[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber":3,"chapter-my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-875":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","My Life as a Rising Force in the Red Chamber",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2311673,4515,"Chapter 875: The Splendor of Two Fair Ones","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-875",875,"\u003Cp>North of Shenzhou City, Yongchun Street, Jixiang Restaurant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Hongbin said: “Duan Chunjiang has no family in Shenzhou City—that means this woman is his mistress.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s a single man, a wealthy merchant—such urban amorous tales aren’t unusual.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this woman lives alone; if she’s unattached, why does Duan Chunjiang meet her so furtively?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Have you checked whether this woman is married, or if her husband is away long-term due to business or other reasons?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Tai said: “I also found Duan Chunjiang’s behavior suspicious, so I consulted a property agent about the woman’s residence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deed is solely in her name; she’s still an unmarried maiden, and the house is far from cheap.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stays home daily, leaving only to order clothes from a tailor or buy rouge and powder—she rarely steps out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, she doesn’t need to earn a living, and she keeps maidservants—by common sense, she couldn’t afford such a house.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Hongbin’s gaze brightened slightly: “If so, this matter grows strange.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this woman is unmarried and unattached, and she’s beautiful, why would Duan Chunjiang consort with her so secretly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the streets, a solitary beauty like her draws many suitors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duan Chunjiang has no wife—what’s he afraid of? He should court her openly, and that would deter others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His furtive behavior, as if terrified of being discovered, makes no sense—what is he hiding from?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Tai suddenly thought of something: “Since this woman is attractive and owns property, she should easily find a husband.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she refuses to marry, content to dally with Duan Chunjiang—she’s no respectable woman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she can entangle Duan Chunjiang, couldn’t she entangle others too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps she has another lover—and Duan Chunjiang knows it, which is why he’s so discreet, afraid the man will find out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My lord, but that still makes no sense—what normal man would tolerate his woman bedding another? It’s outrageous!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Hongbin couldn’t help laughing: “Zhou Tai, your mind is quick, your ideas bold, your reasoning thorough—you were born for this work.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’ve hit the nail on the head: a normal man can’t tolerate this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Duan Chunjiang endures it silently, deliberately concealing it—unless this affair grants him immense benefit!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’ve watched him for days and found no flaw—he’s either not the spy, or he’s extremely calculating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he is the spy, he’s cautious by nature and won’t act rashly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He might not act at all himself, but use intermediaries.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Tai suddenly understood: “Like through Chen Ruichang or Xue Pan—or even this strange lone woman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Hongbin’s smile turned cold: “This woman is suspicious. Increase surveillance—watch her residence day and night, see who else she meets.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Tai said: “My lord, this woman may know the truth. The court is closely monitoring the military grain leak case, and war is imminent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we follow procedure strictly, progress will be slow. Why not secretly arrest her?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’s a frail woman—once inside the Dalisi ’s interrogation chamber, even without torture, I have many ways to make her talk!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Hongbin’s expression turned serious: “I know your method works, but the Dalisi  is one of the Three Judicial Offices.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not the Embroidered Uniform Guard or the Investigative Court—we must act with restraint.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, we’re not at that point yet—we’ve only speculated, with no concrete evidence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this woman has nothing to do with it, and she’s merely Duan Chunjiang’s casual fling, her sudden disappearance will alert him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Duan Chunjiang is the spy, and he must smuggle secrets out of Shenzhou City, he must have other accomplices—even implicating many others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he senses danger, they’ll scatter like birds and beasts—once even a few escape, they’ll plant roots of trouble in Shenzhou City.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In such a vast imperial capital, hiding a few people is nearly impossible to trace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we don’t root out these Mongol spies lurking in Shenzhou City, the consequences will be endless—we’ll have wasted all our efforts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, station men to watch her closely. Once you find new evidence confirming her involvement, act accordingly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Tai bowed respectfully: “My lord, your foresight is profound—I was rash.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Hongbin smiled: “You’ve been very capable. Is Duan Chunjiang at his shop?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Tai said: “Half an hour ago, he left the shop. Our men reported he went north to negotiate grain deals—nothing suspicious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now only a few clerks remain at the shop—I’ve checked them all; they’re all locals from Shenzhou City, no red flags.