***
"Walking with wine in hand, the slender waist of Chu State is light in my palm. I have a dream in Yangzhou for ten years, and I have earned the reputation of being fickle in the brothel..." This is the song sung by the suave military officer after he got drunk.
On the Chuyun Tower, the music gradually subsided, but the swallows’ chirping was still strong. The west wind brought with it the coolness of autumn, and the wind chimes on the corner of the building jingled. Below the Chuyun Tower, the Xiangjiang River flowed northward, and the mist and rain were desolate.
This continuous autumn rain will not stop for a few days, which has eased the tense war atmosphere in Changsha. Officials and citizens are relieved for a while, because everyone knows that the roads are muddy and difficult to travel on rainy days.
Especially in late autumn when the weather is chilly, not only will the army's marching in the rain be slow, but the soldiers will also be very likely to contract diseases, causing the camp to be filled with patients and the army's morale to be low. Therefore, no one would march in the rain unless it was absolutely necessary.
This means that Changsha can live in peace for a few more days and prepare for a few more days, which undoubtedly increases the chances of defeating the rebels.
Qin Mu, supported by Miss Chuchu, a famous prostitute in Changsha, walked down the Chuyun Tower with one foot high and one foot low. Just as he was about to take the beautiful girl into the car to go back home, he suddenly saw a red shadow sitting in the teahouse opposite. The misty rain could not hide the fiery feeling.
"Miss Chuchu, get in the car first. I'll be back soon." Qin Mu's hand slid from the beauty's slender waist to her perky buttocks and patted them gently. Miss Chuchu gave him a coquettish look with a mixture of anger and shyness, and obediently got in the car.
Qin Mu, holding an oil-paper umbrella alone, walked through the rain-shrouded street and entered the quiet teahouse opposite.
All businesses in Changsha are still in a slump. Although the teahouse is located by the Xiangjiang River and has an ancient and elegant environment, not many people come to drink tea and the building seems deserted.
Hongniangzi sat by the window. The autumn wind blowing in from outside ruffled the black hair on her forehead, adding a touch of gentleness and elegance to her look.
"Once you succeed, you forget everything else. You are indeed a useless rapist." Hong Niang glanced at Qin Mu coldly, then turned her head to look at the misty autumn river outside the window.
"Haha, so my lady must be too disdainful to kidnap me again. Now I feel relieved."
"You are looking for death. Who is your wife? Say it again or I will throw you into the river to feed the fish." Lady Hong stood up suddenly and poured the tea in her hand at him.
Qin Mu dodged the tea and shook his hands, saying, "Slow down, slow down. I misunderstood you. It's impolite to address someone by their given name. You call me Lady Hong, so I have to drop my last name and call you Lady. Is there anything wrong with that?"
Hongniang whipped out a long whip from her waist, and Qin Mu immediately pressed his right wrist with his left hand, saying with a smile: "I am very happy today. Seeing you here, I came to see an old friend. After all, we have been through life and death together, so why do we have to fight to the death as soon as we meet?"
Lady Hong suddenly realized that Qin Mu's gait was normal. He didn't stagger like when he came down from Chuyun Tower just now. He had a clean smile on his face and his eyes were clear. She couldn't help but ask, "Are you pretending? It's definitely not good if you pretend to be crazy. Who are you trying to plot against again?"
"Want to know? Well, put down the whip first, and let's sit down and talk."
Hong Niangzi glanced at him. Qin Mu put down the whip decisively, walked to sit opposite her, raised his hand and motioned her to pour tea.
"You're dreaming. You want me to pour my own drink and let the old lady... serve you. You're dreaming." After saying this, Hong Niangzi turned her head and looked out the window.
Qin Mu chuckled, turned over a cup, picked up the teapot and filled it, took a sip leisurely and said, "Madam... uh, I really didn't mean it. How about this, tell me your name and I'll call you by it."
Nowadays, except for their own husbands, which man would directly call a woman by her maiden name? Qin Mu's words were too much, but he didn't expect that after Lady Hong glanced back at him, she turned her head to the window and replied, "My last name is Lan, and my name is Lan Ying'er."
"Hey, your last name is Lan, why do you always wear red?"
"What the hell is your business?"
"Hey, hey, hey! Good girl, stop using dirty words when you speak. Also, stop calling yourself an old lady. You are not old. As a girl, aren't you making fun of your reputation by calling yourself an old lady?"
"Fuck you...what's it to do with you?" After saying this, Hong Niangzi's face turned red, and she turned her face towards the window and refused to turn back.
