The Red Mansion

Chapter 134 Sowing Calamity
That evening, Xue Pan, accompanied by Wang Long, went to the Qimeng Courtyard on the banks of the Qinhuai River.

Before the vermilion gate hung twelve glass lanterns, illuminating the three large gilded characters "Qimengyuan" (绮梦院, meaning "Dream Garden"). Carriages and horses were clustered in front of the gate, and several young children were leading guests inside.

Xue Pan and Wang Long went straight into the private room, where the madam led Qiu Rou and Tao Rui to keep them company.

Qiu Rou had styled her hair in a relaxed updo today, adorned with a gold phoenix hairpin, and wore a lotus-colored gauze shirt. Her movements exuded a subtle fragrance, making her even more charming than usual.

By this time, Xue Pan was already quite drunk, his eyes glazed over, and he kept calling Qiu Rou "my darling." Seeing that he was already seven or eight parts drunk, Qiu Rou suddenly flung her handkerchief aside and turned away as if to wipe away tears. Xue Pan quickly turned her shoulders, asking, "Why are you crying all of a sudden?"

Qiu Rou sobbed, "Master Xue always says he loves and cares for me, but he just won't redeem me." As she spoke, she stole a glance at Xue Pan's expression, "All my sincere feelings for you have been wasted. I wanted to follow you for the rest of my life. Are you just going to watch me get redeemed by some old man?"

Xue Pan, reeking of alcohol, said, "It's true that I love and care for you, but don't take me for a fool. I know that your redemption price is clearly only two thousand taels of silver."

Qiu Rou poked Xue Pan's forehead with her finger, her face showing even more sorrow: "The brothel wants two thousand taels of silver. If you redeem me, you must also give me two thousand taels of silver. Only then can I follow you with peace of mind. Otherwise, if you get tired of me and abandon me in the future, wouldn't my fate be terrible? You can't say I'm scheming because of this."

In truth, Qiu Rou wasn't truly sincere towards Xue Pan; rather, she thought he was foolish and easily deceived. She had already earned a considerable amount of money, and her ransom was two thousand taels of silver. If Xue Pan offered four thousand taels, she would receive another two thousand taels. She was also calculating that Aunt Xue wouldn't allow her to enter the Xue family, so she could find an opportunity to get rid of Xue Pan.

Seeing Xue Pan hesitate, Qiu Rou pretended to wipe away tears: "Forget it, people like us don't deserve any sincerity anyway..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xue Pan was already scratching his head in frustration: "My darling, if it were a few months ago, I would have redeemed you even for four thousand taels of silver." He then hiccuped, "Unfortunately, four thousand taels of silver is a huge sum for me now, and I really can't come up with it."

Qiu Rou continued to feign wiping away tears: "I don't believe what you're saying, Uncle Xue. Your family is known for its abundance, where 'pearls are as plentiful as dirt and gold as iron,' and you've always been a spendthrift. Last year, you spent three thousand taels of silver to redeem Caiwei from our courtyard without batting an eye. Now that you've come to me, you're making excuses, saying you can't raise the money. It's clear that your 'heart and soul' is just a lie!"

Xue Pan's face flushed red and then paled at these words. The saying "A bountiful year brings heavy snow, pearls are as plentiful as dirt, and gold as precious as iron" was originally a common saying about the Xue family in Jiangning, but hearing it from Qiu Rou's mouth felt like a slap in the face. He hurriedly explained, "I really didn't lie to you. I've been spending a lot of money these past two years, and my mother is keeping a very tight rein on me now."

"Stop!" Qiu Rou interrupted, wringing her handkerchief. "I don't believe you. Everyone knows your mother dotes on you the most. You've always had mountains of gold and seas of silver to spend as you please. Could it be that your Xue family has fallen so low that you can't even come up with four thousand taels of silver?"

Knowing Xue Pan's temperament, Qiu Rou resorted to provocation.

