nucmednet Chapter 515 Tian Guozhang Snatches a Person
Chapter 515 Tian Guozhang Snatches a Person
The funds required for such arrangements varied depending on the social status of the woman being courted. For a renowned courtesan like Li Xiangjun, a generous dowry was essential, and inviting prominent, refined gentlemen was also necessary to be befitting her status. Hou Fangyu invited a group of friends who frequently indulged in sensual pleasures, with Yang Longyou at the head.
Yang Longyou was the brother-in-law of Ma Shiying, a prominent figure in the later Southern Ming dynasty. Although not as famous as Zhang Pu and others from the Fushe Society, he passed the provincial examination in the 46th year of the Wanli reign and became the magistrate of Jiangning County in the first year of the Chongzhen reign. He was later impeached and dismissed from office. In terms of seniority and experience, he far surpassed the students of the Fushe Society. In terms of talent, he was equally outstanding, excelling in poetry, calligraphy, and painting, and was known as the "Three Perfections." His calligraphy and painting skills were on par with masters such as Dong Qichang, and they were collectively known as the "Nine Talents of Jinling."
The five hundred taels of silver that were used to "redeem" Li Xiangjun were borrowed by him on Hou Fangyu's behalf. It was with his help that the ceremony proceeded smoothly. Hou Fangyu wasn't originally in such a hurry, but after the conflict at Meilou, the Earl of Pingnan clearly stated his intention to redeem Li Xiangjun. The next day, Li Xiangjun sent a message to him, urging him to come and take her away as soon as possible to prevent her from falling into the hands of villains.
However, Hou Fangyu was in dire financial straits at this time. After his father was imprisoned, he lost his main source of income. Although he was a successful candidate in the imperial examinations and had enough to eat and wear, he had no spare money to redeem Li Xiangjun, especially since Li Xiangjun was worth at least five of the highest-paid women in the Qinhuai River area. Under these circumstances, getting Li Xiangjun to give herself to him as soon as possible and become his woman became the most cost-effective way to resist the Earl of Pingnan.
Li Xiangjun's adoptive mother, Li Zhenli, was a mature woman in her thirties. Although she was no longer young, she still retained her charm, with a beautiful face and a full figure. She sighed and led Li Xiangjun to Hou Fangyu: "Young Master Hou, Xiangjun has been with me since she was eight years old. I treat her like my own daughter. You must not let her down."
Hou Fangyu solemnly assured her, "Don't worry, Mother Li, I will treat Xiangjun well for the rest of my life."
In the presence of Li Zhenli and her friends, Hou Fangyu presented Li Xiangjun with a fine, intricately carved ivory fan with a white silk surface as a token of their betrothal. The fan was adorned with an amber pendant, a family heirloom. In Li Xiangjun's eyes, this fan was not only priceless but also embodied Hou Fangyu's sincere affection.
Li Xiangjun shyly accepted the fan, signifying her acceptance of the man. The combing ceremony was complete, and next came the so-called "bridal chamber," which was also the "wedding" between the guest and the courtesan. Amidst the cheers of the crowd shouting "Bridal chamber! Bridal chamber!", Hou Fangyu excitedly grabbed Li Xiangjun's hand and said emotionally, "Xiangjun, tonight you are mine!"
Li Xiangjun gazed at him with deep affection, her heart filled with emotion. This elegant gentleman was so devoted to her. Even though he had abandoned her and run away at Meilou and his behavior was not entirely satisfactory, he was still a good match for her overall. Entrusting herself to him was the greatest comfort in her life amidst the mortal world.
Liu Ye and Liang Xiaoming, watching from outside the window, witnessed the ceremony. Liang Xiaoming exclaimed anxiously, "They're already in the bridal chamber, aren't they going in?"
Liu Ye rolled his eyes at him: "If you're not blind, you can see that judging from this Li Mama's attitude and Li Xiangjun's determination to marry no one but him, she will never agree to let us help her redeem herself unless we directly take her away... I didn't expect these women to be so determined... Let me think about it and see if I can come up with a better solution."
