How much money did the palace give you? I'll double it!

  Tang Lin nodded and said: "Of course?"

  The Holy Lord turned around, his eyes gazing at the scenery on Huahai Lake with a complex emotion that couldn't be expressed.

  Tang Lin's heart tightened, she thought that the Emperor had mistaken her for someone else. She was a bit afraid and quickly corrected herself, "I was just kidding, I'm the same as you, we're both from the Yu Xin Empire... China is just my hometown name, it's extremely far away from the Imperial Capital, you misunderstood it as a country?"

  Would he believe her if she told him about her past? Would he still like her as much as he does now? She had no guarantee.

  "Really?" The Holy Lord was somewhat skeptical, "But your clothes..."?

  Tang Lin turned around in a circle, smiling and saying: "My clothes are designed by myself, don't they look good? Many people in our hometown do textile business and can make clothes of different styles. I've been influenced since I was young, so naturally I learned some superficial skills."

  The Holy Lord is no longer entangled in Tang Lin's words "China", and is interested: "You said that, I really want to go to your hometown to see it. The scenery there must be wonderful?"

  Tang Lin boasted: "Of course! In this high-tech era, how can you be unattractive?"

  "In the high-tech era?" She always says words he can't understand.

  Tang Lin chuckled a few times, only to realize that she had brought out something from the future world again. "It's not like it's anything important, and even if you don't understand it, it doesn't matter anyway. You won't have the chance to see it for yourself?"

  Her last words were spoken very softly, and Yu Sheng Jun did not hear them?

  The emperor smiled and stopped asking questions, but he was really curious about her hometown. After some time had passed, he would thoroughly investigate her background, otherwise it would be difficult to formally make her his empress.

  The whereabouts of Empress Dowager Shihe have surfaced, the late emperor's will cannot be disobeyed, it is time to let Shihe take her rightful place as empress dowager, but only for a year.

  If she hadn't escaped from the palace, he wouldn't have met Tang Lin. So she would have been his real queen for this life. The reason why she lost the chance to enjoy the position of queen for a lifetime was caused by her own actions, and it's not anyone else's fault.

  A woman who was already pregnant with another man's child before marriage is not worthy of being his concubine, let alone his empress.

  If it weren't for the late emperor's will, he would have used all the imperial guards to dig three feet underground to find her. Just for this crime alone, she should be tortured to death.

  Is it not that this year, he cannot give Tang Lin a name, is the thing that makes him most guilty in his heart? But his empress, none other than her, one year later, must be announced to the world, and take her as his empress? Let all under heaven celebrate together, let all corners of the land know that she is his empress?

  ——?

  Late at night.?

  In a certain forest, a bamboo house with lights on all night transmitted a bright and sunny voice, "Young master, poem sister, the nine sons have gone back first, you should rest early?"

  The door of the bamboo house was opened by someone after a while.

  Jiuzi walked out and turned around to close the door, but was blocked by a white-clad figure, who immediately bowed his head respectfully, "Young Master?"

  Fu Yushu stepped out of the door, slightly closing it behind him, and Jiu followed him down the stairs. He gazed at the faint moonlight, his expression very calm, "Go back, be careful, don't let the Imperial Guard find out you're related to Empress Chenghuan?"

  Jiuzi nodded and said: "Does Jiuzi understand?"

  Fu Yushu didn't say much, "Go?"

  "Are you leaving?" After saying this, Jiuzi retreated a few steps before turning around and departing.

  When his figure disappeared deep in the woods, Fu Yushu walked up the steps, pushed open the bamboo door, and came in, then gently closed the bamboo door.

  The environment inside the bamboo house is elegant and well-ventilated everywhere.

  Behind the bamboo house is a water pavilion built on the lotus pond, connected to the bamboo house. The lanterns there are very bright.

  Fu Yushu walked over to the water pavilion behind the bamboo house, where a clean wooden board was placed on top of it. On the board, an ancient zither was arranged, and a woman wearing a veil had her hands flat on the strings, but she didn't move, her eyes dazed.

  "Do we still have a way out? Don't worry?" Fu Yushu walked over, wrapped his arms around the woman from behind, and warmed her in his embrace.

