nucmednet Chapter 508 War of words
Chapter 508 War of words
Liu Ye was naturally unaware of Liu Rushi's resentment, but even if he had known, it wouldn't have changed anything. Composing poems and exchanging verses was the pleasure of ancient scholars. As a modern man, his greatest pursuit was to wield power over the world while asleep and to be surrounded by beautiful women. In his eyes, the talents of these famous courtesans in poetry, lyrics, and prose were like chicken ribs—tasteless and merely embellishments to enhance their status.
After several rounds of drinks, most of the "Pipa Ji" (a famous Chinese opera) had been sung. Liu Ye and Xu Hongji were already slightly tipsy, while Liang Xiaoming, though not drinking at all, was completely captivated by Li Xiangjun's soft and gentle singing. The three women, Gu, Dong, and Liu, who were responsible for accompanying the drinks, inevitably took a few sips as well, their faces flushed. The previously tense and oppressive atmosphere seemed to have eased somewhat, and the awkwardness and embarrassment the three women had shown when they first entered seemed to have never existed. However, what happened next proved that this was just an illusion.
Liang Xiaoming was completely absorbed in the clear, melodious sound of Li Xiangjun's pipa when he gradually heard a commotion, seemingly coming from outside. The noise grew louder, interspersed with shouts, almost drowning out the pipa music. Annoyed, Liang Xiaoming stood up and went to the window to look out, wanting to see who was disturbing his enjoyment of the beautiful musician.
He stood at the window and saw dozens of people carrying lanterns walking along the riverbank towards Meilou, looking like a fiery dragon from afar. These people soon arrived outside Meilou, but were stopped by heavily armed soldiers and unable to enter. They became very agitated and started shouting loudly.
Liu Ye also noticed something was wrong, frowned and said to Shimazu Chiyo behind him, "Send someone to check what's going on?"
Before Shimazu Chiyo could even step out, someone outside shouted, "You corrupt official, release Li Xiangjun and the other two young ladies at once!"
The pipa music abruptly stopped, and Li Xiangjun's previously blank face instantly lit up with a smile. She put down the pipa and cheered, "My love has arrived!"
When Liang Xiaoming turned around and saw the change in her expression, he was stunned. He suddenly felt as if a huge boulder was pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.
Before Liu Ye could speak, Xu Hongji had already stood up, puffing out his cheeks and glaring, saying, "Who's making such a racket and disturbing our drinks?" He stormed out, went to the corridor, looked down at the crowd below, and shouted, "Who's causing this disturbance?"
A commotion arose in the crowd, and several people hiding among them shouted in unison, "Stop arguing! Release the girls right now!"
The guards from the Duke's mansion downstairs shouted, "Insolence! The Nanjing garrison commander, the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor, and the Duke of Wei are here! Get out of here at once!"
A young scholar stepped forward and said righteously, "The Duke of Wei is the head of the noble families in Nanjing and should be a role model for us. Visiting a brothel is one thing, but why make such a fuss, deploy so many troops, and forbid others from entering or leaving? Is there something shameful going on? Putting aside the occupation of Mei Lou and Gu Mei, why are you also forcibly detaining the three young ladies, Li Xiangjun, Liu Rushi, and Dong Xiaowan? Did the court give you military power to bully men and women?"
These sharp words left Xu Hongji speechless for a moment. Upon reflection, a cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he instantly sobered up. This scholar's words were like daggers to the heart, immediately slapping a heavy label on him. If this reached the ears of the censors and were taken seriously, it would be a considerable trouble—the crime of abusing public power for private gain and misusing military authority could be a minor offense. If the higher-ups didn't investigate, it would be a trivial matter; but if they did, even a hereditary duke would suffer greatly. Wasn't this one of the charges against the once-arrogant Chang Kun when he was brought down?
To be honest, Xu Hongji was somewhat wronged. He only brought a dozen or so personal guards, which was already considered very low-key given his power and status. The other hundreds of soldiers and warriors were not his men! But he couldn't very well publicly declare that they were the Earl of Pingnan's men, otherwise he would offend this rising star in politics and the military. The harmonious relationship that the two sides had built up over the past few days would immediately be lost.
He could only downplay the seriousness of the matter: "You all have probably misunderstood. I only invited the three young ladies to the banquet to add to the festivities, and I had no intention of forcing them to stay..."
The scholar sneered, "Duke Wei speaks so lightly. What kind of people are these three young ladies? Normally, it would be difficult to invite even one of them, let alone all three together. You say you didn't force them? Ask everyone if they believe you."
The crowd downstairs echoed in unison, "We don't believe it!"
The scholar pointed smugly at Xu Hongji: "Release the three girls right now, or you'll be accused of abusing your power and leading troops to patronize prostitutes!"
Xu Hongji was both shocked and furious, and asked, "Who exactly are you? Why are you so deliberately framing me?"
The scholar took two steps forward, and several lanterns illuminated his face: "Does the Duke still remember me? A month ago, we drank together at Meilou."
"Hou Fangyu?" Xu Hongji was taken aback. He had once tried to win over these scholars from the Fushe Society, but they turned their backs on him. After all, the paths of scholars and warriors are ultimately different.
Hou Fangyu's father, Hou Xun, was the former Minister of Revenue. Although he was imprisoned, his connections in officialdom remained, and he should not be underestimated. The Fushe Society's influence was even more formidable. They controlled the discourse among the literati. If they spread rumors that he was a ridiculous figure who led troops and frequented brothels, how could he possibly refute the hundreds or thousands of mouths of the Fushe Society? Not to mention that many officials and scholars in the court claimed to be disciples of Zhang Pu, the leader of the Fushe Society. Even if the case went all the way to the capital, it would be impossible to clear up the dispute.
Just as Xu Hongji was caught in a dilemma, Liu Rushi smiled from inside the room. These few weak women were no match for the ferocious warriors, but the Fushe Society, with its immense influence both among the common people and in the court, was a powerful tool to turn defeat into victory. She walked to Li Xiangjun's side, took her hand, and the latter returned a sweet smile. Hand in hand, they seemed to await the moment of victory, and under Liu Ye's helpless gaze, they walked out of Meilou with their heads held high.
Dong Xiaowan did not stand with the two, a hint of worry in her eyes. In Suzhou, she had witnessed Liu Ye's methods; even a mere military officer did not take the Nanjing garrison eunuch seriously, let alone now that he was the Earl of Pingnan and held military power. Would he easily bow down to a group of scholars?
Liu Ye put down his wine glass, stood up, and strolled leisurely to the door. Standing next to Xu Hongji, he looked down at Hou Fangyu and said, "Young Master Hou, I heard what you and the Duke of Wei said. You kept saying that we used force to detain several girls and asked us to release them. Let me ask you, who are these three women to you?"
Hou Fangyu was taken aback, and subconsciously replied, "I...they are not anyone to me..."
"If they are your wives or concubines, please take them back. Don't let them sell their smiles and disgrace your family. We will not force good women into prostitution. If you are their madam, then come upstairs to collect your money. We can afford to hire people, so we can pay the price. We don't do such lowly things as patronizing prostitutes without paying. May I ask what kind of relationship you have with them?"
Hou Fangyu was taken aback by the question and immediately blushed, speechless for a moment. The personal guards and soldiers blocking his way couldn't help but burst into laughter.