The number one rebel of the Great Wu

Jiangxia Town.

Chen Changgeng strolled leisurely along the bluestone street.

Walking on the same street completely changes one's state of mind.

Back then, his adoptive parents, who had raised him, were forced to their deaths, and he was also forced to flee his hometown.

When they arrived in Jiangxia Town, they were penniless and could only look at the pancake stalls on the street and swallow their saliva.

Chen Changgeng still remembers that on this very street, not far from Mianyue Tower, a kind old woman gave him a bowl of tofu pudding. At that time, Chen Changgeng had not eaten for three days.

Chen Changgeng still vividly remembers that sweetness.

When Chen Changgeng walked to the stall of the old woman he remembered, he looked around but didn't see anyone.

Curious, he walked over to the tea stall next door and asked the old man who was selling tea.

"Old man, I remember there used to be an old lady selling tofu pudding here."

"Where has he gone?"

Actually, that was less than half a year ago. At that time, the old lady was still in good spirits. You can't just suddenly disappear, can you?

The old man immediately glanced at Chen Changgeng warily. Seeing that he was dressed simply and was a stranger, he immediately asked in a low voice.

"May I ask, where do you come from, guest?"

Seeing how cautious the old man was, Chen Changgeng immediately realized that the problem was not simple.

He immediately cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and replied politely.

"Half a year ago, I was passing through this place on my way to the capital for the imperial examination. I was starving and thirsty because someone stole my money."

"Grandma Laura handed me a bowl of tofu pudding, which solved my immediate problem."

"Although I did not pass the imperial examination this time, I am still grateful and have come here to express my gratitude."

Since they were neighbors, the old man naturally knew that the old woman often helped others.

After hearing Chen Changgeng's words, he was already 80% convinced and immediately let out a long sigh.

"Young sir, Granny Chen has... has been driven to her death!"

"What?!"

Chen Changgeng had already prepared for the worst, but he was still shocked to hear the news and immediately asked for more information.

"Forced to death? Who dared to do that? Doesn't the magistrate care?"

The old man sighed again.

"Those are members of the Shen family, who dares to interfere!"

Upon hearing this, the old man immediately covered his mouth and looked around in alarm.

Fortunately, it was just past noon, and there weren't many people on the street.

"Young sir, I didn't say anything just now, and you didn't hear anything."

"You, you should ask somewhere else."

"As expected, they are from the Shen family."

Chen Changgeng's expression changed slightly, and a surge of anger rose in his heart. Wasn't this just walking into the line of fire?

"Don't be afraid, old man. I am grateful to my mother-in-law and will definitely not go around saying anything."

"Here is some silver as a token of my appreciation. I simply wish to know the whole story."

"If I pass the imperial examination one day and obtain an official position in the court, I will come back to seek justice for my mother-in-law."

"If I am not capable of doing so, please tell me where my mother-in-law is buried, so that I may go and pay my respects."

Seeing how sincere Chen Changgeng was, they even slipped him a tael of silver.

The old man's eyes finally reddened, and he accepted the silver with tears in his eyes.

"The Chen family is in dire straits!"

"You don't know, Granny Chen also has a daughter named Yuzhu, who is quite pretty."

"In this Jiangxia Town, who doesn't know that those few bastards from the Shen family bully men and women everywhere? So Granny Chen just lets her daughter Yuzhu grind soybeans at home while she goes out to sell tofu pudding."

"But those few bastards somehow found out about the news and actually led a group of people to storm into Granny Chen's house."

"They'll just press those poor jade beads onto the millstone and give them away, just give them away...! Oh!"

The old man, heartbroken, flung his hand away and stomped his foot!

"Upon hearing this, Granny Chen rushed home to try and save her daughter, but instead, she was grabbed and beaten by those little bastards."

"Later, they even arrested her on the grounds of assault and put her in jail! Although Yuzhu had suffered such a great humiliation, she probably didn't want to live anymore, but since her mother was still in prison, she had no choice but to go to her mother's house to beg for mercy."

