The women of Cheng were noticeably more numerous than elsewhere, and the former Empress Consort, now Empress Dowager Su, was also from Lingzhou.
It wasn’t until they entered Lingzhou’s territory that Ming Tan inadvertently learned from Jiang Xu that not only was Empress Dowager Su from Lingzhou, but her family, the Su clan, controlled more than half of the region.
From the previous dynasty until now, Lingzhou’s Maritime Trade Office has been the Su family’s domain. Several successive Maritime Trade Commissioners were all from the Su faction, and Lingzhou’s largest private merchant fleet was also funded by the Su family. This meant that both official and private maritime trade was entirely in the Su family’s hands.
Local officials throughout Lingzhou were also largely connected to the Su family. Those who weren’t connected and refused to be often met with untimely deaths for various reasons.
Ming Tan was stunned. “Then… aren’t we in great danger?”
Ming Tan had always been taught that women shouldn’t meddle in politics, so she never inquired about Jiang Xu’s official business. For this southern journey to Lingzhou, she hadn’t asked about his mission, assuming that since he could bring her along, it couldn’t be too dangerous.
“Are you afraid?” Jiang Xu glanced at her.
Ming Tan, still shocked by this revelation, nodded honestly. Then, realizing her response, she quickly shook her head and feigned composure. “With you here, husband, I’m not afraid. What is there to fear?”
Though she said this, her body betrayed her. Her back instantly stiffened, and she cautiously lifted a corner of the carriage curtain to peer outside.
Jiang Xu’s lips quirked almost imperceptibly as he lowered his eyes to his book, not telling her there was no need to worry.
Lingzhou was the Su family’s last bargaining chip. They wouldn’t want anything to happen to the current Prince and the Right Minister’s son in their territory. Even if someone harbored ill intentions, they’d have to see if they could act on them.
At noon, the carriages stopped in a small town in southwest Lingzhou. The group found a restaurant in town to rest and dine.
Sitting in a private room on the second floor, Ming Tan frowned, about to comment on the poor quality of the Dragon Well tea, which seemed mixed with old leaves, when suddenly a commotion erupted downstairs. It appeared someone had eaten without paying.
Ming Tan looked down. The owner was being quite firm, having people block the exit and refusing to let the diner leave without paying.
But the diner was equally stubborn. Rolling up his sleeves and placing a foot on a chair, he crudely spat on the ground and shouted, “Bah! Let me tell you, my sister has been transferred to serve as the Ninth Miss of the Su family’s third branch! Once my sister gets her monthly wages, do you think I can’t pay your measly bill? My sister is highly favored by the Ninth Miss. In a few days, getting me a position in the Su mansion will be a matter of minutes. Don’t you dare be so blind!”
…?
Since when did freeloaders become so arrogant?
Ming Tan observed and saw that upon hearing this, the owner began to hesitate.
Seeing this, the freeloader smugly grabbed half a glistening roast chicken from the table and swaggered out of the restaurant. The owner didn’t even have anyone stop him.
Wait, just because his sister was a favored maid of the Ninth Miss of the Su family’s third branch, he could be so arrogant? It seemed the Su family truly was like an emperor in their domain here in Lingzhou.
Ming Tan felt increasingly uneasy.
Two days later, they finally reached their destination, Quancheng in Lingzhou.
Upon arriving in Quancheng, Jiang Xu decided to abandon his low profile and revealed his identity at the city gate checkpoint.
Hearing the news, the Prefect hurried to personally welcome them at the city gate.
“I wasn’t aware of Your Highness’s visit. This humble official failed to welcome you from afar. Please forgive me,” the Prefect said, trembling. Though he knew why Jiang Xu had come, he had to feign ignorance and cautiously ask, “Does Your Highness have an official mission for this visit?”
“Does this prince need to inform the Prefect of his actions?” Jiang Xu replied indifferently, hands clasped behind his back.
“This official wouldn’t dare!” The Prefect’s legs nearly gave way. He knew the “King of Hell” was coming, but hadn’t expected him to reveal his identity so directly. In all the previous places, hadn’t this prince quietly stayed in inns? Why did he seek him out as soon as he reached Quancheng? He wasn’t even part of the Su family!
Inwardly distressed, the Prefect bowed and explained, “This… this official means, if there’s anything Your Highness needs assistance with, this official will do his utmost to cooperate!”
Jiang Xu gave him a cool glance. “Then I’ll trouble the Prefect.”
The Prefect nodded, wiping sweat as he eagerly led them to his official residence, providing the best food and drink, not daring to neglect any detail.
However, Ming Tan remained vigilant, refusing to touch anything without testing it for poison first. She didn’t even spare the edges of utensils and had people thoroughly inspect the bedding and furnishings.
In the evening, the Prefect made arrangements and invited Jiang Xu and Shu Jingran to Xianquan Fang to welcome them.
Xianquan Fang was the largest of Lingzhou’s 180 pleasure boats, with 68 boats connected. The courtesans there were said to rival those of the Bieyu Tower in the capital in both beauty and talent.
Learning that Jiang Xu would be attending this social engagement in the evening, Ming Tan felt worried and hesitated to speak several times during the meal.
Jiang Xu, thinking his little princess consort was feeling jealous again, considerately and unusually took the initiative to say, “I have matters to attend to tonight. You… need not worry. If the Prefect’s womenfolk invite you, you can join them for some entertainment.” He knew she usually enjoyed lively scenes, and after days of travel, she might be feeling cooped up.
