Shortly after leaving Xiangyun Teahouse, Yining noticed Xie Min’s maid rushing out, seemingly searching for someone.
“I shouldn’t have come here after all,” Yining thought to herself.
She turned back and instructed the carriage driver to return to the Luo residence. Just as she closed her eyes to rest for a moment, with Zhenzu preparing to brew her some hot tea, the carriage suddenly jolted to a stop with a loud creak.
Luo Yining opened her eyes as a cold, stern voice rang out from outside: “Who dares to obstruct the way?”
The carriage driver anxiously replied, “My apologies, sir. The horse ate too many pine nut candies earlier and became unsteady.”
Yining wondered why her family’s driver would address someone as “sir”. She peeked through a small gap in the curtain. Her heart sank as she saw Lu Jiaxue’s carriage stopped by the roadside near a tavern, with over thirty personal guards surrounding it. Why was he outside Xiangyun Teahouse? She wasn’t sure if he was inside the carriage.
Instinctively, Yining looked back at the maid who had been searching earlier. Fortunately, the maid hadn’t found her and had already turned back.
There was no movement from inside Lu Jiaxue’s carriage, so he probably wasn’t in there. Yining relaxed slightly and signaled for Shen Lian to go negotiate.
Just as Shen Lian walked over to speak with the other party, a commotion erupted at the teahouse entrance. A tall figure emerged, surrounded by a group of people. Though it was early autumn with cool breezes, he wore a cloak.
“Speak of the devil,” Yining thought.
One of Lu Jiaxue’s deputy commanders noticed the disturbance and approached, asking, “What’s going on here?”
Lu Jiaxue stopped him with a raised hand, a hint of a smile on his lips. “It’s the Duke of Ying’s guards. No need to intervene.”
Left with no choice, Yining lifted the curtain and stepped down from the carriage, supported by her maid. Covering her face with a veil, she bowed to Lu Jiaxue: “Greetings, Godfather. Our horse accidentally collided with your carriage. I hope you can forgive us.”
The onlookers were surprised. The owner of the carriage, who hadn’t come out despite the collision and had so many guards, turned out to be just a slender young girl.
No wonder she seemed fearless – she was the goddaughter of the Commander-in-Chief.
“What brings little Meimei out here alone?” Lu Jiaxue knew that if he hadn’t appeared, Yining wouldn’t have left her carriage. He couldn’t help but tease her a bit.
“How does he know my childhood name?” Yining wondered inwardly, but she pretended not to notice and smiled, “I was just passing by. If there’s nothing else, I won’t trouble you further, Godfather.”
Lu Jiaxue looked at her silently for a moment, then smiled. “It’s not safe for you to return alone. Come, I’ll escort you back.”
“She has guards, and this is near the city where the Five Divisions patrol strictly. How is it unsafe?” Yining thought.
But Lu Jiaxue had already boarded his carriage. He turned back and beckoned for her to join him.
Yining silently gritted her teeth. She quietly told Shen Lian and the others to follow behind, then lowered her veil and boarded Lu Jiaxue’s carriage. His carriage was even more spacious, lined with soft cushions. There was a faint scent of juniper – Lu Jiaxue’s fragrance.
Yining sat down far from him as the carriage began to move. Lu Jiaxue leaned against the carriage wall in a relaxed posture.
“How are you finding married life?” he suddenly asked.
“Everything is fine. Our union is harmonious. There’s no need for Godfather to worry,” Yining answered stiffly.
Lu Jiaxue chuckled softly. This little girl always spoke to him in such a formal manner.
What harmonious union? Yining had married her brother, who merely treated her decently. There was nothing truly harmonious in this world – she just hadn’t seen the darkness and filth beneath the surface yet. Her brother was not a good man. As her elder, he felt obligated to show her the truth.
He gave some instructions to the carriage driver, then turned back to Yining: “I’m taking you somewhere interesting.”
“My apologies, Godfather, but I’m already running late to return home. I’m afraid I don’t have time to go with you,” Yining refused.
Lu Jiaxue sighed lightly: “Don’t rush. Come with me and see. You’ll thank me later.”
