Chapter 183
“Qintian Observatory?” Chu Lishu pondered for a moment, then said to Lu Yi and Lu Shi, “Leave it to Yue Chen and Huo Luo to handle.”
While Chu Lishu was talking to Lu Yi and Lu Shi, Liu Xiaowei had already taken Lin Qingyang outside of Marquis An Nan’s residence. Suddenly, a notification sounded in Lin Qingyang’s mind.
【Main Mission 2, Mission 10: Help the male lead take control of the Qintian Observatory.】
Lin Qingyang had initially been thinking about Marquis An Nan’s matters, but he quickly shifted his thoughts and recalled the Qintian Observatory. Indeed, the events at the Qintian Observatory occurred between the rise of the Eldest Prince’s reputation and the Qixi Festival. These past few days, he had been busy with family matters, and the trigger for the mission hadn’t occurred until now. It seemed that when Lu Yi and Lu Shi approached Chu Lishu, it was about the Qintian Observatory.
The Qintian Observatory held significant importance in the male lead’s future plans.
Originally, the male lead wanted to gradually infiltrate, coerce, and entice one of the deputy heads of the observatory to gradually achieve his own design. So, during a gathering, he seized an opportunity to get close. However, at that time, other forces were also causing trouble for the Qintian Observatory. Chu Lishu seized the opportunity and manipulated the situation to develop in the way that was most advantageous for him.
As Lin Qingyang was recalling this, Chu Lishu was brought down by Lu Yi and Lu Shi. Lu Yi didn’t stay, quickly disappearing.
The four of them walked towards the place where the carriage was previously parked.
“Why didn’t Marquis An Nan go?” Lin Qingyang immediately wondered.
“He was from the Ministry of Works…”
Lin Qingyang instantly understood. The Ministry of Works was responsible for water conservancy projects. If there were any issues during disasters, the Ministry of Works would be the first target for scrutiny. Therefore, officials led by the Inspection Court were hesitant to associate too closely with current employees of the Ministry of Works, fearing accusations of collusion.
And Chu Lishu sent Yue Chen and Huo Luo south because he had begun to deal with the Ministry of Works.
Today, officials from the Qintian Observatory came out for a banquet, which meant… the gathering mentioned earlier in the plot was very likely tonight?
“Should we go?” Lin Qingyang asked reflexively.
Chu Lishu paused, asking, “Go for what?”
Lin Qingyang was dumbfounded. “They’re looking for you, don’t they want you to go?”
Chu Lishu didn’t conceal anything. “They do want me to go because initially I was thinking of seizing the opportunity to meet with those from the Qintian Observatory, to find potential allies.”
Exactly!
“Then let’s go,” Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but get excited.
But Chu Lishu shook his head. “These matters can also be handled by Yue Chen and Huo Luo. It’s not necessary for me to personally intervene. Tonight… I’ll accompany you.”
“Accompany me for what?” Lin Qingyang looked puzzled. But seeing Chu Lishu’s hesitant expression, he instantly realized. He had just experienced the terrifying reality of recognizing his own scoundrel of a father. Normally, he should have been deeply affected and feeling down. So Chu Lishu thought he was in a bad mood and wanted to comfort him.
Lin Qingyang’s heart warmed. Chu Lishu was indeed becoming more caring.
Moreover, he was also becoming more and more trusting of people.
In the original plot, Yue Chen and Huo Luo were also present, but when it came to matters involving the Qintian Observatory, Chu Lishu would still personally take action. Because at that time, Chu Lishu couldn’t easily trust others. For minor matters, it would be fine, but the Qintian Observatory was a big deal to him. He couldn’t afford any mistakes and naturally had to take matters into his own hands. However, this time he decisively let go.
“I’m fine, the important thing is the matter at hand. Since Yue Chen and Huo Luo want you to go, it means the situation is unclear, and you need to make the decision yourself.” If the male lead doesn’t go, it will greatly affect the subsequent improvisation, understand?
“You…” Chu Lishu hesitated.
“I also want to do something else to change my mood, so let’s go together!” Lin Qingyang said cheerfully.
“We’re going to the Golden Phoenix Pavilion,” Chu Lishu said.
“The Golden…” Lin Qingyang choked for a moment. “Great place, the performances are very entertaining.”
Seeing his mood change so quickly, Chu Lishu decided not to bring up the troublesome matter anymore. “But we still need to go home.”
