Chapter 376 Jinyiwei Commander
Prefect Liu wanted to entertain distinguished guests from the capital, and invited the courtesan from Mingyue Tower to perform a dance at the prefect's residence. Chen Ning bribed the courtesan with ten taels of silver and became one of the dancers beside the courtesan.
The dance was mainly performed by the courtesan, and the accompanying dancers were simple and easy to fool. This was the only way Shen Ning could find to sneak into the prefect's residence.
Sure enough, she easily sneaked into the prefect's residence by following the dancers from Mingyue Tower.
The dancers were placed in the guest rooms in the backyard. The other girls were putting on makeup, chattering about the colors of Huayingxue's lip balm this season, and helping each other perfect their makeup.
Shen Ning found an excuse to leave the room, pretending to wash her hands, and walked from the backyard around the palace gate to the front yard.
A servant from the prefectural government stopped her and asked what she was doing. Shen Ning smiled embarrassedly and said that she had always admired Magistrate Li but had never had the chance to meet him. Now that she had finally been able to enter and leave the prefectural government, she wanted to take the opportunity to secretly see Magistrate Li's style.
The servant immediately understood.
County Magistrate Li Linshuang is famous for his handsomeness and talent, and has many admirers. However, he is about to become the prefect's son-in-law.
The servant chuckled and warned, "Lord Li is of noble status, and he is about to marry our young lady. Although you are beautiful, you are of humble status. He is not someone you can covet. I advise you to be more sensible."
Shen Ning repeatedly said, "I know my status is humble, and I dare not have any random thoughts. I just want to see Master Li from afar to fulfill my wish. I hope you can fulfill it, big brother."
As she said this, she stuffed a penny of silver into her pocket.
Don't give too much, or it will arouse suspicion.
Sure enough, the servant smiled brightly when he saw the silver: "Well, since you are a pitiful person, I will take you to see the demeanor of Lord Li, the future son-in-law of our Liu family."
Shen Ning kept thanking her.
A moment later, the servant brought her to the garden and pointed to a young man in a cyan uniform not far away: "That's Li Linshuang, Master Li."
Shen Ning looked at his face from a distance and recognized it. He was indeed handsome.
"Just take a look, don't rush forward without knowing the consequences."
Shen Ning responded with a smile.
The servant warned Shen Ning not to run around, and immediately went back to the backyard after watching, then turned and left.
Seeing that there was no one around, Shen Ning quickly walked to Li Linshuang without making a sound.
"Master Li."
Li Linshuang was one year younger than Cui Yuru. Now at the age of twenty-three, he had already passed the imperial examination and was considered a rare talent. Seeing the woman dressed as a dancer and with extraordinary appearance, he took a half step back, frowning slightly. "Who are you?"
Shen Ning took out the token given by Cui Yuru, an ordinary jade bracelet: "Sister Cui asked me to come."
Seeing the bracelet, Li Linshuang was stunned, and then her eyes turned red: "Sister, how is my sister?"
Seeing his appearance, Shen Ning didn't seem like the kind of ungrateful and shameless person. She said truthfully: "Sister Cui knew that you were going to marry the daughter of the prefect, and took 700 taels of silver to break off all ties with her. She was heartbroken and vomited blood."
Shen Ning said: "She is determined to die."
As soon as she finished speaking, the man's eyes instantly turned red, his eyes filled with grief: "Sister... I am sorry, sister."
Shen Ning frowned: "Does Lord Li have any difficulties?"
Li Linshuang seemed to have suddenly thought of something, and her expression suddenly turned cold: "You said you were someone close to my sister, but why have I never heard her mention that there were more maids around her? Where is Chuntao?"
This person must have some difficulties, which is why he is so vigilant.
Chen Ning explained: "I am the person that Sister Cui rescued on the way to Yunzhou. Chuntao took care of her at the inn. I was worried that you wouldn't believe me. Sister Cui told me that if you don't believe me, then I will ask you, at the end of the Xinchou year and the Laba red candles, do you still keep your oath?"
At this moment, Li Linshuang was about to cry.
At the end of the Xinchou year, on Laba red candles, before he went to Beijing to take the imperial examination, he and Cui Yuru secretly worshipped heaven and earth. No one knew about it except the two of them.
No longer doubting the woman before him, Li Linshuang shook his head and said bitterly, "I am sorry to my sister, but I cannot bring her any harm. Miss, please take this letter to my sister and tell her... my love has not changed, and she is the only one who has it."
Shen Ning wanted to ask more, but Li Linshuang shook her head and just handed her a letter.
"Prefect Liu Yong is corrupt and committing corruption, stealing land, and perverting the law. I've feigned surrender and obtained evidence. I intend to use this Jinyiwei southern tour to expose him... However, Prefect Liu is a powerful figure, deeply rooted, and colluding with the Yunzhou Commander-in-Chief. I wonder if he still has backers in the capital.
