Chapter 407: Skirt Tying

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***

Xu Fengnian and his group walked quietly through a small alley, where icicles hung from the eaves. Young Wu broke off two, held them in his hand, and playfully bounced around, performing a few flourishes. Passing a two-courtyard house, they noticed the door was open, perhaps because the children inside were still playing outside and hadn't yet returned for dinner. A glance revealed a reddish-copper pot on an Eight Immortals table inside, with charcoal burning fiercely beneath it, producing wisps of smoke. As it was a small house, a humble family, their hotpot lamb didn't have many fancy variations; as long as it could ward off cold, it sufficed, unlike the elaborate hotpots found in grand mansions. Young Wu heard the crackling of charcoal and the bubbling of water, sniffed, and remarked, "It smells so good."

Tai'an City had too many fallen noble families, who, despite having lost their wealth, retained their fastidious and picky habits. This led to many strict rules in the capital, such as "eating only what is in season" and "following the four seasons without exceeding bounds," turning even dining into a highly elaborate affair.

Xu Fengnian smiled and said, "I know a great place for lamb hotpot in Longxugou. Shall we try it?"

Xuanyuan Qingfeng frowned, "I don't eat lamb; the smell sickens me."

Xu Fengnian shook his head and chuckled, "That's because you haven't tasted good lamb. The best lamb in Tai'an City comes from black-headed white sheep from outside the mountains, and they use the meat from the back of the lamb's neck. A single lamb yields only a few ounces of such meat, which tastes neither gamey nor greasy. Even with money, you wouldn't be able to buy it in Huishan. Slightly inferior cuts are from the lamb's rump. The next few types, commonly known as 'big and small tri-fork,' 'ground loin,' and 'cucumber strip,' don't even make it into the mouths of connoisseurs. The restaurant we're going to only serves the first two kinds. The chef there is said to be able to slice one catty of meat into eighty-one pieces, which is why the restaurant is called 'Jiujiu Restaurant.' Everything there is authentic, but the prices are a bit high, and we might not even get a table during peak dining hours."

The group reached the bridge suppressing the capital's water veins. They walked along the river, asking older Beijing residents for directions and found the place. The restaurant wasn't hidden deep; the street outside was wide, lined with many luxurious carriages that looked expensive and imposing. Just by their presence, it seemed less like a lamb hotpot restaurant and more like a high-end brothel where money was spent lavishly. Xu Fengnian looked up and saw that the three characters on the "Jiujiu Restaurant" plaque were personally inscribed by Old Master Song. The restaurant wasn't large, only one floor, likely seating just over a dozen tables. Xu Fengnian hesitated about entering, but Xuanyuan Qingfeng, who disliked lamb, actually stepped right in. Xu Fengnian thought, "She truly is a malicious woman who wishes to see the world in chaos. Is she really so eager for me to contend with the influential officials and local magnates in the capital?"

The four entered Jiujiu Restaurant. Qingniao and young Wu looked like respectable commoners, but Xu Fengnian and Xuanyuan Qingfeng were quite eye-catching, especially the purple-clad Mistress of Huishan. Even Xu Xiao had said she possessed the bearing of a true imperial consort. As she entered, though she merely surveyed the room, her dismissive air was unmistakable. Xuanyuan Qingfeng spotted an empty table in the corner, ignored the ivory fan resting on it, walked over, and sat down abruptly, sweeping the elegant fan, worth a good deal of money, onto the floor with a flick of her sleeve. Young Wu, hoping that Sister Qingniao could sit with the young master on a long bench, started to sit next to Xuanyuan Qingfeng but was met with a cold glare and obediently sat opposite her instead. Back when he and White Fox Face had besieged Han Diaosi, this fearless young death warrior had suffered quite a bit at her hands.

Xu Fengnian had originally intended to squeeze onto the bench with Wu and Qingniao, but Qingniao's lips curled into a smile, deliberately not leaving him any space. Xu Fengnian thus had no choice but to awkwardly ask Xuanyuan Qingfeng to move closer to the wall. Her arrogant temper, accustomed to being spoiled by Xuanyuan Jingcheng, only showed a hint of restraint and respect towards Xu Xiao; she never gave Xu Fengnian a pleasant look, letting his words go in one ear and out the other. She remained in the middle of the bench, completely still.

