轉碼失敗！請您使用右上換源切換源站閱讀或者直接前往源網站進行閱讀！Chapter 20 Sparrows Want Revolution Too

"Even at night, one must walk the path. If you're afraid, just close your eyes. At worst, you might fall and get hurt, but the path still needs to be walked."

Kong Qing was also drawn to this statement and asked curiously, "Your Highness, if it's already dark and one has to close their eyes while walking, wouldn't they die if there were a cliff ahead Who is so foolish as not to light a lantern"

Juan Dan wiped the sweat off his forehead in disbelief. Kong Qing was quite quick-witted when fighting, but now he seemed like an idiot. But since the Prince was in good spirits today, he didn't blame Kong Qing much. Looking at Zi Yin holding the bottle, Juan Dan understood what it meant.

"Kong Qing, quickly give this to Mulberry Wood Young Master of Drunken Flower Tower." Handing over the bottle, he continued pondering every word Qi Lin had said today.

But what does 'the world' mean There seems to be a lot about Qi Lin that he doesn't know yet.

The next morning, Qi Lin was dragged out of bed by Mai Dong. Stood in the courtyard with dark circles under her eyes, Yu Mu sat at his usual spot drinking tea as usual. Soon after, Qi Lin saw Mai Dong carrying a basin over; the water inside was lightly red. It had long been known that people in this era would add some essential oils to their washing water for beauty and skincare purposes. Was Yu Mu also going to do it

No wonder his skin is so good—it turns out he uses this.

"Wash your face," said Yu Mu indifferently.

Qi Lin was taken aback; this statement seemed to be directed at her. Could she have misunderstood because of a bad night’s sleep But when Yu Mu repeated it, Qi Lin realized he was speaking to her.

She walked over to the basin and wondered what was on her face that made washing necessary. Why go through such trouble

Wait!

Qi Lin instinctively touched her face. After saying those words to Zi Yin yesterday, she received this treatment today. Looking at Yu Mu with a slight smile, Qi Lin understood the meaning behind it.

Without hesitation, she reached into the basin. She had expected some strange sensation but found nothing else except for the water temperature. Boldly applying the water to her face, she felt an intense pain on her left side when the water touched her skin. Knowing this must be working, Qi Lin gritted her teeth and rinsed thoroughly without immediately raising her head. Taking Mai Dong's towel, she wiped herself dry carefully.

When opening her eyes, she noticed that the basin’s water had turned deeper in color. Presumably, the crimson on her face was fading. From the reflection of the water, no abnormalities could be seen on her face.

Good, it's working.

Mai Dong stared intently at Qi Lin. He had imagined how beautiful she would look without that patch of red but was still surprised when he saw her today after it was removed.

Qilin was not the most beautiful person he had ever seen, and she wasn't even as pretty as Bu Yao. However, Qilin's beauty was different from theirs; it was like a bright moon hanging in the sky—pure, elegant, and exuding an aura of pride that reminded one of the white plum blossoms blooming in Plum Garden.

"Tell me what I should do" Qilin concluded that Zi Yin had already informed Yu Mu about everything and thus skipped any pleasantries to get straight to the point.

Yu Mu continued brewing tea leisurely, asking calmly, "What should you do"

Furrowing her brows slightly—how could he act like he knew nothing Qilin looked at Rendong and Maidong; they too seemed clueless. She then walked over to Yu Mu's side and whispered, "Zi Yin didn't tell you anything"

"Tell me what exactly" Yu Mu tilted his head slightly, only for a wet kiss to land on his face. He knew it was Qilin who had just fallen.

Qilin covered her lips; it had been an accident but her heart was racing. Blushing, she lowered her head and avoided eye contact with Yu Mu.

"The Prince only gave me this." She took out the bottle sent by Kung Qing that morning, continuing, "He didn't say anything else."

Weren't you close friends Qilin looked at Yu Mu in confusion and suddenly realized that his definition of a close friend might be different. After all, he was the head prostitute of Drunken Flower Tower.

Unable to believe it, she wiped her forehead; she hadn’t expected Prince Zi Yin to have such tastes.

The next moment Yu Mu took out an envelope from his sleeve and handed it to Qilin. "This is also what the prince instructed."

Qilin opened the letter and found instructions telling her to win the first round of the Hundred Flowers Competition using only her own abilities, without mentioning anyone related to royalty or seeking help outside Drunken Flower Tower. It also explained that the medicine was extracted from various poisonous flowers, capable of removing facial rouge but could make Qilin sick if used improperly; death by skin necrosis would be the consequence for breaking rules. Additionally, someone would periodically deliver an antidote.

What's the difference between being controlled and this

Tearing the letter into pieces without hesitation and casually tossing them on the ground before stomping on them, she then sat down to sip tea as if nothing had happened. It all boiled down to a simple idea:

A sparrow needs a revolution, and such revolutions require self-awareness.

Wasn't winning just that Though she hadn’t styled herself like others in the past, she often followed celebrity news and occasionally attended concerts—she could manage this on her own without help.

"Maidong, let's go buy some things."

Pulling Maidong along to leave, Qilin turned back to Yu Mu as they were alone. She asked casually, "Yu Mu, could you tell me the rules of the Hundred Flowers Competition The more details, the better.

"Alright." Without asking for a reason, he simply put down his teacup and said slowly, "There are three stages in total. The first is the beauty selection; anyone who participates must be exceptionally beautiful. This stage was completed over a month ago by both the common people of Phoenix City and then reviewed by the government officials."

