Chapter 5

As autumn set in, the sky grew dark earlier. By the first watch of the night, it was already pitch black. The ancients struck the first watch at seven in the evening, the second at nine, the third at eleven, and so on, for a total of five watches.

By the first watch, the Qunfang Pavilion was almost full, with only a few rooms left unoccupied, as they had been reserved long ago.

A man in a wide-sleeved, purple robe and another in a narrow purple shirt entered the Qunfang Pavilion. From their demeanor, it was clear that the man in the wide robe held a much higher status than the one in the narrow shirt. This could also be discerned from their appearance and bearing.

The man in the wide robe looked to be around twenty years old, with a handsome face and a tall, straight figure. He had a mustache above his lips, which gave him a mature and manly charm. When he walked, he moved with a steady, dignified gait, exuding an aura of nobility and authority. However, his fair skin, the faint smile on his lips, and the gentle lines of his face made him seem cultured and well-read.

The man in the narrow shirt, on the other hand, was shorter and had a habit of bending his shoulders as he walked, as if he couldn't stand straight. He was pale and beardless, and every step he took, he would look back at the man in the wide robe and smile ingratiatingly. It was clear that he was a sycophant.

These two men did not pass through the main hall but went directly up the corridor stairs to the fourth floor.

Jiang Xia still remembered that Mama Kang had asked him to come to her room to receive a reward. After finishing the letter for Zhao Yougua, he went directly to the fourth floor to find Mama Kang. In his haste, he accidentally bumped into someone. He heard an "Ouch!" and then a voice cursed, "You little brat, don't you have eyes?"

Jiang Xia glanced at the person he had bumped into, a middle-aged man in a purple robe. Anyone who could wear such clothing was not an ordinary person. In the Ming Dynasty, clothing had specific meanings, and purple was a noble color that ordinary people could not wear.

Although Jiang Xia was scolded, he did not take it to heart. After all, it was his fault. He bowed and said, "I apologize, sirs. I was in a hurry and accidentally bumped into you. I can see that you are both distinguished gentlemen, and bumping into you has brought me good fortune. It's a great honor."

"Heh, you're quite the smooth talker," the man in the narrow shirt said with a smile.

Jiang Xia glanced at the man in the narrow shirt and immediately recognized him as the one who had scolded him. He quickly said, "Thank you, sir. In fact, I was taught by a wise man from a young age and can read people's faces.

I see that your face is full and your forehead is broad, which suggests that you serve a very distinguished person. Your eyes and brows show determination, indicating that you are a loyal and righteous person.

If I'm not mistaken, you must be very loyal to your master, and your master must value you greatly. Is what I said correct?"

"Wow, amazing!" The man in the narrow shirt clapped his hands, as Jiang Xia's words had struck a chord with him, especially in front of the man in the wide robe. He wanted to give Jiang Xia 320 likes and hug and kiss him for three days and three nights.

"You're spot on, absolutely spot on," the man in the narrow shirt said.

Jiang Xia smiled, thinking to himself that it seemed to be working. In fact, what he had said was not hard to figure out.

Jiang Xia had bumped into the man in the wide robe, but the man in the narrow shirt had scolded him, indicating that he was the attendant. The man in the narrow shirt was fat, suggesting he served a wealthy master. The man in the wide robe, dressed in a purple robe, was clearly a wealthy young master, so Jiang Xia had called him distinguished.

When he said the man in the narrow shirt was loyal, even if it was a lie, he wouldn't admit it. And being valued by his master was even easier to say. If he wasn't valued, would he be brought to a brothel?

However, Jiang Xia wouldn't just pretend to be a fortune-teller to tease the man in the narrow shirt. He then said arrogantly, "What I said is true. I was taught by a wise man and can see the past and future. I can even guess what you're thinking right now."

"Can you really guess what I'm thinking?" The man in the narrow shirt was taken aback and shook his head. "Young man, that's a bit of a stretch. How can you guess what I'm thinking?"

Good, he's hooked! Jiang Xia smiled and took out a ten-tael silver note, waving it. "Since you don't believe me, how about we make a bet?"

"A bet? How?" The man in the narrow shirt frowned.

"You can ask me a question. If I guess correctly, you give me ten taels. If I guess wrong, I give you ten taels. How about it?"

"That's your bet, so don't blame me." The man in the narrow shirt thought for a moment and said, "I won't ask you anything too difficult. How old am I?"

"Heh, you're clever. That question seems easy but is actually hard. I can bluff my way through other questions, but age is a specific number. But I'll give it a try. May I ask, what is your zodiac sign?"