Xu Fengnian sat sideways. The small restaurant was a place where "hidden dragons and crouching tigers" gathered, with no ordinary folk. There were dignified elderly officials, like mentors bringing their struggling students for a better meal, and also pampered young nobles who practically had "imperial relative" written on their foreheads, accompanied by women of all shapes and sizes, adorned with exquisite accessories. Any casual ornament on these beauties could be pawned to provide a small family with years of lavish meals. There were also brawny, rough-and-tumble martial artists, calling out to their friends.

As Xuanyuan Qingfeng had been unreasonable first, Xu Fengnian had to remedy the situation. Before the Jiujiu Restaurant waiter got angry, he picked up the ivory fan. Only then did he notice that a hollow carved ivory sphere was attached to the fan handle by a green cord. Inside this sphere were more spheres. Xu Fengnian gently shook it and, squinting, saw there were as many as nineteen nested spheres. Such craftsmanship and ingenuity were truly exceptional; even the well-traveled Xu Fengnian couldn't help but examine it closely. The waiter was a young man, full of youthful vigor and a fiery temper. Moreover, having seen many prominent figures in Beijing at Jiujiu Restaurant, he was inevitably conceited. Although the man and woman before him didn't seem ordinary, he felt he couldn't let his establishment lose face. His tone carried some anger: "I say, what's going on with you people? Don't you understand 'first come, first served'? I don't care who you are; if you want to eat our hotpot lamb, you have to wait outside like everyone else!" As the waiter spoke, his eyes occasionally darted towards the purple-clad woman. His loud voice was clearly a small ploy to attract her attention.

Xuanyuan Qingfeng turned her head, extended two fingers, and pointed them at the waiter's eyes. Xu Fengnian, without a change in expression, pressed her hand down and smiled apologetically at the waiter: "We were in the wrong for taking this spot. When the fan's owner arrives, I'll explain it to them myself. If they're unwilling to be accommodating, we'll go wait outside obediently. It's cold right now, so please allow us to borrow your establishment to warm ourselves up for a bit. My sister has a bad temper; please don't take it personally." Young Wu turned his head away, trying hard to suppress his laughter. His young master truly never suffered a disadvantage wherever he went. Hadn't he just become the brother figure to the Mistress of Guniu Dagang?

The waiter, who had almost had his eyes gouged out by Xuanyuan Qingfeng, was oblivious to his narrow escape. However, deep down, he certainly hoped that the cold and stunningly beautiful woman would remain in the restaurant, a pleasure to behold. Seeing that the white-haired young master spoke so smoothly and thoughtfully, he was happy to go along with it. Fights over tables were common at Jiujiu Restaurant, and no one batted an eye; the restaurant's booming business was a result of such commotion. Earlier this year, in the first month, hadn't the grandson of Zhao Youling, Minister of Personnel, fought with a young master from out of town right outside Jiujiu Restaurant, resulting in many family retainers falling into the water? The next day, the queue for Jiujiu Restaurant stretched for almost half a li. The owner had famously said, "They fight, we sell; water from the well doesn't interfere with water from the river. Peace brings prosperity."

The atmosphere in Jiujiu Restaurant suddenly solidified. Four or five brightly dressed, richly clad young nobles swaggered through the doorway. Word of the incident inside the restaurant had already reached them. The leader, whose appearance didn't quite match his luxurious attire, brightened upon seeing Xuanyuan Qingfeng's back. He approached Xu Fengnian, tapped the tabletop with two bent fingers, his gaze dark and sullen, though his face wore a smile. "Hey, hey," he said, "you broke my fan and took my spot. That's not very polite, is it?"

Xu Fengnian looked up and smiled, "The folding fan is valuable, but its price can be discussed. However, this ivory rolling carved sphere is truly priceless. My sister caused a few cracks; that's our fault. This young master, with a prime minister's magnanimity, can tolerate even great wrongs. Name your price, and even if we have to sell everything we own, we will do our best to compensate you."

The ill-favored young master laughed heartily, "A prime minister's magnanimity?" His sycophantic friends and hangers-on around him also burst into laughter. One of them, amused, hinted, "Young Master Wang, in our Liyang Dynasty, those who can be called prime ministers are merely the Grand Councilors of the Three Departments and the Grand Academicians of the Three Halls and Three Pavilions. Previously, most of these positions were vacant, but now they're largely filled. This fellow has keen insight, doesn't he? Does he perhaps know that your father might soon become one of the prime ministers?"