  The woman leaned to one side, her hands encircling his waist, a single tear flowing from the corner of her eye. "Yù Shū, seeing me every day at Jūn Dié Xuān, won't you slowly fall in love with her?"

  "What nonsense are you talking about?" Fu Yushu held the woman tighter, "You are you, she is her. I don't see your shadow in her. You two are different people. It's you that I love, the one who makes me heartache for a lifetime."

  The woman wept tears like rain, sobbing and choking back sobs.

  "Po He," Fu Yushu helped the woman up, making her look into his eyes, "I won't let anything happen to you and the child, nor will I allow it. Let's proceed with the plan, there must be a way to force Tang Lin into the palace and make her take your place as the Empress?"

  Shi He's eyes held a hint of a smile, yet it was enough to captivate the city.

  Fu Yushu kissed the white veil that covered half of her face and then pulled her into his arms.

  The night passed silently.

  ——?

  The next day, before dawn broke, Yusheng Jun went out early again.

  Tang Lin got up on time, maintaining her habit of getting up on time in the army. After washing and dressing neatly, she went out. When passing by Yu Shengjun's door, she saw Xiao Er sweeping inside again. She sighed, "Yu Shengjun, did you go out early to buy ingredients or is there something else?"

  A person with a unique skill, someone who can kill with a leaf, shouldn't be ordinary, right?

  Tang Lin walked on the way to Jun Die Xuan, thinking in her heart, "Could it be that Yu Sheng Jun's true identity is an assassin, and he has been using his purchasing agent identity to hide in plain sight?"

  Thinking of this, Tang Lin suddenly smiled happily, "Hmmm... being an assassin isn't bad either?"

  Soon, Tang Lin walked into Jun Die Xuan and saw Xiao Pang and Xiao Zhu sitting at the table in the dining hall, both with dejected expressions. She walked over and asked, "You're all so downcast, hasn't breakfast been prepared yet?"

  Xiao Pang pointed upstairs and reminded in a low voice: "They are having breakfast in the living room on the second floor?"

  "Tang Lin was slightly surprised, 'Then why don't you go eat?'"

  "Can't eat anymore?" Xiaopang said with a worried face.

  Tang Lin pulled over a stool and sat down in front of the two, asking with concern: "Why are you both looking so down today? Is it because you're usually too tired or...?"

  The two shook their heads, and Xiao Pang said, "Really?"

  Tang Lin furrowed her brow, her voice rising by two degrees, "What's going on?" Seeing Xiao Pang not responding for a long time, only lowering his head, she shifted her gaze to Xiao Zhu's face, "Xiao Zhu, you tell me?"

  Xiao Zhu sniffled, looked up at Tang Lin and said with a choked voice: "Little Sister Tang, my sister and Xiao Pang's sister were taken away by the people from the Wind Moon Building across the street? Are they going to make them entertain guests?"

  "What?!?" Tang Lin burst out in anger, suddenly standing up, with her hands on her hips, not just a little furious. "Dare to snatch away a good family's daughter from under the emperor's nose to entertain guests? Is this reasonable?"

  "Little Tang sister, what should we do?" With a humble status and no money to ransom his sister, Xiao Pang had no other choice but to seek help from Tang Lin. "My sister was extremely unwilling, but those people actually came to my home and took my sister away?"

  "Why don't you go report it to the authorities?"

  Xiao Zhu said: "Without any evidence, would the government believe that our sister was forcibly taken away to meet guests?"

  Xiao Pang took over the conversation, "Besides, that Wind and Moon Building across the street, before Jun Die Xuan opened for business, had already maintained a record of booming business for over ten years. I heard it's because they have a very powerful backing supporting them. Whichever girl they want, they can just take by force, who would dare to disobey or resist?"

  Tang Lin thought for a moment and asked the two: "How long has your sister been taken in?"

  Xiao Pang said: "Was she caught last night? I went home once last night and only learned about my sister's situation from my parents. My sister already has someone in her heart, if she receives guests, how can she get married, how can she be a person..."?

  "Xiao Pang, don't be sad?" Tang Lin patted Xiao Pang's shoulder and comforted him. "With Little Tang sister here, Little Tang sister will help you get your sister back?"

  Xiao Zhu worriedly said: "But Xiao Tang sister, aren't the people of Fengyue Tower not good to provoke?"

