Chapter 26 Retribution is inevitable.
A simple invitation, however light and airy, now feels like a freshly baked sweet potato—too hot to handle.
At noon, they went to a wonton stall on the back street of the academy for lunch. Yu Mingshu looked at He Zheng and asked, "Are you planning to go?"
"Where to?" He Zheng asked, puzzled.
"It's Xie Wu's birthday banquet," Yu Mingshu said.
He Zheng paused, holding the bowl, looked up at her, and asked, "Do you want to go?"
"I'd be crazy to want to humiliate myself."
He Zheng emptied the bowl of soup in one gulp, put down the chipped bowl, raised an eyebrow and smiled at her, "Let's go, there's a good show to watch."
Yu Mingshu didn't quite understand why he was so certain. Did He Zheng know something?
"Are you sure we're here to see a play, and not to watch one?"
"Given our relationship, would I ever harm you?"
Yu Mingshu almost choked to death after taking a sip of wonton soup.
"What's our relationship?"
He Zheng looked at Yu Dan, then at her, and said, "We are like brothers."
Yu Mingshu paused, her gaze lingering on the bowl for a moment before she looked up at him. "Are you serious?"
He Zheng said, "Don't believe me? Let's find a place to become sworn brothers."
Yu Dan said excitedly, "That's good! The pear orchard behind Taiqing Pond is quite nice!"
Yu Mingshu quickly changed the subject: "By the way, I haven't asked yet, when is your birthday?"
He Zheng paused for a moment, then said frankly, "March 27th has already passed."
Yu Mingshu said, "Okay, I've got it."
"And what about you?"
Yu Mingshu subconsciously wanted to say his birthday from his previous life, but fortunately he realized it before he could speak and corrected himself in time: "The seventeenth day of the first lunar month."
Yu Dan looked left and right, and said, "My birthday is..."
Before the words were even finished, the two said in unison, "I know yours."
…
On the day Xie Ansheng held his birthday banquet, Yu Mingshu arrived on time.
The carriages stopped at the riverbank, where guests boarded boats, which then transported them to the pleasure boats in the middle of the river.
It wasn't completely dark yet, and the lanterns on the pleasure boats were already lit. A gentle breeze blew through the gauze curtains on the boats, and the graceful figures of the dancers could be vaguely seen, accompanied by the melodious sounds of string and wind instruments.
From a high vantage point, the Yingyue River presents a bustling scene, as beautiful as a painting.
He Zheng arrived earlier than Yu Mingshu. After waiting for a while, he finally saw her walking towards him from a distance, wearing that familiar light blue robe. He cheered and waved to her.
"Why didn't Yu Dan come?"
"Is his name on the invitation?"
He Zheng was speechless and turned his face away. "Let's board the ship."
Upon reaching the riverbank, the servant eagerly greeted the distinguished guests and guided the two onto the boat.
The boat headed towards the middle of the river. The servant quietly brought over a pot of wine and placed two jade cups on the table. Before he could even speak, He Zheng stopped him.
"I don't drink, I'm leaving."
The servant's smile froze for a moment, then he quickly bowed his head and agreed. He turned and went out for a while, then returned with a pot of hot tea and a plate of snacks.
"There's still a while before the banquet ends, gentlemen, please have some tea and snacks first."
Yu Mingshu and He Zheng exchanged a glance. He saw that Yu Mingshu wiped his right hand around the rim of the cup, and his eyes darkened. At the same time, they both picked up their cups and tilted their heads back to "drink" them dry.
The servant lowered his head, concealing the fleeting joy in his eyes, and silently left the cabin.
He Zheng put down his teacup, pointed at Yu Mingshu's clothes, and said, "Why are you wearing this outfit again?"
Yu Mingshu was speechless. "My family is poor, and I only have a few sets of clothes. Do you expect me to change them every day without repeating the same outfit?"
He Zheng was speechless again. He wiped the water off his hands and gestured for her to be quiet.
The boat drifted gently to the middle of the river, but it did not head towards the pleasure boat.
After an unknown amount of time, the music of string and wind instruments grew fainter and fainter. The servant lifted the curtain and came in again. The cabin was quiet. Two young men were leaning back in their chairs, their eyes closed, as if they were asleep.
After waiting a while, the ship suddenly rocked violently, as if someone was boarding.
Yu Mingshu heard two women's exclamations, and then the whimpering sound of the servant being covered. When he opened his eyes, he saw that He Zheng had already made his move.
The dagger in his hand was pressed tightly against the servant's neck, the blade almost piercing his skin. She was afraid that if the boat suddenly rocked, it would kill the servant.
The servant's lips trembled as he managed to utter a few words with difficulty, "You...didn't drink tea..."
He Zheng did not answer, but instead held the boatman outside hostage and said, "Listen to my command, turn back."
