Chapter Sixteen: The Show-Off Lieutenant Zhang
A moment later, the curtain in the back room was suddenly flung open.
A man dressed in a flamboyant bright red brocade robe strode in.
His clothes were casually open, revealing his strong chest with several hideous scars.
His dark hair was unbound and loosely draped, and he reeked of alcohol.
His narrow, almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly, as if he were still hungover, but his eyes lit up with joy when he saw Song Yiqiu.
"General Song?"
"A rare guest indeed! I never expected that someone as important as you would actually condescend to visit my humble abode. When did you return to the capital? Why didn't you inform me beforehand?"
He smiled and stepped forward, instinctively wanting to give her a hug.
Qingzhu watched as this strange-looking person tried to approach her young lady. Although she was afraid, she mustered up her courage and stepped forward to block Song Yiqiu.
Bai Mei slapped his outstretched hand away without any politeness, and said disdainfully:
"Zhang Heze, it's been years, and you're still the same! Living quite comfortably, huh?"
Zhang Heze wasn't annoyed. He smiled knowingly and glanced at Bai Mei and Qing Zhu.
"Oh, Lieutenant General Bai is here too? You two girls, why are you still so unlovable?"
His gaze finally settled on the green bamboo blocking his way, and with a hint of interest, he extended two fingers and lightly lifted the bamboo's chin.
"Hmm? This young beauty looks unfamiliar, quite bold, and her appearance is pleasing to the eye..."
Qingzhu blushed instantly, feeling both ashamed and afraid, and at a loss for what to do.
Song Yiqiu finally opened her eyes, rubbing her forehead:
"Zhang Heze, stop playing around. I need to talk to you; it's serious business."
Zhang Heze then withdrew his hand, finding it utterly uninteresting.
"Oh? General Song actually asks for favors? Tell me, as long as I can do it, I won't hesitate."
Song Yiqiu got straight to the point:
"I heard you recently acquired a batch of purebred fighting cocks from the Western Regions? They're incredibly powerful?"
Zhang Heze raised an eyebrow, and with a touch of nonchalance, exaggeratedly gave a thumbs-up:
"Oh, General Song, you're quite well-informed! The newly arrived cocks are indeed top-quality fighting roosters, far more ferocious than our local ones."
"But... that's something only idle rich kids play with. Why are you asking about this?"
Song Yiqiu gave him a disdainful once-over, especially noting his flashy red robe and the way his collar was open:
"Look at yourself! How dare you call others spoiled brats?"
Zhang Heze laughed heartily, not angry at all.
Song Yiqiu lowered her voice and revealed her plan in detail.
Zhang Heze's eyes lit up as he listened, and finally he slapped his thigh in delight:
"Alright! Leave this little matter to me! General Song is indeed General Song, with extraordinary strategies, and he doesn't hesitate to scheme against his own brother!"
He spoke with a mocking tone, then sighed with feigned regret.
"Alas, I wonder which young master will be fortunate enough to marry such a... clever and capable wife as General Song?"
Bai Mei immediately waved her fist at him, baring her teeth and saying:
"Don't even dream about it! You are absolutely, absolutely, absolutely not the right person for my young lady!"
Zhang Heze exaggeratedly clutched his chest:
"Deputy General Bai, what you said really hurts me."
...
After saying goodbye to Zhang Heze, Song Yiqiu led the two of them outside.
Her gaze inadvertently drifted to a noisy card table in the corner, where her fourth brother, Song Yutang, was gambling, his face flushed and spittle flying, clearly having lost quite a bit again.
Song Yiqiu's good mood vanished completely at this moment.
In her past life, this fourth brother had secretly taken money from his family to gamble countless times. When he lost it all, he would come to her crying and begging. She was soft-hearted and gave him her monthly allowance and even some jewelry that she had saved by living frugally in the army.
And what happened? He immediately bribed Song Sangyu to help him cover it up.
When the truth finally came out, he unhesitatingly shifted all the blame onto her, saying that she had instigated and seduced her, causing her to be severely punished by her mother...
"Miss, Miss? What are you looking at?"
Seeing that she had stopped, Qingzhu asked in a low voice.
Song Yiqiu snorted coldly and withdrew her gaze:
"Nothing much, just a bunch of desperados."
After saying that, he turned and left without looking back.
As they stepped out of Dousheng Manor, Crown Prince Xiao Yongjing, who was leaning against the railing of a private room on the second floor, took in the entire scene below.
A friend handed me a glass:
"Your Highness, what are you looking at? Come and have a drink!"
The crown prince took the wine cup, but his gaze remained fixed on that direction, muttering to himself:
"This little wolf...which unlucky guy has it set its sights on this time? Interesting, this is getting more and more interesting."
...
Song Yiqiu led the two of them back to the Song residence in a carriage, passing by Feizhige, the largest rouge and jewelry shop in the capital.
Qingzhu couldn't help but lift the curtain, her eyes revealing longing:
“Miss, this is Feizhi Pavilion… I’ve heard that the most fashionable and best cosmetics in the capital come from here. I… I’ve never been inside before.”
Bai Mei curled her lip, looking completely uninterested.
"What's the point of all that jingling, greasy stuff you put on your face? Are there any 'sword and dagger shops' or 'weapon shops' in the capital? I'd like to take a look."
Upon hearing this, Qingzhu lowered her head in disappointment.
"All right……"
Song Yiqiu noticed her mood, smiled, and said:
"Since we're already out here, let's go for a walk."
Qingzhu's eyes lit up instantly, in disbelief:
"Is it really okay, Miss?"
Song Yiqiu patted her head:
"Why not? Your young lady just received a 'soothing fee' of a thousand taels, and I was just wondering where to spend it. It's a good opportunity to buy you two some decent jewelry and clothes, so that when you go out in the future, people won't think I'm mistreating you."
Although Bai Mei said it was "just a little girl's toy," her body betrayed her as Qing Zhu pulled her into the shop.
Song Yiqiu looked at the two of them, a rare relaxed smile appearing on her face.
The interior of Feizhi Pavilion is larger than I imagined. It not only sells all kinds of rouge and powder, jewelry, but also displays exquisite embroidery, musical instruments, writing implements, and even calligraphy and paintings by famous artists. It is more like a high-end cultural exchange venue for women.
The customers coming and going were all well-dressed and were either rich or noble.
Song Yiqiu was in the jewelry section holding an exquisitely crafted gold-powdered hibiscus hairpin, trying to slap it against Bai Mei's head, who was trying to dodge it. Bai Mei cried out in pain.
Suddenly, a sharp argument broke out from the second floor, shattering the elegant atmosphere of the pavilion.
"You bitch! Who do you think you are talking to? Don't you know your place?"
Song Yiqiu frowned. Not wanting to cause any more trouble, she prepared to pull the two away.
The next moment, a voice she knew all too well rang out:
“Princess Xingrong, please don’t be angry, please don’t take it to heart. She is my half-sister, born out of wedlock. She lacked discipline from a young age and did not know proper manners, so it was…it was unavoidable.”
It's Song Sangyu!
Song Yiqiu stopped in her tracks.
It seems we have to address this issue.
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