  Tang Lin said: "No matter what, we can't let your sister be thrown into the fire pit. Once something happens, it will ruin their lives. How about this, I'll try to negotiate and ask Fengyuelou to hand over the person?"

  After having breakfast, everyone was busy with their own affairs. Tang Lin, alone, walked out of the wine building and headed towards the Wind and Moon Building across the street, until she stood at the entrance of the Wind and Moon Building.

  The girls standing at the door of Fengyuelou to welcome guests, seeing that they were the dignitaries from the opposite wine building, immediately began to mock each other with one sentence after another.

  "Hey, isn't this snatching away our guest's goddess?"

  "Look at them, look how formally they're dressed, inside... there must be nothing?"

  "You haven't seen inside their clothes, how do you know there's nothing? But anyway, no matter how I look at it, I think it's just average. Sisters, is there something wrong with my eyes?"

  Tang Lin looked at these prostitutes, with a faint smile hanging on the corner of her lips, and she was not enraged. "If you ladies have said enough, then please go in and report that I want to see the master of Fengyuelou?"

  "Hmph," one of the heavily made-up prostitutes snorted from her nose, "Want to see our madam? Are you a noble or royalty? If you want to see our madam, take out an identity card with some status and show it off?"

  Tang Lin smiled and wasn't embarrassed at all. She directly stated her intention, "I'm here for the matter of Lian Xin and Yue Yue?"

  Lotus heart is Xiao Zhu's sister, and Yueyue is Xiao Pang's sister?

  Several prostitutes were stunned for a moment, and then they started whispering to each other. Their boss had instructed them that if someone came asking about Lian Xin and Yue Yue's affair, they should let them go immediately.

  "Go ahead?" A prostitute stepped aside and said gruffly to Tang Lin.

  Tang Lin felt a bit strange, how could the other side let her in so quickly? Knowing that she was here for Lian Xin and Yue Yue's matter, they should have stopped her instead, shouldn't they?

  "Thank you?" Tang Lin hastily thanked him and entered Fengyuelou.

  The interior of Fengyuelou is very beautiful and resplendent, yet it also gives people a faint sense of decadence. The building's structure is in the style of a traditional Chinese courtyard house, with a stage and audience seating on the first floor, while the second floor is all rooms.

  The way to the second floor is a flower ladder on the side of the stage.

  The business at Fengyuelou was dismal, with not a single customer in sight. The girls were all sitting under the stage, sighing and complaining to each other, occasionally pinching their handkerchiefs and adjusting their clothes, feeling stifled and anxious.

  As soon as Tang Lin walked in, she gave people a refreshing and bright image. She immediately received the curious glances from all the girls, who were guessing whether she was the new girl to entertain guests.

  These girls are all treasures of Fengyuelou and would not be put at the entrance to welcome guests unless absolutely necessary, so none of them have seen Tang Lin in person.

  "Let me go? You let me go? I don't want to receive guests?" At this time, a woman's shrill protest came from a room upstairs, instantly drawing the attention of all the girls to upstairs.

  Those girls either sighed or sneered, or pitied.

  Tang Lin could tell from the girls' faces that the voices coming from upstairs must be those of Lian Xin and Yueyue. She walked a few steps closer to the girls and said, "I want to see your mistress, would you please take me to her?"

  One of them, a woman in her forties who looked like an old madam but still had some charm, was slightly startled. "You want to see our master? Who are you? What brings you here?"

  "My name is Tang Lin. I've come for Lotus and Yueyue's sake. If I don't see your master, I, Tang Lin, won't leave today."

  The woman exchanged a glance with the other girls, then somewhat indifferently said to Tang Lin: "Then you wait?"

  Tang Lin smiled gratefully, "Thanks for your trouble?"

  The woman just went up the stairs?

  After a while, the woman's figure appeared on the corridor of the second floor. She looked down at Tang Lin and shouted: "Who is that? Our landlord has invited someone?"

  Tang Lin slightly delighted, then walked up the stairs. Those girls couldn't help but discuss her back figure behind her, "Sisters, I think that girl is quite special?"

  One of the girls said, "And I like her outfit, it makes her look icy and very strong?"

