Chapter 93 News (First published on Jinjiang Literature City)
Fu Mingzi and Uncle Fu went to a teahouse in the south of the city. It wasn't very elegant, but the food was delicious. Fu Mingzi even ordered an extra bowl of porridge.
"Uncle Fu has a good eye indeed," Fu Mingzi said with a smile. "The tea and snacks at this shop are really good."
Uncle Fu grinned from ear to ear: "This is a place I used to like to come to. I originally thought it was something that wouldn't be presentable for you gentlemen, but it's nice to try something new."
Fu Mingzi praised him a few more times, and Uncle Fu became even happier, ordering another plate of pastries.
"If Fifth Master thinks it tastes good, he should eat more. But it doesn't taste the same when we go to the capital."
Fu Mingzi lowered her head, took a piece of pastry and held it in her hand. After a long while, she said, "Uncle Fu, I remember you said your son is studying in the county. He finally got to come out today. Why don't you go and see your son? I can just sit here by myself."
Uncle Fu looked at Fu Mingzi with some surprise, not understanding his meaning for a moment.
Fu Mingzi smiled and said, "Uncle Fu, you've been looking after me for a few days now. I'm not a child who always needs someone to watch over me. Let's both relax today, and you can take a break too. Don't worry, I'll explain this to my third brother when we get back."
Upon hearing this, Uncle Fu immediately understood Fu Mingzi's meaning. He had assumed that Fu Mingzi was going to some shady place, since Uncle Fu had also heard of Fu Mingzi's reputation as a playboy.
He hesitated for a moment: "Fifth Master, this small place is not as prosperous as the capital. You must be careful about these things and take care of your health."
Upon hearing this, Fu Mingzi knew that Uncle Fu had misunderstood, but that was exactly what he wanted to achieve, so he didn't refute it. He just smiled wickedly and said, "Uncle Fu, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Uncle Fu sighed inwardly, knowing that he couldn't easily advise against such a thing. He could only think of mentioning it to his father-in-law later, as he couldn't continue living such a dissolute life.
Watching Uncle Fu leave with a long sigh, Fu Mingzi's eyes flashed with a dark light. He knew from the moment he left Fu Mingfeng's house that he had been followed. Now, letting Uncle Fu out was also to muddy the waters and make people think that he had made some move.
Fu Mingzi picked up the teacup on the table, took another long sip, and a smile flashed in her eyes.
The servant waiting outside the teahouse was in a dilemma when he saw Uncle Fu come out. The master had told him to follow Fifth Master and Uncle Fu, but he hadn't said what to do after they separated.
The servant gritted his teeth and finally decided to stay. Uncle Fu was just a servant, and it seemed that the Third Master valued the Fifth Master's side the most.
Fu Mingzi was completely unaware of the inner struggle of the servant who was following him outside. He leisurely drank a cup of tea, tasted two pastries, and then got up and left the teahouse.
Having spent the last few days following Uncle Fu around the county town, he had gained enough understanding of the town's layout. Therefore, he didn't go anywhere else but headed straight for the north of the town, where Qinghe County's entertainment district was located.
The servant followed behind, sweating profusely. Having lived in Qinghe for so many years, he knew the situation there better than Fu Mingzi. He could almost imagine what would happen next as Fifth Master headed north of the city.
As expected, when Fu Mingzi arrived in the north of the city, the brothels there hadn't started business yet, but the singing venues had already opened. Fu Mingzi chose one that looked more upscale and went inside.
As soon as he entered, Fu Mingzi was overwhelmed by the fragrant breeze. The sharp-eyed madam hurriedly came forward, her face full of flattery: "Is this your first time visiting our Tingyu Tower, sir? Do you have any familiar girls?"
Fu Mingzi flicked his folding fan to cover his mouth and nose, but smiled and said, "It is indeed my first time here. I didn't know that the girl here sings the best. Just call her over."
The madam was secretly delighted. This man was indeed wealthy. She had sensed from his clothes and demeanor that he was different from people from this small place, Qinghe.
“Our courtesan, Miss Biqing, is currently available. How about I have her come out to serve you, sir?”
Fu Mingzi nodded with an air of pride, bringing to life the character of a spoiled rich kid.
The madam hurriedly ordered the pimp to welcome Fu Mingzi upstairs. Fu Mingzi was quite at ease in this place, not feeling uncomfortable at all. Once inside the room, he sat down in the main seat with an air of importance, waiting to be served.
Seeing the master's imposing manner, the pimp became even more careful in serving him, bringing out the best tea and snacks upstairs before retreating tremblingly.
After the pimp left, a soft voice came from the doorway a short while later: "This servant is Biqing. Is this a message from the young master?"
"Come in," Fu Mingzi said loudly.
If you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way. Although he felt a little bad for Zhou Xiaoyan, he had no choice but to do this because of the extraordinary circumstances.
The door was pushed open, and a delicate fragrance wafted in with the person.
Fu Mingzi looked up at the so-called courtesan. She was dressed in a green dress, petite in stature, with a slender waist, and holding a pipa in her hands. She was pretty, but she paled in comparison to the courtesans he had seen in the capital.
However, those tender, affectionate eyes are quite distinctive.
"Sit down." Fu Mingzi remained seated, leaning back in his chair, and raised his chin like a lord.
Bi Qing nodded slightly, revealing a slender, fair neck, and then sat down opposite Fu Mingzi.
Looking at the pipa in her hand, Fu Mingzi raised an eyebrow: "You can play the pipa?"
