After the burst of light, applause and laughter filled the air, carrying a faint scent of gunpowder. Inside the Zhu Estate on this spring evening, the performances continued: singing, dancing, magic, acrobatics, and cross-talk. The ladies of Fan Lou took charge of half the acts. The banquet was nearing its end, and since many guests knew each other, they were either watching the performances or mingling, discussing the show and Ning Yi's new poem. From a business perspective, the atmosphere was harmonious and successful.

Waiting in the front building for a while, Ning Yi began to suspect that Gao Mu'en wouldn't show up, and he felt a flicker of doubt. However, people like Gao Mu'en shouldn't be judged by ordinary standards. As Wenren Bu'er had said, nothing that guy did would be surprising.

As for Wenren Bu'er, he came here not only to inform Ning Yi about the arrests planned for today but also to subtly inquire about Chen Fan's situation.

"...This morning, besides the Hebei Twin Heroes,習桂山 sent word that a Yongle remnant entered the city, specifically looking for you. I intended to eliminate him, but I arrived too late, and he escaped."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Heh, I haven't identified him yet, but he's said to be highly skilled in martial arts, very powerful." Wenren Bu'er looked at him. "You ruined the Yongle bandits' plans. His intentions are certainly malicious. Do you need me to assign more guards?"

Ning Yi laughed. "More than one or two people who were said to be highly skilled in martial arts have died at our hands. Why are you so worried, Brother Wenren? The remnants of Fang La... they are defeated foes. Whoever it is, I don't think we need to mobilize the troops."

Wenren Bu'er said, "I'm just afraid of trouble in the capital. You know that the Yongle Dynasty affairs are nearing completion, which makes it the most sensitive time. The Ministry of Justice is investigating very strictly... If it were a little later, everything would have passed, and we wouldn't have to consider these things."

He leaned on the railing of the terrace, exhaling after speaking. Ning Yi looked at him questioningly: "What are you referring to, Brother Wenren?"

They looked at each other for a moment, then Wenren Bu'er spread his hands and shrugged. "I don't know what I'm saying either, but I'll pretend you understand."

Ning Yi pretended to be deep in thought. He understood Wenren Bu'er's reminder, but regardless of the relationship, only hot-blooded youths would openly acknowledge such a sensitive matter. They exchanged veiled hints, and Wenren Bu'er couldn't discern the thoughts of this consistently unfathomable young man. Before long, he changed the subject.

After parting with Wenren Bu'er, Ning Yi went to the back of Wanzhao Lou to find Li Shishi.

He had met Li Shishi once before, and she seemed normal. The hallway was dimly lit, and Ning Yi didn't notice anything amiss. Her subsequent performances were worthy of the title of the Capital's Number One Courtesan. Perhaps the rumors of her being beaten yesterday were untrue or exaggerated. However, since he had heard about it, Ning Yi still wanted to check on her.

Arriving at Li Shishi's second-floor room, he found it dark and quiet. He knocked, and her voice answered: "Who is it?"

"It's me, Ning Yi."

"Oh, wait a moment."

Someone rose inside, and the fire flickered, lighting a lamp. Li Shishi opened the door, and a warm yellow light spilled out. She was still wearing her performance attire – a long, deep-colored robe of white with black trim and red plum blossom embroidery. The men and women of that time mostly wore one-piece robes similar to Hanfu. Since it was used for performance, it was cinched at the waist to emphasize the figure and adorned with layered lace, making the robe look like a slightly blooming flower, slender and graceful. She must have removed her makeup, making her smile look pure. Her bangs were swept to the side, and her long hair was slightly tied up, but she still retained a refined and elegant aura.

"Liheng, come in."

"The performance is almost over, so I came to check on you. Where's your maid?"

"I sent her to pack up. I'm alone."

Only one lamp was lit in the room, casting a slightly dim light. The window could be opened slightly, revealing a view of the hall. A chair was placed beside it, suggesting that Shishi had been watching the audience alone in this dark room. Ning Yi entered, and Shishi gestured for him to sit at the table. She pulled over a tea tray and began to pour water.

"Let me do it."

Ning Yi tried to take over, but she glanced at him. "Who's better at this? Of course, it's me. By the way, I was just watching those two tell jokes. It was very interesting..." She smiled.

Ning Yi studied her face. Although the light was dim, he could vaguely see a slight swelling on her left cheek. "You enjoy this too, Shishi?"

"Very much. Those magic tricks were interesting too. I heard you came up with all of this, Liheng?"

After pouring the tea, Shishi sat down and discussed the performances with him. She was the most outstanding person in this profession in Bianliang, so she had the right to speak about the performances. While praising them, she also subtly offered some reminders.

Tonight's performance wasn't exactly refined, at least not in the most popular style among scholars and gentlemen. Among the various acts, the magic was similar to acrobatics. However, acrobatics usually involved some serious skills, such as twisting one's bones from a young age. An artisan might spend more than a decade honing a skill and still be categorized as one of the "Nine Streams of Society." Although Ning Yi had his performers try to package the magic tricks as elegant and poised, they might still be considered frivolous and unworthy of high society.

