The quivering tip of the needle quietly approached the back of Yang Ling's neck. Gao Wenxin knew that the needle would only feel a little itchy, just like a hair gently brushing. Yang Ling would never notice anything wrong, and then it could make him have a strong sexual desire in the state of delirium. After a night of love, would he still use such a ridiculous reason to refuse her?
The poor female magic doctor had learned the ancestral acupuncture method of "Golden Phoenix and Jade Butterfly" of the Gao Family, and had been using it to save people. The only exception was for Yang Ling, who used the unique skill to turn ordinary people into lunatics. Now it was the second time that she made an exception and wanted to turn a young girl into a young woman. It was still for him. She didn't know how much money she owed him in her previous life.
But this time … she felt so guilty. Her heart was beating like a galloping horse, and the needle shrank. If it could also identify the acupoint in this way, it would be really strange. At this moment, Yang Ling suddenly sighed softly. Although this sound was very light, Gao Wenxin immediately put the needle in her sleeve after hearing it, and asked guiltily, "You … why are you sighing?"
Yang Ling poured some medicinal wine into his palm and gently massaged her ankle. He smiled and said, "Your feet are really beautiful. Even though many people are beauties, their feet cannot compare to a ten-thousandth of yours. If such a delicate and alluring pair of feet were in … in the Eastern Kingdom, they would be able to earn a fortune every day."
Gao Wenxin had been to the Musical House, and she was a well-educated lady from a respectable family, so she hated being compared to a prostitute the most. Hearing this, she couldn't help but change her expression. She bit her lips, and after a long while, she let out a sad laugh and said faintly, "Although I have been to the Musical House, I also know how to respect myself. Fortunately, I was saved by Master. Otherwise, if I was humiliated by others, I would definitely not live in this world. Master, why do you humiliate me with this?"
Yang Ling was shocked, and hurriedly explained, "You misunderstood. At that time … in that country, the customs and habits are different from my Ming Destiny. Showing beautiful feet is like writing poems and paintings now. Uh … it can be exchanged for money. I have no intention to humiliate you."
Writing poems and paintings for money? Just like Tang Bohu's erotic paintings? Wasn't she still a lowly person to be sold? With this explanation, Tang Wen Xin became even more sorrowful. She couldn't help but turn around and cry bitterly on the quilt. Yang Ling didn't know whether to laugh or cry. What was wrong with people at this time? Even when he praised her beautiful feet, there were still so many problems.
He stood up and fiercely said, "Don't cry, I just saw that your feet are very beautiful, so I sincerely praised you. You are as pure as ice and as clean as jade, and you didn't hesitate to hit the wall to prove yourself. Others may not know, but how could I not? Why would I belittle you? Really … "
Gao Wenxin was still mourning, but when she heard Yang Ling praise her purity, she suddenly felt ashamed. What's wrong with me? If I really used this method to deceive Master, what would Master think of me if he became suspicious in the future? The women of my tribe who steal men are all drowned in pig cages. Wouldn't I become a female rapist by doing this? Wouldn't I be worse than those lowly women?
No! I'm going to find the Taoist master Zhang and ask him to deduce Master's fate. Even if I like him, I want to marry into the Yang Family openly and cleanly. I can't use this kind of despicable method.
Yang Ling saw that although her crying had weakened, it still hadn't stopped. He couldn't help but slump his shoulders. With a bitter face, he changed his expression and begged, "My great aunt, please be gentler. If other people hear me, they will think that I did something to you."
At this time, Gao Wenxin was lying on the bed. The young master's robe was sticking to her body, and her round and plump buttocks were raised high. When Yang Ling said "be gentler", he suddenly thought of the four scholars of Jiangnan saying "be gentler later". He couldn't help but sneakily look at her buttocks.
Gao Wenxin heard his gentle voice. Although she was a little disappointed that he didn't hug her, she didn't dare to be arrogant. She turned her head and was about to speak when she happened to see Yang Ling glancing at her body. She couldn't help but blush. Yang Ling withdrew his gaze and saw that he was caught red-handed. He couldn't help but embarrassedly say, "I … I see … see if your ankle is badly swollen. Have a good rest. I'll go out first. If … if it's really inconvenient, I'll ask Mo Qinghe to send two maidservants to serve you."
"Don't …" Gao Wenxin hurriedly sat up and wiped the tears on her cheeks. She said, "Who knows what Gu Gonggong is planning. Don't let his people come to this west courtyard. I … I'm fine."
