Chapter Twenty-Two: Probe

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  The emperor is inside, embracing beauties and having a good time. The three imperial attendants can also temporarily relax and resume their noble status, lifting their heads to be human under the Imperial City guards outside the door. However, they still cannot turn around and leave now. Even if the Zhao family's mansion is enchanting, not returning to the palace for one night would be a major disaster. After two or three hours, they will have to ask the emperor to return to the palace, so the imperial attendants must wait here.

  Gao Qiang was led by his father to meet Zheng, and then he busied himself arranging another room, calling over a few singing girls to attend to him. He didn't find it convenient to watch his father and "Uncle Zheng" having fun together, so after drinking three cups of wine, he made an excuse and slipped out.

  It was already past the third watch, and it was the peak of Bianjing's nightlife. Gao had been busy for a whole day and half a night, and only now could he finally let out a sigh of relief, feeling a bit tired. Just as he was stretching his waist, he suddenly heard someone softly calling from behind: "Sir."

  Listening to the voice, it was indeed Yan Qing. Gao Gang hurriedly turned his head to look back and saw Xu Guanzhong also standing aside with his hands clasped together in greeting. He felt a slight shock in his heart and asked: "Guanzhong, what brings you here at this moment?"

  Xu Guanzhong leaned forward and whispered a few words, and Gao Qiang finally felt at ease. It turned out that Ye Mengde was also coming to watch the performance tonight, and knowing that Gao Qiang was going to make a plea for Cai Jing tonight, he had reserved a private room on the east floor to wait for news. Now Xu Guanzhong was here to ask Gao Qiang how to handle it.

  Gao carefully recalled the events of tonight, using Bai Chenxiang's words to say what the emperor wanted to hear, and subtly erased the astrological phenomenon that would lead to Cai Jing's dismissal. It could be said that he had achieved great success, and he could proudly go to report to Cai Jing. However, as soon as he thought about it, he realized that at this moment, Cai Jing was in a position of seeking his help, and was willing to spend a lot of money to win him over, even offering his beloved granddaughter's hand in marriage. This was an opportunity for Gao to drive up the price. So, he went aside with Yan and Xu, dictated a letter to Xu Guanzhong, wrote it down, and put it in his pocket before going to see "Ye Shu".

  At this moment, Fengle Tower is fully open for business. The sound of singing and dancing can be heard everywhere in the various private rooms. On the corridors inside the building, people of all kinds can be seen coming and going, including officials seeking pleasure, scholars getting drunk, courtesans greeting guests, and servants rushing to attend to them. Outside the windows, the five lanterns on the roof and hundreds of large lamps illuminate every corner, creating a scene of unbridled joy and revelry.

  The daily business of this building was usually handled by Yan Qing, and he himself rarely showed up. As a result, the regular customers were very respectful to Yan Qing, and the song girls who didn't have any clients would often flirt with him, sending him charming glances and gentle touches, all of which he would respond to with a smile. His elegant demeanor was truly captivating. Occasionally, someone would recognize Gao Qiang, but they would just think he was an official coming to seek pleasure, and Yan Daguang would personally attend to them, bowing and nodding before sending them off.

  Looking at this handsome rogue's performance, Gaoyang was delighted and relieved. Regardless of whether Yanqing's knot can be solved, Fengle Tower, which aims to dominate the entertainment industry in Bianjing, is currently the most suitable place for him to survive. With his talent, he will surely thrive, as long as Old Man Gao is not out of favor, I suppose Fengle Tower will surely flourish?

  After crossing two flying bridges, the second floor of the East Building is where Ye Mengde's private room is located. Gao Qiang tidied up his clothes and laughed loudly: "Uncle Ye is really enjoying himself!" This was a pre-arranged signal that the young nephew had arrived, so Uncle Shi quickly cleaned up any indecent sights to avoid embarrassing everyone.

  As expected, the laughter and voices in the house gradually subsided. After a moment, Ye Mengde's voice was heard saying: "Has Gao Xian arrived? Please come in quickly."

