Spoiled and mad critic of powerful ministers

Zuixianlou, a den of iniquity in the capital.

Every brick and tile here exudes extravagance, and even the air is not filled with the usual aroma of cooking, but rather with a sweet scent of cosmetics, fine wine, and gold and silver.

Inside the private room "Tingyuxuan" on the second floor, steam was rising.

Zhao Qiyan was truly happy today, waving his folding fan wildly, completely abandoning the dignified demeanor he usually put on in front of noble ladies. He had one foot on a stool, holding a wine glass, his cheeks flushed.

"That felt great! That really felt great!"

Zhao Qiyan tilted her head back and drank the wine in her glass in one gulp, then slammed the glass down on the table, the porcelain clinking together with a crisp sound.

"You didn't see the Vice Minister of War's face; it was worse than moldy pickles!"

Shen Qiongju smiled faintly, holding a cup of warm honey water in her hands. She didn't like drinking in unfamiliar places, so Pei Zhihui had someone change it to this throat-soothing drink.

She looked out the window; the capital city's night view was as bustling as day, with lights stretching to the horizon. In her past life, she was a bird trapped in a cage in the inner quarters, only able to see this prosperity through the square sky; in this life, she finally sat outside, enjoying the freedom of the world.

Pei Zhihui sat beside her, slowly peeling a crab.

His slender fingers were as white as jade, and his movements were as elegant as if he were sculpting a work of art. The peeled crab meat was not eaten by him, but was neatly arranged in a small porcelain dish and pushed in front of Shen Qiongju.

"Try it." His voice was deep, with a hint of indulgence. "The steamed crab at Zuixianlou is exceptional, but it's cold in nature, so eat less."

Shen Qiongju felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Zhao Qiyan was still making a ruckus across from them, oblivious to the subtle movements happening on their side. She lowered her eyes, picked up a piece of crab meat, and its sweet flavor melted on her tongue.

Just then, a noisy argument drifted through the carved wooden partition.

The private rooms at Zuixianlou were very well soundproofed, so the fact that the noise could still be heard meant that the commotion over there was extremely loud.

"...Du Hengniang, my master is giving you face, don't be ungrateful!"

A man's shouting voice was accompanied by the sound of slamming his fist on the table.

Shen Qiongju's hand holding the chopsticks suddenly froze.

Du Hengniang?

In her past life, she suffered endless neglect at the Wen family's estate, her only solace being the invitation from Du Hengniang. Du Hengniang was later the most famous and wealthy woman in the Great Sheng Dynasty, whose wealth rivaled that of a nation.

Du Hengniang taught her how to read account books, how to exploit human weaknesses in business, and even tried to spend a large sum of money to rescue her from the Wen family when she was at her most desperate.

Unfortunately, she was already in deep trouble and didn't want to drag her friend down with her.

Shen Qiongju remembered that at this time in her previous life, they had not yet met, but it was precisely the moment when Hengniang's salt shop was facing annihilation.

It was because of this huge loss that Hengniang began to learn to cooperate with powerful and influential people, and started to expand her business, starting restaurants and other businesses instead of just focusing on the highly profitable salt and iron industry.

"What's wrong?" Pei Zhihui keenly noticed her unusual behavior, put down the crab-eating tools in his hand, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Shen Qiongju didn't speak, but simply put a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture, and involuntarily leaned closer to the wall.

The sounds from next door became clearer.

"Your Highness, as I have said, this salt well business is the foundation of the Du family and the result of my hard work over the past few years. You can invest and receive dividends, but I will never hand over the operating rights and the secret formula."

A clear, cold female voice rang out. The voice wasn't loud, but it carried a hardness like metal or stone, completely unlike the docile nature expected of women in this era.

That's Du Hengniang.

Immediately afterwards, an arrogant laugh rang out.

"Equity investment? Dividends?"

The speaker was Prince Shou, the current emperor's cousin, who was notoriously greedy, lustful, and ruthless.

"Master Du, you seem to have missed the point. I'm not here to discuss business with you today, but to inform you. I want this new method of salt extraction; I also want the salt wells around the capital."

"If you know what's good for you, obediently hand over the land deed and the recipe, and I might even reward you with the position of a concubine. If you refuse, you'll have to suffer the consequences..."

Prince Shou sneered, his tone full of threat, "The lives and fortunes of your hundreds of salt workers, and your gambling-obsessed father, are all going to suffer."

Inside the private room, Shen Qiongju clenched her fists tightly.

As expected, it was Prince Shou.

In her previous life, Du Hengniang was driven to desperation by Prince Shou. Although she managed to save her life, she lost her salt business and many of her brothers. She was imprisoned by her parents and returned to the Du family, where she suffered inhuman torture. Only after leaving the family and lying low for five years did she finally rise again.

"Is Your Highness going to rob us outright?" Du Hengniang's voice remained calm, but Shen Qiongju could hear the tremor in it.

"So what if I rob it?" Prince Shou said contemptuously. "All the land under heaven belongs to the king. You, a woman, holding such a large treasure trove in your hands, that's a crime of possessing a treasure. The fact that I'm accepting it is giving you face."

"I can't afford to lose face like this."

"you!"

Prince Shou seemed to be enraged and slammed his fist on the table.

Just as tensions were rising, the door of Tingyuxuan was suddenly kicked open from the outside.

A middle-aged man with a long beard, dressed in a silk robe, stumbled in. He wasn't there to rescue anyone; he was there to sell his daughter for personal gain.

"Your Highness, please calm down! Your Highness, please calm down!"

Vice Minister Du knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, his beard trembling with each movement.

"My daughter is ignorant and has offended Your Highness. I will discipline her immediately! As for the salt well business... here, whatever Your Highness likes, it's all yours!"

Du Hengniang stared incredulously at her father on the ground: "Father, what does my business have to do with you? It's my life's work! Why are you just giving it away for nothing?"

"Shut up, you unfilial daughter!"

Vice Minister Du got up, raised his hand and slapped Du Hengniang hard across the face.

"Snapped!"

The crisp sound of a slap made Shen Qiongju next door clench her fists involuntarily.

"If you hadn't been dabbling in those bizarre and ingenious techniques, how could you have gotten yourself into such trouble? The fact that His Highness Prince Shou now thinks highly of you is a blessing you've accumulated over many lifetimes!"

Vice Minister Du turned around and gave Prince Shou a fawning smile, his face filled with greed and servility.

"Your Highness, although this girl has a bit of a fiery temper, her looks and figure are top-notch. If Your Highness doesn't mind, she can be given to the Prince as a concubine, and the salt well matter can be considered her dowry!"

"Du Yan!" Du Hengniang's voice rose.

She never imagined that her father, in his quest to curry favor with the powerful, would be so utterly shameless as to treat her like a commodity and send her away.

Prince Shou stroked his chin, his gaze sweeping unabashedly over Du Hengniang, then suddenly smiled and said, "Minister Du is a pragmatic person. In that case, I shall accept your offer without further ado."

"Guards, take Miss Du back to the manor."