Encounter
After getting rid of Xin Xingzong, Liang Hongyu would train the maids of the Liang Mansion in the inner courtyard every day, and take care of the teahouse business at the same time. Although there were not many people in the teahouse, it still made some money, and the people from the Music Bureau entering and leaving the teahouse every day would not arouse suspicion.
That day, Qiu Feng was drinking with someone at the Music Bureau when she overheard two officials talking about the master of the Liang Mansion. Qiu Feng pricked up her ears and heard them say mysteriously, "Do you know how the Liang Mansion was ransacked and exterminated?"
"Tell me about it."
"It was only because Tong Guan said to the emperor, 'Liang Yan has a personal relationship with Fang La,' that the opportunity to fight was missed."
The man heard this and asked, "Is it true that they have a personal relationship?"
"I'm not sure about that. Anyway, the Liang family was convicted without a trial. This shows that Master Tong Guantong's weight in the eyes of the emperor is not comparable to you and me."
Qiu Feng didn't hear a single word of what they said afterwards, so she told Liang Hongyu everything she heard.
When Liang Hongyu heard this, she seemed to see the day when her grandfather and father's heads fell to the ground. Wherever she looked, there was blood. The blood of her father and grandfather that day, reflected by the dazzling firelight, had a different kind of red.
She had been with her grandfather and father since she was a child, and had never heard that her grandfather and father had a private relationship with Fang La. If she wanted to accuse someone of a crime, she would find a pretext. She would start with Tong Guan.
"Qiu Feng, arrange for everyone to find out all the information about Tong Guan, including who he met and what his hobbies are."
"Yes, sir. I'll arrange it right away."
Qiu Feng received reliable information that day: Tong Guan led his troops to wipe out Fang La and was going to hold a banquet at Zuixinlou in Jingkou to celebrate.
Usually, it was the maids in the Liang Mansion who went out to gather information. Liang Hongyu was only responsible for the training of the intelligence organization. Unless she met an important person, Mother Yan would let her come forward.
That day, Liang Hongyu volunteered to receive the guests, and Mother Yan just thought that Liang Hongyu had finally come to her senses and had no doubts at all.
Tong Guan's army was stationed in Jingkou during the day, and it was not until that night that Tong Guan led important generals to Zuixinlou to drink and have fun.
The courtesans were summoned one by one, some playing the qin or the flute, the performances were captivating and graceful. Liang Hongyu, in her red dress, accentuated her graceful figure, and with a touch of makeup, her face was as rosy as a peach. All the generals were stunned by this beauty before them; they had never expected such a beauty to exist in a place like Jingkou.
Wang Yuan, the veteran general guarding Liangjiang, suggested to Tong Guan, "I've heard that Liang Hongyu is skilled in poetry and swordsmanship. Why not have her compose some lyrics to entertain you all?"
Tong Guan heard this and said, "Among the courtesans there are such talented people. Bring me the four treasures of the study."
The deputy general presented the four treasures of the study, and Wang Yuan asked Liang Hongyu to compose a poem based on the scenery of the Yangtze River.
Liang Hongyu presented the lyrics under the gaze of the crowd:
Seek out the beautiful scenery and visit the famous temples.
The sails are set sail for thousands of miles, with no plan to record the journey.
The silver waves are vast, the green mountains are rippling, and the dragon and the tiger are meeting in the wind and clouds.
It is always difficult to express my feelings to the clear waves.
The turmoil in the Central Plains makes people remember General Li forever.
Where is Liu Lang with his broken sword? His broad mind is revealed through the ages.
I feel ashamed of being a prostitute, as I have nowhere to ask for a long rope.
Everyone praised the poem, and Han Shizhong's eyes lit up after hearing it. He was moved by this courtesan with such a broad mind that he couldn't help but take a second look. During the banquet, Liang Hongyu took up her sword and danced with it, her heroic demeanor was unmistakable, and she had no trace of the delicate demeanor of a woman. This further impressed him.
Tong Guan looked at Liang Hongyu's graceful dance and jade-like face, and always felt that although this woman was beautiful, she lacked a touch of tenderness. Although her eyes were smiling, he felt a little cold. After the song ended, Tong Guan did not call Liang Hongyu over, but called another official prostitute to accompany her.
Liang Hongyu put a lot of effort into dressing up today, but she still didn't expect to have no chance to get close to Tong Guan.
When the other generals saw that Commander Tong Guan ignored such a beautiful woman like Liang Hongyu, they did not dare to invite Liang Hongyu to accompany them.
After taking a look around, Liang Hongyu found a man sitting in the corner of the Jiaofangsi drinking alone, so she walked over to him.
"General, would you allow me to pour you some wine?"
Han Shizhong, who had been feeling depressed, looked up when he heard this, and saw the woman who had just danced with the sword with a rosy face and a beautiful figure. She was now holding a pot of wine and looking at him with a smile.
"Okay... okay." Han Shizhong had never seen such a beautiful woman before. His face turned red and his speech became stammering.
