Chapter 26: Wooden Barrel Bath

  On the city wall, the sentry in the watchtower faced outward, motionless. Outside the city were the residences of ordinary people, and the sentry's eyes probably fixed on which family's daughters or daughters-in-law.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang saw that there was no one around, and hastily walked into the Wu Sheng Temple. The temple was empty, with only a clay statue of Guan Gong (Guan Yu) with his eyes closed. Zhou Xuan Zhang hastily bowed to Guan Gong: "Lord Guan is above, bless your disciple's successful escape, and I will definitely repay you by rebuilding your golden body!" After speaking, he went around to the back of Guan Gong's statue, where there was a small door behind it. Outside the small door was a narrow alley.

  A narrow alley separated the Wu Sheng Temple from the reception hall, and it was so narrow that only one person could pass through. Walking north along the alley for over a dozen steps, you would reach the side door of the reception hall. Zhou Xuanzhang stopped and listened to the movements inside the reception hall, but there was no sound.

  Zhou Xuanzhang slipped into the reception hall, which was a small courtyard with a main hall to the south and two side houses. At the corner of the side house and the main hall, there was a large Chinese parasol tree, whose rugged branches sprouted tender green new buds. Along the Chinese parasol tree, one could climb up to the roof of the main hall, and from the roof, one could jump onto the city wall.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang quickly walked to the paulownia tree, just about to climb, when he saw a patrol appearing on the city wall in the distance.

  The courtyard of the hostel was just below the city wall, and from the top of the city wall, the scenery in the courtyard could be seen without any blind spots. Zhou Xuan Zhang was in a flurry, but saw that the large gate of the main hall was slightly ajar, Zhou Xuan Zhang didn't care about anything else, and rushed inside with his head down.

  The furniture in the main room is very simple. In the center of the main room, there is an eight-immortal table with four stools around it. Under the south wall, there is a bed with a canopy hanging above it. Next to the bed, there is a small cabinet on which are placed a copper mirror, writing brushes and ink, and a rouge box emitting a faint fragrance. Against the east wall stands a clothes rack, but instead of clothes, a long sword hangs from it.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang was surprised, this reception hall had been uninhabited for years, judging from the situation, today there was an official of the imperial court who could endure loneliness and stay here.

  Judging from the sword on the clothes rack, the master should be a military general. However, this general actually needs a copper mirror and rouge.

  The footsteps of the patrol on the city wall grew fainter, and Zhou Xuanzhang let out a long sigh. Just as he was about to go out, he suddenly heard a string of footsteps outside the door, getting closer and closer.

  The destination of the incoming person must be the main house, and judging from the chaotic footsteps, there is more than one person, at least three people!

  There was only one bed in the room, an eight immortals table. The visitor had already arrived outside the door. Zhou Xuan Zhang shouted and jumped onto the bed, pulled down the curtain, there was only a brocade quilt on the bed. Zhou Xuan Zhang opened the brocade quilt and crawled inside, wrapping himself tightly, revealing only two shiny eyes.

  Suddenly, a puff of rouge fragrance wafted up to his nose, making his nostrils itch. A sneeze was imminent, but just as it was about to erupt, the sound of "clang" echoed through the air, and the door creaked open. Zhou Xianzhang hastily covered his mouth, forcing the impending sneeze back down into his belly.

  Through the semi-transparent curtain, Zhou Xuan Zhang saw three people walking in.

  The first one was a slender figure, wearing the uniform of the Beiyang Navy. It was none other than Min Xiu, who had been with Liu Buzhen by the pond last night.

  A sailor is not qualified to live in a reception room, he should live in a student dormitory. Looking at this situation, the owner of this guest room should be Liu Buxian.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang secretly sighed with frustration.

  Liu Buzhen is the second-in-command of the Beiyang Navy, and it's astonishing that he lives in such a humble hotel room. Even a ninth-rank battalion commander of the Qing Empire wouldn't be willing to stay here. It seems that Liu Buzhen is indeed an honest official.

  However, Zhou Xuan Zhang would rather Liu Bu Chan be a corrupt official!

  If Liu Buxian really lives here, then Zhou Xuanzhang is done for!

  Zhou Xuan Zhang was getting anxious, but then he saw two short soldiers in Beiyang Navy uniforms walking out from behind Min Hua, carrying a large bucket of steaming hot water. The two soldiers placed the bucket in the center of the hall, turned around and knelt down to pay their respects to Min Hua, before heading out the door.

  It seems that Min Xiu and Na Lai, the two soldiers, should be Liu Buquan's attendants, who are preparing bath water for Liu Buquan. After the three of them have prepared the bath water, they will likely leave the room and wait outside for Liu Buquan, who is probably accompanying Li Hongzhang in the martial arts hall and won't return for a while.

  Zhou Xuanzhang was overjoyed, as long as these three people left the room, he would have the opportunity to slip out of the back window.

  Two soldiers walked out of the guest room, but Min Xiu didn't move.

  What's worse, after the soldier left, he took the door with him. Min Hui not only didn't leave but instead walked to the water bucket and started taking off his clothes.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang suddenly burst into anger.

