Chapter 37

Zhang Weixin and Zeng Zhilin arrived at the West City Gate, waited for a moment, and then saw a group of people coming from the official road outside the city, vaguely dressed as Taoist priests. The two hurried out of the city gate and walked two or three hundred steps. They could already see that the person leading the group on horseback was Wang Feng. This time, however, he was not wearing a Taoist robe but casual clothes—this was the committee's decision to facilitate their work, so everyone entering the city was dressed casually. Wang Feng clearly saw them, waved happily, and said something to the people behind him. The group then sped up and soon joined the two.

This time, the number of people from Yuxu Palace was quite large. Zhang Weixin roughly counted about seventeen or eighteen people. Including the six already in the city, there were about twenty-three or twenty-four in total. If you add the Zhong family father and son and their servants, there were more than thirty people. The group marched into Liangxiang City's West Gate, startling the soldiers guarding the gate. Fortunately, Magistrate Hu had already informed the officer in charge of the gate. After confirming they were from Yuxu Palace, they were allowed to enter smoothly.

Given the large number of people and the valuable items they carried, the committee had decided before departure to split into two groups upon entering the city. One group, mainly for sightseeing, would stay at the Yuelai Inn, while the other group, responsible for the auction, would go directly to the third floor of Tianfulou, where they would stay and eat for the next few days. After entering the city, the group split. Liu Wendong led the sightseeing group—mainly members of the technology team and the Zhong family's servants—to the Yuelai Inn. Wang Xiaojun and Zhang Weixin led the working group—mainly members of the security team and the Zhong family father and son—to Tianfulou, and also asked Zhong Shiwén to invite Mr. Fang from Fang's Jewelry Shop.

About a dozen people arrived at Tianfulou. The waiter at the door was initially delighted, thinking they were good customers, and hurriedly greeted them. After a few words, he realized he had been overly excited. However, he did not dare to be negligent, knowing that these were the people who had booked the third floor for a month and were looking for the owner. He respectfully led the way to the third floor.

At the entrance to the third floor, the waiter stopped and pointed upstairs, saying respectfully, "Our owner is upstairs. Gentlemen, please go up. I will not accompany you, as the owner has instructed that no one can go up without his permission." The group was satisfied, thinking that Mr. Chen was indeed keeping his promise. They tipped the waiter and then climbed the stairs.

Mr. Chen, who was waiting on the third floor, heard the sound and hurried to the stairs to check. Seeing his important guests, he walked down the stairs and said, "It's the Zhong gentleman and the Taoist priests. I failed to welcome you from afar."

After some pleasantries, they all went upstairs. The entire floor had been renovated according to the original plan, resembling a modern auction site. The group toured the area, then went to the preparation zone and found seats. Mr. Chen personally served them tea and then bowed to Zhong Youpeng, asking, "The renovation and layout were done under the guidance of the Taoist priests from Yuxu Palace. Is the Zhong gentleman satisfied?"

Mr. Chen and Zhong Youpeng were old acquaintances. After the team and Zhong Youpeng decided to choose Tianfulou as the auction site, Zhong Youpeng negotiated with Mr. Chen to book the third floor for a month. Zhong Youpeng also told him that Fang's Jewelry Shop was just a front and that the real seller was his friend. Thus, Mr. Chen assumed Zhong Youpeng was the decision-maker and asked for his opinion first.

Zhong Youpeng waved his hand and said, "Mr. Chen, you misunderstood. I'm just a mediator. The true organizers are these three friends of mine." He introduced Wang Xiaojun, Zhang Weixin, and Xu Shaowan, whom he considered the leaders of the "returnees" along with Li Junwu, who stayed at Yuxu Palace.

Mr. Chen hurriedly greeted the three and apologized, "Forgive my poor eyesight for not recognizing you."