Liang Hongyu filled Han Shizhong's glass with wine and sat next to him.
She looked at him from the side. The man had a handsome face and was more resolute than other men. His skin was a healthy wheat color due to years of fighting. His silver armor made him look more heroic, powerful and domineering. She didn't understand why he was so depressed after winning the battle.
When Tong Guan saw that a beauty like Liang Hongyu could take the initiative to approach Han Shizhong, he felt relieved. He thought it would be better to give this beauty to him as a concubine to calm his inner resentment.
So he said to Han Shizhong: "General Han, if you can capture Fang La, our bandit-suppression army will win the battle. Today, I will give you the beautiful woman beside you as your concubine. What do you think?"
Han Shizhong thought: "I was the first to capture Fang La, but you gave this great achievement to your confidant, and now you want to give me a beautiful woman to get rid of me. Although this woman looks extraordinary and unique, if I accept her today, wouldn't that be fulfilling your wishful thinking?"
So he raised his eyebrows and said, "My Lord, I have a jealous and fierce woman at home. If you give this woman to me, won't I just go home and kneel on the washboard again?"
Everyone burst into laughter when they heard this. One person joked, "I never thought that General Han, who was able to capture Fang La alive, is actually henpecked." Everyone laughed even harder when they heard this. Tong Guan thought to himself: You kid don't give me this face today and actually use this reason to shirk responsibility. Don't blame me for being rude in the future.
So he said, "In that case, I won't force you, General. Let's continue drinking."
The building was brightly lit, with people drinking, singing, whispering to each other, and so on. The sounds of laughter and music blended together, exuding a charming and extravagant atmosphere of decadence.
Liang Hongyu continued to pour wine for Han Shizhong. "I never thought the general was so brave and could capture Fang La alive. Where is Fang La imprisoned now?"
Han Shizhong was stunned when he heard this. Why did this young lady want to know about the rebel leader?
Liang Hongyu saw his doubts and explained, "Fang La was a local hero. He was once the object of admiration for my distant cousin. I want her to see him one last time to dispel her thoughts about this villain. General, could you please make this possible?"
Han Shizhong thought: I had previously refused to take her as a concubine, which was considered an insult to her in public. So why not help her this time and even things out? So he said, "Okay, I'll arrange it for you after the banquet."
Upon hearing this, Liang Hongyu thought to herself: Today's trip was not completely fruitless. Although I failed to get close to Tong Guan, if I could get close to Fang La, I would know whether my grandfather and father had a personal relationship with Fang La, and whether they died unjustly.
After the banquet, Liang Hongyu asked Qiu Feng to pretend to be her distant cousin and follow Han Shizhong to visit Fang La in prison.
Fang La was temporarily imprisoned in a cell in Jingkou. Qiu Feng followed Han Shizhong's footsteps along the deep passage and came to the dark and dirty prison cell in the innermost part.
"This man is Fang La. If you have anything to say, please say it as soon as possible. I will wait outside." After Han Shizhong said this, he turned and left.
"Thank you, General." Qiu Feng bowed to express her gratitude.
Fang La turned around upon hearing this. His hands and feet were chained, his hair was disheveled and his face was dirty, and his original appearance could no longer be seen.
Fang La asked doubtfully, "I don't seem to know the young lady."
Qiu Feng explained her purpose, "My daughter sent me here to ask you about an old case." Qiu Feng continued, "Your Excellency has a personal relationship with my master, Liang Yan."
"Liang Yan?..." Fang La tried to recall for a moment and said, "We don't have any personal relationship. He was once defeated by me."
"Can you believe what you said, sir?" Qiu Feng wanted to confirm it again.
"Believe it or not, I will be executed soon, why would I lie to you?"
"Tong Guan was executed because he told the emperor that my master had a personal relationship with you, sir."
Fang La sighed to the sky, "If it weren't for treacherous officials like Tong Guan and Cai Jing who stirred up public resentment and forced the people to rebel, I wouldn't have ended up like this."
Qiu Feng told Liang Hongyu about this matter. Liang Hongyu suddenly laughed out loud. She laughed at the unreasonable world and her fate of being a court prostitute after being a military general.
Qiu Feng saw flames in Liang Hongyu's eyes, and the flames of anger seemed to be about to burst out of her eyes at any time.
Qiu Feng asked a little worriedly, "Miss, are you okay?"
Liang Hongyu seemed not to hear what Qiu Feng said, nor did she look at her. She only lamented, "Grandfather, Father, do you see this? This is the Song Dynasty you swore allegiance to, and it's already terminally ill! There's no cure!"
Upon hearing this, Qiu Feng hurriedly looked around. Fortunately, there was no one around. Such remarks would have been punishable by death.
Liang Hongyu clenched her fists tightly and thought to herself: Tong Guan! I will make you pay for your blood debt with blood.
One day, Liang Hongyu said to Qiu Feng, "Qiu Feng, go and invite General Han to your teahouse."
