Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 204 Enjoy the gossip to your heart's content

Jiyang City was not a large city; it was neither the seat of a prefecture nor a state, but merely a county town. However, because it was adjacent to the Ji River and benefited from the canal transport, the city's economy was relatively prosperous.

Due to frequent wars, especially the numerous major battles fought in the early Three Kingdoms period, Yanzhou suffered severe population loss. As a result, its population has not recovered to this day, and the official roads have not been repaired since the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Consequently, waterways have replaced land routes as the primary mode of transportation in the region.

Although the waterways also require frequent clearing due to siltation before boats can travel, it is still better than the official roads overgrown with weeds that reach waist height.

Shi Shouxin had just entered Jiyang City and had not yet found out where his troops were settled when the magistrate of Jiyang County took him to a rather large mansion, saying that a distinguished person wanted to see him.

Shi Shouxin was a prefect himself, and to him, the person who was a noble person could only be Wang Yuanji.

Shi Shouxin waited in the main hall of the mansion, without even a servant around. The two guards sent by Sima You to escort him looked at each other, wondering what was going on.

However, Shi Shouxin did not have to wait long. Soon, Wang Yuanji, dressed in a light blue ruqun, led Jia Bao into the main hall. The servant following behind them was none other than Xigou!
At this moment, Xigou kept his eyes straight ahead, as if he didn't recognize Shi Shouxin, and just followed behind Wang Yuanji, never leaving her side.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and thank your benefactor."

Wang Yuanji patted Jia Bao's arm and gave the order.

"Lady Jia bowed and thanked her benefactor."

The delicate Jia Bao slowly stepped forward and bowed to Shi Shouxin. Her voice had a lisp, which gave Shi Shouxin goosebumps.

The ceremony was merely a formality, since it was Shi Shouxin who mediated the marriage of Jia Bao to the Prince of Jin, so it was only natural for her to pay her respects to Shi Shouxin.

Wang Yuanji was clearly not satisfied with this daughter-in-law, likely due to Jia Chong's power. But now that the die was cast, there was nothing she could do.

After the formalities were completed, Wang Yuanji gently waved her hand, and Jia Bao bowed and withdrew. The two personal guards beside Shi Shouxin in the main hall also followed suit. Now only Shi Shouxin, Wang Yuanji, and a servant named Xigou remained.

Yes, his real name is Niu Gou.

"Sima Shi, your servant is very perceptive and knows how to serve people."

I want to take him back to the Prince of Jin's residence to serve as a servant. Give me the contract.

Wang Yuanji spoke calmly, which was less of an inquiry and more of a notification.

"Xigou, from now on you will serve Princess Jin well, do you hear me?"
I threw away that contract a long time ago; Your Highness, please make him a new one.

Shi Shouxin looked at Xigou and said this, also reminding Wang Yuanji that she could handle the situation herself.

After Chun Tao was turned into a human pig, he had a very clear understanding of what kind of people the powerful and influential were. Not harming others because of one's own stubbornness and prejudice—this was a rare act of compassion for the lower classes in that era.

Shi Shouxin believed that he still possessed this much integrity.

Celestial Dragons are not held responsible for killing their servants; the reason they require a contract is actually because they are likely to be given important responsibilities.

Shi Shouxin certainly wouldn't let Wang Yuanji take her anger out on Xigou. If he refused, he himself would be fine, but it was hard to say what would happen to Xigou.

Hearing this, Wang Yuanji was very satisfied, and she nodded and said:
"I had long heard of Shi Gandang of Luoyang, who was good to his subordinates and was very popular."

When I saw it today, it was indeed the case.

I left you a gift in the master bedroom; you can go and get it now.

"Sima Shi, you must do your job well for Tao Fu. I'm setting off back to Luoyang today, so I won't bother you any longer."

Wang Yuanji stood up and slowly walked towards the outside. Seeing that Xigou seemed reluctant to leave, she quickly scolded, "What are you standing there for? Come and serve him."

Upon hearing Wang Yuanji calling him, Xigou could only lower his head and leave, without saying a word to Shi Shouxin throughout the entire process.

After Wang Yuanji and the others left, Shi Shouxin crossed his arms, frowned, and still couldn't figure out what had happened.

However, Wang Yuanji mentioned that she had left herself a "gift," could it be something else...?

Shi Shouxin hurriedly went to the backyard and pushed open the door to the master bedroom.

Then he saw Li Wan, whom he hadn't seen for over a year, sitting on the bed, smiling and waving at him.

"Madam! What are you doing here!"

Shi Shouxin looked delighted and quickly went forward to pick up Li Wan, spinning her around several times before stopping.

Unexpectedly, Wang Yuanji actually played the good guy this time!
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the two embraced and kissed endlessly until Shi Shouxin finally stopped.

In this unfamiliar environment, with few guards, it's best not to be intimate with my wife in the room. Once we're settled in Qingzhou, there'll be plenty of time to roam freely!
"I saw your letter. How have you been in Taishan County this past year? Has Lady Yu bullied you?"

