The splendor of the Red Chamber, the power that reigns supreme.

Chapter 180 Meng Yulou Enters the Game, Yang Zhi Sends Gifts
Meng Yulou stared blankly at the dying lamp, her heart heavy as if weighed down by lead. Her soul seemed to be wandering in the heavens when suddenly she heard a cacophony of howls and wailing outside the courtyard wall, mixed with the pounding on the door, so loud it made her ears bulge and her heart tremble.

"Widow Yang! Open the door! Stop playing dead! The money you owe us, you must return it today, principal and interest!"

"If you don't open the door, I'm going to break in and turn your belongings upside down!"

"You'd better hand over the money! Don't be stubborn and ask for trouble! You despicable scoundrel!"

Upon hearing this, Meng Yulou's originally beautiful face turned deathly pale, like freshly made rice paper. Her slender fingers dug deeply into her soft palms, leaving several crescent-shaped marks, before she forced herself to calm her wildly beating heart.

She took a deep breath, her full breasts heaving as she did so, making her waist appear even more slender and graceful.

She raised her hand to tidy up a few strands of hair that had been scattered like dark clouds at her temples, and called over her personal maid, Xiao Luan: "Come, come with me out."

Xiao Luan was already terrified, her face pale, trembling like a leaf in the wind, shrinking her neck as she followed behind.

The master and servant walked into the courtyard. The moonlight, like water, poured coldly onto the bluestone slabs.

Yu Lou's figure was graceful and her lotus-like steps were light and light. Under her plain satin cotton skirt, her two long legs were straight and slender. As she walked, the skirt swayed slightly, vaguely outlining the plump and firm shape of her legs like jade pillars. She had a captivating figure.

The two servants guarding the door were also ashen-faced and trembling.

Meng Yulou composed herself and raised her voice, though she tried her best to remain steady, her tone still trembled slightly, like golden pearls falling onto a jade plate:
"Gentlemen, please be patient! I haven't forgotten about the money. However, the shop is still settling accounts and is experiencing a temporary cash flow problem. I beg you all to grant me a few more days to raise some funds. If it really doesn't work out..."

She bit her lower lip, her full lips appearing even more poignant with each bite, and said resolutely, "I will sell those dozens of bolts of fine Suzhou and Hangzhou silk from the warehouse at a bargain price! I'll be able to raise the required amount no matter what, and I certainly won't shortchange you all! Please rest assured!"

The scoundrel outside the door refused to give in. He immediately launched into an even fiercer tirade, his foul language raining down like hail:

"Bullshit! We want cash today! Don't try to fob us off with empty promises!"

"Selling silk at a bargain price? By the time you sell it, it'll be too late! No way! I have to see some gleaming silver today!"

"You bitch! Open the door! If you don't, we'll have to get physical!"

Just as the shouting was getting out of hand, and the hooligans were about to ram the door, a clear male voice, carrying an air of authority without being angry, rang out from not far away, abruptly silencing the hooligans' clamor:

"Hmph! Where did this filthy scoundrel come from? You have the audacity to act so arrogantly here! Madam Meng is a person of impeccable virtue and purity; how could she tolerate such insolence from filthy scum like you!"

"Paying back debts is a matter of course, but we must also give people some leeway! With Li here as guarantor, are you afraid she'll fly to the sky? Get out of my way! We'll see in three days! If you dare to utter another word, watch out, you lackeys!"

Upon hearing this sound, the group of hooligans immediately fell silent, as if boiling water had been poured into a snowdrift.

All that could be heard was a few hesitant groans, and then it tucked its tail between its legs and scurried away.

"Yes, yes, yes! Master Li, please calm down! We deserve to die!"

"We didn't know Master Li was here, we've offended you, we deserve to die!"

"With Master Li's word as our guarantee, what else could we possibly worry about? We're getting out of here, we're getting out of here!"

A series of chaotic footsteps, mixed with low curses, gradually faded into the distance, like the receding tide.

Meng Yulou's tense nerves relaxed slightly, and through the crack in the door, she could vaguely see that familiar figure standing outside in the moonlight.