The young master waved his hand, seemingly disliking his companion's "wielding influence through his father." He continued to address the "disagreeable-looking" white-haired young man, "Talking about money is vulgar. I'm not short on that. However, this small item, the rolling embroidered ball attached to the fan handle, is a gift I intended for Li Baishi, the number one courtesan in the world, as a first meeting gift. It holds great sentiment. How can you compensate for that? Can you afford to? I've always been benevolent towards others and didn't intend to hold this against you. But since you said you'd compensate, why don't we sit down and discuss it? You stand up, I'll sit down, and I'll slowly discuss it with your sister."

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "You truly won't settle accounts with me, but with my sister instead?"

One of the hangers-on smirked, "You might accidentally end up as brothers-in-law, which would be a joyous outcome for all! White-haired fellow, you're incredibly lucky, luckier than finding a gold ingot on the street! Did you burn hundreds of incense sticks at the Jade Emperor Temple yesterday? Do you know who this young master is? He's the third son of Minister Wang of the Ministry of Revenue!"

Xu Fengnian, saying "A pleasure, a pleasure," was about to stand up, but Xuanyuan Qingfeng stomped fiercely on his foot, preventing him from getting up. Xu Fengnian didn't know the name of the uncouth playboy beside him, but Minister Wang Xiongkui of the Ministry of Revenue was indeed a well-known name. As Liu Wenbao had mentioned on the boat, the period between the first and fourth years of Yonghui was known as the "Spring of Imperial Examinations." Most of the successful candidates who emerged during those four years ascended rapidly, gaining significant attention. Yin Maochun, the top scholar of the first rank, now led the Hanlin Academy and was the foremost candidate for a prime ministerial position in the current dynasty. Besides him, Zhao Youling had also risen steadily, climbing the ranks to become the influential Minister of Personnel, second only to Grand Councilor Zhang Julu and Minister of War Gu Jiantang within the Grand Secretariat. Then there were the commoner scholars Wang Xiongkui, Yuan Guo, and Han Lin, who took charge of various ministries, effectively reversing the decline where southern scholars lacked real power in the court. Wang Xiongkui, the youngest among those who passed in the "Spring of Yonghui," had Zhang Julu as his patron and was tested on the *Book of Rites*. His examiner was Huan Wen, the former Libationer of the Imperial Academy, who graded the *Book of Rites* exam papers. Wang Xiongkui's rapid advancement was thus understandable. However, most descendants of the dozen or so "carp leaping over the dragon gate" from humble and common families during the Yonghui era did not achieve much, as if they had used up all the accumulated blessings of their ancestors, leaving nothing to sustain them.

Wang Xiongkui's youngest son saw the woman's icy expression and, far from being angered, was delighted. He had grown tired of submissive and docile women, finding them as bland and uninteresting as domesticated lambs. This woman, as wild and untamed as a mustang, would surely be a thrilling challenge to ride and tame. Under the Emperor's rule, due to his family background, he understood the gravity of certain actions. Kidnapping common women was best avoided, or if undertaken, he needed to thoroughly investigate their family background and eighteen generations of ancestors beforehand. What if it involved hidden reefs that didn't reveal themselves, potentially drawing out old formidable figures from the muddy depths? Even as the Minister of Revenue's youngest son, he was far from being able to cover the sky with one hand. Beijing's social circles, large and small, intricate and intertwined, were extremely complex. Furthermore, lately, his father and two elder brothers who served in the Six Ministries had repeatedly warned him not to cause trouble, reminding him of the current sensitive situation. He had even postponed his visit to the brothel to see the "White Jade Lioness." Thinking about this made him furious. However, his chance encounter with the purple-clad woman at Jiujiu Restaurant today had largely quelled his anger. It was a blessing in disguise; he felt completely at ease. He imagined embracing such a cold and aloof woman in bed, and how even a rare, subtle moan would be infinitely delightful. In the scorching summer months to come, wouldn't just seeing her or touching her be enough to bring a refreshing coolness, even during the dog days?

Xu Fengnian had just blocked Xuanyuan Qingfeng's eye-gouging move, and now his foot was stomped on and twisted fiercely, causing him considerable pain. One should not forget that this malicious woman, a walking disaster, was truly a master of the Finger-Profound realm. Seeing that she had no intention of retracting her foot, Xu Fengnian could only bend down and pat her leg, but she remained still. He inadvertently noticed that her purple skirt hem was covered in mud. As Xu Fengnian now lived very frugally and couldn't bear to see her waste money, he helped her tie a neat, small tuck in her skirt. This wouldn't hinder her walking and would prevent mud from clinging to it when she walked on snowy or muddy paths. He also didn't forget to mutter, "She really is a wasteful woman who doesn't know how to live economically."

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