Chapter 266: The Gu and Liang Families are Very Different [Deep thanks to everyone for your support!]

The sound of the horseshoes of several horses stepping on the stone road faded away.

Rong Xian, Gu Tingye, and others, who were hiding behind the door panels under the colorful building of Pan Lou, looked at each other.

After waiting for a quarter of an hour,

subsequently, Gu Tingye poked his head out and said to the waiter standing at the door:

"Little waiter, have the Xu family's horses gone far?"

"Returning to Yuan Erlang, they have gone far."

Everyone at the door exhaled.

Soon everyone went out. Qiao Jiu followed behind the three and habitually glanced at the door.

"Jing Ge'er!? You? So early?"

Hearing Qiao Jiu's voice, everyone looked to the side, only to see Xu Zaijing standing by the door. In the distance was Qingyun leading the horses, but there were no horses beside him.

The Xu family's horses were indeed in the distance.

Xu Zaijing said: "Are you all not returning after staying out all night?"

Gu Tingye and the other four, looking like their bodies had been hollowed out, stood at the entrance of Pan Lou and nodded sheepishly.

Liang Han said: "Jing Ge'er, it's not that the brothers aren't loyal enough, it's really..."

Gu Tingye took up the conversation: "It's really because you, Han Wulang, are young..."

Xu Zaijing cast a glance, and Gu Tingye didn't say any more.

"You didn't lose your virginity, did you?"

Except for Rong Xian, the other three hurriedly waved their hands.

Liang Han said: "Jing Ge'er, how could we sleep with flowers and lodge with willows? If Mother knew, she would really break our legs."

Qiao Jiu and Gu Tingye also nodded.

At this time, Mama Ruan, who also had a tired look on her face, walked out of Pan Lou.

She bowed gently to Rong Xian.

Rong Xian hurriedly waved his hand.

Subsequently, Mama Ruan looked at the other three and said:

"My daughters' skills are even better than mine; I hope the young masters will patronize us in the future!"

Gu Tingye and the three others all had somewhat unnatural expressions, bowing slightly and looking elsewhere.

Subsequently, Mama Ruan was helped away from the door, sat in a sedan chair nearby, and the sedan chair walked toward a small courtyard not far away.

Watching the eyes of the other three chasing Mama Ruan, Xu Zaijing shook his head.

While Xu Zaijing was talking to Gu Tingye and them,

because there was a Warm Stove Gathering,

there were quite a few other guests who had stayed at Pan Lou overnight,

and at this time, they were also preparing to leave Fan Tower one after another.

The middle-aged wealthy squires or young rich young masters gathered downstairs had their eyes hooked on Mama Ruan's waist and hips under the thin veil when she passed from the third floor to the first floor.

Seeing Mama Ruan bow, they naturally knew where she had been serving last night.

Some squires and rich young masters pulled the waiter in the building, asking for Mama Ruan's name and the identities of Rong Xian and the others.

"Third-floor private room"

"Noble scions of Bianjing"

"Those who sang and danced all night"

"Being young is really good"

"Are they the ones who were making a scene?"

These words were spreading in the building.

After asking clearly, the eyes they had hooked on Mama Ruan became even brighter: These were the courtesans pursued by the noble scions of Bianjing; if there was a chance, they also wanted to...

When looking at Xu Zaijing and the others who were answering questions from afar,

looking at the listless Rong Xian and the others, and then looking at Xu Zaijing, who was incomparably energetic,

these wealthy squires and rich young masters looked at Xu Zaijing with envy and admiration.

"Which family's young master is the one in the middle with bright eyes?"

"To be able to have such spirit after singing and dancing all night..."

"Could it be that he has some secret technique for the bedroom?"

Someone else whispered:

"Could it be that this Xu family brother wasn't there last night?"

Another person retorted:

"Then why did he come to Pan Lou so early? To perform for you to see?"

"Hiss, that's true, brother, you make sense."

At the entrance of Pan Lou, while talking,

after obtaining Xu Zaijing's promise that "I will definitely not take the initiative to reveal your affairs," the young masters of several families got into their carriages one after another, preparing to return to their mansions.

Xu Zaijing stood at the door watching them get into the carriages and leave. When Rong Xian got into the carriage, his foot even slipped; it seemed his legs were soft.

