Liu Chang

Assassinating an imperial official was a serious crime, He San was imprisoned in the Dali Temple and severely punished, so he revealed everything.

According to him, although Liu Chang's men came to find him, they never revealed their true faces in front of him. Every time they met, they would meet in a dark alley near his home. The man wore a cloak covering his head and face, and spoke to him from a distance. He sounded quite old.

He claimed that he was from the House of Loyalty and Righteousness, and that his third son was framed by Pei Songsheng, and he was ordered to avenge the son.

The man was extremely cautious and never approached He San. Even when handing over the poison, he placed it under the bricks beside him and only allowed He San to take it after he was far away.

Xue Zhi and his men staked out that dark alley for several days, but found nothing.

As to whether that person was Liu Chang's subordinate as he said, Cheng Yayin and Xue Zhi had the same opinion.

He hid his appearance so well and acted so cautiously, but he directly revealed the master family behind the scenes and the reason for the rebellion. In all likelihood, he was trying to divert the trouble.

Even so, Liu Chang had no choice but to investigate. Although he had lost his official position, he was still the third son of the Loyalty Earl's Mansion. He could not be summoned to the Dali Temple for questioning based solely on the one-sided statement of a gambler.

Xue Zhi, despite his talent, was still relatively young in the Dali Temple. If he were caught secretly investigating the son of the Earl of Loyalty, it would be detrimental to his career. Since this matter couldn't be delegated to anyone else, Cheng Yayin decided to handle it herself.

On the busy street, Cheng Yayin and Lanyue, dressed in men's clothing, followed a man in brocade clothes not far away.

Liu Chang really lived up to his reputation as a playboy. After losing his official position, he did not know how to restrain himself. Cheng Yayin followed him for a whole day, and he was either playing with cats and dogs or drinking and listening to music. He did not do any serious work. Now he went to the gambling house again.

Cheng Yayin found a tea stall outside and sat down. She waited for over an hour before Liu Chang emerged. Perhaps because of his bad luck today, he left the gambling house with a look of frustration and cursing. The servant beside him fawned over him, but instead of appeasing him, he was kicked several times. He could only endure it, his smile becoming even more insincere.

After coming out of the gambling house, Liu Chang swung the jade pendant around his waist and walked casually into the Treasure Pavilion.

This time they came out very quickly. Cheng Yayin and Lanyue pretended to be picking food in the pastry shop nearby. They caught a glimpse of Liu Chang's servant holding a long box in his hand, and a smile on his face. His depression was swept away, and he looked a little excited instead.

Cheng Yayin was confused and followed him more closely until she saw him enter Fanle Building. She stopped and followed him in.

Liu Chang was clearly a regular here; as soon as he entered, he was greeted with a bow and nod to a private room on the second floor. Seeing that the private room next door was vacant, Cheng Yayin took Lanyue in, found a seat against the wall, and listened to the noises from next door.

In the center of the hall on the first floor of Fanle Building, a group of musicians were playing music. The zither and flute played in harmony, creating a wonderful sound. Unfortunately, Cheng Yayin had no time to appreciate it, as her whole mind was focused on paying attention to what was happening next door.

But she wasn't the only one whose ulterior motives lay elsewhere. A moment later, she heard Liu Chang impatiently summon Boss Zhao, demanding to see Qu Xiaoyou.

Cheng Yayin pressed her face against the wall and heard Boss Zhao say with a smile, "The Third Young Master is a busy man. I'm afraid he forgot that 'The Story of the Red Tassel' only starts in the second half of each month. It's only the first half now, and Miss Qu is busy rehearsing with the troupe's musicians. Please wait a few more days."

Liu Chang refused to accept his words and scolded him, "Go away! Why would I need to wait for a certain time to see someone? Call her over here immediately, or you'll have something to worry about."

Even though Boss Zhao was very good at dealing with people, he was helpless when faced with such a domineering and unreasonable boss, so he could only order his servants to call for help.

