The winter of the twenty-first year of Yongshun in the Da Cheng Dynasty.
The Jiangnan region was hit by a rare bout of ice and snow. The weather was freezing, and the roads were sparsely populated. The few pedestrians on the road were bundled up in their clothes, hurrying along as if afraid of the slightest delay.
In Hangzhou, however, there was a place brightly lit and bustling, a stark contrast to the outside.
This was especially true in Wan Hua Lou, where the city’s wealthy and powerful had gathered to watch the grand monthly song and dance performance.
Snowflakes drifted outside the window, while the lead dancer, clad in red light gauze as thin as a cicada’s wing, swayed her graceful waist. The exquisite, multicolored jewels on her belt glittered and swayed with her movements, drawing waves of cheers from the audience below.
The dancer’s face was covered by a veil, revealing only a pair of beautiful eyes. Even the regulars of Wan Hua Lou had trouble identifying her, and many began to guess if this dancer was the most beautiful woman in all of Jiangnan, Wan Hua Lou’s top courtesan—Sheng Qingge.
When the dance ended, the dancer exited the stage. The manager stepped up, banged a gong, and shouted, “Everyone! Today is the tenth of the month. As is our custom, the guest with the highest bid tonight will be received by Miss Qingge!”
As his voice fell, a huge roar erupted from below. Some cheered, some applauded and whistled wildly, and one person even threw a chest of silver ingots, which he had prepared in advance, onto the stage.
The manager dodged to the side. With a loud crash, the silver ingots scattered across the floor, and the crowd let out an even sharper roar of excitement.
“Comprador Zhang! How many times have you been received by Miss Qingge! It’s time to let someone else have a turn!”
“Heh, what do you know! Comprador Zhang is still as vigorous as ever. If you want to win the beauty’s favor, you have to show what you’re made of!”
“Haha, I just feel sorry for the flower-like Miss Qingge, being wasted on a pile of cow dung for no reason!”
“Pah!”
In a private room on the third floor, a man leaned against the doorframe. His posture was exceptionally straight, and the folding fan in his hand lifted a corner of the beaded curtain. He was elegant and noble, and a pair of handsome yet somewhat detached eyes silently watched the scene unfold.
When the crowd below began their frantic bidding, throwing money around, he finally lowered the curtain and tapped the zitan wood box on the table with his fan. “Go.”
“Yes.”
In an instant, Jiang Yuchu and the box on the table vanished, leaving only the swaying beaded curtain behind.
The tea on the stove was boiling, and some of it spilled over, making a sizzling sound. He Hansheng picked up the teapot and took out a clean teacup.
The bones of his fingers were well-defined and strikingly beautiful.
The scalding tea poured into the cup, its steam swirling around a few long, thin tea leaves. He Hansheng spoke coolly, “Since you’re already here, won’t you have a cup of tea before you leave?”
The voices outside shouted bids, but the private room was as silent as a different world.
A moment later, the beaded curtain stirred. The translucent purple gauze on the upper half of the door slowly fell, the candles went out, and the graceful figure of a woman slowly emerged from behind a screen in the room.
She wore a thin gauze dress and was barefoot. Before she even reached him, she let out a coquettish laugh. “Young Master, you have such refined tastes. On one hand, you send someone to bid for Miss Qingge’s tender company, and on the other, you ask this humble one to join you for tea.”
The woman’s voice was gentle and charming, deliberately laced with the unique sweetness and allure of a Jiangnan woman.
She had probably just left the stage downstairs. Even though she was trying to suppress it, one could still sense that her breathing had not yet fully steadied.
The dancer slowly approached He Hansheng. Her fingertips touched his broad shoulder, and the jewels and tassels on her body swayed with her movements, making a soft sound as they brushed, as if by accident, against his clothes.
Seeing that he did not resist, the dancer took the opportunity to sit beside him. She lifted his chin, her seductive eyes gazing at him. “Is this humble one not enough to accompany you?”
