nucmednet Chapter 505 People are under the roof
Chapter 505 People are under the roof
As night falls, the painted boats on the Qinhuai River light up, and the decadent nightlife begins. Groups of scholars and nobles, in their sedan chairs, shuttle along the riverbank, each heading to their own destination, to find their lovers, or to visit their idealized "goddesses" of both beauty and talent. But tonight, most of them are destined to return disappointed.
The rumbling footsteps shattered the idyllic atmosphere along the Qinhuai River. Groups of soldiers appeared on the road, jogging in orderly formation. Pedestrians and sedan chairs scrambled to make way, some tripping and falling into the roadside bushes. Those who had fallen scrambled to their feet, ready to launch into a righteous accusation, only to find these men uniformly dressed in red and white-trimmed uniforms with insignia on their shoulders—a far cry from the imperial army's attire. They resembled the notoriously fierce Qionghai Army, and immediately fell silent, swallowing their words. These menacing figures were no match for the cowardly imperial garrison troops; angering them meant certain death.
The guards arrived at Meilou and surrounded it in layers, so tightly that not even a fly could get in. Lin San arrived at the main gate and instructed Gu Hengbo, who came out to greet him: "Tonight, apart from the people brought by my general and the Duke of Wei, no one else is allowed to enter or leave Meilou. Name your price, and someone will bring the money later."
Gu Hengbo said in a low voice, "Tonight I am apologizing to Lord Pingnan, how can I accept payment for drinks?"
Lin San turned his head away without answering. He was only there to relay messages, not to waste time with this beautiful female boss; ensuring the general's safety was his duty.
Seeing that the other party did not respond, Gu Hengbo felt a little embarrassed and avoided the topic, asking, "Sir, in order to serve the Earl of Pingnan and his cousin well, I invited a few good sisters to entertain us. If these people cannot come in either, I'm afraid the Earl of Pingnan will be unhappy, right?"
Lin San glanced at her and then said, "The general will arrive in a quarter of an hour. His personal bodyguard captain is a woman. All girls entering and leaving must be searched by her to make sure they don't have any sharp weapons before they can enter."
Gu Hengbo felt a surge of humiliation, but dared not show any displeasure. She lowered her head to hide her expression and whispered, "I understand."
These women who were about to arrive were all top figures on the Qinhuai River, outstanding in both appearance and talent. She had used the Duke of Wei's name and risked her own reputation to persuade them to gather. If they were to suffer the humiliation of being "searched" for attending the gathering, her reputation as the instigator on the Qinhuai River would plummet, making her the target of criticism from her peers. But what could she do? Could she fight against such a powerful figure? Should she send someone to tell them not to come?
Gu Hengbo shook his head inwardly. Compared to his own and Meilou's fate, reputation among his peers was not so important. Survival was the most important thing.
Fifteen minutes later, Xu Hongji and Liu Ye arrived almost simultaneously.
After exchanging pleasantries, the two entered the Meilou building hand in hand.
Unlike the lively scene last time, the Mei Lou was quiet this time. Gone were the self-important scholars, and gone were the girls as well. Liu Ye looked around in surprise and said to Xu Hongji, "Duke Wei, if you're going to be cautious because you've been bitten once, I don't object. But isn't it a bit much to go to such extremes to have no girls at all? I don't mind; I can just have a drink and chat with you, but my cousin has long admired the scenery of the Qinhuai River. I can't let him leave disappointed, can I?"
Xu Hongji smiled mysteriously: "Don't worry, little brother, I've arranged everything. There will be a surprise later. I've been feeling guilty about what happened last time because of me, so this time I'll make sure you and your cousin are satisfied."
Liu Ye had no idea what the surprise was, so he could only accept it as it came. He said to Liang Xiaoming, "'Cousin,' we must thank the Duke of Wei properly for his kindness."
Liang Xiaoming was not good at socializing, and he said to Xu Hongji in a submissive tone, "Thank you, Duke of Wei."
Xu Hongji smiled and patted Liang Xiaoming on the shoulder: "I call Ping Nanbo my brother, we're all on the same side, don't be so polite." He turned to Liu Ye and said, "Your cousin looks like an honest man, unlike you."
Liu Ye smiled and thought to himself, "My cousin looks honest, but he has a secretly passionate heart."
Outside.
As if by prior arrangement, several sedan chairs arrived from both the north and south, converging at the entrance of Meilou. Several young women alighted from their chairs and stepped out. Some were strikingly beautiful, others possessed an ethereal elegance; all were exceptional in appearance and figure. One of them was even dressed as a man, her beauty tinged with a touch of heroic spirit. Gu Hengbo straightened her posture and went to greet them.
"It is an honor for my sisters to grace Meilou with their presence. Hengbo thanks you in advance."
The woman dressed as a man glanced at the heavily armed soldiers around her and asked indifferently, "Miss Mei, you are too kind. Who exactly is the guest we have invited to today's banquet? Why have you gathered us all together? If it were just the Duke of Wei, there wouldn't be such a big fuss, would there? And what about these soldiers?" Gu Hengbo's original name was Gu Mei, also known as Gu Mei. Her fellow women all called her Miss Mei.
A hint of worry flashed in Gu Hengbo's eyes, and he sighed, "This is a long story, please forgive me, Lord Hedong, shall we go upstairs first?"
Led by Gu Hengbo, the group entered the inner courtyard and were about to go upstairs when they were stopped by a group of Japanese samurai waiting downstairs. Shimazu Chiyo stepped forward, bowed, and said in broken Chinese, "I'm sorry, but I must search you all to ensure your safety."
Just as Gu Hengbo had predicted, the expressions on everyone's faces changed. The woman dressed as a man, referred to as Hedongjun, rebuked, "How dare you do this? Miss Mei, what exactly is going on?"
Gu Hengbo sighed and explained in a low voice, "Hengbo had no choice in the matter. The distinguished guest we are hosting this time encountered an assassin at Meilou..."
He Dongjun raised her eyebrows and said, "Whether we are assassinated or not, what does it have to do with us? Since that's the case, let's leave to avoid being humiliated for no reason." Led by her, the group turned to leave.
With a clang, a gleaming samurai sword was placed against He Dongjun's neck, the coldness of the blade calming her down.
Chiyo Shimazu, holding her sword, said, "I'm sorry, but please don't leave so easily now that you've come. The general will be displeased." Although her tone was very polite, the meaning behind her words was aggressive, and there was no hint of apology whatsoever.
The other two women were somewhat surprised and hesitated whether to continue walking out. One of them subconsciously took a step forward, and they heard several clanging sounds as countless samurai swords were pointed at them. It was clear that taking another step would mean being pierced through the heart by swords.