  Gao Jianyi smiled and lifted the curtain to enter, and indeed saw Ye Mengde sitting on either side with a singing girl accompanying him for wine, his originally pale face had already turned bright red from drinking. The three of them were still relatively neat in their attire, except that Ye Mengde's collar was open revealing a white undergarment underneath, presumably they had just played something quite "uninhibited", even to the point of unbuttoning their jackets.

  Yan Qing waved her hand, and the two song girls bowed slightly before leaving. The room was now empty except for Gao Yan, Xu, and two others. Ye Meng hurriedly asked what gains they had made tonight and how they would proceed from now on.

  Gao Jiang recounted the conversation in the private room, and Ye Mengde clapped his hands and laughed loudly: "Good nephew, what a wonderful plan! This Bai Xing is indeed clever and resourceful. Fortunately, she has arranged for a good official family, and this time, Enxiang will surely be restored to office!"

  Gao Jiang also smiled and said, "That's right. Unconsciously, the obstacle in the heart of the official family was resolved. It couldn't be done without a wonderful person like Bai Xing Shou. Then, Ye Shi Tong can go back and report to En Shang immediately. According to the previous plan, things will be settled. I think it won't take more than a few months for En Shang to regain control of the government, and at that time, Ye Shi Shu can also follow the trend and get promoted."

  But these words made Ye Mengde sigh: "Where can we ask for more official promotions, and only end up with peace? Since the benevolent minister was dismissed from office, our group has been in a state of anxiety every day, fearing that we would be implicated and punished. The benevolent minister is still in the emperor's favor, but our disciples have no protection. For half a year now, we have been making plans for this every day, and it wasn't until the wise father and son came to our aid that we saw a glimmer of hope. It's really shameful!" After finishing speaking, he picked up the wine cup on the table and drank it all in one gulp. The normally elegant and refined scholar now had a somewhat reckless air about him.

  Gao Jian's heart skipped a beat when he heard this, and he secretly thought: Could it be that Ye Mengde is in the Cai Jing group?

  Isn't the status not stable? But thinking about it, it's also reasonable. The core members of this group are Cai Jing and his son, among others. In the original history, four sons of the Cai family were promoted to prime ministers, indeed leaving no room for him to stand out.

  Looking at him with a somewhat drunken and sorrowful appearance, it's as if he's speaking the truth after drinking. But to determine his true intentions, one must test him further: "Uncle Shi and En have a teacher-student relationship like father and son, this time they've joined forces again with great strength, so in the future won't they still be carried by the favorable wind, directly sent to the top?"

  "Like father and son? Haha......" Ye Mengde looked up and smiled: "Cai Da brother has been deliberately flattering since he was in the Crown Prince's mansion, every time the Crown Prince's carriage passed by, he would stand by the side of the road with his hands hanging down, after the current emperor ascended to the throne, he rose rapidly, becoming a fourth-rank Hanlin scholar in just a few years. If it weren't for the guidance and promotion of En Shang and Shi Xiang Ye, how could he have achieved this? Foolish uncle... Hehe!" With a cold laugh, he fell silent.

  He was overjoyed, thinking that if he could open a gap in Cai Jing's camp, it would be of great help to his future endeavors. However, Ye Mengde had always been a loyal follower of Cai Jing, and his words might also be a test of his political ambitions arranged by Cai Jing himself. He couldn't let his guard down. He picked up the wine jug and refilled Ye's cup, speaking carefully: "Shi Shu is deeply grateful for your kindness and will surely be of great use in the future. If Cai Xue Shi treats you with respect, it will put the officials at ease. With your great talent, as long as you work hard to serve the officials, are you afraid that you won't have a place on the court?" He emphasized the word "yourself" slightly when he said it.