Yang Ling made an "en" sound and said, "Okay, then you rest. I'll ask someone to send dinner to your room later." Finishing, he didn't wait for Gao Wenxin to speak again. He quickly fled with his tail between his legs.
Gao Wenxin foolishly stared at the incessantly swaying bead curtain inside the room. After a long while, she sighed in disappointment. She took out a gold needle from her sleeve and slowly inserted it back into her hair. Thinking of the way Yang Ling looked at her, she couldn't help but feel happy and shy in her heart. A woman makes up for the person she already likes. If she knew earlier that he was looking … looking at her, she would have turned back later to let him see enough.
Gao Wenxin thought like this. She only felt that the soles of her feet that Yang Ling had just touched itched. A warm current slowly spread from the soles of her feet to her heart. Even her heart began to itch. Inadvertently, a red tide had already quietly crept over her eyebrows, her face …
※ ※ ※
The next day, the imperial envoy, Yang Ling, returned the invitation to Hangzhou's aristocrats and celebrities. Yang Ling was the host, accompanied by the prefectural magistrate of Hangzhou, Yang Mengying, and the guarding eunuch, Mo Qinghe. They held a banquet in the "Lu Garden" of West Lake, which was also one of the ten scenic spots, "Watching Fish in the Flower Harbor".
The three big shots jointly invited them. That was a great deal of face. Hangzhou's aristocrats and celebrities gathered in the hall, one by one responding to the summons. Yang Ling beamed with joy. He raised his cup and toasted table by table. Listening to them flatter him about his achievements in suppressing the Japanese and protecting the people, there was a proud look in his humility. Occasionally, someone would ask him about his itinerary. Yang Ling only said that he would immediately return to the capital after inspecting the Dragon Mountain Guards Office. Therefore, he first held a banquet to thank the Hangzhou aristocrats for their hospitality.
As Yang Ling was toasting, he suddenly noticed that someone seemed to be winking at him. Yang Ling took a closer look and saw that it was his personal bodyguard, Huang Zhiyu. Yesterday, he went to investigate the suspicious boy and followed him to that family. He used a few tricks to ask the surrounding neighbors and found out that the family had lived here for generations. The child's father's surname was Zhan, and he made a living as a host. His mother worked as a weaver in Weaver Gao Ming's mansion. Although this child was somewhat disabled, he was the only seedling of the Zhan family, so the couple doted on him very much.
At first, Yang Ling still held a glimmer of hope, thinking that the child might have been sent to Gao Ming's family and then adopted. Now there was no doubt. He immediately ordered Huang to take some people to find out whether the orphans taken in by the Mo family were still in the Gao Ming family.
Huang and others were promoted from Yang Ling's bodyguards and the Scout Camp. At first, they learned various methods of investigation from Liu Biao and Yang Yiqing. Since they became foreigners, they were also trained by Wu Jie for a while. Now they were all experts in this field.
Even if Mo Qinghe's hands and eyes were everywhere, if someone really wanted to find the whereabouts of those children, he couldn't hide it even if there were dozens of living people. Before, it was only because no one asked about those orphans. Now that Yang Ling had the intention to investigate, it didn't take much effort for Huang Zhiyu to get the exact news. He hurried back to report to Yang Ling.
Yang Ling gave him a look and asked him to wait on the crooked bridge next to him. Then he toasted a few more tables of wine. Seeing that Eunuch Gu and Magistrate Yang were being pulled by acquaintances to talk, he quietly turned to the crooked bridge.
In this Lu Garden, there were pavilions, terraces, and pavilions. Flowers swayed everywhere. 'Drunken Imperial Concubine', 'Three Transformations of Charming Appearance', and other precious peonies bloomed with bowl-sized flowers, exuding a faint fragrance. Under the crooked bridge, the clear water was like a mirror. As soon as someone came, the densely packed Golden-scaled Red Carp squeezed in from all directions and jumped out of the water one after another. It was as if someone was washing a piece of red cloth on the water.
Yang Ling walked to the bridge. He leaned on the railing and looked at the water. He looked like he couldn't handle the alcohol and wanted to take a break. Huang Zhiyu was very alert. He pretended to come over and support him. Then he whispered: "Daren, according to my investigation, Eunuch Gu has been guarding Jiangnan for five years. It is said that after he married the number one prostitute of the 'Spring Rain Apricot Blossom House', Dai Lou 'er, as his wife three years ago, he listened to his wife's advice and widely did good deeds. He built bridges and paved roads, set up sheds and distributed porridge. He also took in orphans and sent them to various weaving workshops as servants. So far, including the child from last time, he has taken in 35 children."
