Chapter 13

Following the young servant, I turned into a rather spacious courtyard, which contained about a dozen rooms of various sizes.

The servant pushed open a door and smiled, “Young Master, please have a seat. Tea will be served shortly.”

I stepped inside, and the servant closed the door from outside.

This was a suite of three connected rooms. The central one was a hall, with a bright room on the left and a dimmer one on the right, both separated by curtains.

I lifted the curtain on the left and found it was a study. The desk, chairs, and all the scholar’s essentials were present. By the window stood a guqin, and on a small side table sat an incense burner, with fragrant smoke curling from within.

It was quite elegant. I stepped back out and went to the room on the right.

Lifting the curtain, I paused in surprise, then understood.

This was a bedroom. By the door stood a stand with a copper basin, scented soap, and a sweat towel. On the floor was a silver flask, presumably for water.

Opposite was a luxurious ivory bed covered with a brocade quilt, with gauzy curtains hanging from golden hooks on either side.

On the bedside table was a vase shaped like a beauty with raised shoulders, holding fresh flowers. I sniffed, and a faint fragrance filled the room.

I lowered my head and chuckled to myself, “Seems I’ve discovered something remarkable…”

“Young Master.”

The door opened. I turned to see a woman of about fifty enter, followed by a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl carrying a lacquered tray.

I looked closely at the woman. “Are you Mother Liu?”

The woman paused, then smiled, “Young Master recognizes me? But you look unfamiliar.”

It seemed Fu Ling’s description was accurate-it was indeed her.

I quickly formed a plan. I took a sachet from my sleeve and handed it over, asking, “Do you recognize this?”

Mother Liu examined the sachet closely, sniffed it, and, after confirming, returned it with both hands, her face beaming. “I heard a stranger had arrived, and I wondered where in Anyang such a handsome young man could be found. So you are acquainted with the Eldest Young Master. May I ask your name, Young Master?”

Who would have thought that something Zi Su had pilfered from Dong Jingmo out of mischief would come in handy now.

“Hmm… My surname is Bai,” I replied evasively, but my eyes were fixed on the girl behind her.

Mother Liu noticed and gestured for the girl to place the tray on the table.

The girl walked gracefully over, set down the tray, poured a cup of tea, and presented it to me with a sweet voice, “Young Master, please enjoy your tea.”

“Your fingers are slender as bamboo shoots, your wrists like white lotus roots,” I teased as I accepted the cup. “But I wonder, could you perhaps ‘tune the strings and draw the thread’?”

The girl covered her mouth and laughed softly, “I am not skilled in needlework, but I can play the qin.”

I was about to reply when Mother Liu stepped forward, positioning herself directly in front of the girl.

“What is the meaning of this, Mother Liu?” I feigned displeasure.

“Please don’t be offended, Young Master Bai,” Mother Liu said with a bow. “Our establishment is different from others; there are certain rules we must follow.”

I snorted, tossing a gold ingot onto the table. “What rules?”

Mother Liu did not rush to take the gold, but instead replied respectfully, “We deal in rouge, powder, and incense here. Since Young Master Bai has come, naturally you must offer incense.”

“What does it mean to offer incense?” My interest was piqued. “Tell me more.”

Mother Liu explained, “Our incense is divided according to the four seasons, corresponding to the twelve Flower Goddesses-these are the Celestial Fairy Incense.

“Each month is further divided into two solar terms, making twenty-four in a year, each with its own incense-these are the Earth Spirit Incense.

“Each solar term is divided into three periods: early, middle, and late, totaling seventy-two, called the Human Talent Incense.

“Altogether, there are one hundred and eight types of incense.” Mother Liu took out a gilded booklet from her bosom and opened it. “May I ask which incense Young Master Bai wishes to offer?”

Though surprised, I kept my expression neutral and carefully flipped through the booklet. Under each incense name was a portrait of a woman, each with a graceful figure and expressive eyes.

“This one…” My gaze lingered on one particular woman.

