Lin'an Never Night

Chapter 586: Five Elegant Gentlemen

The gate of Cuiyu Tower was wide open, and Zhang Xiaoxiang, Yang Yuan, Liu Shangqiu, Xiao Yiran, and Lu Chengze walked in proudly.

Yang Yuan felt that it would be appropriate to play the background music of the four talented scholars in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" to describe the situation and scene.

Zhang Xiaoxiang had been serving the emperor for a long time and was more composed than them, so he did not want to be so ostentatious.

However, on the left were Yang Yuan and Liu Shangqiu, and on the right were Xiao Yiran and Lu Chengze. The four of them were "moving forward bravely". If Zhang Xiaoxiang walked slower, it would be like others were clearing the way for him on both sides, which would have made him seem even more ostentatious.

So... Zhang Da Zhuangyuan had no choice but to follow the crowd.

The five young men are all handsome and elegant. Of course, jade can be divided into beautiful jade and rough jade.

In terms of appearance, the five people are ranked from left to right.

The one on the far left is Liu Guojiu.

Liu Guojiu may not be more handsome than Yang Yuan, but his androgynous temperament is so striking that he is the most eye-catching.

A noble young man in the hall stood up first and bowed in surprise, "But is it Mr. An Guo?"

This noble young man was the son of a secretary of the imperial court, and he had once met Zhang Xiaoxiang with his father.

Zhang Xiaoxiang's current official position is Zhongshu Sheren and Zhixueshi, which is equivalent to the emperor's chief secretary. He is very noble. And it is said that he will soon be sent to Jiankang to be the governor of Jiankang.

However, this young man had only met Zhang Xiaoxiang once, so he was not sure whether it was him.

Zhang Xiaoxiang smiled and returned the greeting: "I am Zhang Xiaoxiang, are you... Brother Jingyuan?"

Fang Jingyuan was immediately flattered that Zhang Xiaoxiang actually remembered his name, and he hurriedly smiled and said, "It's me."

What he didn't know was that Zhang Xiaoxiang, as the emperor's chief secretary, had an excellent ability, which was his extensive knowledge and strong memory.

His strong memory is not only about knowledge, but also about remembering people.

There were still some people present who did not know that Anguo was Zhang Xiaoxiang's courtesy name. It was only after they heard the introduction from someone who knew Zhang Xiaoxiang's background that they realized that it was Zhang Zhuangyuan who had arrived.

Of course they knew Zhang Xiaoxiang's name and were immediately moved.

Tang Situi saw a few people on the second floor and was slightly surprised.

He knew Zhang Xiaoxiang and several others, but he didn't think that these people were coming to his banquet.

Tang Situi walked to the fence holding the cup, leaned against the railing and looked down, smiling and said, "An Guo, Zi Yue, Qing Yang..., what a coincidence."

Before Zhang Xiaoxiang came, he really didn't know that Tang Situi was here. When he saw him upstairs, he was very surprised and quickly bowed in return.

One was upstairs and the other was downstairs, and they exchanged a few words loudly back and forth. The guests in the hall understood the identities of these five young masters.

Wow! Two top scorers, one runner-up, one third place, and a uncle of the emperor. Even if he is out of fashion, he is still the uncle of the emperor.

The happiest person must be the owner of Cuiyulou. After this night, Cuiyulou would probably become the number one brothel in Lin'an, right?

The waiter hurried forward and said with an apologetic smile, "My five lords, I am truly sorry, but our restaurant is full. Please take your time..."

When the shopkeeper heard this, he almost fell down.

This bastard, there is no seat. No matter how hard we squeeze or fight, we have to add a seat. Can we still kick it out?
Cuiyu Building was indeed full, except for those rooms with bedrooms which were mostly empty.

However, Tang Situi did not book the entire theater from the beginning.

Because he invited many guests today with the purpose of making an invisible demonstration against the regent, Prince Jin, and its purpose was similar to that of a military parade.

It will only be effective if people can see it.