Yang Ling nodded and asked: "Are those children still working in those weavers' homes?"
Huang Zhiyu shook his head and said softly: "They're all gone!"
Yang Ling suddenly turned his head to look at him and anxiously asked: "Where are they?"
Huang Zhiyu said: "I inquired about a child's situation and pretended to be the child's distant uncle who came from northern Shaanxi to visit relatives. I went to the weaver's house to inquire. According to the weaver, the child was bought less than a month after he arrived. Because the children were not sold to the weaver's house, the weaver was afraid that I would accuse him of human trafficking. He said that the money was only for the child's board and lodging during this period of time. The child was taken in by a wealthy Suzhou merchant who said that he was clever and quick-witted. He brought him back to his manor to be a servant, which was much better than living in the weaver's house.
I was afraid that this kind of identity would arouse suspicion. I also used bribery and other methods to visit other weaver's houses. It was very strange. Those children were all bought within a month. Even stranger was that the buyer was the same person. He was a famous landlord in Suzhou. His name was Li Gui. "
"Li Gui? This name is very familiar … "Yang Ling thought for a moment. He suddenly remembered the Li Gui he saw in Suzhou's Cold Mountain Temple. He couldn't help but have doubts in his heart. "Li Gui's family has tens of thousands of assets and more than a thousand servants. It's not suspicious that he wanted to buy a few orphans. What is suspicious is why all the orphans that Mo Qinghe adopted were bought by him, and all within a month. He mainly made money through usury and land management. He had nothing to do with the weaving industry. Even if he came to Hangzhou once a month, there was no reason for him to go to the weaver's house to search for orphans that no one paid attention to.
Moreover … that day, I saw that he was in awe of Master Mo. He used grain to lend money and land to repay the loan. If he wanted to make a fortune, it was under Mo Qinghe's control. It was not strange for him to flatter him. But if he wanted to please Mo Qinghe, he took in the orphans that Mo Qinghe found. There was no reason for him to not tell him for three years. "
Yang Ling thought of Mo Qinghe's deliberate action of using fake orphans to ease his heart. He couldn't help but be shocked. A thought came to mind: "No matter what is strange about it, Mo Qinghe must have known about it long ago. He didn't dare to let me know about it, so on the way back, he hurriedly arranged for people to find a fake orphan in the weaver's house. No wonder after returning to the city, he took the initiative to ask me to go and check on the weaving situation in Hangzhou …"
Yang Ling thought of this and said to Huang, "Have our spies reached Suzhou?"
Huang said proudly: "Daren, our intelligence network is developing very quickly. When you went to Jiangnan, we focused our development on Jiangnan. Now, we have people stationed in several big cities in Jiangnan."
Yang Ling was very happy when he heard this. He thought for a moment and sneered: "Good, immediately investigate that Li Gui! Not only investigate the whereabouts of the child, but also investigate Li Gui's background. In just a few years, his wealth and influence approached Wu Jiyuan, the richest man in Wuzhong with a history of 100 years. Now that I think about it, it is very suspicious.
Most of the local rich and powerful families have connections with the government, and the Wu family is no exception. However, Li Gui's wealth and influence are not as good as the Wu family. That day, he dared to be so rude to Wu Jiyuan. Behind him, there must be a more powerful backer than the Wu family. So, you must be careful when investigating him. If there is any news, you must tell me immediately. "
Monitor Huang nodded. At this moment, Mo Qinghe walked over with a smile and said, "Sir Yang, are you drunk?"
Yang Ling waved his hand and let Huang leave. Then, he laughed at Eunuch Gu, who he could not understand more and more: "Watching the fish in the harbor is really beautiful. Just now, I drank too quickly. After resting for a while, I feel better now."
Mo Qinghe quickly glanced around and saw that the foreigner who supported Yang Ling did not leave after retreating. He just stood at the bridgehead and seemed to be an attendant in charge of guarding. The doubt in his eyes disappeared. He happily walked to Yang Ling's side, raised his hand, and threw a handful of fish food into the water. The fish heads moved like a red wave. The fish were so crowded that even the water could not be seen. If he reached out and scooped, he could easily pick up a few koi.