The three stood up and returned the greeting, saying it was no problem. After some more conversation, they heard the stairs creak. A moment later, the curtain was lifted, and Mr. Fang, led by Tang Chao, who was guarding the stairs, walked in. After some pleasantries, Mr. Fang hesitantly said, "Taoist Priest Wang, Taoist Priest Zhang, Taoist Priest Xu, I have a request. I wonder if the two priests can agree?"

Wang Xiaojun, Zhang Weixin, and Xu Shaowan exchanged glances, nodded slightly, and then said to Mr. Fang, "I understand your meaning. I have brought all the treasures for the auction. Mr. Fang, you can take a look."

Mr. Fang's face lit up. As a jeweler, he was naturally very interested in various treasures. Although he had already seen the cup used as a sample, he knew it was just an ordinary item among the treasures. The Taoists had a rare glass bottle—previously called crystal but now corrected to glass by the team—that was much rarer than the cup. He was eager to see it. Now that they had agreed, he was naturally delighted. He bowed and said, "Taoist Priest Wang is truly a straightforward person. It's a great honor for me to see such treasures in advance."

Wang Xiaojun exchanged a few more pleasantries and then asked You Yuan and Wang Feng to bring out the items. The Wuliangye liquor and high-end glassware originally had their own packaging, but it was too modern and was not used. Instead, they had local carpenters make seven exquisite sandalwood boxes to package the six cups and one bottle of liquor. Wang Feng took out six small wooden boxes from his bag, opened them one by one, and placed the six delicate glass cups on the table. Mr. Fang, who had seen one of them before, did not react much, but Chen Guangfu, who saw them for the first time, was stunned and kept praising them.

Next, You Yuan carried a large wooden box containing the bottle of liquor. To avoid suspicion, the original product labels and descriptions were removed and replaced with red paper from this era, with only the words "Jade Nectar" written on it.

When the bottle of liquor was brought out, Mr. Fang, Mr. Chen, and the Zhong family father and son were all amazed. The crystal-clear glass bottle and the pure, transparent liquor inside were truly "Jade Nectar" to them. Mr. Fang, as a jeweler, had seen glass items from overseas before, but none could compare to this one in terms of shape and transparency. He stared at it with wide eyes, even touching the bottle to feel its smooth surface. He then felt it was impolite and quickly wiped his fingerprints off with his sleeve. Mr. Chen, on the other hand, was in a state of shock, his eyes wide open.

After a while, they all came to their senses and praised the treasures, saying that with such valuable items, the auction would surely be a success. Although the team was more interested in the liquor than the bottle, they still thanked Mr. Fang for his good wishes. They chatted for a while, and as the sky turned to noon, Mr. Chen, in a good mood, generously announced that he would treat everyone to lunch at his restaurant. Everyone naturally accepted his offer, and a feast was set up on the third floor, where they all enjoyed a hearty meal. The dishes were served by the staff from the upper and lower floors, but the rule that non-participants could not go to the third floor before the auction was still enforced.

On the 19th day of the tenth lunar month, the second floor of Tianfulou was packed. Two exquisite glass cups were on display, and although the admission fee was 100 coins, people still came in a steady stream. The entire day, the crowd did not stop, disrupting the restaurant's regular business. However, Mr. Chen was not worried; the 100 coins per person had already earned him more than the regular business.

To be honest, most of the people who came to see the exhibition were just curious and looking for entertainment, thanks to the extensive promotion and hype. Although Zhong Youpeng was not skilled in this area, Mr. Fang was an expert, and with the help of the team's trade and external affairs members, they applied many modern promotional techniques, making the auction well-known in Liangxiang County and the surrounding areas. Many people with some extra money but unable to participate in the auction—participation required a 1,000 guan deposit—were still willing to spend 100 coins to see the treasures. Some merchants, who were just passing through, had enough money at home but not enough on them to participate in the auction, also spent the small amount to see the real items, which would help them in future similar situations.

