Chapter Eleven: The Beautiful Sister Saves His Life

  Ruchunfang is located not far from Beigushan Dazhen, although it is the sword and shadow of Beigushan, but here is still bustling and lively. Because Zhenjiang is an important transportation hub between north and south, although there are rebels in the north, many merchants who plan to go north see that the imperial court strictly prohibits everyone from crossing the river, so they stay in Zhenjiang. Zhenjiang not only did not decline because of this, but instead became even more lively.

  Upon entering the main street, the shops on both sides can be described as being densely packed like scales. It is clear that this is the commercial center of Zhenjiang. There are numerous types of storefronts: tea houses and tea pavilions with water curtains hanging from their doors and stoves set up inside to serve tea to attract customers from all directions, specializing in plum blossom tea, harmonious blend tea, and walnut kernel tea. There are wine shops and hotels with large "wine" flags hanging outside. If it's a large wine shop, it's even more impressive. Inside, there are over a hundred private rooms, surrounded by green railings. The courtesans from the brothels on the streets all come to the wine shops, carrying pipas, singing and playing music, or blowing shengs and flutes to entertain young masters and guests. There are various food stores and noodle shops selling different types of food. For example, there's a mutton noodle shop that slaughters several sheep every day, with noodles as fine as silver threads, garlic noodles, and meat-filled noodles, also selling flatbreads and pastries. In addition, there are variety stores, silk and satin shops, pawnshops, and so on.

  Hao Feng got off the carriage and felt the atmosphere of the commercial street for the first time, feeling very relaxed. He paid the carriage driver and some touts, prostitutes, and pimps on both sides of the street saw him and lit up their eyes. Although it was not necessarily a sign of great wealth to hire a carriage at this time of year, it was still a sign of prosperity. Therefore, many people came over, one asking: "Young master, what do you want to buy? Our pawnshop is the most fair, just give us a nod and we'll help you make the purchase."

  "The young master has come to eat, he's coming to Xinchang..."

  "Ah, young master..." The voice was low and husky, with a drawn-out tone that almost made one's bones melt: "I'm so lonely..."

  Hao Fenglou didn't bother to deal with those pimps and procurers, but his eyes scanned the prostitute's body before immediately putting on a serious face: "You're really a wicked person, all the officials are dead, how can you tolerate this kind of corrupt thing? I advise you to reform and start anew, don't do this kind of thing again. At your age, even someone like me who is still young could be your son, you could be my mother! Our dynasty rules with filial piety, and today's emperor values education..."

  Everyone heard that this guy was actually a bookworm who refused to change his old ways, and was even brain-damaged. They were all afraid of him and scattered one by one. The old prostitute was not convinced, but Hao Fenglou had a big tone, saying that all the officials were dead, so she thought for a moment, wondering if this young master might have some connections. She whispered a few words, waved her handkerchief, and left with a flick of her sleeve.

  Hao Fenglou was sweating profusely. He didn't like to strike people, but if he didn't say a few words like this, these people would think he had thin skin and wouldn't even be able to drive them away.

  Arriving at the entrance of Ruchunfang, this is a large-scale wine house, with attic like clouds, colorful lanterns gathered under the eaves, and seven or eight attendants at the door, smiling to greet people. Seeing that Haofeng Building had arrived, one of them stepped forward and said: "Is the young master alone?"

  Hao Fenglou's expression was calm and composed, although he looked a bit embarrassed, but his demeanor was quite impressive: "Someone invited me to come."

  The fellow smiled and said: "It must be Master Feng. Mr. Lu has been waiting for a long time, please come in."

  Hao Feng Lou nodded and said: "Alright, alright."

  He walked into the inner courtyard, passing through the hall, where there was another heavenly place with several courtyards and rooms. The sound of silk and bamboo instruments filled the air all night long, and from time to time, laughter echoed from behind the partitions. Hao Fenglou had high expectations for such a high-end venue, but he kept glancing back at his own shadow, as if he had discovered someone, revealing a knowing smile.

  The fellow led him into a loft, first going in to announce his arrival, and then inviting Hao Fung Lou to enter.

