bayedsolid Chapter 819 Aunt Hong's Reminder
Chapter 819 Aunt Hong's Reminder
Aunt Hong stood at the end of the corridor on the second floor of Zuichunfang, stroking a string of ordinary sandalwood prayer beads in her hand. The noise from downstairs drifted in faintly, the sounds of string and wind instruments mingling with the laughter of men and women, but it could not dispel the solemnity between her brows.
Hongyi witnessed and heard everything about Lieutenant General Liu's visit tonight, and his seemingly casual yet subtly shrewd questioning of "Bai Ling" and "Yanzi." Who was she? Having spent half her life navigating the world of pleasure, what storms hadn't she weathered? Lieutenant General Liu's questions about "Furong Town" and "Drunken Spring Breeze" rice wine, seemingly ordinary, were actually venomous—"Drunken Spring Breeze" was a specialty wine from Furong Town outside Suzhou, famous for over a century, produced in extremely limited quantities and circulated only among the local gentry. A courtesan moving among the upper class, if truly from Furong Town, would certainly know this wine. As for "Yanzi's" "hunter's daughter" explanation, it was riddled with flaws in the face of Hongyi's nimble movements and extraordinary vigilance.
After General Liu left, Aunt Hong returned to her room and pieced together the various suspicious points from the day: the orchids in "Bai Ling" with their leaves pointing in a "well-ordered" direction; "Yan Zi's" familiarity with the layout of Zui Chun Fang and her "excessive" protection of her sisters; one of them was so talented that she didn't seem like a courtesan, while the other was agile and had a hidden edge; although "Yan Zi" was frivolous and licentious and particularly good at dealing with her patrons, and often slept with them, her moans were incredibly wanton, she also paid attention to the military, especially the fact that she moved among them and their subtle interest in military movements... The answer was almost obvious.
They were no ordinary women of the night. They were... spies?
This thought jolted Aunt Hong. Exposing them to Commander Liu? This was the safest course of action, and also the one most in line with her goal of "protecting Zui Chun Fang's" interests. Who was Commander Liu? A "smiling tiger," Ma San's confidant, ruthless in his methods. Exposing them would not only clear her own name, but might even bring her some rewards, making Zui Chun Fang more secure in this chaotic world.
but……
However, other images involuntarily surfaced before Aunt Hong's eyes.
Last month, Xiao Taohong from the neighborhood was beaten so badly by a rude soldier that her mouth bled. It was "Yanzi" who rushed over like a mother lion protecting her cubs. With her fierce temper, she cursed and mocked, and managed to drive the soldier away. Afterwards, she even gave Xiao Taohong a bottle of the best wound medicine, cursing and swearing that he was "useless," but her eyes showed concern.
On another occasion, she was so angry that her chest ached from being cheated out of money by a steward because of an accounting problem. It was a girl named "Bai Ling" who "happened" to pass by and played a piece called "Qing Xin Pu Shan Mantra" for her. She also "unintentionally" mentioned that the steward had close ties with a merchant outside the city and reminded her to pay more attention when checking the accounts. Later, when she checked, she was sure to find evidence that the steward had embezzled money.
They were indeed observing and gathering information in secret, but they also genuinely offered their fellow women, and even themselves, a small amount of warmth and help in this filthy place. Unlike those ruthless officials who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals, their eyes, besides vigilance and calculation, occasionally flashed with a hint of... pity and struggle.
Aunt Hong sighed, her fingers ceasing their caress of the prayer beads. She had witnessed the coldness and indifference of human relationships in the Drunken Spring Brothel, and had developed a hardened heart. But she wasn't born evil. The Drunken Spring Brothel was her livelihood, and she wanted to protect it, but that didn't mean she would do things like kicking someone when they're down or harming the innocent—at least, in her eyes, while "Bai Ling" and "Yan Zi" were of questionable origin, they weren't truly wicked, and it was a fact that they secretly helped the women in the brothel.
Moreover, she wasn't entirely unaware of what Ma San's army had done in Black Iron City. Exorbitant taxes, forced conscription of women—while Zhao Kang's death was attributed to an "internal power struggle," the lives of the city's inhabitants hadn't improved much. If these "spies" were targeting Ma San… a complex emotion stirred within Aunt Hong.
She finally made a decision.
In the dead of night, when Bai Jie and Lin Xiaoyan thought they were safe for the time being and were sorting out their thoughts in their respective rooms, preparing to deal with the next crisis, there was a gentle knock on Aunt Hong's door.
It was Xiao Cui, Hong Yi's most capable maid. She was carrying a tray with two steaming bowls of lotus seed soup on it.
"Aunt Hong said that the weather was cool tonight, and the two young ladies were frightened, so she specially asked the kitchen to stew lotus seed soup to calm them down." Xiao Cui placed the lotus seed soup on the table, her eyes flickering slightly. She put down a small oil paper package and whispered, "Aunt Hong also said that although 'Drunken Spring Breeze' is fierce, it is not as ruthless as 'Tiger and Wolf.' The wind is strong outside the city, and orchids are easily broken. The two young ladies... take care of yourselves."
After saying that, Xiao Cui left hastily without waiting for the two to react.
Bai Jie and Lin Xiaoyan exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and confusion in each other's eyes. They opened the oil paper package; inside was a small piece of dried beef, and... half a piece of "Drunken Spring Breeze" rice wine yeast!
"Drunken Spring Breeze!" Aunt Hong knew that Staff Officer Liu was testing her!
"Tigers and wolves!" She was warning them of the danger posed by Staff Officer Liu!
"Orchids are fragile!" She knew the orchid was a signal!
"Take care of yourself!" She chose to remain silent, and even... offered subtle advice!
Lin Xiaoyan clenched her fists, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes: "This Aunt Hong..."
Bai Jie picked up the bowl of lotus seed soup, the steam blurring her vision. She gently blew on it, her voice trembling slightly: "She was... a smart person, and also... a good person."
At the end of the corridor, Aunt Hong gazed at the deep night outside the window and gently set down the sandalwood prayer beads in her hand. She didn't know if her decision was right or wrong, nor what it would bring to Zui Chun Fang. She only knew that she had followed the choice of her heart at that moment. As for the future… let it go with the wind. She turned around, her figure disappearing into the shadows of the corridor, leaving only the clamor of Zui Chun Fang, still eerily echoing in the night of Black Iron City.