To ensure the smooth running of the exhibition and the safety of the items, the seven members of the security team were divided into two shifts, with three people taking turns on duty. Xu Shaowan, the team leader, worked from morning to night, staying by the exhibits on the second floor of Tianfulou. In addition to the security team, Magistrate Hu sent Captain Zheng with four constables to help maintain order, also divided into two shifts. Members of the trade and external affairs teams were also on standby at Tianfulou to handle any issues. Most of them were on the third floor, except for Liang Ziyue, who mostly stayed on the second floor, using his professional experience to observe the visitors and look for any suspicious individuals.

By three or four in the afternoon, after countless rounds between the first, second, and third floors, Liang Ziyue felt tired. He had been setting up with the security team since early morning, and while they could take turns every two hours, he had to stay from start to finish, just like Xu Shaowan. Xu Shaowan only needed to watch the exhibits, but Liang Ziyue had to patrol all three floors, which was much more tiring. Seeing that the number of visitors had decreased compared to the morning and that he had not found any major issues, he decided to take a break. Although he had caught a few petty thieves, they were just pickpockets, and to avoid causing panic, he did not arrest them but informed Captain Zheng, who dealt with them discreetly.

Liang Ziyue wandered around the second floor, feeling sleepy, and decided to go to the third floor. As he turned to leave, two young women at the second-floor entrance caught his attention. It wasn't that Liang Ziyue was attracted to them; with Hu Xueying by his side, he had no interest in other women, at least for now. He was interested because he recognized one of them as the Huang girl he had met at the Yuelai Inn. The other woman was not the little girl named Yu'er but an adult woman a few years older than Huang Ying'er.

If it were just Huang Ying'er, Liang Ziyue would not have been too concerned. He might have greeted her or even gone upstairs to tease Zhang Weixin. But with an adult woman by her side, he had to think more. He remembered that when Huang Ying'er first met them, she said her family was from Yangzhou, and both her parents had passed away. She came to Youzhou to seek relatives, but they were also gone. She sent her brother to Kaifeng to find relatives, while she and her sister and uncle stayed to wait for news. She never mentioned having other relatives in the area. Now, with this new person, he had to be cautious. Of course, the woman could be a new friend or a relative from Kaifeng, but he needed to be careful until he knew more. Thinking this, he quickly ran upstairs to inform Wang Xiaojun and Zhang Weixin.

Liang Ziyue ran upstairs, but Huang Ying'er, who had just arrived on the second floor, did not notice him. She and her cousin, Liu Yunyan, did not have enough money to participate in the auction but could afford to pay 100 coins to see the exhibition. Besides, a few days ago, when she met Taoist Priest Zhang, she mentioned she would come to see the exhibition, hoping to meet him again today. However, she was disappointed when she looked around and did not see Zhang Weixin. She tried to comfort herself, thinking she might have missed him, but her interest in the treasures waned.

Just as she was about to leave, she noticed a man in his thirties sitting at a table near the display counter. It was Taoist Priest Xu from the Yuelai Inn, but he was now dressed in civilian clothes, not a Taoist robe. He was talking to a constable from the county office, and they seemed to be quite familiar, drinking tea and chatting happily.

Huang Ying'er was puzzled. Taoist Priest Xu's attire matched the guards at the display counter, suggesting he was part of their team. Moreover, his familiarity with the constable indicated he was a leader, which was quite different from his Taoist identity. Could they not be Taoists? If not, why were they pretending to be Taoists? She had wondered why a simple Taoist like Zhang Weixin had such high literary skills, and now it seemed he had a background, and being a Taoist was just a cover.

If Huang Ying'er were an ordinary woman, she might have been angry at being deceived, but she was not. She was a covert agent for the Feiyan Hall. Her companion, Liu Yunyan, who claimed to be her cousin, was a senior member of the Feiyan Hall's Dingzhou branch, responsible for building the local intelligence network and contact points, and was her direct superior. The cousin identity was just a cover. Therefore, Huang Ying'er had to thoroughly investigate anyone she interacted with to avoid unnecessary trouble for herself and others—trouble that could be a matter of life and death. Thinking this, she stopped and decided to leave before Xu Shaowan saw her. Liu Yunyan, noticing her intention, asked, "What's wrong, sister? Why aren't you moving forward?"