Downstairs, the manager frantically banged the gong, shouting at the top of his lungs, “Two hundred and seventy taels! Young Master Liu bids two hundred and seventy taels! Are there any higher bids!”
Once the bidding surpassed two hundred taels, very few could still participate.
The crowd sighed, putting down their bidding paddles and lamenting another missed opportunity to witness the number one beauty of Jiangnan.
Liu Songnian crossed his arms, raised his eyebrows, and looked at Comprador Zhang opposite him, whose beard was bristling with anger. He said provocatively, “Uncle Zhang, if we keep going higher, it’ll be a loss for both of us! Is a mere woman worth it?”
Hearing this, Comprador Zhang gritted his teeth and raised his hand. “Four hundred taels!”
The hall instantly fell silent. Even the manager on the stage stared with wide eyes.
The light in the private room was dim. Even face to face, He Hansheng could hardly see the woman’s face clearly. However, the faint fragrance from her fingertips continuously wafted into his nose.
He Hansheng secretly held his breath but took her hand, stopping her from making any further moves. He chuckled softly, “That depends on whether you, miss, are willing to spend some effort on me.”
The sound of the gong outside suddenly echoed through the sky.
“Four hundred taels! Is there anything higher than four hundred taels!”
The dancer smiled and settled into He Hansheng’s lap, using the tassel from her waist to trace a line across his broad chest. “This humble one is willing to spend any amount of effort. I just wonder… how much does Young Master plan to bid?”
He Hansheng’s arm rested lightly around her waist, the warmth of his palm barely there, not quite touching her.
He chuckled softly, “One hundred taels. Is that enough?”
At the same time, a man’s voice outside shouted, “One hundred taels…”
“Only one hundred taels?”
Through the tassels, the dancer placed her hand on He Hansheng’s chest in a gesture of playful resistance.
“Mm,” He Hansheng leaned in and whispered slowly in her ear, “Gold.”
“…Gold!”
As the word fell, the crowd outside erupted, and the candles in the room were instantly extinguished.
He Hansheng’s arms were suddenly empty, the lingering fragrance fading with her. He took a sip of tea and slowly exhaled.
When Jiang Yuchu returned, he saw the room was pitch black and immediately understood.
As he lit the lamps, he said in a low voice, “Young Master, it’s people from Shuyu Villa.”
He Hansheng stood up and grunted in acknowledgment. “I already know.”
“Although Shuyu Villa is a renowned sect in the martial world, to put it bluntly, they’re just a bunch of bandits. They operate outside the king’s law and have always disregarded it. If they get involved in this matter, I’m afraid…” Jiang Yuchu asked with some concern, “Did you get a clear look at her face?”
He Hansheng glanced at him. “The people of Shuyu Villa are masters of disguise. Why would they show their true faces in a place like this?”
“Then what about that Young Master Liu who was bidding against Comprador Zhang just now…”
“Pay him no mind.”
He Hansheng straightened his clothes, his expression indifferent. “They’re probably after someone. Have your men keep an eye out. Don’t lose them.”
…
After the bidding ended, Liu Songnian, his job done, returned to his room.
A person was sitting inside. Their back was slimmer than that of an average man, yet their posture was straighter and more heroic, clearly not an ordinary person.
Liu Songnian quickly closed the door and, after making sure it was secure, spoke to the person’s back with a playful grin. “Hall Master Shen, I’ve done what you asked. I stalled for a full incense stick’s worth of time!”
Shen Fengyu, with her back to the door, heard this and flicked her hand, tossing a wooden token to Liu Songnian.
Liu Songnian quickly caught it with both hands. “What’s this?”
“Take this token to the cosmetics shop at the end of the alley by your side gate. Someone there will help you solve your troubles.”
Shen Fengyu didn’t even look up, her eyes fixed on the chessboard before her, seemingly pondering a game that was not yet over.
