Chapter 106 Ha, so you're here to curry favor with me, huh?
The next day.
Lu Zhaoruo carefully folded the dark blue robe with cloud patterns that she had made overnight into a brocade box, preparing to go find Meng Xi.
I found out that he was listening to storytelling in a brothel in the south of the city, which was the venue of Mr. Wang, the number one storyteller in Jizhou City.
She then put on a blue veiled hat, took the brocade box, and went out.
As soon as you step into the teahouse, a thick, hot steam mixed with tea, sweat, and fried pastries hits you. Crowds throng before you, and the sounds of gongs, drums, cheers, and folk tunes buzz around you in a cacophony.
She concealed her face more carefully, then stopped a waiter serving tea, handed him a few copper coins, and said softly, "Excuse me, may I ask which way is Mr. Wang's establishment?"
The waiter quickly took the money, grinned, and pointed in a direction: "Mr. Wang is at the 'Tingyin Pavilion' brothel, telling the story of 'The Shen Family Case' right there. Every show is packed!"
Lu Zhaoruo thanked him and walked through the noisy crowd, following the direction he was heading.
Before they even got close, they heard Mr. Wang strike his gavel, his voice booming: "That Shen Qingshu shamelessly begged for mercy... He was just momentarily confused, bewitched by that lowly maid. You've always been virtuous and generous, so please forgive him this time, okay?"
"Guess what?"
Mr. Wang pressed down with his gavel, deliberately keeping everyone in suspense, and then smiled as he surveyed the entire room.
An impatient audience member shouted, "Mr. Wang, stop keeping us in suspense! Tell us quickly!"
Mr. Wang continued, "That Madam Lu smiled gently on the surface, but then turned around and crisply said 'No good!' She immediately rejected the offer! Then she bowed to General Xiao and said, 'I trouble Commander Xiao to escort them to the prefectural government office—I have already prepared the petition!'"
"good!!"
The audience below erupted in cheers.
"In fact, she took her husband's entire family to the state court, and along with the unfaithful man Shen Rongzhi and his illegitimate son with his mistress Lin, she was also brought to court!"
"As for that Lu family member, a mere woman..."
Mr. Wang struck the gavel again, his tone suddenly rising, whetting everyone's appetite. "How did he stand alone in the courtroom, throwing those pieces of evidence under the clear blue sky? How did he leave the young master of the Shen family speechless and his aunts pale as death, ultimately forcing them to confess and submit to the law?"
He paused, surveyed the eager gazes of the audience, then suddenly unfolded his folding fan, shook his head, and chuckled, "The details here are intricate and complex. If you wish to know what happens next, please listen to the next installment!"
The audience erupted in laughter and sighs.
Tea money and coins were tossed onto the stage with a clinking sound.
A burly man slammed his fist on the table and laughed, "This Shen family is truly heartless! They don't appreciate their own virtuous and capable wife, instead they gang up on her to bully her. They deserve to go to jail!"
The old man sitting to the side shook his head repeatedly, stroking his beard and sighing, "Marrying such a wife was a blessing from the Shen family's ancestors. But that young master Shen actually favored his concubine over his wife, forcing the virtuous woman to take a lawsuit. He is truly foolish and has destroyed his own foundation!"
Others chimed in loudly, "That's right! That mistress, Lin, must be a vixen reincarnated, bewitching Young Master Shen to the point that he's abandoned all sense of propriety!"
The woman in the corner spat, "Pah! What vixen! It's clear that there isn't a single sensible person in the Shen family from top to bottom! The in-laws are unkind, and the husband is unjust; they deserve this calamity!"
At this moment, a plump woman raised her voice and said, "Speaking of which, that Madam Lu is quite a tough woman! I heard that she took over the Jinxiu Building, changed its name to 'Lu's Embroidery Building,' and became the owner herself!"
She paused, looked around, and said with a hint of admiration, "With such a mindset and such skill, the embroidery she produces must be top-notch! In the future, when we need to make clothes or add embroidery, we should patronize her business more often!"
Several women sitting nearby nodded in agreement: "Absolutely! We should help such a strong-willed and capable woman!"
"That makes perfect sense! I'll go check out her boudoir later!"
A slight smile curved the corners of Lu Zhaoruo's lips beneath her veil.
All of this was the reason why she had Dongrou invite Mr. Wang to disguise himself as a servant.
In retrospect, the results have been excellent.
The Shen family's reputation was ruined, but Lu Zhaoruo not only gained fame, but also quietly turned that fame into a living advertisement for the embroidery shop.
Just as the show was about to end...
Mr. Wang also lowered his head and began tidying up his wooden folding fan.
Just then, with a soft "thud," a heavy bag of silver coins was thrown down from the private room on the second floor, landing precisely on the storyteller's table!
The crowd gasped and looked over. Chang Hong, who was standing next to Meng Xi, leaned forward and said loudly, "Sir, what you said is wonderful. My young master would like to hear what happened in court. Here is some money for you to drink. Tell us the 'next time' today."
Mr. Wang was taken aback at first, then his face was filled with a delighted smile. The reward was so generous that he could talk about it for ten days or half a month!
He quickly cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your generous reward! Since you are so kind, I will gladly comply!"
Having said that, he struck his gavel heavily, his voice booming like a bell: "Ladies and gentlemen! Today, I will make an exception and give this distinguished guest a complete account! Let's begin with that day in court—"
Lu Zhaoruo raised her eyes and looked at the languid, cloud-gray figure in the private room on the second floor.
Meng Xi leaned back casually, tapping the railing with his fingertips, his weariness undiminished, as if his earlier extravagant spending and stirring up the room were nothing more than a trivial matter.
Lu Zhaoruo did not immediately step forward to disturb him, but stood quietly in the crowd, her veil fluttering slightly, waiting for him to finish listening to the story.
To make the most of the large sum of money, Mr. Wang did his best, giving an exceptionally detailed and engaging account.
Meng Xi's gaze lazily swept over the crowd downstairs, and he immediately spotted the figure wearing a veiled hat and holding a brocade box.
A slight sneer flickered across his lips...
He guessed that she had come specifically to find him.
Yesterday, I stepped in to help her out and praised her, which made her think she had an opportunity, so she came to fawn over me with gifts.
She was smarter and bolder than Li Nian'er, but in essence, she was no different from those women who tried to curry favor with the powerful.
Oh.
Feeling dejected, he looked away and absentmindedly tapped the railing with his fingertips.
Let her wait.
Downstairs, Mr. Wang's melodious storytelling voice echoed through the theater.
Lu Zhaoruo stood quietly outside the hustle and bustle, her veil hanging down, her posture upright, and stood behind the crowd for nearly an hour.
Mr. Wang struck the gavel heavily at the end, his voice resounding throughout the hall: "With this, the entire Shen family has been brought to justice, and that Madam Lu—is now estranged from that heartless Shen Rong, and they are no longer connected!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the cheers and sighs from the audience lingered for a long time.
Private room on the second floor.
Meng Xi leaned lazily against the railing, the cup in his hand now lying untouched.
Upon hearing the words "severing ties," he raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.
That's quite decisive.
He chuckled inwardly. He had thought she was just an ordinary woman with a bit of courage, but now it seemed she could actually be ruthless enough to sever the marriage with her own hands and turn this hopeless situation around.
She was also a master of business. After this incident, the name of her "Lu's Embroidery Shop" spread everywhere, so she didn't have to worry about not having business.
His gaze fell once more on the veiled figure still standing quietly downstairs, a hint of inquiry mixed with the weariness in his eyes.
He's definitely an interesting person.
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