"Okay, girl, I'll go right away." After saying that, Qiu Feng went to find Han Shizhong outside the military camp.
Han Shizhong was training his troops that day when he heard his subordinates report: "General, there is a woman outside the tent who wants to see you."
When Han Shizhong came outside the tent, he realized that the person who came was Liang Hongyu's cousin who was at the banquet that day.
"General, my daughter invites you to the teahouse to drink tea. She wants to thank you for taking me to see Fang La that day."
Han Shizhong led his troops in training for a whole afternoon. Feeling a little thirsty, he followed Qiu Feng to a Qingle Teahouse.
"General, please."
Han Shizhong looked over and saw that the person who spoke was none other than Liang Hongyu. She was dressed in plain clothes today and behaved like a lady from a noble family, without any of the vulgarity of a prostitute. A faint smile appeared on her picturesque face, giving it a peach-like rosy hue. The heroic aura that was faintly visible on her body made her seem even more otherworldly. The more he looked at her, the more he felt that this woman was not a courtesan.
Han Shizhong bowed and said, "I'm sorry to bother you today, young lady."
"No, it is I who should be thanking the general."
"Please take a seat, General."
"Qiu Feng, serve the tea."
Han Shizhong looked around. Although the teahouse was small, the furnishings inside were exquisite and unique, with elegance and fun everywhere. The tables and chairs under the window were of peculiar shapes, matched with the bonsai on the shelf next to it and the flower arrangement in the plum vase under the window, which was elegant and refined.
Qiu Feng placed the teacup on the table. Han Shizhong took a sip and immediately felt the fragrance of the tea permeate the air, penetrating into his lungs. He exclaimed in amazement, "What kind of tea is this? It's so delicious."
"This is Mingqian tea. If the general likes it, I'll give him a can." As he said that, he asked Qiu Feng to bring a can over.
"This...no reward without merit."
"General, you have helped me so much, how can I say that you have done nothing for me? Besides, it's just a can of tea, please accept it."
"Then I will gladly accept it. Miss, you asked me to come here today, I'm afraid it's not just a simple thank you, right?" Han Shizhong raised his eyebrows.
"I heard that the general captured Fang La alive, but such a great achievement was snatched away by Tong Guan. That's why the general was so depressed at the celebration banquet that day. I'm right."
Han Shizhong looked at Liang Hongyu's peach blossom eyes and thought: He had never told anyone about this matter, and he didn't know how she got it. No matter how dissatisfied he was with Tong Guan, he could only express his anger in his heart, and there was no reason to tell others. Besides, he didn't know her background, what if she was a spy sent by Tong Guan?
Liang Hongyu saw his doubts and said, "It was because Tong Guan framed my grandfather and father that they were killed by the government. Since then, the Liang family has fallen on hard times, and I was forced to become a courtesan. I wish I could eat his flesh and drink his blood."
Han Shizhong's doubts vanished instantly when he heard this, and he immediately changed his tone and said, "So the girl is from a military family. No wonder she has no vulgarity at all, but instead has a heroic air between her eyebrows."
"You are too kind, General."
"How did that girl know about the entanglement between me and Tong Guan?"
"This place is a place frequented by officials and their families, so it's easy for me to find out."
Han Shizhong gripped the teacup tightly, frowning slightly, "It seems that the young lady is not here to treat me to tea today, but to a Hongmen Feast!"
Liang Hongyu saw Han Shizhong gently put down the teacup, but the tea foam in the cup was still swaying gently. It seemed that this man had great kung fu and was definitely not an ordinary person. It would be better to establish a relationship with him, and perhaps he could clear the Liang family's name.
Liang Hongyu brewed another cup of tea for Han Shizhong and said, "General, if you don't want to cooperate with me, then just refuse. There's no reason for you to doubt me."
Han Shizhong laughed and said, "I was just joking with you, young lady. Please don't be offended."
"The general agreed."
Han Shizhong looked at Liang Hongyu's expectant eyes and nodded.
"That's great, General. Please have some tea." Liang Hongyu said as she brewed another cup of tea and filled it up for Han Shizhong.
"Girl, you're going to stuff me to death!"
Liang Hongyu did not respond. This was the first time she was so happy since the Liang family had been in trouble. With General Han's help, it seemed that she had a chance of revenge.
After Han Shizhong left, Liang Hongyu looked at his receding back and pondered what they had discussed today: Liang Hongyu would provide him with information, and he would then find an opportunity to eliminate Tong Guan, the treacherous minister of the court.
Tong Guan is deeply trusted by the government, so it may not be easy to eliminate him. Not to mention that General Han is just a small general now. Even if he is promoted to the core of the court, he is a military general after all, and military generals have been feared by emperors of all dynasties since the Song Dynasty.
She was so happy just now that she forgot about this. If she wanted to deal with Tong Guan, she had to find another way. A cloud of worry once again surged into her heart.
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