When Qingyun led the horses over, several young masters and squires who were dressed impressively took out exquisite calling cards from their servants' arms,

reported their family names, and personally handed them to Xu Zaijing, saying that if there was a chance, they would invite Xu Zaijing to have fun, and no matter how much it cost, they would cover it.

Xu Zaijing took the calling cards in confusion, said a few polite words, and then gave them all to Qingyun.

Subsequently, he rode away amidst the sound of horse hooves.

Marquis Yongchang's Mansion

As soon as he entered the door, Liang Han was informed by the steward at the gate that Madam Wu wanted him to roll to the inner courtyard after he returned.

Arriving at the mistress's courtyard where they were preparing to eat breakfast,

Liang Han heard a shout as soon as he entered the hall:

"Kneel down!"

Looking at his mother holding a bamboo board, Liang Han knelt down decisively, and the servant Diaoche who followed also knelt on the ground behind his young master.

"Where did you go last night?"

"Speak!"

Liang Han was startled by Madam Wu's shout and said:

"Mo... Mother, Pan Lou, Jing Ge'er and the others held a poetry gathering!"

Madam Wu:

"Pfft! Jing Ge'er? You really dare to make that up! Fine! Diaoche, you speak!"

"If there's half a lie, I'll break your legs!"

Diaoche knelt on the ground, squeezed his brows, and gritted his teeth:

"Returning... returning to Madam, what the young master said is true. Last night we were at Pan Lou, and this morning it was Xu family's Han Wulang who saw us off to the mansion!"

After finishing, Diaoche painfully knocked his forehead on the ground.

Liang Han also lowered his head, not daring to let his mother see his expression.

Hearing that Xu Zaijing was there, Madam Wu's anger instantly dissipated by half, but she still said:

"Six Lang, you raise your head and look at me!"

Liang Han gritted his back teeth and raised his head. After making eye contact with Madam Wu, he said:

"Mother, last night your son was really at Pan Lou, and this morning it was Jing Ge'er who saw me off to the mansion."

"Everything your son said is true!"

Looking at Liang Han's eyes, Madam Wu nodded and said:

"Then you shouldn't have stayed out all night!"

"Mother is right, it's really because Rong family brother was in a great mood for poetry last night and wouldn't let us leave. This won't happen again in the future."

Madam Wu took a deep breath and said:

"Alright, look at your listless appearance! Go back to your room!"

"Yes, Mother!"

Liang Han and Diaoche exchanged a look with a tacit understanding and were about to happily return to the courtyard,

when Madam Wu behind them said: "Wait!"

Liang Han was startled, his throat moved, not knowing where the slip-up was. Diaoche closed his eyes in resignation, waiting for the fate of having his legs broken.

Liang Han slowly turned back: "Mother?"

Madam Wu sighed and said:

"Your eldest sister-in-law's cousin's younger sister married into the Wan family and has a daughter. Now that there's no one left in the family, she's destitute and is going to be brought to our house to live!"

"With other female relatives, pay attention to your behavior and don't damage the reputation of the young lady!"

Liang Han knew it wasn't his slip-up after hearing this, and his mood was very relaxed. But hearing that it was a matter in his eldest half-brother's courtyard, he said irritably:

"No, Mother! My eldest sister-in-law's maiden family?"

"Pfft! These are all relatives with some twisted connections!"

"You're even letting her come to beg for favors?"

Seeing Liang Han's disgusted appearance, Madam Wu felt comforted in her heart, and her eyes looking at her youngest son became gentle.

Liang Han continued:

"Is the grain in our house blown in by the wind?"

"Pfft, what nonsense! It should be beaten out!"

Madam Wu still sighed and said:

"Your eldest brother has now achieved success in the imperial examinations. Our family sees that he is the only promising child, so his face must still be given!"

"Besides, this is your sister-in-law's benevolent act of helping the poor and the weak. Rejecting her would be bad for our family's reputation."

"And people will say that I, your mother, am a mean and heartless person."

Liang Han nodded:

"Mother, don't worry, your son will definitely pay more attention to his behavior and stay far, far away from that girl of the whatever family..."

"Mother, you don't think eldest sister-in-law wants that woman to be a concubine for eldest brother, do you?"

