Di Ming

Chapter 98 Visiting the Temple Fair

"You're like a little tiger," Tang Rong said to Zhu Yin with a familiar smile. "You're really like a little adult, mature for your age, showing that ambition knows no age."

He joked with himself, then gave a serious bow.

"This humble student greets you." Zhu Yin also clasped his hands in a bow and stood respectfully on the left side of the road.

Then Tang Rong returned the greeting again, this time not with a simple "Wanfu" (a traditional Chinese greeting), but with a bow.

In ancient times, people of all ages, genders, social classes, and backgrounds were extremely polite. Even peddlers and laborers were not exempt from this custom; if they met an acquaintance on the road, they would invariably exchange pleasantries by the roadside.

Then, Tang Rong greeted Ning Caiwei.

The guards on both sides kept watch at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

Zhu Yin observed carefully and felt that if Zhuang Shu was precocious despite her young age, then Tang Rong was cunning and sly.

After Zhuang Shu's introduction, I learned that Tang Rong was actually Tang Shunzhi's granddaughter!

Historical records indicate that Tang Shunzhi was also from Changzhou and married into the Zhuang family of Changzhou.

Since the two families are related and both are prominent families in Changzhou, Zhuang Shu and Tang Rong must be very close friends.

At this moment, three graceful and beautiful figures stood at the head of Wuding Bridge, attracting the attention of many pedestrians crossing the bridge.

Tang Rong wore a white chrysanthemum in her hair, her face as beautiful as a lotus blossom and her eyes as clear as autumn water. Her eyebrows were like crescent moons and her eyes as bright as black lacquer. A pair of dimples graced her rosy cheeks, and her smile was radiant. Moreover, her smile carried a hint of languor, yet it did not seem disrespectful.

She was not yet twelve years old, not even a teenager, but she was already as graceful as a lotus bud swaying in the water.

Zhuang Shu's hair was tied up with a red ribbon, and she wore a Suzhou-embroidered moon-shaped dress with a water field design that was as radiant as the clouds. She had a delicate figure and an exquisite appearance. Her red lips were like flower petals, which set off her snow-white oval face, making her look like a painting.

She didn't have her cousin's dimples, but she had a cleft chin that her cousin lacked. It was this perfectly placed cleft chin that gave her a gentle and charming temperament, yet also a touch of sassiness.

Ning Caiwei stood gracefully in a moon-white satin pleated skirt, her figure swaying gently like a lotus leaf. She had a classic oval face and skin as smooth as jade.

Her eyebrows were like spring mountains, her eyes like starry autumn waters. She possessed a noble air and a carefree spirit; truly, she was naturally beautiful and flawless.

She didn't have Tang Rong's dimples, nor Zhuang Shu's cleft chin, but she did have a pair of pear-shaped dimples.

The dimples at the corners of her mouth, appearing and disappearing with every smile and frown, are beyond the reach of any painting.

Although she was only a ten-year-old girl, she possessed an air of authority that neither Tang nor Zhuang possessed. Her gentle smile and graceful movements exuded an indescribable refined elegance.

Tang Rong and Zhuang Shu were both daughters of wealthy families, but in front of her, they seemed more like maids and servants.

This feeling is not an illusion, but a real one.

Tang Rong and Zhuang Shu quickly realized it.

Their momentum was actually suppressed by Ning Dajiao!

This was unprecedented. Among girls of similar age, they had always been in complete control.

The two of them were immediately in a bad mood.

...

"Chih-hu, we need to go to the money table to exchange some copper coins first, we'll need them at the temple fair."

Zhuang Shu smiled and pointed to a money table stall across the street.

The money table was at the crossroads, with two tables set up in the open air, two people sitting at them, and a signboard banner that read "Lin Family Money Table, Honest and Fair to All, Young and Old".

They're basically just roadside vendors who do currency exchange business; they don't sell goods.

Zhu Yin knew that Qianzhuo was a small money exchange that exchanged gold, silver, coins, paper money, ordination certificates, and other currencies.

The financial sector in the Ming Dynasty mainly consisted of three categories of businesses: lending, pawnbroking, and exchange.

In the money exchange industry, the largest is called a money exchange, followed by money shops, money stores, and money tables.

Some are called banks, but these banks don't lend money or accept deposits; they only exchange silver.

The group immediately walked to the money table, intending to exchange some copper coins to go to the temple fair.