Mo Qinghe couldn't help but sigh: "If the fish have passed the hook, they will not be easily fooled. However, the fish raised in this pond only know how to be fed by people. They are not wary of people at all. If it were not for this heaven-like place, catching fish bare-chested would spoil the scenery. I almost want to go down and catch a few to go with wine."
Yang Ling smiled slightly and said: "People die for wealth, and birds die for food. These fish are trapped in this pond. In fact, they can't escape even if they want to. Instead, it is better to enjoy themselves. If you think too much, you will bring trouble to yourself."
When Mo Qinghe heard the words' people die for wealth, and birds die for food ', the smile on his face couldn't help but stiffen. He was originally raising his hand to throw a handful of fish food. His arm paused, and most of it fell directly under the bridge.
Yang Ling saw it, but he looked at the fish that rushed over without batting an eyelid. He seemed to say with great emotion: "Life is only a lifetime, and the plants are only an autumn. Excluding the youth and the old age, how much time can be used to indulge in debauchery and enjoy the glory and splendor? That's why it is said that life should be enjoyed to the fullest! "
Mo Qinghe was overjoyed. He smiled cheerfully and said: "Daren's words have woken me up from my dreams. I heard that Daren has gone to Longshan Wei and will return to the capital. I wanted to prepare some local products for Daren to take back to the capital, but I heard that Daren has already bought some. I don't know what to buy for a while. I hope Daren will kindly accept this little gift. If you come across anything pleasing along the way, buy it. It can be regarded as a token of my sincerity. "
Yang Ling took it and saw the thick stack of banknotes. They were all banknotes with a maximum limit of ten thousand taels of silver. He couldn't help but be shocked. This was a big gift. The elegant things given by the gentry and celebrities were at most ten thousand taels of silver, not even a fraction of what he had.
Such a heavy gift, if it was before today, he would not dare to accept it, but at this time, he calmly accepted it. He quickly stuffed it into his sleeve and said with a smile: "On the trip to Jiangnan, the three guards, Daren Mo, have the most clean reputation. You have spared no effort in collecting taxes for the country. I am very satisfied. I am in charge of the capital, and the local areas still have to rely on you to guard. Jiangnan is the world's granary and rich land. I will have to rely on you in the future."
These days, Mo Qinghe had not been idle. The news that the Inner Factory had opened up a new path, using shipping and land to open up a road to wealth, and that its influence was connected to the world had reached his ears. After the battle in Haining, he had personally witnessed the power of the Inner Factory and Yang Ling's ability. In his heart, he had decided to pledge loyalty to Yang Ling and follow him.
However, there were no tax supervisors in the world who were not greedy. The only difference was that they were greedy for more and greedy for less. As soon as Yang Ling left the capital, he had heard that Yang Ling was the Crown Prince's study attendant. He walked into the palace every day and was a very honest official. Later, the people of the capital said that he pleaded for the lives of the people and was put into the death row, so he had always been afraid of him.
When Yang Ling had just arrived in Jiangnan, he had brought a whole ship full of smuggled goods, which had already greatly surprised him. Later, he saw him accept gifts and search for Jiangnan specialties. His image of Yang Ling in his heart was completely reversed. Today, after listening to Yang Ling's enlightened speech about carpe diem, he immediately presented the gifts that he had long prepared to show his loyalty.
As soon as he heard Yang Ling's words, Mo Qinghe immediately smiled and said, "Daren, you flatter me. I have long admired Daren's prestige. Now, I am Daren's subordinate. I will do my best, be loyal to the country, and serve Daren. I hope Daren will cultivate me."
Yang Ling laughed and gently patted him on the shoulder. He said meaningfully, "This is natural. As long as Eunuch Gu treats me, Yang Ling, with sincerity, then … as long as I, Yang, have something, you, Eunuch Gu, will also have something."
After being patted by him, Mo Qinghe's body seemed to suddenly become three taels of cotton. He said with a flattering smile, "Don't worry, Daren is in his prime and has a bright future. I am willing to be Daren's lackey. From now on, I will be related to Daren and share weal and woe with Daren."
He said with a smile and pointed to the koi fish in the water, "Today, I have spoken from the bottom of my heart with Daren. When I look at the fish in the water again, I feel that it is different from the past. Others think that these fish are stupid. It turns out that they really understand the samadhi of life. Hehe, I am not a fish. I don't know the joy of fish! "
Yang Ling smiled and said, "I am not a fish. Do you know my joy?"
The two looked at each other and burst into laughter …
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
