Chapter 37 Pah! Wang Yan suddenly darted behind Shen Minghuai and pinched him...
In the blink of an eye, a handsome young man wearing a scholar's cap stood before Raoyun Tower. Wang Yan thought his method of disguising himself as a scholar was quite clever, but he was still stopped.
"From whom did you receive instruction?"
Wang Yan had already observed the brothel from a short distance away for a while, and confidently uttered the name of Master Wang Zhen: "Master Gu Wei'en."
Before the word "en" could even land, Wang Yan was ruthlessly driven away by the guards. Losing her balance and nearly stepping into empty air, a large hand caught her waist, and the person breathed warm air into her ear.
"Young lady, be careful."
That alluring smile sent chills down Wang Yan's spine. She shoved the strange man aside and bumped into another man's arms. The man behind her casually put his arm around her waist, but fortunately, he spoke up before she could react and let go.
"It's me."
Wang Yan nervously took a few steps to the side, worried that his current attire might give rise to any misunderstandings. The man, having uttered the word "interesting," went straight inside.
Wang Yan, extremely dissatisfied, questioned, "Why didn't you interrogate that person?"
Shen Minghuai pulled her behind him and took out a piece of paper with an inscription that appeared to be Gu Weien's calligraphy.
"You two should know that no one in the Great Yue can imitate Master Gu's calligraphy, right? This young man is my classmate, but he doesn't study properly all day long and doesn't show much respect to his teacher. Please forgive him."
Seeing that he possessed Gu Wei'en's genuine calligraphy, the guards dared not say anything and could only step aside to let him pass. After entering the main building, Wang Yan disappeared without a trace.
She quietly went up to the second floor, where she saw nothing but heavily made-up women in flowing silk dresses—it was like a garden of a hundred flowers. The women below, dressed in vibrant colors, moved about constantly, making it quite difficult to spot them.
"Young master, why are you drinking alone? Would you like to listen to music or watch a dance? Are there any ladies down there who catch your eye? Just tell me." Hua Rong, the madam of Raoyun Tower, walked over, swaying with her silk fan in hand.
"Young Master?" Hua Rong asked again when she didn't answer.
"Let's choose her for the song."
Listening to music is like buying information, watching a dance is like buying a night of passion. Fortunately, she was prepared; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to understand even this kind of jargon.
Wang Yan leaned back on the couch, one leg dangling down, his hand resting on his bent leg, swirling his teacup. If only he had prepared a folding fan like Zhu Yao's; then, his playboy charm would have been a piece of cake.
The woman in purple, who had just been playing the pipa on stage, had just sat down when a man's angry voice burst through the door. Wang Yan suddenly opened his eyes and burst into a tirade of curses.
"You pretty-boy scholar! Only I can appreciate Li'er's pipa music! I'll cut your ears off!"
Wang Yan frowned and grimaced as he listened, while the scholar grew even angrier, spewing out all sorts of filthy and vulgar words.
"Young master, please go first." Li'er quickly put down her pipa and went to appease the uncouth man.
Wang Yan escaped through the window, and Hua Rong finally led her guards to throw the scholar out of Raoyun Tower. Seeing an unlit room, Wang Yan climbed in through the window, just in time to meet the flamboyant young man at the door. The young woman beside him was quickly covered by his hand, but the bells on her feet jingled incessantly.
"I'm sorry to bother you."
Just as Wang Yan was about to open the long window, someone grabbed his wrist and pulled him hard, causing him to fall into a chair in pain.
"Do you think this is a place you can come and go as you please?" Fang Ze gripped Wang Yan's wrists tightly on the wooden chair. "Put the bell on her."
Wang Yan gritted his teeth and said, "Let me go."
"My beauty, be good. Follow me, and I'll protect you—you dare bite me!"
Wang Yan forcefully broke free from the woman and spat out, "Pah!"
Fang Ze approached step by step, and just as her hand touched her waist, the door was kicked open hard.