Don't underestimate the Qianzhuo (money table) or underestimate its lack of a storefront; it's just a stall.

People who can run a money-making business, even if it's a small operation, must have some influence behind them. Otherwise, they definitely couldn't do it.

The two men at the Lin family's money table immediately stood up and bowed to the arriving guests, saying:
"May the young master and young lady have a happy Mid-Autumn Festival and a harmonious family reunion."

"What do you wish to exchange? This table can exchange copper coins, gold, and paper money up to fifty taels, and we also accept ordination certificates."

After saying that, he touched the balance scale on the table, saying, "I'm honest with everyone, young and old."

"Oh dear, I can't exchange that much." Zhuang Shu smiled slightly and took out a small piece of silver weighing one qian from her exquisite purse. "I'll just exchange it for a string of copper coins, but it has to be good coins."

"Alright!" The table owner skillfully weighed the silver with a steelyard and took out a string of brand-new Wanli Tongbao coins.

"Young lady, isn't this money good? It's a brand new 2-cash coin from the 13th year of the Wanli reign! It's the most respectable reward you can receive."

"If it's not good money, I wouldn't dare give you only one hundred coins."

Zhuang Shu didn't even look at it before stuffing the fifty copper coins into her purse.

Tang Rong also took out a piece of silver worth one qian (approximately 3.3 grams), saying, "I'll exchange it for one string of cash as well. But I want sixty small coins, twenty of which will be worth two qian."

The lead singer nodded, picked up the loose silver coins, and his expression changed.

He tapped the silver on the balance scale, then bit it in his mouth, and shook his head, saying:
"I'm sorry, young lady, could you exchange it for one coin? This one coin is pure silver, not even a seven-grade coin or a copper-mixed coin, it's not even as good as dead fish baijiu. If I accept it, I will be at a loss."

"Huh?" Tang Rong frowned. "Fake?"

The table owner nodded, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "I see that you, young lady, have a distinguished air about you. You must be from a wealthy family. How could you possibly use counterfeit money? Some merchant must have cheated you when giving you change."

"I remember now!" Tang Rong said with annoyance, "A few days ago, I bought a jade fan pendant at Tianyu Pavilion. It cost four taels and six qian, and the shopkeeper gave me four qian in change."

She then took out three more silver coins, each worth one qian (approximately 3 grams). "Please help me check, are they all fake?"

The table owner looked at it and shook his head, saying, "Four taels of silver, all of it is pure silver. I naturally believe what you say, young lady. But it's very strange."

"Logically speaking, Tianyu Pavilion is an old brand. It has been selling jade since the Zhengde period and has always had a very good reputation. Why would it deceive its customers?"

"Could it be that something happened at Tianyu Pavilion, and the shop assistants, sensing the danger first, took it upon themselves to cheat customers with counterfeit silver?"

"Young lady, in my opinion, it's best to let this matter go. Once the change leaves the store, the other party can simply refuse to acknowledge it."

"Tianyu Pavilion is a large and reputable establishment. Who would believe your words?"

Tang Rong was very upset upon hearing this.

She wasn't upset about the four taels of silver; she wouldn't even care about four ounces. What angered her was that she had been deceived!

Moreover, they were actually scammed by the reputable large store, Tianyuge.

This is really unreasonable!

Seeing that her cousin had counterfeit silver, Zhuang Shu immediately took out another qian of silver and exchanged it for 100 copper coins for Tang Rong.

When Ning Caiwei heard the words "something might have happened to Tianyu Pavilion", her heart skipped a beat.

For a large, long-established company, reputation is its greatest soft asset.

Money can't buy that. It's a reputation built up over many years.

This incident at least shows that the management of Tianyu Pavilion has suddenly become lax and it is no longer possible to get employees to follow the rules.

If the management of a long-established company suddenly becomes lax, it must mean something serious has happened.

Are there any business opportunities in this?

She previously managed the Ning Group and made many successful acquisitions, so she knows how important business opportunities are.

By seizing the best business opportunities, one can acquire the best resources at the lowest cost through negotiation, bidding, and other means.

If the acquisition is successful, it will be a huge profit.

It's cruel. But if you don't do it, someone else will.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin thought to himself:
"The Ming Dynasty's monetary system was too backward. We need to unify the currency, mint silver coins, and establish a national silver standard. We should use monetary reform as a lever for fiscal and tax reform."

