In the backyard of the medical hut, the curtain of the guestroom was lifted. Han Ben glanced at the empty communal bed and asked the physician, “Where is he?”
The old physician replied, “He took the medicine last night and slept here. This morning I didn’t see him go out. Besides, he was in so much pain he could hardly move. Where could he possibly go? Truly strange.”
Unwilling to accept it, Han Ben searched around inside and out, but still didn’t see him. His brows furrowed deeply.
Another middle-aged physician who had come along said, “Sir, since the patient isn’t here… perhaps this humble one should take his leave? I still have quite a number of patients waiting for treatment.”
Han Ben answered with a stern face, “Please wait a little longer.”
He sat down by the bed, examining the creases on the bedding. Someone had indeed slept there, but it was impossible to tell how long.
Where had Yin Fu gone? Could it be that the masked man who snuck into the envoy residence last night really was him…
The curtain shifted, and Yin Fu walked in. His eyes met Han Ben’s directly, and he froze, saying in surprise: “Commander Han? It’s not dismissal time yet—why are you here?”
Han Ben rose and came closer, scrutinizing his somewhat pale face, noticing the tip of his nose was still flushed from the cold. He asked, “Where were you last night?”
Yin Fu said, “I slept right here.”
“And just now? I searched everywhere but couldn’t find you.”
“…Oh. I felt hungry, so I went to the market to drink a bowl of plain congee. The physician said congee was fine to have.”
Han Ben looked at the physician.
The old doctor nodded. “Indeed, it’s fine. Intestinal colic comes on quickly and is extremely painful, but it also goes away quickly. This young man seems to be out of danger.”
Han Ben turned and instructed the middle-aged doctor, “Please examine him as well.”
The old doctor’s face darkened. “Since you don’t trust my medical skills, why did you bring him to my clinic at all? Next time, best find someone more to your liking!” With that, he flung his sleeves and left.
“I’m feeling much better now. There’s no need for another exam, right?” said Yin Fu.
“One more diagnosis, to be safe,” Han Ben replied.
Yin Fu’s face seemed to pale further. He slowly sat by the table and extended his wrist.
The middle-aged doctor checked his pulse carefully, pressed around the abdomen, and after a full round of inquiry and observation, said to Han Ben, “At present, there’s no issue. But what the old doctor said was right — intestinal colic comes and goes swiftly. As for what his condition was before, I can’t make a definite judgment now.”
“Thank you,” Han Ben said.
The doctor cupped his hands and also left the room.
Yin Fu glared at Han Ben, gritting his teeth. “You suspect I faked illness? Why? You think I’m slacking off? Wangye’s guard duty isn’t even that demanding. Why would I need to slack off!”
Han Ben averted his gaze and asked again, “Did you leave the city last night or not?”
Yin Fu didn’t respond. He walked over and shoved Han Ben. “Move. This is my bed.”
Han Ben had just stood up when Yin Fu kicked off his shoes, lay down fully clothed, and pulled the quilt over himself, wrapping it tightly — even his head disappeared under the covers.
Han Ben shook the blanket. “Hey, I’m talking to you.”
The person under the blanket didn’t move.
A bit annoyed now, Han Ben grabbed a corner of the quilt and yanked it back — revealing Yin Fu’s red-rimmed eyes, his lips bitten hard, on the verge of tears. His naturally youthful face now looked even more like a wronged child. He curled up, back to Han Ben, saying nothing.
“…You’re crying?” Han Ben was flustered. “I never said you were faking it. I just wanted to figure out where you went just now.”
Yin Fu, his voice slightly hoarse, whispered, “I told you. You didn’t believe me. You didn’t believe me, yet you kept asking. Even if I answered again, you still wouldn’t believe. Might as well stop asking. Just take me to the magistrate.”
Han Ben sighed and sat at the edge of the bed. “Whether I believe you doesn’t matter. What matters is whether His Highness does.”
Yin Fu froze slightly. He slowly turned around, eyes red as he looked at him. “What do you mean? Wangye suspects me too? Of what?”