Therefore, when he first sent someone to reserve the banquet, he specifically stated that they should not disturb the neighbors because of Mr. Tang's banquet. If there were any seats left, the guests could just be welcomed in.

The shopkeeper had heard this beforehand, so naturally he wanted to keep these young gentlemen.

He hurried forward and said with an apologetic smile: "Please wait a moment, dear guests. I will make arrangements for you right away. I wonder if you would like some quiet time, or..."

Before he could finish his words, Wang Yefan, the second son of the Wang family, stood up and shouted, "Yang Qianxian, there is a seat here. Please come over here, Yang Qianxian and your friends."

The several young masters sitting at the same table with Wang Yefan were suddenly shocked. Where were the seats available?

However, they also wanted to get closer to Zhang Xiaoxiang and his people. If they went back and told them about it, it would be a matter of great status and face.

Then someone said, "Yes, yes, yes, let's squeeze in and ask someone to bring a few more sets of bowls and chopsticks."

Young Master Wang sneered and said, "Why are you pushing so hard? I reserved this seat and bought the food and drinks. You can leave now."

Tonight, Young Master Wang was really disgusted.

He really wanted to curry favor with these young masters, but these young masters really didn't take him seriously.

He was the one who booked the seats and spent the money, but it seemed like these people were doing him a huge favor by inviting him.

After they sat down, they took over the show and ordered Young Master Wang around like he was ordering a servant around.

Not only did Wang Ershao sit at the very edge, but he also couldn't get a word in from beginning to end.

These people would only speak to him when they ordered him around.

Moreover, these people couldn't even remember his full name, let alone address him politely. Until now, they still called him "Wang Shihu".

Market households, that is, merchants.

Young Master Wang was a very powerful person at home, so he knew that the money he spent today was wasted.

He was a commoner, and no matter how much money he spent, he could never expect these arrogant young masters to look upon him.

But now that things have come to this, he can no longer vent his anger, and his anger only grows deeper and deeper.

At this moment, he suddenly heard the identities of those young masters and realized that one of them was Yang Yuan, whom his eldest brother followed. Young Master Wang got hot-headed and started to lose his temper.

The faces of the young officials at the same table changed, and some of them could not believe what they heard.

One of the yamen officials said sternly, "Wang Shihu, what did you say?"

Young Master Wang rolled his eyes and said calmly, "I'm telling you, you arrogant people are beyond my reach. You can leave now. Also, my name is not Wang Shihu, my name is Wang Yefan!"

Several young masters were furious, but when they saw that the guests at the surrounding tables all looked over here and whispered to each other after hearing the noise, they felt even more ashamed.

Wang Er had already fallen out with his girlfriend, but the seats for tonight's banquet had indeed been booked by someone else, and arguing would only make things more embarrassing, so he could only walk away in anger.

Young Master Wang said to the waiter, "Take away all the food and drinks and serve a new table!"

Then he hurried forward, bowed to Yang Yuan and said, "I am Wang Yefan, my brother Wang Yeran, and Yang Qianxian. If you and your friends don't mind, I will be your host tonight."

When Yang Yuan went to Shanyin to investigate the Ma Huangnu case, he borrowed Wang Yefan's identity.

Hearing him introduce himself, he couldn't help but laugh and said, "So you are the brother of Young Master Wang. Brother Anguo, let's not reject Young Master Wang's kindness. How about we go and have a drink together?"

When Zhang Xiaoxiang saw the atmosphere in the building, he wanted to leave.

However, since Yang Yuan said so, it was difficult for him to refuse.

When Liu Shangqiu, Xiao Yiran and Lu Chengze saw this situation, they immediately realized that they could not leave.

Otherwise, under the watchful eyes of the public, who knows what rumors might spread. If you turn around and leave at this time, you will lose your fighting spirit.

So, as soon as Wang Yefan invited and Yang Yuan spoke, the three of them had already walked over and bowed to Young Master Wang to express their gratitude.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaoxiang couldn't help but smile and nodded, "Of course, thank you for your hospitality, Second Young Master. Ziyue, please."

