"Tao Su, actually, your mother and I were both orphans during the war in the Previous Emperor's era. We were fortunate to be taken in by the Master later," Aunt Shuang began.
"When your mother came of age and started receiving clients, she caught the eye of Minister Huo's youngest son, Huo Chengsen. He not only redeemed her, but also used his influence to create a new identity for her, bringing her back to the Huo Mansion and keeping her in the inner quarters. Unfortunately, the Huo family later became embroiled in an exam cheating scandal and a corruption case. The entire Huo family was found guilty, and your mother was exiled..."
Recalling the past, Aunt Shuang felt a mix of emotions.
Once, she had diligently studied the four arts, practiced dancing and singing, but no matter how hard she tried, she could never compare to one alluring glance from Tao Yao.
She watched helplessly as Huo Chengsen was captivated by Tao Yao, abandoning her and taking Tao Yao away.
She was given to the remaining spoiled young master in the house, who tormented her mercilessly.
But all of this should have been Tao Su's fate.
In a moment of jealousy, a sinful thought arose, and she began to hate Tao Yao...
Unable to torment her, she vented her frustrations on her daughter instead.
Back then, the Master had only said to spare Fu Guang's life, but didn't forbid mistreating her.
Whenever Aunt Shuang recalled the past, she would beat and scold Fu Guang. It wasn't until Fu Guang reached the age to receive clients that she changed her method of torment.
She hired scholars to toy with Fu Guang's feelings.
She drugged Fu Guang with muscle relaxants, forcing her to take the cheapest clients.
Until she contracted venereal disease.
Now she had even poisoned her to muteness, preventing her from speaking out of turn.
Aunt Shuang concealed the dark gleam in her eyes and began to praise the Master as if unintentionally.
"When the Huo family was found guilty, Fu Guang was only three years old. If it weren't for the Master's intervention, Fu Guang might not have survived until now, and you wouldn't have met her..."
Hearing this, Tao Su's clear eyes seemed to fill with admiration: "The Master is so capable?"
Aunt Shuang nodded proudly.
Indeed, the Master was incredibly capable, single-handedly turning the entire Li Country into chaos.
Minister Huo was the first good minister the Master had brought down.
In fact, the exam cheating was real, and so was the bribery, but it was all done by Huo Chengsen in Minister Huo's name.
Huo Chengsen was Minister Huo's late-born son. His mother died of postpartum hemorrhage when he was born, and Minister Huo was too busy to care for him at the time. Before anyone realized it, he had grown crooked...
He liked beautiful women and cricket fighting.
Tao Yao was not only beautiful but could also play with him, quickly winning his trust. Following the Master's instructions, she used aphrodisiacs to cloud his judgment, luring him from cricket fighting to gambling dens.
At the same time, the Master sent people to secretly help them evade Minister Huo's watchful eyes.
Poor foolish Huo Chengsen, still smugly believing he was clever and careful enough.
When his gambling debts were sufficiently high, the Master began to close the net.
At the critical moment, Tao Yao unexpectedly wavered...
At the age of five, the Capital City was in turmoil. She was originally the daughter of a thousand-household official from the Previous Dynasty, but due to the dynastic change, she nearly died by the blade.
Her mother pushed her away, telling her to survive no matter what.
She and her brother were protected by guards as they fled, but the guards later robbed them of their wealth, leaving only her and her young brother to fend for themselves.
When she fell ill, her brother went to find medicine for her and was trampled to death by the horses of the rebel army. With his dying breath, he reminded her once again that she was the last drop of blood of the Tao Family, and must survive at all costs.
She ate leftovers from swill buckets, stole purses from corpses, and survived the bloody war.
Later, she was captured by the Master's subordinates.
She grew up in a brothel, with survival as her only thought. For the monthly antidote, she diligently carried out her tasks.
But at some point, she began to care for the foolish playboy Huo Chengsen, especially after they had a daughter together.
Huo Chengsen named their daughter Huo Xijun, with the pet name Bu Li, who later became known as Fu Guang.
Bu Li was a member of the Huo family. If something happened to the Huo family, what good fate could Bu Li expect?
Although the Master repeatedly promised to keep her and Bu Li safe, she didn't believe it at all.