As for business opportunities, he didn't even consider them.

Ning Caiwei immediately took out three qian of silver and exchanged it for three hundred wen. She and Zhu Yin each received one hundred wen, and Ding Hongying and Mei He each received fifty wen.

Zhuang Shu and Tang Rong exchanged a glance and immediately realized that Ning Caiwei was someone who treated her servants well.

Rewarding someone for no merit!

Heh, such preferential treatment of servants... may not be a good thing.

Unbeknownst to them, Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei never treated Ding Hongying and the others as servants.

After exchanging the copper coins, the group boarded the vehicle again and headed towards the Confucius Temple, one after the other.

Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the shops along the road are decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and pedestrians are all wearing happy expressions.

The atmosphere was so peaceful and lively that it seemed like just yesterday that a major incident and martial law were imposed.

The Confucius Temple is a temple dedicated to Confucius. Confucius temples are usually located next to schools.

The Nanjing Confucius Temple at the East Archway is located next to the Yingtian Prefectural School and the Imperial Examination Hall. It is separated from the Prefectural School only by Gongyuan West Street.

To the west of Confucius Temple, across Sifu Lane, lies the famous Zhongshan Prince's Mansion, now known as the Wei State Duke's Mansion.

Therefore, Confucius Temple is the busiest commercial area in Nanjing during the day.

As for the night, it's naturally the Qinhuai River.

As the carriage entered and exited the bustling and wide Dongpailou Street, Tang Rong suddenly lifted the carriage curtain, revealing her charming face. Looking at a grand and imposing shop with a magnificent gate on the roadside, she coldly snorted:
"That's the Zhenyu Pavilion, how shameless!"

Upon hearing her voice, Ning Caiwei quickly lifted the carriage curtain and looked at Tianyu Pavilion.

It is indeed a high-end store, with a facade that is both simple and grand, befitting its status as a famous time-honored brand in Nanjing.

But what exactly happened?
"What's there to see?" Zhu Yin shook his head. "With this chaotic monetary system, it's inevitable that the market will be flooded with inferior currency and counterfeit silver, and there will be many victims. The more chaotic it is, the more the powerful and wealthy will benefit. In the end, it's all about politics..."

“In fact, the people of the Ming Dynasty faced a huge problem: the currency system and monetary laws.”

Ning Caiwei was too lazy to explain. She knew Zhu Yin wasn't interested either. This man was concerned about the country and its people, and his heart was always filled with matters of national importance and the well-being of the common people.

His core is a macro-narrative of family, country, and the world, so it's normal that he doesn't care about these things.

Soon, the carriage arrived at Gongyuan West Street.

We've arrived at the Confucius Temple.

Even at the entrance, it was already packed with tourists, and horse-drawn carriages couldn't get in.

The group had no choice but to stop their carriage at the street corner, pay the parking fee, and then walk in.

Ning Caiwei said in a low voice, "What's the difference between this and the pedestrian streets and scenic parks of later generations? They're practically the same."

Upon entering Gongyuan West Street, which resembles a pedestrian street, one is immediately transported to a prosperous and bustling era.

Men, women, young and old, a bustling crowd—so many people!

Both men and women were dressed in bright red and green, vying with each other for attention.

In addition to the older styles of ruqun, beizi, duijinshan, and mamianqun, women also had some new styles, such as shuitianyi, yuehuayi, and nichangqun.

As for jewelry, some women were adorned with pearls and jade, while others wore jingling ornaments; it was rare to see a woman without jewelry.

Their makeup styles were diverse and dazzling. Whether heavy or light, most were meticulous, even the elderly women with silver hair.

Just looking at eyebrow makeup, Zhu Yin could name several styles, including Xiaoshan eyebrows, Daoyun eyebrows, Yanhan eyebrows, Yuanyang eyebrows, and Diaozhu eyebrows.

Most of them were eyebrow makeup styles that Zhu Yin couldn't name.

As for facial makeup, Zhu Yin recognized styles such as coin makeup, peach blossom makeup, wine blush makeup, and rosy dawn makeup...

Moreover, most young women wear floral decorations. Compared to eyebrow makeup and face makeup, floral decorations offer a wider variety of styles.

The floral decorations they applied ranged in size from as small as soybeans to as large as copper coins. Some were placed between their eyebrows, some on their foreheads, some under their eyes, some on their cheeks, and even some on their hands and necks.