Madam Wu frowned: "Is this something you can discuss?"

Liang Han curled his lips secretly.

Gu family,

When Gu Tingye entered the door, the Gu family had already finished breakfast.

When he arrived at Madam Bai's courtyard, Gu Tingyi sniffed Gu Tingye's clothes and said:

"Hmph, there's no smell of powder."

"Little sister, the poetry gathering your brother attended only has the smell of ink, where would there be any smell of powder."

Gu Tingyi raised her eyebrows.

Subsequently, Gu Tingye entered Madam Bai's room. Seeing Mama Chang winking at him, Gu Tingye was a bit puzzled.

"Where did you go?"

Listening to his mother's words, Gu Tingye just wanted to make something up, but he saw Mama Chang winking at Madam Bai.

"Help you recall?"

As she spoke, Madam Bai took out a set of clothes from the side.

It was exactly the set Gu Tingye had changed into after returning from Pan Lou at the Bai residence.

Gu Tingyi sat back beside Madam Bai and curled her lips at her second brother, her eyes full of the three words "stupid second brother."

After Gu Tingye's brain turned until it was smoking, Gu Tingye muttered "Jing Ge'er, I'm counting on you!" in his heart, and hurriedly said:

"Mother, last night I really drank to my heart's content with Jing Ge'er, and it wasn't until this morning that I sobered up."

Mama Chang, who was beside Madam Bai, looked at the bowed Gu Yuan Erlang and sighed helplessly after closing her eyes.

Madam Bai said:

"Oh? When did Jing Ge'er go?"

"Around the Shen hour (after 3:00 PM)"

"Who did he take?"

"Uh... Qingyun and Qingcao..."

"What wine did you drink?"

"Pan Lou's Qiongye wine."

"Did you visit prostitutes?"

"No..."

Madam Bai looked at her youngest son with disdain: "Zhi Que, you speak."

Zhi Que knelt on the ground with a *thump* and said: "Madam, Jing Ge'er didn't go yesterday. The Young Master and the Rong, Liang, and Qiao family young masters were drinking at Pan Lou, watching..."

Not knowing what he thought of, Zhi Que didn't finish.

"Yi'er, go back to your courtyard."

"Oh."

Tingyi left the room reluctantly.

After people left, Zhi Que continued:

"Drinking and watching the Rong family young master visit prostitutes, and later they called a few courtesans."

Gu Tingye looked at Zhi Que as if he were a traitor.

"Someone, come!"

At Madam Bai's order, Gu Tingye was startled.

"Mama, help this unfilial beast take off his upper garment."

"Mother, can you hit my buttocks instead?"

Gu Tingye, who was being stripped of his upper garment by Mama Chang, asked.

Madam Bai said: "Hitting your buttocks will delay your sitting to read; hitting your hands will delay your writing. Lie down!"

"Madam, this little one requests the board."

Hearing Zhi Que's words, Madam Bai nodded and said: "Granted!"

After finishing,

Zhi Que was dragged out by the strong women.

Madam Bai took a long, thin bamboo board from the tray held by a maid and came to Gu Tingye, who was on all fours, kneeling on the ground.

"Slap!"

Gu Tingye, who was struck, was in such pain that he couldn't believe it and couldn't make a sound.

"Slap!"

By the second strike, Gu Tingye's eyes were full of tears.

"Slap!"

By the third strike, Gu Tingye's hands gripped the carpet beneath him.

Just as he wanted to turn his head to beg for mercy,

when he looked at his mother, he happened to see Madam Bai frowning, with tears and pity in her eyes.

When she discovered her son looking over, Madam Bai quickly put away the pity and struck down fiercely again.

"Slap!"

Gu Tingye turned his head toward the carpet, enduring it without crying out, but the tears from the pain dripped onto the carpet.

Every time Madam Bai struck, Mama Chang on the side shivered slightly.

By the sixth strike, Mama Chang finally couldn't help but walk to Madam Bai and shield Gu Tingye:

"Madam, the young master knows he was wrong, don't hit him anymore!"

"Mama, move aside!"

"Madam, I will take the rest of the young master's punishment, don't hit him anymore, he's bleeding!"

Gu Tingye, who was kneeling, said with a nasal voice: "Mama, you get up, I must finish the punishment so Mother can vent her anger."