Most secretaries are cautious and tactful.

But Zhang Xiaoxiang was different. He was indeed cautious in doing things, but he was never smooth in his actions.

Zhang Zhuangyuan is also a sharp-edged person with a clear stance.

He doesn't like to cause trouble, but he is definitely not afraid of it. Since Yang Yuan said so, he will no longer refuse.

So, a few waiters came over and quickly cleaned the table, and Wang Yefan invited everyone to their seats.

After the few people sat down, the guests sitting nearby came over to toast them and introduce themselves, which seemed very warm and lively.

Any one of these five people is worth making friends with.

Two top scorers, one second place, and one third place, it goes without saying that these four people will have future achievements, if nothing unexpected happens, of at least the fourth rank or above.

As for Uncle Liu, although his sixth sister is a former imperial concubine, he still has five brothers-in-law.

These brothers-in-law are distributed in various fields including politics, military, economy and education. They are all powerful officials and are also people worthy of their currying favor.

The officials on the second floor generally hold higher official positions than the five young masters here. Besides, they were invited by Tang Shitui, so it was naturally impossible for them to come downstairs to meet them.

There are several ministers, chancellors and vice-ministers here. The minister is already a high-ranking official of the second rank, the same as the prime minister. It would be reasonable for Yang Yuan and others to come upstairs to toast.

However, after Zhang Xiaoxiang, Yang Yuan and others took their seats, they had a lively time with the guests who came to toast them, and then went back to chatting and laughing, with no intention of coming upstairs at all.

The expression on Tang Shitui's face gradually became a little embarrassed.

The guests at the table naturally noticed this, but no one wanted to bring up the topic, so they could only cheer themselves up and create an atmosphere.

However, the awkward atmosphere still affected everyone. Everyone became unnatural when talking about it. It felt like they were forcing a topic, which made people feel awkward and uncomfortable.

Zhao Shiping, the Junior Official of the Dali Temple, frowned when he saw this, then laughed and said, "Xiao and Lu are here too. I had a lot of arguments with them over a case a while ago, so we are no strangers to each other. I'm going to go take a look at these two rising stars."

Zhao Shaoqing glanced at the officials sitting at the same table and walked downstairs.

The officials at the same table knew that this was Zhao Shaoqing's attempt to give instructions to Zhang Xiaoxiang, Yang Yuan and others.

Zhao Shaoqing went downstairs and walked to the table of Yang Yuan and others, and said with a smile: "I didn't expect to meet you here today."

Zhang Xiaoxiang and others stood up to greet Zhao Shaoqing. Zhao Shaoqing came empty-handed and did not toast.

He chatted with Zhang Xiaoxiang and the others for a while, then lowered his voice and said in a caring tone of an elder: "You young people really don't know the etiquette. Since the governors and ministers are here, why don't you toast them with a glass of wine?"

Xiao Yiran said sternly: "Shaoqing, it is precisely because all the gentlemen above are ministers of the court and I am a constitutional official that I should avoid suspicion."

Lu Chengze glanced at Xiao Yiran and said with a smile: "Lu also thinks so."

Zhao Shiping frowned and looked at Zhang Xiaoxiang.

Zhang Xiaoxiang smiled and said, "I am an official in front of the emperor, so it is inconvenient for me to make friends with ministers. I hope you will forgive me."

Zhao Shiping pointed at Yang Yuan and said with a faint smile: "Yang Qianxian can also be considered a minister, right?"

Anyone above the fifth rank can be called a minister, and Yang Yuan is currently indeed at the lower limit of the minister level.

Zhang Xiaoxiang smiled and said, "Ziyue is my friend. I will be transferred to Jiankang soon. Today is a farewell party hosted by Ziyue for me in advance, so it is naturally different."

Zhao Shiping let out a long sigh and looked at Liu Shangqiu again, the meaning in his eyes was self-evident.