The shapes of floral patterns include flowers, cloud patterns, insects, grass leaves, Chinese characters, and many more.

Some even stick flower petals and tender leaves directly on their faces, creating a natural and wild look.

However, what is even more unique is Nanjing's famous fish-scale inlay.

Zhu Yin was surprised to discover that at least 20-30% of the women attending the temple fair today had used fish-scale inlay.

It turns out that a type of shad is found in the Yangtze River near Nanjing, with silvery-yellow scales that are very dazzling. Moreover, it doesn't easily fall off when applied to the face.

As a result, fish-scale inlay became fashionable in Nanjing, and everyone rushed to imitate it.

Fish scales on their faces may look beautiful, but only they know whether they taste fishy.

The spices and pollen they used were diverse, each leaving a distinct fragrance. Some women even wore scented clothes, their aromas irresistible.

Even the female beggars begging on the street corners are dressed neatly and cleanly, either with flowers in their hair or rouge on their faces.

"Achoo—" Several elegantly dressed women strolled past him, and Zhu Yin couldn't help but sneeze from the fragrance, which actually made him more energetic.

"Giggle..." The older women turned around with smiles, looking at the unfamiliar boy who was being overwhelmed by their fragrance. They covered their faces with round fans, their laughter like bells. Most of these women had bound feet and wore exquisite and beautiful embroidered shoes.

The woman, who loved to flaunt her wealth, wore pearl-embellished shoes, her steps shimmering as she walked gracefully.

There were also women wearing high-soled shoes called "Wanxia" (meaning "late fall"), their gait graceful and elegant.

Some women wore ankle bells that jingled melodiously.

Zhu Yin noticed that the women around him all walked with small steps, mostly cat-like or shuffling steps, their movements graceful and leisurely.

They wore sachets and pouches around their waists, embroidered handkerchiefs tucked into their chests, and carried round fans, palace fans, or even raccoon dogs and white rabbits.

Compared to them, Ning Caiwei and the other two girls had it much simpler because of their young age.

Tourists like Ding Hongying who carry knives... there aren't any, let alone women or men.

Only patrolling police officers and soldiers carry knives.

So Ding Hongying, dressed as a chivalrous woman with big feet and a Japanese sword, attracted many curious onlookers who looked on with inquisitive expressions, as if they were seeing something extraordinary.

This made Ding Hongying, who was usually carefree, a little insecure. She was usually very bold, but her hands were sweating as she held the Japanese sword.

His gaze was like a knife.

Meh was a Jurchen. Although he had changed into Han Chinese clothing and was wearing a hat, the bow and arrows he was carrying were enough to attract attention.

Where did this bumpkin come from? He looks like a country bumpkin who's never seen the world before. Why would he bring a bow and arrows to a temple fair?
it's so funny.

The men were just as impressive as the beautifully dressed women.

Zhu Yin was described in just three words: "competing in elegance and romance."

Men mostly wore boots, which were often made of brocade and decorated with gold and embroidery.

Many people still wore high boots that were reserved for officials, with inner compartments for storing letters, pens, name cards, and other items.

Fewer people are wearing cloud-patterned shoes or plain shoes.

Zhu Yin couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

In the early years of the dynasty, the laws were strict, covering everything from clothing and footwear. Merchant Yan Suozhu was beheaded for selling boots, and his family was exiled to Yunnan.

Now citizens are all wearing fancy boots. It's clear that human nature cannot be suppressed.

The men also wore flowers in their hair and applied powder, dressing up like He Lang.

Seven or eight out of ten wore sachets, seven or eight out of ten were dressed in red and green, and two or three out of ten waved folding fans; most of them were scholars. It was also not uncommon to see people holding whisks; most of them were not Taoists, but scholars.

There were also those wearing fake beards, all brightly colored.

There were also men with long red ribbons tied to their heads and boots, which fluttered as they walked.

Unlike women who love to hold raccoon dogs or jade rabbits, some men are followed by servants carrying cricket jars, grasshopper cages, quail cages, and cockfighting cages.

This area is actually still within the "pedestrian street" and we haven't officially entered the Confucius Temple area yet.

It's gotten quite lively!

But Zhu Yin has an annoying professional habit.

Wherever there are many people, he will always observe whether there are fire-fighting facilities, evacuation routes, safety hazards, or dangerous individuals around him.

So Zhu Yin climbed onto a stone lampstand by the roadside, stood on it, and looked around.

