MCSCPM -Chapter 16 Sharp-Tongued

It was still early, so going to the pawnshop for inquiries was obviously out of the question. Chu Jingcheng had just come out of Li’s Pawnshop, which meant he was actively searching for the woman who had stolen his clothes. Yin Qingyue sighed—no wonder he was a war god; he had quickly found a breakthrough. Fortunately, she hadn’t pawned the clothes yesterday. If she had, he could have traced her through the pawn records.

The clothes were still at Luocheng Courtyard, so she couldn’t pawn them now. To escape Chu Jingcheng quickly, she would have had to discard the clothes—but then a new problem arose. She had been using the prince’s name to intimidate others. After thinking it over, Yin Qingyue decided to keep the clothes—they were both a hot potato and a life-saving charm, especially since she was weak now.

As she was contemplating this, a voice came from ahead: “The clinic has been open so many years, and the old man’s medical skills are not bad. Such a pity… ruined by gambling.”

Yin Qingyue looked up. The clinic’s sign had already been removed. She saw an old man moving things out. When she noticed him bringing out herbs, her eyes lit up. She approached and asked politely, “Doctor, where are you moving all these? If it were nearby, it would be easier.”

“Miss, I won’t be staying here. If you need a doctor, go elsewhere,” he replied, heading inside without looking back.

“Miss, don’t pay him any mind. His wife ran off because he gambled. No matter how skilled a doctor, he can’t withstand gambling—his ancestral wealth has all been lost.”

The old man inside froze at her words—perfect timing to convince him to sell the herbs cheaply.

Seeing Yin Qingyue, he grew impatient. “Hurry up and leave! No treatment today! I won’t help anyone for the rest of my life!”

“I understand your pain. Since you’ve decided to never practice medicine again, keeping the herbs is useless. Why not sell them to me?” Yin Qingyue said, glancing at the dang gui spread out on yellow paper.

“I’m old and weak. I’ll keep these herbs for myself,” the old man replied, wrapping them carefully.

At that moment, a few burly men appeared outside. The old man’s eyes widened in fear. “Why are you here? I’ve repaid my debts and handed over the land deeds!”

The leader laughed. “Don’t worry. You still owe one silver ingot. Pay that, and you can go.”

“You beasts! Your master said I had settled everything, and you come now just to demand more money!” The old man flushed red, trembling.

Yin Qingyue squinted. One silver ingot was nothing—he was clearly trying to extort more. She patted his shoulder reassuringly. “One ingot? I have it here. Take it. If you try to forcibly take more, go to the authorities.” She tossed a silver ingot to the leader.

“The lady…”

The leader waved dismissively. “We won’t trouble you.”

His men were anxious. “Leader, we didn’t come here to—”

“Quiet. Let’s go!” The leader left first, his men exchanging glances, glaring at the old man before following.

The old man nearly collapsed but clutched his herbs tightly. It was the dang gui. Yin Qingyue thought for a moment and asked, “They’re not here for the silver, but for the dang gui, right?”

The old man stared at her for a while, then nodded reluctantly. “This dang gui isn’t ordinary. For the ill, it restores energy, even has life-saving effects.”

Life-saving? Yin Qingyue kept her face calm, but inside she knew better—no herb could truly bring someone back from death. At most, it could prolong life or restore vitality. The burly men came for circulation and energy, likely useful for martial arts practice.

“If you keep holding onto this dang gui, it will eventually fall into their hands,” Yin Qingyue said calmly, warning him.

“Miss, though you are ugly, you’re kind. I’m old and weak, and now this happens—take the dang gui,” he said, handing it to her.

Yin Qingyue accepted it. Dang gui was excellent for restoring energy, and with her ginseng, she would soon regain enough strength to use her mind-reading abilities.

Before leaving, she also asked for some herbal tablets, putting them in her mouth. Once the cooling effect reached her throat, she discarded the tablets into a nearby bucket.

Watching her leave, the old man murmured, “Though she’s ugly, she remains calm. She must have some status. With the dang gui in her hands, I feel relieved.”