She was overwhelmed with mixed feelings, and hurriedly said through the heavy door, "Thank you so much, Master Li, for your righteous help. I am deeply grateful and will never forget you."

Upon hearing this, the wealthy man outside the door, Mr. Li, immediately softened his voice, making it as sweet as honey: "Yu Lou, between us, there's no need for such thanks. It was just a small favor, nothing to mention. But..."

He paused, lowering his voice even further, with a sticky, almost cloying quality, as if it could slip through the crack in the door, "Yulou, I've missed you so much... The wind and dew outside are so strong, chilling me to the bone. Why don't you open the door and let me in? I can help calm you down and say a few intimate words..."

Meng Yulou's heart skipped a beat. The gratitude she had felt earlier vanished like smoke, replaced by a cold wariness.

Her face darkened, her brows furrowed slightly, and her voice suddenly rose, like ice water striking stone, carrying an undeniable coldness and resolute determination: "Master Li, you are mistaken! I will forever remember your kindness in rescuing me today, and I will certainly repay you handsomely in the future! However—"

She spoke each word clearly and distinctly, as if cutting through ice and jade: "Although I, Meng Yulou, am a widow, I have read a few lines of classical texts since childhood and deeply understand the principle that 'starving to death is a small matter, but losing one's chastity is a great matter'!"

"As long as I haven't stepped foot in your Li family's gate, I am still a widow of the Yang family! You mustn't utter such frivolous words again, Master Li! It only disgraces our status and defiles the purity of the incense and candles before my deceased husband's spirit!"

Li Yuanwai was choked by the scathing rebuke, which was as sharp as an ice pick. He couldn't breathe for a long time, and his well-maintained round face turned red and white in turns.

After a long while, she managed to force out a few awkward laughs, her voice sticky and slurred, yet revealing a persistent sincerity: "Yu Lou, why are you doing this? My sincere feelings for you are as clear as the sun, moon, and stars!"

"Since you're so concerned about reputation and decorum, why don't we just sign the marriage certificate and establish our status as a couple? That way, we can avoid the gossip and the harassment from this jerk who's freezing my jaw off today. We can then be together legitimately. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

Behind the door, Meng Yulou's voice remained calm and composed: "Marriage is a serious matter, not a child's play. I appreciate Master Li's kind intentions. However, this matter... still needs careful consideration. Please allow me to think about it for a few more days."

She wrapped her fur coat tighter around herself, the cold air seeping into her body through the crack in the door.

Upon hearing the word "consider," Master Li stomped his foot on the ground and raised his voice several decibels: "What is there to consider? Don't you trust me, Master Li? Yu Lou, Yu Lou, open the door! Let me in! The wind and snow outside are cutting like knives; I'll go in and explain the pros and cons to you in detail..."

“Master Li, please leave!” Meng Yulou abruptly interrupted him, her tone resolute and decisive, like a sharp knife cutting through tangled threads. “Right now, only Xiao Luan and I, two women, are at home. It is truly—inconvenient—to receive guests! Master Li is a learned and worldly man; he should know the implications of 'being implicated in a compromising situation'! Don’t force Yulou!”

Upon hearing these cold and dismissive words, Master Li, standing outside the door, remained silent for a moment.

He suddenly let out a heavy sigh, a long and drawn-out sound that drifted through the crack in the door, carrying with it a deep sense of grievance and resentment, drilling straight into Meng Yulou's ears and into the taut strings of her heart:
"Alas! Yulou, Yulou! You...you treat me like a thief, it's truly...it's tearing my heart out!"

His voice suddenly rose, filled with indignation and resentment, as if he had suffered a great injustice: "How have I treated you? Don't you have any sense of right and wrong?"

"When you wanted to expand your cloth shop, it was me! I went to great lengths to pull strings from the capital to get you the silk! I was counting on your business to flourish and your wealth to increase!"

"If you don't have enough money to buy goods, it's me! It's me, Li, who vouched for you with my own chest! Every single thing I did was to help you out of the blue. But what about you?"

"And you! You treated all my burning sincerity like dirt! You wouldn't even let me through the crack in the door, not a single kind word! All you talked about was 'reputation' and 'self-respect,' every word piercing my heart! Yulou, put your hand on your heart and ask yourself, isn't this treatment of me... too much? Too heartless? Hmm?"

