Taking advantage of the fans' lingering frenzy, Wen Xiang and I quickly slipped away. Wen Xiang was still excitedly clutching my arm, saying, "Qi—ah, Feijing, you’re incredible! What kind of spell was that? You have to teach me next time; it’ll infuriate that girl Hua Maoli every single time!"
I patted her back to calm her down, repeating, "Let’s go, let’s go. Sister Gan said to meet on the fifth floor, and we don’t have much time..."
"No need!" Wen Xiang waved her wide sleeve dismissively. "I just saw her; she’s on the fourth floor swindling people for food and drink! Let’s go find them first."
The acrobatics on the fourth floor weren't as popular. The audience was an even mix of men and women, and instead of large rows of seating, there were private booths with large tables for eight. Upon reaching the floor, we immediately spotted Wen Gan, playing the role of the old swindler, about to enter a room. Since the booths were open toward the stage, we could see everything happening inside.
Wen Gan ducked inside with a series of obsequious bows, first cupping her hands to the gentlemen in a greeting. "Good evening, masters. This humble one is named Gan Wen. I have a slight understanding of feng shui and fate. As they say, one hexagram reveals your luck, a second reveals your destiny, and a third..."
One man waved his hand impatiently. "What’s all this noise? You’re blocking my view of the show!" However, a few others had their eyes on the shy, timid Wen Shu following behind Wen Gan. They laughed and said, "Hu San’er, don’t be in such a rush. Let the old man take a look. Little lady, you come in too!"
Wen Gan didn't pull out copper coins, divination stalks, or a tortoise shell. Instead, she produced a thick book and said flatteringly, "Which master would like a reading? Pick a page number from one to five hundred."
That Hu San’er, his eyes bleary with wine, shouted, "You fortune teller, what kind of trick is this? Can you really tell a fortune with just a book?"
Wen Gan replied unhurriedly, "Master, you may not know, but as the saying goes, 'within books, one finds halls of gold.' Our Jing Dynasty is different from foreign lands; we value etiquette and education above all. Books are the ultimate treasures. Besides, aren't the sixty-four hexagrams also written in a book?"
"The sixty-four hexagrams belong to the *I Ching*. What is that thing you’re holding? *Five Hundred Maxims for Warning the World*? You can tell fortunes with that?"
"If you don't believe me, why not give it a try?" This time, Wen Gan actually had a beard attached; she stroked it and smiled. "If the reading is inaccurate, not only will I waive the fee, but this entire table’s bill—heh, this old man will cover it!"
"Haha! Fine!" Hu San’er said grandly. "Waiter! First, calculate for me: how much has this table cost so far?"
A waiter appeared instantly and replied, "Currently, the total for your table is thirty-four thousand, eight hundred and twenty-two spirit stones. Since you are a regular, Mr. Hu, we’ll give you a ten percent discount, making it thirty-one thousand, three hundred and ninety-nine."
"Good," Hu San’er said. "Old man, use that number: three hundred and ninety-nine. If you’re wrong, I won't make you bleed too much; just pay the change of three hundred and ninety-nine."
"Master Hu is truly a generous soul!" Wen Gan gave a thumbs up and flipped to page three hundred and ninety-nine. "Let’s see what this story says. A merchant from Xiangzhou made a fortune in the gold trade last month..."
"Hey!" Hu San’er’s brows shot up in anger. "I damn well am from Xiangzhou, but I’m in the timber business, and I lost everything last month!"
"Metal overcomes Wood; isn't that exactly the inverse?" Wen Gan said with a beaming smile.
Hu San’er rubbed his greasy bald head, muttering to himself, "Really?"
The men and women around them began to jeer and laugh. "It’s true! Doesn't Metal oppose Wood? Old man, perhaps you should switch to the gold trade instead?"
Wen Gan continued reading: "Filled with spirit, he arrived in the capital and met a powdered beauty, who would later become the Courtesan Queen..."
The crowd clapped and cheered, dissolving into a boisterous mess. They all pushed the round-faced entertainer sitting next to Hu San’er, saying, "You Tao’er, you’re going to be famous!" Miss You Tao stood up in delight. "Really? Truly? I am participating in the Courtesan Queen selection next month!" Hu San’er pulled her into his arms, laughing loudly as he took a gulp of wine. "Good! I’ll be the one to make you famous!"