Not long after, a woman in a light apricot dress passed by the door of Cheng Yayin's private room. Although she just passed by in a hurry, her straight back and light steps showed her proud and arrogant temperament. Her fair face without any makeup looked indifferent and a little dissatisfied. She must have been forcibly interrupted at a critical moment in the rehearsal.

After Qu Xiaoyou's skirt disappeared from Cheng Yayin's sight, her cold voice rang out from the private room next door: "Boss Zhao, you know my rules. I don't like to be disturbed during rehearsals. If your Fanle Building can't even give me a quiet place, I don't think there's any need for us to cooperate."

Boss Zhao said hurriedly, "That's not true, Madam Qu. This guest is truly extraordinary. He's the third son of the Earl of Loyalty. How can we let him down?"

The voice was full of flattery. Even though she couldn't see what was happening over there, Cheng Yayin could imagine that Boss Zhao's chubby face must be full of flattery, and he kept winking at Qu Xiaoyou with his small eyes.

Unfortunately, Qu Xiaoyou remained unmoved. "Sir, you wanted to see me. Now that you have seen me, I will go back."

Hearing the sound of footsteps, Qu Xiaoyou was about to leave when someone stopped him in his tracks. Liu Chang's voice came over: "Wait, Madam Qu, why are you in such a hurry to leave? Madam, you are so beautiful, you should go out more often. I can only see you a few days a month, how can I not be itching to go out?"

Then he spoke to the servant beside him, and a sound of wooden boxes rubbing and colliding could be heard, indicating that the long box was being opened.

"I heard you love the flute, so I bought this purple jade flute especially for you. I'm giving this treasure to a beautiful woman. From now on, every time I come to your place, you must reward me with the sound of the flute."

As he spoke, he let out a laugh that he thought was elegant and romantic. The laugh entered Cheng Yayin's ear canal like a slippery reptile, making her frown.

Cheng Yayin wasn't the only one who felt disgusted. She heard Qu Xiaoyou's voice tighten, as if he was trying hard to suppress the disgust in his words. "My skills are not good enough, I'm afraid I won't be appreciated by you, sir. I'm not worthy of such a generous gift. If you truly appreciate me, please come and show your support when 'The Story of the Red Tassel' opens. I won't meet you privately again, and I won't accept any private gifts."

The rejection in his words was obvious. Liu Chang's tone changed instantly, and he shouted angrily, "You're just an actor. Who are you trying to show off to? It's a blessing that I think highly of you. How dare you be so ungrateful!"

The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and Cheng Yayin couldn't help but worry about Qu Xiaoyou.

Qu Xiaoyou was indeed a man of pride. Facing the aggressive Liu Chang, he showed no fear at all. He sneered and said, "Young Master, you are right. I am indeed an actor. I just need to sing my own opera well. Boss Zhao, how you serve and please your customers is your business. If you need this kind of thing again, don't come to me, otherwise I will have to find another job."

Boss Zhao was also in a dilemma. Qu Xiaoyou and her Liufeng troupe had always been renowned in Nanyang. He had spent a fortune to invite them to Shengjing, and with the "Red Tassel" production coming along, business was booming. If she left in anger, the play would be impossible to replace, and Fanlelou's business would plummet. But Liu Chang was also a figure he couldn't afford to offend. This gentleman was known for his arrogance, and if he got angry, he might even destroy Fanlelou.

So Qu Xiaoyou and Liu Chang wanted to leave while one wanted to stop them, and Boss Zhao was stuck in the middle, unable to help either of them. He could only watch the situation become more and more chaotic.

Liu Chang was arrogant to begin with, and he was even more furious after being rejected so ruthlessly. When Cheng Yayin heard him forcefully trying to give the purple jade flute to Qu Xiaoyou, it seemed that he would not give up.

As they were arguing, the crisp sound of a jade flute falling to the ground and breaking reached Cheng Yayin's ears, and her heart tightened.

There was silence for a moment, then Liu Chang shouted, "You broke my purple jade flute. What should I do?"

Although his voice was loud, it did not contain much anger, but more of gloating.