  Ye Mengde originally had a careless appearance, but upon hearing this, his eyes suddenly lit up, and then immediately returned to normal. He lazily said: "Uncle Yu's honor and shame are tied to Enxiang, as long as Enxiang holds the reins of power, that is Uncle Yu's position in the imperial court. His own title and salary are not on his mind. Nephew Xian's kind intentions, Uncle Yu understands."

  It's enough to say that at this point, if they were to delve deeper, it would be a test of each other's intentions for Gao Qiang. It's absolutely not trustworthy. For Ye Mengde, Gao Qiang is too naive in politics and not worthy of being considered as an ally to help him advance his career. Anyway, both parties have already shown their "heart's desire" and neither of them has reached the forefront of politics yet, so this tacit understanding is enough.

  When Gao Jiang took out the letter he had just written, he asked Ye Mengde to hand it over to Cai Jing and told him all about it. As soon as Cai Jing saw it, he would understand. Ye Mengde readily agreed and carefully put the letter in his inner pocket. Then they changed the subject and chatted casually about romantic affairs. Men often open up in such gatherings, and somehow the conversation turned to Cai Yao's daughter, Cai Ying. At this moment, Gao Jiang felt that Ye Mengde's words were more credible, so he smiled and asked how much of what Ye Mengde had said that day was true.

  "Alas, Ye Mengde's face turned stern as he said: 'Could it be that you, my worthy nephew, are taking the words of your foolish uncle as mere flattery? If so, then you are greatly mistaken! Miss Cai's reputation may not have spread far and wide, but the few poems and essays she has written have been shown to me by her elder brother, and in my opinion, if she were to take the imperial examination, she would pass with flying colors, as easily as taking something out of one's pocket. It is only a pity that she is a woman; otherwise, who knows but that one day she might occupy a high position among the officials of our great Song dynasty? I implore you, my nephew, do not take her lightly!"

  Gao Jianyi was taken aback, never expecting that this Miss Cai, his future wife, would be so highly regarded in Ye Mengde's heart. He could only nod in agreement, thinking to himself that having such a virtuous helper by his side was either good fortune or bad luck. He thought, "Well, since I've boarded this ship, even if there are knife mountains ahead, I'll just have to grit my teeth and press on. At worst, I can just keep a closer eye on her after we're married. Could it be that Miss Cai would actually file for divorce because she's not favored?"

  At this point, the banquet was rearranged and the singing girls were invited again. Gao Feng accompanied Ye Mengde to drink a few more cups. Seeing that he had already drunk enough, his eyes kept wandering between the two singing girls, seemingly considering which one to choose for the night or whether to take both. Feeling embarrassed, he smiled and excused himself to leave.

  When they returned to the outside of the secret chamber in the Western Building, it was already approaching four watches. However, Zhao's family was still indulging in their romantic affairs and refused to get up. Seeing that if they didn't get up soon, a big disturbance would ensue, Zheng Juzhong and several subordinates from the Imperial City Guard were anxiously waiting outside the door, rubbing their hands in worry, yet not daring to rush in and disturb the Emperor's romantic escapades. Just as they were at a loss for what to do, Gao Qiang arrived, and they hastily asked him if he had any solutions.

  Gao Qiang's mouth was naturally helpless, and he could only push it away, saying that the official would get up on his own. However, in secret, he ordered Yan Qing to go to one side and use a previously designed copper tube to notify Bai Chenxiang to wake up the official. This was a segment of copper pipe buried beforehand, with the receiving end set at the top of the bed, extremely hidden yet crystal clear, everything in the secret room could be heard clearly. There was also a small bell tied to the headboard, and when one side pulled it, the other side would know. This was a common practice in brothels, but it wasn't convenient for the emperor to know about it. Who would want others to eavesdrop on their romantic moments?

  At that time, the official family got up, and Bai Chenxiang sent it to the door, but did not come out. He stretched out a white jade arm like a lotus root for Zhao Ji to hold, saying endless charming entanglements, which led to Zhao Ji hesitating for half a moment before making up his mind to let go. Gao Huan and Zheng Zhongzhong escorted him back to the palace.

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