Asking for a zodiac sign was normal, and the man in the narrow shirt said, "Dog."

Jiang Xia calculated on his fingers. Each zodiac sign corresponded to a specific year. Given the man's age, which was around thirty, and knowing he was a dog, there was only one possible year. Jiang Xia smiled and said, "So, you're thirty-two. But you look younger."

"Wow, amazing." The man in the narrow shirt didn't try to cheat, and as he took out the silver note, he said, "Young man, you're really amazing. You guessed it right."

At that moment, the man in the wide robe patted the man in the narrow shirt on the head and said, "You're so silly. You told him your zodiac sign, how could he not guess your age?"

Hearing this, the man in the narrow shirt suddenly realized it. He looked at Jiang Xia and said, "Oh, you tricked me." He pulled back the silver note he was about to give and said, "Let's make another bet. You said you can guess what I'm thinking. Guess if I'll give you the money. If you guess right, I'll give you double. If you guess wrong, I won't give you anything. Do you dare to bet? If you don't, it means you were lying, and the bet is off, and I won't give you the silver."

"You're cunning. If I guess right, you won't admit it, so I'll lose either way."

"Smart of you to see that. So, you won't guess?"

The man in the narrow shirt was about to put the silver note back when Jiang Xia suddenly said, "Wait, I'll give it a try."

"Oh? Interesting, then guess," the man in the narrow shirt said with a smile. The man in the wide robe was also interested and watched to see how Jiang Xia would respond.

Jiang Xia thought for a moment and smiled. "You won't give me the money."

"Heh, this time you really guessed..." The man in the narrow shirt suddenly froze.

The man in the wide robe also thought for a moment and then burst out laughing. He clapped his hands and said, "Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

If Zhang Yong really doesn't give you the money, then you guessed right, and he has to give you the money according to the bet. But if Zhang Yong says you guessed wrong, he has to give you the money, and you'll still get it. No matter what, Zhang Yong has to give you the money. It's brilliant.

It's rare to meet such a clever person. Zhang Yong, you must keep your word and give him the money!"

"Yes!" The man in the narrow shirt obediently took out a twenty-tael silver note and handed it to Jiang Xia. Jiang Xia took the money without hesitation and bowed, saying, "What I did was just a small trick. I hope you don't take offense. If you're angry, I won't take the money and will return it to you."

A typical case of getting the better of someone and then acting superior. The man in the narrow shirt could only wave his hand and say, "Take it, consider it a reward. We are important people, why would we get angry with a servant?"

"Exactly, you have a noble aura, and you will surely be a great person in the future. Such a small amount of money is not worth your attention. I'll take my leave, sirs." Jiang Xia smiled and put the twenty-tael silver note in his pocket, then bowed and left.

Jiang Xia's steps were slow but quick, and he soon disappeared around the corner. The man in the wide robe muttered, "I didn't expect to meet such a clever person in the Qunfang Pavilion. Too bad I didn't ask his name."

"Your Majesty, those were just the tricks of a commoner. Why take them seriously? Li Shishi has been waiting for a long time. Let's go see her."

"Zhang Yong, don't underestimate the tricks of commoners. I think this young man is not an ordinary person." The man in the wide robe turned and said, "Let's go see Li Shishi first. I wonder if she has learned any new songs."

The man in the wide robe then walked toward the fourth floor, where Li Shishi's room was.

Clearly, from their conversation, it could be deduced that Jiang Xia had just met the current Emperor Zhu Houzhao and one of the eight most influential eunuchs, Zhang Yong.

The two top courtesans of the Qunfang Pavilion were Li Shishi and Cui Nian. Zhu Houzhao had once visited the Qunfang Pavilion in disguise with Liu Jin, Zhang Yong, and Ma Yongcheng.

That night, Zhu Houzhao met Li Shishi and couldn't forget her after a night of pleasure. Liu Jin had arranged several meetings between Zhu Houzhao and Li Shishi, and Ma Yongcheng had arranged a few more. Finally, Zhang Yong paid to have Li Shishi exclusively for Zhu Houzhao, instructing her not to receive any other guests except for Zhu Houzhao, who must be treated with utmost respect.

Jiang Xia, of course, didn't know who he had just met. He suppressed his excitement and knocked on Mama Kang's door. A soft voice called from inside, "Is it Jiang Xia? The door is not locked, come in."

Jiang Xia stood at the door, a bit stunned, and muttered, "Spring is here, and the flowers are blooming. Is it mating season again? Is that woman eyeing my good looks and trying to lure me with money?"

"Hmph! I'm not that kind of person. I won't agree to it for fifty taels of silver!" "Ah, even fifty taels won't do..."

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