Chapter 11 Red Pavilion
Ban Chang chuckled and casually pointed to two people. "It's been a while since any good person has come to Jiutai. For Miss Su, we cleaned up a room overnight. The conditions are definitely not as good as outside, so please don't be offended, Miss Su. Come, take Miss Su there."
Su Yi glanced at Wen Yao, picked up the package and left with the two people from Jiutai.
"Your Highness, my two lords, please come this way."
Wen Yao followed Ban Chang in. Actually, from this perspective, the rumored Jiutai was no different from an ordinary government office.
Just as she was thinking this, a group of people came around the corner of the corridor in front, carrying several stretchers. Several pieces of sticky red cloth, reeking of blood, lightly covered the undulating figures below.
Ban Chang, who had been cheerful just now, suddenly changed his expression. His sunken eyes flashed with a gloomy light. He really looked like a vulture and shouted sternly, "How many times have I told you! Wipe these things clean before you take them out!"
"Master." The thin young man standing at the front retorted, complaining, "You should go scold the clichés. How can you clean it by cutting it into such small pieces?"
"If you don't clean it up, the blood will be all over the floor. Jiutai is short of funds, and I don't have the spare money to hire someone to deal with it!" Ban Chang said loudly, and his eyes turned to Zhao Xuanxu. His expression was gentle and kind again, and he smiled humbly and flatteringly.
He hinted at something and asked Zhao Xuanxu, "Your Highness, do you agree with this?"
Zhao Xuanxu: "No money?"
"No money, not a penny!" Ban Chang had been waiting for Zhao Xuanxu to say this, slapping his thigh and complaining bitterly, "The servants up and down the Eagle Terrace, the coroners, the food and drink, everything costs money! People outside are afraid to offend the Supervisory Office and the East Prison, and they rush to give kickbacks. We are insignificant and inconspicuous, so without such treatment, life is naturally tight."
"Really?" Zhao Xuanxu smiled slightly, his tone gentle, "I've withheld the three memorials from the Supervisory Office implicating you. They all say your wife is a big customer of Ronghuazhai, a gold hairpin today, a jade bracelet tomorrow. You don't seem like someone who's stingy."
The gleam in Ban Chang's eyes suddenly died, and he muttered, "Tighten... I can make anyone suffer, but not my wife. Your Highness! You haven't been to Jiutai for a long time. If you're not coming here to give us extra money, what's the reason?"
Zhao Xuanxu looked and heard from afar.
Wen Yao came back to his senses: "Oh, it's me who's coming. I fought Zhong Lihe yesterday under the name of Jiutai, and I wanted to make a complete show. Today, I sent Su Yi over to pick up the black jade seal. I don't know if it's in accordance with the rules."
"The black jade seal, easy." Ban Chang touched his chin, stretched out his hand and pulled the black snake-shaped jade pendant from the waist of a person next to him and handed it to Wen Yao. Wen Yao wanted to reach out to take it, but he uttered a sigh and retracted his hand.
Under Zhao Xuanxu's cold gaze, Ban Chang explained loudly, "I've heard of your fame long ago from the people of Yan University, and I admire you deeply. Besides, you're working for His Highness today, so if you round it up, you're a colleague of mine at Jiutai. Giving you a black jade seal is no problem. It's just that each piece of jade has its own place. If you take it, I'll have to buy a new one... Alas, the finest Suishan black jade needs to be carved by a famous craftsman. This extra expense is bound to be a bit heavy for Jiutai!"
What a shameless statement.
The young man looked at his master's rogue appearance and couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed.
Zhao Xuanxu watched Ban Changyan quietly without saying a word.
Ban Chang held on for two seconds with his neck stiff. Seeing that Zhao Xuanxu refused to speak, he could only secretly think that Zhao Xuanxu was even more stingy than Yan Cang. He gritted his teeth and handed the jade over with reluctance.
"Write a note and go to the Prince of Yan's mansion to get the money." Zhao Xuanxu took the black jade seal and took a step towards Wen Yao. He bent down and, ignoring Wen Yao's slightly surprised expression, carefully tied the jade around her waist. Combined with the token he had given her earlier and the order from the commander of the Prince of Yan's secret guards, a large string of beautiful and exquisite stones hung around Wen Yao's waist, a very beautiful sight.
pretty.
Ayao is beautiful.
Zhao Xuanxu looked at the black jade seal for a long time. Although Wen Yao didn't find it strange or abrupt, he subconsciously pulled the black jade seal.
Within two days of arriving in Bianliang, she had acquired many more titles, both true and false.
Speaking of what happened last night, Wen Yao thought of Su Yi again, turned to look at Ban Chang and said: "Su Yi's case is deeply involved, and someone will want to kill her to silence her. It would be good for the King of Qin to have someone skilled in swordsmanship by his side. No matter day or night, Su Yi must have someone by her side."
"Don't worry, sir. My Jiutai is not a place where you can enter and exit easily." Ban Chang was very happy when he got Zhao Xuanxu's promise, and he patted his chest to make the promise.
"Hey, are you talking about the Xixi swordsman Wu Chongguang?" The young man next to him suddenly asked after hearing Wen Yao's words, "Isn't he dead?"
Wen Yao suddenly looked at him: "Dead? What dead? When did he die?"
Wu Chongguang was clearly with the King of Qin two days ago.
"This..." The young man scratched his head. "He died two days ago in the moat, with his eyes gouged out. It seems his enemies were seeking revenge and asked the Red Pavilion assassin to kill him."
Two days ago, wouldn't that mean Wu Chongguang died right after she and Zhao Xuanxu left? Or was it the Red Pavilion assassin... Wait, Red Pavilion?
Wen Yao was stunned: "Why do you say that Hongge killed him?"
