A single meal had cost He Lingchuan nearly three taels of silver, and he even tipped the waiter the loose change, telling him to keep the difference.
So expensive, and he couldn't put it on a tab! He really had to find a way to generate some income.
Xiangyun Court was the largest entertainment house in Dunyu. Renowned performers from across Xiazhou took turns headlining here, and patrons could listen to storytelling, play chess, paint, play pitch-pot, talk business… Even if someone was simply frustrated and looking for a quiet moment, they could come here and request an elegant private room—namely, the VIP booths in the rear, where the crowds were thin and the atmosphere peaceful.
The moment He Lingchuan stepped into Xiangyun Court, he asked for an upstairs private room. But the tea master wore a troubled look.
"Young Master, the upper floor is fully booked. How about I arrange a fine booth downstairs for you?"
"That won't do." He Lingchuan had encountered this sort of thing plenty of times. He tilted his chin up. "Are those people fit to sit above me?"
Beside him, Maotao played the fawning lackey to perfection: "This is the eldest young master of Lord He, the Governor-General of this province! For Young Master He to grace your establishment brings glory to your humble door!"
The tea master was startled. Was this the great dignitary who had entered the city yesterday?
"B-but…"
Before he could finish, someone approached from the side. "Young Master He, my young master is willing to yield his upstairs room. Please, this way!"
He Lingchuan gave an amused scoff and paid the tea master no further heed. "Lead the way."
The attendant guided He Lingchuan to the second floor, to a room positioned diagonally above the stage—the best private booth for viewing the performances.
Naturally, the booth was empty now. He Lingchuan sat down nonchalantly and waved the attendant away without even asking who his master was.
The tea master hurried after them, swiftly laying out tea, snacks, and fruit platters.
Lingguang, the medicine ape, leaped onto the table, picked up a tangerine, and slowly peeled it.
It had been following He Lingchuan for a dozen days or so, and it had visibly grown a rounder belly.
The rock wolf was the most eye-catching presence at He Lingchuan's side. Having just eaten its fill and possessing nothing better to do, it sprawled under the table and drifted off to sleep.
He Lingchuan spent two shichen here, listening to several operas and rewarding several lead performers. By the time the sun dipped west, two layers of black cloth were hung over the surrounding windows, and the charcoal braziers were carried behind the curtains in the room's corners. In an instant, the entire hall was plunged into darkness.
While not so dark that one couldn't see their own fingers, anything beyond ten feet was lost to the shadows.
A faint noise came from the stage ahead. At first, it was a soft rustling, but it soon merged into a continuous chorus—the chirping of summer night insects.
The rock wolf, which had been sound asleep under the table, twitched its ears.
Just as the insects chirped their merriest, the frogs joined in.
The patrons in the hall closed their eyes, and it truly felt as though they were standing beside a pond on a summer night, taking in such a vibrant, full-throated chorus.
Immediately after came the fluttering flap of wings, accompanied by several raspy calls and the sloshing splash of water—herons had arrived.
The moment they appeared, the insects and frogs fell silent.
Then came human voices beside the pond: a man and a woman. They whispered back and forth at first, their crude, flirtatious banter dissolved in fits of giggles.
What followed after that was not fit for young ears, the sort of noise that would be censored if written down.
After a long while, all sound ceased on the stage.
He Lingchuan's hearing had improved immensely, and he caught the stealthy sound of footsteps descending from the stage.
Soon, the black curtains all around were pulled open, and the slanting western sun bathed the hall once more in its twilight glow.
The stage was, of course, completely empty.
What had just taken place was a performance of vocal mimicry. And from the footsteps, He Lingchuan knew that this grand, layered symphony had been produced by a single man.
That fellow's vocal prowess was genuinely extraordinary.
Young Master He naturally took the lead in applauding, grandly tossing out a silver ingot. "Splendid! A reward!"
Amidst the thunderous applause echoing from all sides, the attendant from earlier slipped over once more and whispered:
"Eldest Young Master He, my master invites you!"
