Chapter 51 A Misplaced Devotion

Meng Qingci took the opportunity to hug her slender waist tightly, laughing loudly as he stepped out of the tavern: "Then let's not let her know, so she won't be sad. Wouldn't it be better if we kept it quiet, carefree and happy?"

There were quite a few people here who knew Jin Yunnian. Seeing him with a beautiful woman in his arms and his carefree and unrestrained manner, they, being men, couldn't help but exchange knowing smiles: Men, what one doesn't steal a bite?

Sure enough, after Meng Qingci escorted Hongxiao back, Qin Mama turned hostile, grabbed Hongxiao's arm, and scolded her harshly: "I told you long ago not to offend her today, not to offend her! With such a good opportunity today, if you could get close to Master Chen, what good days wouldn't you have? Now you think you're all grown up, even ignoring my words! No matter how arrogant you are, I'm still your mother. I don't believe you can fly into my palm!"

Madam Qin scoffed coldly, her lips curling into a wide grin: "So what if Master Jin likes you? He seems willing to spend lavishly on you now, but don't you see? He's just a gigolo who married into the family and still relies on women to support him. Do you really think he can redeem you? Let me tell you, stop daydreaming and give up on that idea. If you were a phoenix, you wouldn't have ended up in this brothel. You were born to be a courtesan here, with ambitions higher than the sky but a life as fragile as paper. You'll never have a good ending."

Meng Qingci drank the wine and did not get off the carriage, thinking that when Qin Mama saw his carriage, she would know that he had personally brought Hongxiao back and would not make things too difficult for Hongxiao. Unexpectedly, Qin Mama had been drinking with guests and did not notice the commotion outside the door. She was only focused on grabbing Hongxiao and scolding her.

Meng Qingci lifted the curtain with a fan, half her face hidden in the darkness, and glanced at Qin Mama with a half-smile, but her eyes were filled with coldness: "Qin Mama, is it not too disrespectful of me, Jin Mama, to insult me ​​like this in front of me?"

His voice was calm, yet seemed to be covered with ice: "I have never concealed the fact that I married into the Cen family, but my wife probably can't stand people slandering me outside. After all, if you insult me, she won't feel good either."

Meng Qingci paused slightly, his eyes darkening as he asked, enunciating each word clearly, "Just now you said—that I, Jin, am to be supported by my wife? Who spread this rumor? Point it out, and I will confront them personally. If you cannot point it out..." He lightly tapped the edge of the car window with his fan, a contemptuous smile on his face, "Then it is you who deliberately spread rumors to ruin my reputation. Although I, Jin, am not capable enough to take your life, it is not difficult for me to knock out all your teeth."

Only then did Qin's mother see Jin Yunnian's handsome and refined face, and her muddled mind cleared up a bit. She had only wanted to give Hongxiao, this money tree, a warning, but she had spoken too quickly and now the person in question had seen her.

She wiped the fine sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, stammering in a flustered manner, "Oh dear, it was Master Jin who brought Hongxiao back. Why didn't that brat say so earlier?" As she spoke, she glared reproachfully at Hongxiao.

The red silk fan covered her face, and she didn't look at her. She hadn't stopped her earlier because she wanted to teach Qin Mama a lesson so that she wouldn't ask her to receive all sorts of guests, good or bad.

Meng Qingci sneered: "If I told you, wouldn't I be unable to hear your heartfelt words?"

Madam Qin smiled awkwardly and obsequiously, her old face creased with wrinkles. She quickly apologized, "Master Jin, please calm down. I was drunk and confused. Please don't hold it against me. I was just talking nonsense to intimidate Hongxiao. I apologize to you." This Madam Qin was quite a character. She was shameless. Standing in front of the brothel, with people coming and going, she slapped herself in the face, both sides, while saying, "I told you I was talking nonsense. I apologize to Master Jin. Please calm down."

Meng Qingci looked at him coldly, without saying a word.

Qin's mother twitched her lips, her face stinging. Knowing she couldn't fool them, she said again, "I was just out of my mind and talking nonsense. I wasn't talking about Master Jin. In Xiaohai, who doesn't know Master Jin's abilities if they want to do business with foreigners? I was just drunk and made up."

Meng Qingci smiled and said gently, "I think you've had too little to drink. You can still say a few sensible things, but why don't you drink two more cups of horse urine in front of me and see what else you can say?"

Qin's mother's face turned pale and then red, and she swayed as if she had fainted from fright. She waved her hands repeatedly and said, "Master Jin, you are very magnanimous. Please forgive me. I will only do it this once. I will never dare to do it again. I will never dare to talk nonsense again."

Meng Qingci: "It was just a joke, but Mother Qin took it seriously."

Qin's mother hurriedly said, "Really, really, Mr. Jin is so kind-hearted, I will never dare to do it again."

Meng Qingci gave a signal to Yan Jiang, her servant, who then took out a silver note and handed it to Qin Mama.

Meng Qingci: "For the next two months, I've taken over Hongxiao's contract. Since I've taken over Hongxiao, whether I come or not, you can't let her go out and spend time with other people. If I find out, you're being disobedient..."

