Chapter 3, The Secret Meeting

The chill of midnight penetrates to the bone, with a layer of white frost forming at the eaves and the base of the walls. The north wind howls and swirls, wreaking havoc in the city, bending the withered branches in its wake

The person in the previous verse asked: "Sister Twelve, why do you arrive so late?"

The night has grown deep, and the inner residence of the Shen family is exceedingly quiet, with only the night watchmen and the maidservants on duty, half-asleep yet fulfilling their responsibilities.

After the school lieutenant finished speaking, he reined in his horse and rode away, creating a gust of wind as he moved. Suddenly, he stopped and turned back, as if lost in thought.

Xiao Gu's hands and feet were agile and light, silently bypassing their gaze, making her way to the back door on the west side

In the surrounding darkness, the third person on the left, a young woman with a high bun and fair skin, let out a delicate laugh, yet there was no trace of joy in it. "Second brother, what is the purpose of today's gathering?"

It is you

To ask knowingly

It turns out he is mute ... The county lieutenant's expression softened slightly as he saw the words "benevolent cemetery," and he understood in his heart: This year's weather has been unusual, with a colder winter than in previous years. The outskirts of the city and the northern city are filled with impoverished commoners, most of whom cannot afford charcoal for heating. Their houses are dilapidated, and the elderly cannot withstand the cold; many often succumb to it. Some of these families cannot even afford a thin coffin. Fortunately, the governor of Yingtian has shown great compassion, allowing several benevolent cemeteries in the suburbs to come and collect the bodies for them in a timely manner, with the burial expenses to be fully subsidized by the government when spring arrives.

In the night, Xiao Gu's figure gradually disappeared around the street corner

Only a single wick is lit, its faint glow flickering uncertainly in the draft between the window seams, casting the shadows of each person on the screen. The screen is adorned with a cluster of orchids, growing solitary amidst the broken tiles and crumbling walls, exuding an extraordinary grace. Though painted with a few strokes of red and blue, it captivates the viewer's attention.

Having skillfully found the seventh willow tree by the riverbank, and confirming that no one was following by observing the reflection in the water, I then entered the narrow alley. After several turns, I finally arrived in front of a pavilion.

The young servants hurriedly led her inside, navigating through the corridor and around the shadow wall, where a scene of pure plum blossoms unfolded before her eyes, with gnarled branches arranged in a pleasingly irregular manner

The hole exposed in the corner is not large, but she is indeed too thin and small, easily squeezing through it.

The gatekeeper, Zhu Pozi, had drunk two more cups of wine and was dozing off in a tipsy state. Suddenly, someone gently pushed him, startling him and causing the effects of the alcohol to turn into a cold sweat as he awoke.

Her appearance is somewhat aged and carries an air of coldness, leading others to mistakenly think she is either a madam or a headmistress from some brothel, and thus no one dares to disturb her

Under the curfew, the sound of drums serves as a signal, requiring both officials and common people to return to their respective places before nightfall, and prohibiting them from lingering in the streets. There are only three exceptions to this rule: emergencies, serious illness, and death.

This is a beautiful and delicate young man, with a strong scent of cosmetics, who is sobbing while his eyes are already red.

Little Gu carried a burden on her back, walking quietly along the long street, closely adhering to the eaves, silently like a ghost, yet surprisingly not slow.

The bright light dispelled the darkness, and before them stood a woman clad in a black robe, with a white linen garment underneath. From head to toe, only her pair of eyes were visible. A blue belt woven from straw was tied around her waist, and a pair of talismans for warding off evil, known as the Five Poisons, hung from her chest—this was truly the attire of a corpse collector

In the distance, it seems that a watchman has passed by, and faintly, there is a call, "Be careful of the fire"

Suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves came from afar, and the intensifying light rapidly expanded before my eyes

In the late night, Jinling has long entered a curfew, and the common people are not allowed to walk the streets. Under the strict order, the streets are devoid of any human presence, and even the crescent moon has hidden behind the clouds, with the intersecting streets and markets plunged into darkness and slumber

A low whisper, yet it frightened Granny Zhu to the point of turning pale, leaving her unable to utter a single word. Trembling, she took out the key and unlocked the door

"Who goes there, stop!"

The experienced soldiers shouted curses and were about to leave, while the leading officer, a young man in his early twenties with a face like jade, asked suspiciously: "Where are you from? Why are you collecting the bodies?"

A sharp shout resounded like the first thunder of spring, the sound of hooves rushed forward with a booming echo, the iron chains of the armor clanked crisply as they dragged along the ground, and Xiao Gu's eyes flickered as he immediately listened intently

Amidst a cloud of sorrow and despair, from the seventh position on the left, someone spoke aloud: "Wang Lin's death is too unjust; we cannot let this matter rest!"

Since you are a person of the charity estate, you should go and do well

The second person in the front row coughed for a while, sounding like an elderly woman. "I am already 40 years old, half of my body is in the ground, yet I never expected to see a white-haired person send off a black-haired one. Ninth brother... what a pity."

Tears have long since dried up many years ago. Pain has reached a point where there is no more pain to feel. Many years ago, they lost everything, and in the long years to come, they will continue to lose endlessly.

Her tone changed out of fear

Given such a significant matter, if we do not convene to discuss it soon, we will have no choice but to meet in the underworld.