  The attic was extremely luxurious, with silk lanterns hanging everywhere, shining brightly. Many people were already seated inside, and when they saw Hao Feng Lou arrive, they all stood up. The first one, who appeared to be in his forties, had a dignified appearance, wore simple yet well-tailored clothes, and exuded an air of confidence. He smiled warmly and said: "You are Lu Zhong, I've long heard of your great reputation. Please, come and sit down."

  Hao Fenglou was very impolite and said: "I've long admired you, I've long admired you." Then he sat down in the main seat that had been left empty.

  Lu Zhong smiled and said, "Feng Gongzi, haha... although we have not met before, but today you and I are sitting here, so we are friends. Friends get together, and it's on this wine table, but I don't know how much you can drink?"

  Hao Fenglou smiled and said: "Who can say clearly about the depth of drinking capacity? You have to drink it to know."

  Lu Zhong burst out laughing and said: "I've been waiting for you to say exactly that."

  The person next to him poured wine, and Lu Zhongxian raised his cup: "Let's drink first as a sign of respect."

  After three rounds of wine, the others also came to flatter, all claiming to be people from the Lu mansion, coming to offer a toast to Hao Feng Lou. Hao Feng Lou didn't know how much he had drunk, his face was already somewhat red, with a hint of intoxication, and he was no longer aware of what was going on around him.

  "Wind Young Master... Wind Young Master..." A person beside him gently patted Hao Feng Lou's back, softly calling out to him.

  Hao Fenglou was just asleep and let out a few snorts of drunken sleep.

  Lu Zhong stood up, smiled coldly and said: "He's drunk, his capacity for liquor doesn't seem to be very good. Good, this saves a lot of trouble. Yang Jian, you take care of the rest, first get him out of the city, then do it quietly, don't make any noise, and best not to alert the authorities, silent is best. As for me, I'll go back and report."

  "Yes, Lord Baihu."

  Lu Zhong nodded and said, "Be more careful, if you get into trouble, you won't be able to bear the consequences." He stood up to leave.

  Suddenly... Hao Feng Lou, who had been lying motionless on the table, stretched his waist and smiled: "I knew you didn't have good intentions, this young master's expectations were not wrong!"

  Originally thought that Hao Feng Lou was already drunk and unconscious, but who would have thought that this guy actually woke up, which scared everyone.

  Lu Zhong's face was unpredictable, staring fixedly at Hao Feng Lou, and coldly smiled, saying: "You're not drunk?"

  Hao Feng Lou's expression was calm and serene, "Can this yellow wine even get Young Master Ben drunk?" Of course, Hao Feng Lou wouldn't tell him that in his past life, his master loved to drink, and he would often accompany him in drinking a few cups. However, the high-purity white wine of later generations couldn't be compared to the yellow wine of this era. Let alone half a catty of yellow wine, even a whole catty might not be enough to get Hao Feng Lou drunk.

  Lu Zhongdan smiled faintly and said, "You deliberately pretended to be drunk to eavesdrop on our conversation, wanting to know what kind of people we are and what our intentions are? Unfortunately, you're too foolish. Since you knew we had ulterior motives, you shouldn't have come. As long as you obediently hid in the Lu Manor, we couldn't do anything to you for the time being. But now, whether you're drunk or not, you're dead for sure. I just have one question, how did you notice something was off?"

  As a hundred households of Jin Yiwei, Lu Zhong has always been very professional. Now that he's being watched and his actions are exposed, without asking for clarification, he feels unwell in his heart.

  Hao Feng Lou stood up, smiling and said: "It's very simple. The entire Lu Fu had suspicions from the beginning. First, there was that so-called concubine, Ling Er, right? She, a mere concubine, managed to get under Madame Lu's skin, making her extremely anxious. As the mistress of the house, Madame Lu couldn't do anything about it. I know a bit about customs in our great Ming dynasty; a wife's status in the household is far superior to that of a concubine. If she had angered Madame Lu, one word from her would be enough to put this concubine to death. So why did Madame Lu tolerate Ling Er's provocations and not dare to take action?"

  In a society governed by propriety, as Xu Qian said, the status of a legitimate wife is very high, while a concubine is actually no different from a slave. A concubine wanting to usurp the position of the legitimate wife, especially in an official family like the Lu's, is absolutely impossible, after all, Mrs. Lu is a noblewoman by imperial decree.

