Rui-wang dianxia just wanted to go for a walk, and really, it was only a walk.

With his “Three Teachings and Nine Schools of Thought” in tow, he walked along Baihua Pavilion to Gantang Bridge, stopping in the inscription pavilion by the bridge. He gazed at the Confucius Temple across the way, where colorful lanterns shone brightly like a sea of stars, accompanied by songs and laughter carried along with the water. Many people were there, praying for a “Five Sons Passing the Imperial Exams” peachwood charm.

Rui-wang dianxia, rarely serious, was moved and said, “Such a prosperous place; no wonder everyone wants to take a bite, but in the end, it falls into others’ hands and only leaves some scraps for the court. Official and business collusion, rampant smuggling, commercial taxes and salt taxes are less every year. Father has been a hands-off manager for over ten years, watching as the two rivers and three provinces get hollowed out. Now, things have gotten out of hand, and he’s passed the mess directly to the Taizi, saving himself some trouble.”

Yu Jiusi, almost as if telling a joke, quickly remarked, “In the end, His Royal Highness the Taizi passed it right back to you. Isn’t this a case of ‘the father’s debt being paid by the son’?”

The current Taizi, named Chai Jing, was the orphan of Taizi Meng Zhang, and the current emperor’s nephew, making him Chai Ran’s cousin.

As to why the emperor chose his nephew over his own son to be the Taizi, it involved power struggles and interests across three generations. It was complicated and had little to do with the journey to the South, so it won’t be explained in detail here.

Chai Ran said calmly, “Yu Jiusi, you’re getting more and more out of line.”

With just that light remark, Yu Jiusi felt a sudden tension in his scalp and his heart skipped a beat!

He had accidentally touched his lord’s reverse scale. Yu Jiusi reacted quickly and hastily admitted his mistake, “This subordinate shouldn’t have recklessly commented on the East Palace, nor should I have spoken about the emperor. Please punish me, Your Royal Highness.”

Chai Ran’s voice was flat as he replied, “Go back and take five lashes yourself. No one else needs to do it, so don’t forget your place.”

Eight years ago, the Taizi began attending court and took charge of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War, intending to reform the bureaucracy in the two rivers and clear out smuggling. He had appointed three successive Governors of Jiangnan to investigate, but all were assassinated one after another.

Chai Ran’s trip to the South, on the surface, seemed like a Wangye who had been humiliated by a runaway bride and was now fleeing to the South to indulge in a carefree life. In reality, he had been conscripted by the Taizi to investigate who was behind the corruption in the Jiangnan bureaucracy.

Chai Ran asked his personal guard Liu Xiake, “Did you stir up trouble in the Canal Gang this afternoon? Have you sparred with all eight of their leaders yet?”

Liu Xiake was stunned, “Not yet. The eight leaders looked down on unknown people like me, holding themselves up with airs and refused to take action. I couldn’t spar with any of them.”

Chai Ran instructed, “Then go again tomorrow. If tomorrow doesn’t work, try the day after. Go as the personal guard of Rui-wang dianxia and see who dares to look down on you.”

Chai Ran didn’t care much for logic when it came to doing things. Since he had no leads at the moment, he decided to shake things up a bit, hoping to scare the snake out of the grass so he could catch it.

There was no rush for the main business. Regarding the matter of the courtesan, Chai Ran was a novice and had no experience. So, he asked Yu Jiusi, “Do you think I should give the thousand gold I promised to Miss Fengwu tomorrow, or should I split it up over fifteen days? If fifteen days isn’t enough, do I still need to give the full thousand gold?”

Yu Jiusi subtly picked up on a deeper meaning and boldly teased, “Your Royal Highness, are you finally shedding the impulse to compare with others and starting to worry about the silver? You’re thinking of getting it for free, aren’t you?”

Rui-wang dianxia didn’t admit to it, but he made his decision for himself, “There’s a saying, ‘You reap what you sow,’ and ‘An inch of time is an inch of gold.’ Let’s settle it daily. If I give too much, Miss Fengwu might feel uncomfortable.”

If Su Yunrao had been there, he would’ve probably criticized, “Just admit you’re being stingy! No need to worry about me feeling uncomfortable!”

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

The next morning, the sky was dim.

Spring rain fell softly, tapping on the clear river surface. The entire Qinhuai Riverbank seemed enveloped in a light mist, like a veil.

Su Yunrao left at the same time as his Dage that morning, holding an oiled paper umbrella, and walking down the quiet alleyways with gray tiles. He found a secluded spot, quickly changed clothes, and, before the hour of Si, had arrived at Baihua Pavilion early.

