It was late at night. Most of the people in the city had gone to sleep except for the lights on the river.
Above the Fan Building, Li Shishi held the lantern and watched the guests leaving in different directions. At this time, the people leaving were not as noisy as before, and there were not many of them. Some of them came out from the side doors alone, and some came out in groups of two or three, cupping their hands in front of their chests and talking cheerfully. The servants brought the carriages, and the people left in different directions one after another.
The lantern was dim. She looked at it from the window for a while. This was not the end of the day in the Fan Building. There were still many proud scholars and frustrated officials staying in the rooms of the Fan Building, accompanying their girlfriends until the next morning. But it was getting late at night.
The people coming back at night passed through the alleys with lanterns in their hands. The night watchman stopped by the roadside and passed by the solitary carriages. Looking out from the window, the lights in the houses were still going out. The barking of dogs could be heard in the distance. Someone was talking, but it was hard to hear what they were saying. The Grand Scholar's carriage went back to the Grand Scholar Manor. The carriage with the symbol of the Grand Commandant Manor passed by.
She took a sip of tea while looking at all this. The guests had left a long time ago, and the tea had cooled down. She had been brought up in the best way, so she didn't like this kind of tea. She tasted the bitterness of the tea leaves and the blandness of the water. But she still took a sip out of habit, and then … covered her mouth with her sleeve, lowered her head, and spat it out. As she walked out of the door, her servant girl followed her and went back to the courtyard with her.
Some of the girls in the Fan Building were prostitutes, and some were prostitutes. Most of them were both. It was late at night. Some of the guests were rich and wanted to have fun, and many of them were the guests of some talented girls. If one didn't think too much about it, there were many examples of sincere love and mutual respect. Though they would spend a lot of money, they would still think it was worth it. There were many stories of talented scholars and beautiful ladies, and many girls were willing to keep their virginity for a man. This kind of thing was not forbidden in the Fan Building. The girls who prostituted themselves were actually paid more than those who prostituted themselves. Although there weren't many cases of a couple getting married and having a great reunion, it wasn't to the extent that there weren't any. It would always leave a good hope for others.
Thus, as she walked through the courtyard below, a few of her sisters greeted her. Some of them didn't have guests, so they went back to their rooms or rested outside. Some of them were serving the guests, and when they came to close the door, they saw her face. The atmosphere under the lanterns was somewhat similar to that of a family. It was just a peaceful appearance, but it did not necessarily mean that everything was harmonious. After leaving the large courtyard, when she was about to return to the small courtyard where the courtesan lived, she met two women. These two were also popular girls in Fan Lou. One was called Tang Yue, and the other was called Fu Qiushuang. After greeting her, they began to mock and ridicule her. They were probably envious that Li Shishi could go out to visit friends. After she returned, Xu Dongmo and the others came to find her.
Li Shishi responded with a dignified and magnanimous smile. As they spoke, the night wind blew, and there was a cry. Li Shishi frowned, while Tang Yue and Fu Qiushuang sneered. The cry came from a girl named Ling Xuemei in the building. In the past, she had some friendship with Li Shishi. Recently, it was said that she fell in love with a man and wanted to keep her chastity for him. This was nothing at first. However, the man wasn't a rich family, and his talent wasn't necessarily outstanding. He didn't have enough money to redeem himself. Ling Xuemei also resisted performing. It was said that she was touched by someone and splashed a guest's tea, which was a big taboo. In the past two days, she was locked in the dark room and beaten. This was already the trend of forcing her to receive guests.
"She's already at this stage, yet she still can't figure out her own identity. Why is she acting all high and mighty, really …" Tangyue and Fu Qiushuang said this, looking at Li Shishi, probably with some innuendo in it. "Senior Sister, could it be that you sympathize with her?"
Li Shishi smiled and shook her head. "I thought of something my mother said. At that time, when I just came to Fanlou, I heard someone crying. Mother told me that it's good that you can't get used to this kind of sound. If one day you get used to it and start gloating, I'm afraid you won't be able to leave this place for the rest of your life … Sisters, I'll go back to my room first. "
She nodded and turned to leave. She might not like what was happening over there, but it wasn't something she could interfere with. Such things happened everywhere.
Everywhere had its own ecology.