Han Ben said, “You’ve been absent from Wangye’s residence multiple times. If we say it’s all coincidence — not just Wangye, even I can’t help feeling uneasy. I wanted to hear the truth from you.”
“You want the truth? Fine, I’ll tell you… come closer.”
“Go ahead.” Han Ben leaned in slightly, eyes fixed on Yin Fu’s face, watching every subtle change in his expression.
Yin Fu smiled. A dimple appeared on his left cheek, lovely and clear as a full moon — sweet and enchanting.
“The truth is…” A faint blood-red sheen crept into his eyes as he activated the Yanmei spell. “—Han Ben, you fell in love with Yin Fu at first sight. You trust him, protect him, and are willing to go through fire and water for him.”
Han Ben’s eyes lost all focus. His expression turned blank. He repeated in a mechanical voice, “Yin Fu… trust… protect… go through fire and water…”
Yin Fu’s lips curled up in satisfaction. He added, “You’ll serve him for the rest of your life.”
Han Ben’s entire body shook violently, as if some inner force was triggered by that phrase. He began to resist the enchantment with all his will — his face contorted in pain. “Rest of… life… promises must not be made lightly… I do not… betray… not… I follow the general… ride by his side… not Yin Fu… not…”
Yin Fu fixed his eyes on him, sweat beading at his temples.
To cast Yanmei to control another’s mind was a method both immensely powerful and perilous. Not only did it consume internal energy during the process, it also risked backlash from the technique itself, sending the caster into deviation and turning into a crazed “Blood-Eyed” demon. The stronger the opponent’s will, the fiercer the resistance, and the higher the caster’s chance of suffering backlash.
The last time he cast it on Han Ben, it went smoothly. Unexpectedly, this time it triggered the man’s stubborn resistance, nearly rebounding upon him.
With true qi rampaging wildly inside him, he exerted all his strength, struggling in a prolonged tug-of-war before barely suppressing the man’s mind, deepening his hold over his consciousness once again.
When Han Ben’s expression returned to its dull blankness, Yin Fu felt his chest roil with blood and qi, nearly spitting blood. Withdrawing the technique, sweat soaking through his heavy robes, he panted weakly as though drained. Only after a long while did he recover somewhat, closing his eyes to regulate his breath.
When Han Ben regained his senses, it felt as if he had blanked out for a moment. Looking at Yin Fu again, he noticed his face had grown even more pale and bloodless, and hurriedly asked, “Are you alright? Should I fetch the physician again to take a look?”
“It’s nothing. I’m just tired, I want to sleep.” Yin Fu dared not say more, fearing that an unsteady breath would rouse suspicion.
Seeing his weary face, Han Ben could only say, “Then rest some more. I’ll return to Wangye’s manor to report.”
Yin Fu nodded with eyes closed, showing the faintest smile.
Han Ben tucked the quilt securely around him, took a few steps, then suddenly turned back. Lowering his head, he planted a quick kiss on the dimple of his cheek, and immediately, somewhat flustered, strode out of the room.
The door was carefully shut. A moment later, Yin Fu opened his eyes, amber pupils icy and dead. He wiped his face with his sleeve and muttered in a low voice, “…Disgusting.”
—
Su Yan bent down, just about to step into the carriage, when Xiao Bei tugged at his sleeve from behind and whispered, “My lord, isn’t this… not quite proper? Doesn’t the Great Ming Code say that an official caught with prostitutes is punished with sixty strokes of the cane?”
“Nonsense. I’m not going whoring! Just paying a visit to an old acquaintance. I promised long ago to drop by, and I’ve already delayed this much. At the very least, I have to go once—I can’t go back on my word.” Su Yan shot him a glare. “You haven’t even read through the Book of Songs, and yet you spout the Great Ming Code!”
Su Xiaobei said, “Shen Tongzhi told me. He instructed that if my lord intends to go to Rouge Alley, I must stop you, so you won’t end up with a blemish for violating the law and harm your career.”