“Huh? Why, don’t waste time!” Who knows when those who came to trouble the Qintian Observatory will make their move?
He remembered in the original plot, after this incident with the Qintian Observatory, they started a complete retreat. The male lead’s plan of infiltration would face obstacles, so seizing the opportunity this time was necessary. Otherwise, the subsequent plan to subdue the Qintian Observatory wouldn’t succeed.
Chu Lishu blinked and pointed at himself.
Lin Qingyang looked at him and didn’t see any issue. He still looked beautiful… Oops! He was in women’s clothing. Right, how could the male lead present himself in women’s clothing? Better to go to the Golden Phoenix Pavilion.
“It might scare people,” Chu Lishu squinted, obviously still upset about Lin Qingyang’s attitude towards him just now.
“Absolutely not, you look beautiful,” Lin Qingyang hurriedly explained. Then he panicked, “I didn’t mean that you look better in women’s clothing, and there’s definitely no sarcasm or insult intended. I genuinely mean it, but how about this, when we go there, we find a clothing store and you change into men’s clothing temporarily, would that be okay?”
Chu Lishu wasn’t quite sure about the situation of him dressing in women’s clothing. He wasn’t very keen on it himself and could only judge based on Lin Qingyang’s attitude. He remembered last time Lin Qingyang liked how he looked in women’s clothing, but this time he seemed to want to keep his distance, so he couldn’t tell. Maybe it’s because he’s not wearing red this time.
However, Lin Qingyang’s suggestion wasn’t a bad idea, so Chu Lishu nodded in agreement.
The group got into the carriage, and when Liu Jingchen heard they were heading to the Golden Phoenix Pavilion, he looked surprised.
“We received a friend’s invitation,” Lin Qingyang could only explain it that way.
So the carriage took a slightly different route to accommodate them, aiming to drop them off. However, perhaps because it was already late at night, they couldn’t find a single clothing store along the way.
Lin Qingyang was already sweating profusely. Seeing that they were about to reach the Golden Phoenix Pavilion, he awkwardly suggested, “How about this, we exchange our clothes and you go first. I’ll find suitable clothing and join you later?”
Here, both Liu Xiaowei and Liu Jingchen were taller and bigger in stature than them, so perhaps Lin Qingyang could only barely exchange clothes with Chu Lishu.
Chu Lishu said, “No need for that trouble.” He could just go back and come again later.
But Lin Qingyang misunderstood. “Are you planning to go out like this?! No, you can’t be seen like this.”
Liu Jingchen, who had been quiet all this while, suddenly chuckled. Seeing both of them looking over, he suppressed his laughter and said, “Lishu, you better change. If you go out like this, you’ll definitely attract the attention of other men. Qingyang won’t be pleased.”
“I… I didn’t mean that!” Lin Qingyang naturally understood what Liu Jingchen was implying and hurriedly tried to explain. How could even his older cousin misunderstand him so deeply!
Chu Lishu’s expression subtly changed, and he looked deeply into Lin Qingyang’s eyes, noticing his ears turning red.
Suddenly, a voice came from outside, “Hey, isn’t this my good buddy’s carriage?”
Immediately, the carriage window was knocked on. “Lin Qingyang, is that you?”
Was that Qi Yan’s voice?
Lin Qingyang leaned out, indeed encountering Qi Yan.
Qi Yan came with a few young gentlemen. “Haha, it’s really you! I sent someone to find you earlier, but your servants said you had gone out. Did you rush here as soon as you heard the news?”
Lin Qingyang was about to respond when someone whispered softly in his ear, “Go in with him.”
“Ah… yes, I came to find you,” Lin Qingyang replied.
His ear tickled. Chu Lishu was speaking softly in his ear. But why go in together? They couldn’t leave now anyway.
By now, Qi Yan was laughing heartily, introducing the young officials behind him to Lin Qingyang. It turned out they were all newly appointed officials, the cream of the crop who had just passed the imperial examinations. Among them, the most prestigious was the top scholar. It seemed that while Qi Yan might not be good at academics, his social skills were top-notch.
“This brother of mine was a study companion to the Fourth Prince and recently made great contributions in suppressing bandits at Wu Xin Mountain. He’s a talented individual with limitless potential!” Qi Yan introduced Lin Qingyang to everyone, then winked at him.