Wang Yan suddenly darted behind Shen Minghuai, clutching the hem of his clothes, looking very aggrieved, "He bullied me."
Shen Minghuai's face darkened further, and a chill emanated from his body, seeping into every corner of the room.
Fang Ze forced himself to sit down, raising his head high. "And who are you?"
You don't need to know.
Shen Minghuai's eyes gleamed with a sinister light, and the fierce aura between his brows seemed to draw people into the underworld. This was the first time Wang Yan had ever seen him so angry.
Fang Ze sneered, "Fine, let's see who among you can leave this Raoyun Tower today."
Shen Minghuai called out, and Hua Xin suddenly appeared out of nowhere, his sword instantly pressed against Fang Ze's neck, yet he showed no fear whatsoever.
"Shen Minghuai? Only you would act so arrogantly and look down on everyone." Fang Ze pushed aside Hua Xin's sword by an inch, walked up to Shen Minghuai, and gradually shifted his provocative gaze to Wang Yan behind him.
Shen Minghuai pulled her to the other side, hiding her entire body behind him. Wang Yan tightened her grip on his hand, then peeked out with a half-smile.
"The smell of this cheap cosmetics is so strong it's disgusting."
A sinister aura, no less than Shen Minghuai's, momentarily intimidated him, but Fang Zeping hated nothing more than anyone questioning his taste.
"She's just a worthless piece of trash that the King of Wei doesn't want, but only Young Master Shen treats her like a treasure."
Wang Yan concealed her immense joy, her delicate brows furrowing with regret, "Is this really true?"
Seeing her like that, Fang Ze assumed she was still thinking about the position of Princess Consort of Wei, and couldn't help but scoff, "Our Fifth Prince is going to marry a merchant's wife. Everyone in the capital knows that. How could it be false?"
Wang Yan gripped Shen Minghuai's hand tightly and sighed softly.
Fang Ze took in this action and declared, "The Duke of Dingguo's power is gone. Why don't you come with me? I guarantee you'll enjoy endless riches and honors."
Wang Yan ignored him and strode out, forcefully dragging Shen Minghuai away. Fang Ze was blocked by Hua Xin with his sword drawn, and cried out in alarm.
On the way back to the inn, Shen Minghuai and Wang Yan sat facing each other without saying a word. Wang Yan knew that her actions had been somewhat rash, so she tried to coax Shen Minghuai gently for a while, but Shen Minghuai remained unmoved, his face stern.
Wang Yan's eyes flickered, and she sat far away, leaning against the carriage wall. "I have achieved my goal. If Young Master Shen no longer wishes to act, I will simply keep my distance from you. Please calm down—"
Before Wang Yan could finish speaking, Shen Minghuai slowly embraced her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder, his breath tickling her heart.
"Next time you do something, be sure to inform me in advance."
Wang Yan lowered his eyes and covered his hand, nodded and turned around, "We were almost exposed, thankfully you came. Is this person one of the Prince of Wei's men?"
“It is Prince Yi.” Shen Minghuai said very solemnly, “If you encounter danger, even if it means exposing your martial arts skills, you must draw your sword without hesitation.”
“That’s natural.” She has always chosen to be the butcher, not the fish.
Back at the inn, Wang Yan read the two letters on the table, changed her clothes, and knocked on Shen Minghuai's door again. He had clearly just taken a bath, water droplets sliding down his cheeks. Wang Yan closed the door, grabbed his collar, stood on tiptoe, and sniffed his neck.
The lingering fragrance has not yet dissipated.
A hint of panic flashed in Shen Minghuai's eyes, and he quickly pulled up his sleeve and sniffed.
Wang Yan took two steps back and began to fiddle with the bonsai on the table. "Would you like to listen to music or watch a dance?"
"She suddenly lunged at me, and I didn't have time to dodge..." Shen Minghuai stood behind her, at a loss, and reached out to straighten her hair ribbon. "Nothing really happened."