Holding the three thousand taels of silver note, Qin's mother felt it was too hot to handle and could only bow and agree, "I dare not, I dare not, Master Jin, rest assured." Three thousand taels was indeed a lot, but Hongxiao was at the height of her career, and of course, the more customers she received, the more money she would make. But at this moment, Qin's mother dared not bargain and could only accept it.

Behind Qin Mama, Hongxiao cast a complicated glance at Jin Yunnian. Seeing him look over, she turned her head away in embarrassment, thinking: She wasn't worth his trouble. Without his guidance, with her dancing skills, she wouldn't have won the title of courtesan queen. But what good was that title? She was like mud, struggling uselessly. Being bought and defiled was just a matter of time.

"Let's go!" Meng Qingci lowered the carriage curtain as if she hadn't noticed anything.

Yan Jiang and the coachman sat on the carriage shaft as the carriage rumbled away.

Qin's mother breathed a sigh of relief, finally feeling at ease. She tucked the silver notes into her bosom, turned her head and saw Hongxiao looking completely lost. She poked Hongxiao's forehead with a finger and said with exasperation, "Look at your pathetic self, you're bound to make a mistake sooner or later. I've told you, the worst thing you can do in our line of work is to fall in love with a customer. No matter how I teach you, you just can't get it. I'll see how you regret it later."

Mother Qin shook her head, turned, and stepped over the threshold into the room, secretly shaking her head as she did so. She'd been in this brothel for thirty years; what kind of man hadn't she seen? Don't think she didn't know Hongxiao was still a virgin. What man wouldn't like touching a woman? Humph! That brat Hongxiao wouldn't listen to her. Right now she was being pampered, but once her heart was spoiled, and that Jin fellow refused to redeem her, she'd regret it.

Meng Qingci leaned against the car wall. The alcohol had hit her pretty hard tonight, and her forehead was throbbing with pain. She went over the conversation from the dinner table in her mind again.

Strangely enough, although the scenery and objects here were mostly similar to those of the Ming Dynasty, there was no explosives or other firearms. She astutely grasped this crucial point, and each time she secretly brought materials to Qingyun Temple to hide them, she used alchemy as a pretext to conceal her true intention of blowing up the furnace while refining pills.

Because of the element of surprise and Fu Heng's absence, the escape was so successful. However, Meng Qingci never expected that in just two years, Fu Heng would have mastered the secrets of gunpowder. She only wondered if Fu Heng had become suspicious of what happened two years ago.

Now that he possesses the secret formula for gunpowder, it's tantamount to a devastating blow to other separatist forces still relying on cold weapons. It's probably only a matter of time before Fu Heng ascends to the throne.

Thinking of this, Meng Qingci felt a chill run down her spine. She had never realized before that he had such ambition to conquer the world, which showed that his thoughts were as deep as ever.

However, since he was determined to conquer the world, he had no interest in her, so she decided to take things one step at a time.

However, she underestimated Fu Heng and Qingyun Temple. She didn't know whether the explosives were developed by Qingxuzi or Fu Heng figured it out on his own, but it inadvertently helped him.

Then I wondered: Did Fu Heng have his eye on the throne all along? Or did the Fu family have a scheme all along? A usurpation of the throne is never a matter of a day or two. If they had a plan from the beginning, why did the Fu family still let Fu Jingyu marry the Crown Prince?

Or rather, who was responsible for the Crown Prince being poisoned by the First Prince? It's unknown whether Fu Jingyu knew or whether she personally carried out the act.

Meng Qingci felt terrified upon closer examination; the mere thought of it sent chills down her spine.

Fu is truly ruthless in achieving her goals; what a ruthless man she is!

However, none of this concerned her. If there was really no other way, she thought she could still go to sea with Chuan. After all, she didn't have to make a living on this land.

"Why are you still reluctant to get off now that we're home?" The carriage curtain was lifted, and Zhu Youyi used a round fan to cover her face, waving it a couple of times, and said with disdain, "Why did you drink so much?"

Meng Qingci then came to her senses, opened her eyes, and saw Zhu Youyi looking at her with concern from the carriage shaft. She smiled reassuringly and said, "I'm so sorry for the smell bothering you, Madam."

"Stop being so cheeky," Zhu Youyi chuckled. "Are you feeling unwell?"

Meng Qingci got out of the car with Zhu Youyi's arm: "It's alright, the wine is a bit strong today."

"I told you to avoid socializing with them. Who did you meet today and drink so much?" Zhu Youyi helped Meng Qingci into the main room, dismissed the servants, and helped her take off her outer clothes, while nagging, "Go wash up and get a good night's sleep, and you'll be fine."

Meng Qingci lightly brushed his fingertips across Zhu Youyi's cheek, then laughed loudly, "Madam is indeed intelligent; you guessed it right away."

Zhu Youyi knew that the person in front of her was also a woman and that this behavior was just a joke, but her cheeks still flushed uncontrollably.