Liu Shangqiu rolled his eyes at him, more charming than a woman's, and said, "I am only a low-ranking military officer, and cannot reach the level of the ministers in charge. If I were to offer a toast, I would be inappropriate."

Zhao Shiping shook his head repeatedly after listening to this. He felt that he had good intentions and did not want these people to upset the senior officials upstairs because of etiquette issues. However, he did not expect that these people would be so unyielding.

It seems that all the problems lie with Yang Yuan. After all, Zhang Xiaoxiang just said that Yang Yuan was holding a farewell banquet for him today.

Zhao Shiping wanted to persuade him, so he said to Yang Yuan in a friendly manner: "Yang Qianxian, although the Censorate is a constitutional official, it is not appropriate to have much contact with court officials. If you happen to meet at a banquet, it is human nature to offer a glass of wine to him."

Yang Yuan smiled and said, "What Zhao Shaoqing said is right. Yang also wanted to go upstairs to toast."

Zhao Shiping was overjoyed and said, "That's great, then you and I will go upstairs together..."

Yang Yuan sighed and said, "But etiquette doesn't allow it."

"Huh? What?"

Yang Yuan said, "In official matters, it is natural to discuss the rank of an official. But at this wine table... Yang is a founding marquis, a super-rank official. A super-rank official offering respect to a second, third, fourth, or fifth-rank official is a violation of etiquette and a violation of hierarchy, isn't it?"

Zhao Shiping was silent for a moment, then said to Wang Yefan, "Can I borrow a glass of wine from you?"

After listening to their conversation, Wang Yefan realized that this person was actually the Junior Official of the Dali Temple. Even though he had always been a stubborn person, he couldn't help but behave himself.

When he heard Zhao Shiping speaking to him so politely, he hurriedly said, "Yes, yes."

He quickly took an empty cup, filled it with wine and offered it to Zhao Shiping.

Zhao Shiping held the cup in his hand and said to Yang Yuan, "My Lord, I offer you a toast."

Yang Yuan took the cup and said with a smile, "You are too polite, Shaoqing Zhao. Let's drink together." The two clinked their cups and drank it all in one gulp.

Zhao Shiping put down the cup, took a step back, bowed to Yang Yuan, turned around and left.

Ever since Zhao Shiping went downstairs, the guests on the second floor, who had noticed his whereabouts, had been observing the movements downstairs quietly.

They all knew that the people downstairs were basically the confidants cultivated by the current emperor after he ascended the throne, and they were the new nobles of the court.

Their position is basically the opposite of that of the ministers upstairs.

Such clear-cut positions are impossible to reconcile even if they were to drink together every day.

However, a mature official must maintain superficial harmony in such public occasions, no matter how contradictory his positions are.

They were able to climb to such high positions because they have experienced the ups and downs of officialdom and have been tempered for a long time. They all agree with this philosophy of life.

They didn't believe that these young officials, who were full of vigor and vitality, would dare to challenge such official rules.

Now that Zhao Shaoqing has been dealt with, they have been given a way out. They have had their fill of glory, so it is time for them to go upstairs and toast.

As a result, they saw Zhao Shiping toasting Yang Yuan with a glass of wine with a somewhat stiff expression, then turned around and went upstairs, while Yang Yuan and others actually sat down again.

At this point, the officials on the second floor could no longer hold their breath.

Whispers were heard everywhere, and each whisper was like a slap in Tang Shitui's face.

Even though Tang Shitui always prided himself on his magnanimity, the officials and girls at the table could see the slightly stiff look on his face.

The atmosphere on the second floor suddenly became subtle.

The twelve courtesans and the beauties from the Cuiyu Tower, who were responsible for livening up the atmosphere, immediately started walking around the place.

A few sweet smiles here, a few delicate voices over a glass of wine there, finally the scene gradually became lively again.

Young Master Wang was very happy that Yang Yuan didn't look down on him at all.

Zhang Xiaoxiang, Xiao Yiran, Lu Chengze and Liu Shangqiu, who were not officials of the yamen but were qualified to be born in the yamen, did not look down on him.