Lin Qingyang probably understood what Qi Yan meant. Qi Yan’s intention was likely to find some new friends to hang out with. Since Lin Qingyang was now mingling with the Fourth Prince, Qi Yan thought that although these people might not hold much power or status at the moment, they were still worth befriending. Sometimes, even small players could play significant roles, especially with the presence of the top scholar. So, Qi Yan wanted to bring his brother out to have some fun and introduce him to others.
Although Lin Qingyang wasn’t sure what Chu Lishu meant, the current situation was that he was going to the Golden Phoenix Pavilion with Qi Yan and his group.
Lin Qingyang was urged by Qi Yan to get off the carriage. As he turned to look at Chu Lishu, about to ask something, he noticed that Chu Lishu had already put on a piece of white veil. With his white dress already having a hood, when he pulled up the large white hood, only a pair of beautiful eyes could be vaguely seen, everything else was neatly wrapped.
“Qi Yan’s two elder brothers are currently serving as officials in the south. By leveraging Qi Yan, we can conveniently and legitimately join the gathering on behalf of the Inspection Court without arousing suspicion. Let’s go,” Chu Lishu said.
“Wait!” Lin Qingyang exclaimed in shock. “You can’t go like this…”
“The Golden Phoenix Pavilion allows the presence of courtesans.”
“C-Courtesans? My-My courtesan?”
“Yes, I’m now your courtesan,” Chu Lishu said naturally.
Lin Qingyang was too shocked to respond. After all, hardly anyone in the capital had seen him in women’s clothing before, and now… Male lead, are you willing to make such a sacrifice?
Chu Lishu smiled faintly. “The outside world already knows about my close relationship with Prime Minister Li and General Zhao. With me present, they might be slightly wary. Without me, they might feel more at ease.”
“I… I’m also the Fourth Prince’s…” Lin Qingyang trailed off.
“So, you bringing a courtesan out for leisure is much less suspicious than bringing your cousin, who is equally trusted, here. Especially since you and Qi Yan are widely known as good friends.”
After Chu Lishu finished his analysis, Lin Qingyang remained speechless until Qi Yan’s impatient urging came from outside.
Chu Lishu then said, “Behave well later, young master.”
Qi Yan had been waiting for a while, wondering why his brother was taking so long. Usually, he would be accompanied by Chu Lishu when he went out. Could it be that Chu Lishu didn’t want him to come to the Golden Phoenix Pavilion and was throwing a tantrum? That couldn’t be right. If he didn’t want to come, why would he linger near the entrance of the Golden Phoenix Pavilion?
Lost in these thoughts, Qi Yan saw the curtain lift, and Lin Qingyang emerged.
“You’re too slow. We’ve been waiting here for ages. When we get in, you’ll have to punish yourself…” Qi Yan’s teasing words were cut off abruptly, as if he were a big goose suddenly grabbed by the neck, making a strange noise.
As Lin Qingyang got off the carriage, a clearly feminine sleeve wrapped around a white, jade-like arm extended out.
Lin Qingyang kept his head down the entire time, his expression obscured. He simply turned and reached out to help the person out.
Before long, a figure in a white dress, with features not quite discernible, stood on the carriage platform, embodying a graceful and delicate posture as she awaited something.
Lin Qingyang seemed to have just realized the situation and quickly extended his hands. The woman gracefully leaned into his arms, and Lin Qingyang held her slender waist. The originally loose dress, when cinched by Lin Qingyang’s hands, seemed barely there. As he slowly lowered her to the ground, the woman lifted her head. Everyone gasped at the sight of her eyes hidden behind the veil and the hat. They seemed to shimmer with a watery light, with an alluring charm, especially with a beauty mark, which was simply captivating.
Just her eyes alone made the people behind instinctively lower their heads, unable to look directly at her.
But at the front, Qi Yan was completely dumbfounded.
“W-Who… who is this?!” Qi Yan exclaimed in astonishment. Wasn’t his brother not interested in women?
“She’s… someone I take care of,” Lin Qingyang couldn’t bring himself to say the words “courtesan,” feeling it would be too disrespectful to the male lead. He simply skipped over that part and continued, “I was originally planning to bring her out for some fun, but I received your message at the last minute, so I came over. That’s why I also brought her along, I hope you don’t mind.”
While Lin Qingyang spoke, Chu Lishu had already bowed in greeting. His voice was barely audible to others, and no one could tell that it didn’t sound like him.
