31 Playing tricks

◎Like? It's just exploitation.◎

Song Jinyi watched the servants getting closer and closer to her, and the crowd watching the excitement around her inadvertently formed an encirclement. Even if she wanted to pull Xie Wuyang to run, she was afraid that she couldn't run fast enough and would not be able to escape.

Just when she was in a dilemma, someone said, "Why does Mr. Chang cause trouble whenever he comes to my place?" The voice was not loud, but the words were clear enough for everyone to hear clearly through the crowd.

Song Jinyi turned her head and saw that the man was wearing a crimson purple robe. He had a handsome face, a fair complexion, and long eyebrows like willow branches. He did not tie his hair up in a bun like ordinary men.

Her black hair was casually tied with a silk ribbon, with two strands of fine hair floating at her temples. Her every frown and smile showed her extraordinary elegance, with a rare lazy and feminine beauty.

As soon as Chang Yanei saw the man in crimson clothes, he immediately changed his attitude. He was no longer so arrogant, but instead cautious.

He came closer and said with a smile, "Boss Huo, are you feeling unwell recently? How come you only have one or two performances every day? I can't even see you when I call you over." As he spoke, he reached out and shook the man's hand.

A trace of disgust flashed across the crimson-robed man's brows. He pulled his hand away without leaving a trace and said calmly, "This is my customer. How can I do business with you in the future if you do this?"

Chang Yanei kept complaining about his mistakes.

Boss Huo made Chang Yanei smile with just a few words, and he no longer cared about Song Jinyi's offense to him.

Boss Huo invited people into the theater.

Song Jinyi stood beside Huo Changqing, looked at him carefully, and said excitedly: "She is Yu Tan'er just now." She was so excited that she didn't pay attention to the volume of her voice, so Huo Changqing heard it.

Huo Changqing turned around and nodded with a smile, "This lady has good eyesight, it is indeed me."

Song Jinyi was like a little girl chasing a star. Her originally calm expression suddenly became shy and timid. She was too embarrassed to look Huo Changqing in the eye. She bowed and said, "Thank you, Mr. Huo, for rescuing me."

"You are my guests, so I should do this. I have let you suffer injustice. I hope my wife will not blame me. It's a pity that I am just a commoner..." Before he could finish his words, Chang Yanei's follower urged Boss Huo to hurry over.

Huo Changqing sighed deeply, his face looking unhappy. It seemed that the harassment from Chang Yanei had made him very upset.

because

Song Jinyi watched him enter the building and could probably guess what he had not finished saying. No matter how glorious he was, he was just a singer and only gained some respect from others because he showed his face in front of nobles.

I just hope someone can control this bully.

Song Jinyi was about to leave when the girl in yellow came running over, panting, and said, "Wait a minute, madam—" She packed two small bags of tea cakes and handed them to Song Jinyi, "This is our boss's apology to you."

The girl in yellow was named Ruer. Seeing that Song Jinyi was friendly, she started to talk about everything in a rambling manner. She talked about how good Mr. Huo was and how evil Chang Yanei was. He used the theater to restrain Mr. Huo, making Mr. Huo miserable.

"Who would offend the son of the Minister's family for an actor?" Ru'er said indignantly.

After hearing Ru'er's words, Song Jinyi also said indignantly, "Is there no law in this world? Is there no one who can control him?"

When Song Jinyi heard the sound coming from the theater, the image of Huo Changqing dressed as Yu Tan'er flashed before her eyes. She thought of a good way to punish this bully.

She asked Xie Wuyang to hide aside and said, "Wait and see how your sister will avenge you."

She watched a good show today, and now she wants to perform a good show.

******

It was getting dark, and the real bustle in the theater had just begun. Lanterns were hung from the entrance of the block. The ten-mile-long street was filled with horses like swimming dragons, people like waves, lights were bright, and smoke was chaotic.

Huo Changqing helped Chang Yuan out of the building and threw him to Chang Yuan's servants like trash, saying, "Take good care of your yamen."

Chang Yuan was drunk, his face flushed, and he gestured with his fingers, mumbling, "Boss Huo, you'll regret this soon."

After Chang Yuan left, Huo Changqing took the wet handkerchief handed to him by Ru'er and wiped his hands vigorously, as if they were stained with something extremely dirty.

Ru'er breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "Finally, we've gotten rid of this gentleman." "I saw you were drinking with him, and I was really worried that something bad might happen to you."

"That's fine. How else can I get him to leave?" He didn't hide his disgust at all and said coldly, "I just hope that God will send down a thunderbolt to kill this kind of person."

Just as he finished speaking, he saw from afar that Chang Yuan, who was drunk and unconscious, collided with a fortune teller and spun several times on the spot like a top. The servants beside him, one quickly stabilized Chang Yuan, the tumbler, while the other grabbed the fortune teller and cursed loudly.

Not knowing what nonsense the fortune teller had said, Chang Yuan was so angry that his face turned red and he was fuming. He took unsteady steps and grabbed the fortune teller by the collar.

When Huo Changqing saw this scene, he did not go back immediately. Instead, he leaned on the wall pillar behind him with his arms crossed, raised his chin, and enjoyed the show.

