When the carriage passed through the city and passed by the Imperial Boxing Dojo, it began to rain. The apprentices who were practicing outside the dojo went into the dojo to rest. The nearby streets were filled with pedestrians who were walking hurriedly because of the heavy rain. The shops put up their tarpaulins, the scholars hid under the eaves, and the women who lived nearby chased their children running in the rain. The willow trees by the side of the road and by the river were growing new branches and buds, becoming more and more green in the rain.
The Fan Tower was not far from the Imperial Boxing Dojo. As they left early in the morning, when they arrived, it was only nine in the morning according to the calculation of the future generations. At this time, the brothel was not open yet. Ning Yi chose this time to come, so as not to disturb the other party's business.
The meeting with Li Shishi didn't have any special meaning. They were not very close friends. Meeting each other before the performance was just a routine visit. When they arrived at the Fan Building, because they had spent the night in the building, the group of guests who had just woken up in the morning were still leaving. However, at this time, there were not many people left. They were sent out sparsely by women in robes. Some were waiting in the hall because of the rain, waiting for a manservant to bring an umbrella out. After Ning Yi asked someone to pass the message, he found an unexpected acquaintance at the door of the Fan Tower.
It was a tall and handsome man. After coming out, he sat near the door and looked at the rain. Perhaps because he had just woken up, he was still a little lazy. The woman who accompanied him looked very quiet. Ning Yi had seen her once before. She was also one of the talented women in the building. After seeing each other, Ning Yi went over to greet them.
"Brother Yi."
"Young Master Ning."
Seeing that it was Ning Yi, Yan Qing, who was sitting there, quickly stood up and cupped his hands in greeting. In fact, Yan Qing was still helping Ning Yi train Su Wending and the others in martial arts. It was only when Zhu Biao came over that he was relieved of the task. Previously, they had met every day and sparred with each other, so their relationship could be considered quite close. However, Ning Yi did not know much about Yan Qing's private life.
Although Yan Qing had always had the nickname "Prodigal Son", in Ning Yi's heart, he and Lu Junyi were clearly a couple. Although it wasn't strange that he would hang around in a brothel, it was the first time that he had encountered such a thing.
The two of them exchanged a few words, and the woman named Han Huiniang, who was standing beside Yan Qing, called for someone to bring tea and snacks. After a while, Shishi came to the hall. Ning Yi remembered that the two of them had met before. He wanted to say a few words about the incident on the canal, but Yan Qing had already smiled and cupped his hands in obeisance. "Regarding the incident last year, Xiao Yi has already offered a humble apology to Master Shishi."
Shishi also smiled, saying, "Young Master Yan speaks too seriously."
Ning Yi replied with an "Oh". It seemed that the two of them had met several times before. Although he was not a gossipy person, he could not help but size up the two of them at this moment. Rumor had it that Miss Shishi should have fallen in love with Yan Qing. Could it be that the two of them had already gotten along during this period of time?
In all fairness, such a thing was not considered strange. Yan Qing was handsome, had an outstanding temperament, was highly skilled in martial arts, and had an extraordinary way of talking. Although he and Lu Junyi were a little unclear, in this day and age, it was a matter of elegance. In later generations, there was also a saying, "If you want to pick up a girl, you must first pretend to be gay." This showed that in the hearts of women, this matter was very attractive.
At this moment, looking at the two of them in the hall, one was handsome and languid, and the other was bright and beautiful. They indeed gave people the feeling that they were a match made in heaven. As for Han Huiniang, who was beside Yan Qing, even though she had some good looks and temperament, she was just a foil at this moment. Ning Yi smiled, saying, "Since it's such a coincidence and it's raining, why don't Xiao Yi stay and have some tea and chat? Will Huiniang come along too? "
After he said this, both Shishi and Yan Qing sized him up. Shishi smiled and lowered her head, looking as if she did not mind. However, Yan Qing frowned, then smiled and waved his hand, saying, "No, I still have some things to do when I go back. I have to go to Yuanwai."
"Yuanwai's case is almost done, right?"
"With the vigorous efforts of Young Master and Prime Minister, the case at the Ministry of Justice is almost over, but I'm afraid that the things … will not be able to be retrieved."
