Chapter 102 New Bargain
Sitting on the chaise longue, Madam Wang casually twirled a white jade bead between her fingers, watching Xiao Yunzhan and Pei Zhiwei's expressions, and suddenly chuckled softly.
The laughter carried a hint of nonchalant composure, as if he had already planned everything out in his mind.
"Why is Your Highness so surprised?"
Yangdu City may look big, but you only really deal with the same few people over and over again.
Who's backing whom, what they're holding—if you have eyes and are willing to put in the effort to find out, how could you not know?
As she spoke, her gaze slowly swept over everyone in the room, finally settling on Xie Ji.
His gaze was indifferent; he was clearly looking at Xie Ji, yet it seemed as if he were looking through Xie Ji at someone else.
Pei Zhiwei's heart stirred slightly; this feeling had resurfaced. This was the second time Wang Shi had looked at Xie Ji with such eyes.
Whom was she looking at through Xie Ji? Was it Cui Yanwu, or someone else?
Xie Ji himself did not notice anything unusual, but he felt uncomfortable with Wang Shi's gaze. He was about to scold her for looking at him when Xiao Yunzhan stopped him with a look.
Xiao Yunzhan's tone was unreadable: "I can write to His Majesty and report everything you have said and done."
But since this is a transaction, I need to make things clear to you beforehand.
Whether His Majesty will pardon you, I cannot guarantee.
“Of course.” Madam Wang nodded, her tone as calm as if she were talking about something that had nothing to do with her.
"His Majesty's thoughts are deep and unfathomable; how could others possibly understand them?"
I only ask to have said everything that needs to be said; as for the outcome, I'll leave it to fate.
She paused, as if suddenly remembering something, and added, "In that case, I would like to make one more small request."
Xie Ji had been holding back ever since he entered the room, but now he finally couldn't hold back any longer.
Ignoring Xiao Yunzhan's earlier warning, he took half a step forward, focused his energy in his dantian, and was about to speak.
Wang, however, was prepared and spoke first: "I grew up in the Wang family of Hedong. Although I didn't live a life of luxury, I didn't suffer much either."
The case is still pending, and I know I can't move around freely.
How about this: before His Majesty's decree is delivered to Yangdu, I will trouble Lord Pei to place me under house arrest in this room.
I don't need to be particular about food, drink, or other necessities; as long as I can stay safe from the wind and rain and have some peace and quiet, that's enough.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunzhan raised an eyebrow slightly.
He had thought that Wang would make some unreasonable demands, but he never expected that it was just to avoid going to jail.
But what bothered him even more was the unspoken meaning behind Wang's words.
She seemed certain that His Majesty would pardon her, and was convinced that her proposed "house arrest" was merely a formality.
"Are you so sure His Majesty will pardon you?" Xiao Yunzhan stared at her, trying to find some flaw in her expression.
Wang simply smiled and remained silent.
Seeing that she wouldn't answer, Xiao Yunzhan changed his approach: "Since it's a transaction, you have to offer the corresponding terms."
You can't expect us to believe your empty words.
“Of course.” Madam Wang sat up straighter, her tone finally becoming serious.
"I don't need much, just a place to stay temporarily."
"If Your Highness agrees to my request, I will immediately hand over the bargaining chips you want."
Xiao Yunzhan turned to look at Pei Lin, and seeing Pei Lin nod slightly, he looked away.
He said in a deep voice, "I have made the decision that you must stay in this room until His Majesty's decree is delivered to Yangdu. You are not allowed to step out of the room."
"Guards will be stationed in the courtyard to watch over you, and they will be responsible for your food and lodging. You are not allowed to have contact with outsiders. As for Biying..."
Before he could finish speaking, Madam Wang interjected, "Let's hand Biying over to Magistrate Liu for disposal."
However, Your Highness, please inform His Majesty of the whole story of this case, and His Majesty will decide how to deal with her.
During this time, Magistrate Lao Liu was instructed to take extra care of her to prevent any further mishaps.
Biying stood aside with her head down. Upon hearing this, she knelt down and kowtowed heavily, her forehead making a loud "thud" on the floor tiles.
"Back then, the maid was too arrogant and thought she could control Wang Fuxing, which led to the ruin of Madam's important plans today."
The maidservant willingly accepted the punishment without uttering a single complaint.
Wang rolled her eyes at her, and said with a hint of disappointment, "Get up."
I'm making you suffer a little today, consider it a lesson for you.
But no matter how many lessons you learn, they're all for nothing if you don't learn from them.
Biying tearfully replied, "This maid will remember."
Xiao Yunzhan ignored the master and servant and asked directly, "What are your bargaining chips?"