They would not ignore Wang Yefan while chatting and laughing, nor would they treat him like a waiter and order him to do this and that.

Wang Yefan only spent a few dozen coins to reserve this seat today, plus the two tables of food and wine that had been changed once.

If you only consider the expenses on food and drink, this is already a sky-high price. Only the first-class restaurants in Lin'an are so expensive.

The real money spent is on beauty, and it’s hard to say how much that will cost.

It can be done with dozens of strings of coins, hundreds, thousands or even tens of thousands of strings of coins, it all depends on who you call to drink with you.

Young Master Wang still had more than 9,000 coins in his hand, and he had not yet completed the task his father had assigned him to spend.

He originally wanted to wait until the young masters had finished three rounds of wine and five dishes, and when everyone had drunk enough, he would invite a few famous prostitutes to serve wine, and then naturally "put them together".

Unexpectedly, those people were too arrogant, which made him very angry. Later, when he saw Yang Yuan and others, he could not bear it anymore and drove away those bastards who were impossible to tame.

At this time, he was getting along well with Yang Yuan and others, so he slipped aside quietly under the pretext of going to the bathroom, called a waiter, and asked him to invite a beauty to serve wine.

Young Master Wang ordered six beauties from his servants, each for one thousand strings of cash. It was agreed that they would first accompany him to drink, and then sleep with him, with each person getting one thousand strings of cash.

With a fortune of one thousand strings of cash, the girl he picked was no less pretty and pretty than the twelve courtesans.

They were just slightly inferior in talent and failed to make it into the top twelve in the West Lake Beauty Competition.

If one of the twelve courtesans could be invited to accompany him, an additional thousand kan would be given to each of them.

After agreeing on the price, Wang Ershao paid the money and the waiter hurried to make arrangements. Wang Ershao then walked back with a smile on his face.

Before he even reached his seat, Young Master Wang was stunned.

He saw Miss Zhiwan, one of the twelve courtesans.

He also went to the selection of the most beautiful woman on the night of the Lantern Festival, and gave rewards to the woman he admired to help her get selected.

Zhiwan was the girl he was trying hard to hook up with. She was his favorite type, with a bright and beautiful face, as well as an elegant and intellectual temperament.

Miss Zhiwan, accompanied by a pretty maid, walked slowly to their seats, said a few words to Yang Yuan and the others with a sweet smile, then sat down naturally, taking the seat of Young Master Wang.

On the left side of Master Wang's seat was Yang Yuan, and on the right side was Zhang Xiaoxiang. As soon as Miss Zhiwan sat down, she leaned her delicate body against Zhang Xiaoxiang, her eyes and eyebrows expressive, as if they could speak.

"'Young Master Zhang in heaven, young people see the glory of the country', I have heard of Young Master Zhang's great name for a long time, and I am so happy to have the honor of meeting him today. I would like to offer you a cup of wine, please drink it up."

Wang Ershao’s idol, Miss Zhiwan, looked at her idol Zhang Xiaoxiang with a tender look on her face and raised her glass.

At this time, Miss Xiao Yun, one of the twelve courtesans, also came with her personal maid, like a fairy banished to the earth, and walked to Yang Yuan's side.

"My name is Xiao Yun, and I am honored to meet the Marquis. The Marquis can unite the states with a single word and expand the borders with a single gesture. In Xiao Yun's heart, you are the most famous scholar and the most heroic person. I am very happy to see you today."

Xiao Yiran and Lu Chengze laughed and clapped their hands, saying, "It has always been seen that men are attracted to beautiful women, but today it is the beautiful women who are attracted to heroes. The two champions are really enviable."

Having said that, both of them felt a little jealous. The difference in ranking was just one (or two) places. Was the gap so big?
Miss Xiao Yun ran straight to their house without even looking at us.

In fact, Miss Xiao Yun did see it. She saw it when she was upstairs.

They already knew who was more handsome.

