Meanwhile, in Kaifeng, Henan, Guan Bin sent his subordinates to knock on the door. A maidservant came out and said, "Miss has been waiting for a long time. Please come in with me!"
After listening, Hongshi and the others followed the maid into the courtyard. Inside, they saw several pear trees, and a flower path paved with white stones meandered through the trees to the front of the building. The building was constructed of wood, and the courtyard was spacious.
Following the maid Hongshi, they arrived directly at the door of a room. The maid knocked on the door and then said unhurriedly, "Miss, our distinguished guest has arrived."
A woman's voice, melodious and sweet like a rare orchid in a secluded valley, came from inside: "Come in!"
The maid pushed open the door, and as soon as Hongshi entered, he felt a faint sandalwood fragrance surrounding him. The carved windows shone with dappled sunlight. After taking a closer look, he saw a large rosewood and marble table in the center of the room, and behind it was a screen. A guqin stood in the corner, and a bronze mirror was placed on a wooden dressing table. The whole room was so elegant and refined.
Hongshi was stunned, thinking that this courtesan was indeed different from ordinary courtesans; the decorations in this room were even more elegant than those of some ladies from noble families.
Just as Hongshi was lost in thought, a woman emerged from behind the screen. She was dressed in a light pink dress, with long hair reaching her waist. Her slender waist was bound by a cloud-shaped belt, making it appear even more delicate. A seven-jeweled butterfly hairpin adorned her hair, making her face appear like a lotus flower, incomparably beautiful. Her phoenix eyes possessed a natural charm, filled with autumn water. She walked gracefully to Hongshi and gently bowed, saying, "This humble woman, Ruan Meiying, greets Your Excellency."
Hongshi swallowed hard, realizing he had lost his composure, because the woman was simply too beautiful. He coughed and quickly said, "No need for formalities, please rise."
Seeing this, Guan Bin knew that Hongshi was very satisfied with Ruan Meiying, so he said to Hongshi, "Sir, I have some matters to attend to at the government office, so I cannot stay here with you any longer."
Hongshi was eager for him to leave, so he nodded and said, "If you have business to attend to at the government office, then go ahead and do your work! I won't be bored here with Miss Meiying keeping me company, so don't delay important matters."
After saying that, he waved his hand to dismiss Guan Bin.
Ruan Meiying invited Hongshi to sit down and had a maid make him tea. Guan Bin gave her a wink at the door, and she understood. She smiled and said to Hongshi, "Please wait here, sir. I'll be right back."
Upon reaching the door, Guan Bin slipped some silver notes to Ruan Meiying and said to her, "You must serve the people inside carefully. If you serve them well, your reward will be even greater."
Ruan Meiying accepted the silver note and said with a smile, "Meiying understands, Meiying will definitely serve you well."
After seeing Guan Bin off, Ruan Meiying used all her charms to completely confuse Hongshi. Amidst the fine wine and beautiful women, he became so engrossed in his pleasure that he forgot everything and let his guard down. He ended up telling Ruan Meiying everything that had happened in the past few days, including the drought in Geshan Village, why there were bandits, why the soldiers wouldn't let people leave the village, and even the issue of food supply.
"Those people in Geshan Village are really stupid. I only used a little trick and they are so grateful to me. They don't even know that the drought was caused by me. Hahaha!" Hongshi said indistinctly.
Ruan Meiying was taken aback, but she didn't show it on her face. She continued to drink and sing with Hongshi, guiding him to tell her the whole story.
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