Chapter 8: The brothel is far away and things and people have changed.

A purple-robed man at the head of the banquet said with a smile, "Chen Du, how come you don't know how to be gentle and considerate after getting married? Could it be that you are afraid of the one at home?"

Shen Changfeng's face flushed slightly from drinking, and he looked very disdainful: "Eighth Prince, you are joking. A mere peasant girl has no right to control me."

At this time, the pleasure boat docked and there were many people on the lake embankment. Shen Changfeng glanced at three or two young men with anxious faces and asked the guards for permission to come in.

The eighth prince, Li Yanzhi, exchanged glances with Shen Changfeng, then took the beauty in his arms and walked out of the pleasure boat. "It's time to reel in the fishing nets..."

The entourage followed Li Yanzhi away. Shen Changfeng was drunk and fell slowly behind the team.

Suddenly, a young man in blue knelt down in front of him, "Second brother! Good second brother! Please save me!"

Shen Changfeng raised his eyelids, looked at the young men who seemed to be sworn brothers in front of him, and asked, "What's going on?"

The man who came was Qin Yan's younger brother, Qin Ting. As a child, he often played behind Qin Yan and Shen Changfeng, thinking Shen Changfeng was also his elder brother. He always called him "Second Brother", and Shen Changfeng followed suit. The Qin family had strict rules, and Qin Yan usually sided with the right rather than the relatives. Therefore, when Qin Ting encountered problems, he relied more on Shen Changfeng.

Qin Ting tugged at the hem of Shen Changfeng's coat and cried, "I heard Yijing Garden has beautiful scenery, so I secretly came here with a few friends while my brother was away on official business, just to broaden my horizons... It was fine at first, but who knew it would be a den of money!"

Shen Changfeng was already in a bad mood, and now he was even more impatient to hear him nagging. He kicked his hand away and said, "Get to the point."

Qin Ting's spirits lifted when he heard his tone, and he quickly got to the point: "The garden manager invited us to dinner and drinks a few days ago. There was a guy at the next table playing dice and picking up lots. He took us to look at the dice a few times and gave us lots. When we left, the servant gave us silver according to the number of lots. He just said that he admired my elder brother and wanted to give him a gift, so I accepted it..."

Shen Changfeng was very familiar with this approach.

The sticks Qin Ting was referring to were chips, and the money given was the "small amount" given by the gambling gamblers to the head gambler, also known as "da chou feng." To attract new gamblers, the head gambler would often offer small favors, making them feel complacent and then trick them into trying their luck. Once they became addicted to winning, the head gambler would reveal his true colors.

Wine, sex, money, and power are inseparable. Recently, Yijing Garden has been hosting grand banquets, inviting the sons of noble families to enjoy themselves. Little do they know that the people behind the scenes have already set a trap. If they get involved in a scandal, a huge debt, or even a murder case, and the evidence falls into the hands of others, they will be forced to rely on their will and be punished at will.

Shen Changfeng had several hidden clues that were involved here, so he entered the garden openly under the pretext of having fun to find out who the owner of Yijing Garden who suddenly appeared was.

Now that the matter was almost fully investigated, he just needed a name to expose it. Qin Ting's arrival was undoubtedly a pillow for him. But he didn't expect that Qin Ting's trivial matter would eventually put Lin Meizhu in danger.

The next morning, in the Begonia Garden of Dingbei Palace.

The raindrops hit the banana leaves, making a tinkling sound.

Qing'er closed her oil-silk umbrella, shook off the rain, glanced at the gray sky, and muttered, "This rain really comes at such an unfortunate time."

She walked into the living room and saw the person in front of her was still doing the same thing as before she left. She couldn't help but lower her voice, "Young Madam, are you ready to write a letter?"

Lin Meizhu placed the thin piece of letter paper into the envelope and nodded slightly, "Have you given instructions to the postman?"

Qing'er replied, "Clothes, food, and medicinal herbs have all been sorted out. Once the young lady has written the letter, they can be sent together."

Lin Meiju looked at the raindrops falling from the eaves, and in a trance she seemed to be back to the rainy day when she left Lingnan.

