Female Consort Chapter 82: Red Sleeves

The mastermind behind the scenes was probably just as annoyed by Qiu Che, never expecting the Crown Prince to be foolish enough to agree to her request in public.

Even if Qiu Che was lying, as long as the Emperor couldn’t come forward to clarify, Qiu Che could use the Crown Prince’s words as a shield every single day.

So the next day at court, whether it was just Qiu Che’s imagination or not, the Crown Prince’s expression seemed even darker than before.

After the ministers had finished their noisy arguments for the day, Qiu Che finally presented the memorial concerning which women’s troops would stay or leave.

The Crown Prince flipped through the pages with a dark face but seemed distracted. Then he frowned and said, “Those who remain… want to form a new city defense squad?”

Qiu Che nodded calmly. “This is what the soldiers themselves wish for. Your Highness, I have seen how lax and disorderly the current city patrol guards in the capital are. Corruption is rampant. So, it’s better to form a brand-new, disciplined city defense team…”

“Wait, wait a moment,” the Crown Prince interrupted, incredulous. “Are there really people who want to become martial arts instructors, open schools?”

Qiu Che smiled lightly. “Not all soldiers have the determination to continue fighting after experiencing the horrors of the battlefield. Now that the country is at peace, it’s only right to give them a good place to settle.”

“That won’t do!” The Crown Prince spoke firmly. “Allowing them into the army was already an exception. How can a place of learning be on the same level as a reckless battlefield? How can women become teachers in academies? It’s absurd!”

The moment those words fell, the buzzing chatter in the court abruptly quieted.

Several generals’ eyes burned with fury, their expressions turning sour.

Noticing their gazes, the Crown Prince realized and awkwardly cleared his throat twice.

“In short… what Minister Qiu proposes is simply inappropriate…”

“Hm?” Qiu Che tilted her head, looking innocent, even batting her eyes at him. “But Your Highness, I started drafting the legal revisions yesterday, which explicitly include provisions allowing women to enter academies, take imperial exams, and even go to the battlefield. Didn’t Your Highness tell me yesterday you supported all my changes?”

The Crown Prince was speechless.

Facing the stunned gazes of the ministers, he opened his mouth but found no words.

After a moment, he sighed deeply in frustration and said, “Minister Qiu is right.”

Qiu Che looked at him calmly, waiting to hear what he would say next.

“The matter of the academies can be set aside for now. What I didn’t expect was so many soldiers choosing to stay in the capital,” the Crown Prince paused. “Forming a city defense squad is not impossible, but these soldiers lack experience; they might not perform better than the previous city patrol…”

He looked at Qiu Che. “I see that you care deeply for these women soldiers and, as head of the Ministry of Rites, you are well familiar with the rules, why don’t you be their instructor?”

There was no room for refusal. The Crown Prince raised his hand. “Let me think... One month, there’s a newly built training ground outside the city. Minister Qiu will lead the soldiers in daily training and patrols there. After a month, we’ll rotate in the city defense squad, how about that?”

Qiu Che immediately understood, this was someone else’s idea.

They’d heard her suggestion, but didn’t know what she was really planning, and perhaps sensing something, they didn’t want her stirring trouble in the city.

So they tried to get the Crown Prince to send her out to the training ground.

Her thoughts spun wildly for a moment.

But it had to be said: the Crown Prince was surprisingly clever this time. Under these circumstances, Qiu Che really couldn’t refuse outright.

Pushing too hard would be counterproductive.

After a moment of consideration, she bowed slightly and accepted the decree.

Then, the very next day, while the Crown Prince was in high spirits and drinking at a pleasure house, his dark frown wiped clean, she led a group straight to raid the Red Sleeve brothel.

The Crown Prince was slumped in his chair, drunk as a lord. When the door suddenly burst open, he hadn’t even fully registered it, squinting, and grumbled irritably, “Who’s there? Don’t you know I’m drinking here?”

But the girl playing the pipa nearby was quicker to react. She screamed and instantly dropped to her knees, clutching the instrument, trembling, “My lords, I swear I haven’t done anything wrong, ”

The leader of the “men” standing tall at the front was actually a woman with a cool, clear voice.

She held up a token. On it, freshly carved, were three large characters: “City Defense Squad. By law, clear the brothels and gambling dens within the city. Everyone inside, get down!”

The Crown Prince jolted, finally fully awake.

Turning around, he saw Qiu Che leading dozens of women dressed in tight battle gear, their formation neat and silent, smiling brightly in his direction.

“Your Highness, the pleasure is all mine.”