Upon hearing this, Xue Pan immediately became displeased and shouted with drunken eyes, "Nonsense! The gold and silver in my family's treasury are piled up like mountains! Today I even took out three thousand taels of golden gold from the treasury to send to my sister in the capital."

In his drunken stupor, Xue Pan made a slip of the tongue. Wang Long, who was present, suddenly noticed a glint in his eyes. He quickly closed his folding fan and casually asked, "Could it be that Brother Xue is going to the capital soon? To personally escort those three thousand taels of gold to your sister?"

Xue Pan, who was chugging wine, swallowed it down with a "gulp" upon hearing this, wiped his mouth, and said, "Why should I go personally? My wet nurse will lead a few servants to escort my sister, and I will go to the capital with Brother Lai in two days..."

Halfway through his sentence, Xue Pan suddenly snapped to attention, his eyes widening in shock. He grabbed Wang Long's wrist and said, "This matter is confidential. Brother Lai only knows that my mother is going to send two boxes of local products to my sister, but he doesn't know that they are two boxes of gold. Brother Wang, please don't tell Brother Lai."

Wang Long snapped open his folding fan, covering half his face, and laughed, "Brother Xue, you're overthinking it! What kind of friendship do we have?" He then leaned closer and whispered, "Even if Lai Shangrong held a knife to my neck, he wouldn't be able to pry open my mouth."

Xue Pan was relieved upon hearing this, and thought to himself, "My mother only told me not to tell Lai Shangrong, not Wang Long. Hmm, it's alright, it's alright."

After thinking it over, he patted Wang Long on the shoulder: "Good brother! Come on, have a drink!" He turned around and hugged Qiu Rou, "My darling, wait for me..." Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly vomited.

Wang Long hurriedly ordered someone to tidy up, but he himself strolled to the window. The shimmering lights of the painted boats on the Qinhuai River outside reflected in his eyes, a cold smile playing on his lips. He lightly tapped the windowpane, lost in thought…

……

……

Lai Da lived in a mansion in the capital, and also had a large mansion in Jiangning.

Lai Shangrong stayed in this large mansion during his time in Jiangning.

The next morning, Lai Shangrong was at home when a servant came to report that Master Wang Long had come to visit.

Lai Shangrong hurriedly greeted Wang Long.

After the two finished exchanging greetings, Wang Long said with a smile, "Brother Lai, I haven't hosted a banquet for you during your stay in Jiangning. Today, I've specially prepared a feast at Deyuanlou on the banks of the Qinhuai River. Please do me the honor of attending."

This surprised Lai Shangrong. These past few days, he had spent many time fooling around with Xue Pan, Wang Long, and Pei Ze. Although Xue Pan almost always paid, he and Pei Ze had also treated everyone, but Wang Long hadn't spent a single penny. Now, however, Wang Long was going to treat him.

Lai Shangrong paused slightly in his teacup, then said with a forced smile, "Brother Wang, you're too kind. Shall we invite Brother Xue and Brother Pei to join us?"

“Hey!” Wang Long waved his hand. “Since Brother Lai is returning to the capital the day after tomorrow, I’m hosting this banquet today specifically for him. As for Brother Xue and Brother Pei, I can invite them another day.”

As he spoke, he deliberately pulled out a folding fan, unfolded it with a "whoosh," and the four characters "A true friend is hard to find" were written on the fan in a flamboyant style.

Lai Shangrong was suspicious, but he didn't show it on his face. He smiled and said, "In that case, I will respectfully comply."

……

……

Today, Wang Long invited Lai Shangrong to a banquet at Deyuanlou Restaurant.

Deyuanlou is also a restaurant located on the banks of the Qinhuai River, but it is of a lower class than Taiyuanlou. Although it is not as magnificent as Taiyuanlou, it is still decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, with lotus patterns carved on the window lattices and vermilion lanterns hanging under the eaves. It is quite elegant and specializes in Jiangnan-style dishes.

