The Madam followed him up and yelled, "Ai, Xiao Cui, a guest has ordered your name."
"Who? Which courageous leopard has the guts?"
The door of a room on the left opened, and a young man in loose clothes came out. He looked at Lu Shenxing contemptuously, "Is it you?"
He couldn't remember where he'd seen him before.
"Just so." Lu Shenxing shook the fan he'd bought on the roadside. "How about letting me have a try?"
Xin Yuan's expression was disdainful, "You aren't worthy!"
"Do you dare to bet?" Lu Shenxing raised his voice, "Or is Master Xin scared?"
His deliberately raised voice drew onlookers from upstairs and downstairs. Everyone looked over and Xin Yuan's expression suddenly changed, "Bet on what?"
"Let's keep it simple, arm-wrestling." Lu Shenxing said, "If I win, I'll take Miss Xiao Cui for a night."
Xin Yuan snorted coldly, "And if this young master wins..."
Lu Shenxing rewarded him with a smile, full of arrogance, "You don't have a chance."
Xin Yuan, who had always been arrogant, was baited.
The Madam ordered people to move the table and amidst the noise of the brothel, Lu Shenxing and Xin Yuan stood to each side and put one arm on the table.
Within a few moments, Xin Yuan lost. The veins in his neck strained, "Come again!"
"I'm still waiting to spend a spring evening with Miss Xiao Cui." Lu Shenxing adjusted his cuffs, "I'll play with you another day."
Xin Yuan was breathing fast, Xiao Cui was just a pastime for him, but this incident had caused him to lose face.
Lu Shenxing raised his eyebrows and said loudly, "What? Young Master Xin can't afford to lose?"
The onlookers immediately turned to Xin Yuan, looking with obvious contempt.
"She's just a bitch." Xin Yuan walked away.
Lu Shenxing walked into the room slowly, looking at the woman in red. He shook his fan and smiled, "Miss Xiao Cui, you must have heard the noise outside. You are mine tonight."
Xiao Cui clenched her handkerchief tightly and bit her lip, her sadness written on her face.
"As expected of an oiran, you're certainly beautiful." Lu Shenxing lifted her chin, stroked his thumb lightly, "It's a pity, I don't like things that others have used."
Xiao Cui started slightly, "Then sir, please leave."
The money was spent, it'd be a pity if he didn't do anything. Lu Shenxing sat down in a chair, "The night is long, I wonder if Miss Xiao Cui would like to play a song for me?"
Xiao Cui glanced at Lu Shenxing before hesitating for a moment then she moved to play the qin.
Listening to the beautiful string sound, Lu Shenxing smiled lazily, "Miss Xiao Cui, even if I wasn't here today, there will be others in the future."
"You lie!" The strings quivered and Xiao Cui stood up, "He is sincere to me, he said he would marry me!"
Lu Shenxing shook his head, "Becoming a matron of the Xin family you'd have to be either rich or well-bred. It definitely won't be someone born in a brothel. Why is Xiao Cui deceiving herself?"
"Enough!" Xiao Cui watched Lu Shenxing guardedly, "Since you aren't here to enjoy yourself, what is your purpose in coming to me?"
Lu Shenxing picked up some grapes from the plate and put them in his mouth, squinting his eyes and chuckled, "I heard that in Yingchun Pavilion there is a pair of twins, and Qiuyue in Silian Pavilion is extremely soft, and..."
Xiao Cui trembled and ran out crying.
"It's easier to guess a woman's heart."
Lu Shenxing walked past the screen before the bed, took out a white porcelain bottle from his sleeve, and sprinkled the powder on the bed.
That Xiao Cui would end up being strangled to death by Xin Yuan, he just brought the day forward.
Xiao Cui, who left Huayue Tower, went directly to Yingchun Pavilion. She didn't enter, but stood in the shadow of the door. After some time, she saw Xin Yuan hugged from the right and left.
The woman in the green shirt on the left groaned, "Xin Lang, you said you would marry us sisters, don't lie to us."
The woman in blue on the right rubbed against Xin Yuan's arm.
"How could I lie to you?" Xin Yuan squeezed their asses and laughed, "Let's marry, I'll marry both of you."
Hearing those words, Xiao Cui felt a chill in her bones, and squatted on the ground crying and laughing.
The next day, Xin Yuan went to Xiao Cui and took her to bed as usual, and kissed her.
Xiao Cui looked at the lotus curtains above her head, "Do you love me?"
Xin Yuan breathed heavily in her neck, "Yes, I love you to death."
"Then go die." Xiao Cui stabbed a pair of scissors towards Xin Yuan.
Xin Yuan pulled back and the scissors pierced into his arm, he grabbed Xiao Cui's neck in anger, "You crazy bitch!"
By the time he'd calmed down, Xiao Cui was already dead.
There was a scream at the door, it was Xiao Cui's maid. Xin Yuan's attempt to silence her was stopped by the sound of footsteps outside, and he was sent to the Sizheng Yamen.
From Xiao Cui's death to Xin Yuan's arrest, everything happened so quickly that Huayue's madam was in a daze when she rushed over.
"Who reported this to the officials?" Someone died, but the Xin family wasn't one they could afford to offend.
