Chapter 466: 276. What kind of status is this, to have the same bounty as this Seat?

276. What kind of status is this, to have the same bounty as this Seat?

Night, full moon.

On a great river at the border of two prefectures, north of Hongzhou and south of Jiangzhou.

On the wide river surface, dozens of boats, large and small, were sailing slowly.

The Yangtze River water in this stretch between Jiang and Hong was still quite clear, far from the turbidity of the river water near the estuary downstream in places like Jin Ling.

Under a bright full moon, the river surface shimmered with ripples.

Looking down from a high vantage point, the hundreds of boats on the river, sailing under the moon along with the rushing river water, seemed as if they were perfectly still.

Solidified into a rather spectacular scene.

If someone were here, they would surely have to chant a line:

"The river and sky are one color, without a speck of dust; bright and clear in the sky, a solitary moon wheel."

The boats sailing on this waterway at the border of the two prefectures were coming and going, considered crowded and lively, with passenger ships, grain transport ships, merchant ships, and cargo ships of all kinds.

There were even some luxurious painted pleasure boats belonging to high-ranking officials, wealthy guests, and brothels from the coastal prefectures and counties, drifting along the riverbanks.

However, with the current Hong and Jiang prefectures being adjacent to the front lines, the most numerous vessels on the river were passenger ships fleeing eastward, and cargo and grain transport ships silently heading west to deliver supplies.

Along the edges of the boat traffic, official ships fully loaded with soldiers and armor, lit with torches, would pass by from time to time, quietly escorting the grain and fodder waterway.

However, the number of ships on the river was too great, and the official ships were inevitably unable to monitor them one by one, so they only closely followed and tailed the grain and cargo ships transporting logistics and important supplies.

As for those passenger ships, merchant boats, and painted pleasure boats, they mostly ignored them, as long as they did not approach the logistics fleet sailing in the very center of the great river.

At this moment, on the river surface not far from the bank, a rather ordinary, massive merchant ship was quietly anchored, brightly lit, hanging the flag of a merchant house with some fame in Jiang Nan—Taoshou Zhai.

A merchant house that sold precious medicinal herbs and also handled exquisite pastries and fruits.

This Taoshou Zhai merchant ship did not attract the attention of the passing ships on the surrounding river.

From sunset to now, with the moon rising to the branches, some lonely flat-bottomed boats would sail over from time to time, anchor beside the merchant ship, drop off people, and then quickly sail away.

These flat-bottomed boats came from the coastal prefectures and counties, and also from some passenger ships hurriedly heading south on the river.

Those who boarded the deck included bearded guests, mendicant monks, wives of merchants, green-scarved Daoist priests, and lazy scholars who drifted over while drunk in their boats and wobbled ashore, as well as those so effeminate one could not tell their gender...

This batch of rather special guests stayed on the ship for a period of time; some left early, while others stayed for a long time.

When those who left walked out, they were all carrying large and small bags of medicinal herbs. The proprietress personally and politely sent them off the ship, quietly watching the guests leave from the deck, then turned her head and glanced at the group of painted pleasure boats not far away.

Once night fell, painted pleasure boats and cruise ships from brothels and taverns in the prefectures and counties along the riverbank would sail over for amusement.

They were not far from the temporarily anchored Taoshou Zhai merchant ship.

These painted pleasure boats were decorated with lanterns, emitting the soft, decadent sounds of strings and woodwinds, among which the hearty laughter of wealthy guests and the soft, sweet singing of dancing girls and courtesans could be heard from time to time.

At this moment, in the night by the river, a melodious and clear zither sound was ringing out.

Within that painted pleasure boat, there was faintly the loud accompaniment and chanting of a courtesan's voice:

"The Yue girl picks lotuses by the autumn water... narrow sleeves, light gauze, secretly revealing twin gold bracelets... reflecting her shadow, picking flowers, the flowers are like her face... her fragrant heart only contends with the silk in chaos.

"At the sandbar of the mandarin ducks, the wind and waves are late... mist is heavy, smoke is light, the companion from when I came is not to be seen... the faint singing voice returns with the boat far away... the sorrow of parting leads to the Jiang Nan shore."

A lyric to the tune of *Die Lian Hua*.

It seemed to be something that had suddenly become popular recently. It was said to come from a wanted poster issued by the government, hunting for a top-tier rebel who had only left this lyric as a clue, nicknamed the Master of *Die Lian Hua*.

But what was unexpected was that the person was not caught, but instead, this *Die Lian Hua* lyric with great literary talent became famous.