He narrowed his charming almond-shaped eyes and looked at the fortune-teller "Mr.", who was not only the owner of the theater but also the head of the troupe.

He had to buy people from human traffickers who sold children. His eye for figure was amazing, and he could tell at a glance that the fortune teller was a woman.

An hour ago, Song Jinyi decided to give Chang Yuan a hard time.

She came up with a bad idea and found a fortune teller. She gave him all the tea, cakes and the remaining ten coins in her purse and lent him a coat.

He suddenly changed his appearance and came to punish Chang Yuan.

Song Jinyi waited for a while at the small tea stall across the street. When Chang Yuan came out, she leaned on a wooden crutch with her left hand and held a banner in her right hand, pretending that her eyesight was not working well.

He waved the things in his left and right hands like a shaman, stumbling and groping his way forward. When he got close to Chang Yuan, he slipped and knocked Chang Yuan away.

"Oh, who bumped into me? I'm not in good health. I can't get up without fifty taels."

She swayed, pretending to fall down, but Chang Yuan's little follower grabbed her collar and shoved her aside, cursing, "You're so blind, can't you see my master is here?"

Song Jinyi opened her eyes wide, unfocused, and stared blankly ahead.

The follower cursed, "So he's a blind man." But he saw Song Jinyi suddenly take a step back, his face full of horror, as if he had seen something extraordinary.

She pounded her crutch with her right hand, swinging it left and right, muttering in panic, "Oh no! Oh no! This man is in danger of bloodshed."

If you ask what the rich and powerful young men who have no shortage of food and clothing but live a dissolute life fear most, it is the loss of what they can rely on. People who are used to a good life naturally fear that such a "good" life will not come to an end, and they also hate to hear the phrase "not a good end" the most.

As expected, when Chang Yuan heard this, he immediately grabbed Song Jinyi's collar fiercely. If you looked closely, you could see the grease on her face, whose facial features were deformed by the fat.

His forehead and chin were covered with pus, some of which were oozing pus, and looked even worse than rotten flesh infested with maggots.

Song Jinyi felt sick after taking a look. She tilted her head slightly and caught a glimpse of Xie Wuyang in the corner.

He looked worried and his eyes met hers, as if as long as she gave the order, he would rush up and fight Chang Yuan for her.

Song Jinyi's calm heart suddenly began to ripple, with an indescribable emotion. She gave him a look, asking him to calm down.

She turned back, closed her eyes, shook her head, and said, "Peace be at peace, and listen to my explanation."

Chang Yuan asked suspiciously, "How do you, a blind man, know that I am Yanei?"

Song Jinyi waved the banner and said, "I am not very talented, but I know a little bit about ghosts and gods. Naturally, I can tell that you are not an ordinary person, and I can also tell that you will soon face a great disaster."

"Oh—" Chang Yuan let go of her hand, looked her up and down, and asked doubtfully: "Then tell me what troubles I've had recently?"

Song Jinyi pinched her fingers, her expression first frowned, then looked puzzled, then full of disbelief, and finally made a look of deep hatred and sighed and shook her head.

"Stop playing tricks and tell me!"

"I see that the young master's spirit is polluted, and his face is black and purple. It shows that he has indulged in excessive sexual activities, and his spleen and kidneys are deficient in yin, which has damaged his fundamental health. I think someone has cast a witchcraft curse on him. The young master needs to rest at home and wait for the curse to wear off, and then he will be safe."

"Nonsense!" Asking Chang Yuan to abstain from sex is more painful than killing him.

Chang Yuan didn't believe it and waved his hand to signal his men. The men pushed him away impatiently. Song Jinyi was pushed to the wall without warning and leaned against the corner. She made a slight sound and her waist seemed to be hit.

"If you don't believe it, why don't you go forward and try it."

Chang Yuan was supported by his servant and walked forward. He said that he did not believe the fortune teller's words, but he was vaguely frightened in his heart, and his drunkenness had subsided a little.

The evening breeze was brisk, with gusts of cool air. Suddenly, there was a loud noise, and a broken flowerpot fell in front of Chang Yuan. He was already drunk, and now he was so scared that he fell to the ground.

She covered her chest with her hands, feeling her heart beating so fast that it was about to jump out, and her face turned pale.

As he thought about this strange thing, he couldn't help but believe it a little. After the servant held up the umbrella, the three of them returned to the vicinity of the theater. Chang Yuan initially said that he was blind and didn't recognize the great man, but then asked for a solution.

Song Jinyi glanced at him, stretched out her hand and rubbed it with her fingers.

The attendant handed over a silver ingot with great tact. Song Jinyi weighed it, but didn't reply. She continued to hold out her hand. The attendant handed over another ingot, and she spoke: "Actually, I've already said it before. Rest at home for a while, and everything will be fine once the curse is over."

Chang Yuan asked again how long a period of time meant, and Song Jinyi said without even raising her eyelids, "The longer the better, of course, at least half a year, and at most three years."

After sending Chang Yuan away, she pursed her lips tightly and puffed out her cheeks. When she thought of Chang Yuan's grief-stricken expression just now, she couldn't help but burst into laughter.

