"Stop hitting me, that's enough," said Madam Huarui with a frown.
Wang Zhenfu's face was swollen and his voice was distorted: Madam, can you forgive my mistake
Lady Huarui was also a person who was pampered and used to being flattered. Of course she was angry when she was insulted and trampled upon by a small official. She felt a little happy when this guy came to beg for mercy at first, but now she had no happiness or hatred at all. What she felt was only disgust at the ugly scene. It was just a naked power game without even a fig leaf left.
I don't care about that anymore, you can go now, said Madam Huarui.
She turned around and saw Meng Chang was excited. Men seem to be particularly obsessed with power, which can bring them dignity and everything, but Lady Huarui did not think Meng Chang had any face; didn't he understand why this little official dared to act so recklessly and why he was so servile here
It was nothing more than borrowing Guo Shao's power, and the capital for borrowing the power was actually the beauty of his own woman. Madam Huarui felt that the whole world seemed to be full of filth.
Wang Zhenfu stood up with a flattering look and pointed at the bag of valuables in Meng Chang's hand: This is a little respect. I hope my wife can say a few good words to the inspector Guodu.
Meng Chang was still a little hesitant, but Lady Huarui refused: "No merit, no reward, take your money back."
Wang Zhenfu said with a shameless face: "Your Excellency will not bear grudges against me. It's just a matter of two words. We have resolved the grievances. From now on, I will not dare to be disrespectful to the wife of Duke Qin again."
I can't see Guodu Dianjian, Madam Huarui said unhappily, and I have nothing to do with him.
Wang Zhenfu looked unconvinced. Indeed, if Lady Huarui had not been affected by Guo Shao, how could Wang Zhenfu have been in such bad luck
Wang Zhenfu clasped his fists and said goodbye, "If you don't want to speak for me, it doesn't matter. Those properties are given to me for free."
Madam Huarui quickly walked up to Meng Chang, snatched the sack from his hand, and threw it in front of Wang Zhenfu. It was all his own fault that Governor Wang had ended up like this.
Yes, yes. I know I was wrong. Wang Zhenfu nodded hurriedly.
Madam Huarui said: "We didn't take revenge on you. It just happened that Zuo Shaoqing came to visit and discovered the truth. And those things were all done by you. Now I don't care about it anymore. I won't add insult to injury, and I can't make excuses for you. Magistrate Wang has cleared the matter with us. You keep the money and find another way."
She also advised Meng Chang: Don't be greedy for small profits. Some things can't be stopped once they start. If you take advantage of others and don't do things for them, you can't get rid of the relationship.
Wang Zhenfu laughed dryly, and said with an unpleasant expression: "Alright, alright." He turned to Meng Chang and said: "Since Madam doesn't appreciate it, I can't force you to do it. I was rude to Duke Qin in the past, so I want to invite him out for dinner. This is considered an apology. This doesn't count as a misunderstanding, right?"
Meng Chang had no intention of refusing immediately, so Wang Zhenfu immediately said: Duke Qin is under house arrest here and cannot go out all day, so just think of it as going out to relax.
Lady Huarui saw that Meng Chang had been tempted, and said with a frown: Ah Lang, have you forgotten Wang Zhaoyuan? You haven't been deceived enough by these people.
Meng Chang said: How could he deceive me? I have nothing now.
Wang Zhenfu said hurriedly: Duke Qin is right, I am not after your money or your title, I just want to make friends with you. Think about it, I am familiar with the officialdom in Tokyo, I don't know what I can do to help Duke Qin, it will be easier to walk if the road is wide.
Wang Zhenfu had beaten himself to vent Meng Chang's anger before, but now his attitude was so respectful that Meng Chang was no longer angry. He immediately turned to look at Madam Huarui: "I've been in this yard all day, and there's nothing I can do. I'm so bored. I don't want to go out for some fresh air. I feel so suffocated. Tell me, Governor Wang invited me to dinner, why can't I go?"
Madam Huarui was stumped by his question. She didn't know what the disadvantages were. She just felt that Magistrate Wang was not someone to befriend. She was not a woman who would make a fuss. She couldn't explain why and had to take a step back and said, "Alang, change your clothes before going out."
Madam Huarui planned to calm him down first and then persuade him in private.
Unexpectedly, Meng Chang looked down at his body and said: This outfit is pretty good, Governor Wang, let's go.
Mrs. Huarui chased him to the door and gave him some advice, asking him to think more about everything. There was no choice but to watch Meng Chang leave; Mrs. Huarui could not control Meng Chang in the first place, and he had done many absurd things in the past in Shu Kingdom and she had never persuaded him to stop.
She went back to her bedroom to kill time, fiddling with the few pieces of jewelry she had left, and looking at the bruises on her face in the bronze mirror. No wonder Meng Chang couldn't help himself when he had the chance, life here was really boring.
