Chapter 4, Night Discussion

The leader quietly inquired

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, they all turned their heads in unison, only to find that it was the usually taciturn Twelve Niang!

With a slap on the bed, Wang's voice became three points sharper, "The son of a concubine dares to covet this title!"

Mother Yao has taken care of her since childhood, and she couldn't help but feel distressed and complain, her voice growing louder: "That old lady really knows how to make a fuss over nothing—just because of that little scandal involving the master, she called all four of you here for a scolding. In the end, this is a disgrace of the main family, and it has nothing to do with our branch at all"

Yang Yan, the Chief of the Ministry of Justice

Mother Yao broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly replied, "Wife, I truly have been foolish; you are absolutely right—"

Everyone was taken aback—since its establishment, the Golden Orchid Society had formed bonds as sworn brothers and sisters, each feeling a sense of alienation from their origins. Although they had secretly accomplished many significant deeds, this was the first time they openly plotted to kill a close minister of the emperor and a court official, which inevitably caused some anxiety among them

This person, in order to curry favor with the emperor, is determined to report us, the lowly and guilty slaves. The more miserable we are, the more pleased the rebel Zhu Di becomes, and the more he can rise to prominence!

Who is this person

At the moment of despair, someone at the very end quietly said, "Let me do it."

Wang cast a cold glance at her, and upon being startled, Mama Yao was about to kneel down. Wang supported her with one hand, saying, "I know Mother is concerned for me. Just pretend you didn't hear what was said earlier—once you leave this room, if you speak any more grievances like this, do not blame me for not giving you face."

The third woman exclaimed angrily; she appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, her makeup was exquisite and glamorous, yet it faintly revealed a weariness reminiscent of a life of hardship.

The old lady is probably just concerned about the fourth master

Looking at Wang's calm and unperturbed expression, she whispered in her ear: "However, this old master is truly a source of constant worry, daring to get involved even with the emperor's designated criminal. It is truly terrifying—fortunately, the old lady managed to kill that little vixen in time; otherwise, who knows what kind of disaster would have befallen the residence!"

Once he is killed, Zhu Di, in his fury, will demand countless lives to accompany him to the grave—whether it be ourselves or others, we must preserve those who are useful and cannot sacrifice ourselves in vain

With his eyes closed, Wang seemed to be explaining to Mother Yao, or perhaps talking to himself: "The master has always been lecherous and unruly. Back in the day, for the sake of a popular courtesan from Tianxiang Pavilion, he abandoned his wife who was eight months pregnant, causing her to die from anger. The old master was furious and punished him with forty strokes and locked him in the ancestral hall, where he nearly starved to death after three days without food or water. After that, he restrained himself for two years, but soon returned to his old ways. He... this lifetime cannot be changed!"... this lifetime cannot be changed!

Everyone immediately felt disheartened: Indeed, killing a court official is no trivial matter; it will inevitably leave traces. Even if everything is perfectly executed, those present at the scene will not escape the repercussions of collective punishment.

Everyone present had long been mired in the quagmire, engaging in lowly livelihoods: porters, performers, prostitutes, laborers, drummers, and so forth. It was not difficult to achieve any of the aforementioned. However, a single remark from the elder brother shattered everyone's excited fantasies

What do you mean by this, Seventh Brother

Is it him

A moment of silence fell over the crowd, and then someone asked, "What should we do?"

His voice was calm, and everyone listened quietly to the cold wind howling outside, each feeling a pang of sorrow in their hearts—both for the deceased Wang Lin and in reflection of their own circumstances

Wang sighed, interrupting her rambling, "It is easy to change the landscape, but difficult to alter one's nature—just wait and see, there will be more commotion in the future!"

The seventh young master spoke in a calm yet resolute tone, infused with a sense of determined anger—he was dressed in a sable cloak trimmed with gold, with a white jade nine-link cloud belt at his waist, and a gold-embroidered purse hanging at his side. Even in the dim light of the candles, it was evident that he was a refined and elegant figure

I have a solution

Another second-class maid, Chunxing, presented a silver basin while kneeling steadily. Jiaoliu used a cloth to wring out hot water and applied it under her eyes to alleviate the fatigue and dark circles accumulated throughout the day

The elder brother from the previous verse uttered a cold, chilling sound, "If this person is not eliminated, others will continue to suffer—our 'Jinlan Society' is not a soft persimmon to be squeezed by others. Within three days, we must take his life!"