Huang Ying'er couldn't reveal her thoughts and quickly said, "Sister, the air here is a bit stuffy, and my head hurts. I don't want to see the exhibition anymore. I want to go home and rest."

Liu Yunyan, though puzzled, did not think much of it. Hearing that her "cousin" was not feeling well and seeing her pale face, she agreed and turned to leave with her.

Just two minutes after the two women left, Qian Yuanshan ran down from the third floor. He scanned the crowd but did not see the two women Liang Ziyue described. He shook his head in confusion. From the time Liang Ziyue went upstairs to the time he came down, only two or three minutes had passed, and the two women should not have finished their visit so quickly. The crowd, though smaller than in the morning, still required some queuing.

Despite the confusion, he needed to clarify the situation. He walked to Xu Shaowan, who was still chatting, and asked if he had seen the Huang girl from the Yuelai Inn. Xu Shaowan, seeing his puzzled expression, teased, "What do you want with her? Are you interested in her too?"

Qian Yuanshan had no time for jokes, and as a former rival, he still had some reservations about Xu Shaowan. He ignored the teasing and said, "Come upstairs, Old Wang and Old Zhang need to talk to you."

Xu Shaowan, not bothered by his coldness, greeted Captain Zheng and then went upstairs with Qian Yuanshan.

On the third floor, Wang Xiaojun, Zhang Weixin, Liang Ziyue, and others greeted them. Zhang Weixin asked, "Captain Qian, what's the result?"

Qian Yuanshan shook his head and said, "I didn't see the two women Liang Ziyue described, and neither did you, so they must have left."

Xu Shaowan, confused, asked, "Why are you all so concerned about that Huang girl? Is there something I don't know?"

Picking up on Xu Shaowan's confusion, Zhang Weixin had everyone sit down and explained, "Old Xu, it's like this. A few days ago, when I was welcoming you into the city, I met Huang Ying'er. This time, she was with a woman who claimed to be her cousin, Liu Yunyan. She mentioned the exhibition at Tianfulou and suggested I come to see it. I didn't take it seriously, thinking it was just a joke."

"Didn't she only have a sister? When did she get a cousin?" Xu Shaowan asked, puzzled and suspicious.

"That's what we were just discussing," Zhang Weixin continued. "According to her, she had no other relatives, so why does she have a cousin now? I didn't notice this when I met her a few days ago, as I was focused on getting you into the city and moving on to the next plan."

Xu Shaowan thought for a moment and said, "But she did mention sending someone to Kaifeng to find another relative. Could this cousin be from that family?"

Wang Xiaojun shook his head and said, "I don't think so. If she were from Kaifeng, why would she stay here instead of taking Huang Ying'er back? It doesn't make sense. What I don't understand is why she didn't greet you when she saw you in civilian clothes and even left without seeing the exhibition. You wouldn't have missed her if she hadn't."

Xu Shaowan, though finding the situation unusual, still had a good impression of Huang Ying'er and wanted to help Zhang Weixin. He suggested, "Let's not jump to conclusions. The new Liu Yunyan might not be a threat. We should investigate through local contacts. I'll go downstairs and ask Captain Zheng to help investigate her background. If everything checks out, that's great. If not, we'll be prepared."

Everyone agreed, though Zhang Weixin had some reservations about the investigation pretext but ultimately went along with the majority.

Xu Shaowan immediately went downstairs and found Captain Zheng, explained the situation, and promised a reward. Captain Zheng, hearing that Zhang Weixin was interested in the girl, readily agreed, guaranteeing to handle it. He said he didn't need a reward, just an invitation to the wedding if things worked out. He was eager and, leaving the order maintenance to his subordinates, bowed to Xu Shaowan and went to investigate.

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