He told his family that he was busy arranging a new play. Since the momentum was good, he wanted to finish it and make a name for the musical. If he worked late into the night, he wouldn’t return home but would stay overnight at Baihua Pavilion.

When Su Yunrao said this, his Dage stared at him intensely, interrogating him for a long while. If it weren’t for Su Yunrao’s well-prepared details, his Dage might have started to suspect something.

The girls in Baihua Pavilion mostly worked “night shifts,” waking up late in the morning. When Su Yunrao entered the back garden, the courtyard was quiet.

Madam Liu woke up early, but not specifically to wait for Su Yunrao. She was there because a courtesan named Cuiyu was about to redeem herself.

Su Yunrao only had a minor position at Baihua Pavilion. He was closest to Madam Liu and got along decently with the others, though his relationships were mostly casual. Since this was someone else’s lifelong decision, he had no right to give advice. He greeted everyone after entering and sat quietly in a corner.

In the flower hall, besides the involved Cuiyu and the responsible Madam Liu, there were also onlookers like Xiao Yunxian, Wei Qin, and Yu Lingdang.

Madam Liu sat at the head of the table, not urging too much, only asking Cuiyu, “Have you really thought this through? That scholar Zhao doesn’t seem to have much of a family background.”

This was still a polite way of saying it. In Madam Liu’s view, the scholar Zhao was just a poor, scheming man who probably had his eye on Cuiyu’s meager dowry and wanted to use her to support his continued efforts to take the imperial exams. Cuiyu was in the heat of the moment, only able to listen to half the advice given. She nonchalantly replied, “Madam Liu, I understand, but if he had a solid family background, he wouldn’t have promised to marry me as his first wife.”

Xiao Yunxian was the first to be unable to contain her curiosity, immediately asking, “Sister Cuiyu, did Master Zhao really promise to marry you as his first wife?!”

Cuiyu nodded, somewhat smugly, and the others, like Yu Lingdang, Xiaoyu, and Wei Qin, immediately became envious and chattered excitedly, “Sister Cuiyu, you’re so lucky!”

“Master Zhao is a scholar, and I heard he passed the preliminary exam. Sister, you might just become the wife of a Xiucai or even a Juren in the future.”

Madam Liu, seeing this, couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy in her heart.

A woman’s fate was cruel; once she fell into a brothel, her life was almost ruined.

Those who were beautiful and talented might get lucky and be chosen by powerful patrons to redeem their freedom, though most would just become concubines. Those with better luck might enter a noble house with a formal title as a secondary wife, enjoying a life free of want, while others might never get that chance and end up dying without anyone knowing.

Then there were those who saved up to redeem themselves, setting up a household and adopting orphaned children, only to live a quiet life later, either in a foreign place or by marrying a poor widower.

But most who ended up in brothels are unable to escape, infected with illness at a young age, their bodies and souls corroded before their time.

If Cuiyu truly married Master Zhao who is just a Tongsheng, it would be a good way out, but it was also a gamble, with the outcome entirely in someone else’s hands. Madam Liu couldn’t bear to stop her, nor could she know whether she should intervene. In the end, all she could do was nod and offer her blessing while mentally calculating the amount needed for the redemption.

Madam Liu wasn’t cold-hearted, and she might even end up losing money in the process. She was the kind of person who had been through hardships herself and would go to great lengths to help others, like a knight who offers an umbrella to someone in the rain.

Cuiyu was sold to Baihua Pavilion when she was seven or eight years old by her gambling father. They had taught her to read, play the qin, and dance. Before she had even performed, they had provided for her food and drink. When all was added up, Madam Liu had only charged her two hundred taels, a sum that was unheard of along the entire Qinhuai River.

Cuiyu was aware of Madam Liu’s kindness and was deeply grateful. She cried bitterly and tried to kowtow to Madam Liu.

Madam Liu quickly helped her up, and despite trying to hold back her emotions, she couldn’t resist giving another piece of advice, “Even if Master Zhao is someone who keeps his promises, you must still manage your own money carefully. Don’t just give it away recklessly.”

Cuiyu cried so hard she could barely catch her breath, intermittently saying, “Madam, you’ve once said that silver is a person’s foundation, I understand. I will remember all of your kindness.”

Watching this painful scene, Yu Lingdang, Xiao Yunxian, Wei Qin, and the others all began to cry.

Even Su Yunrao, standing at the farthest edge, felt his eyes well up. This was why he deliberately kept a certain distance from the girls in the tower.

Indifference wasn’t a lack of kindness, it was simply selfishness and weakness. So, as long as I don’t see the sorrow, I won’t feel sorrow. As long as I don’t see the misery, I won’t feel miserable.