She waved for Xie Wuyang to come over and said, "Did you see what he looked like just now?"

Xie Wuyang asked about the flowerpot.

Song Jinyi smiled. Of course, she didn't know how to tell fortunes. She just placed a flower pot on Chang Yuan's way back. As long as she delayed Chang Yuan, the flower pot would naturally fall down when the evening breeze blew.

The method is not very clever, the key lies in human nature. Chang Yuan has done a lot of bad things, so he is naturally afraid of the talk about gods and ghosts.

As for passers-by, they would just keep their distance from Chang Yuan and his group and would not approach them.

If that doesn't work, Song Jinyi will ask Xie Wuyang to watch while she goes to arrange the flower pots.

Huo Changqing, who was watching the show nearby, also came over and pointed out her identity as a woman: "My lady is truly a wonderful person!"

"It's just a little trick, nothing to worry about." After a moment's thought, he added, "It's a pity that I can only fool him temporarily. After a while, he will realize it."

Huo Changqing replied, "That's not bad either. It's rare to have a moment of leisure."

Huo Changqing found Song Jinyi interesting, and Xie Wuyang was unusually beautiful, not like an ordinary person, so he wanted to make friends with her and warmly invited them both in for a drink.

While drinking, Song Jinyi told them the purpose of their trip, which was to prepare a birthday banquet for a distinguished person. Huo Changqing asked her which distinguished person it was, and Song Jinyi shook her head and said she didn't know.

Huo Changqing pondered for a moment and said, "In three days, it will be the Queen Mother's birthday banquet."

Song Jinyi didn't think much of it and didn't connect the empress dowager and the noble lady together at all, but suddenly she felt that here, in Shengjing, nothing was impossible.

With a "what if" mentality, Song Jinyi asked Huo Changqing if he knew the Queen Mother's preferences.

Ru'er interrupted, "You're right to ask that. My husband often goes to the palace to sing for the Queen Mother. He's a frequent guest of the Queen Mother, so he must know."

Huo Changqing said modestly: "It's just a toy for fun."

Song Jinyi interrupted, "My dear, why do you have to belittle yourself? Whether it's singing, cooking, or being an official and writing articles, you and I both make money with our own abilities. What's the difference between high and low?"

Perhaps these words touched Huo Changqing. He drank the liquor, leaned the glass against his cheek, and stared at Song Jinyi with his slender almond-shaped eyes slightly raised. He did not hide his gaze until she noticed him looking at him. Then he withdrew his gaze and told her everything he knew.

******

That night, Song Jinyi learned from Huo Changqing that the empress dowager liked plum blossom cakes. As soon as she returned, she borrowed the kitchen from the housekeeper and tried to make plum blossom cakes. Song Jinyi had tasted plum blossom cakes in Yunzhou before, but she didn't know whether it was authentic or not. She tried to replicate the taste she had tasted before.

Flour and glutinous rice flour are definitely present, as this kind of pastry cannot be separated from these two ingredients, and it also needs to be fermented... Then a red bean filling is made using red beans, milk, sugar and other ingredients.

Apply cooking oil to the mold, pour in the batter, wait until it is slightly warm, add the red bean filling, and finally cover the mold with the batter, and put raisins, red dates and other small ingredients on it.

An hour later, Song Jinyi looked at the finished product with satisfaction. It worked in one go. I am such a genius!

She turned around to look for Xie Wuyang and saw him sitting aside with his chin in his hand, wondering what he was thinking about.

Xie Wuyang was lost in thought as he recalled what happened this morning.

The man, calling himself Hun Namu, was a pawnbroker under the Zuo Xian Wang. He had come to Shengjing to locate Xie Wuyang. "Yuedu is in chaos, with no one to take charge. The Zuo Xian Wang has ordered the Seventh Prince to be brought back to the capital to restore order."

"Where's Tuoba Qi?"

"The Third Prince colluded with the Que family and the Right Wise King to cause chaos in the Western Rong. Not only did he expel you from the country, he also brutally killed the late king's son. Your brothers have all fallen at his hands, and now you, the Seventh Prince, are the only one left."

Xie Wuyang lowered his eyes. He was chased all the way to Daxia by Tuoba Qi.

Xie Wuyang thought for a moment and said, "Tuoba Qi is also the Khan's son. Now that there is no one to inherit the throne, it is better to assist him in achieving his goals. I have never participated in political affairs before, and I am not able to bear this responsibility."

Unexpectedly, Hun Namu suddenly mentioned Song Jinyi, "Is it because of that Han Chinese woman surnamed Song that Your Highness refused to go back to Yuedu with us?"

Xie Wuyang narrowed his eyes slightly, flashing a dangerous light. He stared coldly at Hunnamu. His deep green eyes were like the beautiful yet dangerous bamboo leaf green snake, full of aggression. "What do you mean?"

"I have no other intentions. I just want to disobey the Zuo Xian Wang's request and take His Highness back. If His Highness likes that Han woman, you can take her back to Xirong."

Hearing the word "like", Xie Wuyang smiled sarcastically and asked back, "Like? It's just taking advantage of me."