Wang Long and Lai Shangrong went up to the second floor, chose an elegant room overlooking the river, and sat down. They pushed open the carved window and saw boats weaving on the Qinhuai River, with painted boats shuttling back and forth, a picturesque scene.

Wang Long summoned the waiter and ordered several dishes with a Jiangnan flavor, including pickled goose feet, braised duck breast, ham and bamboo shoot soup, and two jugs of fine local wine.

Before long, the food and wine were ready. Wang Long personally poured Lai Shangrong a full cup and said with a smile, "Brother Lai, you've been staying in Jiangning for many days, and I haven't even hosted a banquet for you. Today, we must drink a few cups to make the most of this fine occasion." Lai Shangrong smiled and agreed, raising his cup in a toast, but inwardly he thought, "This Wang Long is usually so stingy. Why is he spending so much today? And why is he only inviting me? Does he have something to ask of me?"

The two men exchanged toasts, and after a few rounds of drinks, Wang Long suddenly put down his glass, a slight smile playing on his lips, and asked, "I heard that Madam Xue is going to send two boxes of 'local products' to the capital for Brother Xue's sister, and that she will be going to the capital with Brother Lai?"

Lai Shangrong wondered, "Why did Wang Long suddenly ask about this? Could it be that he invited me to dinner today specifically because of this?" But he didn't show it at all, and just smiled and said, "That's right. Madam Xue was worried about the safety of the journey, so she ordered Brother Xue's wet nurse to lead a few family members to escort me to the capital on my boat, and asked me to look after her."

Wang Long picked up his wine glass, took a slow sip, and a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes: "Brother Lai, do you really think those two boxes are 'local products'?"

Lai Shangrong paused, his chopsticks still in his hand. He looked up at Wang Long and, seeing his mysterious expression, became wary. He hadn't thought much of it before, but now he suddenly realized that those two boxes were probably unusual; otherwise, Aunt Xue wouldn't be so cautious, and Wang Long wouldn't have asked such a question.

Lai Shangrong feigned composure, took a bite of food, then picked up his wine glass before asking with a smile, "If it's not local stuff, what else could it be?"

Wang Long suddenly leaned forward and lowered his voice, saying, "I have received definite news—those two boxes contain three thousand taels of gold!"

"What?" Lai Shangrong's eyes widened, and his wine cup trembled slightly, but he quickly pretended to be calm and said with a smile, "Brother Wang, please don't joke. Brother Xue's sister has not been married as a legal wife. Although the Xue family is rich, why would they send three thousand taels of gold from Jiangning to the capital to give to her?"

Wang Long smiled faintly and said, "Why would I lie to Brother Lai about this? If you think carefully about how cautious Madam Xue is, you'll know that what I said is true."

Lai Shangrong maintained a composed demeanor, saying only, "Brother Wang, you are well-informed, I admire you. But I wonder why you specifically informed me of this matter?"

Wang Long did not answer the question immediately. Instead, he poured a full cup for Lai Shangrong, then poured a full cup for himself, and raised his cup to toast, saying, "Brother Lai, please drink this cup to the brim."

Lai Shangrong was not in a hurry. He raised his wine glass and drank it down with Wang Long.

After putting down his wine cup, Wang Long tentatively asked, "Brother Lai, you seem to have taken a fancy to Miss Qing from Qimeng Courtyard. Don't you want to make her your own?"

Wang Long already knew that Lai Shangrong was a lecherous man who was very interested in Jing Qing.

Upon hearing this, Lai Shangrong's eyes flashed with a shrewd light, then he narrowed his eyes and deliberately smiled, "Brother Wang is joking. That Miss Qing is quite valuable; how could I possibly have her?"

Wang Long poured Lai Shangrong another full cup of wine, drank with him, then looked around to make sure no one was there before whispering in his ear, "I have an idea." He covered his mouth with his sleeve as he spoke, "I have a way to get those three thousand taels of gold, and we can split them up. That way, Brother Lai, why would you worry about not getting that Miss Qing?"