Shi Shouxin asked with concern, deliberately avoiding certain matters.

Upon hearing this, Li Wan's face showed a strange expression.

She would giggle inexplicably for a moment, then frown and think seriously for a moment, but she never said whether Yang Huiyu was good to her or not.

Having gathered her emotions, Li Wan stood up, put her hands behind her back, and then, imitating Shi Shouxin's usual deep breath followed by a long sigh, sighed and said, "This matter is a long story, a very long story."

"Then let's make a long story short."

Shi Shouxin impatiently pulled Li Wan to sit on his lap, but Li Wan immediately stood up and laughed, "Hehe, I don't feel anything when you're sitting down, you want me to stand up and talk."

"Then you should tell me."

Shi Shouxin was extremely anxious.

Li Wan nodded, pointed to herself and said, "I am the little Karami you always talk about."

She stood on the table again, placed her hands in front of her, and crouched down like a cat, continuing, "The Princess Consort of Jin's surname is Wang, just like a big, fierce tiger with the character 'Wang' written on its forehead, roaring and howling!"

Shi Shouxin almost died laughing at her, and, suppressing the twitching of his face, reminded her, "Get to the point!"

"That's the key point!"

Li Wan jumped off the table, raised her hands and spread them out, making a one-legged stance, and said: "When Lady Yu went to Taishan County, she was like an eagle spreading its wings and soaring high!"

"When a fierce tiger comes knocking on the door, an eagle swoops down to meet it head-on. Will the tiger win, or will the eagle prevail?"

Oh dear, I, a little karaomi, am trembling with fear! This show is truly captivating!

After Li Wan finished her inexplicable gymnastics routine, she tilted her head and looked at Shi Shouxin with a click of her tongue in amazement.

"If you don't want to be a whore in my bed tonight, then you'd better speak properly!"

Shi Shouxin lightly slapped Li Wan's shapely buttocks and warned her with a stern face.

"Eh? Doesn't Ah Lang want to know why Xi Gou was taken away by Wang Yuanji?"

Li Wan plopped down on Shi Shouxin's lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and asked.

"Then you should tell me."

Shi Shouxin was speechless.

Li Wan stood up again and said, "I don't feel anything if I don't stand up to say it. Those things can only be said when standing up."

Shi Shouxin ignored her gossipy nature and coughed lightly to signal her to hurry up.

"This story begins more than ten days ago, when the Princess of Jin went to Fenggao County."

Li Wan sighed again and slowly began to recount what had happened in those few days.

……

More than ten days ago, Wang Yuanji arrived in Fenggao County with her entourage and the troops that escorted her to Taishan County.

This is the seat of the prefecture, and it is very prosperous. People are coming and going at the city gate, doing business.

To show her "sincerity" and not want to spoil the mood, Wang Yuanji ordered her troops to be stationed outside the city, and even Shi Shouxin's confidants were not allowed to come.

Wang Yuanji entered Fenggao County with only Xigou and two attendants. She brought Xigou because she was going to Yang Huiyu's place to fetch Li Wan to Qingzhou. Throughout the journey, Wang Yuanji didn't speak a single word to Xigou, not even when she arrived at the gate of Yang Huiyu's residence.

The plaque in the courtyard reads "Water Curtain Cave"!
Wang Yuanji frowned slightly. She remembered that this place should be called "Yuanhui Residence," taking one character from each of her and Yang Huiyu's names. When they were young, she and Yang Huiyu would come here to escape the summer heat, and also to visit relatives.

"This must have been the name given by the First Madam."

The greyhound muttered to itself. Wang Yuanji glared at him but didn't say anything. Because a lively sound came from inside the door.

There are at least three kinds of zither sounds, five kinds of drum sounds, and different kinds of flute sounds.

The door was ajar. Wang Yuanji told her servants to wait outside, and then she pushed the door open and went in. She saw the two maids guarding the door staring in fascination at the stage that had been set up, where five women were dancing.

The two were so engrossed in watching that they didn't even notice Wang Yuanji entering.

The lead dancer was none other than Li Wan!

She was wearing a short skirt that just went past her knees, and a tight-fitting short robe.

She sang and danced on stage with an exceptionally brisk rhythm. However, the four dancers who accompanied her were the wives of officials from Taishan County, and all four were of average appearance.

Especially the wife of Prefect Liang of Taishan County, whose plump body seemed to writhe but was actually undulating, was a bit of an eyesore.

But they didn't notice at all and continued to have a great time.

Compared to these four women, Li Wan's appearance and figure were simply like a fairy descended from heaven, her beauty beyond compare, and she was stunning in comparison.

Yang Huiyu, wearing a scholar's hair ornament and dressed in men's clothing, was playing the zither. Her maid, Xu Ying, dressed as a page, was playing a pipa.

The women sitting in rows in the courtyard were the wives of officials from various families in Taishan County, all of whom were currently caught up in a mindless frenzy.