At this moment, the two younger sisters who had just boarded the ship were terrified, their legs went weak, and they knelt at Yu Mingshu's feet, crying out, "Please spare us, sir! We don't know anything! It was Xie Wulang who brought us here!"
He Zheng had a knife in his hand, so they dared not approach him. Instead, they all clung to Yu Mingshu, holding onto her legs and refusing to let go.
Yu Mingshu nearly jumped up, quickly pulling his leg out of the beautiful woman's hand, and bracing himself to ask He Zheng, "What kind of show is this?"
"Don't ask any more questions. Keep an eye on them." He Zheng said, then glanced coldly at the two who were crying their eyes out. "If you two want to live and make money, listen to me."
…
At this moment, on the riverbank, Xie Ansheng looked at the wooden boat with a smile on his lips and said to the servants who had been waiting on the shore for a long time, "It's done, let's get on the boat."
The cabin was covered by sheer curtains on all four sides. The interior was spacious and luxurious, with elegant seats and reclining chairs. Drinks and snacks were provided on the table, and the furnishings were no different from those in a private room of a tavern.
The servants respectfully offered the fruit wine, their faces plastered with obsequious smiles.
"This is the 'Immortal's Intoxication' that is extremely rare in Mingyue Tower. Even if ordinary people have money, they cannot buy it! Today is the Fifth Master's birthday banquet, and the manager has specially presented a pot of it for you to enjoy."
Xie Ansheng took the wine glass, his gaze falling on the unfamiliar servant. "How come I've never seen you before?"
The servant said respectfully, "I am from Mingyue Tower. Today's banquet is hosted by Mingyue Tower. My manager specifically instructed me to take good care of Fifth Master and make sure that he has a good time."
Xie Ansheng swirled the wine in his glass, downed it in one gulp, and then chuckled, "Not bad, your manager is very thoughtful. I'll remember that."
Due to limited space on the pleasure boat, none of the guests brought their servants aboard for today's banquet.
He Zheng and Yu Mingshu lingered on the river for a long time, and when they boarded the painted boat, it was already full of guests.
The two found a quiet spot. Yu Mingshu leaned against the railing, crossed her arms, and turned to look at He Zheng: "How did you know about Xie Wu's plan?"
He Zheng chuckled, "Using the same trick twice, you could have guessed it too if you were in my shoes."
Yu Mingshu became interested. "When was the last time?"
He Zheng has gone mute again.
Yu Mingshu said with dissatisfaction, "Why do you always only say half of what you mean?"
He Zheng remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.
"Just three or four months ago, two days before this year's provincial examination, Xie Wu used the same method to lure Xie Huaijin into Chunxiang Pavilion. The next day, the scandal of Xie Sanlang's visit to prostitutes spread throughout Chang'an. Minister Xie sent people to tie Xie Sanlang up and take him back to the old house. In a fit of anger, he used family discipline, and Xie Huaijin missed this year's provincial examination as a result."
Xie Sanlang, that name sounds familiar.
Isn't this the plagiarism scandal that He Zheng went through, the one who was rumored to be plagiarized?
No wonder he looked like he didn't want to talk about the past just now.
Yu Mingshu turned his gaze to the river, where an exquisite and beautiful boat was swaying and rocking toward the painted boat, creating ripples.
Minister Xie and the guests approached, preparing to welcome the birthday boy. Only He Zheng and Yu Mingshu on the entire pleasure boat knew what was about to happen.
She murmured softly, "Karma is inevitable."
The boat docked beside the painted barge, and the boatman lowered the boarding ladder, but no one came out.
Minister Xie stared at the still rocking boat, then glanced at the boatman and servant who were bowing their heads and not daring to speak, and suddenly had a bad feeling.
Before he could react, a gust of evening wind blew by, lifting the gauze curtain outside the boat awning, and for a moment, people exclaimed in surprise.
Xie Shichang was so aroused by the erotic scene that his face turned red, his breathing became heavy and rapid, and his wide eyes instantly became bloodshot.
Xie Zhang, the steward of the Xie family, swallowed hard and said, "My lord, please calm down. This young master is just being ignorant..."
Enraged, Xie Shichang suddenly felt dizzy and grabbed Xie Zhang's shoulder to steady himself. He took a deep breath and said to the servant on the boat, "Throw him overboard to clear his head."
The servant dared not move, and the surrounding guests gradually realized what was happening, wishing they could all transform into eels and dive into the water to escape this embarrassing situation.
"Absolutely not, my lord!" Xie Zhang pleaded. "The river is bottomless, and Fifth Prince can't swim. What if something happens to him? How will you explain it to the Prime Minister?"
Xie Ansheng was Xie Cheng's youngest legitimate son. In his early years, when the old prime minister was still in the capital, he doted on him like the apple of his eye, and the elders of the Xie family spoiled him, which led to his many bad habits.