As Wen Gan read on, the crowd gasped in waves. Hu San’er downed cup after cup of wine. "Strange, how strange! It’s uncanny! It’s bloody uncanny!" Finally, Wen Gan concluded, "Master Hu, you are just like the merchant in this book. You lost your mother in your youth and your wife in your prime. You started from nothing and faced many hardships. But you are a heroic and righteous man, blessed by heaven. In the end, you will turn calamity into fortune and win the beauty's heart..."
Hu San’er stood up abruptly and handed Wen Gan a cup of wine. "Mr. Gan, I am convinced! Forgive my previous rudeness and offense! Why don't you sit and drink with us?"
Wen Gan waved her hand. "Ah, it’s no trouble, no trouble. I’ll take this one cup, but I won't stay for the meal. We meet by chance; if fate allows, we shall meet again..."
Hu San’er insisted on giving a ten-thousand-stone tip, but Wen Gan declined. "I couldn't possibly. Keep this money for your comeback! Just give this old man some spare change." Hu San’er then said, "Fine! Mr. Gan, it’s not that I’m stingy, but I see we have an affinity with the number three hundred and ninety-nine tonight. How about I add one more and give you four hundred spirit stones!"
"That would be for the best, the best," Wen Gan said with a smile. "When you have time, you should read more of these *Maxims for Warning the World*..."
"We will!" the people at the table shouted. "We’ll each buy a copy!"
Wen Shu performed a graceful bow and accepted the tip from the servant. The "grandfather and granddaughter" duo left the room with a full harvest.
I shook my head at the sight. Most of the story Wen Gan told was about Hu San’er’s future—couldn't she just say whatever she wanted? As for the background information, Hu San’er and the others had already blurted it out while listening to the story! She really was a wandering swindler...
Wen Xiang, meanwhile, was laughing so hard her stomach hurt. "Hahaha, damn, Old Gan is good friends with the daughter of the bookseller who printed those *Maxims*. She’s just helping them sell books! Hahahahaha!"
When the two saw us, they cautiously approached. "You’re here so early? Did you find anything?"
"Yes!" Wen Xiang nodded vigorously. "Uh, what was it again? I forgot to ask just now... A-Qi, you tell them!"
I explained my discovery. Wen Gan clapped her hands. "No wonder! We saw the same food runner four times within the span of half a tea break, each time in rooms very far apart. These booths on the fourth floor of Chunan Tower face the stage in front and have windows in the back overlooking Ziwa Street. Even if we took the shortest route along the inner circle, there’s no way he could have moved that fast past us!" Wen Shu nodded. "There really is a secret passage. I just didn't expect the craftsmanship to be so ingenious!"
Wen Xiang slammed the railing in anger. "Perhaps this Chunan Tower is in league with those lechers, stealing girls' belongings specifically to blackmail them!"
Wen Gan said, "We’ve been busy for so long, we’re starving. Why don't we go to the fifth floor for a good meal?" Wen Shu smilingly pulled out seven or eight bulging storage pouches. "Sister Gan made at least several thousand spirit stones. If we pool a bit more, it’ll be enough!"
Wen Gan giggled. "It’s all thanks to Sister Shu’s beauty. Otherwise, I would have been chased out with a club long ago!"
The Disguise Pill still had about half an hour left. To dispel the effect early, one had to repeat a phrase three times in their mind: *I am a total numbskull...*
As Wen Shu and I took the antidote for the first time, we commented with mixed feelings, "The master who refined this pill certainly has a sense of humor..."
The four of us found a dressing room in a quiet corner. Once we finished changing, we walked up to the fifth floor with heads held high.
The world of the fifth floor was completely different from the other four. The entire floor was filled only with ethereal music; it was so quiet that not a hint of the rowdy crowds could be heard. On the central stage, the current Courtesan Queen was performing a dance. The private booths were twice the size of those on the fourth floor, and there were only about twenty rooms scattered across the entire level. Needless to say, those seated here were the most powerful and wealthy—men...
While there was no rule saying women couldn't watch the courtesans dance, there were naturally no seats available for us at this hour. Just as we were about to head back down in disappointment, Wen Xiang’s sharp eyes caught something. "Eh? Fifth Brother is right across from us!"
