Chapter 44: Connection between Princess and Jin Anazi (2/2)

“I’ve said it before-how do you know if you haven’t tried it?” 

The princess lifted the beaded curtain of the corridor. 

“Come with me inside.” 

Inside the pavilion, music and dance filled the air, creating a lively atmosphere. 

The sweet voices of the courtesans stirred the hearts of the guests. 

Lin Ting steadied her mind and observed her surroundings. 

The Moonlight Pavilion was divided into two sections: the left side for female courtesans and the right for male attendants. 

In the center was a large stage tied with red ribbons, where the courtesans and attendants took turns performing for the audience below.

Above the stage were intricately carved wooden beams adorned with tinkling silver bells and eighty-eight bright lanterns illuminating everyone below.

As she observed, her gaze drifted to a beautiful woman dancing on the stage.

She was truly stunning.

Lin Ting felt a slight interest stirring.

The princess was clearly a regular at the Moonlight Pavilion, as the madam quickly came over to greet her. 

She glanced at Lin Ting. 

“Princess, who is this young lady?”

“That’s none of your business. Don’t ask what you shouldn’t. Go and bring me the new batch of young men.” 

After giving the order, the princess led Lin Ting to the right side of the pavilion and into a private room, leaving Tao Zhu and the maids to guard the door.

The madam was very efficient and didn’t keep them waiting long, bringing the young men upstairs.

The princess lounged on the daybed, enjoying a massage from one of the attendants. 

“Choose whoever you like. If you fancy one, keep him. If you like them all, keep them all. A young man only costs ten taels.”

Lin Ting didn’t want any of the attendants; she wanted to go downstairs and watch the courtesans perform. 

Before she could speak, a commotion broke out outside. 

The princess frowned, displeased. 

“What’s all the noise outside?”

The madam hurried to inquire and returned with a troubled expression. 

“It’s the imperial guards conducting an inspection.”

Since the fifth son of the Xie family, Xie Qinghe, had escaped, the imperial guards had increased their inspections, going from once every half month to every few days. 

This was common knowledge.

The princess pushed away the young man massaging her legs. 

“The imperial guards are inspecting? Of all times, they choose now when I’m here. Tell them to leave and come back another day.”

Even though the madam ran the largest brothel in the capital, she didn’t dare defy the imperial guards. 

“The one leading the inspection is Deputy Commander Duan.”

Duan Ling? 

What a coincidence. 

Lin Ting instinctively wanted to find a place to hide.

The princess looked at her, propping herself up, not particularly concerned. 

“What are you afraid of? It’s just a group of imperial guards. They can’t interfere with us enjoying the young men. After they finish inspecting, we’ll continue.”

Right, she hadn’t committed any crime. 

Why should she hide? 

Lin Ting stopped looking for a place to hide.

But it still felt awkward.

After a short while, the imperial guards reached their private room. 

Duan Ling entered, dressed in his flying fish uniform, holding a spring knife. 

His striking appearance was both beautiful and dignified. 

“Princess.”

The princess had more patience for good-looking people. 

She had met Duan Ling a few times before and recognized him. 

“Deputy Commander Duan.”

Duan Ling seemed to notice Lin Ting, who was almost sitting in the corner. 

“Seventh Miss Lin.”

Lin Ting awkwardly smiled. 

“Deputy Commander Duan.”

The princess looked intrigued, watching them with interest. 

“You two know each other?”

Being seen by someone she knew at a brothel was somewhat embarrassing. 

Lin Ting avoided eye contact with Duan Ling and explained to the princess, 

“Deputy Commander Duan’s younger sister is my close friend, so I know him as well.”

The princess ate a grape fed to her by one of the attendants and pointed at two handsome young men, instructing them to go to Lin Ting. 

“Go and serve her some food.”

The attendants obeyed and approached.

Duan Ling’s expression remained gentle, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the hilt of his spring knife.

As the attendants were about to reach Lin Ting, she avoided them and stood up. 

“Princess, I suddenly remember there’s something very important , I need to discuss with Deputy Commander Duan.  It’s not suitable for others to hear.”

At this point, Lin Ting suddenly understood why the princess had insisted on bringing her to the Moonlight Pavilion to meet the young men—she wanted to test her feelings for Jin Anazi . 

And perhaps show her other men, hoping she’d be captivated by their beauty.

Though Lin Ting could see the princess meant no harm and only wanted to gauge her feelings for Jin Anazi , she didn’t want to get involved in their affairs. 

But if she outright said she didn’t like Jin Anazi , the princess might not believe her.

She needed to find a way out.

The princess looked at them with a hint of ambiguity and generously waved her hand. 

“Not suitable for others to hear? Then you two go to the next room and talk. Take your time; there’s no rush.”

Lin Ting then turned to Duan Ling. 

“Deputy Commander Duan, may we step aside to talk? It won’t take long, just a few words.”

Duan Ling’s fingers twitched slightly. 

“Alright.”

The princess kept watching them, her expression thoughtful, and even ignored the attendants.

They left the room one after the other and entered the adjacent empty private room. 

Lin Ting closed the door, thinking of a way to extricate herself while walking toward Duan Ling.

He released his grip on the spring knife. 

“What did you want to talk about, Seventh Miss Lin?”

Lin Ting noticed there was tea on the table and poured a cup for Duan Ling. 

