Afternoon. In Zhu’s Place, those who were supposed to come were arriving one after another. Search: \(¨Complete¨Book¨Station¨) to read high-quality literature for free.

As is customary in all social gatherings, those who arrived early were usually those of lower status. Like some scholars rushing to the capital for the imperial examination, students who came out of admiration, including Chen Dong, a student of the Imperial College who had personally reprimanded Ning Yi, arrived relatively early, forming a gathering that could barely be considered a gathering of celebrities.

Of course, few of the most acclaimed talents in this year's spring examination in the capital came. As Song Yongping had planned before, firstly, it was out of arrogance, and secondly, those who seek benevolence will find benevolence. True learning always belongs to those who are willing to bury their heads in hard study. With the examination approaching, most of those who really wanted to get a good ranking were already nervous and did not attend such poetry gatherings.

In addition to these literati or wealthy people who came to join the fun, some idlers in Bianliang City came later. Like some members of the Junwen Society, Qin墨Wen, Xue Gongyuan, Yan Lingzhong and others who had conflicts with Ning Yi during the Dragon Boat Festival last year, and some idle minor officials who could be influenced by Qin Siyuan's influence—this was also because Ning Yi had pulled Yao Zunian over to take charge. When these people arrived, the Wanzhao Tower of Zhu’s Place truly had a considerable scale.

Mixed among them were also some women from brothels such as Fan Lou and Xiaozhuxuan. Those who could come today were mostly famous talented women. Ning Yi spent a lot of money on this, asking them to find acquaintances in the building and liven up the atmosphere. As for Li Shishi and others who were responsible for the performance, they also arrived earlier. After Wei Shi (1-3 PM), a motorcade came over, but it was only to further decorate the stage for the performance. For a while, only Li Yun came out to greet people.

Song Yongping searched up and down for Ning Yi for a long time, but after noon, the latter never appeared in the main hall of Zhu’s Place again.

For him, this situation was indeed a bit strange. A businessman mixing in the capital, who opened two shops and was not a wealthy family, had organized an event with such fanfare, and then ran away himself. Even his own father would probably not dare to be so neglectful. He thought that his brother-in-law might already know about Gao Yanei's intention to cause trouble and was running around for this matter. However, to be safe, he asked people several times, and finally found Ning Yi in the courtyard behind the Wanzhao Tower.

At that time, the sun had already begun to set in the west, and the light shone down between the corridors and old courtyard, which still looked bright. The noisy sounds from the front faintly reached here. When Zhu’s Place opened its two shops in Bianliang, it acquired many properties nearby and opened for business after renovating some of them, so the land was quite spacious. This kind of thing was not surprising. The gap between the rich and poor in feudal society was extremely large, and the social status composition spanned a great range. The closer it was to the center of Bianliang, the less crowded the land was compared to the edge, which was also a symbol of power and connections.

When Zhu’s Place purchased the land, Ning Yi tried his best to ask Monk Jueming for help, and coupled with consciously pulling the tiger skin of the Prime Minister's Mansion, everything went smoothly as long as he was willing to spend money. At this time, less than half of the renovated area was used for opening a shop, and the remaining undeveloped areas were kept in their old appearance, waiting for step-by-step expansion. When Song Yongping came over, he saw Ning Yi sitting in the pavilion in the courtyard, thinking about something. He faced the small pond in front, his eyes serious, and his fingers tapped on the railing of the pavilion next to him. The tapping was irregular, as if he was calculating something with his fingers, but when he saw Song Yongping coming over, Ning Yi stopped thinking and smiled at him.

"Yongping… something wrong? Sit." Ning Yi saw the other party's expression, smiled and frowned slightly, then stretched out his hand.

"I suppose brother-in-law already knows about that matter?"

Song Yongping stepped into the pavilion, his eyes and pace were calm, and he went straight to the point after sitting down. Ning Yi was stunned instead: "What matter?"

"The Grand Commandant's Mansion."

"Uh?"

