My wife has a secret

Chapter 72 Learn
Lu Wanhe felt sorry for the child because he looked pitiful, but this was another family's business and she couldn't intervene even if she wanted to help.

After thinking for a moment, she bowed and walked into the pavilion.

"Master Nie."

Although Master Nie looks much older, one can still see traces of his past in his facial features.

Lu Wanhe performed the salute to his teacher and stood aside respectfully.

The white-haired old man raised his head slightly, and his thoughts seemed to have returned to the past.

"Wan He, you've grown so big since we last met."

Master Nie wanted to reach out and see the changes in the child, but suddenly remembered that she was already a wife and no longer the student holding the books behind him, so he withdrew his hand and smiled helplessly.

"Thanks to Master En's care, Wan He and his father were able to gain a foothold in Suzhou."

Old Master Nie shook his head and said with shame: "You should be as sensible as you were when you were a child, and consider others in everything... This is not good, and you will suffer."

Lu Wanhe said softly: "Teacher, you once said that those who are indifferent to fame and gain can advance and retreat calmly."

Master Nie frowned slightly, then his face relaxed and he laughed out loud.

"As expected, you are the disciple I am most proud of in my life."

Master Nie took a deep breath and said, "It was my fault. I shouldn't have left you in Jiangnan."

Lu Wanhe was somewhat flattered, and bowed down, saying, "Teacher, you are too kind."

"Wan He, what difficulties have you encountered?"

Lu Wanhe was about to speak but was interrupted by a cough.

"Cough cough..."

"How come your body is still as fragile as when you were a child? You can't even withstand the slightest breeze."

Master Nie stood up and took down the windproof curtains around the pavilion. He was relieved when he saw that Lu Wanhe's condition had improved.

The reason why Lu Wanhe was not brought to Beijing to take up the post was because the child's physique was too weak and he could not withstand the hard work.

In terms of character and qualifications alone, Lu Wanhe is far superior to any of his disciples.

"Ahem...I'm sorry for the trouble, teacher."

Lu Wanhe said slowly: "Teacher, Wanhe's husband was arrested a few days ago and will be sent to the Ministry of Justice in the capital in a few days. Wanhe has no relatives in the capital, and only has this relationship with you..."

"Silly child, although your teacher is quite prestigious in the Imperial College and your three senior brothers also serve in the court, your husband's affairs are not about right or wrong, but about power and influence."

Master Nie had also heard about the Xu family's impending fall from power, and he was worried that his beloved disciple would be involved.

"Your current situation is already a great blessing, so don't get involved in it anymore."

Lu Wanhe bit her thin lips and said slowly: "The husband is the backbone of the wife. The husband's honor is the wife's honor. Wanhe should share the honor and disgrace with her husband."

Then, she raised her clear eyes and whispered, "Teacher, Wan He wants you to hold a meeting at the gate of the Imperial Academy and invite all the students in the capital to participate..."

Master Nie asked, "What can a meeting change?"

“A society cannot change anything, but if nothing is done, the attitude of the royal aristocracy towards scholars will never change.”

Lu Wanhe was fearless. She met her master's gaze and said, "Da Qi is connected to the Pearl Sea in the south and Huangling in the north, with fertile land for thousands of miles... It looks like a prosperous and peaceful country. But such a big country can't even accommodate a poem by my husband. Wouldn't it be a joke if I told others about it?"

Master Nie was left speechless.

"Since ancient times, scholars have died for their advice, and warriors have died for their battles. Believe in learning, and stick to the good path until death. If no one in the capital dares to speak out, then Wan He will go to the palace alone and speak out his advice."

Lu Wanhe's last few words were heartfelt and it was obvious that he was ready to go to the palace and die.

"You kid..."

Although Master Nie's words were full of complaints, one could only see a gratified expression on the old man's face.

He felt like there was something stuck in his throat, and his originally strong and vigorous voice became much hoarser.

"Wan He, you have grown up."

……

Capital city, Moon-Watching Tower.

On the bustling streets, the crowds surged like a tide.

The carved gate is open to the outside, and stone lions and red cloth lanterns stand there, majestic and shining.

Walking along the red carpet into the hall, you will see dozens of octagonal lamps hanging high, illuminating the entire space like daylight.

Calligraphy and paintings by various famous artists are hung on the walls, adding a touch of elegance to the interior of Wangyue Tower.

"Sandalwood is used as the beams, crystal lamps are used as the pillars, and gold is used as the beads for the curtains! What a beautiful view in the Moon Watching Tower! What a beautiful view!"

"My husband, you are drunk."

"I'm not drunk, you are drunk!"

