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Not long after noon, the sky over Hongze Lake was covered with leaden clouds, and the wind and rain lashed against the shore. Search: \(¨Complete¨Book¨God¨Station¨) to read quality literature for free. Amidst the gray-green rain, the large ship carrying the birthday tribute, along with the escorting vessels, appeared intermittently in the view from the shore.

At the same time, Xuyi was also shrouded in a leaden-gray rain. The rain wasn't too heavy, but it had been falling continuously since last night, giving the impression that it wasn't summer. Due to the nearly day-long continuous rainfall, the streets of the county town were covered in mud and water, dirty and chaotic. However, the people who lived here had long adapted to this environment and didn't find it too unbearable.

When the carriage left the dock, Ning Yi was lifting the curtain to look outside. Lunchtime had already passed, and the destination was to stroll around Xiyuan to relax. There were carriages traveling ahead and behind. The carriage behind him was probably carrying Zhuo Yunfeng. In his own carriage, Zhou Pei was dressed in a clumsy disguise as a man, looking somewhat cautious but unable to resist chattering away, talking to him incessantly.

Ning Yi didn't feel the need to hide too much from Zhou Pei regarding this matter. After all, he trusted the girl completely. Besides, his own status wasn't high enough, and it was helpful to flaunt authority. Having a little princess on his side was a great advantage. However, Zhou Pei hadn't woken up until nearly noon, and since then, he had met with Wenren Bu'er, the Qi brothers, and even Su Wenyu, who was helping out, to discuss the developments.

In this situation, Zhou Pei, who was following along, noticed clues from snippets of conversation and realized that Ning Yi was planning to go to Xiyuan in the afternoon. She simply disguised herself as a man and followed him. Seeing that Ning Yi had nothing to do at the moment, she chose to speak up and ask about her doubts.

"...Has this matter already been arranged? I don't know how you, teacher, managed to convince Deputy General Chen. And also, what I said this morning, did you guys already foresee it? Who are the bandits? Are they really planning to steal the birthday tribute?"

She had originally been as obedient as a quiet little secretary, but now she finally asked all the questions at once. Ning Yi glanced at Zhuo Yunfeng's carriage behind them and smiled.

"We don't know exactly what happened yet, but we've done everything we can. I've been discussing with Wenren and the others for the past few days, figuring out the most likely methods someone would use if they wanted to target the fleet. We've narrowed it down to a few possibilities. You already mentioned it this morning – those acrobatic troupes, opera singers, and restaurant waiters who were recruited into the docks are a mixed bag, making it easy for people to take advantage. We did a… relatively systematic screening, which also served as a training exercise, and we actually found a few suspicious guys…"

The girl, wearing a ridiculous scholar's hat, nodded vigorously as she listened, finding the scheming and intrigue fascinating: "So there really are people interested in the birthday tribute?"

Ning Yi shook his head: "Someone monitoring the ships doesn't necessarily mean they're targeting the birthday tribute. Maybe the kidnappers want to make it easier to collect ransom, or maybe someone has a grudge against some degenerate second-generation rich kid. Even if there's no birthday tribute on board, so many people are heading north, and there are plenty of other treasures, so pulling off a big score would be very profitable. We've come up with some ideas, such as setting a fire at the docks so everyone rushes off the ships, then finding a way to seize the valuables, or simply trying to trick someone into stealing a ship – things like that. No matter what, someone needs to scout things out. However, once we found out that there were such people mixed in, and we told Deputy General Chen, he got scared too, and in the end, he had no choice but to cooperate with us… and once he was willing to cooperate, things became much easier."

"So, things are only confirmed to this extent?" Zhou Pei thought for a moment, feeling somewhat disappointed.

Ning Yi smiled: "It's not that simple to confirm things. Even if we follow the clues, it's not something that can be done in a day or two. However, we've shown weakness to lure the enemy, and borrowed someone else's resources to achieve our goals. We've done everything we can. Now we just have to wait and see if it works out. It would be best if no one falls into the trap. But if someone does, then everyone's just unlucky…"

To the little princess, the idea of someone targeting the birthday tribute or the fleet might be quite interesting, but to Ning Yi, it was an unwelcome complication. Zhou Pei had initially guessed that his visit to Xiyuan was also to look for clues related to the kidnapping, but after asking a few more questions, she realized that her teacher really didn't care much about this matter and was just going there to relax. After thinking about it for a while, she felt that her teacher was indeed a person who did great things.

Ning Yi had done everything he could about this matter, and there was no need to keep dwelling on it, as that would only distract him from more important things. Even at this moment, he still thought that the possibility of something happening to the official ships was small.

However, dozens of miles away, on Hongze Lake under the rain, a fierce battle was already underway.

