Chapter 2: Frightening Dreams Within and Without

Please kindly inform Miss Su on behalf of Master Fu that Lord Ding is awaiting a reply

Zheng Shixin thought that the brothel business was indeed quite adept at its craft. In Baisha County, there was no distinction between registered prostitutes and those without, and in his view, no matter how famous Su Mei was, she was no different from the well-known courtesans and hidden prostitutes of Wenchangfang in the county. Yet, those in power seemed to favor such a tone. In front of Fu Qinghe, he did not dare to be too bold, merely stating, "Lord Dong Yuan of the government is currently in the county and is quite appreciative of Miss Su's noble actions... indeed... it is that he is inclined to host a banquet to express his gratitude..." Lord Dong Yuan of the government is currently in the county and is quite appreciative of Miss Su's noble actions... indeed... it is that he is inclined to host a banquet to express his gratitude... it is certainly not just an invitation for Miss Su to accompany him for drinks. Zheng Shixin made an effort to recount Ding Zhiru's flowery words, but having forgotten some details on the way down the mountain and up the embankment, he felt his speech was rather dry. In the end, he added a remark that inadvertently revealed Ding Zhiru's true intention. Glancing towards the cabin, he saw a shadow in green attire flit past the flowered window, but could not make out the face. He thought to himself that the overnight fee for the top courtesan, Hong Cui, in Baisha County was merely two taels of silver, and that listening to this woman play the qin and sing a few tunes on the boat was hardly worth five nights with Hong Cui. Truly, those who came from the great city of Jiangning were not simple folk.

The bow of the ship bumped against the dock, causing a gentle tremor. He instinctively clutched his chest, as if the bullet that had shot in from the window in his dream still lingered within him, causing a sharp pain that felt so vivid...

At this moment, not being tainted does not equate to never being tainted. This is akin to a pack of wolves fixating on a piece of fat; the piece of fat may be temporarily safe, but can it truly change its own fate?

Listening to this voice, Lin Fu's mind conjured the image of a beautiful and charming face—Su Mei, who at the age of fourteen had already gained a reputation for her beauty when she performed in Jining's Jizi Alley. Now, at not yet nineteen, she was renowned far and wide. He thought to himself: In later generations, a girl of her age would still be naive to the ways of the world, enjoying the pampering of her family and boyfriend. Yet, at this moment, Su Mei was struggling to navigate the circles of the powerful, barely managing to remain unsullied amidst the murky waters.

Lin Bu contemplated Su Mei's situation with a calm mind, increasingly convinced that he had only retained the memories of his body, and no longer harbored that infatuation that had once clouded his judgment. He reflected on how he had truly been foolish and unaware of his own limitations; even if he were to pass the provincial examination and become a jinshi, his situation in the Lin family would only improve slightly, remaining merely a branch member of the family. Even if he could hold an official position, it would only be as a low-ranking clerk in the local administration. In Jianye, there were countless high-ranking officials, literati, and scholars who were infatuated with and coveted Su Mei. Among them, Du Rong, who had invited Su Mei to Weiyang, could hardly be considered a significant figure. Lin Bu pondered what qualifications he had to win the affection of Su Mei, who was renowned throughout the Jianghuai region. Moreover, Su Mei seemed to have a particular fondness for Chen Mingzhe, the top scholar of this provincial examination, and it was likely that they had already formed a private bond, leaving no room in her heart for Lin Bu.

Fu Qinghe smiled and said, "You should ask Master Zheng to see if there are any doctors in the city who can help calm the spirit. Young Master Lin is in this state, and Miss Su feels quite guilty about it as well..."

Is Master Fu trying to provoke me? The constable in a soapy robe clasped his hands together. His surname is Zheng, and his given name is Shi; others call him Master Zheng Shi, and he accepts it with composure. The thin old man, Fu Qinghe, is a guard hired by the pleasure boat. When Su Mei had just docked outside the riverbank, Zheng Shi personally witnessed more than ten local ruffians from the county boarding the boat and causing trouble, beating his two apprentices and throwing them into the river with a few punches and kicks. In recent days, rumors have spread in the county that Fu Qinghe is a well-known martial artist in Jiangning. He once ran a martial arts school in Jiangning City, but due to certain circumstances, it fell into disrepair, and he now survives as a guard, taking shelter with a few apprentices at a brothel.

