But these are all, after all, Lord Shen's hidden resources...
Cheng Zhuo's words came to an abrupt end.
But the fact that Lord Shen was demoted to this position is not a secret; many people know about it...
A glint flashed in Liu Yingying's eyes; "I mentioned last time that I wanted to treat Officer Cheng to dinner. Are you free today?"
Green Village Restaurant is a mid-to-high-end restaurant in Furong County.
Although it can't compare to those big restaurants, the prices aren't low either; a meal costs at least one or two taels of silver.
Therefore, those who come here to eat are all from well-off families.
Cheng Zhuo: "Actually, Sister Liu, you don't need to be so polite. Just treat me to a bowl of noodles on the street!"
He didn't want Liu Yingying to spend money, after all, the life of an orphan and widow was also difficult!
"That won't do!"
"Don't worry that I'm putting on a show. To be honest, I made some money doing some small business recently..."
Liu Yingying smiled and told him to sit down properly and enjoy his meal.
Cheng Zhuo then did not refuse again.
Liu Yingying then asked the shopkeeper to bring over a pot of Shaoxing wine...
After a few drinks, she learned a lot about Lord Shen from Cheng Zhuo.
"Sister Liu, you don't know, our adults aren't from Furong County, nor are they from Ningzhou..."
Liu Yingying: "Oh, really? Where is he from?"
Cheng Zhuo: "Our Lord Shen actually comes from a prominent family in the capital, and is also the newly appointed third-ranked scholar in this year's imperial examination!"
This matter was not a secret in Furong County, and Liu Yingying had heard about it.
But what she was curious about was how Shen Shangxu, a dignified scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, had been demoted to a poor and remote area under Ningzhou.
Cheng Zhuo: "Our master offended some treacherous and wicked person and was framed to this extent..."
"I see..." Liu Yingying suddenly understood, and after thinking for a moment, she asked, "Even so, Lord Shen is a person with a powerful background, so why is he helpless against a mere prefect of Ningzhou?"
Although it is true that a higher-ranking official can have absolute power, the Ningzhou prefect was committing all sorts of evil deeds and disregarding the lives of the people. If Shen Shangxu could use his family connections to coerce him into opening the floodgates, it wouldn't be impossible to resolve the situation.
"Sigh!" Cheng Zhuo sighed; "I understand what you mean, Sister Liu. Actually, my family had also considered using family connections to impeach the prefect, but do you know what?"
"That prefect is no ordinary man; he's from the Yong'an Marquis's mansion!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Yingying looked somewhat bewildered.
She was new to the area, and the Yong'an Marquis's residence was far away in the capital...
All she knows for now is that the prefect's background is likely more powerful than Lord Shen's, and he acts as a local tyrant, relying on the prestige of his mansion...
If that's the case, then the people of Ningzhou will suffer greatly...
Unexpectedly, Cheng Zhuo was so intolerant of alcohol that he started to get dizzy after only a few drinks.
Helpless, Liu Yingying paid the bill and then found a young boy to take him back.
It's still early.
Knowing that she wouldn't be able to supply goods to the Dragon and Phoenix Theater for a while, Liu Yingying decided to go and check on things again, even though Bai Mudan was easy to talk to...
"Smack!"
As Liu Yingying approached the entrance of the Dragon and Phoenix Theater, she heard men shouting and cursing, women sobbing softly, and the sound of slaps landing on faces coming from inside...
"You little bitch, do you think I'm being too nice to you?"
"Why are you crying? I've spent so much money on you, and you haven't even shown any appreciation. It seems you don't take me seriously at all?"
"No, no, Young Master Lin... You've really misunderstood. I truly only sell my art, not my body. Our troupe leader promised me that!" the woman explained tearfully.
Those who work in this line of work belong to the lowest class; ostensibly, they make a living by performing on stage.
But in reality, to become famous in this circle, one must gain the favor of the powerful and wealthy.
And those powerful and influential people who fawn over these actresses certainly aren't just appreciating their skills...
To put it bluntly, in the world of Peking Opera, whether you're male or female, if you want your talent to last forever, you have to secretly ruin yourself!
But if someone has no ambition and just wants to make a living by performing, that's also acceptable.
Fragrant lotus is one of these types.
But he just happened to be targeted by a dissolute playboy in the city!
The spoiled brat dragged Xianglian away, cursing as he went: "You little slut, whether you like it or not, you have to submit to me today!"
Standing outside the door, Liu Yingying recognized the crying inside as coming from a newly trained female impersonator at the Dragon and Phoenix Theater.
Fragrant Lotus!
As a modern soul, she couldn't stand such a thing!
But getting involved in this mess will definitely bring me trouble...
"Hurry up and come with me..." The spoiled young master had already dragged the girl out from inside.
Despite Xianglian's desperate struggle, she was, after all, a girl, and no man could match her strength.
"Young Master Tao, please... please let me go..." Xianglian pleaded in near despair.
She knew very well what would happen if Tao Wenhai took her away today...
Throughout the entire process, not a single member of the opera troupe dared to step forward and stop them.
"stop!"
Just when Xianglian was about to despair, she noticed that Young Master Tao had suddenly stopped.
She looked up and saw Liu Yingying blocking the doorway.
Young Master Tao looked her up and down, and seeing that she was a very attractive woman, he stared at her chest with a lecherous look.
"What, you also want to come with me? It's not impossible..."
Liu Yingying couldn't stand such foul language. If she hadn't been holding back, she would have already punched him!
She looked at Xianglian; "Xianglian, what's going on? Where's your troupe leader?"
Given Bai Mudan's personality, she would never allow her people to be taken away like this.
"Sister Liu!" Xianglian exclaimed as if she had seen a savior. "Our troupe leader went to the temple to burn incense early this morning, and it was just a few of us rehearsing at the theater during the day. I never expected... Young Master Tao would barge in..."
"Okay, I understand!"
Liu Yingying remained calm and composed. From Xianglian's words, she had roughly guessed the whole story. She glared coldly at that young master Tao.
"Young Master Tao, is that right? I'm so sorry, but you can't take Xianglian with you!"
"What?" Young Master Tao frowned, then, as if he had thought of something, he stared at Liu Yingying with a wicked grin; "Do you want to take her place and come with me?"
"But you're not young anymore, and Xianglian is so youthful and beautiful. If you really take her place, it's not worth it..."
Young Master Tao leered as he stroked his chin.
Actually, he was thinking that the young woman in front of him still retained her charm... he hadn't yet experienced the pleasures of a young married woman...
Liu Yingying rolled her eyes in anger. Good heavens, she really couldn't take it anymore!
He raised his hand and slapped Young Master Tao across the face.
"Smack!"
As the crisp sound of the slap landed, both Xianglian and the young master Tao who had been hit were somewhat bewildered.
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