Today is the Little New Year.
Danqiu stood outside the corner gate of Duhuanlou, carrying a brown paper bag. The adults said that eating tangyuan (sweet rice balls) on the Little New Year would bring a full and prosperous year ahead. They also said that tangyuan were a hot commodity in the city, and even wealthy families with money couldn't necessarily get a turn.
He had nothing to offer but the glutinous rice balls, and a hairpin was hidden in his pocket.
It was money he had saved up from two months' worth of meager salary.
He knew that Xiaoxiao was used to rare things and might not appreciate the plain jade hairpin, but this was all he could offer.
Once you've been there a few times, you'll get used to it. After visiting several times, the maids at Tingyue Pavilion all recognized Shanqiu. When they saw him waiting at the side gate, they would go up and tell Dongli Xiaoxiao what was going on.
Today is no exception.
"Miss, Officer Shan is outside."
Dongli Xiaoxiao hadn't slept for several nights in a row, burying herself in the accounts. The dark bruises above her cheekbones stood out starkly against her fair face.
Today is the seventh day after my brother's death.
Wang Xiaohu secretly arranged his brother's funeral, and everything was done quietly. Now, only a few people know about Hu Tingzhi's death.
She pretended to be strong on the surface, but only at night, when her longing for her brother was at its peak, did she dare to shed a few tears.
"I'm busy today, let him go back."
Her mind was in turmoil, and Shan Qiu's untimely appearance only made her feel guilty towards her brother.
The maidservant relayed the exact words to Shanqiu, who stood there stunned.
The plain jade hairpin, hidden in his chest, had grown warm from the heat. He chuckled self-deprecatingly, "It is the moon in the sky, how dare I covet it?"
He placed the bag of glutinous rice balls by the side gate. Everyone else had a family and naturally hoped for a reunion next year.
He was all alone and had nothing to ask for, so he didn't need to eat glutinous rice balls.
Looking out the window, Dongli Xiaoxiao could just see Shanqiu's back from inside the room.
The desolation and bleakness made her heart ache.
But there were more important things waiting for her now, and she was no longer the carefree girl she used to be.
"Bring up that bag of glutinous rice balls."
She instructed her servants that it was said in the past that the most beautiful courtesan of Duhuan Tower rarely saw people, but if she wanted to do business, there was no reason why she wouldn't show her face.
After getting ready, I changed my clothes.
When Dongli Xiaoxiao appeared in the front hall, all the guests were immediately impressed.
An uproar immediately erupted.
"Please be quiet, everyone."
Her face, illuminated by the lights of the room, appeared even more radiant. "The manager of Duhuanlou is my elder brother. He is currently unwell, so I have been put in charge of all the affairs of Duhuanlou."
"I hope everyone who comes to my Duhuanlou will have a good time eating, drinking, and playing."
Luo Yu was drinking alone in a corner when he suddenly heard a commotion in the crowd and looked up.
A woman was standing in the corridor on the second floor.
It's not uncommon for courtesans to make an appearance.
But that face looked exactly like someone else.
Hu Tingzhi's sister, well, King Wei has indeed played his hand exceptionally well.
Earlier, An Yu received news that there was a woman in Pingnan City who was suitable for making medicine figures, so he sent people there, but none of them survived.
At the time, he privately mocked An Yu for being foolish, believing such baseless rumors. Now, thinking back, it was probably Hu Tingzhi who spread the rumors.
The girl was used as bait.
He had checked the case documents at the yamen that afternoon. The whole thing was shrouded in mystery. When the yamen wanted to investigate further, Duhuanlou refused.
What else could it be but Hu Ting knowingly crying "Stop thief!"?
They each had their own tasks and rarely inquired about each other's affairs. They would only report to the Emperor on the tasks they had completed during the monthly gatherings. Therefore, he was not very clear about the ins and outs of the Lantern Festival and how Dark Feather actually operated.
He understood immediately when he saw Dongli smiling.
The lantern festival was planned by Hu Tingzhi, and the news about the drug-using man was also released by Hu Tingzhi in order to extract more information.
Since the King of Wei's influence couldn't reach the capital, he cleverly lured the people of the capital out.
At the same time, Dongli Xiaoxiao immediately noticed Luoyu in the corner.
After leaving the yamen, Luo Yu took off his mask. For officials, it was inconvenient to reveal their true appearance, but hiding in the streets and becoming an ordinary citizen was the best way to conceal themselves.
But the way he looked at Dongli Xiaoxiao was so undisguised that it immediately made people feel uneasy.
"Is the young master satisfied with our wine?"
A moment later, a beautiful woman appeared before him, holding a wine pot and pouring wine for him.
The quiet corner instantly became the focus of the entire Duhuan Tower.
"Look, Dongli Xiaoxiao is coming down to pour wine for the guests!"
"What an incredible blessing! We are so envious!"
The consensus was unanimous envy.
Luo Yu raised his head, and it looked so much like her.
If the emperor were to see such a face, how would he react?
Luo Yu smiled and downed the wine in one gulp. "Good wine!"
"May I ask your honorable name, young lady?"
Dongli Xiaoxiao bowed politely. "Dongli Xiaoxiao, you may call me Xiaoxiao, young master. May I ask how you are addressed?"
"Luo".
He picked up his full wine glass, wondering if he should take advantage of the day to finish off this woman.
If the emperor saw this face, he would probably go mad.
However, if I were to present her to the Emperor, wouldn't taking command of the Feather Camp be just around the corner?
"Young Master Luo isn't a local, is he?" Dongli smiled and kept pouring him wine, while Luo Yu drank one cup after another.
Luo Yu asked with great interest, "You have a good eye, young lady. How could you tell that?"
"The young master's brocade robe is luxurious, but it should be lined with velvet. People from Yingzhou never wear clothes with velvet lining."
"The river in Yingzhou never freezes in winter, so guests from the north wear thick clothes."
In just a few words, Dongli Xiaoxiao had already sized him up—calluses on his hands, indicating years of martial arts training; red mud stained the toes of his boots, the accumulated silt from the official roads on the outskirts of the city; and the stitching on his robes was the kind of stitching popular in the capital.
Most importantly, he is too ordinary; most people would probably forget his face the day after seeing it once.
She had spent many years at Duhuanlou and had met many people, so she had developed a keen ability to judge character.
Could he be the murderer who killed his brother?
She had heard that the Feather Camp had ten people with a thousand faces, and some were skilled in disguise and could change a person's appearance.
Moreover, Yu Ying is extremely skilled, so even if he really is the murderer, we cannot act rashly at the moment.
"Yes, I came from the capital to visit relatives," Luo Yu replied, her expression calm and revealing no emotional fluctuations.
"Judging from this situation, I'm afraid I'm going to incur the wrath of the masses today." The surrounding noise intensified, and some men who had initially been envious now harbored blatant jealousy and hatred.
He was extremely well hidden; even Dongli Xiaoxiao noticed him, so she probably became suspicious early on.
Dongli smiled and turned around, saying in a slightly apologetic tone, "Gentlemen, Young Master Luo has caught my eye. From today onwards, I will serve wine to the guests in the front hall every day."
"If any of you grace us with your presence and find us pleasing to the eye, you will all have a chance. Please, do not take your anger out on this young master Luo."
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