Chapter 29 Chess Pieces

A young woman reached out to remove the veil from Liu Xi's head, but Liu Xi nimbly dodged her. She leaned slightly to the side and stretched out her arm to pull the young woman into her embrace.

"What game could be more enjoyable than having a beautiful woman in your arms?"

One sentence made the girls in the private room laugh so hard they trembled like flower branches. Huo Lin watched Liu Xi skillfully navigate among the women, and was so surprised he didn't know what to say.

Fortunately, at that moment, a song and dance performance began on the stage in the lobby on the first floor.

Liu Xi tried to find Wang Zhimeng's face in the crowd, but unfortunately, she searched for a long time without success.

Faced with the women around him toasting and drinking, Huo Lin couldn't sit still any longer. He turned to one of the girls with a somewhat unpleasant expression and said...

"Could you introduce us to the person in charge of your Red Fragrance Garden?"

The girl chuckled, "You mean Madam Song? Oh, this young master is really funny. This is a nice place for drinking and carousing, where does he come from to be in charge?"

Even as she said that, the girl still moved away from Huo Lin.

"Please wait a moment, young master. I will call Mama Song over right away."

The other girls clearly realized that the two men had probably come to Hongxiangyuan with ulterior motives, so they stopped trying to get close to them.

Before long, the "Mother Song" the girls had been talking about arrived.

She dismissed the other girls and had someone draw the curtains of the private room before asking Huo Lin why he had summoned her.

"We want to meet a girl named Wang Zhimeng."

Song's mother looked slightly nervous. Her eyes did not look away, but instead stared intently at Huo Lin, indicating that she was only wary at this moment.

Seeing this, Liu Xi breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Wang Zhimeng hadn't suffered any major grievances in Hongxiangyuan, but had instead received a lot of care and love from Wang's mother.

"Oh dear, all the girls in our Red Fragrance Garden only have flower names, how would I know who Wang Zhimeng is?"

Hearing that Song's mother was being evasive, Liu Xi explained it directly.

“I was acquainted with Dream Weaver’s mother, and I was able to find this place because of her dying wish.”

Song's mother's expression softened a little, but at the same time, she stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

Liu Xi repeated, "Yes, Wang Yishuang has passed away."

“Your Hongxiang Garden has always been the place where news travels the fastest, so I believe you have already heard about Zhang Feng’s sudden death.”

“Zhang Feng is dead. The biggest threat to Zhimeng has been eliminated. Madam Song, you can rest assured and bring Zhimeng to see me.”

Song's mother swayed a few times, then slowly sat down, leaning on the table, unable to believe that Wang Yishuang had passed away.

"Unexpectedly, she still couldn't hold on."

Although Liu Xi did not reveal her identity, after she recounted to Song Mama how Wang Yishuang had entrusted Wang Zhimeng to her, she no longer deliberately denied that she was a person from the palace.

After a moment of contemplation, Madam Song said, "I can let you see Zhimeng, but from now on, she can no longer stay in my Red Fragrance Garden."

"Your Excellency has your own plans, but I must also think of myself and all the girls in Hongxiang Garden."

“Hongxiangyuan is unwilling to take sides or get involved in disputes, so today it is not that I have helped you in any way. Do you understand?”

Liu Xi nodded, "Song's mother is a smart person, and I like dealing with smart people."

Mother Song reached out and tapped a rhythm on the wall that sounded like a code. Immediately afterwards, a new group of girls pulled back the curtain and entered the room.

"Please don't be impatient, gentlemen. Miss Lin will be here shortly."

The private room instantly became lively again, but this time, the girls' enthusiasm was noticeably subdued, and Liu Xi and Huo Lin finally had time to eat something properly.

After the dance ended, the lead dancer slowly walked to the front of the stage.

"My name is Qingran, and I am the orchid of tonight."

Liu Xi asked curiously, "What is a Youlan flower?"

The girl sitting to her right covered her mouth and chuckled shyly twice before explaining.

"After tonight, Sister Qingran will no longer be a courtesan."

Liu Xi instantly understood the hidden meaning and scratched her ear somewhat awkwardly.

"If you are interested, young master, you can fold the silver notes into the wine cup and give it to Mama Song. At 7:15 p.m., the highest bidder will be able to take away the orchid."

As they were talking, Liu Xi saw that many men downstairs were rushing to send wine cups onto the stage. At the same time, many guests in the private rooms on the second floor were also arranging for their servants to hurry downstairs.

Huo Lin's gaze lingered on one of the servants for a long time, following him all the way downstairs.

Considering that there might be a woman with an unknown background lurking around her, Liu Xi asked tactfully.

Did you run into someone you know?

Huo Lin reacted quickly, "It's a colleague I've discussed matters with before."

Liu Xi nodded thoughtfully. It seemed that Hongxiang Garden was indeed a good place to plant spies.

There was a gentle knock on the door, and then a veiled, graceful young woman walked in. The girls who were sitting around the willow stream politely brushed past her and pulled up the bamboo curtain.

"This humble servant is Lin Xi, and greets the two gentlemen."