Speaking of this, he looked at Ning Yi, a little hesitant to speak. At this moment, a servant had already brought an umbrella over. He was about to leave when Ning Yi walked him to the door and patted his shoulder, saying in a low voice, "Young Master Ning, if the land under Yuanwai Lu's name really can't be …"
"I know what you mean." Ning Yi nodded, "Don't worry, I won't act recklessly. This matter will end here for the time being, and we'll talk about it when there's a chance. Anyway, it's Yuanwai Lu's property, as long as he feels at ease. "
Only then did Yan Qing become happy, "In that case, thank you, Young Master Ning."
Looking at his departing figure, Ning Yi shook his head. What he was talking about at this time was naturally Lu Junyi's former wealth in the Daming Residence. When Lu Junyi was forced to rebel, his property was divided and swallowed up by various forces in the Daming Residence. Ning Yi had said that after clearing Lu Junyi's name, these things would still be taken back and confiscated by the Secret Investigations Office. Now that Liangshan had been destroyed, Lu Junyi's identity had also been cleared, but it had become extremely difficult to get back these properties. The main problem was that Liang Zhongshu of the Daming Residence was a direct descendant of Cai Jing's party.
With Qin Siyuan's current influence, even if he held real power, in reality, he still couldn't contend against Cai Jing. After Lu Junyi and the others entered the capital, they more or less understood the power of the various parties in the capital. Li Gang, Qin Siyuan, and the others currently held real power and could be considered the sun at high noon. Tong Guan led the military, and the court was also in need of people, so he could be said to be in the limelight for a while. Basically, no one dared to touch the eunuchs led by Liang Shicheng. As for the imperial censor, Qin Hui currently bit anyone he arrested and was quite favored by the emperor, but no matter who it was, in the end, they could not compare to Grand Tutor Cai, who had already retired. He was a pillar that could be pulled out at any time. He had been in power for decades, and his disciples were all over the world. His hidden power and influence could not be compared to anyone.
After understanding this situation, in the end, it was Lu Junyi who did not want this matter to continue. First, there were not many benefits that he could obtain. Second, if the people in the Prime Minister's Residence were really prepared to challenge Cai Jing and find a way to pull Liang Zhongshu down from his horse and then confront Grand Tutor Cai, the one who would really bear the brunt of the impact, in the end, was still him, who would not obtain much benefit. Who would be willing to be involved in this kind of matter for the sake of a madman?
If this had happened to someone else, it would have been fine. After all, Ning Yi had brought ten people to Liangshan to seek revenge, and in the end, he really did such a crazy thing as killing Song Jiang. Now that he had started doing business, he appeared to be more and more amiable, but no one could guess what he had in mind. As for Qin Siyuan's thoughts, no one could really understand them.
After Yan Qing left, Ning Yi and Shishi walked into the inner courtyard. They set up a tea tray under the eaves of the courtyard. The world was covered with a layer of misty rain, and the misty rain knocked on the flowers, stones, and plants in the courtyard. They also listened to her talk about some trivial matters that Yu Ho-chung and Chen Sifeng had not come for a long time.
After all, Li Shishi was Li Shishi. Even though Ning Yi did not pay attention to these matters, he had to admit that sitting and chatting with her here was a relaxing thing. Now that she was known as the number one courtesan in the capital, she seemed to have an instinctive magic that could make everything around her appropriate and perfect. Whether it was the wind or the rain, it all seemed to be just right around her. Time quietly passed in a refreshing manner.
"… Speaking of which, before the new year, I met with that Young Master Yan again. Many things about Liheng were told to me by him later."
"I hope they are all good things."
Shishi tilted her head and thought for a moment. Her eyes turned, and then she nodded and said, "Yes, they are all good things."
Ning Yi smiled. They talked about trivial things for a while. When the spring thunder sounded in the sky, the sky darkened a little. Ning Yi stood up and said goodbye. The woman urged him to stay again, so he drank another cup of tea. It was not yet noon. Ning Yi left for the Prime Minister's residence. Li Shishi and her mother Li Yun were about to leave as well. After asking around, they found out that Li Shishi might have neglected an important person when she was entertaining the guests last night. She had to go and apologize today.