At this time, Pingmei walked in and said: "Mother, spare Little Two, he is still young."

Madam Bai panted, partly from anger and partly from fatigue. She threw the bamboo board on the ground and returned to her seat.

Pingmei said softly:

"Little Two, my maiden family sent things to our house yesterday, and Mother knew yesterday that Jing Ge'er didn't go."

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

The sound of Zhi Que being hit by the board came from outside the door,

and Gu Tingye's body bowed even lower.

Madam Bai said:

"You should be glad your eldest brother isn't home, otherwise..."

Gu Tingye:

"Hmm!"

He knew that if his eldest brother were home, he would have to suffer both physical and mental torture; his eldest brother Gu Tingyu was not someone who would soften his heart when hitting people.

After Madam Bai finished speaking, she looked at Gu Tingye's back with some worry, then hardened her heart and said: "Drag him back to his courtyard."

After Gu Tingye was carried away, Mama Chang followed with worry.

Madam Bai exhaled, changed her mood, looked at Pingmei and said: "I wonder if this child of yours is a boy or a girl."

After this day passed,

the scions of families like the Duke of Han, Hou Fu'an, and Marquis Zhongshan, who had now reconciled after visiting prostitutes several times,

also often went to Pan Lou together to have fun.

From time to time, wealthy young masters who were considered familiar would come to ask if they were familiar with the Xu family brother.

After asking the few waiters who were there that day, they finally knew the ins and outs.

So when someone came to ask, these few curled their lips and said:

"Naturally, we are familiar!"

Master Zhuang was old, and he drank too much wine when attending the Warm Stove Gathering.

Half-drunk and half-awake, he caught a cold, and the Sheng family school was closed for a few more days, but Master Zhuang still insisted on assigning lessons every day despite his discomfort.

When Gu Tingye was writing his lessons while groaning in pain,

a message, neither big nor small, spread in Bianjing:

"According to revelations from a certain country's young master and a Marquis's mansion scion, the youngest son of the Marquis Yongyi Xu family often visits brothels..."

"Ordinary wealthy squires in Bianjing can rarely see the top courtesans that noble scions like..."

"And this Xu family brother has practiced a good 'spear' technique in the romantic field..."

"He is still energetic after a night of pleasure..."

"Even the former 'Waist-Spirit Top Courtesan' Mama Ruan had to admit defeat and leave holding her waist..."

Subsequently,

one morning,

Bianjing commoners saw the gatekeeper servant of the Marquis's mansion

dragging a wealthy young master, who was dressed luxuriously but had dark circles under his eyes and was as thin as a stick, from the main gate of the Marquis's mansion to the street corner.

The Marquis's mansion servant said: "If you come to harass us again, I'll break your legs!"

"Brother, I'm not harassing you, I beg the Xu family brother to teach me the technique, I am willing to offer half of my family's wealth!"

Someone around asked: "What technique, that you are actually willing to offer half of your family's wealth?"

Someone smart on the side said: "Just look at this appearance and you'll know, bedroom arts."

"Hahahaha..."

The commoners around laughed.

At this time, the servant of this wealthy young master also caught up and helped his young master up.

The Marquis's mansion servant said loudly:

"Pfft! You thief bird! Our Marquis's mansion treated you with courtesy, I didn't expect you to be so gullible!"

"If it weren't for the fear of beating you to death, I'd give you a few punches!"

That wealthy young master said: "I am really willing to offer half of my family's wealth! I beg the young master of your mansion..."

"Screw your mother!"

"Ouch!"

"Get out!"

The young master with a bruised eye, in pain and squinting, was helped onto his horse by his servant. Knowing that there was no hope of begging for the technique, he actually cried on the horse's back.

After walking for a while, they arrived at a fire-watching tower not far from Pan Lou.

After this wealthy young master stopped his horse, he cried even more bitterly.

For a time, quite a few people gathered around. A fire-watching soldier under the fire-watching tower looked at this wealthy young master with pity and said:

"What's wrong, brother, crying so sadly, has a close relative passed away?"

"If you want to cry, go cry at the grave, don't do it here!"

After these words, this person cried even more bitterly.

More and more people gathered. The Bianjing yamen runners who were resting in the military patrol shop on the side were also attracted:

"Make way, what's going on here?"