"Because Wu Chongguang's eyes were gouged out and his tongue was cut out. Gouging out eyes and cutting out tongues are common practices of the Red Pavilion. Moreover, the Red Pavilion also has the ability to kill the Xixi swordsman Wu Chongguang." The young man shrugged. "Tomorrow is the Ten-Year Alliance Meeting, and half of the world's martial artists will gather at Cunying Mountain. Rumor has it that Wu Chongguang killed people to steal his martial arts when he was young. He was not a good person. Maybe an enemy came to Bianliang and encountered him, so he turned on the Red Pavilion."
Yeah?
Zhao Xuanxu raised his palm and gently touched Wen Yao's shoulder: "Ayao, is there something wrong?"
"It's okay, it just feels a bit sudden." Wen Yao shook his head: "Since everything is fine, let's go back."
Zhao Xuanxu said softly, "Okay."
Ban Chang: "Oh, okay! Your Highness, I'll take you there!"
One of the carriages was empty, and the snow-covered horse's light hooves stepped on the clean and tidy stone road in Bianliang, making crisp sounds.
Zhao Xuanxu opened the window and said something to Gao Shaoshan, and the carriage turned around and headed the other way.
Wen Yao came back to his senses: "Where to?"
"I'll buy you some pastries." Zhao Xuanxu frowned, his affectionate eyes suddenly filled with sorrow. "This chef refuses to come to the palace, even if I'm offered gold as monthly salary. But his pastries are sweet and not greasy. Ah Yao loves honey-fried pastries, so I think she'll like them too."
"I don't want gold either." After hearing what Zhao Xuanxu said, Wen Yao felt relieved and a smile appeared on his lips.
This man, who obviously controls the Three Departments and Twelve Guards and is not young anymore, loves food even more than when he was a child. From the moment he met her until now, he has been stuffing food and drinks into her hands like offering treasures.
"Well, pastries taste best when they're freshly made." Zhao Xuanxu smiled when he saw Wenyao's smile. His heart felt tingling as if it were being brushed by willow leaves, filled with indescribable tenderness and sweetness.
"The borderlands don't have as many delicious snacks as Bianliang." Wen Yao's stomach lurched when Zhao Xuanxu said that. She slapped Zhao Xuanxu and said with a smile, "Okay, I'll go try this worthless pastry today!"
It must be said that the pastry chef at this shop had the nerve to refuse the request of the rumored ferocious Prince Yan. The pastries were wrapped in honey and adorned with red fruit, each one delicate and melt-in-your-mouth. Wen Yao already had a sweet tooth, so these pastries were a perfect match.
Wen Yao clapped her hands, contented with the meal. She then packed the two large bags of fruit and pastries from the table into two large food boxes and carried them outside to the maid. "Thank you for your hard work. Put these two boxes in front of the rockery in the garden. Someone will come and get them later."
The maid nodded and turned to leave. Wen Yao turned around, wiped his face, and without stopping, he also took the Xingyi Sword and climbed onto the roof and left.
The gilded bronze bell hanging under the eaves made a subtle sound. In the opposite room, Zhao Xuanxu suddenly put down his pen and stood up.
His long, smooth hair hung down on the side of his face as he looked out at the dark night sky. His facial features, which had been soft in the daytime, appeared gloomy and pale.
Qianying appeared silently and knelt at his feet.
"Ayao is out."
Qianying whispered, "Yes, Lord Wen sent two food boxes with a note inside saying that he had something to do tonight and asked us to train on our own."
"Your Highness," Qianying whispered, "Should we send someone to follow Lord Wen?"
Zhao Xuanxu lowered his eyes, his gaze fixed on the flickering candlelight before him. "Ayao was in a bad mood today after hearing that Wu Chongguang had died. But since Ayao didn't want to tell me, I didn't ask."
He glanced down lightly, and Qianying broke out in a sweat in an instant: "I don't want to explore, but you said you want to follow her?"
Qianying's throat tightened and he lowered his head tightly: "I dare not."
Zhao Xuanxu hummed, picked up the golden scissors at hand, and cut off the candle wick with a "snap".
"Ayao brought you some snacks. Please eat them and train well." His voice ended lightly, and he looked like a ghost half hidden in the night. "So what are you waiting for?"
On the other side, Wen Yao left Prince Yan's Mansion and walked under the moonlight, heading straight for Qiong Yu Tower with a clear goal.
Yesterday's farce did not bring any impact to this huge den of brothel. The place was still filled with the sound of music and the extravagance of life.
Wen Yao didn't go through the main entrance, but climbed up the roof floor by floor. She didn't wear a mask, and some of the guards from the Qiongyu Tower, armed with hidden weapons, poked their heads out, only to retreat silently after noticing her.
The road was smooth and unobstructed. Wen Yao came to the eaves of the seventh-floor window, stretched out his hand to push open the window, and with a little force, he easily climbed in.
Lou Chengyi was wearing a long robe with a brocade hem and practicing archery with a longbow inlaid with pearls and jade.
Yes, practicing archery in the room. The room before him, on the seventh floor, was vast and spacious. Lou Chengyi stood at one end, the target at the other.
Wen Yao landed silently on the ground. Lou Chengyi loosened his hand, and the arrow instantly penetrated the bull's eye on the opposite side, without any trembling at the end of the arrow feather.
She brushed her messy hair behind her and walked closer to Lou Chengyi: "Wu Chongguang is dead."
Lou Chengyi showed no sign of surprise. He put the arrow back on the noose, his sharp eyebrows lowered. "He's dead, and you came to find me?"
"He died two days ago." Wen Yao said with certainty: "You killed him."
"Oh." Lou Chengyi smiled, his wolf-like eyes narrowed slightly: "Why?"
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