After asking his question, Chu Lishu obediently leaned towards Lin Qingyang, as if wanting to snuggle into his embrace. Lin Qingyang could only reluctantly go along with it and hold him close.
Qi Yan stared wide-eyed at the female version of Chu Lishu for a while, then quickly stepped forward to Lin Qingyang’s side. “I don’t mind at all! But does your cousin mind? Since when did women become acceptable for you? And you’re keeping a courtesan, indulging in luxury? Aren’t you afraid of being caught in adultery by your cousin? Brother, don’t you know that your cousin’s reputation now is even greater than yours? How dare you!”
Qi Yan had already assumed they were a couple, so seeing this sudden scene left him breathless.
Lin Qingyang felt like he was being accused of something he hadn’t even considered. He almost felt like he was being mistaken for someone else entirely. Was there any truth to what Qi Yan said?
“It’s… it’s nothing like that.”
“Well, forget it. If it’s really nothing, I’ll cover for you, brother. But what does this courtesan of yours look like? Let us have a look.” Since courtesans held a low status, Qi Yan didn’t think much of it.
Seeing Qi Yan getting closer, Lin Qingyang immediately felt guilty and hugged Chu Lishu tightly into his arms, burying his face, “No.”
“Oh, you’re so protective, I just want to take a look,” Qi Yan insisted.
“Not even a glance,” Lin Qingyang thought, “I’m doing this for your own good, after all. Be sensible!”
But Qi Yan just laughed. “So protective, it seems you really do like her. Men… romanticism is all fake after all. I overestimated you before. Well, let’s go.”
With that, the group proceeded cheerfully towards the Golden Phoenix Pavilion, while Lin Qingyang wore a dark expression the entire way.
Lin Qingyang initially wanted to let go, but Chu Lishu continued to nestle in his embrace. He could only hold onto his waist with one hand, as it was the posture that matched the entrance of the Golden Phoenix Pavilion for couples. However, for Lin Qingyang, it felt like walking on thin ice.
For the woman being embraced by the man as they entered the Golden Phoenix Pavilion, it was assumed she was the man’s courtesan. Bringing her along for leisure or exchanging her with friends was not uncommon, so no one found it strange.
Except for those familiar with Lin Qingyang, others, even if they had heard of his reputation as a homosexual, wouldn’t know whether he could take women or not, so they wouldn’t suspect anything.
Following Chu Lishu’s instructions, Lin Qingyang quickly assumed the role of the host and led everyone to one of the buildings’ second-floor grand platforms, an excellent spot for watching performances.
However, someone soon approached, saying that the platform had been reserved. Just as they were speaking, someone opened the door and brought in food and drinks, allowing those inside and outside to see each other.
Lin Qingyang immediately spotted Yue Chen inside.
Yue Chen also saw him, but his view was limited and he couldn’t see anyone else. Yue Chen assumed that Chu Lishu and Lin Qingyang had changed their minds and come together. He then leaned over and said something to the nearby officials from the Inspection Court, as in a certain sense, he and Chu Lishu shared a tacit understanding. Soon, the officials from the Inspectorate looked towards Qi Yan, who was standing at the door, talking.
Seeing many familiar faces, the Inspection Court officials invited them all in together. It seemed that their request to the Qintian Observatory had concluded, and now it was time for food, drinks, and fun, so they didn’t mind having more people join in.
Moreover, the officials from the Inspection Court had a simple goal. The two districts they wanted to visit this time and it happened to have two children from the Zhongyi Marquis’s residence. There must be cooperation in their work, so building good relationships with the locals was essential for everything to go smoothly. Therefore, they invited Qi Yan and the others in as senior acquaintances to have a chat.
As others went in first, Lin Qingyang had no choice but to brace himself and enter.
However, as soon as he appeared with Chu Lishu in his embrace, he heard two snickers.
The scene of Yue Chen and Huo Luo spitting out the wine they were drinking startled everyone.
Lin Qingyang could only force a dry laugh and look at Yue Chen and Huo Luo.
Both of them stared at him with wide eyes, their expressions surprisingly similar, as if saying: “You’re done for. How dare you embrace a woman behind Chu Lishu’s back!”
Lin Qingyang felt like facepalming. It seemed that bringing any woman along would provoke such expressions from Yue Chen and Huo Luo. Why did they seem to misunderstand his intentions towards his own cousin? Was his secret crush inadvertently becoming public knowledge?!
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