Yin Qingyue deliberately moved through crowded streets to avoid the burly men. The herbs had restored some strength, but confronting them directly would be difficult.

Half a street later, the men appeared, about ten steps behind her. Their master must have some influence in the capital.

She still had two silver ingots, enough to eat somewhere. Though she wasn’t sure of local prices, she remembered studying currency values from different eras; a few copper coins could buy two buns, and one silver ingot was worth several strings of copper.

As the men closed in, she slipped into a tavern.

“Leader, she actually went into the tavern!”

The leader frowned, muttering, “I’m not blind! We’ll wait nearby. I don’t believe she won’t come out.”

Yin Qingyue casually entered the tavern. Seeing the men hadn’t followed, she noticed the elegant interior. Normally, they would have come in. Perhaps their master and this tavern owner were enemies—or had a hierarchical relationship.

“Miss, what do you need?” a waiter asked with a smile.

Yin Qingyue smiled back. “What do you have here?”

Her question drew amused glances and smirks from other patrons.

“Please, take a seat,” the waiter said politely, unsure of her status. In the capital, noble girls were sometimes mischievous—last time, a high-born lady in coarse clothes had come here.

She sat, and the waiter poured her a cup of tea.

“Tea is good,” she said, sipping lightly. Even the free tea was delicious; she couldn’t afford the meals here.

“This tavern is the best in the capital, owned by the royal family. Every dish is top quality,” the waiter explained.

Yin Qingyue raised an eyebrow. Historically, commerce was secondary in Xize, but if the royal family ran a tavern, there must be a reason.

“What flavors do you like?” the waiter asked again.

“I’m waiting for someone,” she replied with a smile.

The waiter paused but quickly recovered. “Then please, take your time waiting.” He turned to call the manager.

Yin Qingyue placed the dang gui on her lap, drinking tea and thinking about how to shake off the men outside. Since they feared the tavern owner, she had a chance…

“Miss, we meet again,” a teasing voice spoke.

Looking up, she recognized one of Prince Jing’s companions.

Leng Feng didn’t wait for her reply; he sat down as if they had known each other for years.

The tavern manager noticed and glared at the waiter. “This lady is indeed waiting for someone. Who would dare come without money? Go greet them!”

The waiter nodded quickly and approached her. “Miss, the person you’re waiting for has arrived. What would you like to eat?”

Leng Feng raised an eyebrow. “Waiting for someone?” Then he smiled. “Serve anything that enhances a woman’s appearance.”

The waiter’s mouth twitched—he had just called her ugly outright.

“Five dishes. Keep them light. Red date and lotus seed soup, clear fish soup—these two are musts. The other three should be light and nourishing,” Yin Qingyue said calmly. Since he was paying, she would eat—no matter who he was.

The waiter nodded and quickly disappeared into the back.

“Don’t mind what I said earlier; it was for your own good,” Leng Feng said.

“I see. Thank you for your kindness,” she replied politely.

“Miss,” he lowered his voice so only she could hear, “the first woman our prince ever held… was you.”

Yin Qingyue smirked. “I heard Prince Jing was ambushed by a woman in the suburbs. Didn’t the ambush involve physical contact?”

Leng Feng’s lips twitched. Right—when the bold woman stole the prince’s clothes, he must have been hugged. Realizing this, he corrected himself. “Then you’re the second.”

“The mighty Prince Jing, and he has such foolish subordinates,” Yin Qingyue said with a smile.

Leng Feng froze. If the prince truly chose this woman, his household would have no peace—her tongue was sharp indeed.

“Food’s here!” the waiter’s sudden arrival relieved the tension.

Yin Qingyue picked up her chopsticks and immediately ate some red dates to nourish her energy.

Watching her, Leng Feng teased, “Miss, were you starved to death in your past life?”

“Do you have a problem with that?” she shot him a glance.

“No.”

“Then shut up.”

For a moment, Leng Feng felt he was just causing trouble, but then thought: if she faced Prince Jing, it would surely be entertaining. His eyes gleamed with anticipation.