The brothel was open for business. The courtesan of Fan Lou was said to be precious because everyone supported her. But in the capital, there were always some people who could not be put on airs in front of. Last night, there were two such people who came to Fan Lou. One was a popular hero in the capital, Medicine Master Guo from the north. He came to Fan Lou with a high-ranking official of the Ministry of War to see the world. He asked Li Shishi to come out to meet him. Naturally, Li Shishi did not dare to refuse. In fact, in the current atmosphere of Bianliang, the northern expedition was the main theme. Medicine Master Guo came to Fan Lou to see Li Shishi. Even high-ranking officials like Qin Siyuan and Li Gang had to give him face.
And the other person who came to Fan Lou was probably a member of the Zhou royal family. He used an alias and called himself Wu Ji. The one who accompanied him was the Great Commandant Gao Qiu. It could be seen that his status was not low. People of such status did not dare to refuse. But when he heard that Medicine Master Guo was also there, he immediately gave way and said that there was no need to call Miss Shishi over. He only called the other two courtesans to chat. He left before Li Yun accompanied Shishi to apologize. He must be a little dispirited.
Because of this, Li Yun had to accompany Shishi to the Great Commandant's Mansion to apologize. The two carriages traveled for a few streets before they separated. After Ning Yi went to the Prime Minister's Mansion, Fan Lou's carriage stopped in front of the Great Commandant's Mansion.
The rain was a little heavy, and the weather was not good. It was not lunchtime yet. Li Yun and Shishi were also well-known figures in the capital. After the gatekeeper announced their arrival, Gao Qiu received them.
As the current Great Commandant, Gao Qiu was tall and had a good appearance. He had the demeanor of a star in the future. Although his reputation in the court was not good, he only laughed open-mindedly when talking about what happened last night. He waved his hand to show that it was okay.
"Speaking of which, that noble person has a high status. His Majesty asked me to take him to play in the capital. If it were someone else last night, I would have to argue with him. But since it was Commander Guo, the situation is completely different. In the recent war in the north, Commander Guo has made great contributions. It was not easy for him to come to the south. He will return in a few days. Last night, even if it was His Majesty, he would have to give the opportunity to see Miss Shishi to Commander Guo. "
Great Commandant Gao drank a mouthful of tea and smiled. "Regarding this matter, that noble person also thinks the same. He will not hold a grudge against Miss Shishi because of this. On the other hand, if Miss Shishi neglects Commander Guo, he will be angered. "
Hearing him say this, Li Yun hurriedly expressed her thanks. "That noble person is so open-minded. Shishi and I feel a little apologetic. But we do not know if that noble person is still in the capital. If he lives there, would it be possible for this old one and Shishi to personally pay a visit so that Shishi can personally apologize to that noble person for neglecting us. If so … "
"Ah, there is no need for that." Great Commandant Gao waved his hand and interrupted Li Yun's words with a smile. "First, that noble person has a myriad of affairs to attend to every day. Second, he does not hold a grudge. Why do you need to take it to heart? If the two of you pay a visit, it will appear to be deliberate. I only hope that the next time he goes to Fan House, Miss Shishi will have the opportunity to meet him face to face and talk freely. It's a place of pleasure, after all. Mama Li, we are also old acquaintances. Why do you need to apologize? It seems to be pretentious. "
Li Yun's Fan House was able to continue operating in the capital because she knew countless noble people. When Gao Qifu was rich and powerful, he often went there. At this point, the meaning of the apology was basically understood. In fact, there were a lot of high-ranking officials in the capital, but there was only one Li Shishi. Who would tear down a brothel just because they did not see a top courtesan? It was just that by paying a visit, there was a meaning of taking care of everything. In the future, when people thought about it, they would think that Li Yun was very considerate and would come to apologize even for a small matter.
While they were talking, there were already officials from the Ministry of War coming to visit Gao Qiu. Li Yun stood up and bade farewell. Then, the housekeeper sent the two out of the side door. Li Yun pulled Shishi along as they walked and said softly, "That noble person's identity seems to be extraordinary. I haven't seen him in the capital before. He may be either a prince or a prince, or the kind of person who is in charge of things … "
Most of the royal relatives in the Wu dynasty had no power, and they were raised as rice buckets. But a few royal relatives who could control certain aspects of power were the most trusted confidants of the royal family. Since Li Yun could guess it, Shishi naturally understood it in her heart. The two of them passed through a corridor and were about to approach the side courtyard where the carriage was parked when they suddenly heard a loud noise.