If this fails, I will have no choice but to die. I don't want to implicate my sister. Please tell her that Li Linshuang has read the books of sages and does not want to be a scoundrel who only cares about himself. I also don't want to see more people like my sister and me, whose parents were murdered and whose land was lost. My sister raised me for six years. If I become a coward, Li Linshuang will be ashamed of my sister's six years of righteousness...
It is my wish that she lives a good life."
There were voices coming from a distance. Li Linshuang hurriedly bowed to Chen Ning and turned to leave.
Shen Ning also quickly turned around and walked towards the backyard without getting entangled, worried that it would ruin Li Linshuang's plan.
She carefully hid the letter from Li Linshuang to Cui Yuru in her waistband, feeling heavy in her heart.
Li Linshuang obviously planned to die if he failed. The prefect's residence would probably be in turmoil today. Also, the Jinyiwei are going on tour to the south?
She didn't know who the commander of the Jinyiwei was now...
The Liu Mansion is probably in crisis today, but she has already come in, and it is impossible for her to stay out of trouble now. What's more, Cui Yuru, who saved her, is still waiting for her to survive.
We can only take one step at a time...
Soon, the banquet began.
The courtesan was performing a dance, and Chen Ning was in the corner, her job being to spin in circles and occasionally wave her sleeves to act as a supporting role. While doing so, she looked at the person in the Jinyiwei flying fish uniform sitting in the main seat.
The man was wearing a mask, so his face couldn't be seen at all. One arm was draped across his knee, his posture casual yet with a sense of oppression that came from being in a high position for a long time.
The courtesan didn't know if she was instructed to do so, but she danced and twirled, trying to get herself in front of the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, her eyes and eyebrows moving, full of charm.
Unable to see the man's expression clearly, the courtesan mustered up the courage to twist her waist and move closer. But the next moment, someone suddenly appeared behind the man and stood in front of the courtesan without saying a word... The courtesan was startled and quickly twisted her waist back to the dancers below, not daring to look over there again.
On the left side of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Yunzhou Prefect Liu Yong and the Yunzhou Commander-in-Chief Shangguan Cheng across from him exchanged glances with an inexplicable look on their faces.
It is said that the Jinyiwei are the minions of the current emperor, and they are leak-proof. As expected... they are indifferent to the appearance of such a beautiful courtesan.
If he is not lustful, then we can only try to see if he is greedy for money.
In their view, all men in the world want after gaining power is sex or money. There is no man who is neither lustful nor greedy for money.
Soon, the song ended, and then the dancers were asked to sit next to the officials in the venue to add wine and serve food.
Shen Ning's original position happened to be next to Li Linshuang. She sat beside Li Linshuang the first time. Li Linshuang glanced at her and whispered while no one was paying attention: "Pretend not to know me, otherwise you won't be able to leave the prefect's residence."
Shen Ning hummed softly.
The courtesan was originally supposed to sit next to the Jinyiwei commander who was wearing a flying fish uniform, but the Jinyiwei next to that man had an expressionless face and looked murderous. In the end, the courtesan did not dare to get close and sat next to the commander-in-chief Shangguan Cheng.
Shangguan Cheng was a warrior, always carefree and unceremonious. He raised his hands and hugged the waist of the courtesan and pinched it twice, making the courtesan cry out in pain.
The prefect Liu Yong smiled and tried to make friends with the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, saying something like, "Please, Lord Chi Xiao, stay for a while longer so that he can play the role of a good host."
Only then did Shen Ning realize that the commander of the Jinyiwei was Chi Xiao.
But she frowned...that person's figure didn't look like Chi Xiao, he was obviously taller than Chi Xiao.
If it weren't for his thin figure, looking at his sitting posture and temperament, Shen Ning almost thought that Xiao Nanchen came by himself.
The next moment, Chi Xiao spoke.
Shen Ning heard that the voice was indeed Chi Xiao, and the speaking style was the same as Chi Xiao, cold and emotionless, and asked the Yunzhou prefect about the situation in Yunzhou.
The Yunzhou prefect stated righteously that the Yunzhou officials from top to bottom strictly followed the imperial order, prohibiting the establishment of military farms and the raising of slaves, etc. In short, the entire Yunzhou officialdom was clean.
When the Yunzhou prefect finished speaking, Shen Ning heard Chi Xiao ask in an unclear tone, "Really?"
At this moment, Li Linshuang, who was beside Chen Ning, suddenly stood up and said, "I, the Yunzhou County Magistrate Li Linshuang, want to expose the Yunzhou Governor Liu Yong, who is using the name of his brother-in-law to seize land and property and kill people..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