Qu Xiaoyou: "Mr. Liu, it was clearly you who let go."

"You still dare to quibble? It was clearly you who broke the Purple Jade Flute. Everyone present can testify to that. Don't you agree?"

Apart from him and Qu Xiaoyou, the only people present were his servant and Boss Zhao. How could these two dare to refute him? Naturally, whatever he said was what he had to do.

Qu Xiaoyou stood helplessly among several men, his chest heaving with anger, yet he bit his lip tightly, unwilling to show any sign of weakness. He held his breath and said coldly, "Since you said I broke it, I'll pay for it."

"Compensation?" Liu Chang sneered. "This purple jade flute is a priceless treasure. Can you afford it? How about this? I respect you now, and your body is worth a few cents. Why don't you become my concubine? You won't have to sing operas from now on. I will ensure that you have food and clothing."

Cheng Yayin couldn't stand it any longer. She strode out and pulled aside the curtain next door. She said with a forced smile, "I was wondering who was making such a commotion. It turns out to be Third Young Master Liu. It's been a while since we last saw him, but his abilities haven't diminished. Wherever he goes, he still stirs up trouble."

When she appeared, everyone present was stunned.

Qu Xiaoyou was shocked and angry, and was about to curse, but was interrupted by Cheng Yayin who suddenly appeared and turned to look at her.

She was wearing a refreshing men's suit, but her face was as beautiful as a lotus. She was actually a woman dressed in men's clothes.

Liu Chang looked Cheng Yayin up and down and asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"

Cheng Yayin continued with a smile, "I heard a while ago that the Third Young Master was beaten so badly by Earl Zhongyi that he couldn't even get out of bed. It seems he's well again today and is back to causing trouble."

This incident struck a nerve with Liu Chang. He was humiliated and angry, and instinctively wanted to retaliate, but the person before him was Cheng Yayin. He had been kicked out of his school by her father, and after becoming an official, he had lost his position and title due to a memorial from her husband. Now, he had been caught in a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for her, so his natural momentum weakened in her presence, and he couldn't muster up any nerve.

It was rare to see Liu Chang being humiliated, and Qu Xiaoyou and Boss Zhao looked at Cheng Yayin in disbelief.

Boss Zhao recognized that this was the distinguished guest who often came to Fanle Tower to listen to operas with Boss Xia from Zhijin Bookstore. Since this person usually dressed in men's clothes, he paid more attention to him.

Noticing Boss Zhao's gaze, Cheng Yayin didn't even look at him, but turned towards the door and motioned him to go out.

Boss Zhao was eager for someone to clean up this mess for him. Since this customer was Boss Xia's friend, she must be very reliable and her identity must be extraordinary. Even Mr. Liu San would be a little afraid of her. It would be most appropriate to hand this matter over to her.

Boss Zhao was making plans in his mind and hurried out. Before leaving, he closed the door of the private room to block out the curious gazes of people outside.

As soon as the door closed, Liu Chang taunted, "You and Pei Songsheng are on the same page, both of you love to meddle in other people's affairs."

Cheng Yayin ignored him, picked up a piece of purple jade fragment on the ground, looked at it carefully, and laughed disdainfully.

"I just heard from the Third Young Master that this purple jade flute is a priceless treasure. With all due respect, the jade is indeed of top quality, but it's definitely not priceless. The Third Young Master is either being tricked by the seller, or he's deliberately trying to bully people by passing off inferior goods as genuine.

"If it's the former, I advise the Third Young Master to stop making trouble here and quickly go back to confront the owner of the Treasure Pavilion. Don't be deceived by this unscrupulous businessman. If it's the latter..."

Cheng Yayin's tone suddenly turned cold and stern. "The Third Young Master uses his power and wealth to oppress the common people. Since I've encountered this, I have to talk to my husband about it when I get home. You know he hates evil. Although the Third Young Master no longer holds an official position, he is still the son of the Earl of Loyalty. Can your father bear the blame for this mismanagement of his son again?"