"Aunt, there is one more thing. I heard the Crown Princess's maid has a sister she grew up with, but they were separated years ago. The maid has been searching for her ever since. I looked into it and found out her sister is currently at Spring Breeze Pavilion."
"Perhaps we can use this sister to get to her."
In her past life, Gu Qingyu had vaguely heard that the maid's sister was at that brothel. Since it was a place of ill repute, the sister eventually lost her life. To avenge her, the maid personally killed the scholar who had deceived her sister, which ended up causing a lot of trouble for the Crown Princess.
Back then, Gu Qingyu could barely protect herself and had no interest in the sister's identity; she only knew the woman was at Spring Breeze Pavilion.
If they could find her first...
With her eyebrows arched high, Consort De listened to the news. "Oh? Is that so?"
"They grew up together and she never stopped searching. It sounds like she is a very loyal person. And loyal people are always the easiest to control."
With eyes full of praise, she looked up at Gu Qingyu. "I will have someone look into Spring Breeze Pavilion. Regardless of her status or whether she is dead or alive, we must find that sister first."
Meanwhile, after leaving the palace, Ye Qiong looked at her lifespan with a confused expression. It had suddenly increased by five days.
"Did the mission update?"
The system quickly checked the panel.
[No.]
Ye Qiong thought back to what she had just done.
"Maybe I should go beat up Gu's third son again?"
If she could gain life just by hitting people, this was a fantastic deal.
The system actually showed a bit of a conscience and advised, [That might not be a good idea. Why don't you wait a couple of days for his injuries to heal before you hit him again?]
If she killed him, she wouldn't be able to milk him for more points later.
"True!"
With five extra days of life, Ye Qiong headed back home in high spirits.
As soon as she entered the gates of Prince Duan's Manor, she saw her father standing in the courtyard with a dark look on his face.
With a look of concern, Ye Qiong stepped forward to check on him. "Dad, what's wrong? Who upset you? Don't be afraid. Tell me, and I'll go dig up their ancestral graves."
With a trembling finger pointed at Ye Qiong, Prince Duan shook with rage. "You have the nerve to ask me what's wrong? Tell me, did you start those rumors?!"
He couldn't think of anyone else wicked enough to do such a thing.
Ye Qiong scratched her head, looking genuinely puzzled. "Dad, what rumors?"
Her mind was so full of ways to increase her lifespan that she hadn't noticed any new gossip in the Capital.
With a jump of frustration at her innocent expression, Prince Duan lost his temper.
"I woke up from a nap only to find out everyone is saying I'm dead! Some people are even saying I've already been buried in the Imperial Tombs!"
With wide eyes, Ye Qiong stared. "The commoners are that ridiculous?"
"Tell me! What did you do behind my back this time?!"
With a guilty rub of her nose, Ye Qiong said, "Father, let me explain."
"People were saying you were kidnapping men, and I was worried about your reputation, so..."
Prince Duan cut her off. "Wait a minute. Whose fault is it that my reputation is ruined in the first place?"
"Mine, mine. I admit that. But Dad, even if I used your name to do it, can you really say you aren't responsible at all?"
"How is this my responsibility?"
"Why did the people say you were kidnapping men instead of someone else? You should reflect on yourself, Dad. Maybe your reputation was already so bad that people believed the rumors. You really need to learn a thing or two about public image from your daughter."
"You brat! You're actually blaming me!"
"Well, who else would I blame?" Ye Qiong was clearly in the wrong, but she acted like she was right anyway.
Seeing that they were about to start another fight, Steward Wang stepped in to mediate.
"My Lord, Princess, it's time for dinner. Why don't you two finish this conversation after you eat?"
The father and daughter felt their stomachs growl. Realizing they were starving, they immediately called a truce and headed for the dining hall.
Food was the top priority.
However, the peaceful atmosphere didn't even last fifteen minutes before the manor's accountant rushed in. With a thick stack of bills in his hands, the man looked anxious.
"My Lord, these are the bills for the renovations at Spring Breeze Pavilion. Princess Ye Qiong requested them. Please take a look."
Prince Duan, now full and satisfied, took the bills. With a slow stroke of his beard, he began to read. But as he went further down the list, his brows furrowed, and he nearly plucked out his own whiskers.
When he saw the astronomical total at the end, he slammed the papers onto the table. With wide eyes and a twitching beard, he pointed at Ye Qiong, who was already trying to sneak out the door.
"You brat, stand right there!"
"I haven't even settled the score with you for spending a fortune on a broken brothel, and now you're being even more reckless!"
"What kind of renovation costs this much?"
"You're a spendthrift! If you keep this up, we'll be eating dirt by next month!"
Caught in the act, Ye Qiong turned back with an awkward smile. "Father, calm down. This is an investment. We'll make it all back! Once business is booming, I'll pay you back with interest. And once I'm rich, I'll buy all the fine wine you could ever want."
"Investment?" Prince Duan looked around frantically for something to throw at her. "There are so many brothels in the Capital, and you didn't buy any of them. Instead, you spent a fortune on the one with the worst business and the worst location! Before your business booms, I'll be bankrupt!"
Ye Qiong ran around the table, dodging the shoes Prince Duan was throwing at her.
"Dad, I'm doing this for the good of Prince Duan's Manor!"
"Didn't the Emperor say all we do is eat, drink, and play? He said we never do anything productive."
"So I thought I'd buy a brothel and run it myself to show him that I'm ambitious."
Prince Duan felt like he was about to collapse. "I'm begging you, please stop being ambitious! If you keep this up, we won't even have dirt to eat!"
The manor's wealth should have been enough for them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.
But now that his daughter was being "ambitious," the money was flowing out like a river. At this rate, they wouldn't even survive the month.
Ye Qiong pouted, clearly offended.
"Dad, do you have no faith in me?"
"It's not that I don't have faith in you. I just don't understand. It's bad enough you bought a place that has been losing money for years, but why are you spending even more to renovate it?"
Prince Duan had a massive headache. Of all the places in the Capital, she just had to be the sucker who bought Spring Breeze Pavilion—a place no one had wanted to touch for years.
With a confident expression, Ye Qiong said, "Dad, trust me. I've been reading a lot of business books lately. I think I have the potential to become the richest person in the Capital."
Prince Duan's vision went dark. "That is absolutely impossible!"
"Daughter, let's just be honest slackers. Why do you have to try so hard?"
If she kept being this "ambitious," his retirement was going to be miserable.
Ye Qiong patted her father's shoulder and started making grand promises.
"Don't worry, Dad. Once the renovations are finished, business will be incredible. Your daughter will be the wealthiest person in the city. When I have the money, I'll buy you any wine you want."
Prince Duan clutched his chest, unable to listen anymore.
"Get out! From now on, you won't get a single cent from this manor."
"If you want to spend money, go earn it yourself!"