Several people exclaimed

A small light flickers in the room, and in the dim corner where the light does not reach, a slender figure sits quietly. Dressed in blue, she appears calm and composed, her head bowed so that no one can discern her expression.

She slightly turned her head, allowing the delicate willow to act as it pleased, yet a cold smile lingered at the corner of her lips: "The old lady is once again pouring tea and scolding us today, making us cry and kneel; she must be feeling quite pleased with herself—why bother? She is already halfway in the grave, yet still scheming against the entire family."

As the clock approached 2 o'clock in the night, the Qingqu Courtyard of the Shen residence was still illuminated.

The tenth handsome youth wrinkled his nose, making it even harder to distinguish between male and female, which made me feel even more pity for him. "I have heard of this person— the officials from the Ministry of Justice do not visit our establishment often, but when they mention this person after getting drunk, they all seem a bit afraid, saying he is a natural-born ruthless official"

Madam Wang, the second wife, carefully reviewed this month's account books. Feeling fatigued, she rubbed her brow. Yao Mama, who was attending to her, quickly helped her sit on the soft cloud-patterned couch and handed her a soft cushion adorned with floral and gem patterns to place at her waist. Only then did Madam Wang let out a contented sigh.

Some volunteered to stab him to death with a single stroke while shaving his head, while others opposed this, suggesting that poisoning his food would be a more reliable method. There were even those who proposed to take advantage of his visit to a brothel to give him a "sudden wind," ensuring that he would die with a disgraceful reputation.

The elder brother's gaze slowly swept over the crowd, "We are all descendants of noble families and officials, raised in luxury and comfort, surrounded by maids and servants since childhood. Now that we have fallen to this state, we can no longer speak of integrity and principles; we only seek to survive. Currently, there are those who wish to see us perish, and we have no choice but to send them to the underworld to meet the King of Hell"

The seventh person in the next verse said at this point, with a cold laugh: "This time, his master was once impeached by Wang Shishu for embezzlement, and their methods have become even more ruthless and despicable—they actually want to sell him to that beast, Feng Lun."

He glanced at the crowd and continued, "You all have heard about the affairs of the Guangping Bo's residence, haven't you? Their fifth son, Gu Nian, out of friendship for his classmate, spent a large sum of money to redeem Wang Lin and hid him in the estate. However, he was unfortunately betrayed—resulting in the ninth brother, Wang Lin, being sentenced as a runaway slave and executed by beheading at the vegetable market. That fifth son was also implicated and subjected to family punishment, resulting in his leg being broken."

With a glance, she signaled, and the maid, Jiao Liu, who stood behind her, immediately stepped forward, deftly removing the headpiece and jewelry in front of the mirror. Mama Yao assisted by carefully placing each item into the large dressing box made of yellow rosewood, inlaid with gold thread and mother-of-pearl, adorned with eight treasures and floral patterns.

He slightly raised his voice and looked around at the crowd, saying: "According to my investigation, this informant has reported five cases of officials and civilians harboring and concealing low-status slaves—he is targeting us."

Her heart is driving her crazy

The so-called name of a person, the shadow of a tree, upon hearing this name, everyone gasps in horror. General Shen Wu, Feng Luan, is fifty years old and is not considered a particularly famous general, but he is notorious throughout the capital for his lewdness and cruelty—his residence often sees the naked bodies of male servants being carried out, all of whom had signed death contracts, their bodies covered in wounds that are unbearable to behold

For so many years, because he is the son of the Inspector Wang Du, the Ninth Brother has been sold multiple times, enduring great humiliation. There were even masters who specifically forced him to serve wine in a blue robe during banquets, often shouting, 'This is the top scholar of the year!' making him kneel to present the cup, and even using a rattan stick to whip him for amusement