Mother Liu, ever perceptive, immediately noticed my reaction. She leaned over to look and then laughed, “Young Master Bai has excellent taste. Miss Yuzan is truly outstanding in both talent and beauty.”

After a long silence, I said, “The flower of July is usually the Hollyhock, and the Yuzan Flower is rare. Why do you use it here?”

Mother Liu replied with some pride, “Naturally, it is because Miss Yuzan is accomplished in qin, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and song, and she was once the daughter of an official family. She is unlike any other. She also loves the Yuzan Flower, making her the rightful Flower Goddess.”

“So, was she from an official family that was confiscated?” I looked up at her. “You certainly have a complete collection here.”

Mother Liu said, “Not to boast, but in all five counties of Minzhou, you won’t find another like her.”

“Oh? Then I must see for myself.” Just as my finger touched the booklet and I was about to speak, a commotion erupted outside.

“What’s going on?” Mother Liu frowned and said to me, “Young Master Bai, please wait a moment. I will go check.” With that, she hurried out with the girl.

Soon after, the young servant who had led me in burst through the door, collapsing at my feet. His clothes were torn, his face bloodied from a beating, and he lay on the ground groaning.

Song Lan ran in, crashing into my arms, pounding my chest with his fists and scolding, “Young Master, you left me alone elsewhere while you enjoyed yourself here. Lan’er won’t forgive you!”

Song Lan had trained in martial arts since childhood under a renowned master. Though he looked small and thin, he was incredibly strong. Now, with his pounding, I nearly coughed up blood.

“Enough,” I whispered in Song Lan’s ear, “This is not a place to linger. Let’s go.”

Song Lan understood and pretended to sob as he followed me out. As we passed the servant, he gave him a kick. “That’s for tricking me! Hmph!”

I quickly handed the gold ingot on the table to the servant, grabbed Song Lan, and hurried out of Drunken Beauty. We had just stepped outside when Mother Liu led a group in pursuit.

We dodged left and right, weaving through the alleys as they chased us, and they were getting closer and closer, about to catch up.
“Young Master, this way!”

A family at the corner opened their door. Zi Su poked her head out and waved to us, “This way, this way!”

Song Lan dragged me along and rushed inside in one breath.

Zi Su quickly explained a few words to the couple in the courtyard, then pulled us into the house.

“Go inside and change clothes!” Zi Su tossed a bundle to Song Lan, then pressed me down onto a chair, pulled out a pile of bottles and jars, and began to remove the mask from my face.

She was busy at work when we suddenly heard banging on the door outside, followed by a group of people barging in. Mother Liu’s voice rang out from outside.

I was a bit worried, “Will they be alright?”

Zi Su kept working on my face, unconcerned, “It’s fine. Brother Shang and his wife used to do business on the water, they’ve killed people before and seen plenty of big scenes. Dealing with an old woman is nothing to them.”

Once the mask was removed and the clothes changed, things outside quieted down.

Zi Su pushed the door open to take a look, then came back and said, “Young Master, they’ve left.”

I stepped outside and thanked the Shang couple, “Thank you both for saving me today. Zheng Xuanming is deeply grateful.”

“County Sheriff, no need to be so polite,” Shang Lu cupped his fists. “We should thank you for taking Zi Su in, giving her a proper livelihood so she doesn’t have to wander and live a life licking blood off the blade anymore.”

Zi Su smiled sweetly at the side, “Brother Shang is my sworn brother. He and his wife have always worried I’d get killed one day without even knowing it. When they heard Young Master took me in, they were overjoyed and have wanted to thank you ever since.”

“So you are Brother Shang,” I bowed again. “Zi Su has saved me from danger many times. I dare not speak of taking her in-she is my lifesaver.”

Seeing my sincerity in treating Zi Su as one of my own, Shang Lu was very pleased and warmly said, “Lord Zheng and Brother Song Lan, why not stay for dinner tonight?”

I replied, “Brother Shang, there’s no need for such courtesy. I have a thorny case at hand and must return to handle it. There will be plenty of time for us in the future.”

“Is the lord investigating the Drunken Beauty case?” Sister-in-law Shang asked, “Things run deep over there.”