"My skills are lacking, and I fear I will make a fool of myself." This young lady in green was quite eloquent, her gentle tone soothing to the ear.
Fu Mingzi smiled and said, "It's just for fun, there's no need to be so particular. Why don't you play it for me?"
Biqing smiled and agreed.
Fu Mingzi lay half-paralyzed on the low couch, sipping his wine idly while listening to Bi Qing's pipa playing.
Actually, the pipa was not as bad as Biqing said. Although the skill was not as refined as those masters in the capital, it had its own unique flavor, and Fu Mingzi found it quite interesting.
After a short while, the piece ended, and Fu Mingzi smiled and said, "Even a small county like Qinghe has hidden talents. Your pipa playing is quite skillful. If you practice well, you may achieve great things in the future."
Upon hearing this, Biqing's eyes lit up instantly, and she looked up at Fu Mingzi: "Is what you are saying true, young master?"
Fu Mingzi was taken aback, then couldn't help but laugh: "I didn't expect Miss Biqing to be so ambitious."
After saying that, he couldn't help but be surprised. How could a mere songstress be so unexpected?
“I’ve listened to the pipa playing of several masters before. The only difference between you and them is in the basic techniques and years of practice. If you could become a disciple of a master, I think that time would be shortened.” Fu Mingzi said this with a meaningful look on her face.
Bi Qing was a smart person. Upon hearing this, her expression changed slightly, and then she looked at Fu Mingzi with a cautious expression.
"I don't know what you mean, young master. I'm just a songstress, and I'm afraid I can't be of any help to you..."
Fu Mingzi narrowed his eyes, suddenly stood up from the low couch, walked to Biqing, and said softly with a smile, "Miss Biqing, you shouldn't underestimate yourself. Although you are a songstress, sometimes your value is higher than that of others."
"What do you mean, young master?" Biqing asked with a look of fear. "Although I was born into a lowly family, I would never do anything bad for my future."
Fu Mingzi smiled gently upon hearing this: "Miss Biqing, what are you thinking? What I mean is that Miss Biqing is in a place like Tingyu Tower, where people come and go, so she must know a lot of information. I just wanted to ask Miss Biqing about a few things. Is that not allowed?"
"Inquire about something?" Bi Qing looked suspicious, seemingly unaccustomed to this turn of events, and unable to imagine that Fu Mingzi had gone to such lengths just for this.
"What is it?" Biqing asked somewhat timidly. "Although I know some things about Qinghe County, I dare not say that I know everything. I'm afraid I will disappoint you, young master."
Seeing that she had relented, Fu Mingzi stopped pressuring her and returned to her seat.
He rested one hand on his bent leg and picked up a wine cup with the other, took a sip of wine and said, "What I've inquired about isn't anything important. If you know, I'll introduce you to a master. If you don't, I'll offer you a reward."
Upon hearing this, Bi Qing breathed a sigh of relief, but in her heart, she was eager to get involved with the master that Fu Mingzi had mentioned.
When the madam called her earlier, she told her that the gentleman who came today was definitely of extraordinary birth. She had also looked him over when he came in. Putting aside his demeanor and elegance, just his attire alone was something that you couldn't find anywhere else in the entire Qinghe County.
Moreover, coupled with his previous comments, Biqing became even more convinced that this man was no ordinary person.
Bi Qing's eyes flickered, and after a long internal struggle, she finally made up her mind.
When she raised her head again, her eyes were firm: "Then please speak, young master. If Biqing knows, she will tell you everything she knows."
Fu Mingzi chuckled inwardly, finally it was all sorted out.
"Alright, first question: do you know what unusual things the magistrate of Qinghe County has been doing lately?" Fu Mingzi didn't mince words and went straight to the point.
Biqing gasped, not expecting that the first question she asked was about the county magistrate.
She broke out in a cold sweat and regretted her previous decision. What on earth had she gotten herself into?
But the words had already been spoken, and Biqing didn't believe that this smiling young man was someone easy to talk to.
“The magistrate never sets foot in places like ours.” Biqing organized her thoughts and began to speak: “However, I have played music for several wealthy gentry in the county, and I have heard them say that the magistrate has been very diligent since he took office, which has made the gentry feel somewhat uncomfortable. But a little over a month ago, the magistrate seemed to have changed his mind or something. Anyway, the gentry who had been full of complaints about the magistrate before have now started praising him.”
Biqing paused at this point, glanced at Fu Mingzi's face, and seeing that his expression remained unchanged, she continued, "I heard from those wealthy gentlemen that it seems to be related to a mine outside the county town, but they wouldn't mention the specifics to me."
Fu Mingzi's heart stirred slightly. A mine? He did remember that there was a mine in Qinghe, but it had long been depleted and became an abandoned mine. What could possibly be related to an abandoned mine?
Fu Mingzi felt that he had probably dug up some big news, but he was not in a hurry to draw conclusions. He asked a few more questions, mostly about the movement of laborers in the county.
However, such matters were beyond the reach of a courtesan like Biqing, so she couldn't explain it clearly. In the end, she only said that the streets had become more deserted than before in the past few days, and many idle men with no means of livelihood had disappeared. She heard the madam praising the magistrate for his effective governance of the county, which had driven these idle men and refugees out of the city.
Hearing this, Fu Mingzi had already guessed most of what was going on, so she stopped talking and told Biqing that the teacher she had hired for her would arrive within half a month, and then she continued to have her play the piece.
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