The person who impressed her the most was, of course, Yang Yuan, followed by Zhang Xiaoxiang.

As a result, that little bitch Zhiwan went downstairs first. She was afraid that she was going to snatch Yang Yuan from her. But it turned out that Zhiwan admired Zhang Xiaoxiang, so why didn't she take action quickly?
As for Uncle Liu...

Liu Guojiu's face is too aggressive to women. Who wants to get close to his "good sister"? In Xiao Yun's mind, he is the first one to be rejected.

At this time, seeing that someone had taken action first, the other girls could no longer hold back.

The courtesan Yu Gou couldn't wait to walk downstairs.

The twelve courtesans were invited to Cuiyu Tower, but there was no specification as to who they had to accompany. Except for Tang Shitui who was accompanied by today's main character, Miss Shui Fu, their only responsibility was to warm up the place and liven up the atmosphere.

Moreover, the "appearance fee" given to them is really not high, it's just because the level of the people they have to receive is high enough. This is also a matter of consolidating their reputation, and each party just gets what they need.

However, when these five gentlemen arrived, the girls had different ideas.

As both are officials and celebrities, the reputations brought to them by the old man in his fifties and the young man with a bright future are similar.

But in terms of emotional value, the handsome young man is of course higher.

What's more, those who can become the oiran are naturally stunningly beautiful and talented, but they can stand out because they are famous enough.

When Yuyaonu wanted to compete for one of the twelfth most beautiful girls, she used new songs in advance to constantly build her reputation and gain fans, so that she would have popularity when competing for one of the twelfth most beautiful girls.

It takes time for these courtesans to learn their talents, it takes time for their looks and figures to bloom at their most attractive, and it takes even more time to build a reputation, so they are all around 18 or 19 years old, or even in their early twenties.

In terms of age, I am about to go downhill in this industry.

In terms of fame and status, they have reached the top.

The next step is to make more money while you are at your most valuable and find a good doctor.

Becoming a wife of an official is their best future.

If this official is not only promising but also young, wouldn't he be the best target?

Zhiwan sat next to Zhang Xiaoxiang, and Xiaoyun's maid was tactful enough to move a seat for her so that she could squeeze next to Yang Yuan.

Miss Yu Gou came slowly and said to Lu Chengze with a smile: "This must be Lu Tanhua who uses wisdom as a sword and pen as a knife, right? Tanhua Lang defended justice for the young lady of the Gao family and insisted on sentencing Zhang Mi to death. I have heard about it for a long time. I also went to watch the play performed by Yue's Zaju Troupe. I have admired Lu Tanhua for a long time."

They all came prepared. Before coming down, they had already asked the waiter about the identities of the five people, so there was no need to ask.

Xiao Yiran was quite surprised. The two top scorers had already been taken, and it should be my turn as the runner-up. Why was she looking for the third place?

No one cares about the handsome and elegant young man, Master Qingyang, but he doesn't care at all, because he has seen through everything.

Aren’t these little bitches just disgusted by the fact that I’m prettier than you when I put on women’s clothes?
Tsk, who cares!
Young Master Wang watched another girl coming down the stairs, and he felt numb all over.

He suddenly thought, should I go find the waiter and ask for the money back?

Seeing that the courtesans couldn't wait to show their courtesy to the five men, the expression on Tang Shitui's face became even uglier.

Shui Fu, who was serving beside him, couldn't help but become cautious, fearing that she would bring bad luck to him.

At this time, a man came up the stairs, looked around, found Tang Situi's position, and hurried over, bowed to him, and said, "My old friend from Chuzhou (Lishui) has something to tell you."

Tang Shitui waved his hand with a sullen face, and the man came closer and whispered something into his ear.

Shui Fu poured wine for Tang Situi and listened carefully, but she only heard the word "circulation".

When Tang Situi heard this, his face suddenly changed.

The Imperial Guard Cavalry Division sent three groups of elite cavalry to leave Lin'an within one day, with no less than a thousand men in each group?
Where did they go? What were they doing? How come I didn't know anything about such a big event?
Who dares to bypass this authority and mobilize so many elite imperial guards without authorization?

