Chapter 94

Chen Qing followed the steward to the rear of the residence, entering a courtyard. The steward smiled and said, "This is my master's study. He has something to discuss with you."

Lu Yihao wanted to see him, which was unexpected for Chen Qing.

"What does Mr. Lu want to talk about?"

The steward shook his head with a smile, "I don't know. Please, sir!"

Today, Lu Yihao was wearing a loose robe, with a flat cap on his head. He smiled and invited Chen Qing to sit down, "General Chen, you need to be prepared. You might have to return to the northwest earlier than expected."

"Why?"

"Your安抚使 (Anfushi) Zhang wrote a letter. The Jin state is continuously dispatching troops to Guanzhong. There might be a major battle this winter or next spring. Wu Jie hopes you can return as soon as possible."

"What about my studies?"

"The emperor's intention is to have you graduate early!"

Chen Qing was silent for a moment. He hadn't expected to graduate early, and he certainly hadn't expected the matter to reach the emperor. Was it a bit of an overreaction?

Lu Yihao seemed to understand Chen Qing's thoughts and smiled, "The key is that Wu Jie holds you in high regard. Therefore, your return is a crucial part of the Song army's preparations. It's not surprising that it has reached the emperor."

Chen Qing nodded silently, "When should I return?"

"Depending on your arrangements, it should be in the next few days. Once you complete the necessary procedures, you can leave immediately."

"I understand. Thank you, Mr. Lu."

At this moment, a maid came in to serve them tea. For some reason, Chen Qing felt that this maid was a bit different. He couldn't pinpoint what was different, but her demeanor didn't seem quite like that of a maid. Chen Qing couldn't help but look at her more closely.

She was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with fair skin and a long, oval face. Her small mouth had a distinct outline, red and full. Her nose was straight, and her large eyes were slightly drooping, with long, thick lashes. Her hands were white and slender, and she was about 1.7 meters tall, with a gentle and dignified appearance.

The young girl quickly glanced at Chen Qing and slowly retreated. Lu Yihao watched her leave with a meaningful look.

"There's one more thing. The emperor is not pleased that you used your own money to provide compensation to the soldiers. The compensation will be given to you next year, but the emperor hopes this will not happen again."

Chen Qing smiled bitterly after a moment, "Is this also mentioned in Anfushi Zhang's letter?"

Lu Yihao nodded, "I checked. It seems you sold the house the emperor gave you, right?"

"Exactly! I sold it for 15,000 guan, plus the 3,000 taels of silver the emperor gave me last time, and the prize money from the archery competition, totaling 35,000 guan. This can provide compensation for 1,200 families of fallen soldiers. Actually, I still need 5,000 guan more."

"Write it down. The emperor wants to know how you got so much money. Someone has already impeached you for the unclear source of your large sum of money."

"Fan Zongyin?"

Lu Yihao shook his head, "It's Qin Hui!"

Chen Qing immediately wrote a detailed list and handed it to Lu Yihao.

"I understand. You can go now! Complete the necessary procedures and return to the western army as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Mr. Lu, for speaking up for me."

"General Chen, remember, the army belongs to the emperor. You must not overstep your bounds; it's a great taboo."

Chen Qing bowed deeply and turned to leave.

Lu Yihao watched his tall and straight back as he walked away and sighed, "Fortunately, we still have such a soldier. Our Song Dynasty still has hope!"

At this moment, the young girl who had served the tea came in and performed a deep bow, "Greetings, Grandfather!"

Lu Yihao smiled, "How do you find him?"

The young girl bit her lip lightly and nodded shyly.

"Xiu'er, looks aren't everything!"

The young girl shook her head, "Xiu'er doesn't just look at appearances."

Lu Yihao became interested and asked with a smile, "What else do you know about him?"

"Even if it means bankrupting himself, he still provides compensation to the families of fallen soldiers. Just this point makes him far superior to those officials who only care about wealth and status. Xiu'er admires him deeply!"

Lu Yihao chuckled, "The person who can win the heart of my Xiu'er is indeed extraordinary. He has the potential of a dragon or a phoenix. Though he is a military general, he has deep cultivation and is both literate and martial. Unfortunately, there are many short-sighted people in the court who do not recognize such talent."

The young girl was a bit worried, "But, granddaughter has already..."

Lu Yihao waved his hand dismissively, "You are only a nominal widow, not a real one. This is a small matter that he won't mind. But we need to consider this carefully and not rush it."

...

Chen Qing returned to the military academy at the second watch. His roommates, Huyan Tong and Liu Qiong, were still awake.

Seeing Chen Qing return, they immediately stood up, "You're finally back!"

"Is there something wrong?"

Liu Qiong placed a cup of hot tea in front of Chen Qing, "Huyan heard some news today."

Chen Qing looked at Huyan Tong, "What news?"

Huyan Tong said worriedly, "I heard that the Jin envoy entered Lin'an last night!"

Chen Qing was taken aback, "What did the Jin envoy come for?"

"I don't know. My second uncle told me. The news is very secret, and not many people know. Moreover, the envoy is a high-ranking official from the Jin state, and my second uncle refused to say more."

Huyan Tong's second uncle, Huyan Wei, was a Langzhong in the Ministry of Rites. His information should be reliable.