At this point, the old man looked reluctant to speak, as if he could no longer bring himself to say anything.

"Those bastards tricked Yuzhu, played with her again, and even sold her to Mianyue Tower."

"They said they wouldn't release Granny Chen until they'd earned enough money to ransom her."

"That's a whole hundred taels of silver!"

"Poor Granny Chen died of illness in prison, and Yuzhu didn't even know. Now she's enduring humiliation and hardship, earning money at Mianyue Tower to buy her freedom!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Changgeng was already furious.

Looking up, the sign for Mianyue Tower was only a hundred meters away.

The three-story pavilion with its jade-like eaves and shimmering gold interior, filled with singing and dancing, seemed like a completely different world from the outside.

Ordinary people walking outside the street are just like the paving stones under their feet; they are merely playthings under the feet of the powerful and wealthy.

"Young Master?"

"Thank you, sir."

Chen Changgeng cupped his hands in greeting and immediately turned to head towards Mianyue Tower.

Originally, Chen Changgeng thought that if he wanted to have a conflict with the Shen family, the best place would be in this Mianyue Tower.

Unexpectedly, his unintentional desire to repay a debt of gratitude only added fuel to the fire.

At this moment, he was no longer simply doing things for Shen Qingci.

In front of Mianyue Tower.

Two tortoises were sitting on the steps, taking a nap.

Although there were still singers and dancers inside the Moonlit Pavilion, it was not yet evening, and there weren't many patrons.

Most of those who stayed here were people who had spent the night at Mianyue Tower the previous night.

When one of the pimps saw Chen Changgeng approaching, dressed in coarse linen clothes, he mistook him for a country bumpkin and immediately showed a look of disgust.

"Where did this commoner come from? Get out of here!"

"Do you think you can just look after our Mianyue Tower?"

"This place is adorned with gold and jade; you have to pay to even look at it!"

Even the pimp's story remained unchanged.

Chen Changgeng sneered, reached to his chest, and immediately pulled out a one-hundred-tael silver note, waving it in front of them.

The pimp's eyes widened instantly, and he quickly nudged his still-drowsy companion with his elbow, then put on a smiling face to greet him.

"Oh dear, I was so blind! I didn't even realize my father was right in front of me! I deserve to die!"

"Please calm down, sir! Please come in!"

The two pimps immediately led Chen Changgeng to the Mianyue Tower, one on each side.

Stepping into the Moonlit Pavilion, a strange fragrance wafts through the air. The maids walking around, the singing girls, and the dancing girls all wear very little clothing.

Everywhere there were white arms and legs, fluttering like snowflakes falling from the sky.

The two found a quiet corner for Chen Changgeng, had someone bring him teacups, and then asked him questions.

"It seems this is your first time visiting our Mianyue Pavilion, sir. Would you like me to give you some recommendations and introduce you to our establishment?"

Chen Changgeng simply waved his hand.

"No need, I'm here to find someone named Yuzhu."

"So your patron has someone in mind! That makes things easier. I'll go see if Miss Yuzhu is available."

The pimp smiled broadly, but his face suddenly froze as soon as he finished speaking.

"Wait a minute, we don't think we have a girl named Yuzhu at Mianyue Pavilion!"

Another pimp who brought over some snacks immediately glared at him.

"My esteemed guest, you may not know this, but once you enter the Moonlit Pavilion, you cannot use your real name; you must be called by your nickname."

"I know this girl Yuzhu. Her nickname is Xiaoqian, but she is currently bedridden and unable to receive guests."

"How about I introduce you to some other options?"

"Bedridden?"

Chen Changgeng frowned immediately and stood up abruptly.

"It's alright, I'll just see her once and then leave."

"Don't worry, the money won't be shortchanged."

Without saying a word, Chen Changgeng took out a few taels of silver and placed them on the tea tray.

The two pimps exchanged a strange glance. One of them immediately stayed behind to keep Chen Changgeng calm, while the other went to deliver the message.