  Hao Feng Lou said lightly, "If that's the case, then I'm thinking that unless there's one possibility, this possibility is that the identity of this concubine is not ordinary, in other words, her family has someone."

  The girl's family, in this era, determines a woman's status in her husband's home. In ancient times, it was emphasized that the door should match the house, and Mr. Lu is a nobleman, so Mrs. Lu's maiden family must not be inferior; while this concubine's maiden family also has some background, so that this concubine can stand firm in the Lu family, even to the point of crowding out the wife.

  "However, why would a young lady from a wealthy family want to become a concubine for Lord Lu? It's not that I don't have faith in Lord Lu, but he is getting on in years. If you insist on talking about romantic feelings between a lord and his concubine, I'm afraid I won't believe it. Even if I did believe it, would the young lady's family agree to this arrangement? The more I think about it, the more suspicious I become. And then I thought about how the rebel army has already reached Jiangbei, while Lord Lu is the commander of Zhenjiang, guarding the gates of Nanjing, which is a matter of great importance. I began to suspect that all of this is just a conspiracy, and that this concubine must be a pawn placed beside Lord Lu. If Lord Lu is willing to serve the imperial court and guard Zhenjiang, then everything will be fine. But if he shows even a hint of wavering...I'm afraid you'll take action, won't you?"

  Lu Zhong looked at the young man in front of him, who was as precious as a pearl, and couldn't help but feel a little admiration. To analyze these things, one needs not only meticulous observation skills but also a broad perspective. After all, in an era where most people are ignorant, who would care about treason or rebellion? At most, it's just gossip for idle guests. Who would think deeply and make connections?

  Lu Zhong remained calm and composed, saying: "Is that all?"

  "There's more." Hao Feng Lou continued, "It was after I entered the mansion that people kept coming to inquire about me, trying to get information out of my servant girl. I'm just a humble teacher, why would officials and even Miss Biao herself come to ask questions? My situation was already made clear during the recruitment process - I'm just a fallen noble's son. With your status, you could have simply ordered someone to send over the information, but instead, you still chose to investigate me. This means you don't believe my identity is as simple as that, especially now that the rebel army has reached Jiangbei and everyone is on high alert. You're being cautious, like you, who suspect I might be a spy for the rebels, right?"

  Lu Zhong smiled: "Not bad, I indeed have this suspicion. In such a special period, anyone who enters the mansion must be thoroughly investigated."

  "Of course, and then there's this invitation. This invitation was written by Master Lu, wasn't it? The strokes of the brush are like a knife, revealing a murderous intent. Just by looking at the characters, one can see the person. A main official in a mansion with such sharp strokes, able to make people feel the intention to kill, just this point alone makes me not believe that you're just an ordinary official. So, I reckon you are either from the imperial court or the rebel army. And unfortunately for me, I told a story to Madame Lu, which happened to offend Master Lu's concubine, who is your master. This way, you must be even more suspicious of my identity. You yourself said that in extraordinary times, one does extraordinary things. Since my suspicion has grown bigger and bigger, the most direct method would be to kill me to silence me. Therefore, you politely sent over an invitation, hoping I'd attend the banquet, and then make me disappear completely at the Lu residence, right?"

  Lu Zhong laughed and said, "You're very clever. If you weren't a rebel scout, I would have had some sympathy for your talent and wanted to promote you. Unfortunately, you know there's a tiger on the mountain, yet you insist on heading towards it - that's seeking death."

  Hao Fenglou smiled bitterly: "I came to the banquet not because I'm foolish, since you've already suspected me, you won't give up, even if I didn't come, you'll find a way to kill me. I happen to have a daughter, who knows what other tricks you'll come up with and whether it will harm her. So I had to come, if I don't put an end to this, my heart won't be at peace."

  "Then let's settle this once and for all, come on."

  "Wait!" Hao Feng Lou said with a bitter smile: "I still have one last thing to say."

  Lu Zhong smiled slightly and said: "Good."

  Hao Feng Lou opened his throat and shouted loudly: "Beautiful sister, don't hide anymore, save me!"