  Tang Lin had already arrived at the second floor, and then she was led by the woman to the door of a certain room on the second floor. The woman knocked gently on the door, extremely respectful to the person inside, "Master? Someone has come?"

  "Come in?" A low, mature woman's voice came from inside the room.

  At the sound, Tang Lin was secretly shocked. Judging from the voice, the woman in the house should be an extraordinary person. The other's voice was low and calm, mature, seemingly as flat as dust, but this low tone wasn't something every woman could have. It must have been tempered by time or... experienced too much.

  The middle-aged woman pushed open the door and gave Tang Lin a cold stare, "Are you going in?"

  Tang Lin walked in directly, and the door behind her was closed by a woman. She looked around at the spacious and elegant room she was currently in, which didn't have a hint of vulgarity, and finally, her gaze fell on the round bead curtain leading to the inner chamber.

  Inside the beaded curtain, a dressing table was faintly visible, and beside it sat a woman with slender curves. The woman's head was not adorned with many ornaments, her hair hung down her back, and only a thin hairband slightly swept her overlong bangs to the back of her head. She wore a white dress and covered herself with a white gauze scarf, giving people an icy feeling as if she didn't eat or drink anything worldly.

  Since the other party was covering their face, they must not have wanted to reveal their true appearance. Tang Lin was very tactful and only stood outside the beaded curtain, stating her purpose, "I'm Tang Lin, I've come regarding the matter of Lian Xin and Yue Yue."

  Inside the beaded curtain, the woman gently combed her soft and long hair, looking at her face covered with a veil in the mirror, and whispered: "Can't you report to the official? Why bother coming here for nothing?"

  Tang Lin smiled wryly, "Report to the authorities? I reckon the backing of this brothel is even stronger than that of the local government? Report to the authorities? I'm not stupid enough to go get myself beaten up?"

  The woman burst out laughing, very deeply, "Knowing that our Fengyuelou is formidable, why did you still come?"

  Tang Lin said: "I know you're formidable, otherwise why would you snatch the girl without asking her parents. Name a price, how can we get Lotus and Yueyue released?"

  The woman fell silent for a while before speaking up, "Do you think we just brought the girl here simply to entertain guests?"

  Tang Lin's eyes narrowed, "Then what is your purpose......"?

  The woman stood up at this time, holding her abdomen with one hand, took two steps, but her line of sight never looked at the pearl curtain, and she was still facing Tang Lin sideways, "To be honest with you, our real boss is in the palace?"

  "What?" Táng Lín was shocked, "In the imperial palace? Then the good family girls you caught..."

  "The woman replied quickly, 'Sent into the palace?'?"

  Tang Lin thought of something, "You want to send Lian Xin and Yueyue into the palace as palace maids?"

  "Brilliant?" The woman praised, "You thought of this too?"

  "Tang Lin curled her lips, 'Can't even a fool think of that? Then name your price, how much will the palace give you, I'll double it?'"

  The woman sighed and said, "Too late?"

  Tang Lin furrowed her brow, "What does it mean?"?

  The woman said: "Last night, I have already registered the matter of Lian Xin and Yue Yue to the palace. In a few days, the palace will send someone to take them away. Our Fengyue Building cannot be faithless, no matter how much money you offer, it is impossible to redeem Lian Xin and Yue Yue. Of course, you can go to reason with the person in charge of the palace, or... find two people to replace them and enter the palace?"

  Tang Lin thought, the former was definitely not adventurous, how could she alone confront the vast imperial palace, even if it were in modern times, would she be able to take on an entire empire by herself? Would this method of entering the palace and asking for people work?

  The latter is a good way to deceive heaven and cross the sea, but who would be willing to replace Lian Xin and Yueyue to enter the palace?

  A woman's voice came over again, "Since things have come to this, Miss, if you have nothing else to do, please leave. As for Lian Xin and Yueyue's matter, what can you do about it?"

  Tang Lin fell into deep thought for a while before asking: "When will the people from the palace come to take someone away?"

  The woman said: "Probably around the end of this month?"

  Next month on the first day, I will enter the imperial palace to participate in the selection of inner palace guards. Perhaps I can find a way to help Lian Xin and Yue Yue remove their names from the list of palace maids.

  Tang Lin saw a glimmer of hope and immediately asked the woman: "Can I substitute for them to enter the palace?"