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Hongbin said: “Good. I’ll visit his shop—see if I can find anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Tai understood: his superior was meticulous—Duan Chunjiang had shown no flaw, and the Director didn’t want him to see his face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Senior Dalisi  officials, seasoned in interrogations and judgments, carry an aura unlike ordinary men—before a sharp, suspicious man, they might draw suspicion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>North of Shenzhou City, Yongchun Street, Duan Family Grain Shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd waiting to buy grain shuffled forward slowly; clerks weighed and collected silver with swift hands, completing each transaction in moments.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the crowd remained impatient, often shoving and quarreling; clerks shouted sharply to silence them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With war looming, grain prices soared, supply couldn’t meet demand—grain was king, and they feared no lack of buyers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The grain clerks were haughty—even when customers came, they showed indifference.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buyers’ spirits sank; though they grumbled and jostled among themselves, they dared not argue fiercely with clerks—only desperate to buy and hoard grain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several clerks were swamped with work when two men suddenly cut through the queue and stepped into the shop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One clerk stepped forward, impatiently shouting: “Wait in line outside—who let you in?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he saw their attire and bearing, the curse died on his lips.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two men looked distinguished: the leader stood tall, dressed in refined, noble garments, calm and composed—clearly a man of status.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other wore plain clothes, his expression deferential—obviously the first man’s attendant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any seasoned shop clerk, accustomed to dealing with customers, could read people’s demeanor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two were no ordinary folk—they were men of great influence; the clerk dared not speak rudely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He instantly switched to a smiling bow: “Sir, may I ask your purpose here? Our shop has ample grain—anything you need, just say the word.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Hongbin said slowly: “Do you have any premium Yanzhi rice or Big Green Rice?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clerk’s heart jolted—he’d been right; these men were truly important—they asked for top-grade rice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bowed apologetically: “Sir, you’re truly a nobleman—but Yanzhi rice is exceedingly rare; we get almost none each year. We simply don’t have any.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But we do have plenty of premium Big Green Rice—fresh from Yutian County in Beizhili, the finest available. You’ll be satisfied.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Hongbin said calmly: “Bring me a sample. If it meets my standard, I’ll buy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clerk saw Yang Hongbin barely glanced at him, his demeanor slightly haughty—his certainty deepened: this was a genuine big buyer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hurriedly said: “Honored guest, please wait. Big Green Rice is premium—ordinary households can’t afford it, so we don’t display it. I’ll fetch a sample immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before heading to the warehouse, the clerk even brewed tea for them. Yang Hongbin paid no mind, merely strolling through the shop, idly handling the sample grains on the shelves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He appeared to wander casually, but when he reached the counter, he noticed the abacus, ledgers, and teapot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, he caught a faint, foul odor—not overpowering, but unmistakable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw a small dish beside the abacus, filled with dark red, dried food—likely beef or mutton intestines, emitting a faint, pungent stench.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Hongbin frowned slightly—he couldn’t identify the dish, but found it odd. His fingers tapped twice unconsciously on the counter…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clerk’s voice came from behind: “Honored guest, here is your sample of Big Green Rice—please inspect it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Hongbin turned and walked over. The clerk held a round dish filled with pale green Big Green Rice—its quality looked excellent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reached out, pinched a handful of grains, rolled them in his palm, lifted them to his nose to inhale their fragrance—his posture and manner betrayed a true connoisseur.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said: “Your Big Green Rice is indeed top-grade. I’ll take twenty dan—I’ll pay cash on the spot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clerk’s expression turned shocked: “Honored guest, we only have eight dan of Big Green Rice—we simply don’t have twenty dan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Hongbin said: “I want to buy it all at once—I won’t bother going elsewhere. If you don’t have it, I’ll find another seller.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clerk, seeing his sale slip away, hurriedly said: “Honored guest, we only have eight dan of Big Green Rice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no one else has much more. I see you’re a man of means—our manager has connections in Yutian County. Could you wait two days? He’ll secure another twelve dan for you—guaranteed you won’t leave empty-handed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Give me two more days, and the shopkeeper will surely arrange another twelve dan for you, guaranteeing you won’t leave empty-handed.\u003C\u002Fp>",1479,"2026-06-20T12:19:58.587Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b2b4dc892f426ffdfb292975bdb59d2378a14efcd3ece63fda968d47a8fea677","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-876","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-874",920,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-cover.jpg"]