The carriage traveled along the wide brick road, soon leaving the inner city and heading towards the outer city. Weeping willows lined both sides of the road, with high pink walls and beautiful black-tiled eaves. A large stone tablet stood at an intersection, bearing three large characters in the official script: Qinghu Bridge. The scenery looked unlike Beijing, more reminiscent of the elegant beauty of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
Yining suddenly realized where they were. She had heard others mention this place before. While brothels were disreputable establishments, Qinghu Bridge was known as a gathering place for famous performers. Many renowned artists from the Qinhuai area of Jiangnan had settled here. The area was also home to numerous luxurious taverns, very popular among officials and nobles for their gatherings.
She looked at Lu Jiaxue with a complex, indecipherable gaze. Why had he brought her here?
“Godfather, I have no interest in drinking or dining here,” she said, pursing her lips. “What exactly are you planning?”
“Don’t worry, I won’t sell you off,” Lu Jiaxue replied lazily. “You’re Wei Ling’s daughter. If I did anything to you, he’d certainly fight me to the death.”
As they spoke, the carriage slowed to a stop outside a tavern. A paulownia wood door opened by the roadside, and the carriage entered. Lu Jiaxue’s men immediately spread out across the courtyard, forming a tight security perimeter. He disembarked first and extended his hand to help her: “Come down.”
“Men and women shouldn’t touch casually… Even if you’re my godfather, you’re not my real father,” Yining thought. She simply gave him a slight smile: “Godfather, this doesn’t seem appropriate.”
“You do avoid me like the plague,” Lu Jiaxue said as he slowly withdrew his hand, seemingly unconcerned. He smiled, thinking of the countless women who sought to climb into his bed. Luo Yining didn’t need to be so guarded. She was just a young girl – what could he possibly do to her?
Yining stepped down from the carriage on her own, looking up and finding the sunlight rather harsh. She followed behind Lu Jiaxue through a narrow passage that opened into a sprawling Jiangnan-style garden. Strangely shaped rocks stood in a lake, with winding corridors connecting three or four pavilions. It was exquisitely beautiful, with gilded silver incense balls hanging from the curtains, filling the air with a faint fragrance.
A man in his forties, wearing a brown floral silk robe and looking quite distinguished, came hurrying over to greet them. He appeared to be the manager and said very respectfully: “It’s rare for the Commander to visit. Today is…”
He didn’t ask a single question about Luo Yining standing behind Lu Jiaxue, despite not being able to see her face.
“Is Cheng Lang here today?” Lu Jiaxue asked him.
The manager replied, “Lord Cheng is here. Please come this way, Commander.”
Yining was speechless. Did these people always come here for no reason? She was a bit curious now to see exactly what kind of place this was.
Lu Jiaxue grunted in acknowledgment and beckoned for Yining to follow him. They entered the corridor, which had rooms on both sides. A maid opened one of the doors and walked in. It was luxuriously decorated with sandalwood furniture and a large double-sided embroidered Hangzhou silk screen. A set of jade chimes of varying heights adorned a curio shelf as decoration.
Yining immediately spotted Cheng Lang sitting by a small table with his eyes closed, resting. Two beautiful young maids stood nearby attending to him. The seat across from him was empty, its occupant not yet returned. He was lounging carelessly against a pillow, looking quite undignified.
Yining turned away as soon as she saw this.
Cheng Lang knew Lu Jiaxue had come to see him, and the messenger had mentioned he was bringing a young lady. However, he hadn’t expected that young lady to be Luo Yining. Even with her face veiled, those familiar with her could recognize her at a glance.
He suddenly jumped up as if stung by a bee, coughing once before dismissing the two maids: “You may go now.”
How could Lu Jiaxue bring Luo Yining to a place like this? And let her see him in such a state! Even if she had some vague knowledge before, she had never witnessed it firsthand. Cheng Lang didn’t want her to see him like this.
He had become increasingly dejected since her marriage.
After tidying his clothes, he walked over and asked in a low voice: “Uncle, why did you bring Cousin Yining here?”
Seeing Cheng Lang’s strong reaction, Lu Jiaxue assumed he was just embarrassed in front of Luo Yining and didn’t think much of it. He sat down in an armchair and pointed at Luo Yining: “I brought her to see something. I heard some officials came here today to discuss matters over drinks. Where are they now?”
