Chapter 013: The Goal

Wang Bo was unaware of what was happening in the palace.

After driving off "Yuchi Zhenjin," Wang Bo quickly put the matter out of his mind; after all, a mere "Yuchi Zhenjin" was not worth Wang Bo's mental energy.

Even if he sought revenge, Wang Bo remained utterly unafraid.

But what Wang Bo did not expect was that not long after he had driven off "Yuchi Zhenjin," Liu'er came to report that Miss Hanyue from the Shuyuxuan had come to visit.

This rather surprised Wang Bo.

"Please ask her to wait a moment in the main hall; I'll be there shortly," Wang Bo said to Liu'er.

Liu'er nodded and turned to leave.

Wang Bo dawdled for a while, then rose and headed to the main hall. As soon as he entered, he saw Hanyue sitting in a chair drinking tea.

He could tell that Hanyue had clearly dressed up today.

She had coiled her hair into a chignon, applied rouge, and dotted her lips with lip balm, looking utterly stunning and indescribably beautiful.

By the way, the so-called kouzhi, or lip balm, was the ancient lipstick, also known as "chunzhi" in old times. Before the appearance of tube lipstick, kouzhi was actually interchangeable with rouge, stored in small boxes or jars, and applied by dipping a finger directly and dabbing it on.

In the past, lip color was mostly bright vermilion, but during the Tang and Song dynasties, sandalwood-colored lips were also fashionable. Sandalwood is what we now call flesh-toned or nude shades, and this lip tint color remains popular even today.

However, Miss Hanyue did not use sandalwood color, but vermilion red. Her red lips were as alluring as fire, setting off her face to be even more stunning and eye-catching.

In addition, Hanyue had changed into a short jacket and long skirt. The distinctive feature of this long skirt is that the waistband is tied relatively high, generally above the waist, sometimes even under the armpits, giving a graceful and slender appearance.

All of this knowledge was imparted to Wang Bo by Liu’er and Yu’er over the past few days.

Of course, it wasn't that Wang Bo asked openly and directly, but rather that he picked it up through indirect inquiries.

After all, such knowledge was common sense in ancient times.

"Miss Hanyue," Wang Bo said with a smile. "I am late, and I beg your forgiveness, Miss Hanyue."

Hanyue smiled faintly, set down the teacup in her hand, and said softly, “I have come presumptuously today, and I hope Young Master Wang will not take offense.”

Wang Bo shook his head repeatedly. "Not at all, not at all. Your presence, Miss Hanyue, brings light to my humble dwelling. How could I possibly mind?"

"Young Master Wang truly knows how to jest. Your residence is astonishingly large; had no one guided the way, I, Hanyue, would have long since lost my way. How can this be called a humble abode?"

"It's nothing special," Wang Bo said modestly. "My residence is nothing much in Luoyang city; the truly grand ones are the mansions of the nobles and aristocrats—those are the ones that are truly astonishing."

Hanyue smiled faintly. "Alright, let's not talk about that. I came today to thank you, Young Master Wang."

"Thank me?"

"Yes, I've come to thank you, Young Master Wang, for saving my life yesterday. If you hadn't come to my aid, I might have already died at the hands of Zhao Wuyan."

Wang Bo shook his head and said, "That's not necessarily true. The person Zhao Wuyan wanted to kill last night was me, not you."

Hanyue insisted, "Who can guarantee he wouldn't have killed me in passing? Yesterday, when I saw that fiend rushing toward us, my soul practically flew out of my body. I thought I was going to die. Who knew that Young Master Wang had such skill? With one punch, he sent that fiend flying."

By the end of her words, her beautiful eyes were filled with admiration.

Wang Bo couldn't help feeling a bit pleased, but he said, "A trifling matter, not worth mentioning."

Hanyue shook her head and said, "To you, Master Wang, this is a trifle, but to me, it is a life-saving grace. And a life-saving grace is beyond repayment. Please, Master Wang, allow this humble girl to bow to you."

Wang Bo hastily caught hold of Hanyue, not letting her bow down.

Wang Bo admitted that women of ancient times truly had a way with words. In just a few sentences, she had him beaming with delight, especially with those eyes full of admiration. Though he knew she was partly putting on an act, Wang Bo still felt himself getting a bit carried away.

As if he had truly played the hero and saved the beauty.

In reality, when Wang Bo intervened last night, it was merely out of self-preservation.

After that, Hanyue pulled Wang Bo into chatting about everything under the sun, from time to time flattering him with a few words, then offering a look of adoration.

Wang Bo was so flattered by her that he became somewhat light-headed.

At noon, Wang Bo even kept Hanyue for lunch at home.

They talked until nearly dusk in the afternoon, and only then did Hanyue reluctantly take her leave.

But before leaving, the two made plans to stroll arm in arm along the banks of the Luo River the next day.

After Wang Bo saw Hanyue off, his previously buoyant mood quickly subsided and gradually calmed down. He couldn't help but exclaim how formidable she was—this woman truly understood a man's heart, knew how to please a man, and how to win his favor.

Throughout the conversation just now, this woman maintained the demeanor of a demure maiden, bringing the gentleness and fragility of a woman into full play.

At the same time, she elevated Wang Bo to great heights.

It made Wang Bo extremely comfortable.

Without a doubt, this was a woman of cunning.

Of course, Wang Bo knew very well that a woman who mixed in the pleasure quarters, if she had no cunning, might have long ago been swallowed up by others, not even her bones remaining.

Having a scheming mind isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Wang Bo did not dislike her; indeed, this woman's actions, her speech, and her mannerisms were truly not off-putting.

Moreover, Wang Bo also knew that this woman had come to see him today, and without a doubt, she had taken a fancy to him.

Although Hanyue sells her art but not her body at Shuyuxuan, she is still a woman, and one day she will grow old and her beauty will fade. Once that happens, with no one to support her, her later years will surely be desolate.

Therefore, women like Hanyue would all, at the height of their beauty and charm, find a suitable man to marry.

Of course, becoming the principal wife was out of the question.

But at least she could become a concubine, and if she could win the master's favor, her later years would naturally be secure.

If she fails to win the master's favor, she might be given away by him at any moment.

Such things were by no means exceptional in ancient times.

You must understand that the status of a concubine in ancient times was not high. In many prominent and wealthy households, if a guest of sufficiently high status arrived, the host would select a few concubines and instruct them to attend to the guest.

If the guest was satisfied, he could even ask the host for the concubine.

And the host would generally not refuse.

From this, it can be seen that the position of concubines in ancient times was indeed not high; even a famous poet like Su Dongpo once gave one of his concubines to someone else.

Thus, for a woman of the pleasure quarters, finding a suitable man was tantamount to a gamble.

If you bet right, you might be able to enjoy your later years in peace.

If she bets wrong, she might be given away at any moment.

Wang Bo guessed that Hanyue had very likely made him her target, and that he might not even be the only target.