The day before she was tied to the carriage by the Lin family, Chuqi had told her that the rambutan fruit on the Qushui Bridge tree would make a sound when shaken, and that when the county school was next closed, he would pick some for her to taste, and the extra could be made into ointment. What had she said then? She said she didn't want the ointment, she wanted to make some rambutan wine, to drink around the stove in winter.

Chen Huisheng was called in early that day. When did he know he was being taken away? Was he anxious? Otherwise, why would he have fallen on the road? Is he okay now?

The old man was old, but his temper hadn't waned at all. If he had caught her then, he might have started a fight with his well-worn rattan stick to keep her. His hands were rough and broad, but always warm and strong. He held her hand as he walked through the neighborhood, teaching her to identify hundreds of herbs.

But Lin Meizhu couldn't help but wonder, if Chen Huisheng had known earlier that he was tied to a carriage by the Lin family, would he have been able to catch up? She even thought, unfilially, if Chen Huisheng had walked faster, would she have been able to stay? If Chuqi had been there that day...

But there are no ifs in this world.

Aunt Chen said something very right: it’s not easy for everyone.

Chen Huisheng is old, she shouldn't make him worry.

Chuqi has suffered a lot for his studies and will definitely have a bright future. She can't let him be distracted.

Before leaving Lingnan, she spent every day and night with Chuqi and they were very close. She regarded him as her brother, but she also vaguely felt that they were different from ordinary siblings.

Now that I think about it, was it because of me that Chuqi suddenly decided to give up medicine and pursue literature, and embark on the path of imperial examinations...?

She clearly remembered his lonely back when the maid pointed at him and called him a barbarian the first time someone from the Lin family came. From that day on, he became extra studious and soon passed the examination to become a scholar.

But now that she is married, those vague feelings are destined to be strangled in the cradle.

Lin Meizhu smiled bitterly inwardly: Even her own mother suspected her of being promiscuous and having affairs with others. She couldn't imagine the uproar that would be caused if someone with ulterior motives knew about her past with Chuqi.

Six months had passed since the arranged marriage, and Chen Huisheng and his partner must have heard about her from somewhere else. What would they think of themselves when they heard the rumors? Chen Huisheng hated those who sycophanticized, so would he be disappointed?

The capital was a vast melting pot, and she was forced to drown in its riotous colors, becoming a figure even unfamiliar to herself. She didn't want them to see her now, vain, vulgar, and a living, scoundrel of a beauty.

Now when she picks up the pen, all she can write is "Everything is fine, don't worry or be concerned." This was the last sentence of the letter she wrote when she came back from going out on the seventh day of the New Year, but she could never write the remaining three words "I will be back soon" in the letter again.

Besides, if I hadn't come to the capital, I wouldn't have met him. It seemed like... I still couldn't let go. Lin Meizhu felt so useless for no reason.

Sparse raindrops fell and hit the window frames. The wind blew up the dirt, bringing with it a faint fishy smell, making people feel irritated for no reason.

Qing'er sighed inwardly and asked, "Young Madam, are you still going out in such weather today?"

Lin Qiguan's birthday is in two days. He sent a letter yesterday, saying that he plans to set up a small banquet at Tianxianglou and wants Lin Meiju to check and select the dishes.

Lin Meiju originally wanted to send a servant directly, but she thought that she had already disappointed her parents about returning home. If she didn't go this time, Aunt Chen would probably say that she was ungrateful.

Lin Meizhu said, "Of course I have to go. Don't keep my brother waiting for too long."

Qing'er pursed her lips, thinking of Lin Qi Guan's bad attitude towards Lin Mei Zhu yesterday. She was very dissatisfied and cursed him several times in her heart. She thought to herself that she had never seen such an arrogant person asking for money. Fortunately, Lin Mei Zhu was good-tempered and didn't make a fuss with him.

With Princess Li Jieyi away from home and Shen Zhongda also out on official business, Lin Meizhu was free to come and go without asking permission. Tianxianglou was located in the downtown area, so Lin Meizhu didn't want to be extravagant and left in a simple car.