"Hate."

"..."

Qin Shuying carried Jiao Mu on her back and prepared to enter the building from the main door.

But the nanny on duty at the door saw her graceful curves under her tight travel clothes and knew that she was not a man.

"Miss, please choose another place to stay for the night. Do not come to our Wangyue Building."

Qin Shuying adjusted the veil on her head and asked softly, "Is the owner of the building still Nanny Wu?"

Mammy was slightly stunned, not knowing how to answer.

Nanny Wu is indeed the owner of Wangyue Tower, and she is the one who has built the entire Wangyue Tower from small to large.

But Nanny Wu had not worked in the outer hall for a long time, so how did she know?
Moreover, the fingers that this mysteriously dressed woman just stretched out were as white as jade and as tender as the tips of water chestnuts.

He seems to be a good candidate for playing music and singing opera.

"Help me find her and tell her that... Nanny Wu's old friend from Suzhou is here to look for her."

The nanny didn't want to do this job that would offend her employer, but who would have thought that the beautiful woman in white would casually take out a string of jewels from her cloth bag and let go, letting the jewels pour down.

Mammy opened her hands subconsciously, her heart almost jumping into her throat.

The texture and color of the jewelry are extremely precious, and at a glance they are worth hundreds of taels of silver.

Even the rich young men in the capital would not be so generous!

"Go quickly."

"Yes!"

After receiving the money, the nanny no longer dared to neglect this distinguished guest. She rushed into the backyard with the jewelry in her hands and stumbled towards the accounting office.

Now that it is almost the end of the year and New Year's Eve is coming soon, Nanny Wu must be doing the accounts in the accounting office and planning on giving gifts to the young masters in return.

"Oh, Madam She, how can you get so many treasures just by receiving a guest?"

"Yes, which rich young man did this? Why didn't he invite us sisters to go out and share the spoils?"

Some kabuki actors peeked their heads out from the windowsill on the second floor, leaned against the colorful silk cloth, and flirted with the nanny.

Although Wangyue Tower is very popular and has many guests coming from all over the country, not everyone can spend money there.

Even if ordinary people sold all their property, they could only stay in an ordinary box for three nights.

It is also because of this that the maids standing at the door to receive guests are usually the objects of flattery and fawning by the prostitutes.

"Get out of here, you little sluts!"

Nanny She sent away the girls who were laughing and joking upstairs, then turned around and continued walking forward.

Soon, she arrived at the backyard account office and met Nanny Wu. The light in the room was dim, and she was with two maids, giving orders in front of the accountants.

"Mr. Sui's teacher is Master Nie, who likes jade antiques the most. You should pick a pair of jade lions to ward off evil spirits and send them to him... The jade lions should be of good quality. After all, Mr. Sui works in the Ministry of Rites, and he is likely to be the next Minister of Rites."

"Yes."

"The son of the Duanmu family is a big customer. He... Madam She? Weren't you on duty at the door today? Why did you bring back so many jewels?"

When Nanny Wu caught sight of Nanny She, she suddenly had a bad feeling.

"There is a woman at the door, claiming to be an old acquaintance of the boss in Suzhou, and she insists on meeting you."

"Suzhou?"

Nanny Wu remembered something, her whole body trembled, and she looked up suddenly.

"Are you sure she's talking about Suzhou?"

"Yes, absolutely true."

Madam Wu guessed the other party's identity and said in a trembling voice, "Notify everyone that Wangyue Tower will be closed tonight. All customers' fees will be refunded three times as much as they paid... Have the guards start clearing out the people now, quickly!"

Madam She asked in confusion, "Boss, Wangyue Tower occupies an area of ​​the capital, and there are at least 800 guests staying overnight. Isn't this decision too hasty?"

Several accountants also advised: "Boss, we have been clearing the accounts in the past two days..."

"Don't you understand what I'm saying?"

The room fell into dead silence and no one dared to speak.

Nanny Wu, who was usually very easy to get along with, had a sullen face and left the accounting office with her maid.

……

Qin Shuying stood at the door of the brothel and paused for a moment, and suddenly saw the guests in Wangyue Tower pouring out.

The colors of people's clothes are intertwined, forming a colorful picture.

The other female receptionists standing guard at the door looked at each other, completely unaware of what had happened in Wangyue Tower.

After all, Wangyue Tower is the largest brothel in the capital, and such a thing has never happened there before.

"Miss, please come inside."

When only a few guests had left, a maid in a light green shirt came forward to lead the way.

The receptionists immediately recognized that this maid seemed to be the personal maidservant of Nanny Wu.

"it is good."