“Deputy Commander Duan, you must be tired from the inspection. Have some tea. I wanted to ask how your injury is doing?” 

She was making small talk, not wanting to return to the princess’s room just yet.

“It’s healed. Thank you for your concern, Seventh Miss Lin.” 

Duan Ling took the tea she offered and took a sip. 

“Do you often come to the Moonlight Pavilion?”

Lin Ting quickly denied it. 

“No.”

“This is my first time. I’ve never been here before. The princess brought me to see the Moonlight Pavilion. How could I come here often? I don’t have that kind of money.”

Heaven knows, she only wanted to earn money and wouldn’t spend it on men.

The Moonlight Pavilion was famously expensive in the capital. 

Lin Ting wouldn’t come here often.

Duan Ling set down the teacup and smiled. 

“So, if Seventh Miss Lin had enough money, would you come here often?”

Lin Ting felt the need to salvage her image. 

“No, even if I had enough money, I wouldn’t come to the Moonlight Pavilion often because I generally don’t spend money on men.”

He seemed to recall something. 

“Generally don’t spend money on men?”

She firmly said, 

“Yes.”

Duan Ling didn’t press further, looking down at the set of celadon tea utensils on the table, his peripheral vision catching Lin Ting’s pink skirt and her hand resting at her side. 

“How did Seventh Miss Lin meet the princess?”

Lin Ting didn’t want to elaborate, fearing it would involve Jin Anazi , so she downplayed it. 

“We met by chance and aren’t very familiar.”

He seemed to believe her. 

“Is there anything else, Seventh Miss Lin?”

“Nothing.”

Lin Ting’s mind was a bit muddled, and she couldn’t think of anything else to say. 

“Are you leaving?”

Duan Ling’s smile faded slightly as he walked toward the door. 

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave. The imperial guards need to continue the inspection.”

Lin Ting suddenly thought of a way to extricate herself and called out to him. 

“Wait, can you take me with you? Just to the front gate of the Moonlight Pavilion.”

Duan Ling turned back. 

“Take you with me?”

“Yes, take me with you.”

He chuckled softly, the corners of his eyes slightly upturned, his gaze reflecting Lin Ting’s face. 

“Your legs are your own. Can’t you leave on your own? Seventh Miss Lin, don’t joke.”

“To be honest, coming to the Moonlight Pavilion today wasn’t my choice, and I want to leave now.” 

Lin Ting lowered her voice. 

“But the princess has some misunderstandings about me and might not let me leave easily.”

Duan Ling lowered his gaze again. 

“You’re saying the princess forced you to come to the Moonlight Pavilion?”

Lin Ting, afraid of leaving a trail, corrected his wording. 

“You can’t exactly say ‘forced.’ It’s mainly that the princess has some misunderstandings about me and wants me to experience more of the world’s men.”

He seemed amused. 

“What kind of misunderstanding could the princess have about you that she’d want you to experience more men?”

“It’s hard to explain in a few words, but what I’m saying is true. Please believe me.”

If this method didn’t work, Lin Ting would have to think of another way. 

After all, she really wasn’t interested in the attendants and didn’t want to put on an act.

Duan Ling slowly raised his gaze, his eyes roaming over her face. 

“I believe you.”

Lin Ting’s face lit up with joy. 

“Thank you for believing in me, Deputy Commander Duan. Could you help me by telling the princess you need to take me away for something?”

He agreed. “Alright.”

She sincerely thanked him for his assistance. 

“Thank you. I owe you a favor.”

“It’s nothing.”

Just as they were about to leave, someone knocked on the door. 

The princess’s voice came through, laced with concern. 

“Deputy Commander Duan, Seventh Miss Lin, did you drink the tea or wine in there?”

Lin Ting instinctively looked at the teacup Duan Ling had drunk from and held her breath. 

“What’s wrong? Was there poison in the tea or wine?”

The princess replied, 

“No, there’s no poison.”

Lin Ting was almost scared to death. 

She had handed the tea to Duan Ling. 

If it had been poisoned, it would have been as if she had killed him, and

killing an imperial guard, even accidentally, was a serious crime. 

But since there was no poison, why did the princess ask? 

There must be another issue.

Her heart was in her throat again. 

She shouldn’t have poured Duan Ling that cup of tea.

The princess continued, 

“The madam said this room was originally prepared for another guest who canceled at the last minute. The tea and wine inside were laced with some aphrodisiacs at her request.”

The Moonlight Pavilion was a brothel, where guests sometimes enjoyed using aphrodisiacs and tools to enhance their pleasure.

The princess initially didn’t know that the tea and wine in this private room had been drugged, and the madam had only just remembered. 

Upon learning of this, she came specifically to warn them: 

“It’s good that you haven’t drunk any. Carry on, I’ll be waiting in the next room.”

The sound of footsteps gradually faded away as the princess returned to the adjacent private room. 

However, Lin Ting was left stunned. 

Aphrodisiacs… love potions?

How could it be a love potion! 

She had actually handed a cup of tea spiked with a love potion to Duan Ling? 

Lin Ting felt as if she had been struck by lightning. 

She abruptly turned to look at Duan Ling, her gaze involuntarily drifting downward.

“Lord Duan, I…”

The love potion had no effect on Duan Ling, but when Lin Ting’s intense gaze fell upon that area, as if she could see the grotesque thing beneath the layers of fabric, his breathing suddenly became erratic.

The urge was about to take over.