The day after the provincial examination results are announced, it is customary for local officials to host a Lu Ming banquet to celebrate the newly successful candidates (the banquet is named after the poem "Lu Ming" from the "Book of Songs: Lesser Odes" which is recited during the feast). In this era of indulgence, the Lu Ming banquet often invites three to five courtesans to entertain the guests. Lin Ba, upon first encountering the renowned courtesan Su Mei at the Lu Ming banquet in Jiangning, is struck by her beauty and becomes utterly captivated by her lush and alluring appearance. After the results are announced, Lin Ba stays in Jiangning specifically for Su Mei and spends half a month planning and preparing. Su Mei is invited by the wealthy merchant Du Rong from Jiangning to perform at a private banquet celebrating her father's sixtieth birthday, and in this atmosphere of extravagance, Lin Ba, lacking discretion, hires a small boat and brings along attendants to follow her.

Listening to the footsteps at the bow of the ship, Lin Fu thought that Zheng Shi had retreated in the face of difficulty. After a moment, he heard Su Mei outside asking Zhao Neng: "Brother Zhao Neng, how is Young Master Lin's health recovering? Should we invite the doctor to prescribe a couple more doses of medicine?"

Tan Zong never expected that the girl was a bait released by the local security team to catch fish, resulting in a fifteen-day detention and a fine. Initially, he had no intention of causing any trouble. After paying the fine, he lost his job, and his partner left him. Compared to those comrades who died on secret missions, this was truly not a significant matter. However, his father, with his straightforward and irritable nature, could not swallow this humiliation. After being mocked about the incident, he got into a fight and, in a moment of misstep, fell down the stairs, breaking his neck. He was taken to the hospital but did not survive for more than two days.

After multiple appeals went unanswered, Tan Zong finally made a resolute decision. He waited for an opportunity to take hostage several security personnel and the leading police officer from a bathing center named Bangkok Palace, who had previously framed him in a fishing scam. He hoped to use the media to expose the truth and demand an explanation. Even though he had long anticipated that this would lead to several years of imprisonment, at that moment, Tan Zong felt it was worth it—being poor and having no attachments, he thought it better to live fiercely. He believed his plan was foolproof and, after negotiating terms with the police's negotiation expert, he threw the bone-cutting knife out of the window, intending to end the farce. However, he completely underestimated the ruthlessness of those bastards; they would not allow him to live. As he let down his guard and ceased resistance, the sniper outside opened fire, and the police waiting at the door kicked it in. He was unsure if he had crushed the last police officer's windpipe, having been shot over ten times, his strength completely spent. Perhaps he hadn't killed anyone, which was truly a pity... As he let down his guard and ceased resistance, the sniper outside opened fire, and the police waiting at the door kicked it in. He was unsure if he had crushed the last police officer's windpipe, having been shot over ten times, his strength completely spent. Perhaps he hadn't killed anyone, which was truly a pity...

The tomb guardians of Liu Jing and the group of scholars from the Xixi Academy, although lacking real power, are indeed formidable with their words and are bold enough to speak out. Officials of all ranks in the court and the public fear that they might provide grounds for criticism. Lin Buxin thought that the governor of Weiyang, Dong Yuan, came to Baisha County to inspect the disaster situation, and it was absolutely impossible for him to delay his visit for three days just to meet a woman from the entertainment industry in Baisha, nor could he possibly board a boat to meet her.

Then I will report back to County Magistrate Ding

"He wants to jump into the water himself; what does it have to do with Miss Su? Fortunately, Miss Su has been helping these past few days..." said the young servant in a green robe, then asked the boatman at the bow who was preparing the medicine, "Is the medicine ready?" Unable to hold back his complaints, he continued, "Fortunately, he didn't die, and I can at least guarantee that he returns safely. If not, I would certainly face some consequences when I go back."

He is Lin Ba, a scion of the prominent Lin family from Shiliang County in Dongyang Prefecture. In early autumn, he arrived in Nanjing to participate in the provincial examination. Although he barely made it onto the list when the results were announced, he was nonetheless one of the fortunate few among the three thousand candidates from Jiangdong. In Jiangdong's eleven prefectures and eighty-six counties, there are only about one hundred and fifty such fortunate individuals every three years.

The flower window of the painted boat opened, revealing a small face as white and lustrous as jade. She looked at the constable in black standing on the black awning boat shouting, but did not speak. Instead, a lean old man, about fifty years old, circled around to the front of the boat. He first glanced at the sky, saw that the rain had stopped, and then asked the constable in black: "What does Master Zheng Ten want to say to Miss Su?"

It was like a dream from which one could not awaken—within the dream, my name was Tan Zong. After serving in the military for several years, I returned home and then immigrated overseas with my family. It was entirely a Chinese city, hardly different from my homeland. Even being treated as a third-class citizen felt quite normal. I worked as a helper in a restaurant and even met a potential partner through a matchmaking event. If it hadn't been for that night when I left the restaurant and kindly offered to take a girl, who claimed to have sprained her ankle, to the hospital, none of the subsequent events would have occurred.