Everyone shook their heads, they only saw officials come in, no one knew where they'd come from.
When the Xin family received the news, each had their own concerns.
The atmosphere in the hall was a bit subtle, no one spoke.
Xin Liang lowered his head and ran his fingers over the bamboo stick again and again, no one could tell what he was thinking.
"Father, when the Lord comes back I will beg him." Xin Weichen cried, "Da-ge will be okay."
What Xin Hongyuan cared more about was the reputation of the Xin family. He frowned, "Indeed, if you intercede for your elder brother with the Lord, this matter may be neatly resolved."
It was just a prostitute who died.
However, unexpectedly, Xin Yuan died in prison. The guards stated that he had no wounds on his body, except that his eyes were scratched and bloody. After being examined, it was determined to be poisoning.
Grey powder was found on Xiao Cui's bed. On its own it was used as a spice, but when combined with a purple leafed plant, it became highly poisonous.
It just so happened that the meals prepared by Xin family that day were Xin Yuan's favorite, and there were purple leaves inside.
Whether it was a coincidence or a conspiracy, there was no way to tell for sure.
Lu Shenxing used actions to tell Xin Liang that it was easy to die.
While the Xin Estate was busy handling the funeral of Xin Yuan, Xin Liang, who had completely avoided suspicion, approached Lu Shenxing. His first sentence was, "Did you do it?"
Lu Shenxing poured some water into a bucket and lowered his rolled up cuffs, "I have no grudge against him, why would I."
He didn't know why, perhaps a ghost had possessed him and made Xin Liang think that this person did it for him.
It was ridiculous.
"The space here is large, I'll show you around." Lu Shenxing was satisfied with the progress of the task, if he continued like this, he could leave soon.
Xin Liang listened to his voice, "You seem to be very happy."
"Yeah, I'm very happy." Lu Shenxing put down the barrel and reached out to hold Xin Liang, "The ground is wet, stay by me."
Holding him with his large calloused hand, he felt relaxed and Xin Liang suddenly asked, "Why are you good to me?"
Lu Shenxing didn't hear him clearly, "Hm? What?"
"Nothing." Xin Liang seemed to be flustered and didn't mention it again.
Lu Shenxing looked sideways at the person beside him. He looked indifferent on the surface, but he was very happy in his heart. He secretly remembered that this person was a tsundere, and when he said that he didn't want something it was because he wanted it. If he said he didn't like it, he loved it.
When Lu Shenxing brought Xin Liang to Wangshi, both of them were surprised.
"Sit down." Wangshi looked at Xin Liang, paused on the blindfold that covered his face and then looked away, showing a soft smile, "Zhou'er this is the first time that you've brought a friend to me."
Xin Liang talked little, so Lu Shenxing also didn't say much. After a brief chat Wangshi coughed badly and after drinking some medicine, she lay down and fell asleep.
As he was being led across the threshold, Xin Liang said softly, "She already knows that you are not Chang Zhou."
Lu Shenxing turned his head instantly, "How did you know?"
Xin Liang replied with a single word, "Intuition."
After his surprise, Lu Shenxing calmed down. Since the other party didn't expose him, he could just continue to pretend not to know.
Xin Liang said suddenly, "She will not live long."
Lu Shenxing twitched the corners of his lips, meaninglessly, "Is there anything you don't know?"
Xin Liang pursed his lips, "Yes."
Lu Shenxing became curious, but he didn't ask.
After remaining at home for two days, Lu Shenxing had to dress up and go to court. When he saw the people standing in the front row of the main hall, his face was full of astonishment.
Why did he return so soon? Could it be he has a pair of invisible wings?
Prince Jing of course understood Lu Shenxing's expression. He came back on lying his stomach the whole way, his urine and sweat covered the carriage, and the tragic state of the process would never be known by outsiders so long as he lived.
"Minister Chang?"
The voice above pulled back Lu Shenxing's thoughts, his entire face bent slightly, "This minister is here."
The Emperor sighed, "Minister, are you upset?"
Lu Shenxing immediately said sternly, "Regarding the Emperor's question, this minister is thinking about the matters of Kuhai and hoping to help the Emperor let them profess to me as soon as possible."
The Emperor was very pleased, "If everyone is like Minister Chang, I would live in peace and prosperity."
The other ministers all nodded in agreement, and for a while, Lu Shenxing's image of loyalty and patriotism became higher and higher.
Suddenly there was a voice, "Father, the day after tomorrow will be the Mid-Autumn Festival, and your son has something to discuss with General Chang at the banquet for you and your mother."
Discuss? Lu Shenxing's eyes twitched, go fuck your mother.
However, the Emperor approved, Prince Jing smiled, and Lu Shenxing cried.
When the little eunuch shouted, the Emperor stood up from the dragon throne and left, and Lu Shenxing strode out without stopping.
"General Chang."
A voice came from behind, Lu Shenxing pretended not to hear it, there was more than one minister continuing to move forward, almost like they were rushing to their reincarnation.
"Chang Zhou, stop for this prince!"
Lu Shenxing gritted his teeth, he turned around with surprise on his face, "Does the Prince need something?"
Prince Jing, who approached slowly, smiled gloomily, "I do."