Qin Shuying walked into the brothel, and the fragrance that filled the air was refreshing and intoxicating.

The upstairs was also filled with various prostitutes dressed in fancy clothes. They all looked at the woman with curiosity, wanting to know who could make Wangyue Tower close down on its own initiative.

The maid pushed open the door to the hall, bowed, and stepped aside.

Qin Shuying carried Jiao Mu on her back and walked in.

The faint scent of sandalwood lingers in the building, and the faint candlelight is reflected in the hollow carved window frames.

The huge hall was extremely empty; the tables and chairs had been taken away and stood up, leaving only a round table in the middle.

The table was filled with colorful food, as if waiting for her arrival.

"It's still the same layout as when I left."

"Sparse shadows..."

The woman who came out of the inner hall was wearing a light green silk shirt. She was about thirty-six or thirty-seven years old, with a pretty face.

She called Qin Shuying's name, turned around and walked down the jade steps.

"When we parted, I thought you were living a rich and prosperous life and would never come back."

Qin Shuying's voice was gentle and pleasant, but there was a hint of indifference in it.

"Madam Wu, Shuying doesn't want to go back to this brothel, but who would have thought... only this place with a stench that can't be cleaned up can be a place for me, Qin, to live."

She took off her gauze hat, revealing her long hair like a waterfall, delicate features, and fair skin, like fine porcelain.

Especially those slender eyebrows and eyes, as deep as lake water, which make everyone's heart moved.

"Mammy, Shuying has a list here. Please invite the princes from all the mansions in the capital to a banquet in Wangyue Tower tomorrow, saying that the Xu family will fall, and Qin will resume her old business and play music and dance in Wangyue Tower."

Nanny Wu frowned slightly and stepped forward to take the simple list.

After glancing at the names on the list, Nanny Wu was startled and discovered something in common.

"The nobles here are all from famous families in Heluo, descendants of lords. What do you want to do?"

Qin Shuying was raised by Nanny Wu since she was a child, and she knew the tricks of her own courtesan in cultivating Mandrake.

"The flowers you cultivate are banned drugs by the imperial court and can no longer be used... If something happens to one or two young masters, we at Wangyue Tower cannot afford it."

Madam Wu took a deep breath and continued, "And why do you want to do it yourself? If you are short of money, I will give you 30% of the profits of Wangyue Tower, how about that?"

Qin Shuying shook her head and said, "Mammy, no amount of money can save my husband's life."

Nanny Wu's face darkened and she continued to ask, "Since you know the truth, why do you insist on being so stubborn?"

Qin Shuying did not answer, but walked past Nanny Wu and headed towards her old house.

After a while, a voice came down from upstairs.

"Mammy, don't forget... who killed the former owner of Wangyue Tower for you."

……

During the New Year, the capital city becomes extremely lively.

Because New Year's Eve is approaching, the curfew in the city will be lifted and various folk activities will be held until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

The government also encourages residents to go out and celebrate during the New Year, and will send police to parade the streets to maintain order.

But compared with previous years, this year is obviously a little different.

One was that Mr. Nie, a leading figure in the Imperial Academy, actually set up his lecture hall in front of the gate of the Imperial Academy, which was a rare event in the eyes of thousands of scholars.

You should know that although Master Nie is a doctor of the Imperial College, he is just a figurehead. He almost never hosts any literary gatherings, let alone gives lectures in the college.

But this time, Master Nie will not only host the lecture himself, but also deliberately set the venue in the square in front of the door without a threshold, obviously hoping that all learned people in the world can attend.

Second, Qin Shuying, the top star in Wangyue Tower, is preparing to make a comeback.

Qin Shuying was the most beautiful courtesan in the capital at that time, and her name became legendary.

It's a pity that when she was at the peak of her popularity, she was noticed by Mr. Xu from the Empress Dowager's family and was married off early on.

Now there is new news, which naturally stirs the hearts of countless lustful people.

Now, almost everyone in the streets and alleys of the capital is talking about this matter.

Especially on the night before the society started, it reached its peak.

As the time for the academic session approached, many carriages drove to Xuefu Street but were blocked by the crowds of people.

The coachman on the front carriage looked anxious and could not help shouting to the passers-by, "This is the carriage of the doctor of the Ministry of Rites, the last imperial examination champion. Who dares to block the way of my young master?"

It would have been better if the coachman had not said this, but as soon as he said it he was met with contempt and disdain from passers-by.

After all, all those who come to participate in the society are scholars, and everyone hates bullying behavior the most.

"The scholar surnamed Ma? The one who wrote the Beichuan travelogue?"

(End of this chapter)