To the west are the high walls of the Confucius Temple, so there's nothing to see except for the tall and majestic temple buildings. But on the high platform inside the prefectural school to the east, several people stand, looking down at the crowd.

Those men were dressed in scholars' robes, but to Zhu Yin, it looked a bit awkward.

The Confucian robes worn by scholars are somewhat different; they are wide-sleeved and elegant in style, and only scholars can bring out that kind of temperament in them.

The people on the platform were dressed in Confucian robes, but they didn't have that scholarly air about them; it felt very strange.

It seems like I don't know where to put my hands.

Their eyes didn't have the carefree and leisurely look of scholars gazing into the distance; instead, they were somewhat gloomy.

In reality, these people are nothing special to others.

However, in the eyes of veteran spy Zhu Yin, it was enough to attract his attention.

He jumped off the lampstand and walked forward with the crowd, seemingly casually glancing at the few Confucian scholars on the high platform.

Just as he was about to reach the east gate of the Confucius Temple, he finally caught a subtle movement.

One of the scholars on the high platform, as he turned to leave the platform, habitually made the sign of the cross on his chest.

Very few people recognize this gesture. And the person's gesture was not obvious.

But to his utter surprise, a child in the crowd on the street below noticed his mysterious and subtle movements.

Zhu Yin's heart skipped a beat.

Is this a member of the underground church who slipped through the net?

What are they planning to do? Revenge?

Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Confucius Temple is packed with people.

Even if they wanted revenge, what could they do?
They have no military power at all.

Force... no!
Why can't force be firearms? Or even gunpowder?
Upon connecting this to his thoughts, Zhu Yin immediately began to deduce the truth.

If he himself were a Jesuit fanatic, a fugitive from the underground church, what would he do if he wanted to retaliate against the Nanjing authorities?
The best revenge is to commit acts of terrorism.

If a terrorist attack were to occur in Nanjing, resulting in heavy casualties, then everyone from Tian Yi to Hai Rui would be dismissed from their posts and imprisoned.

All the high-ranking officials in Nanjing involved in this major case need to be replaced!
Therefore, the best way to cause damage is to blow up the Confucius Temple.

Just like decades later, someone detonated the gunpowder at Wanggongchang, causing the Apocalypse Explosion.

Later research suggests that the Apocalyptic Explosion may have been orchestrated by the Jesuits. While the evidence is insufficient, the possibility of the Jesuits cannot be ruled out.

It is a suspect.

If that's the case, then why plan a bombing at Confucius Temple now?
If he were to carry out this plan himself, the best time to do so would be on Mid-Autumn Festival night.

It's morning now, and there aren't enough people yet.

It's not convenient to do it during the day, in broad daylight, when everyone is watching.

The source of gunpowder was actually quite simple for them. They also had ways of secretly burying it in the Confucius Temple.

Technically and operationally, it is entirely feasible and not difficult.

As for the power of gunpowder... if there is enough gunpowder, it can cause significant casualties even in densely populated areas.

The Wanggongchang explosion caused heavy casualties because it was a gunpowder workshop with a large stockpile of gunpowder. However, without deliberate detonation, such a disaster could not have occurred.

Of course, all of this was just Zhu Yin's speculation and association.

There is no evidence or clue to support this.

But for intelligence agents, their work always involves speculation and conjecture. What's the point of waiting until there's evidence before taking action?

For any potential disaster, there must be preventative measures.

It's better to be wrong than to be careless!
Zhu Yin then noticed that the person on the high platform, who appeared to be a Confucian scholar, was looking in the direction of the Dacheng Hall area.

That's the core building complex of Confucius Temple, and it's definitely the most crowded place at night.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yin noticed that the group of people said something and then went down from the platform together.

Before long, several more Confucian scholars came up from the platform. This time, they seemed like genuine Confucian scholars, and their demeanor and bearing were clearly different from the previous ones in Zhu Yin's eyes.

Zhu Yin did not tell Ning Caiwei his suspicions. After all, it was just his imagination.

Even if he reports to the authorities now to warn them, it will only alert the enemy.

Something without evidence.

He could only secretly observe those suspicious Confucian scholars. They would definitely come in.

He needed to observe the area near the Dacheng Hall, using the crowds as cover to search for traces and clues of buried explosives.

If there are absolutely no clues, then you are just being paranoid and overthinking things.