Su Yan chuckled, “Shen Qi? He makes it sound so grand, but isn’t it just that his vinegar jar got knocked over? Besides, even if I did spend half a year with Ruan Hongjiao, it really was only drinking and listening to songs. When he went to brothels before, was it to lecture the girls on the Great Ming Code? And he has the face to lecture me.”
He pointed at Su Xiaobei, face serious: “You. Don’t you dare betray me, or I’ll chase you out with a broom. If you don’t want to drive the carriage, we’ll have Xiaojing do it.”
Su Xiaobei wasn’t afraid of the pomp of the family head. He pressed his lips together and reluctantly said, “Fine, I’ll drive. Xiaojing’s unreliable.”
The carriage wheels clattered over the stone-paved road, and soon they arrived at Rouge Alley.
Xiaobei stayed by the carriage. Su Yan, dressed in casual clothes, entered the courtyard like he knew the place well. Amid the flirty calls of the courtesans—“Aiya, Young Master Su, it’s been ages since you last came”—he smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries, then asked, “Is Ruan Hongjiao in?”
“She is, she is,” the madam said with a smile. “Still in her old room. Young Master Su—ah, no, I hear you ranked high in the spring exam and are now an official. Should call you Lord Su. How rare to have such deep feelings, still remembering our little Ruan girl.”
Su Yan smiled and handed her a small silver ingot. “I’d like to see her for a bit. Just talk, won’t stay long.”
“Just… talk for a bit? Why not stay the night, let her serve you properly?” the madam said eagerly.
Su Yan waved her off without answering, walked straight to Ruan Hongjiao’s door, and knocked. “My good girl, your young master’s here to see you.”
Ruan Hongjiao was in the middle of changing. Hearing his voice, she hastily tied her sash and went to open the door, joy lighting up her face.
When the door opened, standing outside was a handsome, dashing young man—taller and broader than the delicate and scholarly youth he once was. His voice was deeper, his demeanor more composed.
But no matter how much appearance changed with age, the one who called her “my good girl” was this one and no other.
Ruan Hongjiao’s eyes turned red without her realizing it. She turned away to hide it and invited him in. “Look at me, such a mess. I’ve made a fool of myself in front of you, Young Master. Come, have some tea while I change into something proper.”
Seeing she had thrown a robe over her jacket and skirt, with a cloak draped over her arm, Su Yan asked, “Bad timing? Were you going out?”
Ruan Hongjiao hung the cloak back up. “I’d promised a fellow townswoman I’d show support at her brothel, for a new courtesan’s debut. But since Young Master—Lord Su is here, of course I won’t go. I’ll have a maid go cancel.”
“No need. Keep to your plans. I just came to see you, chat a bit—I won’t stay long,” Su Yan said.
Ruan Hongjiao looked a bit disappointed. “Of course. Now that you’re an official, it’s inconvenient to visit someone like me.”
“That’s not the reason.”
“Oh? Then perhaps it’s because Lord Su has married, and his fierce, jealous wife forbids him from coming to a brothel?”
“She is fierce and jealous… I suppose that’s accurate. And watches me closely. But she’s not my wife—and she’s not the only one,” Su Yan said, awkwardly. “Actually, I wanted to ask you something before I returned to the capital. You’re a professional—experienced. Tell me, in my situation… am I truly bent? Or is it stress-induced? Will I… straighten out again afterward?”
Ruan Hongjiao looked at him, confused. “Bent? Straight? Stress-induced?”
“I mean…” Su Yan searched for words, then finally braced himself and said directly, “I slept with a man.”
“Oh my.” Ruan Hongjiao let out a small gasp and quickly covered her mouth with her sleeve. “A manservant? That’s nothing. Which young master’s household doesn’t have a servant or musician to warm the bed? It doesn’t stop you from coming to brothels or marrying in the future.”
Recalling the freer morals of the time, Su Yan began to suspect it had been a mistake to ask her. But since he’d started, he might as well finish. He sighed. “Not a servant. A colleague.”