Song Yongping sat down, waiting for Ning Yi to show the expected reaction. In the circle he lived in, the interactions between gentlemen and wise men were roughly like this—like the interactions between his father and his staff—indifferent, calm, but able to accurately grasp what the other party was thinking. However, after a moment, he felt that he had overestimated Ning Yi. The other party blinked his eyes, looking confused and not very supportive.

You don’t even know that the Grand Commandant’s Mansion is coming to make trouble, and you're still worrying about something here!

He was a little surprised, and then added: "The matter of Gao Yanei, brother-in-law doesn't know about it?"

Ning Yi leaned back. When he heard this name, the first emotion that arose in his heart was amusement: "Gao Mu'en? What's wrong with him again?"

"Well… I heard people outside say that Gao Yanei is going to make trouble for brother-in-law today, saying that he has gathered some people and wants to smash this shop and disrupt Zhu’s Place's performance today." Song Yongping paused, waiting for Ning Yi to digest what he said. "This person is probably not easy to mess with."

Ning Yi frowned and thought for a moment, then looked at Song Yongping thoughtfully: "Yesterday I heard Yongping say that he was going to study at home today… you came over for this matter?" After asking, he smiled and nodded, adding, "Gao Mu'en, huh, he's really not easy to mess with."

"I just heard it from a friend. Also, I really want to hear brother-in-law's new lyrics, and I don't know why this Wanzhao Tower is called Wanzhao." Song Yongping said with a smile, then became serious again, saying, "Speaking of which, I also know that doing business in the capital mostly requires some background. But with the power of the Grand Commandant's Mansion, this matter is probably inevitable, I don't know if brother-in-law has any countermeasures."

Ning Yi looked at him, his expression gentle: "What do you think, Yongping?"

"I'm new here, and I don't know how many useful relationships brother-in-law has. But after all, it's the Grand Commandant's Mansion. If you want to oppose it, it's probably not easy for ordinary people to come forward… If it's really impossible, I've met the Right Prime Minister once during this trip to the capital. With the relationship between my father and the Right Prime Minister, and the fact that brother-in-law has always had dealings with the Prime Minister's Mansion, maybe you can ask the Prime Minister to help with this matter… After all, this matter is really a bit mercenary…"

Song Yongping thought that time was running out, and he told everything he was thinking at this time. In his opinion, Ning Yi often had dealings with the Prime Minister's Mansion, but even if he managed some accounts for the Prime Minister's Mansion, firstly, Gao Mu'en was a junior, and secondly, opening a shop was too mercenary. People of Qin Siyuan's status would at most say a word after the shop was smashed by the other party. And if you add your own family's relationship, you may be able to ask Qin Siyuan to kill the danger before it happens. The sunlight shone down and fell into the pavilion, and Song Yongping was talking in a low voice about the nuances of it. Ning Yi looked at him there, with a lot of appreciation in his eyes.

"Yongping is very familiar with these things."

"I can't be considered familiar." Song Yongping said modestly, "I just don't know how brother-in-law would have a grudge with Gao Yanei."

"There were two conflicts when I came here, which ruined his good deeds… Later, someone set him up, and he probably blamed me. This person is a bit reckless, not considering the consequences. It's really troublesome to make trouble."

"You have to prepare early." Song Yongping reminded, meaning that if you want to go to the Prime Minister's Mansion, you should leave now! Although Yao Zunian, a guest of the Prime Minister's Mansion, is also here, without Qin Siyuan's personal words, the status of a guest can't compare with someone else's son, and the other party may not do their best. In the officialdom, that's how it is. A guest doesn't dare to cause big trouble for the host.

"Hmm." Ning Yi nodded, and after a moment, he smiled and said, "By the way, Miss Shishi has already arrived. Would you like to meet her?"

Song Yongping was puzzled and said, "...I can always see her later, I don't need to now… Brother-in-law, go ahead and be busy, I'll go to the front first."