The Young Master Lin, mentioned by the three individuals, is currently seated in the cabin of a black awning boat. The cabin is small and dimly lit, and his complexion is slightly pale; he is a young scholar just over twenty years old.

Perhaps for Su Mei, waiting for Chen Mingzhe to return to Yanjing next year and, having passed the imperial examination, marry her as a concubine to add a chapter of romance between a scholar and a beauty to the world would already be her best fate

Although retaining the memories of the body, Lin Fu still experiences a sense of estrangement and unfamiliarity, as if separated by a layer of gauze. Even in this strange world, one must struggle earnestly; one cannot live as weak and muddled as Lin Fu, nor can one, like Tan Zong, struggle at the bottom, being preyed upon without the power to resist

The body is indeed fine, but he just sits there in a daze all day, as if he has lost his soul, and does not come out to see anyone..." The young servant in green replied casually, his tone lacking much respect for the so-called Young Master Lin, and even revealing a hint of annoyance.

After a moment, a soft and delicate female voice came from outside the cabin: "Please ask Master Zheng to convey to County Magistrate Ding and Lord Dong: Su Mei will be stopping here for ten days to perform and seek donations. This was promised publicly. Today is only the eighth day, so it is not a significant matter to break the promise now; however, as a woman of humble status, I do not wish to easily go back on my word. I hope County Magistrate Ding and Lord Dong can understand—if you have the inclination, Su Mei will prepare wine in the boat to entertain you, or I can come ashore to apologize after fulfilling my promise in ten days... Su Mei has written a note, which I ask Master Zheng to deliver to the two gentlemen." This statement clearly and thoroughly declined the request.

Tan Zong then felt that if he could not get an explanation for this matter, it would be a disservice to his father who had died in an accident; his father would die with regrets.

The officer in a robe stepped onto the black-sailed boat and looked up to see the deck at the bow of the pleasure boat. Apart from four or five boatmen lazily sitting under the canopy at the front, smoking their pipes, he could see no one else. He did not wish to engage with these boatmen hired by the pleasure boat. Hearing someone inside the cabin intermittently tuning a musical instrument, he called out, "Miss Xiaoman, Miss Xiaoman, may I trouble you to ask Miss Su He if she is available to speak?"

The overly realistic sensations are bewildering: if the soul within the body were that of Tan Zong, yet the memories of Lin Ba were not erased; if it were merely a bizarre dream, yet one could distinctly feel as if one had changed brains, changed into another person—seven days ago, he could not swim, and if he fell into the water, he would sink like a stone; at this moment, if it were not for the fear of startling others, he truly wanted to jump into the water to test his swimming ability... yet one could distinctly feel as if one had changed brains, changed into another person—seven days ago, he could not swim, and if he fell into the water, he would sink like a stone; at this moment, if it were not for the fear of startling others, he truly wanted to jump into the water to test his swimming ability...

The voices from outside were clearly audible to Lin Fu in the cabin. He thought to himself that this scoundrel Ding Zhiru, the county magistrate of Baisha, was truly finding excuses to please his superior by wanting Su Mei to come ashore to serve drinks. Zheng Shi, the clerk of the criminal division in Baisha County, was also very eager to ensure the success of this assignment, constantly urging them on.

Please ask Master Zheng to wait a moment, Miss Su is tidying up the musical instruments. Fu Qinghe frowned slightly, unable to offend the local officials too much, so he set Zheng Shiyi aside for the time being. He then turned to the young servant in the green attire standing at the bow of the black boat and asked, "How is your Young Master Lin's health?"

A few nights ago, I attempted to climb onto the canopy of a boat to secretly watch Su Mei play the guqin. I lost my footing and fell into the water, and by the time I was rescued, I had already stopped breathing. I was supposed to have become a drowned ghost, but unexpectedly, I had a bizarre dream and woke up slowly, frightening the mortician I had invited nearly to death

Since Lin Bu no longer has an infatuation with Su Mei, he naturally understands that he should not have any entanglements with such a woman. Whether he is Lin Bu or Tan Zong, he considers it a chance to live anew and cannot waste this opportunity. Lin Bu is determined to leave Baisha County tomorrow and to carefully plan his future life

Although the dream is absurd, the feelings are real, as if having lived through an entirely different world. After being shot while hijacking a police officer, the soul unexpectedly enters the body of a young man named Lin Fu—Lin Fu should have drowned in the White Water River; the person they rescued is someone else.

Lin Fu sat in the cabin, feeling at that moment that he should be another person, one who completely did not belong to this world, bearing another name: Tan Zong