Eastern Palace Chapter 19

The Emperor said: "You two are a couple with the same mindset, doing things together." Li Cheng Yin's expression was the same, said: "May I dare to ask father, why have you come here?" I never thought that Li Cheng Yin would be this bold, since everyone came to the brothel, why should we reveal someone's intentions and make them feel embarra.s.sed? I never thought that the Emperor would just laugh and said: "As a political figure we must not commit any mistakes, as the heir to the throne, you don't understand this?" "I will keep that in mind, however father have mentioned this before, the fall of the previous dynasty was due to the fact that a conspiracy was formed within court officials, some court officials have a large amount of supporters, therefore even a decree would be ineffective, also a swarm of locust[1] has caused great disaster, therefore causing the fall of the dynasty.  I don't understand anything that they had just said, they were at a brothel, but it seemed like they were in the court. I felt this wasn't interesting. The Emperor faintly smiled and said: "Since you know, what do you plan on doing?" "Reverse a verdict." The Emperor shook his head: "A case that was ten years ago, how can you reverse that? Also there isn't any human testimony and material evidence, how can you reverse the verdict?" Li Cheng Yin laughed: "There must be some kind of evidence left." The Emperor laughed and sighed: "You!" This moment reminded me of the times when I would throw tantrums because I really wanted to ride my little red horse, my father would have no other way out so he would just spoil me. Thinking of my father, my heart felt warm, it's only that I couldn't understanding any these two people were talking about. Not a moment later, clattered footsteps can be heard, a dancer was knocking on the door, urgently calling me: "Liang Gong Zi! Liang Gong Zi!" The Emperor and Li Cheng Yin were both staring at me, I hurriedly stood up: "What happened?" "Someone burst into Ming Yu Fang, tied up You Niang, saying that You Niang owed them money, and wanted to take You Niang away!" The moment I heard that, I was worried: "Hurry and take me there to see!" Li Cheng Yin pulled my arm: "I will come with you!" I turned around to look at the Emperor, quietly said: "Stay here with the Emperor!" The Emperor nodded his head: "You can go, I brought some people with me." Li Cheng Yin and I ran through the corridor bridge to the first floor of the entertainment house, only w.a.n.g Da Niang's sharp voice can be heard: "You want to take someone away? Not that easy!" "Money borrowed must be returned, that's the right thing to do!" That person saying that was a fat person, born with a plump body, a mustache, having eyebrows of a thief and the eyes of a rat, you can tell by his appearance that he was not a good person. The moment I saw him, I was angry: "Sun Er, why is it you again?!" Speaking of Sun Er, I know that person. Sun Er is a money lender, one time I saw him forced a widow and an orphan to pay back money, I couldn't bear to see that so I fought with him, beating him up so badly, ever since then he would act humble and not harsh in front of me. Sun Er blinked his eyes until he could finally recognize me: "Liang Gong Zi..........You are dressed like this.......Ha Ha Ha Ha......." I completely had forgotten that I was still wearing women's clothing, I impolitely stomped my foot on the stool, I tucked the corner of my skirt to the waist: "What? You want to fight? Even if I am dressed as a woman, I could still win you!" Sun Er was scared, putting a smile on his face: "I do not dare. I am just here to take the money back. Liang Gong Zi, money borrowed must be returned, this is the right thing to do. Firstly You Niang is not an orphan, secondly she is not a widow, thirdly she is not sick, the money she borrowed, don't you think she should pay it back?" I asked You Niang: "Why did you borrow his money?" You Niang really was an honest person, said: "Did I ever borrowed his money? It was a married couple from my hometown that wanted to open a business in the Capital, however the wife got sick, going to the physician and taking medicine, in the end the wife had pa.s.sed away and funeral arrangements were made, then I went to seek Sun Er and borrowed money from him. Sun Er had said that they didn't have any properties or business, so he didn't dare to ask them for the money. I decided to be the guarantor for the debt because my fellow villager didn't have any family members at the Capital. Right now my fellow villager took the money and went back to his hometown, this Sun Er came asking me for the money." Hearing that made me angry: "What kind of fellow villager is that? Not able to pay back the money and getting you involved......" Sun Er took out the receipt of the debt: "Liang Gong Zi, if she was an orphan or a widow, then I would've let this go. Money must be paid back even if it involves murder and arson......Li Cheng Yin was already laughing behind me, Sun Er jumped up: "Who's uttering nonsense?" "What did you say?" Li Cheng Yin's expression had changed, I couldn't even pull him, Crown Prince don't act on an impulse.