Inside the door, Meng Yulou bit her lower lip tightly.

Li Yuanwai's heartfelt confession left her speechless and unable to refute it.

Although the price of that batch of silk was a bit inflated, he did help out quite well after all.

He was the one who introduced me to that high-interest loan and even acted as my guarantor.

Yet, no man has ever shown me such affection.

The courtyard was deathly silent, save for the howling of the cold wind.

After a long pause, she took a deep breath of the cold, woody air, her voice trying to remain calm and even, yet inevitably carrying a heavy weariness and a hint of compromise from being cornered:
“Master Li…I am aware of your kindness.”

She paused, then said, "I... I remember everything you've done for me. But..."

"But this is a matter of life and death, concerning my reputation and honor, and even more so, my future... It's a dangerous place, a single wrong step could lead to utter ruin... I dare not be rash. If... if you truly care about me..."

She managed to utter these words with difficulty, "Please allow me... allow me to think it over carefully for a few more days, okay?" The last sentence almost sounded like a plea.

Upon hearing this, the tense face of Master Li, which was contorted with anger, seemed to melt away instantly under the scorching summer sun, and immediately relaxed.

He immediately softened his tone: "Ah! Yulou, Yulou! That's more like it!"

He sighed deeply: "You should have said that a long time ago! Am I such an unreasonable and unromantic person? I know you're a cautious person, a widow, you should think more, think more..."

"If I, Li, hadn't come to Qinghe County from the capital on business, how would I have stepped into your cloth shop? And if I hadn't entered your cloth shop, how would I have spotted you at first glance? Every step I've taken, every single thing I've done, just like the old saying goes—'A thousand-mile marriage is tied by a single thread, the Old Man of the Moon tied the red thread long ago!'"

He lowered his voice even further, speaking with deep affection: "Alright, alright, I'll do as you say! I'll give you a few more days to think it over!"

He paused, seemingly wanting to say more, before finally leaving with only, "Then I'll head back now. In a few days... when the weather gets better, I'll come back to hear from you! Take good care of yourself, keep the doors and windows closed, and don't let anything startle you!"

The footsteps faded into the distance, eventually disappearing into the howling wind at the alley entrance.

Inside the courtyard, Meng Yulou listened intently until the footsteps were completely swallowed by the wind and snow. Only then did her body, taut like a bowstring, suddenly relax, as if all her muscles and bones had been removed. Leaning against the cold, icy door panel, she slowly slid down to the ground, her heavy cotton skirt piling up on the bluestone slabs, oblivious to the dirt on it.

"Miss... Miss..." Xiao Luan cried, already terrified, and only now dared to timidly move over, calling out with a heavy nasal tone.

Meng Yulou waved her hand weakly, too weak even to lift her eyes, unable to utter a single word. A chilling despair and a heavy weariness, like the swirling snow, enveloped her tightly.

This is truly a case of one wrong step leading to another!

I shouldn't have been so blinded by greed; otherwise, I wouldn't have fallen for that Ximen Qing trick and come up with this ridiculous "ten-person group purchase" scheme!
Now look what's happened! The goods are stuck in the warehouse, the money is gone, and we're even in debt to those exorbitantly high-interest loans! We're suffering heartbreak from all of this!

But what truly suffocated her was this inescapable marriage. This Master Li... seemed to have connections everywhere, yet he was definitely not a native of Qinghe County, and he spoke fluent Mandarin. Perhaps... perhaps his claims about connections in the capital and the promised good life weren't all empty words?

That's enough, that's enough!

Ultimately, it was because my ambitions were too high and my desires were boundless!

She closed her eyes, feeling the cold wind of the courtyard seep into her heart.

They mourned their fate here.

Ximen Guanren walked into Zuichunlou.

Inside the warm chambers of Zuichunlou, the cloying fragrance still lingered, and the decadent music was intoxicating. But today, this den of debauchery had a touch of bloodlust—Ying Bojue, Xie Xida, and Wu Dian'en, these "sworn brothers" of the wealthy Ximen Qing, though they had changed into new silk robes, were all adorned with colorful headbands, looking like defeated soldiers who had just crawled back from the gates of hell.