Sure enough, Wen Sili was sitting in the main seat of a booth, and sitting next to him was an old acquaintance: Xiao Xuelin. Unfortunately, most of the men in that circle had "red sleeves" pouring wine for them...
Wen Gan and Wen Xiang didn't seem to mind much; Wen Xiang even shouted about making "Fifth Brother pay the bill." Only Wen Shu’s expression changed instantly. Her smiling face fell, and she bit her lip without saying a word.
For some reason, I thought of Wei Qingming. I quietly scanned everyone present, and seeing she wasn't there, I let out a sigh of relief. Just then, two more courtesans entered. They had quite an air about them, followed by two maids in fine attire—one carrying a pipa and the other a guqin. As soon as they entered, everyone stood up to welcome them with smiles. Clearly, these two women were extremely famous.
At that moment, Wen Shu spoke in a low, heavy voice: "Let’s get into the secret passage. I want to hear what they’re saying!"
Wen Xiang and Wen Gan, always eager for a spectacle, voiced their enthusiastic agreement. I instinctively felt something was wrong, but before I could say a word, Wen Shu marched straight toward the booth, pushed aside a plum tree, and ducked into the secret passage...
Fearing for her safety, I quickly followed, with Wen Xiang and Wen Gan right behind me. The interior was actually a very clean and bright corridor, with labels on the walls indicating which room they corresponded to. We found the room where Wen Sili was. The four of us crowded together, jostling for space at the peephole. Wen Shu, contrary to her usual non-confrontational nature, claimed the best spot for herself.
Inside, Wen Sili was saying to Xiao Xuelin, "Brother Xiao, Yanzhou isn't like Qingzhou. Although they’re both frontline war zones, it’s much harder there... Sigh, you really did 'rage for the sake of a beauty'!"
Someone beside him scolded, "The one he saved was your sister! Stop talking such nonsense!"
Wen Sili said, "Of course I’m grateful to Brother Xuelin. I just hate that Prince Xuan is so petty! When my eldest uncle recommended you to the Prince Xuan’s manor, I felt it was unwise. That Prince Xuan..."
Wen Sili had clearly drunk too much and had no filter. Xiao Xuelin kept his head down, drinking in silence. The person beside them quickly stopped him. "We’re here to enjoy food and wine; why bring that up!"
"Xuelin!" Wen Sili’s face was as red as a boiled shrimp. He slammed a heavy, mountain-splitting palm onto the other man’s shoulder. "Take care!"
Hearing these words, Wen Shu’s pretty face flushed and paled in turns. Wen Sili shouted again, "Wei San’er! Where the hell is Wei San’er? What time is it? I’m almost finished eating, and he’s still not here?" His servant hurriedly supported him. "My lord, haven't I told you three times? Master Wei said the night banquet is too crowded and noisy, so he’s not coming..."
"Tell him to come! Tell him to come!" Wen Sili stood up staggeringly, pointing with a grin at one of the women who had just entered. It was one of the two famous courtesans. "Tell him that Miss Yindeng is here..."
The woman named Yindeng gave a faint smile, poured a cup of sobering tea, and handed it to him. "Fifth Master Wen, why don't you listen to me play a tune first? You must be patient!"
Wen Sili happily took the tea, slurping it loudly.
Yindeng made a gesture, and her maid brought the qin forward, placing it on a small side table. She sat down gracefully, her slender fingers plucking the strings, and the cheerful melody of *Casting Away Youth* poured forth. The men present were all from the military and had shared life-and-death bonds on the Qingzhou front. Being soldiers, few of them actually listened to Yindeng’s playing; most were busy holding the women beside them and shouting crude jokes... Wen Sili then took a liking to Jinzhu, who had come with Yindeng, loudly demanding she sit on his lap, only to receive a playful punch from her, to which he feigned a cry of pain...
Before the song was halfway through, a person walked in from the door. They were walking very quickly, their robes fluttering. The crowd clapped and cheered. "As expected, if Miss Yindeng is here, Wei San’er will come! Who sent the message? Bloody brilliant, they deserve a reward!"
Inside the secret passage, Wen Gan and Wen Xiang exchanged a look. They glanced at Wen Shu, then at me, and voluntarily gave up the prime spot by the peephole...
***