She braved the rain to reach Tianxianglou, only to learn that Lin Qiguan couldn't come due to some matters. Recalling the scent of alcohol on the letter Lin Qiguan had sent, Lin Meizhu felt something was amiss. She gave the restaurant owner a few words and wanted to leave.

Suddenly, there was a noise in the street, and a group of ragged people slowly gathered in the streets and alleys and surrounded the carriage.

"Good Samaritans, please be kind!"

"Master and Madam, I haven't eaten for a few days!"

"Give me more, please. I have elderly and young children to support. These few copper coins are not enough."

These beggars came in groups of three or five, both men and women, with disheveled hair and covered in mud. Although they were begging, their attitude was arrogant, and passers-by were afraid to avoid them and ran away as far as possible.

Seeing this, the groom shouted at the beggars. But then the beggar in front of him bumped into him and rolled on the ground, crying, "They're beating me! The beggars are beating me!"

When the other beggars heard this, they started to rage: "Who cares who he is? You hit my brother today, and you can't just leave like this!"

The groom was furious and was about to start a fight with the gang of thugs. Lin Meizhu shouted in a low voice: "Stop!"

These people were obviously well prepared. If I really fought with them, I would fall right into their trap. Moreover, they were more numerous and powerful, so even if we fought, I would definitely be in trouble.

Qing'er looked at the beggars' red, rotten faces and the mosquitoes dancing above their heads, and her scalp itched. "They, they don't have leprosy, do they? How about giving them some silver?"

Lin Meizhu snorted coldly. Want to extort money from her? Dream on! She has no money, but she has her life! She has nothing now. All her confidence comes from this cold silver. If she doesn't want to, no one can take a penny from her!

Now the carriage was surrounded, and borrowing it to escape was impossible. Lin Meizhu quickly glanced at the surrounding shops. Some fearful shops had already hung signs announcing they were closed. She noticed a blue-white flag hanging not far away and said, "Leave the carriage where it is. We'll go to the tavern in the back to take shelter."

The Wei Dynasty implemented a liquor monopoly system, and only registered wine shops were qualified to brew and sell liquor. Winemakers had to deal with government officials all year round, so they would definitely not dare to enter the store and cause trouble.

As she spoke, she snatched the whip from the carriage driver and swung it hard. The horse neighed loudly in pain, raised its hooves high, and scared away several beggars nearby.

Lin Meizhu and the others took the opportunity to retreat. At this time, several people came out of a back door on the side of the alley. A middle-aged man wearing a black turban walked out of the crowd and shouted, "Prince's Consort, please follow me quickly!"

Then several men who looked like servants came out one after another and temporarily held off the beggars.

Lin Meizhu and others recognized that this was Ding Er, the owner of Tianxiang Tower. Qing'er was afraid that the beggars would catch up with them, so she hurriedly took Lin Meizhu to the back door.

Lin Meiju couldn't help but frown when she heard the title "Crown Prince's Consort". The carriage she used to go out today did not have the emblem of the royal palace, and Qing'er and the coachman only called her "Young Madam" in front of others. How did this person recognize her as the Crown Prince's Consort?

However, the crowd behind her was in an uproar, and Lin Meiju had no time to think about it. When she reached the bottom of the house, she seemed to feel that something was sticking to her back, like a snake peeping from the dark, silently watching her actions.

She looked back cautiously, but found nothing wrong.

In a private room upstairs, a man pressed against the window crack was sweating profusely. From his vantage point, he could see everything the people below were doing.

The little woman had a slender and graceful figure, and her fair skin was gleaming under her long sleeves decorated with pink and white lotus flowers. He opened his eyes wide, revealing a pair of unusually large whites. He watched her breasts rising and falling in panic, the hot breath coming out of her plump red lips, and the graceful swaying of her skirt as she walked... He greedily swallowed all the subtle expressions of hers into his stomach.

After a long moment, he reluctantly withdrew his gaze. He licked his lips, his eyes gradually turning red with desire. "Change the plan."

"I also want to taste what it's like to be the prince's consort."