latelenovela Chapter 504 Liang Xiaoming's Little Thoughts
Chapter 504 Liang Xiaoming's Little Thoughts
Originally, Liu Ye thought that the two brothers, who hadn't seen each other for several months, would have a good chat in the military camp with a couple of bottles of their own "Wuliangye" liquor.
But when Liang Xiaoming heard that they were going to drink, he stammered for a long time before finally managing to utter a single sentence.
"Whether in the past or now, I've never been to Nanjing before. Can we go out for a drink? The scenery outside is so beautiful, I'd like to go see it..."
Liu Ye was stunned. It took him a while to realize that this guy wanted to go out for drinks and entertainment!
He asked, "You want to have a girl with you while drinking at a brothel?"
Liang Xiaoming blushed, his eyes darting away: "Everyone says the Qinhuai River is very famous, and I want to see it for myself. Back then, I followed you around Bantang Street, and apart from accompanying you to see Dong Xiaowan, I didn't get anything. The so-called 'Little Qinhuai' was a waste of time. Now that I've come to the real Qinhuai River, I..."
As a man, Liu Ye could understand Liang Xiaoming's psychology. Being away on a business trip with his wife away, wanting to experience an ancient version of "Heaven on Earth" (a notorious brothel) was understandable. However, his last encounter with an assassination attempt while drinking at a brothel, followed by a city-wide manhunt for his revenge, and a night of agonizing revelry, now left him with a phobia of such places. He subconsciously recalled the hairpin that almost stabbed him. Perhaps he was just incompatible with ancient brothels; a visit to a brothel in Suzhou led to a conflict with Chang Wei, and a near-assassination attempt while drinking at a brothel in Nanjing made him even more apprehensive. He didn't know what might happen if he went again, and the thought alone filled him with lingering fear.
He tried to stop Liang Xiaoming from having such a dangerous idea, but before he could even speak, seeing the expectation in Liang Xiaoming's eyes, all his words were swallowed back. This brother had followed him through time, working like an old ox, spinning yarn, weaving cloth, brewing wine, smelting iron, and forging guns and cannons for him, toiling tirelessly without a single complaint. And what had he given him? A smaller house, fewer women, and a wife who was just an ordinary woman, but passable. After marrying a wife, even a maidservant was only for show, not for consumption. He, at least, had three or four concubines, some plump, some slender, and a delicate young lady in Guangzhou waiting for him to marry. The difference in their treatment was too great. All Liang Xiaoming wanted was a little meat, a treat—why couldn't he have that?
Looking into Liang Xiaoming's eyes, which practically screamed "Other transmigrators live a life of luxury, surrounded by wives and concubines, while I, the transmigrator, am so miserable," Liu Ye felt uneasy. He thought for a moment: Chang Kun perished in the fire, and Chang Wei had been silenced afterward. The biggest enemy in Nanjing had vanished without a trace. Even if he accompanied his brother to a brothel, there shouldn't be any accidents, right?
After much deliberation, Liu Ye decided to grant Liang Xiaoming's wish. He gritted his teeth and declared, "We're brothers for life. Since you want to go, I'll accompany you even at the cost of my life!"
Liang Xiaoming smiled contentedly and chuckled, "What are you talking about? Do you think those girls would eat you up?"
Liu Ye smiled but didn't say anything. He decided not to tell him about the assassination attempt, lest he worry and not enjoy his trip.
However, it is always better to be safe than sorry. This time, Liu Ye did not dare to be careless and instructed Shimazu Chiyo and Lin San to make full preparations to prevent any accidents from happening again.
After making the arrangements, Liu Ye remembered the Duke of Wei. The Duke had been so polite to him and had even helped him capture Chang Kun and his son. Before leaving, he felt he should repay the favor. So he sent Yan Guang to the Duke of Wei's residence to deliver an invitation to Xu Hongji to go with him.
Not long after the people were sent out, before Xu Hongji could send any news, Gu Hengbo arrived.
Gu Hengbo was still as elegant and stunning as ever, but after seeing Liu Ye, she lost her composure from their first meeting, and her eyes showed a hint of fear.
Liu Ye frowned and asked, "Why are you here?" Although the assassination attempt last time had another mastermind and had nothing to do with Gu Hengbo, it happened at Meilou. Liu Ye was able to distinguish between gratitude and resentment and not hold a grudge against her, but there was always a thorn in his heart, like a fishbone stuck in his throat.
Seeing that the other party's words were very stiff, Gu Hengbo's eyes reddened, and she said softly, "The matter last time almost hurt the Earl of Pingnan, which was not Hengbo's intention. I have been looking for an opportunity to apologize in person. I heard that the Earl of Pingnan is going to host a banquet for my cousin today. Could Hengbo host the banquet to make amends for the mistake?"
After the assassination attempt, before she could even figure out what to do, the real culprit was discovered. Liu Ye searched half of Nanjing, tracked down the killer, and burned him alive in the Jinyiwei headquarters. Upon hearing this news, Gu Hengbo was filled with dread. The former garrison eunuch, the Jinyiwei, and the powerful figures of Nanjing were all insignificant in the face of overwhelming force. If Liu Ye were to take his anger out on her one day, wouldn't it be a catastrophe? Could she compare to the garrison eunuch? Could Meilou compare to the Jinyiwei headquarters? Even if Meilou were razed to the ground, no one would dare speak up for her. Therefore, she had been waiting for an opportunity to curry favor with Liu Ye, and today, she had finally gotten her chance.
Liu Ye became alert. This was a last-minute decision, and not many people knew about it. How did Gu Hengbo find out? If information could be leaked so easily, wouldn't those who were hostile to him also easily find out and set traps in advance, just like last time?
He asked in a deep voice, "Whom am I inviting to this banquet, and how did you know? If you don't tell the truth, don't even think about leaving this room today!"
Hearing the commotion, the Japanese samurai guarding the door rushed in, surrounding Gu Hengbo and drawing their gleaming katana. It seemed that at their master's command, they would cut this frail woman to death.
Gu Hengbo was startled, her legs went weak and she knelt down with a thud. She hurriedly explained, "Lord Pingnan, please calm down! This matter was revealed by the Duke of Wei. He took pity on me, a weak woman, for offending Lord Pingnan and living in fear every day, so he pointed out a way for me to take this opportunity to apologize to Lord Pingnan!"
"I see," Liu Ye thought, feeling much relieved. Although he had no intention of bullying a defenseless brothel madam, he couldn't stop others from fantasizing about being persecuted. Since Xu Hongji showed compassion, he would grant him that request. He said to Gu Hengbo, "Don't try to guess my thoughts. I'm not someone who doesn't distinguish right from wrong. Since Wei Guo has spoken out, we can't refuse him. Let him decide this matter."
Seeing that Liu Ye had relented, Gu Hengbo finally felt relieved. She lowered her head and said meekly, "Thank you for your kindness, Lord Pingnan. Hengbo will make all the arrangements perfectly and welcome you with open arms. We will make sure that Lord Pingnan and your cousin are satisfied."
After getting rid of Gu Hengbo, Liu Ye felt speechless. He wanted to find another quiet place to drink with his brothers, but Xu Hongji was too enthusiastic and interfered. After going around in circles, it turned out to be Mei Lou again!
Little did he know that this unexpected turn of events would lead to a pleasant surprise. With the help of the Duke of Wei, Gu Hengbo arranged a grand surprise for him and Liang Xiaoming. The scale of the event was truly extravagant, unprecedented if not unparalleled.