After a long moment of silence from behind, Shen Fengyu finally turned around to see Liu Songnian still standing there foolishly.
Shen Fengyu frowned. “Is there something else?”
“Well… shouldn’t there be a little…” Liu Songnian gestured with his fingers, his face full of expectation.
Shen Fengyu understood instantly and couldn’t help but roll her eyes inwardly.
“Greedy! The lives of your stepmother and half-brother are far more valuable than gold or silver. Once they’re gone, the entire Liu family fortune will be yours,” Shen Fengyu said, grabbing a few white stones and tossing them in her hand, contemplating her next move. “Besides, a favor from my Bifeng Hall isn’t so easily bought. What more could you want?”
“I knew Hall Master Shen would say that.”
Liu Songnian grumbled to himself. Although Bifeng Hall was a branch of Shuyu Villa and had made a name for itself in the martial world in recent years, it was notoriously stingy compared to the legendary and wealthy Shuyu Villa. There had never been any rumors of financial transactions.
He sighed and put the token away. “Many thanks.”
After Liu Songnian left, Shen Fengyu silently took out a small booklet from her pocket. It was densely filled with records of Bifeng Hall’s income and expenses, as well as the favors owed to them everywhere.
As she calculated, a pained expression gradually appeared on Shen Fengyu’s face.
A while later, the real iron-fisted miser, Shen Suining, returned. She was holding the clothes she had worn to sneak into Wan Hua Lou, along with a folding fan she had swiped from somewhere.
After closing the door, Shen Suining removed her veil, took off the gauze dress and its clanking ornaments, and changed into her own clothes. When she was dressed, Shen Fengyu was still sitting there like a statue, motionless.
Shen Suining found it amusing and threw the clothes at her.
“Still thinking about how to beat me?”
Hit by the clothes, Shen Fengyu cried out in pain.
Shen Suining sat down opposite Shen Fengyu. The clothes were covering Shen Fengyu’s head. She saw the small booklet in Shen Fengyu’s hand, and her expression changed instantly. She snatched it and asked, “You gave him money???”
“Hah! You don’t give me any money, so where would I get money to give to others?” Shen Fengyu sneered, rubbing her head as she pulled the clothes off, asking with a look of disgust, “Is the Young Master trying to assassinate me? And what is this messy rag of an outfit? Wan Hua Lou’s business is so good, yet they can’t even give the girls here a decent set of clothes?”
Relieved to hear that no money had been given to Liu Songnian, Shen Suining immediately tossed the account book aside.
Hearing Shen Fengyu’s complaint, she looked at the gauze dress she had just worn—so thin it was practically non-existent—with a helpless expression.
“They gave it to me, said the girls here wear this all year round,” Shen Suining placed the fan on the edge of the chessboard, her eyes turning sharp. “I heard that on the tenth of every month, when Sheng Qingge is presented to a guest, she wears even less. Especially for that old lecher, Zhang Shihai. He spends a fortune almost every month for a night with Qingge! I mean, at his age, how does he have the nerve to make someone his granddaughter’s age…”
“Alright, alright, hold your righteous indignation,” Shen Fengyu put the account book away. Seeing Shen Suining getting worked up, she quickly interrupted her, frowning. “It’s freezing cold. Where did you swipe this fan from? Weren’t you on a mission? Where is Sheng Qingge?”
Shen Fengyu took the fan and opened it. It had a black background with gold-stamped bamboo leaves, a gold-inlaid jade frame, and a pendant of suet-white jade. It was clearly a luxurious item.
Shen Suining then remembered the important matter at hand, her expression turning grave. “Sheng Qingge’s room is heavily guarded. Not even a fly could get in. I was afraid of exposing my identity, so I didn’t force my way in.”
Hearing this, Shen Fengyu also became serious. “Who could they be, to move even faster than us!”
“From the man’s accent, he sounds like he’s from the north. And he’s so lavish with his money, I’m afraid…” Shen Suining pondered for a moment before sharing her worries. “He’s either rich or noble.”