"Where is —"
In the heavy rain, someone was shouting in the distance. The sound came from inside the Grand Commandant's Mansion. In the chaos, there seemed to be someone dissuading something. But in a moment, the sound had come to this side.
"Where is — Don't stop me! Where is Li Shishi … Go away! I won't listen! Look at me, look at me — I don't want to calm down! Do I look like I'm going to get cold? Believe it or not, I will kill — you! All! Home! Li Shishi! Don't go, stay and fight with me for 300 rounds — "
As the voice got closer, Li Yun frowned and said in a low voice, "Is it Yamen Gao?" The steward of the Grand Commandant's Mansion who saw them out also felt a little awkward. He looked back and saw Gao Qiu's adopted son, Gao Muen, wearing a loose robe and with his hair loose, rushing out of the courtyard gate like a madman. As soon as he saw the two of them, he pointed in their direction. Beside him, four or five attendants were hurriedly trying to stop him.
In the past, in the capital, Li Shishi and Li Yun had also met this most rampant yamen Gao in the capital. However, although the other party was quite notorious, he liked good women. Secondly, the reputation of Li Shishi and Fanlou also made him unwilling to act recklessly, so the two sides didn't have much interaction.
Last year, on the empress dowager's birthday, Gao Muen offended a princess who came to attend the birthday, which angered the royal family. It was said that this Huahua Taisui was beaten half to death by Gao Qiu and had been locked up in the mansion since then. In this matter, everyone was more concerned about Gao Qiu being scolded and demoted by the emperor, so they didn't try to find out more. At this time, Li Yun was a little confused, but Shishi suddenly remembered the little princess named Zhou Pei who came on the way to the capital last year.
Gao Muen killed his way over. "Li Shishi! You still dare to come here! Don't stop me! Calm down, I'll show you how cold I am! Didn't you want me to calm down?! "
As he walked, he waved away the hands that his attendants had stretched out to stop him, took off his outer robe, and threw it at them. Li Yun took a few steps forward and exclaimed, "Young Master Gao, what's the matter? Is there some misunderstanding? Put on your clothes first, don't catch a cold …"
"Catch a cold! Misunderstanding! Don't pretend that you don't know anything! I've heard everything! Tomorrow, that Ning Liheng Takeshi will open his shop, right?! Li Shishi! You're very close to Ning Liheng, aren't you?! He's your lover, isn't he?! "
Gao Muen rushed over in his underwear. Li Yun hurriedly stopped him. "Young Master Gao! There's no such thing! There's no such thing! You've made a mistake. Our Shishi only knows that person. It's fine, but don't speak nonsense and ruin our reputation … Takeshi has already opened his shop … "
"Go away —" Gao Muen pushed Li Yun away. "Don't think that I'm afraid of him just because he killed Lu Qian! Hmph! Li Shishi, in the past, I couldn't be bothered with you because of other people! But it's different today! You still have to perform tomorrow, right? You still have to sing the lyrics he wrote, right? I've heard everything … See, I won't be so particular today. I'll make do with you being a prostitute, but don't run — "
At this time, the only one who truly dared to stop him was Li Yun. After being pushed to the ground by him, she hurriedly went over to protect Gao Muen's leg. Shishi was stunned for a moment. She then turned to run, but her hand was suddenly grabbed by the other party.
"Ah —"
Shishi screamed and struggled to break free. In reality, Gao Muen's strength wasn't that great. After his hand was shaken off, he raised his other hand and sent a slap toward the other party's face.
Pa! The woman fell into the rain outside the corridor, landing in a pool of mud.
"Haha! Does it hurt? — Oh right, I'll smear your face today and then ravage your body. Tomorrow, I'll go and smash his shop! Otherwise, he'll think that I, Huahua Taisui, am afraid of him — "Gao Muen raised his hand and rushed toward the woman in the rain." Don't run anymore. Be obedient and cry louder. Today, I can ravage your body first and then smear your face. I heard that it's less painful that way. Hahahahaha — "
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