Lai Shangrong had already anticipated that Wang Long was after the three thousand taels of gold, so he wasn't particularly surprised when he heard this. However, he feigned surprise and said, "Brother Wang, you're incredibly bold! This is no joke. If it's exposed, we'll be in deep trouble!"

Wang Long calmly said in a low voice, "Brother Lai, rest assured, since I have brought this up, I have a foolproof solution, but I need your full assistance."

Lai Shangrong paused for a moment, then said, "Tell me about it."

Wang Long immediately leaned in and explained in detail...

After listening to Wang Long's plan, Lai Shangrong pondered for a long time, then lightly tapped the table and said, "This plan is ingenious, but..." He suddenly unfolded a fan to cover half of his face, revealing only a pair of shrewd eyes, "Now that Tan Fengchi has appeared out of nowhere, how should we distribute these three thousand taels of gold?"

Wang Long hurriedly poured wine and said with a smile, "In my humble opinion, it would be fairest for the three of us to divide it equally. Wouldn't it be clean if each of us received a thousand taels?"

According to his method, a man named Tan Fengchi was required to make the move. His plan was to give Tan Fengchi eight hundred taels of gold, keeping two hundred for himself, so that he would receive one thousand two hundred taels of gold, the most of the three.

Lai Shangrong chuckled and shook his head: "That's not fair! To be honest, I'm the one who has had the most trouble and effort in this matter! After arriving in the capital, I have to deal with Jiang Nian, who is a formidable figure. He's an imperial bodyguard, has been granted a noble title, and is close to the Thirteenth Prince. I also have to deal with the Rongguo Mansion. This heaviest burden will fall on my shoulders, and I have to cover it up in every way. Therefore, I should get a larger share."

Wang Long's expression changed slightly, and he forced a smile, saying, "Then what does Brother Lai mean..."

"I want 1,500 taels of gold," Lai Shangrong said decisively. "The remaining 1,500 taels are yours to give to Tan Fengchi as he sees fit."

Wang Long decisively shook his head: "That's not appropriate. Brother Lai has asked for too much."

The two then chatted back and forth like street vendors, haggling for a while before finally agreeing that Lai Shangrong would receive 1,200 taels of gold after the deal was done. Wang Long secretly decided that he would receive 1,100 taels of gold, and giving Tan Fengchi 700 taels would be enough.

Lai Shangrong suddenly became serious and said, "There is one more thing I need to explain to Brother Wang."

Wang Long quickly moved closer and said, "Brother Lai, please speak freely."

"After it's done," Lai Shangrong tapped the table twice with the handle of his fan, lowering his voice, "take eight hundred taels of my twelve hundred taels of gold, and under someone else's name, redeem Miss Qing from Qimeng Courtyard." As he spoke, a lewd glint flashed in his eyes, "then send a reliable person to deliver Miss Qing and the remaining four hundred taels of gold to me in the capital as quickly as possible."

Upon hearing this, Wang Long laughed and said, "Brother Lai, you have a good plan! That's exactly what we should do."

Lai Shangrong's face darkened, and he gripped Wang Long's wrist: "Brother Wang, listen carefully, if there is even the slightest mistake in this matter..." He tightened his grip, "or if Miss Qing is defiled, don't blame me for turning my back on you without mercy."

Wang Long still smiled and said, "Brother Lai, don't worry. I have already received enough benefits this time. Why would I covet you? It's not worth getting into trouble for a courtesan."

The two looked at each other and smiled, then raised their glasses to drink.

The wine sloshed in the glass, reflecting two faces that showed no remorse.

It's laughable that Xue Pan treated them like brothers and spent countless sums of money on them, yet now they've been completely taken advantage of and barely mentioned.

Suddenly, a mournful flute melody drifted from a painted boat on the river outside the window, like a warning from the shadows.

But the two of them wouldn't listen to any of that.

(End of this chapter)