  The students of Tianjin Military Academy, enjoyed the treatment of a thousand generals, even taking a bath had to be done in the bathroom with everyone else. Even instructors like Ai De and Feng Guozhang had to do the same. Only the principal of the academy could enjoy a wooden tub bath. A small soldier from the Beiyang Navy, ran to Tianjin Military Academy, dared to be so arrogant! Enjoying the treatment of the principal, with someone serving him, this was too much!

  No need to say, he must be relying on Liu Buxian's support, forcing the school to move the wooden barrel bath for him. This is also a dog who relies on others' power! They all say that Liu Buxian is a good official, with clean governance and military strategy, but his orderly dares to behave like this. It seems that Liu Buxian has no real ability to govern, only an empty reputation!

  Zhou Xuanzhang recalled the arrogant and condescending attitude of Min Hua last night, his anger grew even more intense, just as he was about to jump out of bed to scold her, suddenly saw Min Hua take off the woolen hat on her head, a head of thick black hair spilled down, reaching all the way to her waist.

  Mian Xiu surprisingly didn't shave her head!

  In the Qing Dynasty, keep your hair but cut off your head, or keep your head but shave off your hair!

  As a soldier of the Great Qing Empire, he not only dared to enjoy a wooden barrel bath but also kept his hair, which was a capital offense!

  Zhou Xuan Zhang was overjoyed!

  The Beiyang Navy has always looked down on others, never taking the Tianjin Military Academy seriously. Now, a sailor from the Beiyang Navy has actually grown his hair long, and this sailor is even Liu Baozhen's orderly. If we catch him in the act now, we can hand him over to Li Hongzhang and humiliate the entire Beiyang Navy!

  Zhou Xuanzhang felt a sense of relief, but upon further reflection, he thought it wasn't right. Although Liu Buxian was despicable, Liu Guandai was after all a good official. Last night, although Liu Buxian looked down on his article, what he said was reasonable. A military officer not studying military affairs, but instead following those Confucians, was indeed neglecting his duties. Because of the foolish actions of Liu Buxian, which brought bad luck to Liu Guandai, Zhou Xuanzhang couldn't bear it in his heart.

  Moreover, the top priority now is to escape with one's life, and at this time, being unable to get along with a low-ranking soldier is purely harming others without benefiting oneself.

  Zhou Xuanzhang could only endure and wait for Min Hua to enjoy her wooden barrel bath.

  Min Xiu's back was against the bed, slowly and carefully unbuttoning his clothes, without thinking that behind the curtain there was a Zhou Xianzhang staring at him with a pair of thief-like eyes, watching his every move.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang, however, was anxious like a raging fire. He had already run out of the classroom for half an hour, and in another half hour, the exam would be over, and the students would gather to listen to Li Zhong Tang's speech. It was inevitable that Zhou Xuan Zhang's disappearance would be discovered, and at that time, there would definitely be a thorough search of the entire school!

  Even now, when the fire is burning his eyebrows, he can only endure and wait for Min to enjoy the wooden barrel bath. The only thing he can do is secretly ask for the ancestors of Min's eight generations.

  Embroidered clothes are taken off calmly and slowly, Zhou Xuan Zhang feels like a year has passed.

  It wasn't easy, but finally Mian Yu managed to take off that loose-fitting Beiyang-style uniform. Just as Zhou Xuanzhang was about to let out a sigh of relief, he took a closer look and found another layer of pink satin undergarments inside. Zhou Xuanzhang was furious - what kind of ordinary soldier wears such expensive satin undergarments?!

  After a while, Min Wei finally took off his jacket and revealed his snow-white arms, but he didn't jump into the wooden bucket. He still had on a big red bellyband, Zhou Xianzhang cursed secretly, damn it, a grown man wearing a ghost's bellyband.

  It was a good while before Xianyu finally got completely clean, but Zhou Xuanzhang's eyes were wide open like two bronze bells, and his mouth was stretched to its limits.

  Exquisite embroidery adorned her entire body, snow-white like jade, but on her chest, there were two additional things, and one thing was missing!

  Zhou Xuanzhang suddenly realized why there was rouge and a copper mirror in this room!

  Mian Xiu is a woman!

  In fact, Zhou Xuanzhang should have thought that the owner of this guest room was a woman as soon as he entered and saw the decorations.

  But this idea is too absurd.

  Since the founding of the Qing Dynasty, there has been a strict military rule - no women are allowed in the barracks!

  If women are found in the barracks, from the camp officer to the commander-in-chief, all will be beheaded!

  By the Guangxu period, the Qing army had become increasingly corrupt, and it was common to see women in the Eight Banners, Green Standard Army, and Xiang Army. However, at the Tianjin Military Academy, this rule was strictly enforced without exception.

  From the establishment of the school to now, even the family members of the principal have never set foot in the school!

  Today, if Mian Yu hadn't stripped herself clean and let Zhou Xuanzhang see her clearly, Zhou Xuanzhang would absolutely not believe that a woman was actually living in the reception room of Tianjin Martial Arts Academy!