Footsteps were heard coming up the stairs, causing everyone to sit up straight, with some instinctively placing their hands on the sheaths of their knives in a state of alertness

A group of people surrounded her, the tall horses snorting white mist, their front hooves constantly kicking up in chaos. The soldiers on the horses exchanged glances and chuckled softly, "How dare one violate the night watch and intrude under the Emperor's feet, tsk tsk, and it's actually a woman!"

Encountered some unexpected events on the road

Little Gu called out, gesturing as he wrote the two characters "义庄" on the ground

Xiao Gu walked to the door, only to be stopped by two young servants dressed in green robes and black trousers. She hoarsely produced a wooden token as proof, saying, "Your madam asked me to bring her some fresh embroidery samples to look at."

Listening to the inquiry, he shook his head, feeling that besides the scent of incense ash and talismans he had just caught a whiff of, there was also a faint, cool fragrance.

Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief, and the person at the head quietly instructed, "Light the lamp"

The door creaked open, and someone by the door whispered, "The Twelfth Lady has arrived"

The sound of the voice resonated clearly, startling everyone in their hearts.

The brothels and pleasure houses here are countless, with a throng of people jostling against one another. Xiao Gu hid in an empty water pavilion, took off his black robe, turned it inside out, and instantly transformed it into a lake-blue feathered cloak. He then took out a patterned skirt from his bundle and changed into it, stuffing the miscellaneous items into the bundle before gracefully walking out.

Xiao Gu mentioned it briefly and lightly

Is there anything inappropriate, adult?

The fourth individual is a middle-aged man, tall and robust with a face adorned with a thick beard, and his hands are calloused. He coldly uttered a remark.

Brother Jiu has left just like that, and we are left to live on in a meager existence, not knowing when this will come to an end

After dusting the powder all over her body, she lightly sniffed the tip of her nose and finally nodded in satisfaction. She picked up a small, soft bundle and took a couple of steps forward to the corner of the wall, bent down, and dragged aside two long strips of blue stone floor tiles.

The faint white light of the lantern does not illuminate the area of several meters, resembling a ghostly flame that adds to the eerie atmosphere

The person no longer pressed for questions, merely cleared his throat and said: "Since everyone is here, let us begin"

In my childhood conversations, my mother once mentioned that regardless of gender, there are a total of 14 bones and 42 muscles in a person's face. The difference between bones and muscles is quite subtle, yet it results in each person's unique facial features, each distinct from the other

Open the door

Fate has long been predetermined, impossible to resist, impossible to evade, and even with all one's efforts, it cannot be salvaged

The law of night prohibition has been in effect since the Tang Dynasty. Initially, the regulations were extremely strict. During the Song Dynasty, both the emperor and the common people indulged in pleasure, leading to the complete abolition of this law. By the time of the Yuan and Mongol periods, it had become an excuse for the hunting of Han people, causing widespread fear and making people reluctant to venture out at night. After the founding of the Ming Dynasty by Emperor Hongwu, although the night prohibition was reinstated, it could not suppress the alluring charm of the ten-mile Qinhuai River. It is said that even the relatives of the governor had some stake in it, and the visitors were mostly high-ranking officials and nobles. Consequently, the authorities turned a blind eye to this area: as long as one did not leave the banks after the night prohibition, they would not interfere.

As she lifted her sleeve, a small orchid embroidered on the inner lining of the garment was revealed, and both of them immediately changed their expressions

They gathered around, a towering sense of oppression bearing down, yet Xiao Gu stood still and unmoving

The person with such a sharp tongue has handsome features, and amidst a smile that is neither fully a smile nor a frown, there is an added charm to their demeanor; however, their two eyes are restless, darting around incessantly.

Thinking of his mother, Xiao Gu's hand paused for a moment, then he took the water jug beside him, wiped away all the false colors and all the grease he had applied, and began to create a different appearance for himself.

Her eyes were slightly raised, her cheeks appeared sunken, and there were a few fine lines on her forehead and at the corners of her eyes, topped off with a layer of slightly coarse, dark skin. After finishing her makeup, she took out a glass bottle, carefully poured out a cluster of powder, and meticulously applied it to her body

At the entrance, red silk curtains hang down, and the threshold is made of purple sandalwood, exuding an impressive grandeur. Above the door, a plaque inscribed with the words "Wanhua Tower" in silver hooks and iron strokes can be seen. Inside, there is a grand hall adorned with splendid flowers, where the melodious sounds of singing and dancing resonate, interspersed with the cheers and applause of men.

Upon arriving at the inner courtyard, I was stopped by two burly men in black clothing, "Madam is occupied and cannot receive guests, please leave."

The inner courtyard of the Wanhualou is winding and intricate, with tall buildings connected, designed for guests who are either wealthy or noble. However, today, the Orchid Fragrance Pavilion, one of the private rooms, is silent and dark, devoid of any light.

There were clearly people sitting in the room, yet only the sound of quiet breathing could be heard

This half-room has no doors or windows for ventilation, and it is cluttered with damp salt, rotten charcoal, and greasy broken tables and stools, creating a foul odor that is extremely unpleasant. Over time, this has left her with a lingering smell of smoke and fire, making her unapproachable to anyone in the inner quarters. This was originally part of her plan, but now that she needs to go out, she can only change to a different scent

The words "what a pity" weigh heavily on everyone's hearts like a thousand-pound boulder, evoking memories of that person who was well-versed in the six arts, knowledgeable in poetry and literature, gentle and refined yet also dignified and upright, instantly bringing forth a grief so profound that it leaves one breathless

The waning moon ascended to the zenith, filtering through the willow branches, while the banks of the Qinhuai River remained filled with laughter and song, illuminated by bright lights