Tang Situi could no longer sit still, so he bowed to the ministers at the same table and said, "I just received an urgent message and need to return immediately to deal with it. I am really sorry."

Everyone was feeling the atmosphere was awkward, and when they heard that Tang Situi was leaving, it was just what they wanted.

Someone said, "I am already too drunk and am about to announce my farewell to Prime Minister Tang."

The other said, "I am old and can no longer support myself. Mr. Tang is being considerate of me."

So everyone stood up.

When they walked through the hall, Zhang Xiaoxiang, Yang Yuan and others stood up and bowed to them with a smile.

Young Master Wang has already spent the money, how can he get it back? The waiter has a reward, okay?

So, now Zhang Xiaoxiang, Yang Yuan and others each had two or three girls squeezed around them, and they all sat in their arms.

There were several bright lip prints on the faces of Lu Tanhua and Xiao Bangyan, and even next to Wang Ershao, there were three girls.

Only Liu Guojiu was intentionally avoided by the girls who were afraid of wearing the same clothes as him, so he remained innocent.

Tang Shitui snorted coldly, which no one else could hear, retracted his gaze, and left quickly.

As Tang Situi and others retreated halfway, the conservative gentlemen and the radical followers completely shattered Tang Situi's purpose of demonstrating pressure on Prince Jin.

After Tang Shitui and the others left, everyone sat down again, and Lu Chengze said, "Secretary, Mr. Tang left in a hurry. Does it seem like something important happened?"

Yang Yuan ate a spoonful of crab roe from Miss Xiao Yun's hand, and took a sip of rice wine from Miss Nian Qing's hand. He then said calmly, "Prince Tang is an important minister of the country. He should be busy with official duties. Isn't that normal?"

As he answered like this, Yang Yuan thought, Tang Shitui was suddenly so panicked, maybe he knew the news that the imperial guards had left the capital?

The messenger...

Yang Yuan suddenly remembered that the messenger who had just followed Tang Shitui seemed a little familiar.

Yang Yuan immediately apologized, stood up from his seat, and walked out of the door of "Cui Yu Tower". Immediately, a person appeared from the side of the door.

Yang Yuan said, "There is a messenger with Mr. Tang. Keep an eye on him. I want to know where he ends up."

The man turned around and left without saying a word. At this time, Tang Shitui's carriage had just been driven out from the backyard by the waiters of Cuiyulou, and Tang Shitui had just boarded the carriage.

Yang Yuan dodged behind the pillars and thought thoughtfully:
He came to report the news at this time, obviously he did not intend to keep an eye on the imperial guards.

I didn't intend to keep an eye on the Imperial Guards, but I knew they had dispatched troops...

Could it be Lin'an Prefecture?
Could it be Qiao Zhen’s people?

In a bedroom in Cuiyu Tower, the red candle was half burned.

Mr. Qiao leaned on the couch and took the sobering soup offered by Miss Nan Yuan. He took a look at her, who was wearing a light robe, with her hair draped over her shoulders and a charming face, with a complicated expression.

Nan Yuan said softly, "It's not hot anymore, Master, drink the hangover soup."

Qiao Zhen hesitated to speak, glanced at the red plum blossoms on the couch, and said, "You... could never have imagined... Hey, are you... willing to give up your official duties and become a good woman?"

Nan Yuan was overjoyed. She had guarded her body for so long and was going to gamble it away today. Wasn't this what she wanted to hear?
Nan Yuan hurriedly said: "I am willing to serve you from now on."

Master Qiao raised his head to the sky and sighed, and said quietly: "Nan Yuan, you don't know that although I have a little business and my family has some savings, but considering your status as an oiran, I don't know if it is enough to redeem you."

Nan Yuan smiled and replied softly, "I have a little savings, which I usually give to the temple to keep for interest. If the master needs it, I will use it."

(End of this chapter)