A familiar voice, a familiar figure.

Liu Xi removed her veil, revealing her true face. "Dream Weaver, it's been a long time."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhimeng also removed her veil, lifted her skirt, and knelt before Liu Xi.

"I have no intention of offending you, but I would like to know where my mother is buried."

"Why doesn't Miss Dream Weaver ask how her mother died?" Liu Xi didn't ask her to get up, but instead sat there and looked at her expressionlessly.

Wang Zhimeng was speechless for a moment, and after a long silence, she answered softly.

"What good would it do to know? For her, her mother's passing might be a relief."

Liu Xi frowned. She couldn't tell whether Wang Zhimeng's answer was right or wrong, but she felt genuinely sorry for her mother.

"And what about your liberation?" Liu Xi's tone was tinged with sarcasm, a fact she herself was unaware of.

Wang Zhimeng raised her head, her helpless gaze shifting back and forth between Liu Xi and Huo Lin.

"Relief... Mama Song said I can no longer stay in Hongxiang Garden..."

"You thought I would take you away?"

Wang Zhimeng's eyes reddened, and glistening tears welled up in her eyes.

"Isn't it...?"

"I don't know what your mother said to you that morning."

"But I've never liked doing meaningless things. I can give you a chance to change your fate, but what can you give me in return?"

Wang Zhimeng was completely at a loss for words; she was not prepared at all for Liu Xi's cold reaction.

She subconsciously looked at Huo Lin. Perhaps it was the influence of her years in Hongxiangyuan that made her subconsciously want to seek help from a man when she felt uneasy.

Unfortunately, Huo Lin didn't give her any eye contact.

“This servant grew up in the Red Fragrance Garden since childhood, and all I learned were tricks to please men. I really don’t know what I can offer you, Your Excellency.”

Liu Xi was a little angry. She clearly understood everything and knew everything, but she always pretended to be ignorant and incompetent.

But Liu Xi also knew that perhaps such a person was more likely to survive in the hypocritical environment of the imperial harem.

Liu Xi sighed, too lazy to deal with Wang Zhimeng anymore.

"I'll give you three months to learn court etiquette. If you are selected by the emperor during the imperial selection, then come and tell me what you have to offer me."

Even though Wang Zhimeng tried to hide it, Liu Xi still caught the shrewdness that flashed in her eyes.

Liu Xi was a little annoyed; she shouldn't have gotten involved with such a troublesome person.

But Wang's death was like a stone placed in the middle of the road for Liu Xi. It might not trip her up, but it would be an eyesore, swaying in front of her and making her anxious.

Liu Xi got up and left her seat, then reached out and rubbed her brow bone with her finger.

"Can't I go back to your residence with you directly?"

Seeing the two preparing to leave, Wang Zhimeng anxiously reached out and grabbed Huo Lin's wrist. The next second, Huo Lin instinctively shook her off and she fell to the ground.

"This man is not one to show mercy to women, Dream Weaver, you should try to do something else."

Liu Xi shook her head helplessly and laughed mockingly.

After leaving Hongxiangyuan, Liu Xi's original high spirits completely disappeared.

Xia had been following them in the shadows. Seeing that the atmosphere between the two was somewhat somber, she quickly stopped the carriage not far away and came over.

"Your Highness has changed your mind?"

After getting into the carriage, Huo Lin asked cautiously.

"To be honest, there is a bit of that."

In other words, Liu Xi was just acting somewhat impulsively.

She considered many ways to accept Wang Zhimeng, but in the end she chose the least reliable one.

“Wang Zhimeng is a very ambitious person, and she is nothing like her mother.”

“I’m just a little angry. She tried to scheme against me, using her mother’s death to hold me hostage. Freedom? She was just trying to tell me in a roundabout way that if she continued to stay there, she would eventually choose to end her life by dying.”

Huo Lin looked at Liu Xi with tender eyes, "Your Highness knew she was taking advantage of your kindness, but Your Highness still agreed."

"Yes, I regret it now, but it's a little too late."

Liu Xi angrily slapped her thigh. "Right now, I have even more things to worry about. Wang Zhimeng comes from a brothel, so if she wants to enter the palace, we can only give her a fake identity. We also need to make 'Wang Zhimeng' disappear completely to ensure that no one with ulterior motives can find out anything by following the clues."

"Not only that, I also need to find a place that can take her in and find someone to patiently nurture her."

Huo Lin maintained his smile and quietly stared at Liu Xi, though his eyelids were slightly narrowed compared to before.

Liu Xi endured for a while under his gaze, but eventually gave in helplessly.

"Alright, of course I don't really regret it. I don't have any capable helpers in the harem. Wang Zhimeng's ambition might be able to help me a lot at a crucial moment."

At this point, Huo Lin burst into hearty laughter.

Liu Xi angrily clenched her fist and punched his arm. "General Huo understands my thoughts so well, why don't you just personally train Wang Zhimeng for me?"

Huo Lin's smile vanished instantly.

"I am incompetent; Your Highness, please seek a more capable advisor."