“A fellow official? A handsome one? A romantic tale from the imperial court, then.”
“And a bodyguard.”
“Well… guards are supposed to protect their master, day and night.”
“And… a noble. But not by choice. He forced himself on me.”
Ruan Hongjiao’s gaze turned sympathetic. She stepped over to massage his shoulders. “One rank above can crush a man—it’s the same everywhere. If you can bear it, bear it. If not, find a way to make him uncomfortable, maybe he’ll leave you alone.”
“If only it were that simple. His whole family…” Su Yan patted her hand. “Forget it. Back to the question. I used to like women. Now that I’ve gone down this road, can the ‘broken sleeve’ be mended?”
Ruan Hongjiao smiled gently. “Who Lord Su sleeps with is his own business. What’s a broken sleeve or a mended one got to do with anything? There’s no law in the world that says once you sleep with a man, you can’t ever sleep with a woman again. If you’re unsure whether you prefer men or women—why not sleep with me once? Wouldn’t that clear things up?”
Su Yan jumped. “I’m not the kind of person who sleeps around just to try things. There has to be emotion—mutual, consensual.”
Ruan Hongjiao feigned hurt, furrowing her brows with sadness. “So you mean we never had any feelings? That half-year was just a game? Or you think we’re not equals—that I’m just a courtesan, unworthy of your bed?”
Su Yan hurried to explain, “Of course not! What I mean is… once I choose a partner, then no matter the gender, I shouldn’t be flirting with anyone else.”
“Well, you haven’t chosen one yet. Lord Su is still young, new to all this. No need to jump to conclusions. If, after sleeping with me, you find women suit your tastes better, wouldn’t that help you make up your mind?”
Su Yan hesitated.
Ruan Hongjiao pressed her advantage: “Try it? No day like today. How about tonight?”
She leaned her full chest against Su Yan’s shoulder and neck, her delicate fingers tracing circles around his Adam’s apple.
Su Yan shivered. No flag raised in the front; instead, a faint pain stirred in the back. A strange fear crept up on him. Those two nights steeped in lamb wine’s scent—flooded with lashings like a storm—still haunted him. He’d been forced to answer again and again: “Are you pregnant with my seed yet?” “If you are, will you bear it?” “Where will you give birth? Here, or here?” Both his body and mind had been deeply scarred. Now, even the thought of intimacy made him reflexively panic: What if she gets pregnant? With no real birth control, what if it happens? And if she gives birth, then what? Be a father? Could he really carry that burden for life?
Ruan Hongjiao flirted for quite some time, but Lord Su—trapped in the mental loop of “to bear or not to bear”—showed no reaction, and even seemed a little panicked. She felt disheartened: such a bright, sensitive youth, once so considerate and charming, had been ruined by those disgraceful, unscrupulous men. Now, even if she offered herself with the truest intentions, hoping to leave behind one last beautiful memory amidst her comings and goings, it was no longer possible.
Hearing the faint sound of Ruan Hongjiao’s sniffles, Su Yan felt a pang of guilt and compassion. He reached out to hold her arm and offered comfort: “Let me call you older sister.”
“…What?” Ruan Hongjiao thought she must have misheard.
“You’re two years older than me, and we get along well. How about we call each other brother and sister from now on? If Sister Ruan ever tires of life in the brothel, I can help redeem your freedom—but I’m a bit short on silver, so you’d need to cover at least half of it yourself. Du Shiniang had a treasure chest, after all. You’re even more popular than her—you must have savings, right? If not, I’ll find a way to scr*pe it together. But afterward, you’ll have to find a job and pay me back slowly. Even blood siblings settle accounts clearly.”
Ruan Hongjiao laughed and cried at once. “What nonsense! Of course I’ve saved up… but no—how can you, a fourth-rank official, acknowledge a courtesan like me as your elder sister? Are you stupid? You’d be throwing away your future, inviting scandal! Don’t say such things again. I don’t want to leave Rouge Alley either—this life is fine. If you want to hear me sing, just come. If not, that’s fine too. But don’t speak of forming kinship bonds.”