Earl Ying had a dirty cloth stained with blood wrapped around his forehead, and one of his arms was slinged in a white cloth across his chest;

Xie Xida's face was still bruised and swollen, one eye was squinting, and he walked with a limp.
Wu Dian'en was in even worse shape, with a bloody gash on the corner of his mouth.

Ximen Da Guanren sat casually in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over the group of sworn brothers and hangers-on. He laughed and said, "It takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone, but you all seem to have become indestructible? With your 'wealthy appearances,' you still dare to venture into this pleasure trap? Aren't you afraid of leaving your livelihood here as well?"

Upon hearing this, Earl Ying disregarded the excruciating pain in his arm and plastered a fawning smile on his face: "Oh my! My dear brother! You are wise enough to see the truth!"

His free hand pointed to the empty rosewood chair next to the main seat. "Look... Old Fourth Hua is going to treat his brothers to this Drunken Spring Pavilion for the first time ever, to experience the allure of this Hu woman! This kind of windfall is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! The next meal? Even Old Fourth Hua himself might not get a chance!"

Xie Xida, Wu Dian'en, and the others quickly covered their swollen faces and supported their injured backs, responding in a cacophony of mournful wailing.

Ximen Da Guanren gave a cold snort and leaned forward slightly.

The few sycophants were the most sensible. Knowing that the master had something important to say, they immediately fell silent, like ducks with their necks being choked, and endured the pain as they desperately pushed their heads forward.

“Those bastards who beat you up…” Ximen Qing paused, “They were just a few stray dogs that had recently wandered into Qinghe territory.”

He lowered his voice even further: "But... we haven't yet untangled the threads of some deity behind it, and we don't even know which temple's clay Buddha statue it's worshipping."

The official's gaze slowly swept over the terrified faces of the crowd: "All of you, keep your tails between your legs and heal your wounds. Eat when you're hungry, drink when you're thirsty, and pretend you were just bitten by wild dogs."

He suddenly smirked: "Don't worry, I'll personally lead you to get our revenge tenfold, a hundredfold! It's not far off!"

"Oh, thank you, Brother Xie, for helping us get revenge!" Earl Ying was the first to react.

"Thank you, Brother Xie, for standing up for us!" "Brother Xie's kindness is higher than the heavens!" The group of people were filled with gratitude and struggled to get up to bow and kowtow. The scene immediately turned into chaos, with cups and plates clattering.

Just then, the pearl curtain hanging at the entrance of the warm pavilion was suddenly flung open with a loud "whoosh".

Hua Zixu's face was oily and ruddy, and he reeked of alcohol. His left arm was tightly wrapped around a blonde, blue-eyed Hu woman whose breasts were half-exposed under a thin veil, while his right arm was wrapped around another one. Behind him were three or four other equally alluring Hu women.

He staggered, his tongue slurring, yet he still shouted, "Come...come! Everyone gets a share! I...everyone gets a share! Hahaha!"

Everyone's eyes immediately went to him.

Dragging his lame leg, Ying Bojue was the first to stagger forward, his voice booming: "Oh my! My Fourth Master Hua! You are truly... a reincarnation of the God of Wealth! Look at you! Look at your noble bearing! Please take a seat! The best seat has been reserved for you!"

Xie Xida also limped forward, his eyes practically glued to the Hu woman: "Fourth Brother, what a skill! The top Hu woman of Zuichun Pavilion has all become yours! I admire you to the core!"

Surrounded by a crowd of people, Hua Zixu listened to the overwhelming flattery and sycophancy. Especially when he saw that Ying Bojue and the others, who used to fawn over Ximen Qing like lapdogs, were now all eagerly and shamelessly fawning over him, his smugness was so great that it seemed to burst from the top of his head.

He glanced sideways at Ximen Qing, who was still sitting in the main seat, expressionless, and just playing with his wine cup. He felt that he had never been so proud and smug in his life, as if the entire Qinghe County was under his feet.