It was deeply loved by the courtesans in brothels and taverns, who arranged music and sang it, making it popular in places of romance and pleasure.

There were even quite a few singing girls and dancers who felt pity for this talented Master of *Die Lian Hua*, their sympathy overflowing...

As for his status as a wanted criminal of the imperial court... well, it can only be said that women's neural pathways are different from men's, and they have a set of emotional logic.

At this moment, on the river, under the zither music and singing coming from the night, the Taoshou Zhai merchant ship was somewhat silent.

The crowd seeking pleasure in the painted pleasure boats and the singing girl who loved to sing *Die Lian Hua* did not know these things and were still immersed in the leisurely atmosphere of the place of romance.

Until, in a private room on the painted pleasure boat where guests had just been seated, a little girl with her hair tied in double buns suddenly ran out.

With two trails of clear snot hanging, she sniffed, and her short little legs ran to the center of the liveliest singing hall of the painted pleasure boat.

Seeming to feel that she was too short, she moved a stool and climbed onto a table.

This confusing operation, and in the center of the hall, immediately attracted the suspicious and strange gazes of everyone in the hall, including the singing girls who were playing the zither and singing, who all paused and turned their heads to look.

But they saw this little loli with double buns and clear snot hanging, with her hands behind her back, standing on the table, saying to them in a milky voice:

"My teacher said, big sisters, don't sing this lyric anymore. The government officials are currently hunting for the guy who wrote this lyric. If you keep singing it, after it spreads, you will be caught and interrogated tomorrow."

The originally noisy hall suddenly fell into silence. The wealthy guests who had been smiling and playful just a moment ago all fell silent, and even the singing girl who had been the first to sing this lyric turned pale with fright.

After the little loli with double buns paused to catch her breath, she first quickly wiped away the clear snot, and then she continued to keep her two little hands behind her back, like a little adult.

As if she were reciting a book in front of her teacher every day, she said in a milky, soft voice:

"My teacher said, it's not that we want to disturb everyone's mood on purpose, it's just that we really can't stand this batch of imperial court rebels, and the one inside who left a lyric and has several portraits, called something like the Master of *Die Lian Hua*, destroyed the Saint's Buddha statue, is rebellious, and specifically acts against the Saint and the imperial court. He really is a bold guy."

Everyone looked at each other in dismay.

"Yes, yes, yes."

The wealthy guests and singing girls, as well as the procuress who had originally led strong slaves and thugs to rush into the door to drive people away, changed their expressions upon hearing this and hurriedly stopped... They all nodded in agreement.

After the little loli with double buns finished reciting her teacher's lines, she turned her head to glance at the direction of the private room. Seeing that there was no other movement, she took out a heavy little purse and poured the gold beans and silver grains inside onto the table.

While everyone was staring blankly at the gold and silver beans jumping on the table at the little loli's feet, she tilted her head and said:

"Here, teacher said that disturbing everyone's mood is a bit of an apology. She is treating everyone to tonight's wine and food.

"It's really just that I hate that batch of rebels too much, I had to speak out... The world is going downhill, singing rebel songs in public is easy to make little children like me learn bad things, teacher won't tolerate it.

"Okay, you guys continue, don't sing anymore. Oh, right, and that big sister playing the zither, don't play anymore either."

After giving these instructions, the little loli with double buns jumped off the table, left the gold and silver beans, and under the surprised and stunned gazes of everyone, ran back to a certain private room.

In the private room, there seemed to be a gentle white shadow standing up to receive her.

"Ding ling ling—" faintly accompanied by a crisp bell sound.

In the hall, the procuress hurriedly stepped forward, picking up the gold and silver beans while laughing like a flower, praising incessantly: "This young lady is truly well-read and sensible. One can tell at a glance that she must have been taught by a teacher who is deeply righteous and hates evil..."

"Yes, yes, the teacher's style is as high as the mountains and as long as the rivers..." Everyone echoed one after another.

The lively atmosphere in the painted pleasure boat was restored, but it lacked the zither music and the certain *Die Lian Hua* song.

After the procuress handled the hall, she prepared to run to toast that deeply righteous teacher, but was told by a maid that this pair of master and apprentice had not stayed for even a moment, had long since left the painted pleasure boat, and sailed away by boat.

The procuress was stunned, turned her head to look at the night outside, and found that there seemed to be a small boat slowly sailing away on the river,

seeming to be heading toward that silent merchant ship of Taoshou Zhai hanging a flag not far away.

On the boat, there were vaguely two white backs, one big and one small.

One was short, the little girl with clear snot, and the other, in white clothes, gentle and tall...