……

While Zhu Yin was pondering, the group entered the Confucius Temple together.

The first thing you see is the battle zone outside the square.

There were cricket fights, cockfights, and quail fights, with cheers and many people placing bets.

"They fight this and that, but there's no bullfighting." Zhu Yin glanced at it and then looked away.

Bullfighting also existed in ancient China. In each bullfighting competition, civilian warriors would volunteer to fight the bull bare-handed, a practice that continued until the Tang Dynasty, but disappeared in the Song Dynasty and was completely absent in the Ming Dynasty.

The Han people after the Tang Dynasty and those before the Song Dynasty seemed to have undergone a blood transfusion, and were no longer considered to be of the same ethnicity.

After passing the battle zone, a group of people surrounded a row of vendors, playing poker on a spinning wheel.

Guanpu is similar to a gambling game. Not only are small commodities gambled on, but even land, houses, slaves, carriages, and shops are bet on.

In the early Ming Dynasty, Emperor Taizu strictly prohibited gambling. Now, this game has long since resurfaced.

In front of the vendors were large turntables, with various small goods displayed in fan-shaped areas.

There are sugar cakes, stuffed lotus roots, porcelain bowls, mother-of-pearl inlaid items, chess sets, handkerchiefs, sachets, scented soap, hairpins, scissors, clay figurines, wolf-head hats, bronze mirrors…

Large items are also available, but they are not loaded onto the carousel. The fan-shaped area of ​​the carousel displays the names of the various large items, using their names to represent the goods.

The names listed above included drum stool, folding chair, chest, door curtain, charcoal stove, pipa (a Chinese lute), qin (a Chinese stringed instrument), piglet, goose, lamb…

The vendors spun the wheel rapidly, and customers who paid to participate in the game threw arrows like arrows into a pot. Whichever area the arrow landed in, they would receive the goods in that area.

In this situation, it's all about luck, not skill. So it's gambling.

Ning Caiwei stopped to watch with great interest. Her beautiful face and refined demeanor made her stand out in the crowd.

But when they saw her six-inch feet under her skirt, everyone's gazes changed and their expressions became regretful.

Those who originally had lewd thoughts were now disgusted and couldn't be bothered to look at Ning Caiwei a second time.

The women around her, however, all exuded a degree of confidence, as if they were superior to Ning Caiwei.

Some people even walked past her, deliberately lifting their skirts to reveal their tiny, dumpling-like feet.

Well, here I am, showing off.

Ning Caiwei was both amused and exasperated.

She didn't care at all and said to Zhu Yin, "How about we play a game of Guanpu?"

Zhu Yin nodded, and Ning Caiwei then spent twenty-seven copper coins to buy three arrows.

The items being invested in are, of course, small goods.

"Hit!" Ning Caiwei aimed at the spinning wheel and threw an arrow, but it grazed the edge of the wheel.

Nothing.

Without a second thought, Ning Caiwei threw an arrow and hit the turntable. The contents of the fan-shaped area were a bag of stuffed lotus roots.

"Oh, young lady! You're so lucky! May you make a fortune!" The vendor gave a thumbs-up. "Congratulations! May your Mid-Autumn Festival be a perfect one!"

After saying that, he picked up the bag of stuffed lotus root with a beaming smile and handed it to Ning Caiwei.

"These are the stuffed lotus roots from Mioufang. They usually sell out by noon."

Ning Caiwei took the bag of stuffed lotus roots, which weighed about a pound, and handed it to Zhu Yin. She then threw the third arrow.

Fall through.

Only one out of three throws was successful. It's like spending twenty-seven copper coins to buy a pound of stuffed lotus root from the Honey Lotus Root Shop.

It's just stuffing lotus roots; it's worth at most twenty coins.

It's definitely a loss.

Zhuang Shu covered her mouth and laughed, "Caiwei, you still like Guan Pu? Hehe."

Tang Rong smiled knowingly.

Just then, a cheer suddenly came from deeper into the square, followed by a loud and clear voice:
"Dear readers! Last time we talked about how Cao Mengde and Liu Bei discussed heroes over wine, asking who in the world was the hero!"

"The Imperial Uncle mentioned several figures, but Cao Cao dismissed them all. Dear readers, do you know what Cao Cao was trying to say?"

P.S.: That's all for today. Please leave a book review! Thank you, goodnight. And for those who are reading this book, please subscribe automatically!

(End of this chapter)