But using the army to seize a prostitute would be different from the saga of jealousy and rivalry with Mei Lou. It would be completely unreasonable and would inevitably lead to a tarnished reputation. Liu Ye hesitated. Was it worth it to bear the stigma of acting recklessly and abusing one's power for a prostitute?
Just then, a commotion arose in the front yard, and a large group of people rushed into the back yard with great momentum. Without even glancing at Liu Ye and the others, they barged straight into the place where the "wedding ceremony" was to take place.
The leader was an elderly man dressed in fine clothes. He arrogantly scanned the crowd, finally fixing his gaze on Li Zhenli, and asked in a affected tone, "What are you doing? Are you going to go back on your promise to me?"
Li Zhenli said with difficulty, "Father-in-law, I have never agreed to this matter. I only said that it is up to my daughter's own wishes..."
"Outrageous! The Emperor's father-in-law personally selected people to serve His Majesty in the palace, and you, Li Zhenli, dare to disobey him?" A scholar stepped forward and rebuked him sternly.
Yang Longyou couldn't help but step forward and advise, "Brother Jizhi, why be so aggressive? Even in a brothel, there has to be mutual consent, right? Miss Xiangjun and Chaozong are in love..."
The scholar sneered, "Brother Wencong, I haven't even asked you yet. Yesterday you brought Hou Chaozong to me in a hurry to borrow five hundred taels of silver. Could it be that you're going to use it to pay for Li Xiangjun's prostitution today?"
Upon hearing this, Li Xiangjun's expression changed drastically. She asked Hou Fangyu, "Young Master Hou, could it be that this money was borrowed from Ruan Dacheng?"
Hou Fangyu stammered, not daring to answer, but judging from his expression, it was probably true. Li Xiangjun angrily pulled out her hairpin and threw it in front of Hou Fangyu, saying with great disappointment, "If you were short of money, why didn't you say so earlier? I still have some savings, and I can sell my jewelry to raise this money. Why did you have to borrow from him and ruin your reputation?"
This scholar was Ruan Dacheng. He was originally a key member of the Donglin Party, nicknamed "Unrestrained" in the *Donglin Generals' Record*. Later, for the sake of his official career, he submitted to Wei Zhongxian. After Wei Zhongxian's death, he tried to return to the Donglin Party but failed, earning a reputation for being two-faced and having a terrible reputation among the scholars of Jiangnan. Members of the Fushe Society avoided him like the plague. Hou Fangyu's involvement with him would have a significant impact on his reputation and career, which is why Li Xiangjun said what she did.
Ruan Dacheng had always been concerned about his reputation, and seeing a courtesan looking down on him like this, he was furious and pointed at Hou Fangyu, shouting: "If you don't have the spare money, then don't be so frivolous. Quickly return the money to me and leave Meixiang Pavilion. Don't ruin the Emperor's father-in-law's good time!"
Hou Fangyu was at a loss. He was bound to be indebted to those who offered him food and gifts, and besides, the father-in-law of the Emperor, Tian, was the father of Consort Tian in the palace, who was currently favored by the Emperor. If he offended the Emperor and Consort Tian, their whispers in each other's ears could ruin his future career. Faced with Ruan Dacheng's provocations and humiliations, he was speechless.
The richly dressed old man was none other than the legendary father-in-law of the emperor, Tian Hongyu. Because his daughter, Consort Tian, was favored by the emperor, he wielded immense power, serving as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and holding the title of Left Grand Commandant. In recent years, Consort Tian's health had deteriorated, and Emperor Chongzhen's visits to the emperor had become less frequent. Tian Hongyu feared that if anything happened to his daughter, his wealth and status would be in jeopardy. Therefore, he specially came to Jiangnan to seek out beautiful women to present to Emperor Chongzhen and secure his favor. Recommended by Ruan Dacheng, he set his sights on Chen Yuanyuan, Dong Xiaowan, and Li Xiangjun. Because his future depended on them, he was determined to win them over. Too lazy to waste words, he waved his hand and said, "Leave the silver and take them away!"
A group of ravenous servants rushed up from behind, shoving Hou Fangyu and the others aside, and pulled Li Xiangjun away.