If anything were to happen to this kid, Xie Cheng would probably have to ride all the way from Taozhou back to Chang'an.
Xie Shichang was eventually persuaded to stay. He ordered his men to send the young man home first, and then he boarded a boat to leave the banquet, leaving Xie Zhang on the painted boat to disperse the guests.
The birthday banquet ended inconclusively, but the guests who left Yingyue River were all in high spirits.
What explosive news that Xie Wulang was caught having an affair with a prostitute at his birthday party?
When Yu Mingshu returned home, he was about to share the gossip with his family when he saw Wu Qiuniang sitting worriedly by the candlestick, clutching a letter in her hand.
"Mother, what's wrong?"
Hearing the sound, Wu Qiuniang looked up and handed her the letter, saying, "Take a look."
Yu Mingshu was taken aback, then took the letter and read it from beginning to end.
"Zhou Fuling is gone?"
"Yes, she left right after you this afternoon. At that time, Luo Yan and Qing Que were busy in the kitchen, and no one noticed her."
Yu Mingshu frowned and asked, "Is she really going to Liangzhou alone? Does she have any money?"
Wu Qiuniang shook her head, "She didn't take a single penny of the money she was given."
Yu Mingshu put down the letter and sighed silently. All she could do was pray that she would have a safe journey and that everything would go smoothly.
…
Xie Ansheng woke up in the Xie family ancestral hall. When he opened his eyes, he saw his elder brother Xie Shichang holding a rattan whip and staring at him with a fierce look in his eyes. He was so frightened that he crawled back a few steps.
"Brother! He Zheng framed me! That waiter from Mingyue Tower is the culprit! He drugged that damn Immortal's Drunkenness drink! They all conspired to frame me!"
Xie Shichang sneered and threw the rattan whip to the ground. "Where did those two bitches come from? Do you really think I don't know anything? You've shot yourself in the foot. How could my Xie family have given birth to such a fool as you!"
Knowing he was in the wrong, Xie Ansheng quickly changed the subject: "Where are those two bitches? And that slut on the boat, daring to switch sides, I'll chop them up..."
"Don't you think the Xie family has enough trouble already?" Xie Shichang kicked him in the shoulder, unusually speaking harshly to his younger brother.
"You'll stay kneeling in the ancestral hall these next few days. You can come out when you've finished copying the Book of Rites ten times."
Xie Ansheng winced in pain, clutching his shoulder and shrinking into a ball, no longer daring to cry out his innocence.
After Xie Shichang left the ancestral hall, a figure tiptoed in and took out two steaming hot pies from his pocket.
"It's all my fault! I should have stayed by your side all day, sir, instead you've suffered so much!"
"Stop howling!" Xie Ansheng took a vicious bite of the pie. "Mingyuelou, those two bitches, and He Zheng, dared to embarrass me at my birthday banquet. I won't let them get away with it."
His page hesitated for a moment, then bent down and asked, "What does the young master intend to do?"
Xie Ansheng chewed on the pie, a cold glint suddenly flashing in his eyes. "Find out when He Zheng is going hunting in the suburbs."
“Young master, He Erlang…” The pageboy’s voice trailed off, “He seems to have changed his ways. He hasn’t left the city for almost a month, and he’s hardly ever ridden a horse.”
Xie Ansheng frowned and said, "How is that possible?"
Everyone knows that He Zheng loves riding and archery. He runs to Lishanpao every few days and would rather skip classes to go hunting outside the city. How could such a brute stay in the city for a month?
How come he didn't suffocate?
The pageboy knelt beside Xie Ansheng, cautiously glancing back before saying, "My lord, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should."
"speak."
The pageboy lowered his voice and said, "Young master, this He Erlang is, after all, a member of the imperial family. He has an empress aunt to back him up. Why should we make things difficult for him? Wasn't it good enough that we kept to ourselves before?"
Seeing Xie Ansheng frown and about to get angry, he quickly sped up his speech and continued, "You originally wanted to teach Yu Erlang a lesson, so how did it suddenly turn into a feud with He Zheng? What if we end up hurting each other with He Erlang while that Yu kid is doing nothing and living a carefree life!"
Xie Ansheng fell silent, slowly stopping his chewing motion, his mind seemingly clearing up considerably.
Yes, wasn't he going to teach Yu Mingshu a lesson? How did he end up getting entangled with He Zheng?
The Yu family has a somewhat eccentric nature.
“That makes sense. Let’s deal with this guy surnamed Yu first.”
The pageboy finally breathed a sigh of relief, as long as his young master didn't clash with He Erlang anymore. His eyes were firm, and he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I will go to Yong'an Ward to ambush him tomorrow."
"Are you a brute too?" Xie Ansheng rolled his eyes at him disdainfully. "Go and call Shunzi over."
A note from the author:
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