"Teacher, if we sing this *Die Lian Hua* lyric, will the imperial court really catch them all?"

"Whether the government catches them or not, teacher doesn't know, but teacher can be certain that if you keep singing, your eldest martial aunt will come out and blow them all up along with the painted pleasure boat."

"Eldest martial aunt is so fierce!"

On the small boat that had just left the painted pleasure boat, the little loli with double buns immediately jumped, her tone full of reverence.

The gentle female teacher in white clothes beside her pressed down on her double-bun head, a little helplessly:

"You speak less in a while, don't let your little flattery hit the horse's leg again, be careful that she blows you up too, throws you into the river, just like last time."

The little loli with double buns had a confused little face: "Last time, wasn't eldest martial aunt teaching me to fly? The reward after letting me 'say it again', where was she angry?"

"Reward you, just fly, don't care about landing, right?"

Yu Nianyuan, the second female lord of Yunmeng Sword Marsh who had appeared in the zither music of Xingzi Fang in Xunyang City a month ago, chuckled and shook her head.

"Don't fall into the water and catch a cold again."

She took out a white handkerchief and wiped the clear snot for the little loli with double buns.

This little loli was exactly the one she had brought out from the wealthy household in Xingzi Fang where she had been hiding before.

This wealthy household was surnamed Li, and they had a daughter in their old age, whom they doted on very much, and they had respectfully handed her over to Yu Nianyuan.

The little loli with double buns had a single name, "Shu".

Li Shu pointed her finger at her chin and blinked her eyes to ask:

"Understood, teacher, but why was eldest martial aunt angry? This *Die Lian Hua* is written well, and it sounds very good too? If teacher hadn't stopped me, I would have wanted to lie on the table and listen a little longer. I walked so many roads in the city today...

"Teacher, why doesn't eldest martial aunt like listening to this zither music and lyric?"

The little girl asked curiously.

Yu Nianyuan said leisurely: "Because she doesn't like the person who left this lyric."

"Is it the Master of *Die Lian Hua* who was hanging side by side with eldest martial aunt on the city wall notice when we left the city just now?"

"Yes."

Yu Nianyuan nodded: "In the past, if she met him, your eldest martial aunt would have beaten him to death."

Li Shu was thoughtful: "So eldest martial aunt liked him before, but doesn't like him now? Could it be love turning into hate like in the operas?"

Yu Nianyuan turned her head silently, looking at this newly accepted disciple, and didn't ask why she thought so, just earnestly exhorted:

"When we go in later, don't say this, teacher can't save you even if children's words are innocent."

Li Shu tugged at her hem:

"Didn't teacher say, eldest martial aunt wanted to beat him to death before? Beating is affection, scolding is love, looking at it this way, isn't it loving him to death."

Yu Nianyuan didn't speak.

Approaching the merchant ship, the river wind was quite urgent, and the flat-bottomed boat they were riding on swayed in the wind.

The little loli hurriedly opened her arms to hug her teacher's thigh, buried her face and secretly wiped the clear snot with her teacher's snow-white hem, seeming to be very interested in this eldest martial aunt she had just met recently. She raised her head and asked curiously:

"Hmm, teacher, eldest martial aunt loved him to death before, what about now? Does eldest martial aunt not love him anymore?"

"Now, huh..."

This gentle female teacher in white clothes pried open this little head and carefully wiped her snot with a handkerchief.

When she put away the handkerchief, her fingers happened to touch a wanted poster in her sleeve for the arch-criminal who caused the collapse of the Donglin Great Buddha and the beheading of several officials.

"Now, in your eldest martial aunt's eyes, it should be... she doesn't care if he lives or dies."

Yu Nianyuan chuckled.

"Ah, teacher, what does this mean?"

At this time, the flat-bottomed boat stopped, and they had arrived.

Yu Nianyuan glanced at Li Shu, who was raising her face and asking questions like a curious baby.

Actually, it's quite good to be a little confused when young. When she was suddenly taken away and left home, she didn't cry or make a scene, but occasionally in the middle of the night, the little girl would suddenly run over, crawl into the quilt, hug Yu Nianyuan's waist, and ask if it was because she didn't write her characters well that her parents didn't want her...

Yu Nianyuan was tireless, raised her hand to touch Li Shu's little head, gently:

"Let's go, remember what I just said."

Immediately, the gentle female teacher brought the little loli with double buns and boarded the deck with a calm expression,

and under the respectful send-off of the Taoshou Zhai proprietress, the master and apprentice walked into the ship's hall together...

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 467 =====