At home, they have to act proper, hold themselves in high regard, and speak with utmost seriousness. Only here can they return to their girlhood.

"Oh, Beibei, say more sweet words, and look at me more if you miss me."

Show me a little more, so I can really see it.

Say goodbye with less talk; I want to spend more than just one day with you.

Let me love you willingly!

Li Wan sang and danced, constantly winking and blowing kisses to the wives of the officials at the table. The middle-aged women screamed and cheered, and some even came up to kiss her on the cheek.

Li Wan's long, slender, snow-white legs swayed so dramatically with her dance that it made people dizzy. People would come up and dance along for a while before returning to the "audience seats."

The atmosphere was so intense it bordered on frenzied, with a high level of participation and interaction that no one even noticed Wang Yuanji was there.

Seeing this scene, Wang Yuanji's blood pressure surged! She felt her temples throbbing as if they were being pounded!
For a moment, she was so overwhelmed with anger that she stood there speechless for a long time.

"The First Madam dances beautifully, but she usually only dances for Ah Lang."

The little dog then offered its comments. Wang Yuanji was so angry that she kicked the little dog, knocking it to the ground.

Why was she angry? Wang Yuanji didn't know, and couldn't explain it.

Actually, it's none of Yang Huiyu's business if she strips naked and runs around the house! Let her do whatever she wants!
Perhaps, possibly, it was simply because Wang Yuanji's youth and the important journeys of her life were spent in the damp, treacherous, silent, and treacherous environment of the Sima clan.

Throughout her decades-long life, she never even raised her voice, unlike Li Wan who enjoyed the vitality of youth.

Since marrying Sima Zhao, Wang Yuanji has been thinking about how to help her husband Sima Zhao ascend to the throne, and her schemes and plots are not uncommon.

A wild and unrestrained revelry; sing and dance as you please. There are no dignitaries here, and no distinction of rank or status.

She had never even heard of such a life, let alone tried to live or experience it.

Seeing this scene, Wang Yuanji became jealous. Everyone else had what she didn't, which made her hate her deeply!

"Yang Huiyu! You've made such a mess of this place, have you no shame?!"

Wang Yuanji pointed at Yang Huiyu, who was sitting in the main seat, dressed as a man and pretending to be a scholar, and scolded him.

The drumming stopped abruptly.

Everyone turned to look at Wang Yuanji. Apart from Yang Huiyu, no one recognized her. At that moment, everyone present thought Wang Yuanji was… insane.

"Ignore her, keep playing the music and dancing."

Because of Sima You's matter, Yang Huiyu, who had long disliked Wang Yuanji, said to Xu Ying beside her, "I won't give her any face at all."

The drums and music started again, but this time it was a different song.

Li Wan started singing again, the drum music became more soothing, and Madam Liang and her group also sat down in the audience, already covered in sweat and slightly out of breath.

The singing and dancing that was just now has turned into a solo performance.

"Let's go, let's go, people always have to learn to grow up on their own."

Let's go, let's go, life inevitably involves suffering and struggle.

......"

Upon hearing these lyrics, Wang Yuanji's face darkened, and she turned and left in anger without stopping.

Watching her departing figure, Yang Huiyu, sitting in the main seat, revealed a vengeful smile, a smile that made her look at least ten years younger.

Xigou glanced at Li Wan, who was singing and dancing on the stage that had been set up, and then at Wang Yuanji, who had already run outside. After thinking for a moment, he turned around and chased after her, leaving the courtyard.

……

"I have to say, you guys are really having a crazy time."

Shi Shouxin couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

He originally thought that Li Wan would be suppressed, abused, and made things difficult for Yang Huiyu here, but unexpectedly, things developed in a different way.

Yang Huiyu has really come up with some amazing ideas here!
"My lord, this is how Madam Yu is helping you build connections. Don't underestimate these wives of officials; they know quite a lot."

Sometimes, when something happens that the husband can't handle himself, he'll send his concubine to contact the other ladies. Maybe that will help them get in touch.

"Even if it doesn't work, I won't embarrass Ah Lang."

Li Wan spoke eloquently, showing no sense that what she and Yang Huiyu were doing was anything unorthodox.

Perhaps, it's just a habit.

Shi Shouxin secretly marveled to himself: "A ladies' club, wow, that's so ahead of its time."

But thinking about it, it doesn't seem so abnormal. These days, all the men are the same. If men can have parties, why can't women? Not having a sex party is considered morally superior.

"And then what? By the way, what the hell is the Water Curtain Cave? How many monsters did you create there?"

Shi Shouxin suddenly noticed certain details.

Upon hearing this, Li Wan's smile vanished, and her brows furrowed.

"Oh, don't worry about the details."

Anyway, the Water Curtain Cave and all that stuff originated from you.

As for what happened afterward, let's not dwell on it.

She sighed and started keeping everyone in suspense again.

Seeing that Shi Shouxin was staring intently at her, and realizing she couldn't fool him any longer, Li Wan coughed lightly and said, "Later, something really big happened."

(End of this chapter)