Shen Fengyu said, “Oh,” thoughtfully. “Is he handsome?”
“Probably not bad, I didn’t get a clear look…” After blurting it out, Shen Suining caught herself. “Hey, hey, hey, am I the kind of person who mixes business with pleasure!”
Shen Fengyu chuckled. “I was just afraid you’d be blinded by lust.”
Shen Suining shot her a fierce glare. “This is a matter of life and death. Stop joking around.”
Last month, someone had secretly visited Shuyu Villa, offering a large sum of gold for the life of Wan Hua Lou’s top courtesan, Sheng Qingge.
According to the rules, Shuyu Villa took the money and did the job, no questions asked. However, the villa’s informant inadvertently discovered that the person was from the capital, Huadu, and the payment was a full three chests of gold.
Someone from the capital, traveling thousands of miles and offering a huge sum for the life of a brothel girl in distant Hangzhou—the matter was too strange.
The old Villa Master had always been cautious, and Shuyu Villa had for years avoided any dealings with the imperial court. He returned the payment overnight and refused the job.
But the old Villa Master couldn’t rest easy. He decided to investigate secretly to uncover the truth. After all, those three chests of gold had been carried into Shuyu Villa with great fanfare. If any trouble arose in the future, he would have proof of his innocence.
Shen Suining thought to herself, if it were just about killing a brothel songstress for no reason, there would be no need for such a grand commotion.
“Young Master.”
“Mm.”
Shen Fengyu looked at Shen Suining’s face, which had gone from glaring to serious in an instant, and hesitated. “Could you please stop disguising yourself as Sister Miao all the time? It’s such a pity to have her gentle, beautiful, and tender face constantly wasted by your antics.”
Shen Suining: “…”
Shen Suining: “Fine. Next time, I’ll turn into you.”
Shen Fengyu fell silent for a moment. In that instant, countless images of Shen Suining’s mischief flashed through her mind: flirting with women, deceiving men, bullying children, leaving a trail of broken hearts everywhere…
“In that case, it’s enough to just torment Sister Miao. After all, she never leaves the mountain, so she doesn’t care about her reputation.” Shen Fengyu rejected the offer without hesitation.
Shen Suining glared at her.
Seeing Shen Suining’s expression soften slightly, Shen Fengyu tried to comfort her. “Alright, don’t worry so much. Let’s first figure out a way to see Miss Sheng…”
Before Shen Fengyu could finish, a commotion suddenly erupted outside.
The two exchanged a look, each gripping the weapon hidden on their person.
In Wan Hua Lou, the door to what was supposed to be Sheng Qingge’s room was wide open. Two neat rows of people stood outside. All four windows were tightly shut, not letting in a sliver of wind.
The room was empty. On the dressing table, there was only a dying painted thrush and a torn, blood-stained piece of letter paper.
He Hansheng picked up the letter. There was no writing on it.
The manager and madam of Wan Hua Lou stood behind, terrified, not daring to breathe.
Jiang Yuchu finished checking the room and returned to He Hansheng’s side, his voice low. “Young Master, there’s nothing unusual anywhere. I’m afraid she was taken away long ago.”
He Hansheng shook his head and placed the letter back on the dressing table. “She’s still here.”
Jiang Yuchu immediately understood and ordered the manager to have his men seal off Wan Hua Lou completely, allowing people in but not out.
“Just sealing the building won’t be enough to find her,” He Hansheng said faintly as he carefully wrapped the nearly dead painted thrush in a handkerchief. “The people from Shuyu Villa probably haven’t left either. You, inform the authorities. Have them find a pretext to search the place.”
Author’s Note:
[Mini Theater]
In the near future
He Hansheng: You once said you were willing to spend any amount of effort on me, but now that we’re married, you’ve changed! Women are all liars, they stop cherishing you once they have you!
Shen Suining: Get lost. [shrugs]