        Sun Er glanced at Li Cheng Yin, then bowed to me: "Liang Gong Zi, if the money isn't paid back today, then we will have to offend you." "You should ask the fellow villager for the money back." "She is the guarantor of the debt, you should go find the fellow villager and ask for the money back." Li Cheng Yin laughed coldly: "The book of laws stated that unless the person that borrowed the money is dead or ran away or unable to repay the money, then you are allowed to ask the guarantor for the money." Sun Er never thought that Li Cheng Yin would know about the book of laws, he blinked his eyes while saying: "Didn't the fellow villager ran away?" "Who said they ran away, the fellow villager just went back home, you knew where they are, why don't you ask them for the money, why cause trouble for the guarantor?" "How would I know where that person had went?......" Li Cheng Yin slightly pushed You Niang: "Where does your fellow villager live?" You Niang stuttered: "In a small town in Dingzhou county............ "  Li Cheng Yin said: "Now you know where is that person, go ask for the money back, don't cause any trouble here." w.a.n.g Da Niang said: "This lady is saying the right thing, go ask that person for the money, why cause trouble here at Ming Yu Fang? Hurry and go! Hurry and go!" She was saying that while pus.h.i.+ng them out of the door, Sun Er and his people were pushed out of the door. Sun Er was outside stomping his feet and cursing, w.a.n.g Da Niang patted Li Cheng Yin's shoulder, excitedly said: "Good lady, helping me with this! You are You Niang's dancers? This month's tips I will give to you!" I was on the side laughing, Sun Er being defeated and just standing outside cursing, because he couldn't do anything else. I saw that he suddenly waved to his people and whispered something into their ears, I couldn't help but said: "Aiyo, not good, this Sun Er is planning on doing something dirty." "Lock the door! Lock the door!" w.a.n.g Da Niang hurriedly told her people to go lock the door: "Don't let them come back inside. Also those two Persian coloured gla.s.s lights, first take those lights down and then close the doors, tomorrow will be Lantern Festival, those lights are expensive, do not break them......." This side people were taking down the lights and closing the door, on the other side Sun Er and his people were trying to go back inside. Each of his people were holding onto a bamboo tube, not sure what was inside the bamboo tubes. When w.a.n.g Da Niang first saw it she was anxious, telling them to close the door, when the door was half closed, they poured out the things inside the bamboo tube, apparently the bamboo tubes had contained dirty water. Most of the dirty water were splashed onto the door, the people closing the door tried to dodge it, but most of them were splashed with dirty water, also w.a.n.g Da Niang's skirt was also splashed with dirty water, w.a.n.g Da Niang was so mad that she was cursing: "My new lace skirt, I just wore it not too long ago, now splashed by dirty water........" w.a.n.g Da Niang had told her people to open the door and demand them to leave, Sun Er and his people were running away while looking at w.a.n.g Da Niang and making funny faces. w.a.n.g Da Niang was so angry that she was shouting, jumping, and cursing.

        You Niang walked up and lifted w.a.n.g Da Niang's skirt, carefully looking at it, said: "Wait it looks like it is ink, vinegar and water can wash it away. Take it off and I will help you wash it....." w.a.n.g Da Niang was grabbing You Niang's hand, as if she was muttering curse words: "These rascals, I will kill them if I see them again........" Saying that while telling people to wash the door. They tried to wipe clean the door, however seeing that the ink can't be wiped, w.a.n.g Da Niang got even more angry. I suddenly thought of an idea, telling the lady beside me: "Take out the red dye and the eyebrow dye." You Niang looked at my face, laughing while saying: "Liang Gong Zi's disguise as a woman is quite charming, even without makeup, you can defeat the ladies in Ming Yu Fang." I laughed while pulling Li Cheng Yin: "Here's someone that is much prettier than me, use the items to draw!" Li Cheng Yin was angry, shaking off my hand, the lady had already brought the red dye and eyebrow dye, I placed them into his hand and said: "Draw!" Li Cheng Yin glared at me and said: "What do I draw?" "Last time you used the mosquito blood on Se Se's silk fan, didn't you use the mosquito blood to draw a b.u.t.terfly? Since you have the skills to draw a b.u.t.terfly, then you will be able to draw something on the door." I saw that he was unwilling, so I said: "If you are unwilling to draw on the door, then I will shout out the real ident.i.ty of the guest!" Li Cheng Yin glared at me: "You dare?!" I opened my mouth and shouted: "Everyone go to the back and see the Emp......" My mouth was covered by Li Cheng Yin when I was about to shout out the last word. He didn't use an ink brush, immediately using his finger to scratch some red dye, drawing a big circle on the door, and then filling the circle with the red dye. He grabbed the eyebrow dye, drawing on top of the ink, I rarely saw Li Cheng Yin draw, especially using his fingers to draw, the surrounding people were astonished, I was extremely curious. I was only able to see his fingers constantly moving, without the need of an ink brush, gradually drawing the outline of the drawing, then slowly filling the drawing with the dye. The surrounding people couldn't help, but to hold their breaths and watch him calmly draw.

        In the end he finally had finished drawing, at one glance, wow! The splash of ink had became a drawing of mountains, water mists exposing a range of mountains, a rising sun behind the mountains. This was a magnificent painting of the mountains and rivers.

Notes:
[1] 蝗 Locust- short horned gra.s.shoppers, which tends to wipe out vegetation from large areas

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