But what was the connection between the Jin envoy's arrival and his departure?

If there was no connection, why was it so coincidental?

Chen Qing had a vague premonition that the Jin envoy's arrival was somehow related to him.

He put this aside for the moment and said to the two, "I also have something to tell you. I might have to return to the northwest."

Huyan Tong and Liu Qiong widened their eyes, "Why?"

"The situation in the northwest is tense. Commander Wu has repeatedly requested my return to participate in the preparations. Anfushi Zhang wrote to Mr. Lu, and the emperor has agreed to my early graduation from the military academy."

Huyan Tong and Liu Qiong looked at each other in surprise. They asked, "When are you leaving?"

"In the next few days! I'll go to the Ministry of War to complete the procedures tomorrow."

Huyan Tong was a bit sad, "We won't see each other much after this."

Chen Qing patted his shoulder and smiled, "Don't be so sad. I might have something to ask for your help with."

"Tell us! What is it?"

Chen Qing said slowly, "Tomorrow night, come with me to Fengle Tower!"

...

The sudden notice disrupted many of Chen Qing's plans. He couldn't just leave immediately. Before he left, he had some things to arrange. First, he needed to complete his studies at the military academy. Even with an early graduation, Chen Qing needed formal recognition from the Ministry of War.

Second, he had a promise to Li Qingzhao. Since Chen Qing had asked Li Qingzhao to copy books for him, he needed to prepare some money to ensure that she wouldn't worry about her livelihood for at least two or three years.

Getting a sum of money was Chen Qing's immediate priority.

Borrowing money was not his first choice. Chen Qing remembered the information the steward at Mr. Lu's residence had given him. He could use his archery skills to earn a substantial amount of money at Fengle Tower, essentially through a high-stakes gamble.

The next evening, Chen Qing and his two companions arrived at Fengle Tower, located outside Yumen.

Fengle Tower was the same as the Fan Tower in Tokyo Bianliang. The Fan Tower in Tokyo Bianliang had been burned down by the Jin soldiers, so the Qian family rebuilt it in the prime location of Lin'an, renaming it Fengle Tower. It was a complex of buildings, consisting of a main tower and five auxiliary towers. The main tower was ten zhang high, with flying eaves and intricate brackets, adorned with small lanterns. At night, it was brilliantly lit, more luxurious than the Fan Tower in Bianliang, and was known as the "First Tower in the World."

Inside, it was even more opulent, with hundreds of young and beautiful women living there, including musicians, dancers, singers, tea girls, and wine girls, all with fair skin and heavenly beauty.

The high-end atmosphere naturally came with high prices. The cheapest cup of tea cost 10 guan, which was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

In Tokyo Bianliang, the Fan Tower required a certain status to enter, and ordinary merchants did not have the qualifications. Fengle Tower in Lin'an was a bit more accessible. To go upstairs, one needed to be accompanied, but the first-floor hall had fewer rules. As long as one had money, they could come to drink tea during the day and wine at night.

The first-floor hall of Fengle Tower was like a palace, with golden and splendid surroundings, covering several hundred square meters. It was divided into three areas: a tea and wine area with dozens of small tables for drinking; a music and dance area where beautiful musicians played melodious tunes, and dancers performed gracefully, with two singers singing softly, sometimes performing exotic dances; and a gambling area with various games, including Shuanglu chess, dice, dominoes, arrow throwing, and cricket fighting.

The hall was bustling with hundreds of people, mostly wealthy merchants who couldn't go upstairs and gathered in the hall, indulging in the atmosphere and reluctant to leave.

A group of beautifully dressed wine girls moved through the crowd, each exuding a fragrant scent, with flirtatious glances and inviting smiles, captivating the merchants.

Of course, there were also warriors to maintain order. Dozens of muscular men in warrior attire stood against the walls, watching the hall. They would only intervene if there was trouble.

Huyan Tong was a regular at the Fan Tower in Tokyo Bianliang and had visited Fengle Tower in Lin'an a few times.

"I have a Fan Tower membership card from Tokyo Bianliang, which is recognized here. However, we don't need to go upstairs; the first-floor hall is enough."

Liu Qiong smiled, "I heard the wine at Fengle Tower is very good. Can we try it today?"

"The Meishou wine at Fengle Tower is indeed excellent. Whether we drink it today depends on Old Chen, as we don't want to interfere with his plans."

Chen Qing smiled and waved his hand, "A little won't hurt!"

The three found a seat, and a beautiful wine girl approached with a smile, "What would the three gentlemen like to drink?"

"Bring us a pot of three-year-aged Meishou wine and three small dishes."

After saying this, Huyan Tong took out a string of 100 coins and threw it to her, "This is for you!"

"Thank you, sir!"

The beautiful girl gave Huyan Tong a flirtatious glance and flitted away like a butterfly.

Huyan Tong lowered his voice and smiled at Chen Qing, "The wine girls here are different. If she wears a flower on her head, you can negotiate a price and take her out for a night of pleasure, but only some of the wine girls. Dancers, singers, and tea girls are not available."

"I'll go check out the gambling area first."

Chen Qing stood up to leave, but Huyan Tong grabbed him and laughed, "It's not time yet. Have a drink first. The best of the ten famous clear wines in the Song Dynasty, Meishou wine, is the only one you can buy here."