"That's right, have fun. I'll find someone to deal with Gao Mu'en's matter later, don't worry. But I remember your kindness for running this trip, Yongping."

"We are all one family, let's not talk like outsiders."

Song Yongping smiled and cupped his hands. With his intelligence, he could see from Ning Yi's expression that the other party did not need to use all his relationships to ask for help from the Prime Minister's Mansion. He couldn't help but wonder again how a small businessman could have such connections. But he was also a proud person. He had already said a lot of unnecessary things when he was anxious before, so he bid farewell and returned to the front. When he left, he looked back and saw Ning Yi, who had sent him away, turned back to the pavilion, tapping his fingers on his side, and had already returned to thinking mode.

**************

Ning Yi sat back in the pavilion, pushed aside the fruit plate on the stone table, and tapped the table lightly with his fingers, letting his emotions return to the previous contemplation.

After chatting with Chen Fan earlier, he met Shishi and Li Yun, who had come here to prepare for the performance. After chatting for a while, he didn't go to the front to receive guests or direct the arrangements. The shop was the manager's business, and the performance belonged to Shishi's expertise. It was right to let professionals do professional things. He didn't want to worry too much about these things.

As for Gao Mu'en, there was no need to think too seriously about it at the moment. Since returning from Liangshan, he had already cleared some underground forces in Bianliang City through the Secret Investigation Division, and there were also some Secret Investigation Division members who could be mobilized around him at any time. And most importantly, Gao Mu'en didn't necessarily have a very high status in Gao Qiu's mind. Although he didn't know how he was suddenly released, in today's situation in Zhu’s Place, the other party couldn't cause too much trouble, and he might not dare to cause too much trouble.

The only concern was whether Gao Mu'en's sudden visit was a probing signal from Gao Qiu that he was going to take action against him. But thinking about it, the possibility was ultimately very small.

Liu Xigua, that woman, ran to save Fang Qi Buddha. That's the big trouble that needs to be considered.

Led by Junior Tutor Wang Fu, several of the major families in the Wu Dynasty have been eyeing the escort of Fang Qi Buddha to Beijing this time. It's not that the other party now regards this matter as a serious situation, but honestly, even if each of these families exerts a little bit of strength, the impact is definitely not comparable to one or two people or one or two hundred people. Even if all the Tyrant Blade Camp are dispatched today, when the Yongle uprising has completely failed, they can't make much of a splash.

Compared to the superficial domineering of Liangshan, Ning Yi knew in his heart that these major families were the giant whales hidden under the water. In the larger aspect, they are busy cooperating with Wang Fu, Cai Jing, Tong Guan and others to buy cities to the north, eager to restore trade between the north and south, and to prepare for business in the new era after the destruction of Liao. For Fang Qi Buddha, these people at the moment are at most saying a few words, watching hundreds of people from the Ministry of Justice escort the prisoner north, but once the force of the prisoner snatchers expands, the power of the other party will definitely expand more accordingly. The degree of this expansion, for now, has no limit.

Even if Fang Qi Buddha can be rescued with lightning speed, what awaits them will be encirclement and suppression throughout the Jiangnan area. If they are not careful, a little bit of the remaining strength of the Tyrant Blade Camp will be completely trapped, and some people who managed to escape after the fall of the Yongle Dynasty will be dragged out again in this situation.

Ning Yi根本是不赞成救方七佛的，即便后来与陈凡询问了详细的状况，也只是在考虑如何说服刘西瓜而已。少女的性子实在太倔了，怎么说服她，自己也没有把握，而刑部这次准备的力量已经很强大，如果说自己真的赶过去，而西瓜等人已经被反扑，自己总得提前有些想法，如何应对情况，尽量让她们跑掉。

Ning Yi fundamentally did not agree with rescuing Fang Qi Buddha. Even after inquiring about the detailed situation with Chen Fan later, he was only considering how to persuade Liu Xigua. The girl's temperament was too stubborn, and he was not sure how to persuade her. And the power prepared by the Ministry of Justice this time was already very strong. If he really rushed over, and Xigua and others had been counterattacked, he had to have some ideas in advance on how to deal with the situation and try to let them escape.