The Crown Prince jumped up so suddenly that the bottle in his hand fell to the ground and shattered.

He staggered, pointing at Qiu Che. “Y-you, you, you…”

Qiu Che stepped forward, expression unchanged. “What about me?”

The Crown Prince’s face flushed red with anger and confusion. Then he suddenly remembered, what about the guards at his door?

“Guards! Guards! Who let them in? Throw them out, ”

Qiu Che spoke softly, “Your Highness, there’s no need to panic. Your guards are all perfectly safe. I bear no ill will, I’m simply following orders. Yesterday’s decree to clear out the brothels and gambling dens was personally approved by you. Have you forgotten?”

Her slow, teasing tone sounded like blatant mockery to the Crown Prince’s ears.

His pupils trembled, he stammered helplessly, unable to find a single word of rebuttal.

Just yesterday, relieved that Qiu Che had agreed to go outside the city, he had let his guard down and hastily approved every petition that seemed unimportant, he’d completely forgotten which ones were hers.

But at a time like this, he could never admit in public, “I didn’t read it.”

Still…

The brothels and gambling dens were among the lowest tiers of commerce in the empire; many officials privately had connections to them.

Qiu Che’s order to dismantle this whole underworld would inevitably offend powerful factions.

Was she mad?

Why would she do something so thankless?

The Crown Prince racked his brain but couldn’t understand her motives.

Then again, she did have a history of such thankless acts.

She once exposed her identity to imprison her father and brothers, then volunteered to fight in the northern campaign to prevent a political marriage.

Qiu Che herself was full of things no one could figure out.

His thoughts barely lasted a moment.

But in that brief instant, the smile on Qiu Che’s face faded, turning calm.

She suddenly leaned in a little, her voice soft.

“Your Highness.”

The Crown Prince instinctively stepped back, then immediately stiffened at his own reaction, it felt almost like fear.

“You, as the heir to the throne, are you truly willing to see all your hard work end up as someone else’s bride price?”

In a flash, something snapped in the Crown Prince’s mind.

He trembled, emotions flickering wildly in his eyes, his face darker than ever.

“You’d better stop stirring up trouble… no, wait.”

He suddenly grabbed Qiu Che by the collar, voice vicious.

“Who told you I’m making clothes for someone else’s wedding?”

In an instant, the sound of swords being drawn rang out sharply.

Behind her, the women of the city defense squad all drew their swords, eyes alert and wary, ready to rush forward, 

Qiu Che raised her hand.

That single simple gesture stopped them cold.

She and the Crown Prince were about the same height. Their eyes met; her face was expressionless, even with a slight smile at the corner of her lips.

But the Crown Prince felt a subtle threat hidden beneath her expression.

It was a quiet, commanding aura born from years of holding power.

Unable to help himself, he relaxed his grip a little.

He glanced at the alert women behind her, his face twitching involuntarily.

For a moment, he didn’t know who truly held the power in the room.

Qiu Che reached out calmly.

Though her wrists were slender, her strength exceeded that of most men, 

The Crown Prince had tried to pull away with all his might, but she effortlessly tore free from his grasp.

He didn’t even put up a fight.

“Your Highness, there’s been a misunderstanding. I never said that, it wasn’t something I heard directly.”

Qiu Che’s smile was cold and faint. “Just a small reminder… If Your Highness refuses to listen, then there’s nothing I can do.”

The last few words were spoken so lightly, almost as if they barely touched her lips.

The Crown Prince felt a chill run through him, every hair on his body standing on end.

He stood there in a daze, watching as the group arrived like a gust of wind, and just as swiftly, vanished.

Only a handful of men, interrupted from their warm revelry inside the Red Sleeve Tavern, scrambled out in panic, hurriedly pulling up their trousers.

“What happened? What’s going on?”

“Come with us to the yamen.”

“Who are you people? How dare you seize me? Do you even know who my father is, ”

“The City Guard.”

“The City Guard? When did they have a bunch of women? And how can you just arrest people like this?!”

“It is our duty to maintain peace in the capital, The City Guard posted notices around the city yesterday. If you have any objections, take them up with His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Out of sight, the Crown Prince and his guards left the back door of the Red Sleeve Tavern, their faces dark as storm clouds, their steps swift as the wind.

After a thorough and sweeping raid, the Red Sleeve Tavern shut its doors tight. Inside, the mood was gloomy and despairing.

Lian Yun hid behind a screen, waiting until the noise died down before daring to emerge.

Her birth name was Lian Yin, but that name once falsely implicated the highly respected Lord Qiu, and so she was hunted by all.

After entering the Red Sleeve, the madam renamed her, giving her the courtesy name Yun.