Yining knew that official socializing didn’t just happen in court – many relationships were built over drinks.
But she was still startled. Who was he referring to?
“Luo Shen Yuan and the others are in the Tian Room,” Cheng Lang replied.
“Lead the way,” Lu Jiaxue instructed.
Yining’s heart sank. So Lu Jiaxue had brought her here to see… Luo Shen Yuan? Before leaving home that morning, he had mentioned going for drinks with some officials. If it was just a social gathering, why would Lu Jiaxue bring her to watch? She had no interest in such things.
As Cheng Lang led Lu Jiaxue ahead, Yining asked him: “Do you court officials often come to places like this?”
Most of the taverns here likely had famous Qinhuai performers to attract customers, or they wouldn’t be so renowned.
Lu Jiaxue glanced at her: “I don’t come often, but your Cousin Cheng owns a 30% stake here, so he’s a frequent visitor.”
Cheng Lang coughed again and smiled: “When the founding emperor established the capital, Beijing was in ruins. He specifically allocated funds to build Qinghu Bridge to boost the treasury. My tavern is well-known and officially registered. It’s quite famous, so we get many visitors.”
When he looked back at her, his expression held a hint of nervousness, as if fearing she would look down on him or be disappointed.
He was still that same child from years ago.
Yining sighed softly and shook her head, indicating he needn’t worry about her. Adults were different from children – he had grown up. Besides, these were his affairs and no longer concerned her. Moreover, what was improper about running a tavern? It just had some singing and dancing. Compared to brothels, this was a perfectly respectable establishment.
Cheng Lang turned back and led them upstairs, where a servant unlocked a door. Inside was a private room with an excellent view. Looking out, one could see sunlight scattered across the rooftops of nearby streets and alleys, with the moat visible in the distance.
Cheng Lang opened the partition windows, revealing a view of the adjacent room, partially obscured by ivy. Hearing that Commander Lu had arrived, several people from the other room came to pay their respects. Yining sat motionless behind him as they chatted, discreetly observing her.
Yining disliked their scrutiny, which held a hint of misplaced intimacy.
But since Lu Jiaxue said nothing, no one dared to act.
“It’s time to look,” Lu Jiaxue suddenly said to her in a low voice as he sipped his tea.
Yining instinctively peered through the window. The room next door was much larger, with many people seated. They all appeared to be high-ranking court officials, their faces vaguely familiar. Luo Shen Yuan sat among them, leaning back in his chair, drinking and laughing with the others.
A famous performer was playing the huqin in the room. Some nodded along to the music, while others paid no attention, and focused instead on chess and card games. Yining watched silently as the person beside Luo Shen Yuan spoke to him in a low voice, and he responded with a smile. She recognized the man as the Minister of Works, as Luo Shen Yuan had once described him as “over sixty, with thinning hair and a short beard” – quite distinctive.
When the performer finished playing, the room erupted in applause. She must have been a renowned artist, dressed in a golden-threaded cyan jacket over a plain white moon-patterned skirt, with a sash tied obliquely around her slender waist, adorned with gold and jade. Her ivory-white face was beautiful and elegant; if not for her delicate allure, one could hardly tell she was a famous performer.
Hearing the applause, she stood up with a smiling bow, then took a wine cup from a high table to toast the guests. A maid came forward to put away the huqin case.
Seeing that Yining recognized the performer’s status, Cheng Lang explained: “This is the famous Lianxi, known for her huqin skills. She was originally from a poor family in Yangzhou and was sold as a courtesan. I noticed her talent for the huqin and encouraged her to develop it as an art. Now it costs a hundred taels of silver to hear her play.”
At that moment, Lianxi stepped down from the platform and took a cup of wine from a maid’s tray. She slowly walked to Luo Shen Yuan and said in a soft voice: “I’ve long heard of Lord Luo’s reputation, but this is the first time we’ve met. Please allow me to offer you a toast.”
Luo Shen Yuan looked up at her.
Suddenly, Yining couldn’t bear to watch anymore. She turned away, wanting to leave. But Lu Jiaxue held her hand, saying calmly: “Keep watching. What are you afraid of?”