“But husband, you’re going to Xianquan Fang–“
“The Princess Consort should have more confidence in herself,” he said, placing a piece of meat in her bowl.
“…?”
She had plenty of confidence in herself, thank you very much! She had followed him to Lingzhou, did she need to worry about him bringing back a courtesan?
Well, she was a little afraid. If he could pick up a woman while she was right there traveling with him, she might as well give up on being human when they returned to the capital.
But what she feared more now was the Su family harming him. As the saying goes, even a mighty dragon can’t crush a local snake. Now that they were in the Su family’s territory, if his mission touched their interests, no matter how capable he was, it would still be dangerous.
Before Jiang Xu left, Ming Tan couldn’t help but fuss, “Husband, though your alcohol tolerance is good, you’ve just arrived in Lingzhou. It’s best to drink less and be cautious in everything.”
She then slipped him the antidote pills she had secretly obtained from Imperial Physician Feng before leaving the capital, whispering, “If you feel unwell at all, take one of these. I got them from Physician Feng. They can counteract several common drugs and poisons.”
“…”
Jiang Xu wanted to say something but felt it was unnecessary. He simply nodded and instructed Yun Yi, “Take good care of the Princess Consort.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Yun Yi bowed, accepting the order.
Jiang Xu’s sudden revelation of his identity not only caught the Prefect off guard but also threw the women in the Prefect’s household into a flurry.
Learning that the Prince of Beiding had brought his Princess Consort to stay in their residence, while their master had invited the Prince and the Right Minister’s son to Xianquan Fang for entertainment, they couldn’t just leave the Princess Consort ignored in the residence.
So that night, the Prefect’s wife arranged for a river opera performance and invited Ming Tan to watch.
The river opera was a unique feature of Lingzhou, originating from the 180 pleasure boats. Later, opera troupes refined it, creating this nighttime performance style that flourished only in Lingzhou.
As the name suggests, river opera was performed on the river. The stage was built on the water, surrounded by lights at night, with clusters of river lanterns illuminating the water’s surface. The audience sat in pleasure boats, enjoying the cool breeze, the fragrance of lotuses, and the nighttime performance—a uniquely pleasant experience.
When Ming Tan received the invitation, her first instinct was to refuse. In an unfamiliar place, how could she venture onto the river? Did she think her reputation was too good or that she had lived too long?
But her refusal made the Prefect’s wife quite anxious, thinking she had been remiss in some way. She came to invite Ming Tan personally, with warm and sincere words.
Ming Tan was about to claim illness again when she suddenly remembered what her husband had said earlier. Why had he specifically mentioned that she could socialize with the women of the Prefect’s household? Was he hinting that she should interact with them to gather information?
Seeing Ming Tan’s hesitation, Yun Yi whispered, “Princess, don’t worry. The master has left two top Jin Yun Guards to accompany and protect you.”
Ming Tan looked around. Really? She hadn’t noticed them at all.
Given this reassurance, she stopped refusing, figuring that since they would be staying in Lingzhou for several days, interacting with the local women might help her husband’s mission.
The Prefect’s residence was close to the Lingyu River where the opera would be performed. Along the way, the Prefect’s wife explained the history of the Lingyu River to Ming Tan, mostly supernatural tales about its efficacy in praying for rain, which gave it its name. Ming Tan listened half-heartedly, not particularly interested.
The Prefect’s second daughter’s words were more intriguing: “Princess Consort, have you heard of our Lingzhou’s 180 pleasure boats? Look, that bright area over there is our Lingzhou’s 180 pleasure boats. The Xianquan Fang where the Prince and my father went is that section on the right.”
The Prefect’s wife quickly glared at her, signaling her to be quiet.
Was taking someone’s husband to the pleasure boats something to boast about? It would be a great mercy if the Princess Consort didn’t take offense. How dare she mention it!
However, Ming Tan did look in the direction indicated. The distant river surface was brilliantly lit, shimmering, and sparkling. Above the rippling waves, a dreamlike scene of lights unfolded. She thought that if they were closer, they might even hear the laughter of women.
The pleasure boat arranged by the Prefect’s wife for watching the opera was quite spacious. An eight-immortals table was already set with exquisite fruit platters and snacks. The night breeze blew gently over the river. The boat stopped some distance from the shore, and on the nearby stage, the actors began their performance in full costume and makeup.
After learning that the distant brilliant area was Lingzhou’s 180 pleasure boats, Ming Tan found it hard to concentrate on the opera, glancing in that direction from time to time.
As the performance of “Spring River in the Flowery Moonlight” neared its end, Ming Tan suddenly noticed wisps of smoke rising above the distant lights.
Was this some new spectacle they were putting on?
She stared intently, but the more she looked, the more something seemed amiss. It appeared that large groups of people were moving about. She sat up straighter and suddenly exclaimed, “Is there a fire over there?”
At her words, everyone on the pleasure boat turned to look.
It was too far to see clearly. The Prefect’s wife ordered a servant to row a small boat to investigate. The small boat turned back halfway, with the servant shouting to those on the pleasure boat, “Madam, there’s a fire! Over there, there’s a fire!”
By now, everyone could see clearly without him saying so. The flames were leaping high, accompanied by plumes of smoke. Judging by the location, it was at the rightmost end of the brightly lit area—Xianquan Fang!