"Hahaha! Of course! Of course! We're all brothers!" Hua Zixu, brimming with pride, burst into wild laughter, grabbing Hu Ji and slamming her back into the main seat, making the cups and saucers on the table jump. He waved his hand, spittle mingling with the smell of alcohol spraying everywhere:

"Are you all just standing there like door gods? Sit down! All of you, sit down! Drink! Today... anyone who doesn't drink until they're crawling under the table... anyone who looks down on my humble abode, Master Hua! Beauty! Pour the wine! Fill it up! Fill all the men's... fill it up!"

Ximen Da Guanren picked up the thin-walled celadon wine cup in front of him, his slender fingers slowly stroking the cool rim.

Beijing.

Meanwhile, Yang Zhi was implicated and stripped of his post because his militia had robbed a wealthy merchant's caravan.

Now, Yang Zhi followed closely behind the steward of the Gao family, his footsteps lighter than a cat's. He stepped on the thick carpet under the corridor outside the study without disturbing a speck of dust or making a sound.

Holding a faded old brocade box in his hands, a red paper gift list was pressed under the lid.

The study door slid open silently, and a warm, heavy fragrance, mixed with the smell of ink and some unknown precious spices, rushed in.

The interior was lavishly furnished: wisps of smoke billowed from the mouth of a golden lion-shaped beast; a large sandalwood table was piled with documents and exquisite trinkets, gleaming with jewels.
Several scrolls of calligraphy and paintings by famous people hang on the wall, all exuding an ancient charm.

Grand Commandant Gao Qiu was not wearing his official robes, but was loosely dressed in a dark purple brocade robe with floral patterns, leaning casually against a grand master's chair covered with a white tiger skin.

In one hand, he was casually playing with a piece of mutton fat jade, the jade's color warm and smooth, as delicate as a woman's skin.

The steward, with a hunched back, stepped forward and reported in a low voice, "Master, Yang Zhi has arrived." After saying this, he lowered his hands, held his breath, and retreated to stand in the shadow of the golden lion-shaped incense burner.

Yang Zhi secretly inhaled a breath of stale air, twisting and grinding away the last vestiges of his military pride deep inside his stomach.

He held the brocade box and gift list high in both hands, his back bent so low it almost broke, and a dry, sandpaper-like sound came out of his throat:

"This humble general, Yang Zhi, kowtows to the esteemed Grand Commandant. A little... a little local gift, hardly enough to express my respect, I humbly beg the Grand Commandant to forgive and accept it. I humbly hope the Grand Commandant will grant this humble general a... a way to atone for his sins." The brocade box was held high above his head in his trembling hands.

Gao Qiu then lazily lifted half of his eyelids.

Those two gazes, like brushes slick with grease, slowly and sluggishly swept over Yang Zhi before finally settling on the shabby brocade box.

He picked up the gift list with one finger, glanced at it briefly, and a faint, sarcastic smile appeared on his lips.

With a flick of his wrist, the red paper fluttered to the ground like an autumn leaf.

He didn't take the box, but instead snorted a cold breath from his nostrils. The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to carry shards of ice, piercing straight to the heart:
"Yang Zhi?"

"Hmph, you've done a really good job as a militia commander! An official appointed by the court, instead of thinking about protecting the borders and ensuring the safety of the people, you've engaged in such risky and risky business as highway robbery! You even dare to steal goods from merchant caravans? If Lord Yang's spirit in heaven knew, he would probably be so angry that he would jump straight out of his coffin and chop off your dog's head with his golden-backed cleaver!"

These words were like poisoned steel needles, stabbing viciously and deliberately into Yang Zhi's face.

His already dark complexion instantly turned a deep purple, like a pig's liver, and the veins on his forehead bulged like earthworms.

He clenched his teeth, bending over even deeper, almost prostrating himself on the ground: "Grand Commandant... Grand Commandant, please understand! This humble general... this humble general was truly blinded by greed and delusion, failing... failing in discipline, and neglecting to manage his subordinates..."

"Lack of strict management?" Gao Qiu sneered, his voice sharp as an owl's. "What a fine 'lack of strict management'! The court's salary, all that silver and rice, has it all gone to waste? What use is there in keeping a piece of trash like you?!"