Wang asked, "Aren't there still quite a few missing girls in the cases you're investigating in Yangzhou?"
Pei Zhiwei's heart skipped a beat.
She kept thinking about Sun Qiao'er and the girls who had been chosen, but Liu's Pharmacy was burned to the ground and nothing could be found. Even the secret guards had gained very little.
"Where are they?" Pei Zhiwei asked, her voice filled with barely suppressed urgency.
Wang slowly uttered three words: "Xinluofang".
"Xinluofang?" Xie Jixian exclaimed.
"Isn't that the place where the Silla people lived in Yangdo? How could they be hiding there?"
Pei Zhiwei also frowned.
She had heard of Silla Ward, located southeast of Yangdu, where most of the residents were merchants and artisans from Silla, as well as some Silla caravans.
Because it involved foreign lands, Silla Ward had its own set of rules, and the government usually didn't interfere much. It was a mixed bag of people and a good place for Tibetans.
"Where exactly in Xinluofang?" Pei Zhiwei pressed, fearing that Wang would again be vague in her answer as before.
Wang shook her head: "As you all know, the rules of Xinluofang are special. My people can only find a few possible locations. You'll have to find out the exact locations yourselves."
However, I can assure you that Xinluofang has not shipped any goods out recently.
Those girls should still be inside.
Pei Zhiwei stared at her for a moment, and seeing that her eyes were open and honest, not like she was lying, she nodded: "Okay, I believe you."
Wang didn't say anything more, she just waved her hand, as if she was tired and wanted to be alone.
Seeing this, the group decided not to linger and turned to leave.
As soon as they stepped out of the room, Pei Lin grabbed Xiao Yunzhan and Pei Zhiwei and took a few steps toward the side corridor, avoiding the yamen runners and Bi Ying who were following behind.
Pei Lin lowered his voice, "When Madam Xu mentioned His Majesty just now, her tone didn't sound like she was gambling; it sounded like she already knew how His Majesty would handle it."
I was wondering why His Majesty would send a secret letter to Cui Yanwu, asking him to assist us in investigating the canal transport.
Now that I think about it, His Majesty probably knows far more about the affairs of the Cui Yanwu and Xu Wang families than we do.”
Pei Zhiwei recalled the way Wang Shi had looked at Xie Ji earlier, and then thought of Cui Yanwu's old acquaintance with Wang Shi. Suddenly, she felt that the entanglements behind this might be something they wanted to complicate.
But she wasn't sure. "Do you think it's possible that His Majesty actually knows the reasons behind Lady Xu's schemes?"
"It's hard to say," Xiao Yunzhan shook his head.
"His Majesty always has his own considerations when he does things. Perhaps he is waiting for the right opportunity, or perhaps he wants to use the Wang family's actions to draw out more people hiding behind the scenes."
After all, the Wang family of Hedong was involved in the Grand Canal transport, which was no small matter.
Pei Lin nodded, "What Prince Rui said makes sense."
However, the most urgent task at hand is to quickly submit a memorial to His Majesty explaining the situation here.
Secondly, the investigation of Xinluofang cannot be delayed; the longer those girls stay, the greater the danger they face.
He looked at the two of them and said in a serious tone, "How about this, I'll stay at the Xu residence and keep an eye on things."
Firstly, to keep an eye on Wang Shi and prevent her from playing any tricks.
Secondly, we should search the Xu residence more thoroughly and question the servants to see if there are any overlooked clues.
You two shouldn't linger here. Go to Xinluofang now and find those girls as soon as possible.
"Thank you, Your Highness..."
He turned to look at Xie Ji and saw him clinging to the pillar of the corridor, looking eager to try. He smiled helplessly and said, "You can come along too."
Xinluofang is a mixed bag of people; having more people around means more protection.
Xie Ji immediately stood up straight and patted his chest to assure him, "You can rest assured, Lord Pei!"
Xiao Yunzhan glanced at him sideways: "Just don't make things worse."
Without further delay, the three hurriedly headed towards Xinluofang.
As soon as the carriage stopped at the entrance of Xinluofang, the curtain was lifted, and an aura different from that of Daliang rushed out.
In addition to the Liang script, the shop signs along the street also bear the winding Silla script.
The hairstyles and clothing styles of the passersby were completely different from those of Daliang.
Even the noisy hawking sounds around were not in Da Liang Mandarin, but in Silla.
The moment Pei Zhiwei and his group stepped into Xinluofang, they clearly felt several gazes falling upon them.
At the alley entrance not far away, two men dressed in Silla attire leaned against the wall, seemingly chatting idly, but their eyes never left them.