If it was just boring, she could calm down and endure it. But the main thing was that she couldn't calm down, because she always had a feeling that she was not at peace. Everything she had accumulated and worked hard in the ordinary days could collapse at any time like a house with an unstable foundation. Who could not be impetuous
At the hour of You, the sound of bells and drums came from afar. Although it didn't sound loud here, Madam Huarui felt that the sound of bells and drums on the tower could spread throughout the entire Tokyo City. What we heard here should be the sound of the bells and drums on the tower of Wangchun Gate in the east of the inner city, because the Qin Guogong Mansion is in the east of the inner city, not far from the imperial city; Wangchun Gate is closest to this location.
Dinner was on time. Wei Zhong invited Lady Huarui to dinner. There was only a pile of steamed dried fish, a plate of fried lettuce stalks, and a bowl of lettuce leaf soup. There was no oil, very little salt, and no chili and other condiments commonly used in Shu. Wei Zhong and the maid were not good at cooking. It can be said that the dishes were bland and tasteless without any ingredients. Lady Huarui was not in the mood to cook. Fortunately, the staple food was rice. Lady Huarui was used to eating rice and was not used to northern noodles and cakes, unless they were snacks.
She picked up the bowl and ate, chewing the rice in small bites. The rice seemed to be left over from an old warehouse, the rice grains were not as white as the white teeth of Lady Huarui, but were black and smelled of mold.
Wei Zhong hurriedly said: I will go to the market to buy things early tomorrow morning. I am afraid that the servants who open the door now will not dare to take our money.
Madam Huarui didn't say anything, and slowly ate half a bowl of rice. She was not full, but she just wanted to avoid being hungry. Then she drank half a bowl of green leaf soup, gargled the warm soup in her mouth, and spit it out.
She left the dining table listlessly and went to the living room to ask someone to make her a cup of tea to continue killing time.
Late at night, she heard the door creak, and Lady Huarui turned around and finally saw Meng Chang coming back. A smell of alcohol hit her face, and Meng Chang's face was red, but he didn't look very drunk; when Meng Chang was emperor, he had been addicted to alcohol and sex for a long time, and his body was very weak, but he did have a good tolerance for alcohol.
Ah Lang, you are back. Madam Huarui stood up to greet him and asked anxiously, "Did you and Governor Wang go out just for a banquet?"
Meng Chang put a basket on the table and took out a large bag of rouge, powder, white silver and yellow copper from his bosom: "I brought good things for my wife. There is mutton in the basket, it's still a little warm, eat it first."
Madam Huarui opened it and took a look, then said: "I won't eat it tonight. If I eat greasy food, my fat will grow on my waist. I'll keep it for tomorrow to heat up. Where did these things come from?"
Meng Chang said proudly: I won.
You went to gamble, said Madam Huarui with a frown.
Meng Chang said: Tokyo is Tokyo after all, there are still good places here. After we had our fill of food and drink, we went to a nearby gambling house for a stroll, which really opened my eyes; then we went to have a drink.
Madam Huarui was angry and said: You never gambled before, how did you learn this
Meng Chang disapproved and said: Playing two rounds is nothing, you see, it’s fun, and you can win so many things.
There are winners and losers. If you can make a living by this, why bother doing serious business? Lady Huarui advised him earnestly.
Meng Chang said calmly: Gambling depends on insight and courage. I think there is something that Governor Wang said that makes a lot of sense: Don't be greedy, stop when you win; as long as you are steady, the money will be given away for free. Those who lose money could have won but lost because of greed.
Madam Huarui sighed softly, sat softly on the chair, put her arms on the back of the chair, and sulked.
Meng Chang's excitement was evident in his words. Although he pretended to be calm, he could not hide his excitement. He continued to talk: It is really interesting. It is just a bet. There are wins and losses. I didn't feel anything when I was sitting there. I just felt that time passed very quickly. The whole night was like a snap of fingers. I didn't come to my senses. When I won the money, I could almost stop. I counted the money and remembered how happy I was.
Alang, why don't you think more about it, where is the place that allows you to take advantage for free? Madam Huarui looked helpless and worried, you were able to win money, I guess it was arranged by Wang Zhenfu, who deliberately gave you benefits.
Meng Chang shook his head and said: You didn't see it with your own eyes, you just guessed that the place was very elegant and quiet, not a smoky and chaotic gambling hall at all. No one dared to cheat, no one dared to mess around, everyone was well behaved.
Madam Huarui muttered: I remember that Shu Kingdom also issued a decree to ban gambling. Can it be regulated
Meng Chang said: It depends on the location. It is said that the gambling house has a powerful background, and the government cannot touch it. It has been well-organized in the official circles, and even officials will go in to play. The rules are all set. Winning or losing depends entirely on your ability, it is very fair.
He took out a silver coin from his bag and handed it to Lady Huarui: "Look how finely it is cast. The silver coin from Shenchenli Bank weighed it and it weighs exactly two coins. Magistrate Wang said that the big boss is doing a long-term business and is very strong. There is absolutely no such thing as not allowing you to leave after winning money. It is all about sincerity. And those women are proficient in everything from music, chess, calligraphy and painting. There are people who teach them the rules. They are more pleasing than the palace maids."