"Shang Nianyao wrote that the Prince of Wei has ordered the painter to repaint my portrait." Wang Yan stood motionless. The letter also stated that Consort Shu had sent the imperial physician twice to repeatedly confirm whether Shang Nianyao suffered from yin deficiency. The result was obvious.
Shen Minghuai stopped abruptly, his hand frozen in mid-air, his expression blank. He then walked to the desk, and just as he was about to put pen to paper, he suddenly looked up at the person before him. He gripped the writing brush tighter and tighter, his fingertips turning red, yet he could not bring himself to write.
Wang Yan simply watched him quietly.
The weight in his hand felt like a thousand pounds, and Shen Minghuai found it exceptionally difficult to put down his pen. He stood there with his eyes downcast, feeling both so close and so far apart.
Wang Yan turned around and forced a smile, then his gaze darkened. "What clues are there about Raoyun Tower?"
Master Puyuan had a lay disciple named Yuankong, whom he favored most. Yuankong only briefly resided at Longxing Temple in his youth, and little was known of him afterward. The two met once every three years, and the meeting was approaching.
After Shen Minghuai finished recounting Pu Yuan's news, the room fell silent again. No matter what noise she made, he never glanced in their direction. Wang Yan walked to the doorway, but Shen Minghuai remained seated.
Before noon the next day, Shen Minghuai and his two servants had disappeared. Wang Yan had no choice but to go and search the area alone.
If one were to ask about places with the best connections, besides Raoyun Tower, there were also restaurants and teahouses. Wang Yan visited several teahouses and asked many people, but she had never heard of this Buddhist name before. Just as she was asking the waiter, a scholar in plain clothes appeared beside her, loudly reciting poetry and frequently slapping the table in approval. The waiter also didn't know who he was, only that he was a bookworm who recited poetry every day. The poem he was reciting today, "Xingtian," was written by the Hermit of Empty Mountains.
A woman who had come to town to shop rushed in and bumped into Wang Yan, who was about to leave. Without even apologizing, she spoke directly to the shopkeeper.
"Chen Yu is now suffering from a chronic illness and will not live much longer!"
Upon hearing this, the scholar was greatly alarmed and immediately grabbed the woman to demand an explanation. The woman seemed to dislike Chen Yu intensely, and seeing his adoration, she spat, "Truly, heaven has opened its eyes!"
"Could this be your last work, sir..." The scholar staggered two steps and stumbled out of the teahouse.
"Is Mr. Dong here?!"
Zhu Yu pressed down the flustered scholar in plain clothes, "What happened?"
The scholar was overcome with grief, his knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground. "The Hermit of the Empty Mountain is about to die! I beg Mr. Dong to save his life!"
Dong Zhongren quickly helped the scholar up, and Shen Minghuai then came out from the inner hall.
"Don't worry, tell me in detail, what happened to Chen Yu?"
The scholar patted his head in regret, "It can't be explained in a few words. Please come with me to Tianmu Mountain as soon as possible."
Zhu Yu hurriedly prepared the medicine box, "Master, would you like me to accompany you?"
"No need, you stay and look after Jishengtang."
Dong Zhongren then said to Shen Minghuai with a slight apology, "I'm sorry, Young Master Shen, I will examine Madam Wang another day."
Xu Ning'an walked in carrying a medicine box, her face full of surprise. "Young Master Shen is here too. Are you perhaps looking for your master to see about your cold ailment?"
Zhu Yu took the medicine box from him and asked in surprise, "How do you two know each other?"
Xu Ning'an answered first, "We met by chance outside the city. Where did Master go for his medical consultation this time?"
"Tianmu Mountain." Zhu Yu followed behind Xu Ning'an and saw her take out Prunella vulgaris and patchouli leaves. "Where did you go to gather herbs this time?"
"It was a gift." Xu Ning'an arranged the herbs. "It's that Chen family from Tianmu Mountain again. How old was he when Master went to Longxing Temple to treat him? His condition has only gotten worse over the past ten years. Won't this ruin Jishengtang's reputation?"
"Did Chen Yu ever convert to Buddhism?"
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