Even the street vendors selling groceries, though busy with their work, looked at them with a hint of wariness.
"Something's not right," Pei Zhiwei said in a low voice.
"The people here are extremely wary of outsiders. If we try to ask them directly, we definitely won't get any information and we might even alert them."
Xiao Yunzhan also noticed something was wrong. "We need to think of a way to lower their guard."
Pei Zhiwei's eyes darted around, and she suddenly pulled the two of them toward a shop selling Silla specialties.
The shop was filled with many novel items from Silla.
The shop owner, a middle-aged Silla man, greeted them hurriedly in broken Daeyang dialect upon their arrival: "Hello, sirs, what would you like to buy?"
Pei Zhiwei casually picked up a lacquer box and deliberately showed an expression of amazement.
"This box is so pretty! How much is it? And this cloth, the pattern is so unique, wrap it up for me too!"
Xie Ji reacted the fastest, immediately picking up a ceramic jar and saying, "These spices smell good, how much? Wrap them all up for me!"
Xiao Yunzhan didn't say anything, but he put on an air of "not short of money".
The shop owner's grin widened even more when he saw how generous they were.
"That's 140 coins in total! I'll carry it for you right away."
Pei Zhiwei readily took out some silver. "Shopkeeper, do you have any other good stuff?"
This is our first time visiting Xinluofang in Yangzhou, and we'd like to explore it as much as possible.
The shopkeeper took the money, a subtle look flashing in his eyes, and chuckled twice: "A fun place..."
"Young ladies, this might not be suitable, but young gentlemen, you could try the brothels in our Silla Ward."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunzhan scoffed, "A brothel? What kind of brothel haven't we seen?"
What new tricks can you guys at Xinluofang come up with?
"Oh dear, young master, you don't know this!"
The brothels in our Silla Ward are quite different from those in Yangdu City!
The shop owner leaned closer mysteriously: "You'll see when you get there, the taste is completely different from that in Yangzhou!"
Pei Zhiwei slammed her hand on the counter a few times.
"Hey hey hey... Boss, are you still doing business or not?"
"I'm standing right here, and you're going to tell them this?"
The shop owner then realized his slip of the tongue and quickly took two steps back with a smile, saying, "Oh dear, I'm so sorry!"
I'm so blind, I thought the three of you were siblings!
"It's all my fault for being so talkative, please don't take it to heart, young lady!"
As he spoke, he took out a sachet embroidered with begonia flowers from under the counter.
"This sachet is my apology to you, young lady. It's a fine item that I managed to get with great difficulty. Please don't find it offensive."
Pei Zhiwei took the sachet, smelled it, and carefully touched the stitches on it, praising, "This sachet is embroidered very well!"
The stitches are fine and the patterns are exquisite; this is not the embroidery style of your Silla Kingdom.
I've seen similar embroidery in Suzhou, and the fragrance is quite unique; it must be made with the finest spices from Suzhou, right?
Shop owner: "Young lady, you really know your stuff!"
This was embroidered by the best embroiderers in Suzhou, and the fragrance is also the best incense from Suzhou!
I originally intended to ship it back to Silla to sell for a high price, but I only brought it out as an apology because I had just angered the young lady. I wouldn't dare give you anything inferior!
Pei Zhiwei raised her chin, striking a smug pose.
"That's more like it."
After saying that, she turned to look at Xiao Yunzhan and Xie Ji, her eyes carrying a hint of threat.
"Listen up, you two! If you dare to sneak off to a brothel behind my back, I'll chop off your hands! Humph!"
Looking at her like this, Xiao Yunzhan smiled gently and reached out to pat her back.
"Of course I'm not going, don't be angry, okay?"
Xie Ji stood to the side, watching the two of them talk back and forth as if no one else was around, and couldn't help but twitch his lips.
He felt like he was superfluous and didn't want to say anything.
The three of them, carrying large and small bags, left the shop in a lively and cheerful manner.
They had only taken a few steps when they heard the curtain of the shop behind them being lifted again, and several men dressed in Silla clothing walked in. They were the same guards they had seen when they first entered the neighborhood.
One of the men spoke up and asked, "Boss, how's it going? Are these three guys alright?"
The shopkeeper's earlier enthusiasm vanished, replaced by a calculating smile. "Don't worry, I've already given the guiding incense to that little girl."
Once you're exposed to this fragrance, it won't dissipate for three days. You can find them wherever they go by following the scent.
"Hmph, those three little brats think they can get away with this? They're still too green!"
"They're really blind to have run into your shop." After saying that, the group left the shop and followed Pei Zhiwei and her two companions at a distance.
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