**************

Ning Yi didn't learn about the battle on Hongze Lake until around Shen Shi (3-5 PM) that day. Before that, he had arrived at Xiyuan. Although it was still raining and sewage flowed everywhere in the small county town, the environment here, as one of the best brothels in Xuyi, didn't seem much worse than Jiangning or Hangzhou.

If one only wanted to satisfy lust in a brothel, some mid-range establishments could meet all the requirements. Going further up, one would find establishments that catered to both refined and vulgar tastes, offering poetry, songs, and spiritual pleasure, which cost ten or even a hundred times more than ordinary places. Just as no one went to *Tiantang Renjian* (Heaven on Earth) solely to hire prostitutes, even though there was a thousand-year gap between then and the future, as long as one had money, any imaginable pleasure could be had.

Xiyuan was such a place. Backed by the magistrate of Xuyi County, it usually hosted various travelers and important figures who came and went. Only here could one find a place that was truly presentable. The courtesan Ji Lianhong was skilled in singing and dancing, and was said to be a top beauty even in Huai'an. However, she seemed a bit inadequate in terms of the level of guests she had been receiving these past few days.

In the end, those who were traveling on the ships were either second-generation officials or third-generation royalty. No matter how skilled Ji Lianhong was, she could only entertain one or two of them at most. She had to chat and play during the day and use all her skills to make them feel comfortable at night. To entertain so many people while keeping the atmosphere friendly and preventing anyone from losing their temper was something she couldn't handle.

Fortunately, Li Shishi was passing through Xiyuan on her way, and the county magistrate begged and pleaded for help. After spreading the news that Li Shishi was here, he finally managed to divert everyone's attention. She was able to mingle with various dignitaries, officials, and talented scholars in the capital, and was a famous *qingguan* (untouchable courtesan). Many people came to play, all acting like romantic and talented scholars making friends, so there were no disturbances.

"...I thought you'd be quite busy, I didn't expect you to be so free."

The rain was pouring down, and the water formed curtains between the eaves outside, almost submerging half the courtyard. The room was exquisitely furnished with wooden racks, antiques, potted plants, screens, and beaded curtains. There were expensive-looking musical instruments and an incense burner on one side of the room, emitting a faint blue smoke that was intoxicating. Ning Yi drank the tea that was brought to him, looked at the furnishings in the room, and casually said.

"Brother Ning happened to be traveling north, and Shishi is also on the way. How could I not come to see you first? The rest can wait."

Brewing tea across from him was Li Shishi, the famous courtesan from the capital. After a year apart, her aura had become even more captivating. She was dressed in white lotus-like clothes with long hair over her shoulders, and a crimson headpiece. Every movement was pleasing to the eye, a flawless, perfect appearance. She said with a smile: "I thought last year when I returned to Jiangning, when would Brother Ning come to Bianjing? This younger sister must do her best as a hostess. After returning, I often talked about it with Brother Yu and Brother Chen Sifeng. This time, it finally happened. Perhaps we can even travel north together. It's truly wonderful."

Li Shishi had always had a good relationship with her childhood friends. Yu Hezhong and Chen Sifeng might not necessarily think of Ning Yi, but she spoke with great sincerity. Ning Yi nodded with a smile: "I probably won't be staying in the capital for too long, but I'll definitely try to get together if I have the chance."

As the two were talking, Zhou Pei, who was sitting upright and sipping tea, rolled her eyes, quite interested: "Teacher, you knew Miss Li before?"

Ning Yi knocked her on the head: "Don't interrupt, follower."

"Oh."

Zhou Pei shrank her head and answered. Li Shishi, on the other hand, was very friendly and smiled, "I've known Brother Ning since we were children." Zhou Pei then nodded: "Oh, I see."

When they first arrived, Ning Yi had introduced Zhou Pei as simply a small, undisciplined follower, which Zhou Pei found quite amusing and didn't refute. However, in the eyes of someone like Li Shishi, her clumsy disguise naturally had no effect. After a while, Zhou Pei got up to wander around on the second floor, actually looking to see who else had come to the other courtyards. When only the two of them were left in the room, Li Shishi finally smiled and said: "She seems like a very distinguished young lady. Is it alright for Brother Ning to bring her to a place like this?"

"A student I'm teaching. She ran away from home, but it's not a big deal."

Li Shishi laughed for a while, poured tea for Ning Yi, and asked softly: "Is Brother Ning going to the capital for something this time?"

"There are some things." Ning Yi smiled and nodded, "After I'm done, I'll probably take a trip to Shandong."

"Ah? It's not very peaceful over there..." Li Shishi exclaimed softly, but Ning Yi simply echoed her statement with a "Yes," and didn't say anything more. In fact, Li Shishi was quite interested in the things he was going to do in the capital, because generally, when people went to the capital, no matter what they were doing, they had to go through various channels, and she could often help. She was also happy to help, but since Ning Yi was being tight-lipped, she didn't ask any further. She felt three parts annoyed and three parts admiration. If it were Yu Hezhong or Chen Sifeng in front of her, they probably wouldn't be able to hide anything, but sometimes she felt that men who couldn't hide their words couldn't accomplish great things.