Compared to the hustle and bustle of the day, the city had gradually fallen into a deep sleep at night. Even if there were occasional movements, they would be drowned in the darkness after spreading to a nearby area. In the Imperial Palace, Emperor Zhou Zhe casually flipped over a sign. He yawned and began to think about what he would say during the morning court assembly tomorrow. The study rooms of many officials' mansions were still lit. The people in the light rubbed the bridge of their nose and forehead as they continued with the work at hand. In the courtyards near and far, there would occasionally be rustling sounds. The prefectural magistrate was humming a song in the room of his newly married concubine. The carriage entered the Grand Commandant's Manor through the back door. At the side of the manor, someone shouted, "Lu Qian — I can't take it anymore. I must kill you! Come out … "
The man named Gao Muen, who was holding a small knife, ran around the courtyard of the Grand Commandant's Manor like a wolf, swearing to kill the martial arts experts around him. His words and appearance were rather comical. Finally, when he ran back to his courtyard, he saw Lu Qian standing quietly by the door. Just as he was about to rush over, Lu Qian pushed open the door to the room beside him. On the floor of the room, a gunny sack was still struggling. Therefore, his eyes immediately lit up. "Lu Qian, it's still you who loves me. Who is it? Who is this …"
He rushed in and used a small knife to cut the rope on the gunny sack. What was released was a woman who was tied up with a rope. Gao Muen was stunned. "Lu Qian! The person I want isn't her. The person I want is … Ahhhhhh — forget it, it's her for the time being … Little Mimi. Miss, I said I would find Little Mimi … "
Lu Qian closed the door. Then, laughter, the sound of clothes being torn, and the woman's despairing cries could be heard from her throat because her mouth was gagged …
The night continued. The stars, moon, and layers of thin clouds rotated in the sky. The passage of time didn't leave anything behind. Before dawn, the city gradually woke up. The sound of people getting up, the sound of lights being turned on, the sound of dogs barking, the circulation of mist, and dew dripping from the leaves could be heard. After Ning Yi got up, he did radio gymnastics in the courtyard. When he entered another courtyard, he saw that Yuan Jin 'er had gotten up early, which was rare. She was wearing a thin dress and sitting under the eaves over there in a daze. She looked lazy, and no one knew what she was thinking about. However, when she saw Ning Yi, she suddenly stood up and went back to her room coldly. Ning Yi raised his hand and wanted to greet her, but at this time, he could only curl his lips and give up.
"Crazy …" He touched his nose and muttered.
After breakfast, he rested for a while and then went to visit Qin's Mansion. Qin Siyuan had to go to the morning court. He mainly wanted to discuss with Cheng Zhouhai and the others about various problems in Liangshan. Although he had a preliminary idea about the breakthrough of this trip to Shandong, after all, Cheng Zhouhai and the others were in the company of intelligence all day long. If he could communicate with them more, it would be very good for him to find more loopholes and fill in more gaps in his actions.
Due to the courtesy he received yesterday, Qin Siyuan also greeted the housekeepers at home. This time, when he came to the Prime Minister's Mansion, Ning Yi was welcomed in. However, when he entered the courtyard where Cheng Zhouhai and the others stayed, he heard voices coming from inside.
"So what if this kind of thing happened … It's just a small matter …"
"But they are lawless and out of control! If this goes on … the Grand Commandant's Mansion … "
"Do you have witness evidence? What's the use of guessing, not to mention this kind of thing … "
There were several people talking inside. The louder and more indignant one was Cheng Zhouhai. Yao Zunian and Ji Kun seemed to be persuading, but they also seemed to be a bit aggrieved. Ning Yi shook his head, but he wasn't surprised. People like them, who dealt with all kinds of dark secrets, had seen far more injustices than ordinary people. Listening to the meaning of their words, although they knew that the things they said were unfair, and Cheng Zhouhai even scolded them, it wasn't because he wanted to stand up for them or do anything. It was probably just a routine way of expressing himself.
When Ning Yi knocked on the door and entered, the three people stopped and then greeted him. Cheng Zhouhai's face was a bit gloomy. He nodded to him and then threw a completed file in his hand to the side. After a little greeting, he was the first to look up and say, "I heard that Liheng met that Huahua Taisui yesterday."
"Well, it's nothing … Did Young Master Sixteen come back and say it?"
The reason why Cheng Zhouhai and the others knew about this was mostly because of Qin Shaoyu. Yao Zunian said, "That Huahua Taisui is notorious, and there are many people in the capital who can't stand it. It's just that his adoptive father, Gao Qiu, dotes on him, so no one can touch him. There's nothing we can do about it. "
"Yes, I understand."
Cheng Zhouhai nodded. "That's good. Although that Gao Muen is a mess, he still doesn't dare to touch people with real status and background. Although it's widely said that the Grand Commandant is only famous for his martial arts, he actually … isn't an incompetent person. Liheng doesn't need to worry about the safety of the people around him. We will also make arrangements on our side. "
Ning Yi nodded and smiled. In fact, after talking with Qin Shaoyu yesterday, Ning Yi had temporarily put the matter within the Gao Yamen to the back of his mind. In Bianliang, there were close to a million merchants and residents coming and going. In this era, the construction techniques weren't as developed as in the future. The entire city was as big as a city with millions of people in the future. Even if the surrounding villages were excluded, the scope of the city within the city walls was still considerable. Being able to meet a famous person like Gao Yamen could be considered fate, but it might not be so easy to meet him again. Taking a step back, Qin Shaoyu, Cheng Zhouhai, and the others were all reasonable. If Gao Muen really dared to attack everyone without any scruples, even if the Grand Commandant Gao Qiu was favored by the emperor and could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Left and Right Ministers, he still wouldn't be able to protect his adoptive son. And even if all these were disregarded, even in Jiangning and Hangzhou, how could there be a lack of such lechers?
"… Taking liberties with women can be considered the most despicable thing these people do. On the other hand, this Gao Yamen is actually quite interesting."
Understanding that Cheng Zhouhai and the others were trying to put him at ease, Ning Yi felt grateful. He wanted to liven up the atmosphere, so he also smiled and teased them. However, his words only received a bitter smile. Yao Zunian shook his head. Although it wasn't a retort, it was clear that he didn't agree. "Liheng is right, but … we'll know in the future …"
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