bai Zhao’s eyes with her hand and said coquettishly, “Heir, no looking! She’s a bad woman! You already have a fiancée! This woman is obviously a fox spirit, and she’s dirty!”
Hongluan took in all of Chuntao’s reactions and expressions, and a hint of provocation deliberately appeared in her seductive fox eyes. She covered her lips and laughed sweetly.
“So you’re Chuntao, the personal maid of Your Highness, the Heir? And the cold little girl beside you is Qiulan? Mm, this little girl is indeed quite a beauty. As for you… there’s no need to mention it, hehe~”
After saying that, she saw Chuntao already so angry that her hands were planted on her hips, and she shot Bai Zhao a look that said to watch quietly.
But in Chuntao’s eyes, that was blatant seduction!
Bai Zhao watched Hongluan deliberately teasing Chuntao and found it amusing, so he did not answer Chuntao’s question, instead folding his arms and watching with interest.
As for Qiulan, she was clever enough to realize that Hongluan and her young master had definitely known each other for a long time, and not in the way Chuntao imagined. She quietly relaxed her tightly clenched hand.
She just watched Chuntao and Hongluan bicker. It was not that she did not want to help Chuntao, but this little girl was being a bit too much!
The Heir doted on both of them, but they could not use that favor to start controlling the Heir.
Besides, the Heir was the only son of the Prince of Zhenbei’s estate. He was handsome and outstanding beyond compare! He was destined to be very popular with women. That kind of thing was unavoidable. This was the perfect chance for Hongluan to put Chuntao in her place and teach her a lesson!
The two girls were only thinking these things for an instant, and by then Chuntao was already like a bristling little cat, shouting at Hongluan angrily, “What do you mean? What do you mean ‘there’s no need to mention it’? Hmph, don’t look down on people! You’re just a little bigger and a little more curved, that’s all! The Heir would never like someone like you!”
Hongluan raised a snow-white index finger and wagged it left and right, speaking with disdain. “No, no, little girl, you’re wrong. Men actually like sisters like me~”
Chuntao was furious. She looked left and right, and seeing that neither Qiulan nor her own Heir was helping her, she burst into tears of frustration.
After all, she was only a sixteen-year-old girl. Which girl does not dream of romance?
Chuntao had followed Bai Zhao since childhood, and her heart only held Bai Zhao. Of course she wanted a little more of his affection!
But she understood that she was only a servant. The Heir already spoiled her enough. She should not ask for more. But how could her heart not ache?
She claimed she was not jealous, only angry that the Heir did not take care of himself. In truth, of course she was jealous. She just could not say it, and could not even show it!
As for the Chen family young lady, she was completely convinced by her. That really was a gentle and virtuous woman, and she would definitely bear children for the Heir in the future and help him manage the household. But as for those fox spirits outside, she, Chuntao, would scold every single one she saw!
Bai Zhao fell silent. He understood now. He had not expected that Chuntao, who seemed so carefree, spoiled, and lively, had so many little thoughts in her heart.
Ah, the burden of beauty and devotion. In his previous life, he had never been in love, but he had seen all kinds of evil and coldness in human nature.
Yet from Chuntao, he felt a heavy and sincere affection. Although he did not understand what love felt like, he cherished Chuntao’s feelings.
Qiulan’s autumn-water eyes also went slightly distant. She did not understand love either.
She only wanted to protect her Heir. Although with his cultivation he might not need her, if necessary, she would take a sword for him! Even if it meant dying, she would never regret it.
The Bai family had given her the warmth of home, and she was deeply grateful to them.
But her feelings for Bai Zhao were different. She could not help wanting to stay close to him. Even if she did nothing and just quietly watched him, that was already enough to satisfy her.
She did not know whether this counted as liking him. After all, no one had ever taught her what liking someone meant. But if the Heir wanted her to serve him in bed, she would be willing.
She would not be jealous if the Heir had other women, and she did not even understand what jealousy felt like. With her cold personality, she could not say sweet words or act spoiled toward Bai Zhao.
What she had felt earlier was not so much dissatisfaction with Chuntao’s immaturity as envy. She envied that Chuntao could be held and comforted by the Heir!
Now that she saw the deep affection Chuntao had for Bai Zhao, she felt somewhat relieved. She would just do her own part and silently protect Bai Zhao. There was no need to envy Chuntao. Being able to see Bai Zhao every day was enough.
Seeing this, Hongluan also said apologetically, “Little sister, don’t be mad at sister. Even though sister works as a courtesan at First Celestial Pavilion, sister is really not dirty!
I perform but do not sell my body. Really, sister is still a virgin! And just now, sister was only teasing you because you were cute. I really didn’t mean anything else!”
The hand Bai Zhao had been gently stroking Chuntao’s hair with froze.
What did she mean, “not dirty”? What nonsense was this? Was that even the point?
There was clearly nothing between them! What did whether she was a virgin have to do with this Heir?
He rolled his eyes at Hongluan irritably, then looked at the embarrassed Chuntao, who was slowly straightening up, and said warmly, “Don’t listen to her nonsense. The day I entered the capital, I already said that Chuntao is in my heart. Be good, Chuntao.”
Chuntao stood up, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, sniffed with her delicate little nose, and nodded hard.
Then she looked worriedly at Bai Muran and asked, “Heir, just now you said you called this woman Hongluan to investigate that case from back then? Didn’t the prince forbid you from investigating it? And the princess consort too, right?
Your servant does not understand the details, but this should be very dangerous, shouldn’t it? Chuntao does not want Your Highness to risk himself.”