“Yun” means rootless.

As she stepped out, Madam Meng hurried past the door, stopped when she saw her, and took two steps back, whispering sharply, “You reckless girl, where have you been?”

Before Lian Yun could answer, Madam Meng suddenly remembered something, rummaged through her bundle for a long moment, then shoved a bulging purse into Lian Yun’s hand.

By the weight, it was silver, quite a bit of it.

Along with it, there was a contract… a deed of servitude.

Lian Yun froze. “Madam, what is this?”

“Lord Qiu has forbidden any more brothels in the city. From now on, the Red Sleeve is no longer a good place to stay. Take this money and your contract, go live your life properly.”

Though Madam Meng said it was over, tears of relief shown clearly in her eyes.

As if she had been waiting for this day for a long time.

She wiped her tears quickly, looking rushed, patted Lian Yun’s shoulder, and whispered, “Don’t go back to that life. Do anything else, just live well.”

Then she left.

Lian Yun stood there holding the purse, her mind a jumble of confusion and uncertainty, not sure what to think.

Or perhaps she didn’t think at all.

She simply remembered that pair of eyes, cold and sharp like winter stars.

It seemed much of the upheaval in her short life was because of that person.

Just like her new name, rootless, drifting.

But it was also her own doing.

She had actually met many kind people.

Like Yao Tai, who once spoke up for her but had since passed away.

Like the princess who was rumored to be pampered and spoiled, yet stood up for a poor girl like her, even daring to defy the Crown Prince.

Like Lord Qiu, a woman who, in just two short years, had achieved countless miracles.

And now, Madam Meng.

Yet somehow, with every crucial choice, she seemed to always take the most common… and darkest path.

Lian Yun looked out at the chaotic crowd around her.

After a long moment, she exhaled deeply.

But her gaze grew resolute.

Clutching the purse, she followed the direction Madam Meng had gone into the back courtyard.

Just as she entered, a familiar voice suddenly asked, “Has the silver been given?”

Lian Yun stopped and instinctively took a step back.

Years of reading people had made her cautious in every move.

Luckily, no one heard the faint sound of her footsteps.

She strained to listen and heard Madam Meng’s voice clearly: “Yes, it’s been given. I told the girls too. By now, most should be packing their things.”

The voice paused, then asked, “What about the Lian girl?”

…Was she asking about her?

Peering through the leaves, Lian Yun squinted hard.

She saw a face she knew very well.

Though the figure had changed from male disguise back to female, anyone who had seen the troops off a year ago wouldn’t mistake her, 

She was one of them, 

Lord Qiu.

A thunderstorm rumbled in Lian Yun’s chest. Just as she barely regained her composure, Madam Meng sighed and said,

“The Lord is kind-hearted… Don’t worry, I also took the deed of servitude. If that girl really wants to live well from now on, she won’t come back to the capital to cause trouble.”

Her silver and her contract… had all been arranged by Qiu Che through Madam Meng?

Lian Yun was stunned.

Qiu Che, unaware of the faint movement in the grass nearby, whispered a few words to Madam Meng.

Suddenly, two sharp footsteps sounded.

Madam Meng turned sharply, eyes fierce, and hissed, “Who’s there?”

Qiu Che caught her swinging arm and stepped forward first.

Behind the bushes was only a faint footprint, a bulging purse on the ground, and a crumpled piece of black paper.

Qiu Che picked up the paper, glanced at it, and her eyelid twitches.

Madam Meng came over, alert, whispering, “City Lord, is there an assassin?”

Yes.

As mentioned earlier, Madam Meng was actually a native of Yeming City.

Today’s raid on the Red Sleeve Tavern was just a staged act with Qiu Che, but the girls inside truly didn’t know.

The goal was to make it look like the capital’s top brothel had been shut down, cutting off many small underground businesses.

Qiu Che calmly crumpled the paper again before Madam Meng could see, slipped it into her sleeve.

She did it with such casual ease, as if tucking a bright, blooming flower inside.

“No.”

“What then?”

Madam Meng said casually, but then noticed the purse on the ground.

“Nothing.”

Qiu Che glanced toward where Lian Yun had left and said lightly, “Just a late… grateful little cat.”

“If no one wants it, then let it stay.” She patted Madam Meng’s shoulder.

Madam Meng, puzzled, picked up the purse and recognized the style. “Who’s the silly girl giving away silver and then refusing it?”

“Maybe for them, accepting the silver hurts more than refusing it.”

Yun, rootless and drifting.

But there was another meaning too.

It stood for freedom.

Late, but still coming.