  At the sound, the woman's body trembled slightly, with an uncontrollable excitement, as if she had been waiting for this moment for a long time. "You want to take their place in the palace? Have you thought it through?"

  Tang Lin nodded and said: "Have you thought it through?"

  "But... " The woman bought a lawsuit.

  "What's wrong? Are you regretting it?"

  "Really?" the woman said, "I'm not regretting, I just want to remind you of something. Lian Xin and Yue Yue's names don't meet the standards for palace maidens, they've already been changed. If you're going to take them into the palace, you'll have to use the names given by the palace."

  "What's your name or something, Tang Lin didn't bother asking, 'Just tell me what you're called'?"

  This time, the woman fell silent again, and after a long silence, she spoke in a low voice: "Only Lian Xin's name has changed, Yueyue is still called Yueyue, and Lian Xin has been renamed... Shi He?"

  Tang Lin raised an eyebrow, "Shi He?"

  The woman trembled slightly, "Yes, Shi He?"

  Tang Lin said: "A very poetic name? Since I promised you to take them into the palace, shouldn't you also keep your promise and let Lian Xin and Yueyue go?"

  The woman smiled slightly, with a hint of coldness. "But I don't guarantee that if I let you go, you'll disappear without a trace. When the time comes and the palace asks for you, what am I supposed to do? I'm not willing to take the blame for a capital offense."

  Tang Lin's face fell, "Must a written guarantee be made?"

  The woman said coldly: "Is that right? Once the contract is signed, you can take Lian Xin and Yueyue wherever you want, and our Wind Moon Building will no longer make things difficult for them?"

  "Tang Lin gritted her teeth, 'Alright, let's make a written agreement then?'"

  The woman clapped her hands and immediately the door was opened by someone. A middle-aged woman had already prepared the four treasures of the study and came in, and the letter had also been drafted.

  Seeing everything was ready, Tang Lin smiled wryly and said, "You guys are really quick on the uptake, and very thorough too?"

  The middle-aged woman said coldly: "Hasn't there been a precedent for replacing someone else in the palace before?"

  Tang Lin understood, "Oh, that's the case," she took over the document, looked at it, and saw that it was all about guarantees. She just needed to sign her name below.

  "Please?" The middle-aged woman swapped the inkstone and brush she was holding.

  Tang Lin took up the brush, dipped it in ink, and then put the document on the table, signing her name with a flourish. After signing, she handed the document to the middle-aged woman, "Is that all right?"

  The middle-aged woman replaced the red ink with a smile, "Want me to stamp it?"

  Tang Lin gave her opponent a cold stare, and with an impatient thumb, she dipped it in the red ink pad and stamped a handprint on the document.

  The middle-aged woman smiled with satisfaction, "Miss is indeed a straightforward person? The substitution has been settled, and you can take Lian Xin and Yueyue away now. However, if you don't enter the palace, you will have to bear the consequences yourself?"

  Tang Lin expressionlessly said: "Thanks for reminding me?"

  A middle-aged woman handed a pendant to Tang Lin, "This is what every palace maid needs to wear, of course, each palace maid wears a different one. You keep this jade pendant safe and sound, and put it on after entering the palace?"

  Tang Lin took back the jade pendant and put it directly into her pocket, then asked coldly: "Is there anything else you want to explain? Please finish it all at once, thank you?"

  "Is that all?" The middle-aged woman turned around coldly and left with her writing tools.

  Tang Lin also turned around and wanted to leave, but was stopped by a woman inside the beaded curtain: "Wait a minute?"

  "Is there anything else?"

  The woman asked: "You replaced Shi He, who replaced Yuè Yuè?"

  Tang Lin said carelessly, "I have plenty of people, so you don't need to worry about this. In short, I will enter the palace. If you find that no one from the palace has come to Fengyuelou to ask for you, then it means I've already entered the palace? Nothing else, just like this, I'll leave first?"

  "Wait?" The woman stopped Tang Lin's footsteps again, this time with some urgency. "Don't you want to see my true appearance?"

  ——?

  Thank you [Lai Shuangshuang] for rewarding Caicai 18 coins again! Shuangshuang, does Caicai love you? Hug? ?? ?