Comedies, shows designed to make people laugh, were even more likely to be considered inappropriate for grand occasions. With Li Shishi's understanding of the literary circles, she naturally saw the hidden concerns and offered subtle advice.

Although she was knowledgeable and articulate, Ning Yi still saw her as a girl, from a later generation. After listening to her, Ning Yi nodded humbly. "However, the Zhu Estate shops were never intended to be high-end. I actually hope that the people who come are as mercenary and vulgar as possible."

"Oh?" Li Shishi seemed puzzled.

"Heh, Zhu Estate isn't going for the high-end route. I'll try to go for the mid-range or low-end direction. There are many businesses that need to be integrated with Zhu Estate... but these are just ideas now, and it's hard to say. I just want the greatest possible influence." He paused. "By the way, what happened with Gao Mu'en at the Grand Commandant's mansion yesterday?"

Li Shishi blinked in surprise. "That guy, did he cause trouble?"

"Not yet. I just heard about it."

"It's nothing." Shishi smiled, holding her teacup with her slender, white fingers. "He... he didn't dare to touch me. I've been in this profession for so many years, and I know how to handle these things."

"That slap on your face isn't very convincing."

Shishi tilted her head and smiled. "Does Liheng want to help me vent my anger?"

"Heh, I'm afraid I can't do anything about Gao Mu'en..." Ning Yi laughed, feeling more sympathetic towards the woman before him.

People in the entertainment industry best understand how to manipulate people's psychology. If she had said, "You don't have to worry about me," it would be difficult for him to back down, and he would inevitably have to take on the matter. But since she asked, "Do you want to help me vent my anger?" it would often make people calm down, showing that she was genuinely thinking about his side.

After saying that, Shishi shook her head. "The Grand Commandant's mansion has great power, relying on the Emperor's favor. I know you're capable, Liheng, but you really don't have to worry about this. You're capable, and I'm also very good at what I do. The name Li Shishi, well, I'm a courtesan. If people respect you, then that's that. If they don't give you face, you're still just a woman of the streets. I'm not meeting difficult situations for the first time. I have been slapped and forced to drink, drink until I vomit, and still have to smile and vomit beautifully. Yesterday, that Gao Mu'en was just acting crazy because of his influence. The Grand Commandant stopped him, and I took the opportunity to run away. Since I ran away, everything is fine."

She looked up at Ning Yi, her eyes smiling but also quite serious. "If this had happened to someone else, I might have pretended to be pitiful. But you, Liheng, and you, Hezhong, you're different from others. You are my few friends. And Liheng, you are knowledgeable and honest with you. I am a courtesan, you are a big merchant, you understand."

She spoke with a relaxed and natural demeanor, which was different from her previous interactions. The incident yesterday clearly had some impact on her. Ning Yi thought for a moment, then nodded without forcing the issue. After a moment, he laughed. "The most troublesome thing about Gao Mu'en is that no matter what price you pay to get rid of him, you always feel it's not worth it. But he can also bring you a lot of trouble."

Her words were amusing, and Li Shishi laughed. "But how did you offend him? You still have to be careful."

"I have a way." Ning Yi nodded. "But, besides the face, you weren't hurt anywhere else, right? It looks pretty serious. I didn't even notice it before."

Shishi shook her head. "There's nothing else. This isn't serious either."

"It's been a day and a night, and it hasn't gone down yet. Don't put on a brave face."

"It's not because it's serious." Shishi touched her cheek and smiled. "It's because I'm young."

Ning Yi realized that Li Shishi had such an interesting side.

Afterward, the two chatted for a while. Ning Yi didn't mention Gao Mu'en again, which Li Shishi obviously took as a sign that he had humbly accepted her advice. In a society with such clear class differences, people were more accepting of the fact that circumstances were beyond their control. In a sense, being bullied by the Grand Commandant's mansion, enduring it, wasn't shameful.

That evening, Gao Mu'en, who had threatened to come and smash the place, didn't appear until the guests gradually left. Song Yongping returned home, guessing that Ning Yi had nipped the problem in the bud, which made him feel that his brother-in-law was somewhat unfathomable. Ning Yi himself didn't realize that the truth was simple. While Ning Yi didn't think it was worth paying the price to get rid of Gao Mu'en, Gao Mu'en also felt that it was a losing business to pay the price to make Ning Yi uncomfortable.

"That guy is a jinx!" That night, Gao Mu'en was quite frank with a group of assembled playboys. "I've been cooped up at home for half a year! I'm finally back, brothers! That guy called Ning Liheng, since I met him, nothing good has ever happened! To fuck him is easy, but what if something else happens? I've only been out for one day! I haven't even played with women yet! If I'm punished again and can't go out, I'll die!" He spread his hands. "Everyone say! Do I look like an idiot!?"

Perhaps because he obviously didn't look like one, no one answered the question for a moment. In fact, playboys are usually overly self-conscious and lack perspective. There aren't many real idiots. Gao Mu'en used the Li Shishi issue to his advantage at home, and finally Gao Qiu reluctantly allowed him to go out. He didn't want to be locked up again immediately, so he brainstormed that night and decided to be a clever mastermind who could scheme against people without being discovered.

Soon after, the crowd came up with many ideas, and then happily went to play with women…