They chatted like this for a while and reminisced about the old days. She learned that Ning Yi had gone to Hangzhou in the past year and had probably experienced the dangers of war. Miss Li thought for a moment and frowned, "You just came back from Hangzhou and you're running to Shandong? Over there... uh, Brother Ning isn't planning to do business related to war, is he? Those things... aren't very good to do, it's not worth it..."

After all, she was a well-informed person. She had heard news from various people. She then talked about some interesting things about the Shandong area, and inevitably mentioned Liangshan: "I heard that their reputation is quite good, they say they're acting on behalf of heaven. Although that may not be true, they seem to target corrupt officials more often. Honestly, as someone in the capital, I'm used to seeing the filthy deeds of those in power and status. Sometimes I think that it's not a bad thing to have some chivalrous people like that in the world..."

She smiled wryly, then waved her hand, saying it quite boldly. Ning Yi nodded and agreed with a smile. He then heard her say again: "But even if that's the case, you still have to be careful if you go there. Actually, there are also many people who roam the *jianghu* (martial arts world) in the capital. You might as well hire one or two to accompany you. Fanlou has those connections..."

Li Shishi was sincere and enthusiastic, not pretending. Ning Yi nodded and thanked her. Then they talked about traveling together. After the little marquis's matter was settled, Li Shishi would probably also travel north with the fleet. As they were talking, the maid Chunmei appeared under the eaves outside the door. Li Shishi got up and walked over. Chunmei whispered something in her ear, and unconsciously looked at Ning Yi. Over the sound of the rain, Ning Yi heard her say: "That Young Master Wang has come to visit."

With Li Shishi's fame, it wasn't strange for people to come to visit at any time, but Li Shishi had previously instructed Chunmei to politely decline anyone who came to visit. Chunmei still came to report, obviously this "Young Master Wang's" identity was not ordinary. Li Shishi frowned slightly and said softly: "Does he have something?"

"Uh... he said he wanted to... learn about music... from Miss Xiang..."

"Why should I see him? When I played the *konghou* (a type of harp) yesterday, Ji Lianhong's expression was already not right. So clueless... go and turn him down."

The conversation was a bit subtle. Although both of them lowered their voices, Ning Yi could hear it clearly. He finished the tea in his cup and stood up: "If you have something to do, I won't disturb you, you..." At this point, he paused slightly, thinking of something in his heart.

Li Shishi turned around and shook her head: "No, Chunmei is just talking nonsense..." Before she could finish speaking, she saw Ning Yi's gaze looking over, his expression complex and cautious. Then he smiled slightly and asked: "I heard... that last night there was a young master who sang in harmony when Shishi played the *konghou*, astonishing everyone. Is that so?"

When he asked this, Chunmei, who was about to leave, also stopped. Li Shishi frowned with a smile: "Brother Ning also heard about it?"

"Heh, a group of people came back in the middle of the night, making a lot of noise..."

"The person outside is quite outstanding in his speech and manners. If Brother Ning is interested in getting to know him, this younger sister can introduce him. Although he is quite favored by Miss Ji Lianhong." Li Shishi pursed her lips and smiled, "I heard that Young Master Wang is also going to the capital this time. He is romantic and outstanding, and eloquent. This time, many people on Brother Ning's fleet have already made friends with him and invited him to travel north together. There will probably be opportunities to interact with him in the future... Well, Chunmei, please ask him to come in."

Chunmei was about to nod, but Ning Yi waved his hand: "No, no need, I was just asking out of curiosity. I heard that Shishi's *konghou* skills are unparalleled, but I didn't expect that someone could harmonize with her. That... Young Master Wang, does he really sing well?"

"Although others mostly overestimate this younger sister, that Young Master Wang Xian... he really does sing very well." Li Shishi nodded sincerely and smiled: "Another day when I have time, this younger sister will play for Brother Ning to listen to." As she spoke, she waved her hand at Chunmei, indicating that she didn't need to call that Young Master Wang in. Chunmei nodded and went out, her expression slightly dimmed. At this moment, Zhou Pei's voice rang out from the courtyard: "Teacher, Teacher..."

She ran all the way, quite surprised. When she reached the door, she said excitedly: "They're fighting, they're fighting! It really happened..." Li Shishi thought that someone was fighting over jealousy outside, but then she heard Zhou Pei say: "Hongze Lake, there really are bandits robbing the birthday tribute. Thousands of people were ambushed, and now they're being scattered everywhere to escape. Amazing! Teacher, how did it happen? I... oh, it's your cousin named Su Yanping who sent the news, uh, where did he run off to..."

Zhou Pei looked behind her, not seeing Su Yanping's figure, and looked around excitedly... (To be continued. Vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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