He Lingchuan acted as though he hadn't heard. Maotao crossed his arms and snorted, "Which master?"
The attendant cursed inwardly. His master had yielded the private room and paid the bill, yet this brute hadn't even bothered to ask who he was—his skin was truly thicker than a fortress wall. Outwardly, however, he remained utterly deferential: "My master's surname is Li, his esteemed given name is Shuang, and he ranks tenth in the clan."
He Lingchuan gave a faint chuckle. The principal party had waited until now to show his face; he certainly knew how to keep his composure.
"Lead the way."
The young attendant led He Lingchuan through two doorways toward the private rooms in the rear.
After winding through several covered walkways, the opera singing and clamor of the front hall could no longer be heard.
The attendant pushed open a door. "Please!"
The noble young master inside rose to his feet and bowed respectfully to He Lingchuan. "Greetings, Eldest Young Master He. I am Li Shuang!"
"Oh—hello." He Lingchuan put on an expression of surprise. "So it's Young Master Li."
His response sounded vague, but he knew full well in his heart that this was Li Rong's sixth son, ranked tenth among his generation in the clan. When disaster struck the Zhan clan yesterday, this Li Shuang hadn't appeared from beginning to end; he likely hadn't been in Dunyu at the time.
He appeared to be in his early twenties, with a fair complexion, long eyes, balanced features, and a bright, sunny smile. He Lingchuan remembered that this was the junior whom the old man Li Zhao had thought most highly of in life, even intending for him to inherit his mantle.
Amidst Li Shuang's attentive hospitality, He Lingchuan took a seat. A maidservant immediately stepped forward to pour tea, while four varieties of fruit platters were arranged on the table.
"Why has Young Master Li sought me out?"
"To be frank, I have come specifically regarding the misfortune that has befallen the Li clan." Li Shuang's expression turned solemn as he got straight to the point. "This was a grave mistake committed by the Li clan, born of my father and eldest uncle acting too impulsively. At the time, I was away in Sanxiangyuan and could not dissuade them. Having rushed back to Dunyu today, I came immediately to plead for Eldest Young Master He's help."
"Help?" He Lingchuan feigned astonishment. "Has the Li clan already decided who handles the funeral and who goes to prison?"
Li Shuang glanced at the guards standing behind He Lingchuan, hesitating.
He Lingchuan tilted his head, and Maotao promptly led the men outside, pulling the door shut behind them.
However, the medicine ape and the rock wolf remained.
The rock wolf lay stretched out beside the tea table, its massive head pointed squarely at Li Shuang.
Li Shuang subtly shifted back an inch before speaking: "Yes. The clan held several councils and demanded that my eldest uncle manage Grandfather's funeral arrangements."
That meant Li Shuang's father, Li Rong, was to turn himself in and be taken into custody.
Naturally, he hadn't agreed voluntarily.
Over the past two days, the two brothers, Li Zhi and Li Rong, had surely pulled out every stop to rally the clansmen and shove each other into the fire pit. It was just like escaping a bear: you didn't have to outrun the bear; you only had to outrun your brother.
For now, it seemed Li Zhi had run a step faster.
He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow. "Who was it that personally brought up mobilizing the private army back then?"
Li Shuang fell silent, offering only a bitter smile.
Seeing his reaction, He Lingchuan deduced that the one who had clamored to deploy the private troops and attack the Zhan clan was almost certainly Li Rong. In that case, the Li clan's decision to push him forward to surrender wasn't an injustice at all. Li Zhi had likely seized upon this exact point to sway the clan elders and throw Li Rong under the cart.
He Lingchuan sipped his tea and cracked open a walnut with his bare hand to feed the medicine ape.
"The witnesses and material evidence are conclusive. Even if we had the mind to let him off, the law would not allow it." He Lingchuan offered a cold, superficial smile. "Young Master Li, are you trying to put my father and me in an impossible position?"
"Yet the one who beat the pregnant woman to death was my eldest uncle's subordinate. My father actually restrained the men, telling them to go easy." Li Shuang shook his head. "For the guilt to fall solely on my father is clearly unfair. Since Lord He intends to enforce the law impartially, the rights and wrongs ought to be properly distinguished, shouldn't they?"