"Yo! Why is Young Master Chi crying so sadly."

That wealthy young master told the whole story...

Something about...

"Xu family brother"

"Heard from Pan Lou"

"Several noble families that everyone saw"

"Played from the afternoon until the next morning"

"Good spirit"

The yamen runner heard more and more that something was wrong and asked:

"Young Master Chi, on what day did you say the Xu family brother went to Pan Lou in the afternoon?"

That crying young master said: "Brother Bai, it was the day we met, the day they sent winter vegetables outside the city!"

The yamen runner and the few yamen runners around exchanged a look, but they burst into laughter:

"Young Master Chi, to tell you the truth, we few went to Pan Lou to eat and drink that day, and it was thanks to the reward from Xu family's Han Wulang. That day, he was entertaining relatives at home!"

"Is this true?"

"Why would we lie to you?"

Hearing this explanation from the yamen runner, the surrounding commoners discussed it again, and laughter came from time to time.

"Disperse! Disperse! Don't block the road."

Li Mubai and the other yamen runners dispersed the commoners and gathered together again. The yamen runner who had weighed the reward before said:

"Head, someone wants to tarnish the Xu family brother's reputation!"

"Then let's do our best to help the Xu family brother clarify."

Chai Mansion

The maid Miss Yun Mu looked at Chai Zhengzheng, who was sitting on a chair in the room, with some unease.

Several times she wanted to speak but stopped, which attracted the curious gaze of Chai Zhengzheng, who was sorting silk threads:

"What's wrong?"

Starting from Miss Yun Mu asking about Qingxue, Miss Yun Mu had become Chai Zhengzheng's trusted maid.

Being meticulous, she was naturally able to know and see many things.

"Da Niangzi, when the slave went to choose silk threads, I heard two old women talking about a matter."

Chai Zhengzheng, who was focused on sorting silk threads, said: "Speak."

"It's about Xu family's Han Wulang, he..."

Chai Zhengzheng raised her head: "What happened to him?"

Miss Yun Mu: "Saying he... he... those words are hard for the slave to speak."

"Just say it."

"Saying he... 'spear technique'... 'waist spirit'..."

After Miss Yun Mu told the "good reputation" about Xu Zaijing,

"It was said with such nose and eyes, but they stopped when the slave went in."

Chai Zhengzheng looked at the silk threads in her hand and said: "Those two families? Are their silk threads here?"

Miss Yun Mu nodded and pointed to two bundles of silk threads.

Chai Zhengzheng let go and said indifferently:

"Throw them away, and don't let those two families enter our house again in the future."

"Yes! Da Niangzi."

After Miss Yun Mu left the room,

Chai Zhengzheng stood up and came to the armor puppet in her bedroom.

She walked behind the armor puppet with her hands behind her back, wanting to pull out the steel mace from behind the armor.

After her hand reached the handle of the steel mace, she hesitated for a while, then her hand retracted.

Subsequently, Chai Zhengzheng, who had been taught by Madam Zhou, turned her palm into a fist and hammered the armor twice, then kicked it once.

"Hiss, ouch!"

Miss Yun Mu, who walked outside, notified the steward Mama in the mansion not to let the silk thread shops of those two families enter the mansion in the future.

"Miss Yun Mu girl, those two families are Chai family industries... can you say why..."

Miss Yun Mu hesitated for a while and said:

"... Being so dissolute in Bianjing and unable to keep their mouths shut, it might ruin the mansion's business in the future!"

Miss Yun Mu continued:

"Just change the steward and Mama responsible for delivering goods for those two families!"

That Mama said: "So that's why... Miss Yun Mu girl, this matter has spread quite widely, and when we went to buy things near Pan Lou, we heard some reversal of this matter..."

Miss Yun Mu was stunned and said:

"Speak."

When Miss Yun Mu returned to Chai Zhengzheng's courtyard, she found Chai Zhengzheng pulling a soft bow, with a cute, adorable raccoon cat pattern hanging on the target.

That pattern was the sample she was going to embroider on the quiver.

Chai Zhengzheng, who was pulling the bow and aiming while listening to Miss Yun Mu talking about the reversal, was stunned.

Her fingers loosened and she said: "Go, change the target paper."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 267 =====