Along the way, the scenery changed. Sometimes it was a mountain village, sometimes it was a forest. The oxcart slowed down, and a river could be seen in the distance. Pei Zi Yun ducked to the side and saw a brothel that was connected to the river. The stairs were beside the water, and the willows were everywhere. A boatman was rowing slowly, and a woman was washing her clothes in the river.
This river was the Lu River, and was a major transportation route. It connected dozens of counties and several prefectures. Merchant boats were like a school of carp, flowing in and out of the river.
Besides the merchant boats, there were also pleasure boats. These pleasure boats were made of wood, and each level had more than ten rooms. It was a must for sightseeing.
At this point, the oxcart stopped. Tang Zhen alighted and boarded one of the pleasure boats. On the deck of the boat, there were several ladies taking pictures of themselves, painting their eyebrows and dressing themselves.
The sky wasn't dark yet, and Pei Zi Yun didn't go. He knew the location, and watched from afar. In a place like this, there would definitely be taverns that sold alcohol. It was also drizzling. He found a tavern, and saw that it was called the Ji Tavern.
He entered the tavern, and saw that it wasn't big. There were six tables in the front of the tavern, and because it was cloudy, oil lamps were lit. There were only seven or eight customers in the tavern. Some were eating, while others were drinking and chatting.
When the waiter saw Pei Zi Yun, he waved a towel and welcomed him, "Young master, please come in. Although the tavern isn't big, the dishes are not bad. Try some."
As he spoke, he pointed at a sign that was neither old nor new.
Pei Zi Yun looked at it and nodded his head. He then chose a table in the corner, "Bring up a pot of wine. This place is near the river, and the carp must be fresh. Bring up a plate of braised carp, a plate of sliced chicken, a stir-fried vegetable, and a plate of peanuts!"
The waiter immediately called out, "Alright, please wait a moment, young master."
As there weren't many customers, the dishes were served quickly. The sliced chicken and peanuts were served in a minute or two. The carp and stir-fried vegetable were not slow either. The wine was ordinary yellow wine.
After downing a cup of wine, Pei Zi Yun let out a breath. Although it wasn't raining, the wind was chilly. Now that he was eating and drinking, he felt much better.
Even though it was raining, there were still people wearing raincoats boarding the pleasure boats.
As Pei Zi Yun ate his food, he thought to himself, 'I've heard that prostitutes are separated into four classes. The first class, unless someone guides them, they are not allowed to enter the sect. Could it be that the wives and concubines of Holy Jail Sect are allowed to enter the sect?'
"Second-class prostitutes are the so-called good prostitutes. They often receive customers and claim to sell their skills but not their bodies. They just use their arts to attract customers. As for third-class and fourth-class prostitutes, they are ordinary."
"To have a pleasure boat, it seems like it's at least second-class."
By the time he finished his meal, the sky had already darkened. Pei Zi Yun left the inn and walked along the river. The rain was not heavy, and there were many pleasure boats sailing along the river. This was a common sight for officials and scholars. Even the government officials would turn a blind eye to this.
On the pleasure boat, there were people lighting up lanterns on the upper floor. There were also spots of light flickering in the room, like stars reflected in the river. There was even music coming out.
These pleasure boats were sailing along the river, not for the purpose of traveling, but for the purpose of admiring the scenery. Pei Zi Yun saw that it was already dark. He walked to the shore and saw that no one was paying attention to him. He then jumped onto one of the boats. With another jump, he was on the pleasure boat.
The deck of the pleasure boat had a semicircular archway. On the archway, there was a black signboard with the word 'Cai Hui' written in gold. Cai Hui was the name of the pleasure boat.
Standing on the boat, one could see the surface of the river. The water was calm and gentle, and the lanterns were dim and swaying in the wind. The sound of stringed instruments could be heard. A courtesan was singing in a low voice with a clapper. Her voice was as thin as a strand of hair, and there were people shouting outside.
"Sister Lan, hurry up and serve the dishes."
"Yes, immediately!" A middle-aged woman's voice replied eagerly.
Pei Zi Yun hid himself and looked at the first floor. There were several officials on this floor, and wine was being warmed in a stove. He looked at them and recognized a few of them. They were all officials of the county. The Chief Patrol Officer was right in the middle, and seemed to be the center.
Several officials had beautiful women in their arms. One of them said to the Chief Patrol Officer, "You're really lucky. I've heard that not only did you gain a lot from the Black Wind Bandits, you've even been promoted. If you really become a County Lieutenant, you'll definitely be rewarded. Don't forget about us."
A beautiful courtesan was serving wine to the Chief Patrol Officer. The Chief Patrol Officer drank his wine and laughed, "Of course. However, let's not talk about official business. To be able to search this pleasure boat with all of you wouldn't be able to compare to the happiness I'm feeling right now."
When the few officials heard this, they laughed and scolded him, "You've already taken advantage of us, and yet you're still trying to act innocent. What do you mean by searching this pleasure boat? We're just here to observe the feelings of the people."
As he spoke, he turned to the woman in his arms and said, "Little girl, what pain do you feel? Tell me."
The woman in his arms then laughed, "Your excellency, I'm in pain under my skirt. Please observe the feelings of the people."
Everyone burst out laughing.
'Who would've thought that the Chief Patrol Officer, who looks righteous and upright, would be so easily corrupted.' Pei Zi Yun had never thought that he would meet the Chief Patrol Officer. After thinking for some time, he understood.
This Chief Patrol Officer had done a lot of good things for the Black Wind Bandits. It seemed like he didn't take everything for himself. He even gave some money to his superiors. Now that he was promoted, he would become a County Lieutenant.