"Indeed. Right and wrong, cause and effect—they ought to be laid out and tallied meticulously." He Lingchuan leaned back. "Speak, then. What do you have in mind?"
"My father suffers the same grief of losing a father. He hopes Lord He might grant an extension of a few days, allowing him to observe the mourning rites for my grandfather," Li Shuang said softly. "My eldest uncle hasn't been declared innocent either; he is merely out on bail pending trial, to be tried alongside my father two months from now, correct?"
He Lingchuan rubbed his chin. "That should be the case."
He wasn't intimately familiar with judicial proceedings, but guessing at his father's intentions, that was roughly how things stood.
Li Shuang drew a sheet of paper from his robes and spread it across the table.
He Lingchuan glanced at it from the corner of his eye; it didn't look like a banknote.
"These are shares in six branches of Xiangpu Ji under the Li clan's name, with dividends paid every half-year. Lord He may dispose of them as he pleases, whether for public use or private benefit."
He Lingchuan cast a sideways look. "What is the meaning of this?" During his morning stroll, he had indeed seen the signage of Xiangpu Ji along the main thoroughfare. Its storefronts were polished and prominent, seemingly dealing in fine apparel and cosmetics.
So bribes in Dunyu weren't paid in cash, but in shares? How fashionable.
"Merely a small token of respect. If my father can remain at home for ten days, we are willing to present three stalks of Xianren grass," Li Shuang whispered. "Does Eldest Young Master He know what Xianren grass is?"
He Lingchuan replied lukewarmly, "Do tell. Enlighten me."
"I wouldn't dare presume," Li Shuang said with a smile. "Xianren grass is one of the primary ingredients for concocting Longevity Pills. It is impossible to buy on the open market, even for ten thousand gold."
"Longevity Pills?" He Lingchuan paused. "Taking them extends one's lifespan?"
"Precisely."
"Don't tell me you happen to have the recipe as well?"
"Young Master jokes. How could my family possess such a supreme treasure?" Li Shuang shook his head. "It is said the recipe was bestowed by the heavenly gods, and the various royal courts may know a thing or two about it. Yet while the formula often varies, this principal herb remains constant. Because of that, the price of Xianren grass has remained exorbitant for ages, virtually unobtainable regardless of price."
"How did the Li clan obtain such a treasure in the first place?"
Li Shuang smiled bitterly. "Only my grandfather knew that."
Li Zhao was already dead, which meant the herb's origin had been carried with him into the grave. The He father and son could forget about procuring any more from that source.
Outside, a servant walked past, and the rock wolf raised its head alertly. He Lingchuan reached out and stroked the wolf's head. "Sixth Young Master Li, if you wish to save your father, you might want to look at Dunyu's immediate urgencies and needs. Only by securing the city and aiding the frontier can one earn merit, and only merit can offset guilt."
What did that mean? Li Shuang's expression shifted slightly.
"Lord He thought you had come to see me about something else entirely," He Lingchuan said with an air of disappointment. "After all, once Li Zhi and Li Rong are both locked away, the Li clan will be left without a leader, won't it?"
These words struck straight at the core of Li Shuang's thoughts, making his eye twitch violently.
With Grandfather's sudden passing, the helmsmen had become the two brothers, Li Zhi and Li Rong. If those two were also sent behind bars, who would take charge of the vast Li clan?
For the past two days, he had been calculating this very matter.
He Lingchuan added, "I heard that when Old Master Li was still alive, he held you in the highest regard, intending to groom you to take over?"
Li Shuang gently exhaled a breath. "I understand Lord He's meaning."
He Lingchuan stood up, and the medicine ape leaped onto his shoulder in an instant.
Seeing him turn to leave without a second glance at the paper contract on the table, Li Shuang couldn't help calling out, "Eldest Young Master He, this share certificate…"
"Keep it for your own dividends." He Lingchuan's face was stern and upright. "Lord He does not accept private bribes!"
Chapter 224