I listened and quickly asked, “Madam, what do you mean? I would like to hear more.”

Shang Lu ushered me inside, “Let’s all go in and talk. No need to stand outside.”

I sat at the table with Sister-in-law Shang, while Shang Lu, Zi Su, and Song Lan prepared dinner.

I asked, “You just said things run deep at Drunken Beauty. What do you mean?”

Sister-in-law Shang said, “Does the lord know whose business Drunken Beauty is?”

I thought for a moment, “Dong Jingmo?”

Sister-in-law Shang was slightly surprised, “I didn’t expect the lord to know so much after just arriving in Anyang.”

I took out the sachet and recounted what had happened earlier, “Zi Su got this from Dong Manor. I just wanted to test it, but it actually worked.”

Sister-in-law Shang took the sachet and sniffed it, “It seems the lord has only uncovered the first layer, but hasn’t found out who is behind Dong Jingmo.”

“Someone behind him?” I stared at the sachet. “Is Drunken Beauty’s real owner someone else? Is there anyone in Anyang who can command Dong Jingmo’s people? Could it be Yu Baisu?”

Sister-in-law Shang waved her hand, “I don’t know exactly who it is. But once, when I was delivering vegetables to Drunken Beauty, I accidentally saw a carriage without a family crest parked at the back door. Soon after, Dong Jingmo came out, followed by Drunken Beauty’s boss, who respectfully called him Chief Steward.”

I hadn’t expected such a small Drunken Beauty to be so deeply entangled. The Dong Family’s ties to the Capital are complicated-could it be related to those connections?

I rubbed the sachet, thinking about what Huai Xi had said privately to Mother Liu. Could Huai Xi have discovered some secret of the Dong Family or some shady business Drunken Beauty was involved in, and was silenced by Dong Jingmo? Then where did Huai Xi’s body go, and who was the male corpse in the side room?

All these matters felt strange-just what secrets does Anyang County hold?

Sister-in-law Shang poured me a cup of tea and placed it on the table, then brought up another topic, “Does the lord know what spices are used in this sachet?”

“Hm?” I came back to myself, picked up the teacup and took a sip, then shook my head at her question, “I’m not familiar with spices. Is there something wrong with this sachet?”

Sister-in-law Shang opened the sachet, poured out its contents, and picked them out one by one to show me, “Benzoin comes from Kucha and Persia. The journey is long, full of wind and sand and dangers. One jin of Benzoin is worth ten taels of gold.”

“Agarwood is the finest of all spices, also known as ‘gold among medicines.’ Whether blended as a calming fragrance or brewed in tea or water, it’s top-notch. They say a single piece is worth ten thousand coins.”

“Lavender (called Ling Xiang Cao in ancient times) comes from Liangguang, Yunnan, and other places. It’s also a precious spice. Add Albizia Flower, Polygonum Multiflorum Vine, Cinnabar, Poria Cocos, and so on, and you get a sachet with calming, soothing, and sleep-aiding effects.”

Sister-in-law Shang pointed at the materials on the table, “And this is just one type of sachet. Add Ambergris for the refreshing sachet, Angelica Sinensis and Scrophularia Ningpoensis for the heart-protection sachet, and so on-the profits here are unimaginable.”

“So you mean,” I frowned, “the person behind Dong Jingmo uses Drunken Beauty as a front, and even the brothel is just another cover. The real goal is to profit from spices and medicinal herbs, with an even bigger scheme.”

Sister-in-law Shang laughed, “Whatever the scheme is, it’s not for ordinary folks like us to know. It’s up to the lord to find the answer.”

I thought of the plans the family head and elders were making, and closed my eyes for a moment, “I understand. Thank you for your advice, Sister-in-law.”

“Alright, that’s enough talk.” Sister-in-law Shang got up and walked out, “Let me check on dinner. Shang Lu, are you preparing dragon liver and phoenix marrow? Why is it taking so long!”

I was left alone in the room, staring blankly at the table full of spices and medicinal herbs.