If the Chief Patrol Officer used to be a low ranking official, many people would think that it wasn't an official position. However, the County Lieutenant had been an official for thousands of years, and had always been an official of the Imperial Court.
The County Lieutenant was just below the County Magistrate. Like the County Magistrate and the County Registrar, they were both assistants to the County Magistrate. They were in charge of maintaining order and arresting bandits. The County Magistrate was the Deputy Magistrate and assisted the County Magistrate. The Registrar was the County Magistrate and was in charge of inspecting documents and supervising the County.
As for the County Lieutenant, he was in charge of the judiciary and prisons. He was in charge of arresting bandits, investigating cases, and judging ordinary cases. He could be said to be the superior of the Chief Patrol Officer.
'But this has nothing to do with me. Even if he were to be executed for corruption, that's his problem.' Pei Zi Yun continued walking along the boat and slowly made his way to the next level.
He leaned close to the window and looked inside. He saw candles burning brightly, and a man inside. When he looked closer, he realized it was Tang Zhen.
At this point, Tang Zhen was hugging two women. His hands weren't idle at all, as they entered their clothes. At this point, they were flirting with each other, and panting could be heard from time to time. Occasionally, they would drink wine and gossip.
Pei Zi Yun gradually understood that these two women were the Qian family's daughter-in-law, and the other was a young mistress of the Qian family. The Qian family was one of the wealthiest families in the county, and they were all respectable women. At this point, Pei Zi Yun had no idea why they were fooling around with Tang Zhen.
The night breeze was chilly, and the sound of the wind blowing against the window could be heard. At this point, he heard the voice of the woman whining, "This wind is really scary. Darling Tang, close the window."
Tang Zhen's hands moved slightly, and he heard the woman in his arms panting. He laughed and said, "You've been in Saint Sect for so long, and have Dao Arts. Why would you be afraid of the wind? I don't believe you."
At this point, a woman nudged Tang Zhen, "Darling Tang, stop fooling around. I wonder how the young master has arranged for you."
"What's the rush? I've already personally invited him. In ten days, there will be the Elementary Scholar's Assembly. When that time comes, we can make our move." Tang Zhen was toying with the snow-white wine, and refused to let go.
At this point, the young mistress said, "Sister-in-law, you don't know about this. I've already come up with a plan with darling Tang. When the time comes, we'll trick him into coming here."
"On the Wen Group's boat, there's already some incense. Just this incense alone is not harmful to humans, and can even nourish the mind. Nobody would be able to find out."
"But as long as there's another drug in the wine, and the wine is mixed with the incense, even a sage would not be able to tolerate it. When that time comes, we can use the excuse of having fun. As long as we get close, he would not be able to tolerate it. He would then humiliate me in front of everyone. At that point, his reputation would be ruined."
"Jiao Yu is a pedantic person, and would definitely not be able to tolerate it. Furthermore, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he would not rest until this person's name is stripped."
"When that time comes, our mission will be accomplished."
Hearing these words, Tang Zhen remained silent. His face was filled with displeasure. He then saw the young mistress of the Qian family push Tang Zhen away and say, "What are you unhappy about? Although we're engaged, I've even brought my sister-in-law along to play with you. My sect's holy techniques do not care about this. "
"Furthermore, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he would not be able to take advantage of me. Even if he did, it wouldn't matter. We're pretending to be a wife and concubine, but in reality we're from the same sect. It's normal for us to interact with each other. If not, how would you be able to enjoy the happiness you're enjoying now?"
Hearing this, Pei Zi Yun laughed coldly. So this was Tang Zhen's plan. He had just killed the Black Wind Bandits, and didn't expect the Prison Holy Sect to react so quickly.
At this point, he made up his mind and was about to leave when he heard someone say, "It's not just Pei Zi Yun. Look at that Chief Patrol Officer. He's also someone that Young Master wants to deal with."
"It's too easy to deal with him. All we have to do is ask a few people to help him out a little, and he's dragged down with him. It's also because he's a retired martial artist, and has little influence in the county. That's why he's so easy to deal with."
"On one hand, he's indulging in wine, women, and wealth. On the other hand, he's doing illegal things. When he's done, we'll send our men to report him. With sufficient evidence, we'll sentence him to death. We'll chop off his head, confiscate his house, and even put his women on this boat. That's how we Holy Sect do things."
"Furthermore, the person who reports this can gain a clean reputation. Although the people of Holy Sect are afraid of the Imperial Qi, no matter what schemes they have, they won't be able to become seventh ranked officials. At least we'll have a local leader."
Hearing these words, Pei Zi Yun looked at Tang Zhen secretly. Indeed, Tang Zhen's expression changed. These words were said to be about the Chief Patrol Officer, but in reality, it was a warning to Tang Zhen. This was killing two birds with one stone. However, Pei Zi Yun did not feel any sympathy for him.
"Back then, you were calm and collected, and had the demeanor of a young master. Yet now you've fallen to such a state. It's a pity that you've dug your own grave. You can't blame anyone else."
"Furthermore, no matter what difficulties you have, you've already made a move to frame me. Not only can I not save you, I have to return the favor."
"It's the same for the Chief Patrol Officer. However, I don't need to act against him."
Thinking up to this point, he watched as the boat left the riverbank. Without waiting any longer, he slid down from the boat. A soft splash could be heard, but nobody noticed it. All they saw was a ripple on the surface of the water, as it slowly spread out.
Within moments, a person jumped onto the riverbank. It was already late at night, and he wasn't afraid of being seen by others. He then sprinted towards his house, "Luckily it's already May or May, and the weather isn't that cold. I'll be fine wearing these wet clothes for a while. However, since I've found out about the scheme, it's time to retaliate."
"Looks like I'll have to make a trip to the county."
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