The affairs of Hangzhou and Liangshan had just ended, and the layout of the capital had only just begun, not even standing firm. He was about to be involved in such a thing again, and Ning Yi had a headache. He was a person who advocated strength, and he didn't want to walk at night at all. If he was given a few years to spread out the strength under his hands, then pushing the opponent flat was the kingly way. At this time, he sighed and tried to put his mind on being out of the way.

But in any case, two things must always be guaranteed: persuade Chen Fan to retreat and persuade Xigua to retreat.

Thinking like this, before long, the sun gradually set in the west. Ning Yi asked the manager in the building to prepare for Gao Mu'en's possible trouble. When the setting sun was red, Wen Ren'er came to him. At this time, the performance in the front building had actually begun.

As the first building for which Ning Yi specially composed poetry, this evening's performance would not be just one item. But in order to avoid others thinking that he was too arrogant, Ning Yi's "new poem" was actually placed as the first song of the whole evening. With the light and shadow effects of a batch of gunpowder suddenly burning, Li Shishi appeared on the stage. Starting from the first sentence, "The east city is gradually feeling good scenery", she was now just singing to "The green willow smoke is light, and the red apricot branches are full of spring."

During the accompaniment of the instruments, most of the people in the building were quiet. The sunset shone in warmly from the windows, and soon after, night fell. After Li Shishi's performance, this "Wanzhao Tower" was set the tone by the last sentence of the poem, "Hold the wine for you to persuade the setting sun, and leave the sunset in the flowers for a while." After that, there were various performances, as well as some novel magic tricks, acrobatics, and even two funny comic dialogues interspersed among them.

This evening's Wanzhao Tower probably wouldn't alarm the entire Bianliang, but it was still quite satisfactory. Ning Yi also told Wen Ren'er about Gao Mu'en's matter, and then waited for the other party to come over. However, an hour after nightfall, when the night wind blew and the streets were brightly lit with tourists like weaving, there was still no sign of anyone coming to make trouble. The current positioning of Wanzhao Tower was a restaurant, not a theater or a brothel. No matter how good the performance was, an evening banquet would not last until late at night. Once someone finished eating and got bored of chatting, what kind of trouble could the other party make?

"This Gao Mu'en has become a bit unfathomable after being locked up at home for half a year…" Ning Yi said with a smile, looking at the pedestrians on the street from the terrace on the second floor. The firelight shone on him, and Wen Ren'er shook his head not far away.

"I don't feel anything unfathomable, but it's not surprising that a person like Gao Mu'en does all kinds of messy things. Maybe he suddenly took a fancy to some good family woman on the street."

"Um, Cheng Zhouhai hasn't finished fixing him…" Ning Yi touched his nose, "Speaking of which, how was he suddenly released after being locked up for half a year."

"I inquired about it before. I heard that yesterday in the Grand Commandant's Mansion, he suddenly went crazy and took a fancy to Miss Shishi. Then he cried to his father for an afternoon, probably annoying his father…"

"What?"

"You don't know? Yesterday in the Grand Commandant's Mansion, he wanted to rape Miss Shishi, and he probably didn't succeed… I'm not very clear, but anyway, he beat Miss Shishi, I didn't pay much attention before, Miss Shishi's dress today… is the powder on her face a bit thick… didn't you see her before?"

Ning Yi was stunned. Yesterday, Shishi and Li Yun went to the Grand Commandant's Mansion to apologize, and he had traveled with them all the way. He had indeed met Shishi and Li Yun twice before, and chatted for a while, but everything felt normal on Li Shishi's side, so he didn't pay special attention to these things. Now that he thought about it, if she was really troubled by Gao Mu'en in the Grand Commandant's Mansion yesterday, the cause must have been because of him.

"...Oh." He nodded, "I didn't notice…"

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