Hmm, it seems to be quite democratic, but how can I participate now when it's too late

"You naturally won't catch up with this phase." As if knowing Qi Lin’s thoughts, Elmwood continued, "However, if one gets a recommendation from the royal family, they could join midway. Of course, that person definitely wouldn’t be Prince Ziyin."

But she only knows Prince Ziyin. Right, there's also that little prince… what was his name again Ah yes, Long Ye. Since Ziyin mentioned Peony being Long Ye’s woman from the mortal world, he must come back here, and all I need is his support. But how do I find him

With no immediate solution, Qi Lin asked, "What kind of recommendation does a prince have to give"

"In the Competition of the Hundred Flowers, regardless of birth, if any member of the royal family favors a certain lady, they will present her with an iris. And if they want to recommend someone specifically, they would hand over a plum blossom." Elmwood continued upon hearing Qi Lin's slightly ragged breathing.

So that’s what it means to pull strings; all plum blossoms look the same, how do I know which one is genuine

"The second phase is about dance and talent, where only ten outstanding ladies will be selected. The third stage would be personally chosen by His Majesty."

Isn’t this just like being picked as a concubine in the end So it's not that different from today’s corporate world under an ostensibly fair system—whom you know wins.

"Of course," he said with a smile, "this woman must be a virgin."

What! A virgin

Qi Lin was shocked; her teacup slipped and fell onto the table, spilling tea that soaked into the hem of her dress. She opened her mouth in surprise—she hadn’t thought about this before. Peony is a jade maiden, doesn't being a jade maiden mean she's a virgin Then recalling on White Tiger Mountain… she was no longer a virgin.

Wait a minute! Qi Lin grabbed Elmwood’s cold hand tightly and said calmly, "This is Drunken Flower Pavilion; now that Peony and Buxiao have also joined in, are they also virgins"

I won't believe it even if you beat me.

Elmwood only smiled. "Drunken Flower Pavilion has its own rules: ladies with their own courtyards cannot engage in prostitution. At present, Peony and Buxiao are the only ones who qualify; despite being courtesans, they have strict protection to ensure that their art is for sale but not their bodies."

But… isn’t it said that… Isn't Peony Long Ye's woman And she has such a twisted preference. Even if she were publicly humiliated and displayed at the city gate, I wouldn’t believe she’s still a virgin.

Is this also an unwritten rule

"But what" How could Yu Mu not know what Qi Lin was thinking However, once the royal family set their sights on someone, that person belonged to them. Whichever side has more power gets to call the shots. Qi Lin surely understands this logic.

None of your business. Qi Lin shook her head. She had no one backing her up and wasn’t a virgin anymore, so she was at a disadvantage in this regard. But! She couldn’t give up here!

Qi Lin looked at Yu Mu, who wore a smile on her face. She bit her lip and didn’t know if anyone else could help her besides Yu Mu. Steeling herself, she said, "Thank you."

After understanding the general course of events from Yu Mu’s mouth, Qi Lin began to carefully contemplate it. Even if she managed to surprise everyone at the last moment and get their approval, she would still have to undergo a humiliating examination. Although it was just about applying a dot of cinnabar on her body, there was no way she could cheat this test.

So now Qi Lin only thought of two people who might be able to help her: one was Yu Mu, who excelled in medical skills and surely had a method that would let her pass the examination.

The second person was This woman right before her, who wore clothes exposing her ample bosom on purpose despite being full-bodied and whose face shone with oil but was caked with rouge to hide it.

The madam looked Qi Lin over carefully. At this moment, Qi Lin had painted a patch of red in the same place on her face as before; she looked no different from usual. Although she was surprised that Qi Lin came back to see her again, the madam still gestured for her to sit down.

"Speak," The tone showed some impatience as she glanced at her own thick fingers now and then, seemingly satisfied with their size before returning her gaze to Qi Lin in utter disdain.

Ignoring these things, Qi Lin thought: I’ve seen all sorts of wealthy women in the modern world; they’re all like this. With a professional smile, she said, "Snowy paid you an unexpected visit today and hopes Madam will forgive me."

The madam glanced at Qi Lin when she heard her speak. She laughed and said, "You can talk. What do you want I don’t have time to chat with you."

Hearing the madam’s tone soften slightly, Qi Lin poured a cup of tea for her and smiled as she said, "I’ve heard that Madam is knowledgeable in many things. Today, Snowy only wants one thing: something that can restore an incomplete maiden to purity."

“Pah!”

The madam’s thick palm landed on the desk without warning, overturning a cup of tea, but she didn’t mind it. Her furious eyes glared at Qi Lin as her nostrils flared dramatically from the strong air.

"Do you know what you’re talking about" She stared into Qi Lin’s determined black pupils and narrowed her eyes to say, "This is taboo."

“If it exists, then please enlighten me.” Qi Lin bowed slightly. She knew the madam would give it to her.

The fact that she could stay at Drunken Flower House without any trouble, and Yu Mu even took her as a personal maid without questioning anything about it—Qi Lin believed this must be related to Ziyin. Since Yu Mu wouldn’t talk about it, then she would find the madam; although Ziyin had said not to seek help from anyone in the royal family, there was no harm in trying with the madam who might give in for his sake.

As expected, the madam got up and walked over to her dressing table. After rummaging around for a while, she took out a black bottle and walked back over to Qi Lin, placing it in front of her.plied, "Humph, I've even seen human zoos; what else would frighten me"Porcine human The man frowned slightly. What kind of strange method is thisSensing the man's confusion, Qi Lin realized that the t...