Qin Mu glanced at her majestic breasts wantonly, then said with a smile: "Ying'er, didn't I tell you to go back? Why are you still in Changsha?"
"Is it your business where I go? Zhang Xianzhong and Zhang Kewang are leading hundreds of thousands of troops to attack Changsha. It's such a lively drama, of course I have to stay and watch it. What's wrong with me watching the drama?"
"Watching a show? Hundreds of thousands of troops are about to engage in a fierce battle, and you think this is just a tightrope walk or some circus..."
“What’s wrong with juggling? I didn’t steal or rob. I make a living with my own abilities. Do you think you scholars are so great? None of the scholars who become officials are good people. You are the best at robbing and persecuting the people. Your hands are stained with the blood of us poor people.” Hong Niangzi’s voice became smaller and smaller. Finally, tears flashed in her eyes, but she raised her head high and looked at Qin Mu with contempt.
"Ying'er..."
"If you keep yelling like that, I'll beat you to a pulp."
"Okay, okay, Miss Lan, forget it. I'll just call you Miss Hong. I don't mean to look down on you by saying this. I just think that you are a girl with few people around you. You helped me to stop the enemy in Yuanzhou, which completely offended Zhang Xianzhong. Now the war is about to start. If you stay in Changsha, Zhang Xianzhong will not let you go. You'd better leave early."
Lady Hong was very quick-witted and immediately asked in surprise, "Why? You don't plan to defend Changsha?"
"Hush! What are you yelling about? Who said I wanted to give up Changsha? Don't talk nonsense and disrupt the morale of our army."
Seeing his anxious look, Hongniang could not help but chuckle, and her beauty bloomed like a flower in front of the misty rain window.
After laughing, Lady Hong calmed down and said coldly, "Thank you for your concern. Is there any safe place in this world now? Besides, I have been living with my head hanging on my neck since I raised the banner of rebellion. What else do I have to be afraid of?"
"Ganzhou is quite safe. I guarantee that no one will catch you, a traitor. Do you want to go to Ganzhou?" Qin Mu smiled, not without a tentative look.
Hong Niang glanced at him indifferently, not caring to respond to his words at all. She was as proud as a... big-tailed wolf, at least that's what Qin Mu thought.
This seriously damaged Qin Mu's self-esteem. He refilled his cup of tea and hummed the lines of an opera leisurely: "When I first started my team, there were only a dozen people and seven or eight guns. I was chased by a chaotic army and got dizzy. Fortunately, Aunt Qing told me to hide in a water tank..."
"What are you singing about? You came to me just to make me leave Changsha?"
"That's right. If I dare to have any unreasonable thoughts, won't you beat me to a pulp?"
"You..." Hong Niangzi grabbed the whip again, but she didn't really whip him. Instead, she felt uncomfortable with Qin Mu's piercing gaze. "Zhang Xianzhong has more than 200,000 troops coming to attack us. I don't believe you still have the mind to indulge in wine and women. What the hell are you doing?"
"What's wrong with an army of 200,000? I recall the days when Gongjin was young, when he was just married, with a feather fan and a scarf, and in the midst of his laughter and chatter, the masts and oars were reduced to ashes..."
"Speak human language!" Hong Niangzi seemed to be angry and embarrassed, but the expression on her face was far from simple. At least Qin Mu could see that she had a little inferiority complex.
Qin Mu straightened his expression and said calmly, "Don't worry, Ying'er. Zhang Xianzhong has an army of 200,000. I can also raise an army of 200,000. Moreover, I have just won a great victory and occupied a strong city. The morale of the army is high, while Zhang Xianzhong has suffered setbacks and returned without success. The morale is low. Now the two sides are just fighting a war of attrition. I can afford it, but he can't. Why should I be afraid of him?"
"That's what human beings say."
"Haha, anyway I have to thank Ying'er for her concern."
"Who cares about you? I don't care whether you live or die." Hong Niangzi immediately denied it and raised her head proudly, saying, "Zhang Xianzhong's power is growing too fast, which is not good for our Dashun Army. We just don't want to see him occupy the entire Jiangnan so quickly."
"I don't want to see him occupy half of Jiangnan either. Well, we have the same goal..."
Just as Qin Mu said this, the light outside the window suddenly dimmed, and a dark shadow rushed in, with the dagger in its hand flashing with a cold light as it stabbed towards Qin Mu.
**************************
ps: The network has not been repaired yet, which is very depressing. Today's two chapters are posted together. Well, no matter what, Haoyuan promises to keep updating. Please cast more recommendation votes to support me.
.(To be continued..)
...