It's really no one's fault but Meng's male disguise is too realistic. Every word and action is dashing and unrestrained, without a trace of femininity. It makes people's hearts flutter when they are distracted. No matter how many times they see her, they can't control their feelings. Then they think, no wonder that Hongxiao is so eager. Such a color, and as warm and smooth as jade, which woman wouldn't be moved when she sees it?

Zhu Youyi pushed her into the bathroom in an annoyed tone: "No one's here, stop pretending, go take a shower."

Meng Qingci readily agreed and entered the bathroom. She took off her undergarment and draped it on the rack along with the strip of cloth binding her chest. Stepping into the bathtub, she felt refreshed by the steam. She called out to Zhu Youyi in the outer room, "Today, Zhou Jichen introduced me to Chen Junyan, the Seventh Master Chen."

Zhu Youyi asked, "Is it the seventh master of the Chen family, who is related to the prefect of Zhejiang by marriage?"

Meng Qingci asked in surprise, "Hmm? You know?"

Zhu Youyi took the hangover soup brought in by the maid and closed the door again: "How could I not know? Old Master Chen was quite a figure back then, with remarkable business acumen. Otherwise, no one would have coveted his wealth. However, what he is most famous for is that in middle age, he fell in love with his current wife. He, a widower, fell in love with a girl nearly twenty years younger than him, who is also Seventh Master Chen's biological mother. Otherwise, how could Seventh Master Chen have a niece who is several years older than him?"

Meng Qingci smiled and said, "That is indeed excessive, but it's not surprising."

Zhu Youyi stood outside the bathroom, leaning against the door frame, and said, "If it were an ordinary girl, it would be fine. But that girl's ancestors were officials, and it is said that one of them was a high-ranking official of the second rank. Now that the dynasty has changed and the family has declined, it is impossible for them to let their daughter marry a mere merchant."

Meng Qingci became interested. The two people were worlds apart in status, so she asked curiously, "And then what happened?"

Zhu Youyi shook her head gently, her tone tinged with emotion: "Master Chen was truly sincere towards Madam. Back then, Master Chen's sincerity was so great that it moved even the most stubborn heart. Although the young lady's family had declined by then, Master Chen didn't mind at all. He not only provided a generous dowry but also funded and supported her younger brothers' education, promising never to take a concubine. It's just a pity that none of the young lady's family members were ambitious enough to succeed in the imperial examinations. After marrying Master Chen, Madam Chen placed all her hopes on her son, Master Chen the Seventh. But this Master Chen the Seventh was only interested in business and devoted himself to commerce, breaking Madam Chen's heart."

She paused slightly, then said, "However, to be fair, Master Chen is indeed talented in business. He is resourceful and insightful, and even the prefect of Zhejiang has a great appreciation for him."

Meng Qingci changed into a clean undergarment, revealing her originally beautiful face. Her eyes were misty with moisture, and water droplets still dripped from the ends of her hair.

She picked up the hangover soup and drank it all in one gulp. The bitter taste rolled down her throat, making her frown immediately. She quickly sipped some tea to rinse her mouth.

Zhu Youyi followed behind her, carefully wringing out her wet hair with a dry cloth, while constantly nagging, "Slow down!"

Meng Qingci took the handkerchief from Zhu Youyi and dried her hair, asking, "Is the child asleep? Did he bother you today?"

"Don't you know when you got back? He's so young, he must be asleep." Zhu Youyi chuckled. "He's very smart. Don't think he's too young to understand anything. What happened before has nothing to do with him. Just be natural when you see him and don't take your anger out on him."

Meng Qingci draped the soaked handkerchief aside and sighed, "He helped me get out of this predicament, and I'm so grateful to him. How could I possibly blame him? It's just that he looks more and more like him, and naturally I feel a bit resistant when I look at his face."

Zhu Youyi nudged her, making her move further into the bed, her tone tinged with resentment: "How old is he? What can he possibly see? Don't overthink things and make yourself miserable."

Meng Qingci seemed to have taken it to heart, and let out a long, quiet sigh.

After they both covered themselves with their blankets and lay down on their backs, Zhu Youyi said, "The governor's office has placed an order with the Cen family for the entire year's supply of Tencel cotton, and has also ordered that the Cen family is not allowed to sell cloth to foreign merchants next year. And..."

Meng Qingci was already drowsy and asked in a daze, "Is there anything else?"

Zhu Youyi's voice carried a hint of confusion: "There's another strange thing. The governor's office recently issued an order requiring major families and wealthy merchants to hand over large quantities of charcoal and saltpeter, and to intensify the mining of pyrite."

As soon as he finished speaking, Meng Qingci blinked her eyes inside the dark bed curtains, now certain that Fu Heng had indeed produced gunpowder.

Just as Zhu Youyi was dozing off, Meng Qingci suddenly asked, "How's the sugar-making process going? We still need to do business with the foreign merchants."

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Author's Note: Fu Heng: I only deserve to appear in other people's words

Meng Qingci: It's not your turn. I heard they're going to arrange my white moonlight (ideal love interest) for me.