Su Yan said, “What’s wrong with being a courtesan? Using your body and skills to make a living is far more honest than selling your soul. But if you truly don’t want it, I won’t force you. Still, just between us—what harm is there? ‘Ruan Hongjiao’ sounds too formal, and ‘good girl’ sounds too frivolous. ‘Sister Ruan’ strikes a balance. We can interact like family, and I won’t feel awkward when we’re alone.”
Ruan Hongjiao felt her heart melt, choking back tears as she nodded. “Whatever you wish to call me in private is fine. No matter what I am to you, you… you are…”
She wanted to say “dearest kin” or “younger brother,” but worried it would be too presumptuous. She stammered for a long time and finally gave up—what mattered was that they both understood.
Su Yan took out a handkerchief and gently wiped her tears. Smiling, he said, “Your makeup’s a mess. How are you going to support that new girl? She might steal the spotlight.”
Ruan Hongjiao gave him a playful punch, walked to the mirror to fix her face, and said while applying powder, “Would the lord like to come with me? I’ve met that new girl once—though her face was covered, her bearing alone marked her as a beauty. You and I are too familiar now, maybe you’ll feel something new when you see her. Who knows, you might take a liking to her tonight. She’s still clean—a proper courtesan.”
“There’s no such thing as ‘clean’ or not—people aren’t garments.” Su Yan wasn’t interested in fighting over a young girl’s first night with a bunch of patrons, but he was admittedly curious about the ritual of shugong—was it like the embroidered-ball tossing in later dramas, or was there an auction, or did the girl set trials for suitors and pick the one she liked best?
Ruan Hongjiao finished her makeup with practiced ease, threw on her cloak, and smiled. “If you don’t mind, ride with me. It’s fun to see the spectacle.”
Su Yan hesitated slightly, but she tugged him onto the carriage.
Su Xiaobei asked, “My lord, not going back to the residence?”
Su Yan replied, “Just going to watch some fun, then I’ll return. You can come if you want. If not, head back and rest.”
Ruan Hongjiao added, “Don’t worry. I’ll return your master safe and sound—won’t let a single hair fall out.”
Unconvinced, Su Xiaobei drove his carriage to follow them, heading toward the evening’s commotion.
—
“He went to a brothel?” Shen Qi frowned. “With that Ruan Hongjiao again?”
Gao Shuo nodded. “Yes. First to Rouge Alley, then he left with her in the same carriage and went to another house. Word is, a new qingguan is debuting tonight.”
Shen Qi’s face darkened, grinding his molars: After all this, he still wants to sleep with women? Clearly I haven’t screwed him enough to teach him a lesson. If not for the emperor’s vigilance, I’d have long tamed him.
Seeing his superior’s expression, Gao Shuo felt a chill. Hesitantly, he asked, “What does my lord intend…”
“Join the fun,” Shen Qi said, gripping the hilt of his blade as he rose.
—
Han Ben returned to Wangye’s manor to report: Yin Fu had spent last night in the infirmary’s guest quarters, hadn’t left the city, and was still unwell this morning—he’d likely need one more day before returning.
Yu Wang gave a nod and said nothing.
That night, dressed in plain dark robes, he personally went to the infirmary to investigate. Just in time, he spotted Yin Fu dressed as a commoner slipping out the back, moving with astonishing agility—skimming rooftops, leaping alleys—without even startling the returning birds.
Impressive lightness skill, Yu Wang thought. Clearly he’s hiding more than he lets on. He silently tailed him.
Soon, he saw Yin Fu enter a brightly lit, heavily decorated brothel.
All that secrecy—just for brothel entertainment? Yu Wang considered for a moment, then decided to follow him in and see what mischief he was really up to.
Can’t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Come to my Patreon where you can get 5 or more chapters of The Reincarnation of a Powerful Minister right away ! Or go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! :)