The study fell into a deathly silence. The only sound was the fine ambergris burning in the golden lion incense burner, which emitted wisps of smoke that swirled and coiled, making the warm room feel even more stuffy and oppressive, as if one could hardly breathe.

"Yes!" Yang Zhi's heart sank, sinking into that bottomless ice cave.

Just as Yang Zhi was utterly devastated and lost all hope, Gao Qiu's eyes darted around almost imperceptibly amidst the rich, cloying aroma.

"Fine," Gao Qiu waved his hand lazily, as if shooing away an annoying fly. His tone softened, but it carried an arrogant and contemptuous air of condescension. "Considering the merits of your ancestors, and seeing that you know how to be virtuous today... I do have an opportunity for you to redeem yourself."

Yang Zhi suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with a renewed light. He looked at Gao Qiu eagerly and said repeatedly, "Thank you for your grace, Grand Commandant! Thank you for your grace, Grand Commandant! I will go through fire and water for you, even unto death!"

Gao Qiu slowly picked up the gilded covered bowl beside him, skimmed off the foam, took a sip of fragrant tea, and then said leisurely, "The Grand Tutor's birthday is just around the corner. Liang Zhongshu has a batch of 'birthday tribute' that is to be transported from Daming Prefecture to Dongjing to celebrate his birthday."

He put down his teacup, his gaze sharp as needles as he pierced Yang Zhi. "There are bandits around, so things aren't very clean. We need a brave, careful, and skilled person to escort them. You, Yang Zhi, come from a prestigious family, surely you haven't forgotten your martial arts?"

"This humble general..." Yang Zhi was filled with emotion and almost wanted to pat his chest to guarantee it.

“Hmm,” Gao Qiu interrupted him, pointing with his finger at the brocade box and gift list that Yang Zhi was still holding high. The steward stepped forward, took the items, and placed them aside without even looking at them.

Gao Qiu's voice carried an undeniable coldness and calculation: "Here's the job for you. Report to Liang Zhongshu and escort this birthday tribute to the capital safely and without losing a single hair! If there's even the slightest mishap on the way, or if it's lost in the slightest..."

He dragged out the last syllable, the lingering threat sending chills down one's spine even more than the previous angry outburst: "New and old scores, I'll settle them with your Yang family's ancestors! Get out of here."

Yang Zhi felt as if he had been granted a pardon: "This humble general...accepts the order! Thank you, Grand Commandant, for your great kindness! I will certainly not fail your trust!"

He practically backed away from the luxurious yet suffocating study.

Looking down at his empty hands, and then at the bottomless courtyard of the Gao mansion, a complex feeling welled up in his heart, but more than that, he felt the ecstatic joy of grasping at a straw.

He clenched his fists and strode out, as if the bright future of escorting the birthday gifts had already unfolded beneath his feet.

Meanwhile, the high-ranking official, enveloped in the chill of the wind and snow outside, had just stepped into the threshold of his warm chamber.

Jinlian and Guijie had already taken the outer cloak.

Hearing the commotion, Yue Niang hurriedly came out from the inner room to greet them.

"My lord is finally back!" Yue Niang stepped forward and gently supported the master's arm. "It must be cold outside, right? Sit down and warm yourself up." As she spoke, she personally handed him a steaming cup of ginseng tea.

The official grunted in acknowledgment, sat down in the main seat, took a sip of tea, and felt the warmth dispel the chill as it entered his throat, which eased his mind and relaxed his expression.

His gaze swept casually across the room and landed on a sandalwood box he had never seen before in the center of the kang table. The box was small, but it was exquisitely crafted, with its four corners covered in bright silver and a small piece of turquoise inlaid on the clasp, exuding an air of nobility from the capital.

Moon Lady quickly said, "Last night a general rode a tall horse, accompanied by his personal guards, looking very impressive! He came straight to our residence, specifically mentioning that the gifts were for you. After putting the things down, he left without saying much, saying that he was delivering them on behalf of Lord Mi."

"Lord Mi?" A look of understanding flashed in the official's eyes, and he was overjoyed.

Cai Jing's birthday.

I finally got this most important thing.

(End of this chapter)