She secretly sold her gold and silver jewelry, and under the pretext of feeling unwell, asked a reliable doctor to find a way to detoxify her. At the same time, she was considering how to confess everything to Huo Chengsen.
The Master found out first, and Bu Li was kidnapped. Although the evidence pointed to the madam, she knew it was the Master's doing.
Unwilling to give in, she ran to find Huo Chengsen for help.
Inadvertently, she overheard Huo Chengsen telling his wife: "The concubine is nothing more than a bed-warmer, why do you need to target her? As for Bu Li, although she's a daughter born of a concubine, she's still a daughter of our Huo family. I pamper and dote on her to make her loyal to the Huo family, so that when she's married off in the future, she can truly be of use to our Huo family..."
"I know you think she's made me more and more depraved, but this is who I've always been, it has little to do with her. Even if you use Bu Li to threaten me and force her away, I'll just find someone else, and be just as irresponsible."
Huo Chengsen said this deliberately, hoping to make his wife less wary of Tao Yao, but Tao Yao didn't know this.
For the first time in her life, Tao Yao's heart was broken because of love.
She couldn't distinguish truth from lies; love made her anxious and insecure. But she still summoned the courage to tell Huo Chengsen everything.
After a long silence, Huo Chengsen asked her, "You approached me only for your mission?... Did you ever love me even a little?"
How did she answer then?
She said, "This concubine is nothing more than a bed-warmer, love is too luxurious."
She only asked Huo Chengsen to save Bu Li.
Huo Chengsen initially planned to seek help from Minister Huo, but if Minister Huo learned the truth, Tao Yao wouldn't survive. He went to meet the Master alone, asking what it would take to spare his "wife and daughter."
The Master was furious at Tao Yao's complete betrayal, but calmly changed the plan.
Using Bu Li's life and Tao Yao's antidote as bait, the Master demanded a vast sum of money from him.
So much that he couldn't possibly gather it all.
He couldn't ask his family for help, nor dare to seek official intervention. He even had to ask his wife to temporarily keep Bu Li's disappearance a secret.
Perhaps it started as mere lust; Tao Yao happened to fit his aesthetic preferences perfectly. But gradually, feelings grew over time, and she slowly occupied his entire heart.
If Minister Huo intervened, Tao Yao would certainly die.
Huo Chengsen dared not take the risk.
Just as he was at his wit's end, the Master "thoughtfully" sent people to help him secretly. He overheard a conversation between Minister Huo and his colleagues, and sold all the exam topic ranges to wealthy families who had approached him.
The final payment would be received after the imperial examinations.
The Master took half of the money and asked him whether he wanted the antidote first, or Bu Li.
Tao Yao would die without the antidote, but Bu Li wouldn't.
He quickly made his choice.
The Master, hidden behind a beaded curtain, asked incredulously, "There are so many beauties in the world, is Tao Yao really worth it?"
"No matter how many beauties there are, only she has captured my heart."
At that time, Huo Chengsen was just a spoiled playboy, not understanding the consequences his actions would bring to his family.
The Master smiled pityingly, mocking his stupidity, but agreed not to harm Bu Li's life.
When Huo Chengsen returned home, he was still angry that Tao Yao had deceived him and refused to say she loved him. In his depression, he sought solace in alcohol, only to be taken advantage of by a maid arranged by his wife.
He knew nothing had happened; he had drunk himself into a stupor, sleeping like a log.
However, his wife insisted on giving the maid a position. Since Tao Yao and Bu Li would continue living in the inner quarters, he had no choice but to compromise. It was just one more person to support.
When the news reached Tao Yao's ears, she laughed bitterly at herself. Their daughter was still in danger, yet he was in another woman's arms.
Relying on others was not as good as relying on herself.
She decided to confess everything to Minister Huo, even if it meant her death, she could no longer be under the Master's control. Bu Li was of Huo family blood; Minister Huo wouldn't harm her. Even if she were neglected, it would be better than being in the Master's hands.
But before she could leave the courtyard, she was intercepted by Huo Chengsen, who couldn't resist coming to find her.
In her youth, she wasn't as composed as she would later become. She had a fierce argument with Huo Chengsen, trading barbs, and ended up under house arrest. She was even fed a "poison pill."
Soon after, trouble befell the Minister's mansion.
